A box of dazzling pearls the size of a thumb, a ruyi scepter as smooth as jade, two gorgeous headbands inlaid with gold thread and beautiful jade, plus several pieces of fine, smooth, and high-quality fabric suitable for women of all ages.

The total value of this pile of precious items far exceeded any gift that Princess Duan had ever received.

A hint of amazement flashed in Princess Duan's eyes, but she resolutely refused to accept it, saying, "That was a gift of deep affection from my elders to the younger generation. There is no reason to take it back."

With a smile on her face and a gentle tone, Fuyu said, "Madam, this is also a way for you to express your filial piety to your elders. If you refuse to accept it, you will feel uneasy."

Princess Duan seemed somewhat conflicted: "This..."

Originally, she wanted to curry favor with Gu Qinlan by giving her gifts, but unexpectedly, she ended up benefiting from the situation.

With a smile, Granny Zhang interjected, "Madam, since it is your filial piety, you might as well accept it. What a beautiful scene it is when elders care for juniors and juniors respect elders. Even if it gets out, it will only make people envious."

Therefore, Princess Duan instructed Granny Zhang to carefully put away all the gifts.

After Fuyu left, Princess Duan frowned and said, "It seems that giving gifts won't work. I just gave her something, and she immediately gave me an even more expensive gift in return. Isn't that a clear indication that she doesn't want to accept my favor?"

Granny Zhang continued to explain with a smile, "Madam, you may have misunderstood. Madam is a sensible and filial child. She knows how hard it was for you to accumulate your wealth, so she subsidized you in a clever way."

Princess Duan asked with some doubt, "Really?"

Granny Zhang nodded firmly: "Of course it's true. Look at these gifts, each one was carefully selected. Not only can you use them, but they can also be used as dowries for the two daughters in the future. Madam has put a lot of thought into this; it's not just a simple way of returning a favor."

Upon closer inspection, Princess Duan found it to be exactly as Zhang Mama had described, and she couldn't help but beam with joy: "Qinlan is such a thoughtful child. I must have accumulated a lot of good karma over the past few lifetimes to have such a wonderful daughter-in-law."

Granny Zhang immediately flattered, "The old lady is blessed with great fortune; her future will surely be filled with joy and happiness."

Princess Duan was overjoyed to hear this, and her eyes curved into crescent moons with laughter.

At the same time, Zheng Huiyi personally visited Gu Qinlan's courtyard, holding the first exquisite handkerchief she had embroidered herself.

"Sister-in-law, this is the first handkerchief I've carefully embroidered that I'm proud to present. I'm sure you'll do me the honor of accepting it, won't you?"

In the dead of night, Zheng Huiyi poured all her heart and soul into her work. After two consecutive nights of hard work, her fingertips were almost covered in cuts and bruises from being pricked by needles.

However, her embroidery skills were still immature, so she was filled with trepidation and unease as she handed the handkerchief over.

Gu Qinlan smiled and accepted the handkerchief, preparing to examine it closely, but Zheng Huiyi suddenly snatched it back.

"Alright, sister-in-law, you shouldn't accept this handkerchief. It's really not very pretty. I'll embroider another one for you carefully later."

Before she finished speaking, she turned to run away.

Gu Qinlan stopped her with a smile, took the handkerchief back into her hand, unfolded it and looked at it. She raised her eyebrows slightly and teased, "The embroidery is indeed not exquisite enough."

Zheng Huiyi was so ashamed that she wanted to disappear.

"But the progress is remarkable." Gu Qinlan still smiled, giving her affirmation. "You must have put in a tremendous amount of effort."

Zheng Huiyi looked up, her eyes sparkling, and asked, "Sister-in-law, have you really improved a lot?"

Gu Qinlan nodded firmly: "Indeed, I like it very much. This is the most sincere gift I have ever received."

Zheng Huiyi used to be an unambitious person, so the fact that she was able to embroider such a handkerchief in such a short time shows how much effort she put in.

Although the handkerchief is a bit rough, the sentiment behind it is priceless.

Zheng Huiyi was surprised and delighted that her gift would receive such high praise. Overwhelmed with sweetness and excitement, she said sincerely, "Sister-in-law, you are so kind. Can I hug you?"

Gu Qinlan smiled and nodded in agreement: "Of course."

Zheng Huiyi couldn't wait to open her arms and hug Gu Qinlan tightly. Breathing in the faint fragrance emanating from her, she felt an immense sense of peace.

Just then, Zheng Huaiyu rushed over with pastries she had made herself. Seeing how close they were, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous: "Auntie, go and hug Grandma. I'll hug my mother."

Gu Qinlan looked at the two women who were tightly hugging her on either side, and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Please let go of me, or I'll be suffocating."

Zheng Huaiyu glared at Zheng Huiyi: "Auntie, my mother said you should loosen your grip, you're choking her."

Zheng Huiyi snorted in dissatisfaction: "My sister-in-law wasn't talking about me. I was here first, so you're the one who should loosen up."

At this delicate moment, the relationship between the aunt and niece seemed to become precarious.

Gu Qinlan shook her head helplessly: "I'll count to three, and you all have to let go at the same time, otherwise I'm really going to lose my temper."

In front of Gu Qinlan, Zheng Huiyi and Zheng Huaiyu moved like a pair of lively little rabbits. Halfway through their count, they suddenly pulled their hands back as quickly as springs, and then sat down properly, their faces beaming with innocent smiles of anticipation for praise.

Gu Qinlan gently pushed up her glasses and shook her head with a wry smile: "Can you guys be a little more normal? Like you used to be. The way you are now is a bit too much for me to handle."

Zheng Huiyi smiled gently and replied, "In the past, I was young and ignorant and didn't know how to be close to my sister-in-law. From now on, we will often be very close, and you will gradually get used to it."

Zheng Huaiyu nodded repeatedly, expressing strong agreement with his sister's words.

She had already made up her mind that from now on, no matter how big or small the matter, she would come to her mother's place to increase her sense of presence.

Gu Qinlan felt a splitting headache: "You two calm down first. I understand your purpose and I know you're anxious. But can you not be so impatient for now?"

"I have a lot of things to deal with right now, I'm very busy, can you understand?"

The two nodded in unison: "We understand, and we promise not to disturb Mother (Sister-in-law)!"

Their purpose in coming here was to strengthen their bond with their mother (sister-in-law), so how could it possibly affect her?

Gu Qinlan's lips twitched, and she changed tactics: "Will you listen to my advice in the future?"

The two nodded without hesitation: "Of course we'll listen."

Gu Qinlan smiled and said, "Then you'd better behave yourselves and not bother me so often in the future."

The two immediately showed their displeasure.

Gu Qinlan smiled slightly, a hint of cunning in her eyes: "Didn't you just say you would listen to me? Were you lying to me?"

The two were speechless for a moment.

Looking at their helpless yet mischievous expressions, Gu Qinlan couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Alright, I was just teasing you. But what I said earlier was also serious. I've been really busy lately and don't want to be disturbed."