After Being A Slave For Three Years, The Entire Marquis’s Manor Kneels To Beg For My Forgiveness

Chapter 78: No Resemblance at All

Blood sister?

Xiao Cui?

Qiao Nian’s eyes fell on Xiao Cui, her thoughts becoming chaotic due to Lin Yuan’s words.

Madam Lin also remained silent, her eyes full of shock.

Only Ning Shuang didn’t believe any of this, shouting, “Impossible! Xiao Cui doesn’t look like our young miss at all! How could they be blood sisters?”

Perhaps it’s true that bystanders see more clearly.

After Ning Shuang spoke, Qiao Nian began to examine Xiao Cui.

Her skin was fair, while Xiao Cui was naturally dark-skinned.

She had large eyes, while Xiao Cui had typical phoenix eyes.

Not just the eyes.

The nose, mouth, even the shape of the ears – they had no similarities at all.

Unexpectedly, Lin Yuan immediately replied, “That’s because Xiao Cui looks like her father! Xiao Cui is almost a carbon copy of her father, while Sister… Sister looks like her mother.”

Her mother?

Qiao Nian looked at Lin Yuan, her face expressionless.

Regarding her mother, the midwife who had once delivered for Madam Lin, Qiao Nian had never seen her face.

She had only heard that Madam Lin had accidentally fallen while traveling abroad, causing premature labor, which led to urgently finding a pregnant midwife in a nearby village.

Madam Lin hadn’t seen the midwife either.

Because when the midwife arrived, she had already fainted. She heard that the midwife had taken a desperate measure, forcefully pressing on her belly to deliver the child.

The midwife had also gone into labor due to the exertion of saving her, giving birth that same night.

Recalling this, Madam Lin couldn’t help but feel a surge of complex emotions.

Indeed, the midwife had saved her life, and she was immensely grateful, leaving a generous reward at the time.

But it was also that midwife who had separated her from her flesh and blood for fifteen whole years!

However, because both she and the midwife were in confinement after childbirth, they never met. But she had glimpsed the midwife’s husband through a curtain.

He was a dark-skinned, small-eyed peasant man.

Come to think of it… he did bear some resemblance to Xiao Cui.

Her brow furrowed, and to confirm, she asked Lin Yuan again, “Then why did you lie initially? Why did you say she was from the neighbor’s family?”

“Because, because I was afraid…” Lin Yuan spoke while crying, her thick sobs seemed tinged with endless grievance.

“I was afraid that Father and Mother wouldn’t accept a country girl like me, afraid that you would resent Xiao Cui’s parents and take it out on her. Although later I knew that you, Mother, have a compassionate heart and are kind-natured, I had already lost the chance to tell the truth. I could only keep Xiao Cui by my side as a maid…”

At this point, Lin Yuan turned to kneel before Qiao Nian, “Sister, Xiao Cui is really your blood sister. Even if you don’t acknowledge her, please spare her, alright?”

In this scene, Qiao Nian felt that she wasn’t Xiao Cui’s real sister, but Lin Yuan was!

But Lin Yuan’s eyes were exactly like Madam Lin’s, as if cast from the same mold. In contrast, she didn’t particularly resemble Marquis Lin or Madam Lin in any way, so…

Qiao Nian turned and walked towards Xiao Cui.

Xiao Cui was still kneeling on the ground. Faced with Qiao Nian’s approach, she became so nervous that her entire body stiffened, her face full of fear.

Qiao Nian looked down at her.

Then, under everyone’s gaze, she bent down to help Xiao Cui up, “So, I still have family in this world.”

Xiao Cui was stunned, instinctively looking towards Lin Yuan.

Seeing Lin Yuan nod slightly at her, she seemed to come back to her senses and began crying to Qiao Nian, “Sister, I’m sorry, I hurt you before, wuwuwu…”

With this cry of “Sister,” Qiao Nian wouldn’t be able to harm a hair on her head!

“No, no…” Madam Lin, watching this scene, suddenly began waving her hands, her mind in chaos. “I clearly had someone investigate back then, and Xiao Cui was the daughter of your neighbor. How has she now become Nian Nian’s blood sister? This isn’t right, something’s not right about this!”

