Qin Yuan hadn't spoken yet.
Cui first poked Qin Wan with her finger.
Upon hearing this, the women all looked at Qin Yuan's face with their own thoughts. Qin Wan, on the other hand, covered her head, which was adorned with gold and silver hairpins, and looked puzzled. She exclaimed, "Mother, why are you poking me? I'm just concerned about my sister. We're all family here. What can't we talk about? If my sister is really unhappy, she can tell us so we can all give her some advice. It's better than her having to think about it all by herself."
Cui: "..."
Qin Yuan couldn't help but cover her mouth with her handkerchief and chuckled a few times: "Mother is poking you for your own good, dear sister. The Marquis's mansion is not a small or insignificant household. How could we let a new bride take charge of the household as soon as she marries in? Before the Marquis got married, wasn't it natural for the Sixth Madam to help the Old Madam manage the household? You are already a married person, unlike when you were at your maternal home."
Qin Wan, who married into a humble family: "..."
Qin Yuan then asked her face, "Has the Lin family put you in charge of the household affairs these past few days?"
Qin Wan's expression changed. "No, I didn't."
"Oh?" Qin Yuan didn't believe it and responded with a drawn-out tone.
Both Cui and Qin Wan blushed.
Before everyone arrived, Qin Wan had already shown off to Cui Shi that she had everyone at home obeying her every command, and that they had to ask her what to eat and what to use, which made her very comfortable.
Qin Yuan added, "I don't know where my sister heard this from, but it's not wrong. The Marquis brought back a woman from the battlefield, along with a pair of twins."
Qin Wan perked up again, feigning concern while secretly delighted, and asked, "Sister, what are you planning to do?"
"What do you mean, what should we do? Let her stay at the Marquis's residence. Her husband is the Marquis's benefactor."
One sentence drew praise and admiration from the crowd.
Qin Wan: "Heh."
Her arrogant and self-assured demeanor infuriated Madam Cui, who threatened her in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense anymore. If you ruin this wedding banquet today, I may forgive you, but your father won't."
Qin Wan immediately became obedient.
After all, Lin Ziqi hasn't passed the imperial examination yet and still needs her father's guidance.
There's no rush to mock Qin Yuan.
Time will tell; we'll see how it goes in the future.
Qin Yuan wasn't finished. She put on an older sister's air and said to her, "I'm not trying to criticize you, but although the Lin family is small, we still have your mother-in-law. You're a newlywed. Why aren't you at home serving your mother-in-law and husband? What are you doing asking about these things?"
Qin Wan couldn't answer.
Madam Cui smiled and said, "She only overheard it on the way here and said that because she was worried about you. Your sister has been spoiled since she was a child, so you, as her older sister, should take better care of her."
Seeing the look her mother gave her, Qin Wan could only whisper, "Mother is right."
Qin Yuan then let her go and, amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, handed the list of gifts for the Marquis's return visit to Cui Shi.
"The Marquis's mansion is truly impressive; the list of gifts for the homecoming ceremony is so thick."
"This marriage is truly excellent, my dear aunt. The title of Marquis of Dingbei is hereditary and can be passed down without fail. It is an immense fortune."
Everyone watched with envy, showering him with compliments as if they were free.
Looking at the gift list, Madam Cui was secretly shocked and asked, "Why are the gifts so lavish?"
Qin Yuan smiled and said, "Mother, this is a gift list prepared by the old lady herself. She even asked if the Marquis and I wanted to add some more, perhaps because she values the Qin family."
Cui laughed, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
The fact that Qin Yuan received a homecoming gift personally arranged by the old lady shows that she was deeply loved by her mother-in-law.
Even if a woman in this world is not favored by her husband, her position is secure if she gains the approval of her parents-in-law.
"If we can give birth to a prince soon, life will be more stable in the future."
Cui gave Qin Yuan these instructions.
Qin Wan watched from the sidelines, feeling heartbroken.
In her past life, her mother-in-law disliked her, and she argued with her husband. In the first few days of her marriage, she not only couldn't see her husband, but she was also made difficult in every way and ridiculed for being petty and not presentable.
Even the servants in the Marquis's mansion treated her differently based on who she was, secretly bullying her.
Qin Yuan made her look like a joke.
Although the couple lived happily ever after, she personally arranged the homecoming ceremony, using all of her own dowry. Although Lin's mother didn't say anything, everyone could see the displeasure on her face.
Qin Wan suddenly felt like crying.
At this moment, the maids and servants filed in and set out the feast. Everyone took their seats, and the atmosphere was filled with clinking glasses, laughter, and joy.
As the Lady of the Marquis, Qin Yuan was naturally the center of attention, while Qin Wan, who was usually revered as the phoenix of the Qin family, sat dejectedly to the side, listening to everyone's flattery.
Even Cui, who was somewhat smug from being praised, secretly sighed.
If I hadn't been so foolish, my own daughter would have been the center of attention.
But what's the point of saying all this now?
After the banquet, the group felt a bit bored sitting inside, so they got up and strolled around the Qin family's courtyard to digest their food.
The Qin residence is small, and with male guests in the front courtyard, it's inconvenient to go there. They can only chat idly in the back courtyard in twos and threes.
As Qin Yuan and her second aunt were talking, Qin Wan leaned over and said, "Sister, I heard some rumors outside, saying..."
My second aunt was talking about her son Qin Siyuan's college entrance exams when she was suddenly interrupted and had to awkwardly shut up.
Qin Yuan glanced sideways at Qin Wan.
Qin Wan didn't take this relative who was staying with her seriously and continued, "The woman the Marquis brought back is surnamed Zhao, and everyone calls her Lady Zhao. She is nominally observing mourning for her husband, but in reality, she is extremely favored by the Marquis. The Marquis is just waiting to give her a formal title after the marriage. Those twins might also be the Marquis's children."
Auntie's face turned red and then pale. She felt embarrassed for Qin Yuan and angry that Qin Wan was so rude, leaving her here to listen to such nonsense and dirtying her ears.
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