Chapter 261 The Extravagant Couple

Chapter 261: The Generous Couple

"Tang'er, this jade bracelet has been with your mother for thirty whole years. It was passed down to me by my mother before she passed away. Now I give it to you, hoping it will always accompany you and protect you for a lifetime of peace."

The jade bracelet in her hand was completely emerald green, with a warm and smooth texture and not a single impurity.

As soon as it touched her skin, Ji Yuntang felt a warm current emanating from within the bracelet. This unique sensation calmed her entire heart.

Jade nourishes people and also protects them.

Without a doubt, this was a piece of top-quality warm jade.

To put it another way, this jade bracelet was a keepsake left to Madam Cai by her mother, and it was also a family heirloom.

Combining these two aspects, the bracelet was not only of great significance but also of immeasurable value.

Ji Yuntang quickly declined, "Mother, this bracelet is too precious. I cannot accept it."

She had reluctantly accepted the banknotes that Xie Liuzheng had given, but she absolutely could not accept the jade bracelet from Madam Cai.

"Tang'er, you think this bracelet is precious because people have given it special meaning. In itself, the bracelet doesn't hold such high value."

"It is indeed a keepsake left to me by my mother, but now you also call me 'mother.' My greatest wish in this life was to one day have a daughter like you, one who understands my joys and sorrows. Thank you for making that wish come true."

"Now, giving you this bracelet that has accompanied me for thirty years is also a kind of expectation I have for you, isn't it?"

Seeing the hesitation on Ji Yuntang's face, Xie Jinrong walked over and said, "Ye... Yuntang, since your mother has already said this, just accept it!"

He was still not quite used to addressing Ji Yuntang that way, but Xie Jinrong also knew that the people his wife and son had accepted were beyond his objections.

His status in the Duke of Rong's mansion had always been quite low.

Surrounded by so many people, Ji Yuntang had no choice but to accept it.

After accepting, she sweetly called out again, "Thank you, Mother. Mother is truly wonderful."

Madam Cai was happy, but Madam Meng was not.

She was almost enraged by Ji Yuntang calling her 'mother' twice.

With a resentful gaze at Ji Yuntang, Madam Meng silently cursed her for being disrespectful, unfilial, and inhuman.

She had carried her in her womb for ten months and given birth to her with difficulty, and now she was calling out "mother" to Xie Jinrong's wife right in front of her!

If she had known this would happen, she would have strangled Ji Yuntang at birth.

Instead of sparing her lowly life and sending her to the countryside for a marriage swap with Ji Qingqing, only for her to come back and anger her.

Thinking this, Madam Meng suddenly remembered something.

That was, Ji Yuntang's personality change had been too drastic.

No normal person could change so completely in just one month.

Madam Meng clearly remembered that in the first month after Ji Yuntang was brought back to the Duke of Rong's mansion, due to her timid and cowardly nature, everything she said and did carried a strong rustic flavor.

And because of the dark spots on her face, she was deeply self-conscious. Even when paying morning respects to Madam Ji, she dared not lift her head.

Madam Ji felt she was too unsophisticated for formal occasions, found contact with her repulsive, and thus excused her from the morning respects.

Ji Yuntang then changed to paying respects to Madam Meng and Ji Nanchuan every morning.

But these two weren't willing to see her. Sometimes, they made her stand at the courtyard gate for hours, as if she had been completely forgotten.

Neither Ji Nanchuan nor Madam Meng said anything, and Ji Yuntang dared not leave. She could only endure her physical discomfort and wait outside the door, even in rain or wind.

But after a few times, she understood—their hearts and eyes were only for Ji Qingqing, not for her.

The looks the two gave her were like the ones they gave to a beggar on the street—one full of contempt, the other disgust.

Though Ji Yuntang was young, she wasn't foolish. She knew she was just extra baggage in this household.

Because of this, she had never once called Madam Meng "mother."

Even on the day of her wedding, Madam Meng never heard Ji Yuntang call her "mother."

If Ji Yuntang knew what Madam Meng was thinking, she would surely roll her eyes at her.

The original Ji Yuntang did call her 'mother' many times.

But Madam Meng didn't want to see her.

If she couldn't even stand to see her face, how could she have heard Ji Yuntang call her 'mother'?

Seeing that his wife and son had both given gifts to Ji Yuntang, Xie Jinrong knew he couldn't come empty-handed.

He unfastened a golden token from his belt and handed it over generously to Ji Yuntang.

"Father came out in a rush this time and didn't prepare a gift in advance. Take this little token and have fun with it!"

When everyone saw what the golden token was, their eyes practically popped out!

This was no "little token"—it was a lifesaver! A lifeline that could save Ji Yuntang in a moment of crisis.

Yes, what Xie Jinrong gave was a Pardon Token.

Everyone in the Dongchen Kingdom knew that when Xie Jinrong was young, he had saved the Late Emperor's life while protecting his majesty. In gratitude, the Late Emperor had given him a Pardon Token.

Its purpose was to grant the holder a one-time exemption from the death penalty.

This was undoubtedly the greatest favor an emperor could bestow upon his ministers.

Yet now, Xie Jinrong had simply handed this Pardon Token over to Ji Yuntang.

This wasn't generosity; this was being ridiculously rich!

Could they have a father like this too?

Feeling the strange looks on him—some jealous, some envious, some even hateful—Xie Jinrong's face turned cold, and he snorted.

"What are you all staring at? Never seen a dad give his daughter a little gift?"

"If any of you are unhappy, go ask your own fathers to give you each one. If they can't come up with one, then if you have complaints, just keep them to yourselves, says this Duke!"

Everyone was left speechless.

Each emperor only had four Pardon Tokens total, and only those who had performed great deeds were eligible to receive one.

Whether one could obtain it still depended on the emperor's mood.

Does Xie Jinrong think this is just some cheap vegetable?

This isn't something they can just have because they want it.

At this moment, Ji Yuntang also came back to her senses from the shock of the Pardon Token.

If the gifts given by Xie Liuzheng and Madam Cai had already shocked Ji Yuntang,

then the Pardon Token that Xie Jinrong gave now was a real eye-opener.

The value of this item was no less valuable than a city, and even rarer.

Ji Yuntang felt that such a precious gift was too much for her to accept, and was about to refuse when she heard Xie Jinrong say with a smile:

“Liuzheng has a playboy nature and keeps getting into trouble outside. The reason I carry this Pardon Token with me is so that in a moment of crisis, I can beg the emperor to spare his life.”

“But the Pardon Token is only useful in front of the emperor; it's not all-powerful, and many times it simply cannot save one’s life.”

“On the contrary, your medical skills have saved him countless times in life-threatening situations, so I think you are even more valuable than this Pardon Token.”

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