Yuan Qingrong looked at the two of them with a beaming smile. The scene of her daughters frolicking in front of her was a dream she had had countless times.
Now her wish had finally come true!
When Wanwan first returned to the Yongning Marquis Mansion, she was often panicked, timid, and cautious.
Every time Yuan Qingrong took a step closer, she would take a step back.
On the one hand, Yuan Qingrong felt heart - broken for the sufferings her daughter had endured. On the other hand, she was frustrated that she couldn't get close to her.
Now it was different. Since Ning Yuwan married the heir apparent, she had become generous and graceful, with a confident and assertive look in her eyes.
Yuan Qingrong didn't know that her daughter's soul had been replaced. She only thought that the heir apparent had treated her so well that she had finally opened her heart.
"It seems that the heir apparent really treats our Wanwan very well," Yuan Qingrong said.
Ning Yuwan accompanied her with a beaming smile and mentioned how Nanny Wang, Lotus Leaf and others had taken care of her.
Yuan Qingrong immediately asked someone to prepare gifts and told Ning Yuwan to take them back to those people.
"Then I'll thank Mother on their behalf," Ning Yuwan said, accepting Yuan Qingrong's kindness without hesitation. After all, she was now her daughter. Being overly polite would only make her seem like the original owner and push her parents towards Ning Yuqin, who was good at playing the coquette.
"You silly girl. There's no need to be so polite among family," Yuan Qingrong said as she looked at her intently. She couldn't help but tidy up her stray hairs and clothes again and again. Then she took out a carved wooden box from under the table. "Is the income and expenditure of the Heir Apparent's Mansion in good order? Do you have enough money on hand, my dear? Mother has prepared twenty shops for you. You can take them and have some fun. Just consider it as pocket money."
The Yongning Marquis's wife's words were truly imposing.
Ning Yuwan took a quick glance and knew that all these twenty shops were located on the busiest streets in the capital. The daily income of each shop was quite substantial.
"Mother, aren't you afraid that younger sister will be jealous if you give all these good shops to me?" Ning Yuwan said first, but still accepted them without any qualms.
Sure enough, Ning Yuqin, who was lying in Yuan Qingrong's arms, was so jealous that her eyes turned red. She pretended to pout and said, "I knew it. Mother is most partial to elder sister."
Yuan Qingrong stroked her long hair and said, "Mother also loves you. When our Yuqin gets married, Mother will prepare a dowry exactly the same as Wanwan's for you!"
Ning Yuqin was not satisfied. In her heart, she naturally hoped that all the property of the Yongning Marquis's family would belong to her.
Of course, Ning Yuwan had the same thought.
She tilted her head and sighed. "When I was in the countryside before, I always envied other children who were loved by their parents. Only today did I know that Mother and Father have always loved me too."
Yuan Qingrong felt the most guilty about the fourteen years when her daughter was lost. She immediately said lovingly, "My dear," and put the carved wooden box into her arms. "From now on, whatever you want, Mother will give it to you!"
Inside the box were not only the twenty shops for Ning Yuwan but also another twenty that she had planned for Ning Yuqin's wedding.
But Yuqin had been pampered by her side since childhood, while Wanwan had really grown up suffering.
So she made up her mind to give them to Wanwan first. As for Yuqin's share, she would save up for it later.
Ning Yuqin stared at them in disbelief. "..."
Why did she feel that Ning Yuwan was using a familiar strategy of retreating in order to advance?
Ning Yuwan thought: I'm learning from your strengths.
Ning Yuqin was resentful in her heart: Sure enough, after the biological daughter came back, the adopted daughter could only take a back seat.
She thought that it was too kind of her to just try to trick Ning Yuwan out of the mansion at the beginning. Cutting the grass and eradicating the roots was the best strategy.
A malicious plan slowly took shape in her mind.
She thought she had hidden it well, but Ning Yuwan had always known that her mind was venomous.
When Ning Yuqin unconsciously curled her lips, she knew that trouble was coming.
Among the three, only Yuan Qingrong was truly simple - minded.
