People whispered among themselves, discussing the matter in hushed tones:
"I heard that the eldest daughter of the Gu family is aloof and lives a secluded life, rarely interacting with others. I thought it was just gossip, but I didn't expect her to be even more withdrawn than the rumors suggest."
"Even though she has married into the prestigious Prince Duan's mansion, she still acts so unruly. It's truly embarrassing."
"The Prince of Duan has married such a stingy princess; he will probably become a laughing stock in the future."
"Who can argue with that?"
...
Gu Qinlan listened to those cold words without changing her expression or skipping a beat, and calmly retorted, "Why is Miss Sheng so narrow-minded? Does Miss Sheng think that all emotions must be measured by the value of money?"
Sheng Mimi held her head high and said disdainfully, "Feelings may not be judged entirely by value, but they also depend on the specific circumstances and the recipient. You are now the noble Crown Princess, yet you still give Qin Lian such a trivial gift. Are you trying to play the 'small gift with deep meaning' trick? Since you are Qin Lian's own sister, using such a meager gift to add to her dowry, aren't you deliberately trying to embarrass her?"
The ladies and young women around her all showed their dissatisfaction. An elderly lady even spoke bluntly: "Madam Zheng, I dare to offer you a few words of advice, even if you have some grievances against your stepmother and sister. You should also consider the reputation of the Duan Prince's Mansion. Today, you are here to add to the dowry, representing not only yourself but also the image of the Duan Prince's Mansion. You should be magnanimous in your dealings with others, otherwise your future path will be bumpy."
Gu Qinlan recognized this old lady.
The matriarch of the Zheng family, whose eldest son is on good terms with Gu Dingli in the business world, and who usually associates closely with the Song family.
This old lady appears kind and approachable on the surface, but in reality, she is cunning and shrewd.
Gu Qinlan smiled slightly at her and said in a gentle tone, "What Madam Zheng said is very true, I will keep it in mind."
Seeing her so calm and composed, without even a change in expression, Madam Zheng couldn't help but wonder about her intentions.
Did she not care at all, or did she simply not understand?
Sheng Mimi couldn't contain her anger: "What's the use of just keeping it in your heart? What are we going to do with this dowry today? Are you planning to continue insisting on only giving these meager gifts?"
Gu Qinlan replied calmly, "Then what other way is there? We can't go back and get it again, can we?"
Sheng Mimi's eyes darted around, and she quickly reached out and grabbed Gu Qinlan's wrist: "It's really not appropriate to go back and get it. I think your jewelry and bracelet are quite exquisite, so let's use them to make up for it."
After saying that, she tried to take off the bracelet on Gu Qinlan's wrist.
That jade bracelet carries extraordinary significance; it was a gift from Princess Duan to Gu Qinlan, representing the noble status of the mistress of the Zheng family.
Gu Qinlan shoved Sheng Mimi away without any mercy: "How dare you! Miss Sheng, where do you get the courage to openly seize other people's property in broad daylight?"
Sheng Mimi was pushed and stumbled, almost falling to the ground. Fortunately, her maid helped her up in time, but this scene made her lose face in front of everyone.
Her face turned ashen with rage, and she pointed angrily at Gu Qinlan: "Gu Qinlan, who do you think you are, daring to lay a hand on me? Do you think that marrying into the Duan Prince's mansion will make you an overnight success? Let me tell you, you will always be an insignificant merchant's daughter! If you know what's good for you, take off that bracelet right now!"
Relying on her father's power, Sheng Mimi was always arrogant and conceited, always considering herself a daughter of an official and looking down on people from merchant families. However, most of the guests in this courtyard were from merchant families, and her words immediately caused everyone present to change their expressions.
But Sheng Mimi didn't care at all and continued to stare at Gu Qinlan with piercing eyes.
Gu Qinlan sneered: "Just because I call you Miss Sheng, you think you're some kind of delicacy? Although I'm a merchant's daughter, fate has been kind to me, allowing me to marry Zheng Dinglian. If I were to pursue this matter, do you think your father would personally force you to kneel down and apologize to me?"
Sheng Mimi's expression changed suddenly, but she quickly regained her composure. "I'm just angry at your cold-heartedness towards Qin Lian! Although you married well, the dowry you gave today was inappropriate. I'm asking you to make up for it for your own good. You should take off that bracelet. I'll have someone send you a generous gift."
No matter what, she was determined to humiliate Gu Qinlan in front of everyone today!
Once this gift is made up, Gu Qinlan will forever bear a shameful reputation.
Gu Qinlan was too lazy to argue with her anymore, and turned to Fuyu and said, "Tell her where this bracelet came from."
Fu Yu stepped forward and announced loudly, "This bracelet is a family heirloom of the Zheng family. It was personally placed on my wife's head by our old lady at our wedding. Only the true matriarch of the Zheng family is qualified to wear this bracelet. Miss Sheng, I must say, you have excellent taste; you recognized the value of this bracelet at a glance."
Sheng Mimi's eyes widened in shock: "This is the Zheng family heirloom? Impossible! How could a family heirloom be given to you so easily?"
Gu Qinlan looked at her in confusion: "Is it really that hard for you to accept that the bracelet that was passed down to the matriarch of the Zheng family has been passed down to me?"
Sheng Mimi's pride could not tolerate such humiliation.
The image of one person always lingered in her heart, and that person was Zheng Dinglian.
Previously, her mother had sent someone to the Zheng family to inquire about the situation, trying to tie her life's major event to Zheng Dinglian. However, the Zheng family insisted on their old rules, claiming that they had already arranged a marriage for Zheng Dinglian since childhood.
When Sheng Mimi learned that her fiancé was Gu Qinlan, she was furious and even fell ill and was bedridden.
In what way does she fall short of that merchant's daughter?
Therefore, she meticulously planned this day to embarrass Gu Qinlan in front of everyone.
However, this plan cannot be made public, otherwise she will forever lose the opportunity to get married.
But Sheng Mimi wasn't about to let Gu Qinlan off the hook so easily, and she pressed on: "This bracelet is of great significance, so it can't just be given as a gift. But aren't you wearing other precious jewelry?"
Sheng Mimi was relentlessly aggressive, determined to take something from Gu Qinlan.
Gu Qinlan remained calm and said indifferently, "There is nothing wrong with the dowry I brought today, but Miss Sheng insists that I have not been considerate enough to Qinlian. In that case, why don't you ask my stepmother to come over? If she also thinks that I need to add a dowry, then I will not refuse."
Sheng Mimi sneered: "You wouldn't be trying to use your status to pressure Aunt Gu, would you? Everyone knows that being a stepmother is difficult. No matter what you do, Aunt Gu will always give you a break for the sake of the family's reputation. Gu Qinlan, you are so cunning, it's truly unexpected."
Gu Qinlan calmly replied, "If you disagree, then don't waste your breath. I'm here to add to my sister Qinlian's dowry, not for you. Even my own family doesn't think my gift is insignificant, so how dare you, an outsider, point fingers?"
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