The beloved baby has a space

Chapter 686 Difficulties
"Don't touch my man." Old Mrs. Wang pulled Old Wang behind her. "He can't withstand a blow from the Duke."

Compared to Old Lady Wang, Old Man Wang's mediocre skills were only good enough to compete with a few old men in the village; he couldn't possibly withstand a single blow from the Duke of Anguo.

Duke Anguo was truly enraged.

He was so angry when he heard the phrase "my man" that he almost threw his other boot away.

His daughter, whom he had raised with such care, was not only violated by a pig, but also turned into this vulgar woman, completely lacking the elegance of "the number one woman of Dachang".

Let alone disguise, even if you took her to those princes and nobles now, they probably wouldn't recognize her!

"Alright, calm down. All these years, An'er has been alone outside. It's always better to have someone by her side to take care of her than to wander alone." The old Duchess comforted her husband, her eyes filled with pity, not disdain, when she looked at Old Madam Wang.

This is her most beloved daughter, and the daughter she feels most indebted to.

In her lifetime, she gave birth to six children and raised three illegitimate children for her husband, but in the end, few of them lived a good life.

On the contrary, the daughter who ran away seems to be doing well.

She had cried before; over the years, whenever she thought of An'er, she would always secretly hide away and weep. But she was already old, with a family to support and responsibilities to the Duke's mansion. She couldn't collapse, nor could she let others see her excessive emotions.

Last year, they vaguely received news about Anjie'er, and the old couple couldn't sit still. They even thought about giving the title to their eldest son and letting them argue about it, so that the old couple could go and see their daughter properly.

Everyone said that Princess Yongchang was gone, but they knew it wasn't. An'er was so intelligent that she would surely be safe. It was just a matter of whether she was doing well or not.

But no matter how good it was, it could never be better than the days when Princess Yongchang lived.

Having wandered for so many years, I don't know how much suffering I've endured or how much sin I've committed...

Thinking of all this, the old Duchess felt a sharp pain in her heart, but she dared not let her daughter see it.

“An’er, back then—” The old Duchess looked at Old Madam Wang, not trying to get close to her, but just wanting to tell her what she had been thinking about for a long time.

"There's no need to say anything more. I'm too old to remember what happened back then, and I don't want to. As for what troubles you two gentlemen may have, there's no need to tell an outsider like me." Old Madam Wang interrupted the old Duchess. "I'll say it again: speak your mind. If you want to reminisce, there's no need."

The truly elderly Duke Anguo and his wife: "..."

They had investigated and anticipated this many times, but they never expected that their youngest daughter would have no hatred, no complaints, no dissatisfaction, no demands, and wouldn't even bother with them.

It turns out that she truly had no attachment to anything from back then.

Princess Yongchang's honor is something they could help her regain if she wanted it, but none of them had ever considered doing so.

That position is lonely at the top.

But now that I see my youngest daughter really doesn't want it, I feel uneasy all over.

It turned out that after arriving in Wanning City, the daughter hesitated to go and reunite with them, not because she couldn't or didn't want to, but because she felt it was unnecessary.

She doesn't want them anymore.

Thinking of this, the old Duchess could no longer hold back her tears, which streamed down her face. She could only turn her head away and wipe them away silently.

“An’er, your second sister left something for you.” Duke Anguo didn’t say anything more, but pushed a copper box on the table over.

Knowing that Grandma Wang wouldn't be able to open it, they unlocked the box for her, revealing what was inside.

When Grandma Wang saw the item on top, her somewhat impatient expression froze.

It was a pair of clay figures, sculpted to depict two little girls holding hands. One was quietly holding a book, while the other was spirited and holding a long whip. The two clasped hands had obvious cracks, but they had been carefully repaired.

Even though more than fifty years had passed, Grandma Wang's memory was instantly awakened.

At that time, she and her second sister.

"An'an, good An'an, just come out and play with me for a while! Reading is so boring, there's a dragon lantern festival today, it's so much fun. Come on, come on, I've already made arrangements. Father and Mother are going to the palace banquet, and Eldest Sister is at Grandfather's house. I guarantee no one will know that the Little Princess is out playing!"

"An'an, look, the clay figurines made by this shop are really beautiful."

"It's completely dark now, stop reading, look, our clay figures look so alike!"

"Don't worry, An'an. No matter what others say, your second sister will always protect you. Your second sister swears on her life!"

……

"You are the high and mighty Princess Yongchang, born a princess, while I? Ha, I have to give my life to get a title that is almost like a princess. Royal favor? Since you are so interested, why don't you go and marry someone else in my place?" "What sisterly affection? You actually believe that! Princess Yongchang, everyone says you are so smart that you are almost like a demon. I think you are incredibly stupid and easy to fool."

"What did you hear others say? That you pretended to be close friends with the Empress, but actually you were after her imperial family. You're disgusting! Why shouldn't I believe you? In my heart, that's exactly who you are, isn't it?"

