Lin Wanji understood and stood up to greet the mother and daughter, “I was negligent earlier, Wanji greets Aunt and Second Sister.”

Seeing her daughter’s lack of reaction, Madam Jiang, the Marquis’ wife, awkwardly smiled at Lin Wanji, “Greetings, Third Miss.” Before she finished speaking, she poked her daughter again. Seeing the old Madam’s displeased expression, Lin Zhaofu, the second young lady, reluctantly said, “Greetings, Third Sister.”

Lin Wanji nodded slightly in response, and for a moment, no one spoke. Seeing this, the old Madam instructed the maid, “Go and get the box on the desk in my room.”

The maid responded and, in a short while, brought a brocade box to the hall. The old Madam took the box and opened it.  A dazzling array of precious ornaments filled the box, dazzling everyone’s eyes.

Madam Yu, the second wife, sitting below, was the first to react. She exclaimed, covering her face with her handkerchief and laughing, “Grandmother really favors the Third Miss. Wanji has just arrived, and Mother has already taken out your treasured items. Today, we are blessed by the Third Miss, allowing us ordinary people to see such treasures.”

The old Madam said happily, “What treasures? They’re just trinkets for young ladies. I’m old now and don’t need these. I’ve watched these girls grow up, and I’ve given them many things in the past. Only the third girl is far away, and now that she’s finally back, a grandmother must compensate her.”

After saying this, she patted Lin Wanji’s hand, “Third girl, feel free to choose from these old things. You’re young and have seen many fashionable things, you probably won’t like my old antiques.”

Lin Wanji looked at the gold and silver jewelry in the box and knew at a glance that they were very precious. She hurriedly declined, “Granddaughter’s eyes are shallow, if Granddaughter were to wear such treasures, it would be a waste.”

The old Madam said, looking at her reproachfully, “I’m old now, what do I need these dead objects for? Just choose whatever you like.” Then she took a hairpin from the box and put it in Lin Wanji’s hand, “This hairpin is what I loved when I was young.

The pearls on it are from Hongnong County in the East Sea, a treasure bestowed by the late Empress Dowager during the reign of the previous Emperor, and it has been kept in my dowry. Now I think this hairpin suits you perfectly. Since you don’t like the jewelry in my box, this hairpin will be Grandmother’s gift for you. Please accept it.”

Everyone was surprised, sitting below with different thoughts. The old Madam was the legitimate daughter of the Li Guo Gong Mansion, and she had an older sister who was the Empress Dowager. When she was young, she was also one of the top noble ladies in the capital, and even now, she was a very prestigious figure.

Lin Wanji gasped, just as she was about to decline, she saw the old Madam’s gaze, hesitated for a moment, and finally held the hairpin in her hand, “Such a precious item, Granddaughter is deeply grateful for Grandmother’s kindness, and there’s no way to repay it. I only regret that I couldn’t be by Grandmother’s side earlier, and I will always serve Grandmother in the future.”

“The Third Miss is truly fortunate to be chosen for Grandmother’s dowry. Such favoritism, I only saw it when our eldest Miss got married.”

Madam Yu, the second wife, called the maid beside her, smiled at Lin Wanji, “Third Miss, come here. Since Grandmother has given a gift, I, as your aunt, naturally can’t be left behind. But I don’t have such treasures as Grandmother’s, don’t think it’s shabby.”

The maid beside her then presented a small box, carefully opening it, inside was a set of gemstone-inlaid gold head ornaments. Although these ornaments could be bought in the market, they were still very expensive, something only wealthy families could afford.

Lin Wanji smiled and bowed, taking the small box with both hands, thanking her, “Second Aunt’s things are naturally excellent, Wanji likes them very much.”

At this time, Madam Jiang, the wife of the eldest branch, also couldn’t sit still. However, she hadn’t expected this, and hadn’t prepared anything beforehand, so she took off the jade bracelet from her wrist and steadily handed it to Lin Wanji, “Big Aunt came in a hurry and didn’t prepare a gift, please don’t dislike it, Third Miss.”

Although Madam Jiang was gentle and weak, and didn’t manage the Marquis Mansion, she was still the legitimately married Marquis’ wife, and she naturally wouldn’t lack precious items. Lin Wanji smiled again, “Big Aunt’s things are naturally excellent, Wanji thanks Big Aunt for her concern.”

The second young lady, Zhao Fu, glanced at her indifferently, only coldly snorting in her heart. Lin Wanji didn’t get angry, still smiling sweetly, when she heard a sweet and melodious voice from behind, “Third Sister, I also have something to give you.”

Lin Wanji turned her head and met Lin Zhao Hui’s smiling gaze, “I heard that Sister has been studying with Third Uncle since childhood and loves poetry and literature the most, so I’m borrowing flowers to offer to the Buddha, asking my brother to find this collection of poems, I wonder if it suits Sister’s liking?”

Lin Wanji looked at the cover of the book, and was overjoyed. It was a copy of “Jing Zhai Ci Xuan”. She had been searching for it in Yangzhou without success, but she didn’t expect to see it in the capital. She hurriedly thanked her, “Fourth Sister’s gift is very much to my liking, I will definitely return the gift another day, what does Sister like?”

