When my aunt heard this, her expression became serious and she felt that things might be a little troublesome.
When Jiang Mingzhi heard this, he was a little dazed for a moment.
She didn't expect that Bai Hui Niang would become pregnant so soon. It seemed that her control over Ce Ge'er was not satisfactory and she wanted to have another child to strengthen her status and position in Prince Jin's Mansion.
When they opened the brocade box, they found a huge pearl inside. Wang Qiang came over and asked, "Why would Prince Jin's concubine only send me a single pearl?"
"This is not a pearl."
A hint of sneer crossed Jiang Mingzhi's face. "This is a fish eye."
"Fish eyes?!"
Wang Qiang frowned and walked closer to take a closer look. To her surprise, it was indeed a fish eye. "What does this concubine mean?"
What does it mean? Of course it means something bad. Jiang Mingzhi sneered, "Fish eyes mixed with pearls". Is this to warn himself not to be wishful thinking and think of himself as a pearl, trying to get close to the rich and powerful?
It would be fine if someone else warned her like this, but who the hell is Bai Hui Niang? A woman who has been hanging around in the lowest class for decades, yet she dares to mock herself with her fake eyes.
Zhang looked at the fish eyes for a long time, but said nothing and asked someone to put the things away.
She knew that her aunt was worried that she would take this matter to heart, so she asked someone to put the things away. "Aunt."
Jiang Mingzhi looked up at his aunt, his eyes knowing: "Aunt, since this is a birthday gift from Prince Jin's concubine, how can I dispose of it casually? Aunt, please give it to me."
Zhang sighed and nodded, "Well, today is your birthday, don't waste time on these unhappy things. Come, your aunt will take you to meet some ladies and the birthday gift your uncle has prepared for you."
In fact, at Jiang Mingzhi's current age, it is not a glorious thing for her to still be unmarried in Kyoto. Just look at Han Qingyue to know this. Zhang also knows this, but she feels that her niece has suffered too much over the years. Now she wants to let everyone see how much the Wang family values her, and let outsiders know that behind her is the Wang family, not just the declining Jinyi Marquis Mansion.
Zhang took her niece's hand and walked to the flower hall which was full of female relatives. At this time, everyone was mainly talking to Zhang, the wife of the Duke of Song.
"The wife of the Duke of Song and the eldest wife of the Wang family are from the same family lineage. One married into the Wang family, the head of an aristocratic family, and the other married into the Duke's mansion and became a noble lady. Does your family have any secrets? Tell us and let everyone share in the blessings!"
These words were obviously meant to compliment the wife of Duke Song. Zhang heard this the moment she entered the room. She stepped forward with a smile and said jokingly, "What's the big deal? Let's not talk about it. Our main guest today has arrived. I've brought her here to pay her respects to the ladies. It might have been fine before, but now that we're in Kyoto together, I'm afraid I'll inevitably bother you ladies."
These words didn't sound like they were directed at Jiang Mingzhi, but more like they were directed at her own daughter, Wang Qiang.
Jiang Mingzhi let his aunt lead the way and greeted the ladies in a graceful and elegant manner.
The wife of Duke Song couldn't help but keep her gaze on Jiang Mingzhi for two more seconds, and Jiang Mingzhi bowed to her with a smile.
"I've seen her before, but I didn't expect that after a few years, she would become so beautiful!"
The Duke of Song's Mansion had an engagement with the Jinyi Marquis' Mansion in the past. If Jiang Mingzhi had not fallen ill, it would have been her, not Jiang Yuzhen, who was engaged to the Duke of Song's Prince. However, ever since Jiang Yuzhen's reputation was damaged, the Duke of Song's Mansion has been planning how to cancel the marriage.
Now seeing Jiang Mingzhi, she couldn't help but feel complicated.
"Yeah, I also think that our daughter-in-law is so beautiful that she should go out more often. She is just admiring herself. I'm afraid that people outside have forgotten that there is such a person like her and mistake those fish eyes for pearls!" Zhang was proud of it, smiled kindly, and said in agreement with the wife of Duke Song.
A hint of discomfort flashed across the face of the wife of Duke Song. Jiang Yuzhen and Jiang Mingzhi were indeed a match made in heaven. She knew that her cousin was very dissatisfied with the Duke Song's Mansion's change of heart, but it was not something she could decide.
"Fish eyes are still fish eyes, and pearls are still pearls. What's real can't be fake, and what's fake can't be real. Sister Wang, don't worry."
These words were a bit stinging. Jiang Mingzhi looked up and saw Qin, the wife of the Earl of Changyuan, whom she had not seen since they parted at Daci Temple. She was looking at her with burning eyes. Thinking of the past between herself and Han Qingyue, she was not surprised by Qin's words.
Zhang, however, was unaware of this matter and found the hostility of the Changyuan Marquis's residence towards Jiang Mingzhi somewhat baffling. However, she had always been protective of her shortcomings and would not tolerate others slandering those she cared about. Upon hearing Qin's words, she smiled and stepped forward and said, "Madam Qin, what you say makes sense. By the way, I heard that your daughter is quite old and a beauty. Why didn't you bring her with you today?"
Qin couldn't stand hearing people say her daughter was not young. Her face changed when she heard it and she said dryly, "She got caught in a cold yesterday and got sick."
After he finished speaking, he noticed that the ladies around him were looking at him. Knowing that his words were a bit stiff, he took a deep breath, and with a forced smile, he said, "Next time there is a chance, I will definitely bring her to meet Madam Wang."
She didn't want to come today at all, but her husband repeatedly told her to come. This was a rare opportunity to get in touch with the Wang family. If they got along well, the two families could have frequent visits in the future. It would only benefit the Changyuan Marquis's Mansion and not cause any harm. So she agreed to come.
But when she saw Madam Wang praising Jiang Mingzhi so much, the anger that had been simmering in her heart began to rise up uncontrollably.
"This is our first meeting, and I haven't prepared anything, so just a small gift. Take it!"
While the wife of the Earl of Changyuan was preparing herself mentally, the wife of the Duke of Song had already taken Jiang Mingzhi's hand and put a white jade bracelet with excellent water content, which was obviously worth a lot of money, on Jiang Mingzhi's wrist.
With the wife of Duke Song taking the lead, the other ladies took out their "improvised" gifts. In just a cup of tea, Jiang Mingzhi looked like a Christmas tree, with her hands heavy with bracelets and several necklaces hanging around her neck.
Although she knew from her first birthday celebration that people are fickle and that it is normal to flatter the weak and put down the powerful, seeing such a scene still refreshed her cognition.
Most of these ladies had been seen before, but they had completely different faces in front of Feng and in front of her aunt. When Feng faced these people, she mostly acted in a fawning and ingratiating manner, but even when her aunt spoke harshly, these people did not dare to show disrespect. It can be seen that family background and status can sometimes be very useful.
When she turned back to the house, Wang Qiang smiled and joked, "Back in Dongjun, I always heard my grandmother and my mother say that people always seek profit and avoid harm. Now I finally see the leopard in the bud."
Jiang Mingzhi smiled and took off a red gold bracelet inlaid with many precious stones and put it on Wang Qiang's wrist: "This bracelet suits you very well."
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