Jiang Shiyan is like a raging little beast, ready to pounce and bite Chen Jingrong at any moment!
Chen Jingrong's fake smile faltered, her face contorted, making her look utterly repulsive.
"It's not a good habit for kids to talk nonsense. If your brother finds out, he'll spank your hand again..."
"Enough!" Old Madam Jiang shouted angrily, then her gaze became somewhat suspicious, distant, and scrutinizing.
"Are you that lowly illegitimate daughter of the Chen family? Where is Xuanrong? Where did Xuanrong go? Did you harm Xuanrong?"
Upon hearing the word "lowly," Chen Jingrong's eyes immediately turned bloodshot, and she became extremely agitated, speaking incoherently.
"Lowly? A concubine's daughter?"
"We were born of the same father, so why is she a high and mighty young lady, while I am just a lowly concubine's daughter in your eyes?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Jiang's face turned deathly pale, and she began to have difficulty breathing.
Her hand trembled as she raised it, pointing at Chen Jingrong: "You...you...you admit...you...you're not...Xuanrong!"
Chen Jingrong slapped Old Madam Jiang's hand: "Old hag, don't point at me. Why is it that Chen Xuanrong can be the legitimate daughter, and can have such a good marriage with the Jiang family and such an excellent husband as Jiang Shilin?"
"Why should I, who look exactly like her, have to eke out a living in that small courtyard, with no way out for the rest of my life?"
Madam Jiang was so shocked by the truth of the matter that she almost fainted.
However, apart from Jiang Shiyan, who was small and struggling to support her, no one present felt sorry for her.
Ning Yao also watched coldly from the sidelines.
In her view, even two people who look the same are different.
Chen Xuanrong has had close ties with the Jiang family since childhood. She has only been impersonated by Chen Jingrong for a few days, so how come she can't recognize her?
It's still a problem within the Jiang family themselves.
The deranged Chen Jingrong kept muttering something like a madwoman.
However, it's just a matter of legitimate and illegitimate children, which is unfair.
Just as Ning Yao was about to step forward to calm her down, Jiang Shilin returned.
Zhilan whispered in Ningyao's ear, and Ningyao raised an eyebrow and said, "Is that so?"
Zhilan nodded: "I reckon this is probably the first time the two of them have met."
Ning Yao said, "Let's just wait and see."
Jiang Shilin ignored the erratic Chen Jingrong and went to Old Madam Jiang first: "Grandmother, are you alright?"
"Shiyan, take Grandmother to rest first. Your eldest brother is here!"
Jiang Shiyan nodded.
When Chen Jingrong saw Jiang Shilin appear, she immediately seemed to snap out of it and stepped forward to grab Jiang Shilin's arm.
However, Jiang Shilin dodged to the side, and she missed her target.
Seeing the unfamiliarity and disgust in Jiang Shilin's eyes, Chen Jingrong panicked: "Brother Lin, what's wrong with you?"
Jiang Shilin said coldly, "Don't call me Brother Lin, you're not Xuanrong!"
Chen Jingrong continued to argue her case, insisting that she was indeed Chen Xuanrong.
Immediately, some of the onlookers were so enthusiastic that they could recite from memory what she had just said to Madam Jiang.
Jiang Shilin was unaware of what had happened before, and upon hearing it now, his expression became even more unpleasant.
"A concubine's daughter is a concubine's daughter. How dare you try to murder your elder sister and seize her identity and everything she has! You are truly vicious!"
Chen Jingrong was stunned for a moment: "Brother Lin, you're not like this. You were so good to me before, so gentle..."
"Shut up! I thought you were Xuan Rong, that's why I... You need to know that everything you have now is because you took Xuan Rong's identity."
"If it weren't for Xuanrong, do you think I, or even Grandmother, would have given you a second glance?"
Chen Jingrong's face twisted, revealing a hint of malice: "Why does she get your favor? Why can't I? We're both daughters of the Chen family, but just because she's the legitimate daughter?"
Jiang Shilin sneered: "Why? You think it's because everyone looks down on your status as an illegitimate daughter? You're wrong. The Chen family has many illegitimate children, but you're the only one who's disliked by everyone. Don't you know that?"
"Because you look like Xuanrong, have you forgotten how many things you've taken from her, both openly and secretly, and how many things you've framed her for?"
“You always think we value legitimate and illegitimate children, and that we don’t like you because you’re illegitimate. Then let me ask you, when you were five years old, your grandmother gave you and your sister a pair of twin jade pendants, with the characters Xuan and Jing engraved on them respectively. Where did the jade pendants end up?”
"When you were seven years old, your aunt made the same clothes for you and your sister. Why were there holes cut in Xuanrong's clothes?"
"When you were nine years old, your family took you to the temple to burn incense and pay respects to Buddha. Why did you go out with Xuanrong, but only you came back, while Xuanrong was left alone in the woods? When asked, you said you didn't know?"
"When you were ten, you plagiarized Xuanrong's article, even copying her name. When you were eleven, you stole Xuanrong's embroidery, not realizing she had a habit of embroidering her own name on it. When you were twelve, why did you smash the token of love between Xuanrong and me and throw it into the lake?"
"Later, you had Xuanrong kidnapped, pushed her into the water, and deliberately plotted to get into my bed, ruining your reputation. Can you even count all the things you did? Even so, when did Xuanrong ever not consider that you were her younger sister, and give in to you and forgive you?"
"Even for that last matter, Xuanrong came to me and Grandmother several times to beg you to marry into the Jiang family with her, for the sake of your reputation!"
Chen Jingrong felt no shame upon hearing this; instead, she questioned Jiang Shilin, "If everyone is treated equally, then why does she have what I have? Why should I be limited to using the same things as her?"
“She has a teacher, and she has written so many articles and embroidered so many pieces. I just borrowed some of her techniques. Why should everyone criticize me?”
"Chen Xuanrong is a hypocritical and despicable person. She even wants me to marry into the Jiang family. What? Does she want to be a concubine? I don't want to be a concubine!"
Jiang Shilin felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, as if he were talking to a brick wall.
There's no point in reasoning with someone as psychologically twisted as Chen Jingrong.
“I ran into Xuanrong today, but she refused to come back with me. She said it’s either you or her, it’s either you or her.”
Chen Jingrong forced a smile: "So what? I'm going to die here anyway. Besides, Chen Xuanrong is already crippled. Would the Jiang family want someone who can't speak to be their future matriarch?"
Jiang Shilin asked in confusion, "Xuanrong is perfectly fine, why can't she speak?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Jingrong's smile vanished abruptly: "Isn't she mute?"
Jiang Shilin was furious: "You actually dared to hurt Xuanrong, you poisonous woman!"
After saying that, a loud slap landed on Chen Jingrong's face.
Blood immediately spilled from the corner of her mouth, and half of her face swelled up.
"She's not mute? How could she not be mute? I clearly drugged her and made her mute!"
"She is the lowly concubine's daughter, Chen Jingrong. She should stay in that little courtyard for the rest of her life!"
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