Lin Zhao Hui said, only winking at her, “Third Sister is talented, when Hui’er asks Sister for guidance in the future, Sister must give guidance.”

The old Madam saw the sisters getting along harmoniously and was very pleased. Seeing that everyone had been sitting for a long time, she waved her hand, “It’s been a long time today, everyone go back, don’t stay in Shou’an Hall. The Third Master’s family has just arrived, and there are many things to prepare, Shuyi, you should take care of them.”

Madam Yu was named by the old Madam, and immediately responded repeatedly, “Yes, I have already arranged for the Third Uncle’s family’s preparations.”

The old Madam nodded, and everyone stood up, bowed to her again, and then dispersed.

Shou’an Hall returned to its usual calm. The old Madam put away the smile on her face, closed her eyes slightly, and a maid came forward and gently massaged her legs.

“What do you think of the Third Master’s family?” The old Madam took the teacup, skimmed the tea leaves with the lid, took a sip, and let the maid put it on the table.

Zhou Mammy stood beside her, hearing the old Madam’s words, thought for a moment, and replied, “Old Madam, I think the Third Miss is very intelligent and clever, indeed much better than the Second Miss.”

The old Madam said, leaning back against the couch, “She’s clever, she won over the old people around me with just a few words, she’s indeed smart.”

Zhou Mammy’s face changed in fright, “Old Madam, forgive me, I was momentarily confused…”

The old Madam glanced at her, “Alright, get up. You’ve been with me for so many years, how could you harm me?”

Seeing Zhou Mammy get up, the old Madam thought carefully about what she had just said, “She’s much smarter than the second girl, no wonder the eldest girl likes her.”

Zhou Mammy understood and echoed, “The Third Miss can gain the favor of the Crown Princess, she must have some ability. I think the Third Miss acts properly, is intelligent and perceptive, and has some of the Crown Princess’s shadow.”

“The daughter raised by the Third Master’s family is naturally not bad.” The old Madam thought of the eldest branch’s affairs and sighed, “The second girl’s nature is not bad, but she has such a mother like Madam Jiang, a good girl is ruined, now she has such a rash temper, her emotions are easily shown. She also likes to compare, her eyes are shallow, and she can’t keep calm. If she weren’t like that, I wouldn’t have to favor the third girl so much.”

Zhou Mammy dared not comment on the Marquis and Madam Jiang, so she could only smile, “Old Madam is kind, it’s all for the Crown Princess.”

“Zhao Ru was raised by me, how can I not worry?” The old Madam sighed again, “Forget it, I think the third girl is also pleasing to the eye, it’s not entirely for the eldest girl.”

Lin Zhao Ru was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Marquis Mansion, the current Crown Prince’s concubine. When the old Marquis was still alive, her mother, Madam Li, died early, leaving behind only a son and a daughter.

The eldest son, Lin Yan Song, was sent to Muyang County as an official, and the old Madam saw that the two children had no one to take care of them, so she felt sorry for them and personally took them to Shou’an Hall to take care of them every day. Lin Zhao Ru was two years older than the Crown Prince, Lin Huai Shu, and was raised in Shou’an Hall until she got married. The old Madam taught her every day, and she acted with the demeanor of a prominent family.

Zhou Mammy responded and sighed, “Our Marquis Mansion doesn’t have many children, and now there’s another grandchild to please the old Madam, she should be happy.”

At this moment, Lin Zhaofu returned to her courtyard’s main hall with Madam Jiang, the Marquis’ wife. Before she sat down, the anger she had been holding back was about to erupt.

Madam Jiang dismissed the servants, and Lin Zhaofu immediately complained to her, “Mother, you saw it today, what is Lin Wanji? She’s favored by Grandmother! What Third Miss, she’s the daughter of a concubine, and her mother is just a poor merchant, now she’s stepping on my head, and wants to be sisters with me!”

Madam Jiang frowned, gently stroking her daughter’s back, and said softly, “Fu’er, keep your voice down, be careful of eavesdroppers, don’t let your father and Grandmother know. I know you’re wronged, I just hate that I’m useless, your father doesn’t like me, and my family background isn’t good…”

Lin Zhaofu saw Madam Jiang crying again, and became even more irritable, “Mother, you are the Marquis’ wife! Even if your background is not good, who dares to gossip about us? You’re always like this, now even the power to manage the family has been taken away by the second branch, making people laugh at us!”

Madam Jiang was the daughter of a local official in Muyang, with many sisters in her family. She was quiet and plain-looking, and was never favored by her elders. But this seemingly transparent daughter was the most daring, she actually set her sights on the Crown Prince of the Anping Marquis Mansion in the capital.

At that time, the Crown Prince was demoted to Muyang, and in the first two years, he was also mourning his wife, depressed and decadent, drinking all day to drown his sorrows. Madam Jiang took the opportunity to approach the Crown Prince, and took advantage of his drunkenness to have a relationship with him, and she became pregnant that time.

She knew that the Crown Prince, from a prominent family, valued reputation the most, so she took the initiative to spread the news, that an unmarried girl was pregnant, and the other party was such a powerful figure as the Crown Prince, which caused a stir in Muyang for a while, arousing everyone’s sympathy. Because the Crown Prince’s conduct was flawed, it caused a great uproar, and he had to apologize publicly.