Chapter 334 Jade Hairpin

"Moreover, it was a gift from the Empress Dowager, so I dare not accept it." Jiang Mi gave a slight bow, which was very elegant.

The old lady was even more pleased with her humility and said to her, "Good child, you have been wronged. This is what you deserve. Besides, this thing is not enough to cover up your grievances. But you should know that suffering a loss is also a blessing. Come forward."

At this moment, the nanny had already brought the hairpin over. Jiang Mi stepped forward, and the old lady looked at her with affection, personally putting the hairpin on Jiang Mi's head. The jade hairpin made Jiang Mi even more beautiful.

"What a beauty! In all my years, I have never seen anyone more adorable than you. Good child, go back and sit down."

Jiang Mi thanked her and sat back down. This time, the maid arranged for her to sit next to Su Yindi.

Su Yindi and Liang Lan both looked at her with envy. Su Yindi's eyes were practically green with envy: "Honey, you are so lucky. This was given to the Old Madam by the Empress Dowager last time. Now the Old Madam has bestowed it upon you. It is an immense honor."

Jiang Mi smiled and said nothing. It was good that the old lady liked her, but she also made her proud of you. Otherwise, what difference would there be between you and Liu Zijun?

Noticing a gaze fixed on her, Jiang Mi turned her head and met Huo Ran's eyes. Huo Ran hadn't spoken earlier, partly because he felt that speaking would only make Jiang Mi more enviable, and partly because he was confident that Jiang Mi could handle such a small matter. The soap was made by Jiang Mi herself, so it was only natural for her to bring it out. Therefore, this whole thing was just Liu Zijun making a fuss.

However, it did fulfill Jiang Mi's wish, allowing her to show her face in front of everyone and even gain the favor of the old lady.

Liu Zijun was so angry that she gritted her teeth. Even though the Prime Minister's wife was unhappy, she could only pull her daughter back to sit down.

"Come on, what's wrong with you today? Why are you so impatient? Why are you picking on a girl like that? Can't you see that someone else is prettier than you?"

Liu Zijun was shocked that even her own mother would speak like that. With reddened eyes, she asked, "Mother, do you like her too?"

The Prime Minister's wife showed a disdainful expression: "My dear daughter, what are you saying? How could I like that poor girl? What good is being pretty? Without a good family background, it's hard to have a good ending. A beauty like her will become a plaything in a man's hands sooner or later. Why bother getting angry with her? It's not worth ruining your health."

Liu Zijun thought for a moment and couldn't help but say what she had been holding in: "Mother, you don't know how this little bitch is. She doesn't have a good background, so she's been clinging to Brother Huo Ran and won't let go. Now Brother Huo Ran is completely infatuated with her and doesn't care about me at all."

"What did you say?" The Prime Minister's wife exclaimed incredulously. "Huo Ran likes this woman? That's impossible! With such a difference in their social status, how did they even meet? You can't just say things like that. This woman isn't even worthy of being Huo Ran's concubine."

Liu Zijun said dejectedly, "She wasn't worthy before, but her two older brothers passed the imperial examinations this year and now hold official positions, so her status is different. Otherwise, why would she be here today? I feel so bad, Mother, please help me."

The Prime Minister's wife was furious: "Why didn't you tell me sooner? If you had, I would have had your father make some arrangements with the people over there to prevent those two from passing the exam. That way, this woman wouldn't be able to become an official's relative. But her two brothers are just minor officials; your father could have handled that."

Liu Zijun breathed a slight sigh of relief. Seeing how easily the Prime Minister's wife spoke, she wished she had spoken up sooner, instead of being angered by Jiang Mi for so long.

"Really? Then let this woman get out of the capital, okay? I don't want to see her again. As long as she doesn't show up as Brother Huo Ran again, I can spare her life."

The Prime Minister's wife snorted coldly: "Don't worry, such a small fry is nothing. You're a silly child too, you don't tell your parents what's going on and you always do foolish things. Don't be so impulsive next time."

Liu Zijun laughed happily, relieved. She turned and glared at Jiang Mi defiantly, knowing that this bitch would soon be kicked out of the capital.

Jiang Mi had no idea what mischief Liu Zijun was up to, so she could only deal with it as it came. This woman was stupid; apart from her family background, she had nothing else to offer.

Huo Ran also noticed Liu Zijun's reaction. He had a gut feeling that the Liu family would definitely make a move, so he ordered his men to keep a close eye on the Liu family and to report to him first if they did anything to harm the Jiang family.

The banquet began quickly, and many dishes were served to each person. The ladies and young women would only pick up a small bite from each plate and eat no more.

Su Yindi and Liang Lan were already starving. Seeing so much exquisite food, they immediately started eating. Su Yindi even complained in a low voice, "It looks so good, but it doesn't taste very good. It's not as good as the food at the restaurant in our own village."

Liang Lan muttered quietly to herself, "Yeah, it's not as good as Mom's cooking. I miss Mom's cooking."

Jiang Mi said in a low voice, "Keep your voices down, don't let anyone hear us, otherwise some people will start picking a fight again."

Su Yindi then noticed that Jiang Mi hadn't eaten much and asked, "Honey, aren't you hungry? Why aren't you eating?"

I actually ate a few bites of ginger honey, but I really didn't have an appetite, so I didn't want to eat any more.

"I'm not eating. If you want some, you can take it. But I advise you not to eat too much. Just have a little something to tide you over. You can eat your fill when you get home tonight."

Su Yindi asked, puzzled, "Why?"

Liang Lan nudged her with her elbow: "Don't ask. Look at how little they've eaten. If we eat so much, won't people laugh at us?"

The lady standing to the side looked at them and laughed, "It seems that you two ladies are really starving, as you have eaten so much."

Liang Lan quickly put down her chopsticks, not daring to eat another bite. Su Yindi also noticed that no one else had eaten much, and she had a mouthful of oil. She quickly wiped her mouth clean with a handkerchief. This was nothing, not even a third of her usual amount of food.

These ladies don't look very thin, so eating such a small amount must be an act; they probably already ate at home beforehand.