Chapter 15: The Ancestral Home Belongs to the Eldest Miss

"This house is mine. Is that understood?"

Old Mrs. Qin's mind echoed with Qin Liuxi's words repeatedly. It wasn't until she returned to her own room that she looked at her eldest daughter-in-law, Mrs. Wang, with a complex expression.

"What on earth is going through that girl's head?"

Mrs. Wang remained silent; she, too, could not read Qin Liuxi.

Mrs. Xie, however, could not hold back and asked urgently, "Mother, what did Xi-niang's words mean just now? What does she mean the old residence is hers? Isn't this the Qin family's ancestral home?"

A grand ancestral home—something even the males wouldn't dare dream of possessing—how had it become that little girl's?

Old Mrs. Qin sighed. "Master Chiyuan likely foresaw the tribulations of our Qin family back then."

Mrs. Xie was stunned. What did that mean?

It turned out that when Chiyuan took Qin Liuxi away years ago, he had held a private conversation behind closed doors with the late Old Master Qin. The person escorting Qin Liuxi back was Uncle Cheng, a confidant of the Old Master. Once they returned to Licheng, after Uncle Cheng's various errands, the old residence remained the Qin family's ancestral home on the surface, but the ownership of the land deed had been transferred to Chiyuan, who then gifted it to Qin Liuxi.

When the family's assets were seized, all of the Qin family's property and houses were sealed, except for this single ancestral home far away in Licheng.

Using the excuse that this house was a private gift, Old Mrs. Qin had petitioned the Empress Dowager to let it remain untouched. Thus, everything in the ancestral home remained intact, allowing the Qin family members to return here to find shelter.

And yet, Qin Liuxi had suddenly brought this up.

"So, you're saying the deed to this house is in Xi-niang's hands now? It belongs to her?" Mrs. Xie's voice went shrill with shock.

Does that mean they are living under someone else's roof? If things go wrong, they could be swept out the door at any moment?

"It was a contingency plan," Old Mrs. Qin said despondently. "It is a blessing that this house went through those transfers back then; otherwise, we wouldn't even have a place to set foot today."

"But Mother, this is the ancestral home! How can it be given to Xi-niang? We must get the deed back!" Mrs. Xie was frantic. If it stayed in Qin Liuxi's hands, it would belong to her forever. How could that be allowed?

Mrs. Wang spoke calmly, "Second Sister-in-law, our family is currently living under the shadow of our crimes. If we take it back, are we to hand it over to the officials to be sealed?"

Mrs. Xie choked on her words. She thought to herself that of course Mrs. Wang didn't care; with the deed in Qin Liuxi's hands, it was effectively in the hands of the eldest branch of the family.

"That's not how you put it..."

"Enough. Your sister-in-law is right. Now is the time for the Qin family to keep a low profile. What are you making such a fuss about over a land deed?" Old Mrs. Qin scolded with a stern face. "Your husband, your father-in-law, and your son are all still on the road to exile. Instead of showing a bit of concern for them, you're preoccupied with a piece of paper?"

Mrs. Xie's face flushed purple. She took a handkerchief to wipe away imaginary tears and sobbed, "Mother, you are piercing my heart. That is my husband; how could I not miss him? If it weren't for the sake of the children, I would have wanted to follow him."

Old Mrs. Qin snorted. "Stop pretending to cry. If you don't find it distasteful, I certainly do."

Mrs. Xie felt sheepish.

Recalling the day's events, Old Mrs. Qin looked toward Nanny Ding, who took out a pouch and handed it to Mrs. Wang.

"This pouch was slipped to me by your grand-aunt when we were leaving the capital. Take it; you are still the one who must run this household." Old Mrs. Qin looked at the pouch and continued, "They say adversity reveals true friendship. The Wang family is honorable; our Qin family did not make a mistake in this marriage alliance. In the future, if our Qin family is exonerated, you must remember the kindness of the Wang family."

It is easy to add flowers to a brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow. To risk the Emperor's displeasure to secretly slip them something was a sign of both capability and devotion—unlike Qin Meiniang's in-laws, who immediately wrote a letter of divorce the moment the Qin family fell into trouble, leaving not a shred of affection behind.

Qin Meiniang seemed to think of this as well, burying her head and sobbing quietly.

(End of Chapter)