The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

On this day, which happened to be a day off, Lin Qinshuang had another fight with Hai Mingyu. As always, she didn't get the better of him and even got a beating.

Lin Qinshuang, with red eyes, went to Sheng Hong and cried.

After all, she was once the person I loved deeply and couldn't help but feel affection for.

When Sheng Hong saw her tearful appearance, and recalled how she appeared even more gentle and tender under Hai Shi's tough demeanor, his heart softened.

It just so happened that there was a heavy snow a few days ago, and the streets were still covered in ice and snow with few pedestrians these past two days, so I thought it would be good to take her out for a walk to clear her mind.

"Alright, stop crying. Today I'll take you to see a play, and then we'll go to Linglong Pavilion to look at some jewelry, okay?"

Lin Qinshuang then stopped crying and started smiling. She carefully dressed herself up, put on a light veil, and followed Sheng Hong out the door.

Neither of them expected to run into the Dongchang Marquis's family here.

Fortunately, the awkward moment passed quickly. Although everyone had some guesses about Lin Qinshuang's identity, after all, such secrecy suggested that she was either a mistress or a concubine, and it was not something that could be openly introduced to outsiders. It was not impossible that she was also a lover in a brothel.

Although they looked down on Sheng Hong's so-called reputation as a member of the "pure stream," everyone was a respectable person, and apart from Wang Ruofu, who showed a hint of disapproval on her face, they all concealed it well.

Wang Ruofu led Hua Jie'er and followed the shopkeeper's wife into an inner room. The young women working in the shop brought out several trays covered with brocade.

The jewelry inside was dazzling and glittering, making one's eyes dazzled.

Wang Ruofu's gaze swept across the scene, and she immediately took a liking to the peony hairpin in the center, made of red gold and inlaid with rubies. The petals were layered and intricate, each inlaid with a ruby ​​the size of a grain of rice, and the center of the flower was a pigeon blood red the size of a fingernail. It shone brightly in the candlelight, so rich that it was almost gaudy.

"This is good." Wang Ruofu picked it up and examined it carefully, praising, "It has a good weight to it, and the gemstones are bright. It's perfect to keep at the bottom of my trunk. If I'm ever short of money in the future, I can just pluck a few petals to use, and no one will notice."

Her frankness surprised the shopkeeper.

Sheng Hong was in the next room with Lin Qinshuang, separated by a curtain, and could hear everything clearly, secretly feeling contempt for her.

Fortunately, he was not able to marry a member of the Wang family back then.

The big one is a poisonous creature, and the small one is a vulgar one. If we really bring them home, who knows what kind of life we'll lead.

Thinking this way, the pride that had been so badly hurt by Wang Ruofu's disdainful glance seemed to be quietly healing.

At this moment, Qin Zhengyang heard the noise, carried Rujin over, examined the hairpin for a moment, and then said to the shopkeeper in a serious tone, "The peony petals must all be re-pinned with pure gold wire. The petals should be made with several more layers, and made more intricate. If it is to be used in the future, it can be twisted several times."

The room fell silent upon hearing this.

Many people lowered their heads and chuckled softly.

Cheng Bai was following behind him.

Hua Jie'er replied in a serious tone, "Yes, we should set in more rubies; the more precious they are, the more valuable they will be."

Rujin bounced around in her father's arms, "I want one too! Mommy, make me a little one, so I can wriggle around and play with it!" Then she turned to Chengbai and asked, "Does brother want one?"

Cheng Bai struggled to suppress his laughter, but kept a straight face and said seriously, "Then I'll take a Gentleman Lotus. It has more petals and is more valuable."

Wang Ruofu finally realized what was going on, stamped her foot, and glared angrily at Qin Zhengyang: "You! If you think I'm making a fool of myself, just say so! Who are you trying to annoy by being so subtle!"

Qin Zhengyang replied, "Who's making a fool of themselves? How many families in Bianjing can afford such valuable items? It's all thanks to my wife's thrift and wealth. If she likes them, she'll buy them all. They're part of the girls' dowry, so there's no reason for her to complain about having too much or too expensive."

