The time for acknowledging ancestral lineage arrived swiftly. On the eve of the ceremony, Quan Jiu, accompanied by Chu Rong, brought Chu family parents and grandfather, along with their children and trusted confidantes like Old Li and Aunt Chen, into the Quan family castle.
Quan Maoheng and Liu Peilin, along with Quan’s mother and two sons, and a host of servants from the castle, waited at the entrance.
Upon meeting, both parties were overcome with emotion, tears flowing freely.
This was the first time Liu Peilin and Madam Zhao had met Quan Jiu. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law wept uncontrollably.
Madam Zhao patted Quan Jiu’s hand, her voice choked with emotion and relief, "She’s exactly like me when I was young. So lovely to look at."
Liu Peilin cried and laughed, "Her eyes resemble mine, her nose is like her father's. This is my own flesh and blood." She then hugged Quan Jiu and sobbed, "Child, you've suffered so much all these years. I'm so sorry, it's all my fault."
Quan Jiu couldn't stop her tears. How many years had she longed for this? She had always believed she was an orphan. Now, not only were her parents alive, but they loved her so dearly, with no distance or estrangement. This immediately made her feel like she belonged, like she was their child, their real parents.
The three generations embraced and cried together. Quan Maoheng and his two sons, however, surrounded Mi Mi and Tu Tu, gazing at them like precious treasures, their eyes shining.
"You two are my little grandsons. Come, come, let your grandfather hold you." Quan Maoheng’s stern face softened into a sea of wrinkles as he looked at the two adorable little ones.
Before he could even extend his arms, the two children were scooped up, one on each side.
"What's your name?" Quan Tianyang picked up Tu Tu, his eyes crinkling into smiles.
Tu Tu, with a childish but loud voice, replied, "My name is Quan Tu. You can call me Tu Tu."
"Tu Tu, you're so good. I'm your eldest uncle. Tu Tu, let your uncle give you a kiss." Quan Tianyang couldn't resist kissing Tu Tu’s soft cheeks multiple times, reluctant to let him go.
Meanwhile, Quan Tianxi held Mi Mi, equally unwilling to put her down.
Quan Maoheng glared at his two sons, "You two scoundrels, you don't have children yourselves, why are you snatching my precious grandsons? Give them back to me."
Quan Tianyang and Quan Tianxi, holding Mi Mi and Tu Tu, ran off. The three of them chased each other, and anyone who didn't know better would think the eldest and second young masters of the Quan family had angered the patriarch and were being chased.
Chu Zhenhua and Yuan Zijun also wiped away tears in secret.
"I used to feel sorry for Jiu Jiu having no parents. Now that she has parents and brothers, I feel a bit strange, reluctant to let go," Yuan Zijun admitted honestly.
Chu Zhenhua quickly leaned in and whispered to his wife, "A married daughter is like spilled water. Jiu Jiu can live with us forever, but she can't live with her parents forever, can she?"
Yuan Zijun's eyes lit up, and she grinned, patting Chu Zhenhua's arm. "That's right."
The servants who followed were also moved. Aunt Chen was the first to approach the Quan family's steward, offering to help prepare the banquet. The steward led her to the kitchen and other areas that needed decoration.
At noon, the banquet hall of Quan Family Fort was filled with people, all whispering discussions about the purpose of the banquet.
"I heard the third young lady of the Quan family used to be a celebrity in the outer city's entertainment industry. The Quan family has always doted on their third young lady. She must have finally returned, and they want to celebrate."
"But the scale of this event is quite grand. It's just a visit home, why such a fuss?"
"Hey, who told you they have money and power? If you were in the Quan family's position, you might understand."
"But I heard that Quan Zhixi has a very bad reputation in the outer city, and it's only been recently. It was suddenly exposed that she seemed to be a sadist."
"What? Doesn't the Quan family value family reputation the most? How could they allow such a thing to happen?"
As everyone chattered, Zhuang Wanpeng was bewildered. He asked the person speaking, "Is this Quan Zhixi, or is her stage name Liu Zhixi?"
"Yes, but I also heard another thing: she was apparently disfigured."
Zhuang Wanpeng hadn't paid attention to the outer city entertainment news. He asked again, "How badly was she disfigured? Where is she now?"
"Probably not too serious, otherwise, who would be the main focus today?"
Zhuang Wanpeng thought that made sense and felt relieved. In fact, the engagement with the Quan family felt almost unreal. He had been desperate at the time and hadn't thought much about it. Later, when he calmed down, he found it incredible and had been feeling uneasy.
"They're here, they're here!" someone exclaimed excitedly, looking towards the entrance.
As the grand doors slowly opened, a beautiful woman in a pure white princess gown walked in gracefully.
Wearing a crown, the woman was as regal as a queen, radiating beauty in all directions.
The guests were stunned. Some of the older generation immediately exclaimed, "She looks exactly like Madam Zhao did back then."
Madam Zhao, now referred to as Madam Zhao, was known for her exceptional beauty and had captivated all the men in the New City district in her youth.
Others were confused. "This isn't Quan Zhixi, who is this? Weren't they supposed to be welcoming the third young lady of the Quan family?"
After their initial surprise, the guests were filled with confusion, all looking at Quan Jiu and speculating about her identity.
Quan Jiu elegantly walked onto the raised platform. Following her, Quan Maoheng, Liu Peilin, Quan Tianxi, and Quan Tianyang, supporting Madam Zhao, also ascended the platform.
"Everyone, today I want to formally introduce my youngest daughter, Quan Jiu," Quan Maoheng and Liu Peilin stood on either side of Quan Jiu, their faces filled with affection.
Servants pulled back the curtain behind them, revealing the entrance to the Quan family ancestral hall.
Quan Maoheng continued, "Today is the day my youngest daughter acknowledges her ancestral lineage. We have specially invited everyone to celebrate."
The guests were in an uproar. Acknowledging ancestral lineage? An adopted daughter?
Someone curiously asked, "Where is your third child? Why isn't she here?"
Quan Maoheng smiled and pointed to Quan Jiu, "This is our third child, our own flesh and blood. She was living in the outer city and was only recently found."
"Then what about Quan Zhixi?" the person continued to ask.
Quan Maoheng chuckled, "She is our adopted daughter. She recently married Zhuang Minghao and is now part of the Zhuang family."
Upon hearing this, the guests' expressions varied.
Zhuang Wanpeng was stunned, thinking he had misheard. "What did he say? Quan Zhixi is an adopted daughter? She's no longer a member of the Quan family but the Zhuang family?"
A guest beside him laughed, "Boss Zhuang, isn't this about your family's affairs? Why are you asking me?"
Zhuang Wanpeng was completely bewildered. No wonder he had felt the situation was too smooth to be true. It turned out that Quan Zhixi was a fake, not a daughter of the Quan family at all, but merely an adopted daughter. This meant she was completely useless.
As for the other guests, after their initial shock, they quickly accepted the situation. After all, it was someone else's family matter, and they were only there to witness and support.
From now on, there would only be one person recognized as the third young lady of the Quan family. Everyone thought this in their hearts.
Liu Zhixi was unaware of these developments, as she had already been sent to the Zhuang family after being administered a sedative.