Madam Lin vaguely felt that something was very strange about the situation.

Lin Yuan cried out, “It’s all my fault! I deceived Father and Mother. It’s my wrongdoing. Please punish me, Mother!”

With that, she kowtowed to Madam Lin.

But perhaps because Madam Lin was still confused, she didn’t help Lin Yuan up as usual.

So Lin Yuan continued kneeling with her head to the ground before Madam Lin, her entire body shaking with sobs.

Seeing this, Xiao Cui immediately rushed to Lin Yuan’s side and knelt down, “Madam, the Young Miss was only trying to protect this servant by hiding the truth from you. If you must blame someone, blame this servant! Please don’t be angry with the Young Miss!”

As she spoke, Xiao Cui began to kowtow, “It’s all this servant’s fault! Please forgive the Young Miss!”

She kowtowed once for each sentence.

Before long, her already injured forehead began to bleed.

Watching this scene, Madam Lin felt her heart trembling.

For some unknown reason, she slowly looked towards Qiao Nian.

Qiao Nian immediately saw the helplessness in Madam Lin’s eyes. She took a deep breath, stepped forward, and slowly said, “What Miss Lin said today is indeed incredible, but considering that both Miss Lin and Xiao Cui are injured, why don’t we let them go back and rest first?”

Lin Yuan’s forehead was also bleeding from kowtowing for Xiao Cui.

Hearing Qiao Nian’s words, Madam Lin seemed to come back to her senses.

She nodded and finally stepped forward to help Lin Yuan up, “Get up, you’ve been through a lot. Mother knows you have a kind heart, but… never mind, go back and rest for now!”

Although Madam Lin’s attitude was a bit colder than before, her voice was still gentle, and her eyes still showed concern when looking at Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan felt a bit uncertain, but at this moment, she didn’t dare to speak carelessly and upset Madam Lin.

She nodded, bowed, and was about to leave with Xiao Cui.

Unexpectedly, just as they reached the door, Qiao Nian called out to stop them.

“Wait a moment.”

Her voice was calm, carrying a hint of coldness.

Lin Yuan and Xiao Cui were both startled, their hearts full of unease. Even their movement of turning to look at Qiao Nian seemed particularly stiff.

But to their surprise, Qiao Nian was smiling.

Lin Yuan didn’t know what Qiao Nian was going to do, so she could only force a smile, “Sis-sister, is there something else?”

Qiao Nian’s lips curved into a smile as she slowly approached, gently grasping Lin Yuan’s arm, “Nothing much, it’s just… since Xiao Cui is my sister, she should naturally stay here, under my care.”

As she spoke, her hand slid down until she suddenly pulled Xiao Cui’s hand out of Lin Yuan’s grasp.

Lin Yuan was immediately alarmed, and Xiao Cui was also terribly flustered.

Seeing that both of them looked like they were about to refuse, Ning Shuang coldly snorted and spoke up, “What’s wrong? Surely the Second Young Miss doesn’t think our Young Miss would harm her own blood sister?”

How could Lin Yuan dare?

She immediately shook her head, “No, no, that’s not it…”

Madam Lin also came over at this time, taking Lin Yuan’s hand gently, “Don’t worry, Nian Nian has always been sensible. As for you, your forehead is bleeding. Let Mother take you to apply some medicine.”

With that, she left with Lin Yuan.

Qiao Nian stood in place until Lin Yuan and Madam Lin’s figures disappeared from view, then turned to look at Xiao Cui.

Xiao Cui felt extremely uneasy under Qiao Nian’s gaze. She could only lower her head to avoid Qiao Nian’s eyes, timidly calling out, “Sis-sister…”

“Heh!” Qiao Nian’s sneer was particularly loud.

She glanced at Ning Shuang, her voice carrying a strange emphasis, “Take good care of Xiao Cui!”

Ning Shuang understood and smiled, “Don’t worry, Young Miss. This servant will take very good care of her!”

The words “take care” were heavily emphasized.

This made Xiao Cui’s already fearful heart tremble even more violently…