Song forced a smile, trying to appear calm: "Oh, it's nothing, Mimi. I don't care about these little things. We'll like whatever gift Qinlan gives us."
Sheng Mimi clearly didn't believe it; she remembered that Song Shi's tone just now was not like that.
Madam Song gently pinched Sheng Mimi's arm with just the right amount of pressure, while anxiously giving her a series of meaningful glances, "Qinlian is carefully dressing up in front of the mirror in the inner room by herself. She must be feeling lonely. Go in and keep her company."
Sheng Mimi was by no means easily fooled. Although she failed to see through the secrets of the collection in the box, she keenly sensed from Song's behavior a secret that she did not want anyone to uncover.
Although she felt a slight regret for not being able to completely humiliate Gu Qinlan, Sheng Mimi knew that Madam Song was the mother of her close friend and did not want to embarrass her too much. So she followed Madam Song's tone and said gently, "Since Aunt is so magnanimous and does not argue with her, I should not linger too much, lest I give people something to say that I, Sheng Mimi, am unforgiving."
Guided by Madam Song, Sheng Mimi slowly walked towards Gu Qinlian's boudoir.
Just then, Gu Qinlan suddenly spoke up: "Miss Sheng, please wait. Since things have come to this point, if I don't clarify the truth, others may really misunderstand me as petty. While everyone is here, let me show you the dowry I have prepared."
Fuyu deftly lifted the lid of the box and then took out the items one by one, loudly announcing the name of each item she took out.
The appearance of each item made the expressions of the guests present even more varied.
Good heavens, where did you find these old things from?
Look at those gold and silver jewelry pieces; they are all covered with the gloom of time. Their age is so great that they have probably been forgotten in the dust of history.
Where did the eldest daughter of the Gu family find these old items to decorate her younger sister's dowry?
Sheng Mimi is indeed a bit picky, but even if these items were for her own use, they would inevitably make people feel disgusted, let alone as gifts, especially for adding to someone's makeup.
This is hardly a respectable first gift; it's clearly just spreading bad luck and causing trouble!
The gazes cast upon Gu Qinlan were tinged with disdain. The wives of the officials felt that Gu Qinlan's behavior was unbecoming. As if they had discussed it beforehand, they all took a few steps back and kept their distance from Gu Qinlan.
They really shouldn't have rushed over to say hello.
As expected of someone from a merchant background, they lack knowledge and magnanimity; it's truly shameful!
Gu Qinlan observed the ladies' behavior closely but remained unperturbed. Song Shi, however, grew increasingly grim; she now fully understood that this girl had done it on purpose!
She deliberately lured Sheng Mimi here and intentionally displayed these items in front of everyone!
Song's mind raced, and her gaze fell on her personal nanny.
There weren't many items in the box, and in no time, Fuyu had taken everything out of it.
Ignoring the cold stares and disdain around her, Gu Qinlan picked up the dull gold headdress, held it with sincere eyes, and turned to face Madam Song:
“Madam, I have already made it clear that affection is not determined by value. These items may seem insignificant to others, but the sentiments they carry are immeasurable. I am deeply grateful for your generosity in giving me these things that have accompanied me for many years as I enter the hall of marriage. However, I am well aware of the ancient adage that a gentleman does not take what belongs to others, so I am using my sister Qinlian’s wedding to return these precious memories to you.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd that had been so critical of Gu Qinlan fell silent.
These items were actually part of Song's dowry to Gu Qinlan.
Good heavens, how could the Song family so easily part with such an old and worn-out item?
Even if she's not his biological daughter, she should at least be dressed up a little when she gets married, as a sign of respect.
No wonder Madam Song was in such a hurry to seal the box; it turns out she already recognized these old items.
"As the saying goes, stepmothers are ruthless and often indifferent to the children left by their ex-husbands. Seeing it today, I can confirm that the saying is true. They actually dared to offer these rags as their daughter's dowry. The Gu family is so wealthy and powerful, how can she be so shameless?"
Some self-proclaimed righteous people began to criticize the Song family.
"I've always heard that Miss Gu is capricious and difficult to get along with, but today I saw that she was well-mannered and remained unfazed in the face of Sheng Mimi's provocation. Where did all those rumors come from?"
"Sigh, what else is there to say? The eldest daughter of the Gu family comes from a scholarly family, and the eldest daughter herself exudes a scholarly air. As for the second daughter... it's obvious that some people are worried that the eldest daughter's brilliance will overshadow their own daughter, so they are deliberately spreading rumors."
"Not only that, but the eldest daughter of the Gu family has almost never appeared in public over the years. It is probably because they are worried that the eldest daughter is too outstanding and will steal the limelight from the second daughter. They deliberately keep her at home and do not let her show her face."
Those who had previously criticized Gu Qinlan are now turning their attention to blaming the Song family.
When criticizing Gu Qinlan, the crowd restrained themselves somewhat, given her new identity and the resulting apprehension. But they showed no restraint towards the Song family, as they were all from merchant families and none were inherently more noble than the others.
Although the Gu family's business is thriving, in the battlefield of the business world, no one can predict the future. Today you may be incredibly wealthy, but tomorrow you may be utterly ruined and penniless.
Among the many socialites and ladies present today are several formidable rivals to the Gu family's business empire. Now that they have seized the opportunity to kick the Song family while they're down, these ladies will certainly not let this golden opportunity slip by easily.
Whispers began to rise in the courtyard, and Madam Song's face grew increasingly pale, but she reacted quickly, instantly adopting a surprised expression and asking in confusion, "These items, could they be the dowry I gave you when you got married?"
Gu Qinlan sneered inwardly, but on the surface she feigned a look of utter surprise: "Madam, are you really unaware? These were indeed delivered by your family the night before the wedding. They specifically instructed me to make sure they were personally selected by you, Madam, and told me to keep them safe."
"Is that not the case?"
Her original purpose for this trip was simply to return these old belongings to the Song family. She had no other intentions, but Sheng Mimi insisted on dragging her into a big scene, and the Song family seemed to want to use this opportunity to suppress her. Since that was the case, she might as well take advantage of the situation.
As for who will ultimately take the blame in this dispute, it's a win-win situation for her.
Moreover, after today's commotion, Song's reputation has been severely damaged. No matter how eloquent Song may be, everyone present will firmly believe that today's events were at her behest.
After all, the identity of a "stepmother" is a major taboo.
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