Some things need to be figured out by oneself, or else no matter how much others say, it’s useless. 

  Grandma Gu had said a lot, and she didn’t want to waste any more words. She said expressionlessly, “Gu Xian, if it weren’t for my disappointment in you as your birth mother, Qing Shu wouldn’t have said such things! Gu Xian, you should reflect on yourself.” 

  Gu Xian felt embarrassed and said, “Mother, can I come back to pick up Qing Shu in a few days?” She knew she couldn’t take Qing Shu away today. 

  A mother knows her child best, and by looking at Gu Xian’s expression, Grandma Gu knew she didn’t think she was wrong. She sighed and thought, whose fault was it? She could only blame herself for not teaching Gu Xian well. 

  After returning to her bedroom, Grandma Gu looked at Qing Shu, who was sitting at the edge of the bed lost in thought. She held Qing Shu in her arms lovingly and said, “Dear, your mother got angry and lost control for a moment. Don’t hold it against her.” 

  Qing Shu, feeling the burning sensation on her face, asked, “Grandma, am I really your biological daughter and not adopted?” 

  She admitted that what she said earlier was inappropriate, but her mother’s reaction was too harsh. Combined with what happened before, Qing Shu began to doubt if she was truly her biological daughter. 

  Grandma Gu couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Don’t think too much, dear. When your mother gave birth to you, I was right there by her side!” 

  Seeing Qing Shu’s pale face, Grandma Gu felt sorry for her and said, “Sweetheart, why don’t you take a nap?” 

  Under Grandma Gu’s soothing words, Qing Shu soon fell asleep. 

  In the living room, Grandma Gu couldn’t help but ask Hua Mama, “What do you think? Did something unclean affect this child? Although I scolded Gu Xian, Qing Shu’s words have made me suspicious.” 

  Hua Mama had been with Grandma Gu for thirty years, and their relationship was like sisters. She replied, “Madam, compared to before, Miss has become more sensible and studious. Madam, I believe Miss’s affection for you is genuine and cannot be faked.” 

  If there was something unclean, Qing Shu wouldn’t have clung to Grandma Gu like this. 

  Realizing that Hua Mama was right, Grandma Gu nodded and said, “You’re right; I might be overthinking it.” 

  Hua Mama suggested, “Madam, Miss’s temperament is known to you. I think it’s better to take her to Ganlu Temple to pray for some protective amulets.” 

  Grandma Gu agreed, “Tomorrow morning, we’ll go to Ganlu Temple.” 

  Qing Shu had reached an age where she could remember things clearly and was no longer a clueless child. If Gu Xian were to bring in a high-ranking monk to exorcise Qing Shu, it would likely cause conflicts between them. 

  To prevent such a situation, Grandma Gu believed it was safer to take Qing Shu to see the abbot of Ganlu Temple. 

If Ganlu Temple presides over it, she believe Gu Xian and the Lin family will no longer doubt it. 

  Shortly after they finished lunch, Second Master Gu arrived with his son Gu Hejie. 

  Grandma Gu sent Qing Shu back to her room and received the father and son in the small living room. 

  Upon seeing Grandma Gu, Second Master Gu immediately apologized, “Elder sister-in-law, I’m truly sorry. This matter was handled recklessly by my wife and Hejie.” 

  They had mistakenly thought that the copybook was something precious that they were trying to take away. If this rumor spread, their entire family would be disgraced. 

  Gu Hejie lowered his head and added, “Aunt, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have told my mother about this. Aunt, please don’t be angry.” 

  Grandma Gu smiled and said, “Because this copybook was meant for Qing Shu, I didn’t give you a clear answer yesterday. I asked Qing Shu last night, and without any hesitation, she agreed to give up the copybook for your benefit.” 

However, Gu Hejie was eagerly looking at Old Madam Gu. 

Old Lady Gu smiled and said, “If it were anything else, I would definitely refuse, but this concerns Hejie’s future. Just as your daughter-in-law said, if Hejie can study under a renowned teacher and pass the imperial examination to become an official, it would bring honor to the entire Gu family.” 

Madam Mao and Gu Hejie were too presumptuous, thinking that they could easily study under a famous teacher with just a copybook. They didn’t realize that these scholars were very particular and wouldn’t accept even a box of gold if it didn’t meet their standards. 

Second Master Gu felt embarrassed hearing this. It wasn’t even certain if he could find a teacher to accept Hejie as a student, let alone become an imperial scholar and bring glory to the family. It was a stretch for Mao to even mention it. 

Old Madam Gu turned to Xingyu, who was standing nearby, and said, “Go and call the young lady.” 

Qing Shu brought two copybooks over. 

Given her temperament, she would rather tear these copybooks apart than give them to Gu Hejie. However, she had to compromise to avoid conflict with the second household, as the situation was beyond her control. 

  Second Master Gu was taken aback when he saw the palm mark on Qing Shu’s face and hurriedly asked, “Who hit her?” 

Old Madam Gu explained, “Yanxiao didn’t know who told her that Qing Shu didn’t want to give up the copybook, so she scolded Qing Shu and became emotional. Qing Shu felt wronged and spoke back a few words. Being pregnant, she lost her temper and slapped Qing Shu.” 

  Second Master Gu felt deeply ashamed. 

Qing Shu handed the calligraphy samples to Gu Yechen and said, “Second Grandfather, I already have calligraphy samples. I can’t use the ones Second Grandmother gave me. Please give them to someone in need.” 

Gu Yechen took the calligraphy samples and, upon seeing the content, was embarrassed to the extreme. He quickly found an excuse to leave with Gu Hejie. 

Grandma Gu touched the back of Qing Shu’s head and said with a smile, “Why did you return these calligraphy samples to your Second Grandfather?” 

Qing Shu directly replied, “The calligraphy on these samples is not as good as Zhong Mama’s. How can I accept them from Second Grandmother?” 

Grandma Gu playfully poked Qingshu’s forehead and said, “You, such a little money-lover! Don’t worry; your Second Grandfather still has some dignity left. He will definitely compensate you.” 

That was good; otherwise, she would be unable to sleep at night, feeling too regretful. 

  Changing the subject, Grandma Gu said, “I plan to go to Ganlu Temple tomorrow to make offerings. You should come with me.” 

  Qing Shu nodded and said, “Okay.” It seemed that today’s incident had made both her mother and grandmother uneasy. She sighed; she needed to be more composed in the future. No matter what she did, she couldn’t act impulsively but needed to think carefully.