"I don't have time to deal with you. From today onwards, just pretend you've never seen me." She was so pathetic that she couldn't even admit to knowing her, let alone go out and get bullied like that.

Thinking of this, Mo Lan couldn't help but look Xiong Yanyan up and down. She was wearing a rose-red brocade dress with pale blue butterflies embroidered on the hem, and a light gauze of the same color was draped over her. The breeze made her look graceful and lively. Her beautiful hair was tied up and adorned with a gilded hairpin and two pearl flowers. She had a slender waist and looked quite charming.

Her demeanor was completely different from before, but without her innocence, she appeared lifeless.

"What are you looking at?"

Xiong Yanyan raised her hand to smooth her hairpin, glared at Mo Lan. It was unclear how Madam Xiong had trained her over the years, but even when she glared, her eyes were captivating, her eyebrows slightly raised, exuding a charming allure.

After realizing this, Mo Lan subconsciously rubbed her arms. How did this tomboy she remembered become like this?

How long have you been married?

"It's only been half a year, why are you asking this?" Xiong Yanyan asked warily.

"You're still newlyweds. After all, you're the sister of Xiong Da and Xiong Er. Since we've run into each other, I should give you a gift to congratulate you on your marriage."

As she spoke, Mo Lan took out a brocade box from her bosom and handed it over, saying, "Take this first. I didn't bring the rest with me. Let's arrange a place and I'll get them for you."

She's a daughter of Qinglong Village, after all. Even for the sake of her second uncle, she should still receive some dowry.

When Xiong Yanyan saw the brocade box that Mo Lan handed over, she took it and opened it. Her face immediately froze. Inside the brocade box lay a pure gold hairpin, two gold flower earrings, and a gold teardrop forehead ornament. It was clearly a complete set, and of excellent quality.

"Why did you give me these?" Xiong Yanyan placed the brocade box on the table and looked at Mo Lan with a complicated expression.

When they were in the mountain village, their relationship wasn't good; in fact, it was quite bad.

Even when she went back last time, she was verbally abusive and never gave her a kind look.

Seeing herself being humiliated in the street, shouldn't she be gloating and laughing at her misfortune? Why is she adding makeup to her outfit?

"You are, after all, Second Uncle's daughter, Xiong Da and Xiong Er's sister, and the second young lady of the village. When you got married, we should have prepared a dowry for you, but since you left with your mother, that's fine. Meeting you today is fate, so it's alright to give you a gift."

Mo Lan looked at her and spoke softly.

"You really aren't here to cause me trouble?" Xiong Yanyan opened her mouth, but in the end, she couldn't help but ask the question that had worried her the most.

She endured countless humiliations to shake off the label of bandit, and if she could, she would never want to have anything to do with the mountain stronghold again.

Even if she doesn't think about herself, she has to think about her future generations. She can't let her children be unable to hold their heads high in the future.

Hearing Xiong Yanyan's question and the expectation in her eyes, Mo Lan picked up her teacup, took a sip, and sneered.

What is it about you that would make me come all this way to cause you trouble?

"Then why did you come here?" Xiong Yanyan was still persistent.

"I said I was just passing by." When she said this, Mo Lan looked into her eyes with a cold expression. With just one glance, Xiong Yanyan shut up.

Mo Lan withdrew her gaze and said calmly, "If you want the rest, just pick a place yourself. We don't need to see each other again."

"…Songya, stay here for a while, I'll be waiting for you."

Xiong Yanyan looked at the brocade box on the table and couldn't bring herself to refuse.