An Ran understood the implied meaning behind the music and knew the intention of Princess Yunyang, so she did not refuse outwardly.
"Now that my sister is married, can I still go visit her?" Jia Niang asked somewhat sullenly. She looked up at Princess Yunyang and asked in a low voice, "Is the Pingyuan Marquis's residence far from home?"
When Princess Yunyang first heard Jia Niang's words, she simply thought Jia Niang was reluctant to part with An Ran. However, the word "home" that Jia Niang uttered filled Princess Yunyang with immense joy. Had Jia Niang already made this place her home?
“It’s not far.” Princess Yunyang, afraid of frightening Jia Niang, could only suppress her excitement and said, “Even after your sister gets married, it doesn’t matter. I’ll take you to the Pingyuan Marquis’s residence to find her, or we can invite her to our home.”
Jia Niang finally smiled. She looked at Princess Yunyang, nodded gently, and thanked her.
Princess Yunyang was somewhat disappointed, but she reminded herself that this matter could not be rushed and should be taken slowly.
"I want to go to Ninth Sister's house too!" Yi'er, who was standing nearby, went to Princess Yunyang and said coquettishly, "Sister said that Ninth Sister has a very beautiful Linqing Lion Cat at home, and I want to see it too!"
An Ran looked at Jia Niang, whose face was slightly flushed, and finally felt a little relieved. At least she had no barriers with Yi Jie'er and Heng Ge'er, and it wouldn't be so difficult for her to integrate into the family.
"Can I go with them?" Heng-ge asked from the side. "Yan-ge said that Marquis Pingyuan is very powerful, and he often gives him martial arts pointers. I also want to go and have Marquis Pingyuan teach me!"
Princess Yunyang laughed upon hearing this, "How old are you? You're still just practicing the basics. Why would you need Marquis Pingyuan to guide you? Your brother Yan is already thirteen, and his martial arts have improved even further. That's when he needs guidance. You should stay home and learn from your master instead of going to Marquis Pingyuan's mansion to cause trouble."
Heng-ge'er's face fell, but he was clever and knew that it would be effective to plead with his mother at this moment, so he desperately tried to wink at Jia-niang.
"How about we let Heng-ge come with us then?" Jia Niang had never been asked for help or relied on before, and she couldn't help but say to Princess Yunyang, "I will keep a close eye on my brother and won't let him cause any trouble."
Hearing her call Heng-ge'er "little brother," Princess Yunyang had no reason to object.
Heng-ge cheered excitedly, promising for a long time that he would be very good and not cause trouble for his sister, and also promising to give them rabbit lanterns for the Lantern Festival.
"Thank you, Mother!" Heng-ge and Yi-jie, having gotten their wish, thanked her in unison, showing their understanding.
Jia Niang bit her lower lip.
An Ran looked at the hesitant Jia Niang and couldn't help but give her an encouraging look. Even if she couldn't call her "Mother," a simple thank you would be enough.
"Thank you... Mother!" Jia Niang hesitated for a moment before slightly opening her lips and saying in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
But to Princess Yunyang, those three words sounded like heavenly music.
She stared wide-eyed in disbelief, her eyes wide with excitement as she looked at Jia Niang. Had she heard correctly? Jia Niang had just called her "Niang"?
"Thank you, Mother." After the first time, Jia Niang found that saying it again wasn't so difficult anymore. Seeing the tears glistening in Princess Yunyang's eyes, her overwhelmed with emotion, she felt a sharp pain in the softest part of her heart.
Princess Yunyang choked up as she said, "Good child, you don't need to be so polite with your mother."
An Ran breathed a long sigh of relief and excused herself to leave.
Seeing that it was almost time for Minister Tan to leave his office, An Ran sent a maid to the front yard to inform Minister Tan that he should come to the main courtyard when he returned.
Today, since Jia Niang has spoken, it is time for the family to truly reunite.
