Chapter 116 Granny Pei's Lost Hairpin
Yu Qingci replied bluntly, "Why didn't you say so earlier? They've all been given away. But seeing how healthy and energetic my uncle and aunt are, they probably don't need those things. By the way, have you set a moving date yet?"
Wei and Ma got nothing and were even pressured about moving, which made them so angry they wanted to curse, but given the current situation, they could only vent their anger in their own yard.
The more Wei thought about it, the more unwilling she became: "Master, are we really going to move out like this?"
The second master remained silent with a gloomy face. The brothers Lu Yunzhang and Lu Yunbo were also full of resentment, but what could they do at the moment?
Lu Yunzhang: "My aunt has always been soft-hearted. Now that Yunli and my cousin Yunbing's wedding is imminent, why don't my mother and fourth aunt go to my aunt's place and say a few nice words, that we can move out of the General's Mansion after Yunli and Yunbing's wedding is over? I think my aunt will agree."
Wei said, "How could we possibly agree? I already said that to your aunt last time, and she simply refused."
Lu Yunzhang: "Times have changed. Now that we've separated our families, we've agreed to move out. We just want my sister to get married from the General's Mansion so that it will look good on her and she won't be looked down upon by her future in-laws. My aunt has always liked Yunli, so she'll agree eventually."
When Madam Wei recalled that when she arranged this marriage for her daughter, the Wu family only agreed because of the General's Mansion's immense power.
The General's Mansion is no longer as glorious as it once was, and the Wu family has already shown a lack of enthusiasm for the marriage. If they knew that their second branch had been separated and living independently, who knows what changes might occur.
There's no guarantee the other party won't call off the wedding.
Wei hesitated, "But now my sister-in-law is no longer in charge of the household, and that little hussy Yu Qingci has her father's family backing her up, so she doesn't give us any face at all. We've already signed a division of property agreement, so if we tell them now that we don't want to move out, will that be..."
Lu Yunzhang: "That's why I asked you and Fourth Aunt to go and beg them together, and bring Yunli with you. If we can persuade Aunt to soften her heart and agree to wait until my sister's wedding is over before we leave, we might still have a chance."
While the group discussed the matter, Lu Yunbo sat to the side, silently calculating.
That day, when the matter of dividing the family was discussed in the council hall, he and his brother, as juniors, had no right to speak in front of the adults. This made him realize even more how powerful Yu Qingci's backing was.
Not to mention that Yu Qingci's biological father was the Earl of Nanping, a close minister of the emperor, there were also the Duke of Li, General Wu, and Vice Minister Li. Each of them was a powerful figure in the court. These were all valuable resources.
If I can successfully seduce that pretty girl, who knows if I won't be able to use those resources for myself in the future?
It's a pity that despite the meticulous planning that day, it all fell apart at the last minute. He never expected that this seemingly delicate beauty would be so ruthless and decisive in her actions.
Recalling how Yu Qingci had almost stabbed his carotid artery with a hairpin that day, and how she had uttered those words in a desperate counterattack, he suddenly felt a pang of jealousy towards his deceased cousin, Lu Yunqi.
The man is already gone, yet he still managed to find such a beautiful and strong-willed woman to spend her life keeping an empty room for him—it's such a waste of talent.
I just can't accept it.
Just then, a servant came in and reported that Granny Pei was looking for the Second Master.
The group of people who were chatting stopped and looked at Lu Yunbo. Lu Yunbo was confused at first, but then he quickly got up and strode out.
What could Granny Pei possibly want with him at this hour? Could it be that his third sister-in-law sent her to see him?
By the way, since my third sister-in-law is a woman who values her reputation, she must also be afraid that she might reveal what happened between the two of them.
It's good that he knows fear; that way, he'll have leverage over his third sister-in-law.
He hurried to the courtyard gate and saw Granny Pei standing there with a young maid, and two old women guarding the gate beside her. Lu Yunbo, his face beaming with smiles, stepped forward and said:
“Granny Pei is a rare guest, why are you standing at the door instead of coming in to sit? These servants are getting more and more ignorant, daring to treat Granny Pei so disrespectfully…”
Granny Pei's face was also full of smiles, but she took two steps back and said politely:
"I dare not ask Second Master to invite me. This old servant heard from Granny Wang, who manages the garden, that Second Master picked up something in the garden the other day. I happened to lose a pair of tourmaline butterfly flower hairpins, so I shamelessly came to ask if Second Master found that thing."
After saying that, Granny Pei turned her head as if by accident, and Lu Yunbo noticed with his sharp eyes that she was wearing a pair of moon-white tourmaline butterfly hairpins with exquisite patterns, which were very similar to the pair in his hand.
Granny Pei looked at Lu Yunbo with a meaningful gaze.
Lu Yunbo's smile froze. He hadn't expected his third sister-in-law to act so unpredictably, daring to openly send her maid to demand the things back from him.
And what does it mean that Granny Pei is wearing a pair of similar floral ornaments on her head?
His mind raced as he tried to say something, but Granny Pei pointed to the floral ornament on her head and said, "Second Master, please look. It's similar to the one on this old servant's head. To be honest, this was a birthday gift my husband bought for me years ago. He bought two pairs."
The old servant complained that he shouldn't have spent so much money on this thing, since it's neither edible nor drinkable. But my husband insisted on buying it for me. I didn't expect that the pair I took out the other day would get lost. The old servant was really heartbroken, so I went to great lengths to search for it in the yard for a long time.
If you don't find it, Second Master, then pretend I didn't say anything. I imagine the Second Master's family will be moving out soon, and they must be busy packing. I won't bother them any longer; I'll go look elsewhere."
Lu Yunbo understood. Pei Mama deliberately stood here and mentioned that thing so that everyone would hear that it was a token of love given to her by her husband. Now, probably all the servants in the mansion knew that she had lost her token of love and that it had been picked up by her master.
Because of her status as a widow, the third sister-in-law always wore jewelry that was understated and simple in color and style. He had been holding the pair of hairpins in his hands these days, turning them over and over, thinking of her, so he saw them clearly. Apart from being somewhat valuable, there were no special markings on them. It was reasonable for Granny Pei to say that they were hers.
The thought that this thing was now connected to the old servant girl with half a wrinkled face in front of him made him realize that if he were to bring it up in the future, no one would believe him and the entire household would laugh their heads off.
Lu Yunbo said unwillingly, "Was it something that Granny Pei lost? But I seem to remember seeing my third sister-in-law wearing this hair ornament before."
Granny Pei's smile remained unchanged: "Second Master is mistaken. Our young mistress has a whole box of floral hairpins like these. They are beautiful and unique, and come in all price ranges. She often wears them in rotation. Yesterday, she even gave Tong'er and Lianqiao a pair each."
Second Master, did you find it or not?
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