"Get lost! I feel disgusted just looking at your pretentious manner! The number one person in Dachang? Bah!"

"..."

Grandma Wang narrowed her eyes, but ultimately didn't act impulsively like she did when she was young, smashing the clay figure to pieces again.

Beneath the clay figure were several other items, which she took out: several seals and some land deeds.

"When your second sister got married, she only took the dowry given by the imperial family and left the rest to you. At that time, everyone thought you wouldn't be gone for long. How could you endure the hardships outside? Over the years, the property she left behind, as well as what you originally owned, have all been left to you and managed well. We haven't let anyone in the family touch it, and the Empress Dowager has also helped to cover it up. You can use it without worry," said Duke Anguo. "I know you don't care about the status of Princess Yongchang anymore, but this is your second sister's sentiment, so you should keep it."

Grandma Wang: "No need."

"Listen to me." Duke Anguo said, then coughed heavily a few times. "I know you actually resent us. You have a bad temper, and I don't expect your forgiveness. But your second sister, I'll say it all. She never wronged you or anyone else in the slightest. But when she passed away, her biggest worry was you. Keep her belongings safe."

Upon hearing the words "belongings," Old Mrs. Wang's eyelids twitched, and she once again thought of her second sister, who always tried to drag her out of the house.

She was skilled in martial arts, all thanks to her second sister who taught her step by step.

My second sister is an unparalleled martial arts genius. If her family hadn't kept a close eye on her, she probably would have been taken away to roam the martial arts world at the age of ten. This is because at that time, she was already able to fight to a draw with some masters, while many masters of the same level were already close to thirty years old.

In fact, my second sister was a true martial arts fanatic. While others might take three to five years to learn a move or two, she could grasp it in just three to five days, and then she would simply wait to integrate it into her understanding. Back then, when she lost, it was only because she was young and lacked sufficient internal energy.

She was only 5 years old when her second sister said to her, "An'an, my master said that it's best to have a partner when learning martial arts, so that you can achieve twice the result with half the effort. I don't want to lose to those men. Why don't you come and practice with me? It's okay if you don't know how. You're so smart, you'll definitely understand it in no time!"

At this point in her recollection, Grandma Wang fell silent.

No one knew better than her. No matter how much she expressed disgust and hatred, deep down she knew better than anyone that her second sister must have had her reasons back then, and the person she hated the least was her second sister.

But she resented that everyone had their own difficulties, everyone praised her for being smart, yet everyone conspired to weave a lie that she knew she couldn't believe but had no choice but to believe.

Regardless of the purpose.

She couldn't stand such a hypocritical place.

“If you’ve brought me here just to give me these things,” Old Mrs. Wang said calmly, glancing one last time at the bronze box before looking away from the clay figure. “I still stand by what I said, it’s not necessary. Husband, let’s go.”

It took Old Wang a moment to realize that he was being called.

I almost got goosebumps.

He hurriedly followed Grandma Wang, leaving the stunned elderly couple behind.

No one else dared to stop them; they could only watch helplessly as they left.

Once they had walked a little further away, the old Duchess blew her nose and asked, choking back tears, "Didn't you tell her how many there were?"

The contents of that copper box were worth over five million taels of silver, even more than the entire fortune of the Duke of Anguo's mansion.

However, compared to Princess Yongchang at her peak, there are still far fewer.

Princess Yongchang was once the center of attention, and tributes from various regions would be specially reserved for her. At that time, the Great Chang Kingdom was also prosperous, and the rewards were plentiful. Even if she lived on gold every day, she could live off it for dozens of lifetimes.

Duke Anguo said, "Keep it for her. There are some things we haven't said to her yet."

Even now is not the best time for them to recognize each other, but everything has come to this point, and the old couple are afraid that if they keep it to themselves, they will never have the chance to speak to their youngest daughter in this lifetime.

Some secrets are worth guarding with your life for generations, but a parent's love for their child cannot wait even a moment longer.

“Our daughter is always intelligent; perhaps she can find out the truth herself,” the old Duchess said, her eyes reddening again. “Now that she has revealed her identity, we must take good care of her so that those rats don’t get a whiff of it.”

“It’s all been arranged. The Empress Dowager has also sent word. Although An’er is unaware of it, she has helped them countless times without us even realizing it.” Duke Anguo thought for a moment and said, “Her granddaughter is also very intelligent, and seems to have inherited all of An’er’s qualities. I heard that she has gained a reputation in Wangbei County, quite like An’er back then. No, I must go to the palace one day and get more benefits for An’er and her great-granddaughter. We can’t let the royal family take all the benefits!”

I understand Lin Daiyu now. She was panting with every step she took, coughing constantly when she sat down, and feeling dizzy and weak-kneed when she stood for a while.

I might need some kind of magic potion.



(End of this chapter)