Liu returned to the courtyard, shaking her reddened hands. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She knocked the teacup onto the table, splashing water that soaked the golden lotus embroidered on her sleeves. The personal maid beside her quickly offered her a soft handkerchief, "Madam, calm down. As for the young lady..."

"Calm down?" Liu pulled off the red gold headband on her head, "That little bitch is obviously pretending to be crazy! Do you really think I can't see it?" She thought of the skin on her palms that was rubbed by the basin of grains mixed with stones yesterday, and the faces of the servants in the mansion trying to hold back their laughter. She was so angry that her temples were throbbing.

"But she is the eldest daughter of the general's family after all," the nanny advised in a low voice, "What if the incident gets out of hand and reaches the old lady's ears..."

Liu's eyes sternly replied, "The old lady is recuperating at the manor outside the capital, she's a long way away!" She rubbed her aching wrist and suddenly sneered, "Hmph, you think you can protect that hairpin by pretending to be innocent? I'm going to get it! Ruorou's marriage can't be ruined, and the things in the general's mansion can't be given to that little bitch!"

The next morning, Liu changed into a plain blue satin dress, deliberately not wearing any jewelry, and went to Shen Weiwan's yard with a bowl of lotus seed soup. She calculated that this girl loved to listen to soft words the most. She suffered a loss yesterday, so she had to change her method to coax her today.

As soon as I reached the Chuihua Gate, I heard Shen Weiwan crying from the courtyard. The voice was ups and downs, more gentle than the Qingyi on the stage: "Wuwuwu... Mother... Why did you leave Wanwan and go away..."

Liu's heart skipped a beat and she hurried a few steps. She saw Shen Weiwan kneeling in front of her stepmother's tablet, crying bitterly. Chuntao was holding a handkerchief beside her, her eyes also red.

"Wanwan, what's wrong?" Liu quickly put down the lotus seed soup and pretended to help her. "Why are you crying like this for no reason?"

Shen Weiwan seemed not to hear, but cried even harder. She suddenly turned around and hugged Liu's thighs, her snot and tears all smeared on her plain skirt: "Aunt! Wuwuwu... I miss my mother..."

Liu staggered in her embrace, smelling the scent of tears on her skirt. She almost pushed her away in disgust, but looking at the several little maids peeking around, she could only pretend to be affectionate and pat her on the back: "Good child, don't cry, don't cry, your aunt is here."

"Aunt..." Shen Weiwan raised her tearful eyes, tears still hanging on her eyelashes, "You are so good to me... You love me more than my own mother..."

Liu's mouth twitched. "My dear mother?" Her dear mother was the general's legitimate wife, and she was just a widow. But her smile was even gentler: "Silly child, who would your aunt love if she doesn't love you? Get up quickly, the ground is cold."

Shen Weiwan hugged her tighter, rubbing her head against her legs: "But...but my mother said before she died that the red gold hairpin cannot be moved... She said it must be placed in front of the tablet, and incense must be burned and prayed every day to ensure the safety of the general's mansion..."

Liu was delighted. They were finally getting to the point. She quickly followed up the conversation, saying, "Oh? That's what you said? Your mother is really something. Things are just there to be kept. How can they be more important than a living person? Ruorou's marriage is a big deal..."

"No, auntie!" Shen Weiwan raised her head suddenly, her eyes wide open, "My mother said that touching the hairpin will bring retribution! I had a dream a few days ago. I dreamed that my mother pointed at my nose and scolded me, saying that if I gave the hairpin to someone, I would go to the underworld to accompany her!"

As soon as these words came out, the maids around gasped, and Chuntao even cried out "Ah" and covered her mouth. Liu was also frightened. Although she didn't believe these things, her stepmother was so majestic in the past. Suddenly, when Shen Weiwan said this, goose bumps appeared on her back.

"Don't talk nonsense, kid!" Liu forced herself to remain calm. "You believe in supernatural things?"

"I'm not talking nonsense!" Shen Weiwan cried even harder, with tears and snot all over her face. "Mother also said that whoever touches the step-shaking will...will be struck by five thunders and die a miserable death!" She raised her eyes secretly while speaking, and saw that Liu's face turned pale. She was very happy in her heart, but her face was even more like a pretense. "Aunt, what do you say I should do? Sister Ruorou's marriage is important, but I'm also afraid of retribution..."

Liu was completely overwhelmed by her wailing. "Struck by five thunderbolts?" "A misfortune?" These words pierced her heart like needles. Although she was greedy for money, she valued her life even more. No matter how valuable the hairpin was, it was not as important as her own life.

"Oh, this..." Liu rubbed her hands, and for the first time, showed a hesitant look in front of Shen Weiwan, "Maybe... maybe you think about it during the day and dream about it at night?"

"No, auntie!" Shen Weiwan grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the tablet. "Look, I burn incense for my mother every day. She must have appeared! Otherwise...or auntie, can you help me go to Hanshan Temple to ask the Buddha? Let the monk calculate whether this hairpin can be moved?"

Liu stumbled as she was pulled by her. She looked at her stepmother's portrait on the memorial tablet. The eyes seemed to be staring at her. She was so scared that she quickly withdrew her hand. "This... going to Hanshan Temple? It's too far, right?"

"Not far, not far!" Shen Weiwan immediately answered, her eyes sparkling, "Aunt loves me the most, she must be willing to help me with this, right? I heard that the monks in Hanshan Temple are the most effective. Please go and ask what the Buddha says about Sister Ruorou's marriage and the hairpin. If the Buddha says he can give it to me, I will give it to you immediately!"

Liu looked at Shen Weiwan's innocent face, but cursed her a thousand times in her heart. What a little bitch! After going around in circles, she still didn't want to give her the hairpin and pushed her to Hanshan Temple. The mountain road to Hanshan Temple was rugged and it would take several days to go back and forth. She didn't want to suffer that hardship!

But looking at Shen Weiwan's expectant eyes, as well as the gazes of the servants around her, Liu was in a dilemma and could only grit her teeth and nod: "Okay, okay, Auntie, go, Auntie will send someone to ask!"

"Really, aunt?" Shen Weiwan immediately burst into laughter and hugged Liu's arm and shook it, "Aunt, you are so kind! You are closer than my own mother! When you come back after asking, I will massage your legs every day!"

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