Wang Ruofu liked hearing this, and her brows relaxed: "I'll listen to you!"

She then turned to the three children: "Yes, yes, all of them! Once it's ready, anyone who dares not accept it will be my enemy! And once accepted, it must be displayed in the most prominent place in the house!"

When he said his last words, his eyes were fixed on Cheng Bai.

Cheng Bai's lips twitched slightly.

The thought of a golden lotus flower suddenly appearing in his elegant study made him regret following his father's lead.

But the words were already out, so he could only force himself to remain calm: "Of course. As the sage said, 'If an elder bestows a gift, one should not refuse it.'"

Qin Zhengyang laughed and said to the shopkeeper, "Did you hear that? Do as I say."

Wang Ruofu turned around triumphantly and pointed to several pieces of jewelry on the tray: "Wrap them all up."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "In a few days, bring some fashionable styles and good materials to the Marquis's residence, and I will select another batch. If there are any rare items such as ivory or mutton fat jade, feel free to keep them; price is not an issue."

The shopkeeper was overjoyed and bowed repeatedly in agreement, becoming increasingly respectful.

This commotion was quite loud, attracting the attention of other customers in the store.

Sheng Hong stood in the corner, feeling that awkwardness return to his face. He was still choosing a gold hairpin for Lin Qinshuang and haggling over the price.

This was his private savings for half a month.

But having already made the promise, changing it halfway through would only make him a laughingstock, so he gritted his teeth and paid the bill, though his smile seemed somewhat forced.

Lin Qinshuang took in his expression, and recalling Wang Ruofu's effortless demeanor just now, the envy in her heart gradually turned into a bitter chill.

As the Wang family left, the children passed by Sheng Hong, and Cheng Bai respectfully bowed once again.

Sheng Hong responded politely, but a strange feeling welled up inside him.

Madam Wang was an ordinary woman, but her child was exceptionally bright and talented, especially in academics, far surpassing that of her own father, Lin Changfeng.

His demeanor and conduct are reminiscent of the former Grand Tutor Wang. It's unimaginable how smooth his career path would be if such a child were to pass the imperial examination with flying colors...

He was distracted for a moment, and then he heard the hushed conversations of other guests:

"This lady of the Dongchang Marquis's mansion is truly blessed..."

"Isn't that right? My father is Grand Tutor Wang, who is honored with a place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. I married into a high-ranking family, and I didn't have any parents-in-law to interfere with me. My husband and I also have a harmonious relationship..."

"I heard that her eldest daughter is going to marry the grandson of the Duke of England? That's a truly prestigious family."

"I heard that her husband is also very learned, quite like the old Grand Tutor Wang."

"Is the Qin family about to prosper again?"

"Who can argue with that?"

Sheng Hong felt even worse.

Lin Qinshuang also heard those words.

She gazed in the direction the carriage of the Marquis of Dongchang had gone, her eyes beneath the veil darkening.

---

A few days later, a piece of news came that silenced everyone.

Gu Tingyu is gone.

Despite the Bai family's devoted care, sparing no expense to hire renowned doctors and spend a fortune on medicine to prolong his life.

He ultimately did not survive the winter.

I didn't live to see the spring flowers bloom.

When Shilan heard the news, she was combing Anjie's hair.

The comb paused in mid-air. After a long while, she sighed softly, "In my next life, I'd rather be reborn directly into the Bai family. It would be so much better to be clean and pure."

Wang Ruofu was looking at the account book when she heard this and was stunned for a long time. When she came to her senses, she was already in tears.

Hua Jie'er is embroidering her wedding dress.

Upon hearing this news, the needle pricked his fingertip, drawing a bead of blood.

She stared blankly, the image of her cousin's handsome but pale face appearing in her mind.

Although they didn't have much contact after growing up, and only met a few times from afar, it seemed that his father and aunt were distant from him and didn't want them, the younger generation, to get too close.

But she knew he wasn't a bad person.