novelkee Chapter 194 This face alone is irrefutable proof!
Chapter 194 This face alone is irrefutable proof!
Upon seeing Shen Yuan's face clearly, Old Madam Jiang took two steps back in alarm.
"So similar...too similar..."
Madam Jiang was trembling all over, and even her voice was shaking uncontrollably.
Seeing her like this, Madam Jiang quickly supported her back and helped her up.
Perhaps because her daughter was backing her up, Old Madam Jiang calmed down a bit, and a stiff smile appeared on her lips: "You are the daughter that your son-in-law found?"
Shen Yuan observed the changing expressions on Old Madam Jiang's face and a sense of unease arose in her heart.
Before coming, she had thought that Old Madam Jiang would dislike her or even hate her, but she never expected that the first time Old Madam Jiang saw her, the expression on her face would be one of fear.
She seemed very afraid of her.
But she was just an orphan who had grown up in the countryside, powerless and without influence. What did she have to be afraid of?
Shen Wei stood in front of Shen Yuan. "It's too sunny outside, let's go inside and talk!"
After he said that, everyone went into the courtyard.
The patriarch of the Jiang family led the way, personally welcoming Shen Wei to the reception hall.
Shen Wei asked Shen Yuan to sit down next to him, so Master Jiang had a servant bring a stool to place next to her for Madam Jiang to sit on.
Jiang's expression was not good, but she still sat down without saying a word.
Many guests arrived at the reception hall, most of whom were relatives of the Jiang family. When they saw Shen Yuan sitting in a high position with Shen Wei, they couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
"Jiang Qinxue's eldest daughter and second daughter were not born to the same mother, so how come they look so alike?"
"This is so similar! If Jin'er hadn't been standing here too, I would have thought she was Jin'er!"
"You can still see the difference. Her eyes are bigger, and her gaze looks fierce. She doesn't look as gentle and obedient as Jin'er."
"General Shen brought her here specially today, which shows how much he values this girl from the countryside. She looks to be seventeen or eighteen years old, old enough to be married. Why not give her to my son? I don't mind her background!"
"Sister-in-law, what are you dreaming about! She's not some wild girl anymore, but the eldest daughter of the General's Mansion. The man she's going to marry is a prince or earl like the Prince of Jin. Can your family afford to marry into that family?"
"I……"
The person who wanted to arrange a marriage for Shen Yuan wanted to continue, but was interrupted by Shen Wei's cough.
Shen Wei cleared his throat twice and gestured to his attendant to present the birthday gifts he had brought to Old Madam Jiang.
When Madam Jiang took the gift box and opened it, she found a gold-inlaid jade ruyi scepter. Madam Jiang loved money, and this gift was exactly what she wanted. However, she did not accept it directly. Instead, she politely declined, saying, "My dear son-in-law, Xiaoxue has already given me the gift. You and Xiaoxue are husband and wife, so how can I accept two gifts?"
Shen Wei said calmly, "This is a birthday gift that Yuan Yuan prepared for you, my dear. It's a token of her filial piety. Please accept it!"
"..." The smile on Madam Jiang's face suddenly froze. She thought Shen Wei would say that what Madam Jiang gave was Madam Jiang's sentiment, while what he gave was his sentiment.
Unexpectedly, Shen Wei said that the golden ruyi was a gift from Shen Yuan.
How is she supposed to accept gifts?
Old Madam Jiang hurriedly looked at Madam Jiang, whose face was pale and bluish, looking very unwell.
Seeing Madam Jiang shake her head, Old Madam Jiang could only regretfully push away the ruyi scepter: "Yuan'er, I understand your intentions. But you are not my granddaughter, and I am not your grandmother. I cannot accept such a generous gift from you!"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the reception hall turned their gazes toward Shen Yuan.
What did Madam Jiang mean by that?
Does she not acknowledge Shen Yuan as her granddaughter?
Indeed, according to Madam Jiang, Shen Yuan's identity is questionable, and it is still unknown whether she is of the General's bloodline.
For a moment, everyone looked at Shen Yuan with extremely complicated expressions.
Shen Yuan, however, was completely oblivious, eating her snacks and drinking her tea as if she didn't care about anyone in the room at all.
