Having heard Cai Wei’s praise, Old Madam An gave a loving smile and said to her granddaughters, "You girls can go and play first. I have a few words to exchange with Young Lady Mu."
On hearing this, the young ladies all rose, curtsied gracefully to the old lady, and silently withdrew.
"Old Madame, the young lady wearing the pink-blue woven floral blouse just now was exceptionally good-looking. I wonder which daughter of the mansion she is?"
Once the young ladies left, Cai Wei couldn’t resist gossiping.
"That is the fifth daughter of the main house. Her appearance is rather neat and she has a gentle temperament. Among my granddaughters, she can be considered superior." The old lady cast a loving glance in the direction where her granddaughters had disappeared, and introduced to Cai Wei.
"So, she’s the Fifth Miss!"
Cai Wei understood now, it was indeed her! Among these young ladies, the one she favored the most was her. Such a beauty of a distinguished family was to be married to Jiujin. Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhou must be overjoyed!
"Girl, what are you thinking about?"
Old Madam An suddenly called, only then did Cai Wei realize that she had been engrossed in her thoughts about Fifth Miss An and Jiujin, and had missed what the old lady had been saying.
She laughed bashfully and said, "I was just stunned by the appearance of the Fifth Miss, who would have thought that there would be such an attractive person in the world."
The old lady sighed and said, "It’s not always a good thing for a girl to be too attractive. It’s said that beauty brings misfortune. Those who are pretty but not too smart are easier to deal with!"
Cai Wei was taken aback, not understanding why the old lady would suddenly say such pessimistic words. As she was confused, the old lady suddenly changed the topic and said, "Girl, this old lady has a question for you. All you need to do is tell me the truth. No fibs!"
Cai Wei was even more bewildered, not understanding why the old lady would suddenly say this. However, since the old lady had already spoken, she had to give her this much respect. Therefore, she laughed readily and said, "Old Madam, please ask away. I’ll answer truthfully."
The old lady was satisfied with Cai Wei’s attitude. She picked up a teacup from the tray and took a sip to moisten her throat before she started talking.
"I have a nephew from my maternal side whose name is Lü Junchen. He has quite a few businesses in our town. Have you heard of him?"
On hearing the name Lü Junchen, Cai Wei immediately knew what the old lady wanted to ask. However, she was well-prepared, so there was no trace of panic. She simply replied nonchalantly, "The famous Lü family – who in the town isn’t aware of it?"
The old lady continued, "A few months ago, my nephew’s house was robbed. In a single night, all their wealth was stolen. My nephew was driven to insanity and his wife’s face was disfigured. Their family was destroyed. Girl, do you know who did it?" She stared sternly at Cai Wei, observing her every movement.
Cai Wei answered confidently, "The fact that the Lü family was stolen from is well known to everyone, how can I not know? I am, however, clueless as to who the thief may have been."
Seeing Cai Wei’s magnanimous demeanor, Old Madam An felt relieved. She said, "You do respond steadily, Girl. Did you know that the initial investigation indicates that you are related to this case? On account of this, my nephew has been bed-ridden and is almost on the edge of insanity. It has been several months since he stepped out of his house; his wife, on learning that your family has moved to the Capital, insisted on going to the Capital to appeal to the Emperor. I firmly stopped her because I do not believe that you could be such a person. I have already sent for my nephew’s wife to come here, and once she arrives, you two can have a face-to-face discussion to clear any misunderstandings. It will also prevent any negative impact on your reputation."