The jade pendant connects the past and present; the exiled crown prince's wife takes her entire

On the other side, Song Yanxi had just retrieved the water.

"Where's my cornbread, Yanxi? Have you seen half of yesterday's cornbread?" the old lady, Madam Liao, asked anxiously.

She carefully hid the extra half-cornbread she received yesterday, but it's gone now.

Ms. Tian and Song Yanxi were startled and exchanged a glance.

During the search of her home, because of the old lady's status as a former noblewoman, the search was not thorough. Knowing the old lady's shrewdness, she must have hidden some silver.

But after searching for a long time yesterday, they only found half of the extra cornbread they had received yesterday. The mother and daughter were so angry that they ate it together and that was it.

But how could they admit to eating the cornbread? They pretended not to know and acted as if they were helping to look for it.

Just then, Jiang Jinning passed by with half a steamed bun in her hand.

Where did this jinx get his steamed bun from?!

They hadn't even had enough to eat yet, and this jinx actually got a steamed bun?

The mother and daughter immediately came up with an idea.

"Hey, sister-in-law has half a cornbread in her hand?"

Seeing the look in Liao's eyes, Tian said, "Perhaps it was left over from yesterday."

"But yesterday, my aunt only brought back some leftover cornbread crumbs mixed with pebbles. How did half a cornbread suddenly appear?"

"Yanxi! Stop talking!"

Tian disagreed on the surface, but glanced sideways at Liao, whose anger was rising, and a smug look flashed in her eyes.

"The Jiang family!"

Jiang Jinning was not used to being called that, and after a moment of confusion, she hurried over and bowed somewhat flusteredly.

The first time she was called to Liao's side, she noticed Liao's unpleasant expression and felt somewhat uneasy.

Liao's face was filled with anger. She thought the girl was so timid and cowardly, and when she caught sight of the half-eaten cornbread in the girl's hand, her anger intensified.

But since she was the eldest son's wife, she couldn't scold her too much.

She simply said, "Leave the cornbread here, you can go back now."

Jiang Jinning looked up at Liao Shi with some surprise.

Is he trying to steal her steamed bun?

"This is mine."

"Sister-in-law, you're wrong about that. What do you mean by 'yours' and 'mine'? This clearly belongs to Grandmother."

Jiang Jinning felt something was wrong.

In the past, they never thought of sharing their cornbread, so why should she give up hers? Jiang Jinning held onto her cornbread tightly and stubbornly said, "It's mine."

Song Yanxi smiled and stepped back without saying a word.

My grandmother is most intolerant of any disrespect towards my authority.

"You unfilial child!" Madam Liao glared at Jiang Jinning, her tone stern. "Our Duke's mansion has an upright family tradition, yet we have produced such an unfilial, disrespectful, and unjust person as you!"

Such a harsh accusation made Jiang Jinning turn pale instantly.

Zhao rushed over, but before she could utter a single word, Liao demanded, "How did you discipline her?!"

"Don't you dare scold your mother!"

Jiang Jinning would not allow Zhao to be scolded for no reason.

Zhao paused, glanced at her, then lowered her head, took a step back, and blocked Jiang Jinning with half of her body.

"Mother, I don't know what happened. Jinning is timid. Please forgive her if she has done anything wrong."

"She's timid, but I think she's very brave. Ask her where she got that cornbread in her hand."

Only then did Zhao see the half-eaten steamed bun in Jiang Jinning's hand.

"This was a reward from the clerk; I resolved his troubles."

Jiang Jinning protested, feeling wronged, and didn't understand why her half a steamed bun, which she had just received, was being withheld.

"Qingning's wife, what big talk you're making? What kind of trouble would the escorts need from a little girl like you?"

"Sister-in-law, if you tell the truth, Grandmother won't blame you."

Jiang Jinning found their behavior inexplicable.

"It's for me." She clutched the steamed bun tightly, as if she would fight anyone who tried to take it from her, and said in a low voice, "I'm saving it for the little general, why should I give it to you?"

Liao and the others didn't hear what was said, but Zhao heard it all and her heart stirred.

She moved her body again, blocking Jiang Jinning completely.

"If Mother wants cornbread, we'll bring some over tonight. Please give this to Qingyan first, okay?"

"Are you implying I'm going to keep your eldest son's steamed buns?! This jinx clearly stole half of my steamed bun, and what she has is the evidence!"

"Mother must be mistaken. Jin Ning wouldn't do that. Since she said it was for a reward, then it must be. She wouldn't lie."

"Oh dear, sister-in-law, there are witnesses and evidence, why are you still protecting her? Oh well, hurry up and give the cornbread to Mother, don't make her angry."

Although Tian was seemingly trying to mediate, her eyes were actually fixed on the half-eaten cornbread, and she couldn't wait to keep it.

"We can have the cornbread, but we'll have to investigate the truth thoroughly. Furthermore, if your second wife's family gives us half of it tonight and from now on, we'll offer it to you voluntarily."

Liao was furious. She was flustered by the theft of her cornbread and angry that her dignity had been offended. She straightened up and reached out to Zhao.

Jiang Jinning quickly pushed Zhao away and dodged Liao's hand, her eyes red and puffed out, like an angry little beast.

"You dare hit your mother!"

"What makes you think I stole the steamed buns?!"

Jiang Jinning took out the steamed bun she was protecting and found a deliberately left pattern in an inconspicuous place, which she pointed out to Liao Shi.

"The cornbreads in the hands of different escorts have different markings. This cornbread belongs to Escort Chen. He is used to leaving a circle on his cornbread. And you know better than I do who distributed the cornbreads yesterday."

Yesterday, it was the head constable who distributed the steamed buns; otherwise, they wouldn't have been humiliated.

Upon closer inspection, Liao saw a circle on the cornbread. Her throat tightened, and her face flushed red.

Jiang Jinning continued, "You have oil stains on you from when you encountered the oil seller. If someone touched your steamed bun, they would definitely come into contact with those oil stains. Whoever has oil stains on their hands is the thief!"

Tian and Song Yanxi were surprised to find that the cornbread had a mark, and even more surprised that the usually quiet girl was so articulate. Without thinking too much, they instinctively put their hands behind their backs.

This move only serves to make things worse.

"They took the cornbread!"

When Liao turned her head and saw the guilty looks on Tian's and Song Yanxi's faces, she understood perfectly well what was going on.

Having been so humiliated and lectured by a jinx, Liao felt even more disgusted with Jiang Jinning.

She frowned at Zhao Shi: "Are you just going to spoil her like this? Is this how she speaks to her elders?"

Zhao was still reeling from the scene of Jiang Jinning confronting Liao, and seeing that Liao showed no remorse towards Tian, ​​or even offered any explanation for wrongly accusing Jiang Jinning, her heart suddenly sank.

She could forgive their indifference along the way, since they were implicated because of the eldest son's family.

How could one reprimand a young girl like that, knowing full well whose fault it was yet still scheming to find a way to do so! "With your gentle nature, you can't control the younger generation, nor can you persuade your husband; that's what makes the eldest son go astray..."

Zhao suddenly looked up and stared at Liao in disbelief.

"Does Mother also believe that the General committed a heinous act?"

Liao seemed to realize she had spoken without thinking, and looked away somewhat uncomfortably.

"It's all... a done deal now..."

"You are bad people, and you refuse to admit your mistakes; you are truly wicked!"

Jiang Jinning couldn't stand such words and rushed forward, intending to bite Liao Shi.

Zhao hadn't expected this little girl to be so fierce. Forgetting all about being sentimental, she quickly pulled the girl away.