She returned to her guest room, intending to finish embroidering a sachet she had prepared earlier, but as soon as she picked up the needle, she became lost in thought. She had never seen her biological mother since she was a child; her grandmother had raised her. She had come to the Marquis's mansion, which was supposedly her own home, but she had never felt a trace of warmth from it.
Grandmother, stepmother, father, half-siblings… An Ran thought of all her blood relatives in turn, but felt little emotion. Only her elder sister, Third Sister, whom she genuinely cared for because they had gone through hardships together.
Anran put down her needlework and sighed.
This sachet was meant for Lu Mingxiu. Although her embroidery skills were only so-so, it was her heartfelt intention. Besides, this pattern was one of her best skills, so it wouldn't be too embarrassing.
We've already spent over ten days on this, we can't afford to let it all go to waste.
"Sister, I'm back." Just as An Ran was about to pick up her needle and thread again, she suddenly heard Jia Niang's voice.
Why is Jia Niang back so soon?
As soon as Jia Niang returned, she dismissed the maids and threw herself into An Ran's arms without saying a word, as if trying to hide herself away. An Ran couldn't help but feel a little anxious, but since Princess Yunyang hadn't sent anyone with her, it seemed that nothing serious had happened.
She didn't say anything, but gently patted Jia Niang's back.
Before long, An Ran felt that a patch of her clothes on her chest was wet.
"Jia Niang, tell your sister what happened?" An Ran's voice was soft and gentle. If Jia Niang wanted to tell her, she could; if she didn't want to, she wouldn't force her.
After a long while, Jia Niang finally raised her head, her eyes still blurry with tears. "I just called the Princess and Lord Tan 'Father and Mother.' Did I betray my parents? They've been so good to me—"
Although the words sounded somewhat confusing, An Ran understood them immediately.
Jia Niang's adoptive parents cared for her deeply and raised her with great care. Even after learning who her biological parents were, she could not bear to part with them and did not hate them.
Her heart was so kind and soft, and Anran quickly and gently comforted her, saying, "Jia Niang, your original parents would also want you to have a better life. Compared to the mistreatment you suffered at the Scholar's Mansion, it would be very painful for them to know in the afterlife that they had taken away your family property and left you all alone! They would definitely prefer you to return to your biological parents and live a happy life. This is not betraying them; they will always be in your heart, and they will always be your parents."
Jia Niang nodded vigorously, tears still streaming down her face.
She was such a kind and gentle child. These days, she was torn between the blood ties between the princess and her husband and the feeling of being sorry for her adoptive parents.
“The princess has been very good to me, and I shouldn’t always make her sad and disappointed.” Jia Niang’s big eyes revealed a hint of vicissitude that was beyond her years. “And Lord Tan, Heng Ge’er and Yi Jie’er all treat me like family. If I keep being stubborn, I’ll be too immature.”
An Ran was shaken. Looking at Jia Niang, she felt only a slow, deep pity. Jia Niang, at such a young age, already knew how to weigh what she should and shouldn't do. Even if she wasn't entirely willing, she still did it.
"Sister, I know they truly love me, it's just that I'm not quite used to it yet." Jia Niang looked at An Ran with her big, round eyes and said, "As long as you're well, I'm happy."
These two seemingly unrelated sentences made An Ran's heart skip a beat.
Jia Niang did this... also for her sake?
An Ran suddenly remembered that Jia Niang was very interested in preparing her dowry. In order to please Jia Niang, Princess Yunyang kept adding things to the dowry list.
“Jia Niang…” An Ran felt both touched and sad. She gently patted Jia Niang’s back and said softly, “Sister knows it’s hard for you to accept and integrate into them right away, but the Princess and her husband really love you. One day, you will become a real family with them.”
"And you must never do this again," An Ran said softly. "Wealth and honor are inexhaustible; it's enough to be content with what you have. I appreciate your kindness, but doing this is ultimately inappropriate."