♂?，，

  Madam Zhu's face showed a satisfied expression. She had always liked Cai Shi's dignified and elegant demeanor, her cautious behavior, and the fact that she didn't pretend to be as intimidating as Lady Hou or Madame Luo. Among all the daughters-in-law, Cai Shi was the one who pleased Madam Zhu the most. Upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "Still, it's best to let Huan's wife take care of things. Today is a family dinner, so just us women are here; we can do as we please."

  She thought for a moment and then ordered, "Go and heat up the plum wine that was pickled last time. Today is a happy day, except for He sister, everyone will drink a few more cups."

  Ts'ai smiled and bowed, then went down to make arrangements.

  Ming Xuan's gaze remained on the blue gemstone hairpin in Cai Shi's hair until it was out of sight, then she turned her face and smiled at Old Lady Zhu, saying: "Sister-in-law, that hairpin is so beautiful, such a large piece of gemstone must be worth a lot of money on the market? Last time I wanted to embroider a waistband for my father, because it was a blue-colored base, I wanted to use blue gemstones to match. I asked someone to ask the price at Zhen Bao Zhai, and even those with slightly better quality were over a thousand taels of silver."

  The second lady, Jian, smiled and said, "Xuan sister, silly girl, if you want to buy these pearls, jade and precious stones, you should go to Jibao Ge in Xizhimen. They only deal with raw materials, not craftsmanship. Zhenbao Shop is a place that takes ordinary materials and slaps on their brand name, so the price will be four or five times higher. And blue gemstones are always expensive, let alone ones of good quality."

  She pursed her lips, "But the one that Eldest Sister wore earlier, wasn't it that expensive blue sapphire? The jade pendant is a top-quality sheep fat jade. That year I heard that Jibao Ge got such a piece and originally wanted to buy it to make a pair of bracelets to wear. Who knew that Princess Dingguo snatched it first? Just this small piece, the price was 20,000 taels of silver."

  Jian's mood doesn't seem to be bad. Although the silver taels he had previously put out were all confiscated by the Ministry of Revenue, since Han Xiu went on expedition, the Emperor himself spoke out and reinstated Second Master's official position, even promoting him to a managerial role. Although Fuchun Hou's minor stroke has not improved, she occasionally has moments of clarity. The other day, when no one was around, he secretly handed her some contracts, slightly making up for her losses.

  After experiencing a great deal of ups and downs, she was no longer as fixated on money as before. Instead, many things suddenly became clear to her, and she gained a new perspective on life.

  Ming Xuan didn't understand and asked Dao, "The sheep fat jade that the wife of Duke Dingguo bought, how did it become the jade base of Eldest Sister's hairpin?"

  Madam Zhu smiled and took over the conversation, "That piece of jade back then, I remember that after Madame Dingguo got it, she made a pair of hairpins, a pair of earrings, and a bangle. Eldest Sister and the wife of the heir of the Dingguo Duke recognized each other as sisters. Since only the heir was born to the legitimate wife, they took out one of the hairpins as a token. Eldest Sister and the wife of the heir of the Dingguo Duke each had one."

  She looked at Ming Xuan and said, "Why didn't you say you wanted sapphires earlier? Grandfather had obtained some outside before. I'm old now, and such bright things are of no use to me. It's just right that all the sisters are here today. Later, I'll let Nanny Guan bring out the box, and each of us can pick two to play with."

  Ming Xuan just wanted to use this opportunity to get the origin of Cai's hairpin, but didn't expect her grandmother to take it seriously. However, seeing her grandmother happy, she also knew that she didn't care about those trinkets, so she didn't decline, only saying somewhat embarrassedly, "That would be troubling Grandmother."

  She was thinking in her heart that the base of Cai's hairpin and the blue gemstone were the same as the earrings given to Dan Hong by Xiaosu Niang. It seemed that the owner of the earrings should be Madame Dingguo, but wasn't it Madame Dingguo who had died three years ago? How could she investigate the truth and find out what happened to the other earring?

  It was with a sincere desire to ask more about Madame Dingguo that Mingyu had to suppress the doubts in her heart and sit quietly on one side as it wasn't the right time to ask questions amidst the crowd.

  Before long, Mrs. Cai directed the maids to set up several tables, and dish after dish of delicious food was brought out in rapid succession. The sweet fragrance of the hot green plum wine filled the room, which was filled with laughter and conversation.

  Ming Xuan pretended to be drunk and leaned against Old Lady Zhu's body, coquettishly saying, "Grandma, why do I see two of you all of a sudden?"

  Madam Zhu smiled and stroked her face, saying with some pain and pity, "Foolish child, you've had too much to drink and won't listen. I think you're a bit drunk. Come, let Dan Hong take you to the Western Warm Pavilion to rest for a while."

  Ming Xuan's face was flushed with a hint of peach blossoms, her eyes were misty and alluring, making her look even more lovable. She shook her head and said, "It's been a long time since I've returned, I think I'll go back to Xiuyu Pavilion to rest. My brother said he ordered the maids to sweep and clean every day, the house is spotless, just like when I was here before. Grandmother, I'll go rest at Xiuyu Pavilion for now, I'll come visit you again later."

