Chapter 40: The Sixth Girl Has Mutated!

What met the eye was the face of a well-maintained woman; though she looked disheveled and filthy, it was not hard to see that she had been a beauty in her youth.

Grandmother?

Xin Mochen's mind was in a state of confusion. A massive influx of strange memories that did not belong to him surged into his brain, squeezing his head until it throbbed with discomfort.

"Nian, Nian."

As soon as he spoke, he startled himself. Why was his voice so hoarse and deep?

"Brother, brother, I'm here. Niannian is here, right here." Xin Nian pushed aside the obstructive Xin Sanbo and reached out a small hand, squeezing her brother's hand tightly.

Xin Mochen shifted his gaze upward, meeting Xin Nian's small face.

Her skin was like congealed fat, exquisite and elegant; even with her hair disheveled, her delicate features could not be hidden. Her appearance was very similar to her sister's, but she looked much younger!

How long had it been since he had seen his sister looking so young and full of vitality?

Xin Mochen stared blankly at the person before him, murmuring softly, "Niannian?" He was somewhat unsure if he had mistaken her for someone else.

"It's me, it's me. Brother, it's me." Xin Nian was quite agitated. She gave her brother's hand a hard squeeze and blurted out a string of numbers: "1391530XXXX."

Xin Mochen's eyes lit up. He squeezed his sister's hand back, confirming that there was no doubt—this was indeed his biological sister.

Although everything before him felt chaotic, his sister seemed to be in a decent state, which put his mind at ease.

"Brother, don't panic. Ah, you've only just woken up; it will take a while to adapt before you can slowly recover."

"You had a persistent high fever before and were in a daze for many days. It's normal to lose some memories during that time. It's okay, we'll take it slow. There's no need to rush anything."

Through her words, Xin Nian was conveying a single message to the Xin family: it was perfectly normal for her brother to have memory loss due to a high fever, so they shouldn't find it strange.

Having lived with his biological sister for decades, Xin Mochen naturally understood that she was making excuses for him in advance.

"I..." He coughed. "What's wrong with my voice?"

"You've been unconscious for many days, so a hoarse voice is normal. Don't worry, brother. I'll get you some *pangdahai* to drink later to soothe your throat and clear your voice; you'll recover soon."

Xin Mochen nodded. Like his mother, he had a mysterious, unwavering confidence in his sister's medical skills—perhaps even more so.

"Brother, brother." Chang Mianmian pushed Lady Zhuang, who was standing to the side, aside and leaned closer to Xin Mochen, her eyes full of excitement. "Brother, you're awake too! That's wonderful."

Xin Mochen looked at the girl in confusion.

"Brother, this is Mianmian." Xin Nian winked at him. "Mianmian~"

"Little Chang?"

"Yes, yes, it's me! Brother, it's me, it's me!" Chang Mianmian clumsily tried to reach for Xin Mochen's hand but was pulled away by Lady Zhuang.

"Oh, Miss Chang, since when did you become so familiar with our Sanlang?" Lady Zhuang's eyes darted around as she looked inquisitively at Xin Nian and Chang Mianmian.

Xie Ninglan didn't even spare her a glance, pushing her aside directly. "Third Aunt, this has nothing to do with your family. Stop being an obstruction."

"Hey, Lady Xie, how can you say that? I'm only showing concern for Sanlang!"

"We don't need your concern. Walk carefully and focus on your own daughter; stay out of other people's business."

Xie Ninglan got a headache just hearing the name "Lady Xie." Lady Xie, Lady Xie—didn't she have a name? Were all the women surnamed Xie in the world just called "Lady Xie"?

A few days ago, she hadn't had the energy to argue with this third uncle's wife, but now the woman was taking advantage of the situation, inserting herself into everything.

Lady Zhuang glared. "Fourth Wife, you... what did you eat this morning to have such a temper?"

"I'm only acting out of kindness, hmph, and your whole family is actually being ungrateful. If it weren't for the Old Lady's sake, I would have had a serious talk with you all today. What kind of terrible habits does this family have..."

"Shut up!" Xin Nian suddenly barked, startling everyone gathered around Xin Mochen.

"Aren't you annoying? Why is everything always about you? Are you tired of living? If you don't want to live, I can help you die at any time."

"Can't you see I'm talking to my brother? Do you have any manners? Do you understand propriety and boundaries? Our Fourth Branch is having a private conversation; why is your Third Branch crowding in?" Xin Nian spoke like a rapid-fire cannon, showing no regard for anyone's feelings.

"And what's this about being the Third Lady of the Duke's Mansion? Exactly which fallen household did you come from, you shrew? You have no etiquette or rules whatsoever. Even women in the countryside know not to meddle in others' business. To say too much makes you a gossip! Are you a gossip?"

"You've been babbling and looking for trouble the whole way; I've endured you for a long time. Respect isn't given by others; it's lost by oneself."

Xin Nian turned to stare at Xin Wen'an, a slow, mocking smile curling on her lips. "Third Uncle, I don't mean to criticize you, but if you can't manage your wife, I wouldn't mind disciplining her on your behalf."

"Just be warned, my hands aren't very gentle!"

Xin Wen'an's mouth hung open, looking at her as if she were a demon or a ghost. Lady Zhuang was so angry her face turned the color of pig liver, her nostrils flaring as she panted heavily.

Her lips trembled as she managed to squeeze out, "What a sharp tongue," only for the young girl to launch a continuous barrage of attacks.

"No matter how sharp it is, it can't be sharper than yours, Third Aunt! The whole family has been exiled, and yet you're still here playing palace intrigue?"

"Instead of living a quiet life, you spend every day peeking into people's houses. Are you a jealous woman? You walk so much every day, yet you don't seem tired at all. Can't you just be decent and mind your own Third Branch's business? Why are your eyes always glued to us?"

"What does this have to do with you?"

"Old Lady~~" Lady Zhuang clutched her chest, nearly fainting.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh! When you can't win an argument, you run to the Old Lady for support. Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

"Sixth Girl..." The Old Lady's eyes widened, her voice trembling.

"Grandmother, if you stay silent, that's fine. But if you speak up, your granddaughter will have to be quite impious and give you a piece of her mind as well. When choosing a daughter-in-law, one must look at the person. Not only must her character and talent be up to par, but her family background must also be somewhat respectable. You shouldn't just marry into anyone who comes knocking!"

"You searched and searched, only to find someone blind in both eyes and heart, ending up with someone as ill-mannered as Third Aunt—someone who still causes trouble even while being exiled."

"You were once the matriarch of the Duke's Mansion; you should have had more foresight. Marrying a wicked daughter-in-law ruins three generations. I heard Third Aunt's background wasn't particularly good either, and there was even some trouble when this marriage was arranged, wasn't there?"

"It's not that I, as a junior, want to criticize you to your face! If you had been firm and rejected this marriage back then, wouldn't everything be fine now?"

The Old Lady sat there with her mouth agape, staring blankly at her granddaughter, whose little mouth continued to attack incessantly.

She was truly an indiscriminate attacker; whoever spoke up became a target, and whoever approached got torn apart.

Xin Nian had always had this temperament. Since the masks were off, she wouldn't give the other party any face and would just keep going.

But the Xin family was not used to this. The entire clan felt as though the Sixth Lady had mutated...

(End of Chapter)