The Duke's wife gently put down the teacup in her hand and turned her gaze to Fu Shulan. "Why don't you wear the set of purple gemstone jewelry I gave you a few days ago?"

After hearing her mother's words, Fu Shulan lowered her head and glanced cautiously at her sister Fu Shuyan beside her.

She bit her lips for a moment, then took a deep breath, mustered up the courage to whisper, "That set of purple gemstone jewelry... Second sister said she liked it very much, so she took it first."

Hearing this, the Duke's wife did not rush to blame, but calmly turned her gaze to Fu Shuyan.

Sensing that something was amiss in the atmosphere, Fu Shuyan immediately explained, "I just wanted to wear it for a few days, not possess it. I didn't expect to forget to return it to my sister so quickly."

In fact, she never expected that Fu Shulan, who was usually taciturn, would bring up this matter directly on this occasion.

Faced with this situation, the Duke's wife did not respond immediately.

The air in the room seemed to freeze instantly.

Seeing her stepmother's expression gradually becoming serious, Fu Shuyan felt very uneasy.

After a long while, the Duke's wife slowly spoke.

"I always thought I treated you two sisters fairly. If I let you go out empty-handed like this, wouldn't it make outsiders misunderstand that I favor one child over the other? Shuyan, it's not too late. Go home now and return the jewelry that belongs to your sister."

Fu Shuyan's face flushed red after hearing this. As the daughter of the head of the family, she actually had to make this trip in person, which made her feel very embarrassed; but at this moment she could not disobey the order given to her by her stepmother.

Therefore, she finally chose to stand up from her seat and walked out of the yard silently with the help of the maid serving her.

Then, the Duke's wife beckoned Fu Shulan to come closer to her. "Lan'er, come closer. Auntie Mei, please help her find another set of jewelry suitable for going out... I think this set with red gems would be very nice."

After receiving clear instructions from the host, Aunt Mei immediately agreed and quickly left.

Soon, she came back with a ruby ​​necklace and earrings that were even more luxurious and brilliant than the previous set.

When Fu Shulan saw this unexpected and extremely precious gift, she was a little surprised and even couldn't believe it was true.

"Is this... is this really prepared for me? It's really too precious..."

Noticing her daughter's surprised yet shy expression, the Duke's wife smiled gently and explained the reason: "I remember you once made a pair of shoes for me with your own hands. They were very comfortable and fit me well. So I decided to express my recognition of your filial piety in this way. Go and put on some new jewelry. Mother loves to see you looking beautiful."

Her tone was full of maternal love and kindness.

Next, with the help of her maid Juxiang, Fu Shulan successfully changed into this set of dazzling red gem jewelry.

Just as he walked back into the living room, he happened to meet Fu Shuyan who had returned with the original set of purple gems.

Upon seeing the scene in front of him, the latter was stunned.

It turns out that the stepmother gave Fu Shulan another set of jewelry?

This set of jewelry looks very exquisite and worth a lot of money.

Fu Shulan was a little surprised, and also felt a trace of warmth surging in her heart.

The Duke's wife smiled, her eyes gentle, "Shulan, please take good care of it this time. It's a rare treasure. You can use it next time you go out. It will not only be decent, but also add some brilliance to your makeup."

Her words were full of care and expectation, making Shulan feel the warmth of her family.

Fu Shulan walked forward gently and took the carefully crafted jewelry box. The box felt heavy, making people wonder how many treasures were hidden inside.

The moment it is opened, the light flows and is extremely dazzling.

"Amei," the Duke's wife's voice broke through her brief moment of distraction. "Now, you will take good care of this jewelry box for the Third Miss. Remember, it must be delivered to her residence tonight. Okay, we can set off for the banquet now."

Her smile revealed kindness and hope for her children's future.

Fu Shulan has always been a little afraid of her stepmother, but today, that usual fear seemed to have disappeared, replaced by a full sense of emotion and security.

He stretched out his hand almost uncontrollably and gently supported his mother. This scene made everyone around him feel a little surprised and warm.

In comparison, Fu Shuyan on the other side looked particularly different.

She followed them gloomily, her brows furrowed, her heart churning.

At this moment, her thoughts had already flown far away, and she was quickly thinking about what action to take next to change the unfavorable situation, but no matter what she planned, she could not suppress the resentment and uneasiness in her heart for the time being.

After arriving at the destination, the Duke's wife brought her two daughters to officially attend the party.

For her, this event is not just a social opportunity, but more importantly, it is an opportunity for her to consider her daughters' future marriages.

After all, the eldest daughter, Fu Shuyan, is now sixteen years old, and it is indeed time to discuss engagement; and the second daughter, Fu Shulan, also needs to gradually become known to more people in the aristocratic circle and show her good qualities and charm.

Today's theme is chrysanthemum viewing, which is held in the spacious and beautiful garden of the Prince's Mansion. It is the autumn season, and all kinds of chrysanthemums are in full bloom, vying for beauty.

Among the guests there are many familiar old friends or potential partners for cooperation. Everyone gathers here to chat with each other and enhance emotional connections.

The Duke's wife was sitting in an elegant pavilion, talking with the Princess of the County. The topic gradually turned to the trivialities of daily life, and they seemed very relaxed and happy.

Just at this moment, the eldest daughter Fu Shuyan slowly approached and took the initiative to salute the elders.

"Respected Princess, dear mother, you are here. I came over to say hello."

He showed just the right amount of politeness while speaking.

Noticing her daughter coming to greet her, the gentle and virtuous Princess immediately asked with concern, "Shuyan, you must be very tired from running around. Come over here and sit down for a while to rest."

However, Fu Shuyan shook her head and rejected the other party's kind suggestion, "I don't think it's that hard, please don't worry."

After a brief pause, Shuyan turned around and gave instructions to her followers.

Then he saw Man Gong respectfully presenting an exquisite gift - a specially made white fox fur headband.

Then he handed it to the person sitting opposite him with both hands, and added a note: "Dear Princess, please accept this little thing. Although it is simple, I carefully sewed it with my own hands in my spare time.