She still thought that the two sisters had always been on good terms. She put an arm around each of them and smiled benevolently.
At a quarter past ten in the morning.
A maid came to report that the marquis had arranged lunch in the front hall and asked the madam and the young ladies to get ready.
Ning Yuqin said that her clothes were in a mess and she needed to go back to her room to change. Then she separated from the two of them.
Yuan Qingrong naturally didn't suspect anything and went to the front hall with Ning Yuwan first.
At this moment, Ning Fengnian and Yan Zhao had played several rounds of chess, and Ning Fengnian had won every time.
For a moment, he was extremely proud. He thought that the heir apparent, who was rumored to be terrifying and cold - blooded outside, was not good at playing chess!
He didn't know that Yan Zhao had been letting him win all the time!
"Madam, Wanwan, come and help the heir apparent quickly," Ning Fengnian said.
Yuan Qingrong took a cursory look at the chess game and covered her mouth with a laugh. "You lousy chess player. You still have the nerve to say that!"
Ning Fengnian was really not good at playing chess, but the other three happened to be good at it.
Naturally, they could see Yan Zhao's "little tricks" at a glance.
"If I'm a lousy chess player, then the heir apparent is a super lousy chess player. His chess skills are much worse than mine!" Ning Fengnian said.
Look at him. Because of his over - confidence, he completely forgot that Yan Zhao was not someone he could make fun of.
Yan Zhao said in an intimate, natural and aggrieved tone, "Wanwan, my father - in - law is bullying me."
Ning Fengnian, who had been so proud just now, was stunned. "..."
How dare he!
But seeing Yan Zhao and Ning Yuwan being so close and acting as if there was no one else around.
And seeing Yan Zhao winking at Yuan Qingrong with a beaming smile, it seemed that the day when he could hold his grandson was not far away!
Unfortunately, he didn't know that although Yan Zhao seemed to be very capable, he still hadn't shared a bed with Ning Yuwan!
As for his "grandson", it was still a long way off.
"Daddy, what are you talking about?"
As a coquettish voice sounded, Ning Yuqin walked in with a twinkling look in her eyes.
It was obvious that she had dressed up carefully.
She was wearing a simple off - white shirt and a long, heavily embroidered peach - pink dress. She looked charming yet gentle. Her eyes were like autumn water, full of charm and shyness. A faint peach fragrance wafted from her as she walked.
Seeing the man she wanted to marry again, her heart fluttered, but on the surface, she remained calm. She stood obediently behind the Ning couple.
Ning Yuwan raised her eyebrows. She was planning to play hard - to - get!
It was a pity that Yan Zhao didn't even look at her the whole time.
His eyes were always on Ning Yuwan. He only frowned slightly when Ning Yuqin got closer.
This tiny gesture was infinitely magnified in Ning Yuqin's eyes. It seemed to be a sign of his attraction to her.
She almost couldn't hide the joy on her lips.
Ning Fengnian explained to her, "We're just laughing at your brother - in - law's chess skills."
Ning Yuqin took a look and said, "Is the heir apparent brother - in - law playing with the black pieces? Then his chess skills are really not good."
As soon as she said this, the atmosphere among the people present became strange.
Even Ning Fengnian, who had been laughing heartily just now, looked odd and hesitated to speak.
Ning Yuqin continued to comment, "The white pieces have given way several times, but the black pieces only won by a narrow margin."
"Humph!"
Ning Fengnian's face turned red and black. He flung his sleeves and said, "Let's have lunch!"
"Daddy, what's wrong with you?" Ning Yuqin asked. But Ning Fengnian was too embarrassed to answer her.
Finally, Ning Yuwan kindly said, "Daddy is playing with the black pieces, and the heir apparent is playing with the white pieces."
Only then did Ning Yuqin understand. She walked to Ning Fengnian's side and apologized, "Daddy, it was Yuqin who spoke nonsense. In fact, Daddy is also very good at chess!"
Ning Fengnian wasn't really angry with her. He was just a bit annoyed for a moment.
No wonder his wife and Wanwan had been laughing so heartily just now. It turned out that he was the only lousy chess player!