At this point, Jiang Baichuan burst into tears, his eyes blurred with tears. With trembling hands, he clutched the ancestral tablet tightly, as if seeking strength from it.
The atmosphere in the ancestral hall became increasingly heavy, as if the ancestors were also feeling sad for Jiang Baichuan.
At this moment, Jiang Dinglian rushed towards the ancestral hall with a heavy sword.
His face was ashen, his eyes like torches, as if he wanted to burn Jiang Baichuan's soul clean. The candles in the ancestral hall swayed in the light of the sword, looking particularly eerie.
When Jiang Baichuan saw Jiang Dinglian, his face turned pale as paper.
This punishment was inevitable. He tried to stand up, but found that his legs were weak and could not support his body weight.
Jiang Dinglian stepped into the ancestral hall and dropped the heavy sword in his hand with a thud. He looked at Jiang Baichuan coldly and said in a cold voice, "Baichuan, do you admit your guilt?"
Jiang Baichuan replied tremblingly: "Father, I know I was wrong, please forgive me."
Jiang Dinglian's eyes turned cold, and he angrily scolded, "You gambled, bullied my sister, and even dared to disobey my orders and sneak out of the house. You ignored my words and put the reputation of our family at risk."
Jiang Baichuan lowered his head, not daring to look directly into Jiang Dinglian's eyes.
He was filled with resentment, but he couldn't defend himself.
Jiang Dinglian walked up to Jiang Baichuan, raised his heavy sword, and pointed it at his chest. He spoke gravely, "Baichuan, you are a descendant of the Jiang family. I wanted to nurture you and let you inherit the family business. But unfortunately, you have no ambition. You indulge in gambling, bully the weak, and bring disgrace to our family. Today, I will use this sword to make you know that the rules of the family cannot be violated."
Jiang Baichuan looked at the heavy sword in horror. He wanted to struggle, but found that his strength was so weak. He could only beg, "Father, please spare me. I will be a good person in the future. I will stop gambling and bullying my sister."
Jiang Dinglian remained unmoved. He slammed the heavy sword in his hand into Jiang Baichuan's chest with a dull thud. Jiang Baichuan curled up on the ground in pain, cold sweat on his forehead.
The ancestral tablets in the ancestral hall looked even more solemn under the candlelight, as if they were watching everything. A sense of fear surged in Jiang Baichuan's heart. He felt as if he was bound by the family rules and could not escape.
Jiang Dinglian looked at Jiang Baichuan, his eyes filled with endless disappointment. He sighed and said, "Baichuan, since you are my son, I will not let you die easily. But you must bear this punishment. I want you to remember this lesson and understand that gambling and bullying the weak are not tolerated by our family."
Jiang Baichuan struggled painfully on the ground. He wanted to get up, but he was unable to do so.
…
The spring rain is as fine as silk, gently tapping against the window lattice, and what comes into view is a hazy wetness.
Jiang Songyi slept very well that night, and in her dream there was a gentle spring rain that moistened everything silently.
The next day, Jiang Songyi was awakened by her maid just after dawn. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and saw a hint of joy on the maid's face, so she asked, "What are you so happy about?"
The maid replied with a smile, "Miss, the old lady asked you to have dinner at Rongxi Hall early this morning, saying that she has something important to announce."
Jiang Songyi was slightly stunned. The old lady usually wouldn't call her over so early.
She quickly washed up, put on a lavender silk dress, and walked towards Rong Xi Tang.
The Weiyang Garden where Jiang Yuyao lived was located next to Rongxi Hall. The flowers in the garden were in full bloom, and a gentle breeze blew through, bringing with it bursts of floral fragrance. Jiang Yuyao and Liao Qianqian went to Rongxi Hall together to serve the old lady.
Inside Rongxi Hall, the old lady sat in the main seat, looking energetic and bright-eyed. She watched Jiang Yuyao and Liao Qianqian come in, a satisfied smile on her face.
"Yuyao, is this little girl next to you brought back by Songyi?" the old lady suddenly asked, her eyes falling on Liao Qianqian.
Jiang Yuyao was slightly stunned, then replied, "Grandma, Qianqian wasn't brought back by Sister Songyi. I rescued her when she was wandering outside. I saw that she was alone and helpless, and I couldn't bear to see her sold, so I brought her back."
After hearing this, the old lady nodded slightly, but there was no obvious expression on her face. She just looked at Liao Qianqian more deeply.
At this time, Jiang Songyi walked in. Seeing Liao Qianqian, she curled her lips into a cold smile. She walked straight to Jiang Yuyao and said sarcastically, "Sister Yuyao, do you still remember? You redeemed this Liao Qianqian from a brothel with five taels of silver. I didn't expect you to dare to tell me that you saved her. You are such a liar."
Jiang Yuyao blushed. She didn't expect Jiang Songyi to say it at this time. She was about to explain but was interrupted by the old lady.
"Songyi, how can you say that about your sister?" The old lady said in a serious tone, her eyes sweeping over Jiang Songyi sharply.
Jiang Songyi didn't dare to say anything else. She just looked at Jiang Yuyao coldly, her eyes full of disdain.
The old lady turned around and said to Jiang Yuyao, "Yuyao, you are a kind-hearted child. It is your merit to save Qianqian. However, you still have to return these five taels of silver to Songyi."
Jiang Yuyao was slightly stunned. She didn't expect the old lady to say that. She looked at Liao Qianqian, then at Jiang Songyi, feeling conflicted.
Liao Qianqian stood aside, looking at Jiang Yuyao, her eyes full of worry.
The old lady glanced at Liao Qianqian, who lowered her head in silence, a hint of doubt flickered across her brow. She slowly turned to Jiang Yuyao and asked sternly, "Yuyao, are you telling the truth? Was Liao Qianqian really sold into a brothel by her parents and then rescued by Songyi?"
Jiang Yuyao was slightly startled, then nodded, looking at the old lady with a firm gaze. "Grandma, everything my granddaughter said is true. That day, Songyi happened to run into Liao Qianqian on the street. Seeing her tear-stained face, she felt pity for her. After some inquiries, she learned of her tragic life story."
The old lady sighed softly, a glint of approval in her eyes: "Songyi is a kind-hearted child. She is truly the pride of our Yongding Marquisate." She turned to look at Jiang Songyi and smiled, "Songyi, do you know how pleased I am with your actions?"
Jiang Songyi smiled slightly and bowed, saying, "Granddaughter just did what she thought was right. Grandmother, thank you for the compliment."
At this moment, Jiang Yuyao suddenly pulled out a few hairpins from her bun, placed them on the table, and said softly, "Grandma, my granddaughter is willing to use these hairpins to pay off my debt and make up for my mistake."
The old lady looked at the exquisite hairpins, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She picked up one of them, examined it carefully, and then said slowly, "These hairpins were left by your mother. Are you willing to give them away?"
Jiang Yuyao's eyes flashed with determination: "Granddaughter is willing. As long as it can make up for the mistake of that day, granddaughter will do anything."
The old lady nodded slightly, placed the hairpin back on the table, looked at Jiang Yuyao, and said earnestly: "Yuyao, I appreciate your kindness. But this matter has nothing to do with you, so you don't need to blame yourself. As for these hairpins, I accept them. But not to pay off the debt, but as a commemoration for your mother."
Jiang Yuyao's eyes were slightly red, and she looked at the old lady gratefully: "Grandma, your granddaughter is very grateful."
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