  The Yongning Marquis' manor of the Gu family didn't have a large population. The courtyard where the married-out daughter used to live was still there, and it hadn't been divided yet. The Shuyu Pavilion still belonged to the third branch of the family. Gu Yuanjing loved his younger sister dearly, so he ordered the housekeeper to sweep and clean every day. All the furnishings were just like they were before. Today, knowing that his sister was coming, he had someone light silver charcoal in the rooms early in the morning. These were all things that Zhu Lao Furen knew about.

  She smiled and nodded, "Alright, alright, go rest at the Jade Pavilion, and also don't disappoint your brother's good intentions."

  Ming Xuan supported her head and bid farewell to the crowd, then got into the sedan chair. Before long, she arrived at the Shu Yu Pavilion. Now, everyone in this courtyard was following Yuan Jing's orders. Perhaps they had received instructions earlier, as soon as Qiuxiu's sedan chair entered the gate, the courtyard was locked up, and two sturdy maids stood guard at the door, like a copper wall and an iron fortress.

  The yellow-clad figure emerged from behind Dan Hong's back, rubbing his hands together and saying, "It has never snowed in Lin Nan before. I used to think the snowy scenery was beautiful, but I never thought it would be so cold when it actually snows."

  She is now dressed as Ming Xuan's maid, and naturally cannot ride in the same soft sedan chair as Xiū. She can only follow Dān Hóng through the deep snow, and if it weren't for Dān Hóng constantly supporting her, she might have fallen many times. Now, although they are indoors, the warm charcoal fire has dispelled the chill from her body, but her small face is still flushed red, and her hands are even more stiff with cold, making one feel quite heartbroken upon seeing her.

  Ming Xuan's face was still flushed, but her eyes had already cleared up. She grabbed Huang Yi's hand and gently rubbed it, "The winter in Shengjing is very cold, I'm not even used to it, let alone you. Later, I'll ask Dan Hong to find a cloak for you to wear, and take out a hand warmer too. Otherwise, if you get frostbitten, I'll be worried."

  "She paused for a moment, 'Let's go to the study room, I've already sent someone to invite brother, he'll be here soon.'"

  The girl in yellow clothes showed a look of both expectation and anxiety on her face, she hesitated and said, "Brother Jing told me not to find him, he will come to me naturally if something happens..."

  Ming Xuan grasped her hand and pulled it a bit tighter. "Actually, I've been wanting to say something to you for a long time, but I didn't know where to start. Huang Yi, I think you should be very clear in your heart that if we want to end up together, there will be some difficulties between my brother and me."

  "I am a Miao girl from Lin Nan, and my brother is a noble of Shengjing. As far as I know, since the Zhou Dynasty was established until now, there has never been an intermarriage between different ethnic groups except for those within the imperial family or relatives."

  Her eyes showed deep pity. "As I stayed in the Town Country Public House for two days, you also saw it, right? In this house, blood relatives still exist today, and they are still so deceitful and treacherous, fighting each other to the point of harming their own flesh and blood. So, can you imagine how vicious the struggle between the door frames is? Even if we don't mention that the family may not be willing to let her marry my brother, just this one point alone is enough to show that she's not a simple and straightforward person who can bear it."

  The girl in yellow lowered her head and remained silent, but her orange-red figure inadvertently appeared desolate.

  Ming Xuan sighed, "I think my brother has always been unresponsive to emotions, mostly because of this. He's always been a responsible man who doesn't do things he can't handle. If he responded, but couldn't provide happiness in the end, or if they were together reluctantly and one person ended up getting hurt, that would be a kind of harm. He didn't want to cause harm."

  She gazed steadily at Huang Yi, "I really like it, and I'm also moved by my brother's persistence and deep love for me, so I often can't help but stand here and help. However, I clearly understand that between my brother and me, there seems to be a very deep chasm, if we don't make any preparations and rashly cross over, there will only be a dead end, and we'll be crushed to pieces. If we really want to be together, we'll have to go through many, many severe tests, and face pressure from all sides. One of us must give up his original life, this is really very difficult. So..."

  "I know." Huang Yi interrupted Ming Xuan's words.

  She raised her head stubbornly, "Xuan sister, I know you're saying all this for my own good, and I understand that being with Brother Jing requires a lot of effort. I also understand the difficulties you mentioned, which is why Father and brother didn't agree to us being together back home. But I like him, even if I know there's so much hardship ahead, I still like him."

  Her smile burst forth from the corners of her mouth, her gaze was firm and shining with unparalleled brilliance. "There is a huge chasm between me and Brother Jing, just as they say, if we rashly jump in, neither of us will have a good outcome. So I only want him to stand where he is and wait for me, I'll find a way to get to his side. I like him, even if I fall and shatter into dust, what's the big deal? For the one I love, even if I die, I'd be willing."

  Her voice was crisp, and for some reason, she could hear the determination of a moth flying into flames.

  The curtain fluttered, and a hoarse voice came from outside, "Fool."

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