Chapter 322: Chapter 322: Wang Xizhi’s “Ping’an Tie”

All the family members present were moved to tears after hearing the old man’s words. Especially Zhong Zijun, who threw herself into Cheng Shuying’s arms and cried so hard she couldn’t even make a sound.

Her daughter—her most beloved little girl—though this painful marriage had been a mistake, she had no regrets, because she had these two wonderful children.

The old man said all this to let everyone know that everything he gave her was what she deserved.

Gu Qinghuan hadn’t expected that the lie she’d told them on purpose back then hadn’t fooled anyone; it turned out they’d known all along.

The old man’s understanding and care made her burst into tears as well. All the silent sacrifices she’d made—having someone understand, someone who truly cared—made it all worthwhile.

Although she wasn’t the original owner of this body, she’d had to face a hellish start the moment she arrived. She had been completely at a loss.

Fortunately, her perseverance hadn’t been in vain.

Zhong Luoning stepped forward and gently hugged Gu Qinghuan.

“Huanhuan, do you know how amazing you are? You’re like a little sun, warming all of us. Now it’s our turn to warm you.”

“Grandpa, we support your decision. When I got married, you already gave me a generous dowry. This time, when Qinghuan gets married, we should all contribute to her dowry and let her marry with dignity and honor,” Zhong Luoning said firmly.

Zhong Ziyan, as her father, quickly added, “Luoning is right. We should all contribute to her dowry. A daughter of the Zhong family is second to none.”

Zhong Weiqian couldn’t help but nod. To be honest, he’d said all this for their sake. After all, Zhong Luoning was the only legitimate granddaughter of the Zhong family.

Gu Lanting and Gu Qinghuan were both grandchildren through his daughter.

If he gave a family heirloom to his granddaughter through his daughter instead of his legitimate granddaughter, he worried Zhong Luoning might feel upset.

Seeing her nod, he finally felt relieved.

Gu Lanting had no objections at all—he was his sister’s number one fan.

Knowing how much his sister had suffered, he felt terrible for her, but also grateful that she’d married Yun Jiuzhou.

His sister always said that heaven favored the simple-hearted, and wasn’t she the most simple and naive of all? The most foolish, even.

Fortunately, heaven really did favor her.

Now, the Zhong family only had these three grandchildren. Faced with such a great temptation, everyone was in agreement.

Seeing everyone so united, Zhong Weiqian felt very gratified.

Hardship had not broken the Zhong family’s spirit.

“Speaking of which, this item is actually related to our old house.

The reason I insisted on getting our old house back was also because of this.

It was hidden in the main beam of the house, and I’ve already retrieved it,” Zhong Weiqian said, keeping everyone in suspense.

“Grandpa, what is it?” Gu Lanting asked curiously.

“Have you heard of Wang Xizhi’s ‘Ping’an Tie’?”

“No way! The real thing? That’s impossible! As far as I know, none of Wang Xizhi’s original works survive today. All the pieces we know are copies. Unless... it’s a Tang dynasty copy, that would be something.” Bai Jie, with her background in antiques, immediately understood.

“Haha, that’s right! What I have is a Tang dynasty copy.

Legend has it that Emperor Taizong of Tang loved Wang Xizhi’s calligraphy so much that he collected all the originals from the people and took them into his tomb as burial goods.

The surviving copies were traced by master artists. Since the Yuan and Ming dynasties, Tang dynasty copies have been considered treasures.

Sixteen hundred years later, even Tang dynasty copies are extremely rare and priceless, which shows just how talented the Sage of Calligraphy was,” Zhong Weiqian said, his love for the piece evident in every word.

Bai Jie’s eyes lit up. “Wow, Dad, you really kept a treasure! This is worthy of being a family heirloom.

Huanhuan, aren’t you going to thank your grandpa?”

Bai Jie’s words were also meant to show everyone that she didn’t mind at all that her father-in-law was giving this heirloom to Gu Qinghuan.

Zhong Zijun quietly breathed a sigh of relief. She’d been worried this would affect the family’s harmony.

Gu Qinghuan was completely stunned. She knew Wang Xizhi was famous, but didn’t realize he was this legendary—that even a copy of his work was so valuable. How incredible must his original works have been?

Unfortunately, she’d never get to see one in her lifetime. After all, he’d been dead for over a thousand years. No matter how great the ink, it couldn’t last that long, right?

Still, no matter how precious it was, she couldn’t accept it.

She didn’t want to lay hands on something so beloved by the old man.

“Grandpa, I can’t accept this.

A gentleman loves wealth, but acquires it honorably. I can’t let you pay for my cowardice.

I’ve figured things out. No matter how powerful the Yun family is, I’m not afraid, because I’m not alone—I have all of you.

They won’t change their attitude toward me just because of a painting. If they like me, they like me; if they don’t, they don’t. External things won’t change that.

Accepting their gifts doesn’t mean I’ve sold myself to their family. I’m still myself.

I’ve never been anyone’s appendage. I’m just me—past, present, and future.” Gu Qinghuan understood the old man’s intentions. He was worried she’d lack confidence, so he wanted to support her.

To be honest, she felt deeply moved.

The old man laughed heartily. “Child, you’ve finally figured it out!

Don’t be fixated on others’ opinions or outside validation. The world belongs to you; it has nothing to do with others.

The most beautiful scenery in life is a calm and composed heart.”

Gu Qinghuan suddenly felt as if the shackles on her soul had been unlocked.

On the surface, it seemed she had saved them, but in truth, it was a mutual redemption.

They had also saved Gu Qinghuan, freeing her from the chains of her original family.

Gu Qinghuan’s childhood experiences had left her with a sense of unworthiness, making it hard for her to form close relationships, always afraid of rejection and hurt.

She even felt she didn’t deserve such kindness, always giving but never expecting anything in return—or rather, feeling she didn’t deserve to receive.

But over the past two years, the love and acceptance of the Zhong family had taught her how to love herself.

“Grandpa rarely says something like this. If he says it’s yours, it’s yours. His word is his bond—don’t make things difficult for him.”

“This is what you deserve, child.”

Gu Qinghuan felt truly blessed today.

From the little gestures of care from her parents-in-law, to the acceptance and encouragement from her family, to their unconditional support.

It was enough. More than enough.

In the end, Gu Qinghuan didn’t actually take the old man’s treasure.

Well, she accepted it in name, but in reality, she let the old man keep it—after all, she was an amateur and wouldn’t know how to properly care for such a fragile piece of calligraphy."