Jin Yuanyuan was stunned, her mouth agape and her eyes wide like saucers, completely shocked by the incredible scene before her. She simply couldn't believe her eyes; what on earth was happening?
However, Grandma Jin remained remarkably calm. She carefully removed a small, dark brown wooden box from the small opening. The box looked quite old; the grain on it was somewhat blurred. Grandma Jin gently placed the box in front of Jin Yuanyuan and smiled, saying, "Yuanyuan, open it and take a look."
Jin Yuanyuan happily accepted the box, finding it unusually warm and smooth to the touch, as if coated with a thin layer of oil. Before she could even open it, Grandma Jin continued, "This is my mother's dowry. Traditionally, this should have been given to your mother, but since she married your father, she rarely comes home and mostly lives at her parents' house. Even when you came here, she only stayed a little longer on the day she brought you here."
Hearing her grandmother's words, Jin Yuanyuan felt a pang of sadness. Looking at her grandmother's dejected expression, she softly called out, "Grandma..."
Grandma Jin seemed to come to her senses and smiled at Jin Yuanyuan, saying, "Alright, child, go and open it up."
Jin Yuanyuan carefully opened the box, afraid of damaging its contents. As the box was slowly opened, she saw that the contents were wrapped in a handkerchief. Jin Yuanyuan gently peeled off the handkerchief! Her eyes lit up immediately—inside the box lay a pair of exquisite hairpins. The craftsmanship of the hairpins was superb, with every detail handled perfectly, as if they had been carefully crafted by a master craftsman.
The hairpin was entirely golden, as if meticulously crafted from gold. Its unique shape resembled a lifelike butterfly, poised to take flight. The butterfly's wings and body were not simply fixed together, but cleverly connected by gold wire springs, so that when the hairpin swayed slightly, the butterfly's wings would flutter gently, as if it were truly about to take flight, giving it a lively and agile feel.
Jin Yuanyuan originally wanted to pick up the exquisite hairpin to examine it closely, but the moment her fingers touched the box, a strange sense of unease suddenly welled up inside her. She worried that she might accidentally damage the precious hairpin or lose it. So, she quickly closed the box, as if afraid that the butterfly might fly out of it.
Then, Jin Yuanyuan carefully handed the box back to Grandma Jin, saying, "Grandma, please keep this for now. You can give it to me later when you have the chance. I'm afraid I might accidentally lose it, which would be such a pity." Her tone revealed her appreciation for the hair ornament and her respect for Grandma Jin.
Grandma Jin didn't take the box. Instead, she took out another box of the same color from the wall. This box was smaller. She opened it and took out two jade pendants. Jin Yuanyuan stared wide-eyed at the two jade pendants, which were warm and translucent, radiating a soft luster. One pendant was carved with an exquisite orchid pattern, the lines flowing and lifelike; the other was carved with a lively crane, as if it were about to take flight at any moment. Grandma Jin handed the jade pendants to Jin Yuanyuan and said, "Yuanyuan, these two jade pendants were also part of my dowry from my mother! They have special meaning. One is for you, and you can give the other to someone you like in the future." Jin Yuanyuan shook her head and said, "Grandma, please put the things away first. I'm not in a hurry to talk about these things now!" Then she handed the box she was carrying to Grandma Jin as well.
Grandma Jin gently patted her hand and said with a smile, "Silly child, this is Grandma's gift. You should keep it safe; this jade pendant might even bring you good luck."
"But Grandma, I go to school every day now. If I carry it with me, it's easy to lose it. If I leave it at home, it's not very safe either. The safest place is here with you!"
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