After speaking, Madam Jiang turned to Shen Wei and mustered her courage to say, "My dear son-in-law! It's not that I don't want to acknowledge this granddaughter, it's just... I can't accept it! Back then... back then, Xiaoxue's first two children died right after birth, and I buried them myself..."
“I have not come here today to ask you to verify Yuanyuan’s background.”
Shen Wei, too lazy to listen to Old Madam Jiang's nonsense, raised his hand to interrupt her and continued, "Instead, I'm introducing you to Shen Yuan, the eldest daughter of the General's Mansion, my own daughter!"
Madam Jiang's face stiffened slightly.
Shen Yunjin's expression was also very unpleasant. She was clearly the eldest daughter of the General's Mansion before!
But Shen Wei suddenly stood up, glanced at Madam Jiang, and said, "Since my own daughter is not your granddaughter, then as her father, I'm afraid I'm not your son-in-law either!"
When facing Madam Jiang, Shen Wei's attitude was much tougher than when he was in front of Madam Shen.
Upon hearing this, the faces of Old Madam Jiang, Master Jiang, and Madam Jiang all turned pale instantly.
Jiang bit her lower lip hard, staring at Shen Wei with red eyes. She couldn't understand why Shen Wei would go to such lengths for Shen Yuan, this wild girl.
He's forcing them all to acknowledge Shen Yuan's identity!
If they don't accept it, then he won't be the Jiang family's son-in-law!
But... but what about her more than ten years of marriage with him? What about the two sons and one daughter she bore for him?
Jiang's tears welled up in her eyes, and she felt incredibly wronged.
But then Master Jiang suddenly stood up and walked up to Shen Yuan: “Good child! Such a good child is obviously from our Shen and Jiang families. Look at her, she looks like General Shen, Xiao Xue, and Jin’er. Just her face is solid proof!”
After saying that, Mr. Jiang didn't forget to wink at Mrs. Jiang.
After understanding, Madam Jiang hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, yes! Actually, Xiaoxue gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. They didn't die, but because they were premature, I was afraid they wouldn't survive, so I had the midwife take them away to be treated. I never expected the midwife to raise them to adulthood and make them so beautiful!"
As she spoke, Madam Jiang took off the jade bracelet from her wrist and handed it to Shen Yuan.
"Yuanyuan, this is a gift from your maternal grandmother!"
"Father! Mother!"
Madam Jiang stood up, looking at Master Jiang and Madam Jiang in disbelief.
Her brows furrowed deeply, as if she had been betrayed, and her shoulders trembled with anger.
Old Madam Jiang glanced at Jiang Shi and then looked away, smiling ingratiatingly as she asked Shen Wei and Shen Yuan to sit down and continue drinking tea.
When it was time for lunch, the men and women sat at separate tables, and Shen Yuan no longer followed Shen Wei.
She sat at the same table as Madam Jiang, and apart from Madam Jiang, the other people at the table did not treat her well, especially Shen Yunjin, Shen Changshu, and Shen Qingshu.
The three siblings looked at her with eyes as sharp as knives.
But once Shen Yuan sat down at the table, she buried herself in her food, trying to find peace of mind out of sight, out of mind.
She ate early and went to the garden of the Jiang residence for some fresh air.
Shen Yuan did not bring any maids or attendants when she came to the Jiang residence today, so Xiao Ling and Bai Zhi did not come with her either.
The Jiang residence wasn't very large. Shen Yuan strolled around the garden for a while and, finding it uninteresting, decided to head back. However, as she passed a house, she unexpectedly heard Jiang's voice.
"Mother, what did you promise me before I came? Didn't you say you would persuade Shen Wei to drive that wild girl away?"
Shen Yuan paused in her steps.
Jiang did not eat; it turns out she was here.
A sigh came from inside the room: "This is a delaying tactic. Right now, the young master values that child. The most important thing is to keep the young master calm down!"
"Besides, she's just a girl. You can just give her some money and marry her off. It won't bother you or your child. Why can't you tolerate her?"
"My daughter can't swallow this!" Madam Jiang gritted her teeth, her voice filled with intense hatred: "Why didn't you deal with those two children properly back then? You couldn't even handle such a simple thing!"
Madam Jiang said in a low voice, "The people we sent back then cornered Granny Liu at the edge of a cliff. Who knew that Granny Liu, holding two children, would fall from such a high cliff and still survive!"