The Lucky Heiress

Translator: 549690339

“It’s a long story. But in simple terms, I was mistakenly raised elsewhere and just recently got switched back,” said Wei Ruo.

“No wonder the Wei Family suddenly had another legitimate daughter raised in the countryside. It turns out she was mistakenly switched. Poor little thing. You must’ve had a hard time in the countryside,” she commented.

The matter of the Wei Family having an additional legitimate daughter was something Madam Yuan had heard about before. She heard it from others after the major defeat of the Japanese Pirates in Xingshan County.

“Yes, but I would rather they not know about my medical skills or about our relationship. That’s why I had to say such abrupt things when we first met,” explained Wei Ruo.

“There’S nothing abrupt about that. If there’s something you don’t want to talk about, I will try my best to hide it for you,” responded Madam Yuan. “Just tell me anything else you’d like me to be aware of.”

“It’s nothing much. Madam, you just need to treat me as someone you have just met today in front of others,” said Wei Ruo.

“That’s easy,” Madam Yuan replied.

While they were talking, Xiaozhao, Madam Yuan’s maid, had already found a change of clothes for Wei Ruo. Madam Yuan asked Wei Ruo to go change, dressed in the safflower smoke Lushan with a loomed gold butterfly skirt. The skirt was made with a fabric more valuable than Yun Jin silk called Floating Light Silk, while the top was made with a lighter floral lampas.

The clothes fit perfectly, emphasising Wei Ruo’s figure.

After Wei Ruo got changed, Madam Yuan was delighted to see her. “Back then, I was in too much pain during childbirth to care much about anything else. It occurred to me afterwards how good-looking the person who saved me was. Now I see it’s true. You are as captivating as a hibiscus flower in full bloom. If I were a man, I would’ve fallen for you.”

A thirteen-year-old girl, a flower yet to bloom, is in her most charming stage. “Thank you for your compliment, Madam,” replied Wei Ruo, feeling somewhat embarrassed by her high praise.

“Come, follow me out to greet the guests. After today, you’ll stay a few more days in the government city with me and we can catch up then,” said Madam

Yuan.

Madam Yuan took the initiative to hold Wei Ruo’s hand and led her back out into the garden.

Upon their return, everyone’s eyes were drawn to Madam Yuan and Wei Ruo.

It’s true that clothes make the man; Wei Ruo looked even more conspicuous after changing clothes.

Once she mingled among the group, Madam Yuan chatted with the other madams and let Wei Ruo look around on her own.

Because of Madam Yuan’s attitude just now, people who had previously not spoken much with Wei Ruo changed theirs—many approached her to start conversations.

Wei Qingwan stood in a corner, watching from a distance as Wei Ruo was surrounded by others. Her face was pale.

Soon after, several girls began to play the game “Fly Blossom Order” in the garden.

This was originally something Wei Qingwan thought of so she could show off.

But now, no one invited her to join, as if she was non-existent.

Although Wei Ruo was invited, she did not participate, preferring to savour her cakes and nuts by the side.

###

After the garden party ended, Madam Yun led both Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan

away.

On the way back, Madam Yun’s face was grim and she didn’t say a word.

When they returned to their temporary residence in the Xie Family Annex,

Madam Yun called both of them into a room.

“Wanwan, do you realize what you’ve done wrong?” Madam Yun asked Wei

Qingwan.

With a ‘plop’, Wei Qingwan knelt down.”

“Mom!” she cried, tears rolling down her cheeks.

■Wanwan, you used to be the most well-behaved and knew your place. Why were you so reckless today, bumping into your sister then not saying a word when Madam Yuan questioned you? Do you know how much impact her words can have on you? Madam Yuan is not just anyone; she is the most favored daughter of Prince Huai. Not to mention here in Taizhou prefecture, even in Capital City, her words carry weight,” expressed a disappointed Madam Yun. Weeping incessantly, Wei Qingwan responded, “Mom, I didn’t know anything like that would happen. My foot just tripped, and I didn’t expect it to bump into my sister. I just slightly bumped into her, how was I to know she would bump into Madam Yuan?”

Wei Qingwan wept bitterly, with sunken reddened eyes and pale cheeks. Her body twitched and she was on the verge of blacking out as if all the neglect and cold glares she had received in Tianqin Garden were released through her tears. Seeing her adopted daughter of thirteen years crying so heartbrokenly, Madam Yun’s heart ached.

Then, turning to Wei Ruo, she reprimanded, “And you, why did you have to go towards Madam Yuan? You got praised by her now, but your sister’s life is ruined by you!”

Wei Ruo scoffed, “Do you mean to say I should have fallen into the pond, got myself soaking wet and be the laughing stock of Taizhou Prefecture?

Wei Ruo acknowledged that the force Wei Qingwan exerted might not have been enough to push her entirely into the pond. But who could foresee what would happen next? People’s instinctive reaction during emergencies would be to choose the safest option. This is an instinct, an action faster than thought. Madam Yun defended herself, “I wasn’t asking you to fall in. But if you didn’t rush to Madam Yuan, this situation wouldn’t have happened! Your sister s future may be ruined because of what you did today!

“Really? So, it was unavoidable for Wei Qingwan to stumble, but I could have avoided going to Madam Yuan? It’s fine for you to be biased, but please don’t be too unreasonable,” Wei Ruo retorted.

“What did you say?” Madam Yun’s face went dark when Wei Ruo accused her of being biased and unreasonable.

“Isn’t it? Even when Wei Qingwan didn’t step forward to admit her own mistakes, you still think it’s justifiable, blaming it on shock. But you don’t think that my response during crisis is justifiable. What happened to your promise of being fair and just?” Wei Ruo asked.

■Is that how you talk to your mother?” Madam Yun retorted angrily, slamming her hand onto the table and glaring at Wei Ruo.

“Is that how you, as a mother, should question your daughter?” Wei Ruo responded.

“Wei Qingruo, you’re defiant!” Madam Yun commanded, furiously crying out to the maid waiting outside the door, “Zheng Mama, take the eldest miss to her room and lock her up! She is not to go out or eat anything without my command!”

Zheng Mama stood at the entrance, looking at Wei Ruo in perplexity and did not move.

Calmly, Wei Ruo said, “In a couple of days, the rice in the experimental fields I first cultivated south of the city will be ripe. All arrangements will need to be overseen by me. If you dare to lock me up and punish me today, I can assure you that there will be problems at the experimental fields. Think about how the Wei Family is going to explain to Magistrate Qian and the Seventh Prince then?”

Madam Yun was startled upon hearing this, watching Wei Ruo with disbelief in her eyes..