It turned out that the eldest son's family had been poor at business for the past two years, losing all their shops and land. The eldest son of the Wei family then thought that Wei Zheng's business had been doing very well since he was promoted, so he simply took out his remaining savings to bribe the prefect, hoping to buy an official position.
Unexpectedly, the prefect was an upright official who not only refused the bribe but also punished the eldest son of the Wei family. In the end, he did not receive any promotion and had to sell his ancestral home to raise enough money for ransom.
The eldest son's family is now penniless. Their only remaining possessions are probably those two covered carriages.
Wei Shuwan finally understood. No wonder her grandmother and the others refused to leave after they came in her previous life; it turned out there was nowhere left to return to in their hometown. Now, her grandmother was still using fake jewelry to save face, simply because she couldn't bring herself to tell them the truth.
It seems the reason she arrived a month or two late in her past life was simply because she couldn't afford a dowry for her. After all, what granddaughter gets married and the grandmother doesn't provide a dowry?
Now that her marriage is off, her grandmother has no more worries and has come early.
Wei Shuwan told her mother the news she had found out, and her mother then relayed it to her father.
Wei Zheng paced back and forth in the room a few times, finally stopping and sighing. He said, "Although Wei Wenshi is not my birth mother, she raised me from a crying infant to adulthood. No matter what, I will always regard her as my mother and be filial to her. Now that the Wei family of Wu County is gone, we should take care of them as much as possible in the future, and we must not hurt our mother's feelings."
Sun Lurong nodded in agreement. "Although I didn't like the eldest branch of the family in the past, it was just a minor disagreement between sisters-in-law, and there was no real enmity. Since they see us as their last resort and have come to rely on us, we are still family, and there is no reason to drive them away."
After saying that, she looked at Wei Shuwan with concern and gently instructed, "Wanwan, I know that you and Shuyao are not on good terms, but you are sisters after all. Now that she has lost her home, you must not mistreat her."
Hearing this, Wei Shuwan felt somewhat uncomfortable. Although she had never suffered a loss in front of her fourth sister, it was always the other sister who started trouble, and she at most retaliated in kind. Now, she had earned a reputation for mistreating her sister.
Seeing her daughter's displeasure, Sun Lurong smiled and took her arm, patiently coaxing her, "Alright, Mother knows you're a sensible child. Regardless of how you behave at home, you should think twice before going to the Sheng family in a few days. That's also a matter of the Wei family's reputation."
Wei Shuwan wasn't one to hold grudges. Her face brightened, and she smiled slyly, "Mother just wants me to spare a few pieces of jewelry for her, and I'll give them to her."
Upon returning to Fuquxuan, Wei Shuwan instructed Ziqiao to retrieve some of the jewelry that had been previously packed away. These were all pieces that she had never worn and had never considered worthy of her attention. She then filled a whole box with them and asked Miaoxiang to deliver them to her aunt.
That same day, the owner of a clothing store was invited over to bring out the most fashionable styles for Wei Shuyao to choose from.
Wei Shuyao hadn't worn new clothes in a long time, and she couldn't bear to throw away any of the ones she had tried on. In the end, the shopkeeper of that clothing store left the Wei family with an empty trunk.
When it was time for dinner, Wei Shuyao appeared before everyone dressed in brand-new clothes, adorned with gold and jade ornaments.
The jewelry chosen to be presented to the Wei family must be the best of the best; even if Wei Shuwan doesn't find it appealing, it is still a treasure in the eyes of others.
Looking at her radiant granddaughter, Old Madam Wei nodded with satisfaction, thinking that perhaps this trip to the Sheng family would lead her to a good man. Only when her granddaughter had settled down in Shengjing could she, as her grandmother, stay in peace.
In the following days, Wei Shuwan was kept busy by Wei Shuyao, who kept asking for this and that, so she didn't have a chance to leave the manor alone and didn't go to the farm again. However, the servant she sent to buy fish brought back news from there every day. Overall, her benefactor was doing well and no one had bothered him again.
Before we knew it, it was time for Master Sheng's birthday.
A golden plaque emblazoned with the characters for "longevity" led the way, followed by four carriages belonging to the Wei family. Leading the procession were Wei Zheng and his wife, Sun Lurong, followed by Wei Shuwan and Wei Shuyao. The next carriage carried Wei Chengxiu, and the last carriage was laden with congratulatory gifts.
Although the two mansions were only a hundred paces apart, the Wei family still put on such a grand display.
According to the plan, the Wei family's four carriages could drive directly into the Sheng Mansion through the carriage gate. However, when they arrived at the gate, there was already a carriage waiting there.
With its green silk canopy, purple brocade, white horse, and guards standing at both ends, the person inside the carriage was clearly of extremely high status.
"Who's sitting inside?" Wei Shuyao lifted the curtain and looked at the carriage with great interest.
Wei Shuwan, however, was not in the mood for watching a spectacle. Judging from the horse's posture and the guards' expressions, the carriage had clearly been parked in front of the gate for quite some time. The Sheng family had no reason to turn away such an honored guest; it was obvious that the person inside was unwilling to go in and was waiting for someone else outside.
And if I'm not mistaken, they should be the ones we're waiting for...
Sure enough, just as Wei Shuwan thought of this, she saw the carriage curtain seem to move, and the person inside gave an order. Then, a guard with a sword strode over to them.
“Those who are good don’t come.” Wei Shuwan silently exhaled a breath of stale air.
Wei Shuyao immediately became alert: "What, does Second Uncle have enemies in Shengjing?"
Wei Shuwan pursed her lips and said helplessly, "I do have it."
As they spoke, the guard had already walked to the front of the lead carriage, his right hand gripping the sword at his waist. He was a burly man with a booming voice: "Princess Yun'an's carriage is here. Why don't you all dismount and pay your respects at once!"
Upon hearing the title of this princess, Wei Shuyao suddenly remembered the gossip she had heard along the way. It seemed that in addition to the second young master of the Song family being rejected by her third sister, the eldest young master was also rejected by the Prince Jing's mansion.
The mistress of Prince Jing's mansion was none other than Princess Yun'an.
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