Mother, Your Daughter Has Returned

But she would not be like her mother, allowing men to toy with her and discard her like worn-out shoes.

Even if she couldn't secure a small place in Prince Rui's heart, she would seize her own benefits while she was favored, make proper arrangements for her mother and little brother, and then plan for herself.

In short, she would not accept being sent back to the Marquisate, becoming a tool to help Marquis Qiyuan rise in rank and accumulate wealth.

After an uncomfortable meeting, she hurried to the servants' quarters in the rear courtyard, where she met the mother she had longed for.

Madam An was washing clothes. Seeing this, Jin Xin quickly stepped forward, pulled her mother, and knelt down excitedly. "Mother, your daughter has returned."

Madam An was stunned, looking at her daughter, who had returned safe and sound, dressed in luxurious silk garments. Even if this outfit wasn't exceedingly precious, it was still very exquisite.

"Have you suffered these past few days?" Madam An's eyes welled up slightly, her nose tingled, as she looked at her daughter with guilt.

In truth, Madam An was also a woman of great integrity, never thinking of becoming a concubine to another. But she had fallen in love with a swindler, leading her two children to become servants without status or recognition.

Now, her daughter had also become another's concubine. She truly had harmed her two children.

Jin Xin quickly shook her head, helping her mother wipe away tears, and smiled. "I live very well in the Prince's Manor. The Prince pities me and has given me many things. Here are 50 taels of silver, Mother. Keep it and don't let others know." With that, she slipped a pouch of silver to her.

How could Madam An accept? She immediately pushed it back towards her, saying worriedly, "You must not be living comfortably in the Prince's Manor. Don't I know your temperament? You only speak of good things, never bad. Keep this money for socializing with others; your life will be a little more comfortable."

Hearing this, Jin Xin smiled bitterly. How could Madam An know that in the Prince's Manor, money alone wouldn't guarantee a peaceful life? This money truly had no effect there. But for her and her mother, this money was enough to allow them to live comfortably for a whole year.

"I still have some. I'll keep half. This is the money the Prince rewarded me with. And things like fabrics and clothing were all bestowed by the Prince. Each month I also receive a monthly allowance, two sets of clothes, and three dishes and one soup daily. It's absolutely not lacking."

Lian Rong quickly presented the items, placing them before Madam An. Madam An looked at these items, and her brows finally relaxed, but how could she truly be at ease?

"Where is my little brother?" Jin Xin didn't want to hear her mother refuse, so she asked about Jin Rong's whereabouts.

This year, the boy was already six years old, and it was time for him to start schooling. However, he was suppressed by Madam, unable to even step out of the rear courtyard, spending all his days playing alone there. Why wasn't he here today?

Hearing this, Madam An sighed and replied, "He went to the young masters' quarters in the front courtyard. The Marquis intends to have him study with a tutor. I had no way to keep him by my side."

Hearing this, Jin Xin immediately felt uneasy. The Qiyuan Marquisate didn't have many male descendants, only three. The eldest son, born of the legal wife, was not in the manor but had gone to Cangshan Academy. The other two were Jiang Qu Huai, ten years old, arrogant and tyrannical, who had tormented her and her mother in the rear courtyard countless times, and Jiang Qu Feng, eight years old, who was also very shameless and depraved.