Ye Qingqing found it strange; Mrs. Allen had just returned to the country, so why was she calling again?
"lady……"
Before Ye Qingqing could even greet her, Mrs. Allen interrupted her, her voice filled with excitement, "Dear Ye, I have something to tell you, no... my mother wants to talk to you, God... it's truly amazing..."
Mrs. Allen was rambling incoherently, and Ye Qingqing was even more confused. How did she end up bringing up her mother?
In Ye Qingqing's view, Mrs. Allen's mother must also be a foreign elderly lady with black hair and blue eyes, but—
"Hello, I am Hilda's mother. You must be Ye Qingqing?"
The old lady on the phone spoke fluent Chinese, so she was definitely Chinese. No matter how fluent a foreigner's Chinese is, it will always sound a bit stiff, but Mrs. Allen's mother's Chinese was very smooth; only one's mother tongue can be so fluent.
Moreover, the old lady's Chinese was not standard Mandarin; it had a Pingjiang accent, which is not something a foreigner could speak. Ye Qingqing was even more puzzled. Mrs. Allen did not look like a mixed-race person; she was a genuine foreigner!
"Hello, I'm Ye Qingqing. Is there something you need?" Ye Qingqing answered politely, though she was full of suspicion.
The old lady paused for a moment and asked, "I'd like to ask, is the pearl necklace you're wearing a family heirloom, or did you buy it from someone else?"
Ye Qingqing blinked, completely surprised that the old lady was asking about Dongzhu jewelry. Lost in thought, she didn't answer immediately. The old lady said apologetically, "My question was a bit presumptuous, but I really want to know..."
"No, no, I was just a little surprised, nothing. The pearl necklace was a gift from my elder. She commissioned a famous jewelry store to make it because my elder really liked pearls."
Ye Qingqing quickly explained that the old lady had told her about the origin of this set of pearl jewelry. She had obtained some excellent pearls by chance and then asked the master craftsman of Longfengxiang, the best silver shop in Pingjiang at the time, to make several sets of jewelry. She also gave some to her sister-in-law and Gu Nianci.
However, she was still puzzled as to why Mrs. Allen's mother would ask such detailed questions.
Moreover, this old lady was clearly from Pingjiang; her distinct local accent couldn't be hidden from her. Could it be...?
Ye Qingqing thought of a possibility, her heart raced, and her throat felt dry. She was afraid she had guessed wrong.
The breathing on the other end of the microphone became rapid, indicating that the other person was also very agitated. Mrs. Allen's voice could also be heard, as if she was trying to calm the old lady down, and even suggesting that she take some medicine or something.
"Is your surname [your last name]?"
"Miss Ye, is your elder called..."
The old lady and Ye Qingqing spoke at the same time, then stopped at the same time, followed by a long silence. Ye Qingqing's heart was pounding in her throat, her palms were sweaty and slippery, and the microphone slipped out of her hand several times.
"Please go first." Ye Qingqing wanted to know what the old lady was asking. She had a vague idea, but she still hoped that the old lady would say it herself.
The old lady took a deep breath and slowly asked, "Is your elder's surname Sheng, and his name Sheng Xinlan, Xin as in 'heart' and Lan as in 'orchid'?"
Ye Qingqing's eyes immediately welled up with tears, which flowed uncontrollably. Lu Mo, standing beside her, looked at her with concern. She laughed and cried at the same time, speaking into the microphone, "Yes, she is my grandmother's cousin. Are you an old friend of hers?"
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