Wen Ning Han was born with memories, naturally granting her knowledge of many things others could not comprehend or recall. She could remember events no one would expect her to retain.
For instance, the events from when she was just born.
Neither Wen Cong Yan nor Su Yiniang, who had buried all the truths, ever imagined that Wen Ning Han knew everything. She even knew that Su Yiniang had conceived two months earlier than Qin Xi.
She and Wen Ning Shuang were born on the same day. Su Yiniang had a full-term delivery, while Qin Xi gave birth prematurely.
There’s an old saying: “Seven-month babies survive; eight-month babies don’t.”
At the time, Wen Ning Han was only eight months old in Qin Xi’s womb. She nearly didn’t survive, and both mother and child almost perished. Even after being born, her frail body made it difficult for her to thrive.
Because of this, Wen Ning Han’s consciousness after birth was weak—not only constrained by the limitations of an infant’s body but also hindered by her poor health.
Qin Xi poured immense effort into raising the fragile infant, struggling to keep her alive. Yet, the toll of her difficult labor and the strain of overwork left her with lingering health issues, ultimately leading to her early death.
The things Wen Ning Han said to Wen Ning Shuang earlier were meant to probe her. She hadn’t expected Wen Ning Shuang to react this way—did this girl already know the truth?
If not for her innate knowledge and an instinctive aversion to Su Yiniang, Wen Ning Han might have suspected that this Su Yiniang had resorted to some cliché plot twist, like swapping babies, to create a melodramatic narrative.
In reality, Wen Ning Shuang had been born a little earlier than Wen Ning Han.
But Wen Ning Han didn’t know why, in the end, she became the older sister while Wen Ning Shuang became the younger one.
“What’s the matter? Do you think being the younger sister puts you at a disadvantage, making it easier for you to act? Or is it that, even before aging, you’re already feeling anxious and trying to force yourself to stay young for a little longer?”
Wen Ning Shuang: “…”
She kept telling herself not to get angry, not to stoop to Wen Ning Han’s level. She had more important things to focus on. Yet, Wen Ning Han had a remarkable ability to provoke anger with just a few words.
Wen Ning Shuang took a deep breath, then smiled lightly, deflecting with grace. “Elder Sister, you’re just joking.”
She waved her hand, and the maidservants behind her began arranging the items they had brought, neatly presenting them.
“It’s been some time since you returned home, but unfortunately, I’ve been busy accompanying our Old Madam at Jinyang Temple, fulfilling vows, and couldn’t greet you right away. It’s my fault. These are some small gifts I’ve prepared for our meeting. I only managed to bring them today…”
Her words were sincere and heartfelt. “Elder Sister, I’ve truly waited for this day, and I’ve been waiting for a long time.”
Unlike Su Yiniang’s complete disregard for Wen Ning Han, Wen Ning Shuang had known from a young age that she had an elder sister.
Even Su Yiniang didn’t know that she had secretly visited this small courtyard before. From a distance, she had once seen the late first wife and Wen Ning Han strolling around the courtyard.
Even Wen Ning Shuang had to admit that the gentle and beautiful late wife, when looking at Wen Ning Han with that affectionate gaze, embodied the look of a mother’s love.
She was envious and longed for it.
If nothing unexpected had happened, Wen Ning Shuang really wanted to get along with Wen Ning Han, just like sisters in an ordinary family, supporting each other.
But thinking about the words Su Yiniang had said to her, and the experiences she had encountered over the years, she truly couldn’t bring herself to feel happy about it!
Wen Ning Shuang’s brows furrowed once again, her expression becoming quiet and melancholic. She looked so pitiful, evoking sympathy and stirring up a deep sense of tenderness in others.
Wen Ning Han couldn’t help but laugh. Alright, if they weren’t going to talk about the whole elder sister-younger sister thing, that is fine.
It had merely been a question she had carried for a long time, and now that she had encountered Wen Ning Shuang, she could ask it casually. As for the answer, it wasn’t really that important.
And judging by Wen Ning Shuang’s shocked expression, it seemed like she had already known about this.
For clever girls, Wen Ning Han always chose to be more tolerant, simply smiling without saying a word.
After a moment of hesitation, Wen Ning Shuang began to introduce the items she had brought—mostly fabrics, spices, and some delicate, yet not particularly precious, jewelry and accessories.
Overall, it was clear that there was thought and care behind the gifts, but nothing too extravagant or over the top.
A miss from a branch family with no significant accomplishments could manage to bring out such things, which was considered generous yet still proper, without overstepping.
“The Old Madam also heard about Elder Sister’s return. She was initially planning to come back early to greet you, but due to her impatience, she didn’t rest properly and caught a cold from the mountain wind. She had planned to see you right after getting home, but after the long journey, she took some medicine and fell asleep. That’s why I took it upon myself to come ahead with these gifts to visit you…”
“I also hope that later, I can accompany Elder Sister to pay respects to the Old Madam,” Wen Ning Shuang said, glancing at the sky.
“It’s already past noon. We can’t let Old Madam sleep too long and miss her lunch. She’s getting older, so her meals should be properly arranged. Elder Sister,”
Wen Ning Shuang turned to look at Wen Ning Han, “Would you be willing to go with me to pay respects to the Old Madam?”
Wen Ning Han naturally had no reason to refuse.
From her birth, to the three years spent in the courtyard, and then being taken away by the Qin family, Wen Ning Han had never met this matriach
On the other hand, Wen Ning Shuang, being Su Yiniang’s daughter, had grown up by the Matriach’s side from a young age, so their bond was naturally quite special.
As for the Matriach, her affection for Wen Ning Shuang over the years was genuine, but when it came to the future of the branch family, sacrificing Wen Ning Shuang wouldn’t be a significant loss in her eyes.
The Marquis of Yong’an’s household could still be considered an old aristocratic family, though each generation had been less impressive than the last.
While the family’s foundation was still substantial, with a large estate that resembled a small garden, the matriarch’s residence, Wangshu Courtyard, was located far from Wen Ning Han’s residence, Huguang Courtyard, on opposite sides of the estate. This distance, in itself, reflected her mother’s clear disdain for the matriarch.
Su Yiniang is the matriarch’s maternal niece. The matriarch and Su Yiniang’s mother had a close relationship when they were young, being full sisters who supported each other. Even after marriage, their bond seemed unchanged.
In the end, the Su family faced misfortune, and before Su Yiniang’s mother passed away, she entrusted her only daughter, Su Ying, to the matriarch.
The matriarch naturally accepted without hesitation. During those years, Su Ying humbly served under the matriarch, receiving much of her favor.
As a result, she grew very close to the matriarch’s son, Wen Cong Yan, the only heir to the Marquis of Yong’an’s estate.
At that time, almost everyone believed it was just a matter of time before Su Ying would naturally marry Wen Cong Yan and become the next marchioness.
Who could have known that the usually passive old marquis would suddenly intervene, arranging for Wen Cong Yan to marry Qin Xi, the only daughter of the Jiangnan Qin family.
As a result, Su Ying was left with no choice but to become Su Yiniang(a concubine).
Wen Ning Han didn’t know many of the details of the previous generation’s matters, but she could guess most of it. Unfortunately, most of what she knew revolved around the original main couple.
Even though Wen Ning Shuang played the role of a tragic supporting female character, the Marquis of Yong’an’s household had too little screen time in the story, and there was not much background information to draw from. She would need to investigate bit by bit to uncover more.
Naturally, due to the old marquis’ unexpected actions, the Matriach’s years of careful planning were completely ruined.
Even though she knew that the old marquis’ decision was driven by the Qin family’s wealth, it didn’t change the fact that she didn’t think highly of Qin Xi, who came from a merchant background.