Chapter 12 People with Dishonest Hands
"Feel sorry for you? I think he's just bewitched by you!" Zhou Shi said. "Let me tell you, as long as I remain the lady of this Marquis's mansion, you have no right to make the decisions in this household!"
“I never wanted to make decisions,” Ye Wanning said. “I only wanted to learn proper etiquette and be a qualified young lady of the Marquis’s household.”
"You're qualified?" Madam Zhou looked her up and down. "You call this tattered clothing qualified? Anyone who didn't know better would think our Marquis's mansion has mistreated you!"
Ye Wanning knew she was about to find fault with her again, so she simply went along with it, saying, "What Madam says is true. It's just that I've only just returned to the manor and don't yet have suitable clothes. If Madam would be so kind as to bestow some fabric upon me, I would be eternally grateful."
Zhou was taken aback by her words. She had originally intended to mock her poor attire and embarrass her, but instead, she directly asked for fabric.
“You…” Zhou was so angry that she couldn’t speak.
"What's wrong?" Minister Ye's voice suddenly came over.
“Master,” Zhou quickly put on a smiling face, “I was talking to Ningning about clothes. She said she doesn’t have any new clothes, so I’m having someone get her some fabric from the storeroom.”
Ye Wanning sneered inwardly; as expected, their attitude changed faster than turning the pages of a book.
"The master is indeed very thoughtful."
Minister Ye said, "I've already sent several bolts of brocade to Red Leaf Courtyard; that should be enough to make Ningning a few outfits."
Zhou's face froze instantly; she hadn't expected Minister Ye to send her this.
“Master dotes on Ningning.” She forced a smile.
“She’s your daughter, if you don’t love her, who will you love?” Minister Ye said.
"Alright, Ningning just got back, so don't be too strict with her manners. Don't tire her out."
“Yes, I understand,” Zhou said.
Minister Ye gave Ye Wanning a few more instructions before leaving.
Watching Minister Ye's retreating figure, Madam Zhou's face turned as black as if it could drip water.
Ye Wanning, however, acted as if nothing had happened, curtsied, and said, "Thank you, Madam. I'll be going back now." With that, she turned and left.
Watching her retreating figure, Zhou gritted her teeth: Ye Wanning, you just wait.
It was a jade hairpin, a pen hairpin, with a warm and lustrous texture and exquisite carving; it was clearly very valuable.
Ye Wanning was somewhat taken aback: "Big brother, this..."
"I misunderstood you a few days ago," Ye Chengjing said. "Here, consider this your apology from your older brother."
Ye Wanning looked at him, somewhat surprised. In her previous life, Ye Chengjing had never apologized to her, let alone given her anything.
"Brother, you're too kind." Ye Wanning didn't respond. "We're all family, there's no need to be so polite."
"Take it." Ye Chengjing forcefully shoved the hairpin into her hand. "Consider it... your brother's apology." His tone was stiff, but Ye Wanning could sense the sincerity of his apology.
"Thank you, brother." Ye Wanning held the hairpin in her hand.
"Then I'll be going now." After saying that, Ye Chengjing turned around and left, as if he would feel uncomfortable staying even a second longer.
Ye Wanning watched his retreating figure, her heart filled with mixed emotions. This brother seemed somewhat different from the one in her previous life.
She returned to the room, put the hairpin in the dressing box, and was just about to sit down and rest when Ye Jingshu arrived.
"Sister, I heard that Big Brother sent you something?" Ye Jingshu came in, her eyes fixed on the dressing box.
“Hmm. A hairpin.” Ye Wanning said.
"Your brother is so good to you," Ye Jingshu said with a smile. "Unlike me, when I wanted a hairpin, he said that a girl like me didn't need such a nice hairpin."
Ye Wanning didn't respond to her words; she knew Ye Jingshu definitely had ulterior motives.
"By the way, sister, I recently got a jade hairpin and I'd like you to take a look and see if it looks good." Ye Jingshu took a piece of mutton-fat jade hairpin from her hair and presented it to Ye Wanning.
The hairpin was carved into the shape of a plum blossom, which was quite beautiful.
When Ye Wanning saw the hairpin, her heart suddenly skipped a beat. She seemed to recognize this hairpin. In her past life, Ye Jingshu had an identical one, which she said was a birthday gift from Ye Chengjing.
"It's still pretty good-looking," Ye Wanning said.
"Oh? Really? I think so too." Ye Jingshu put the hairpin back in her hair. "My brother said this hairpin suits me." As she spoke, she glanced at Ye Wanning, with a hint of smugness in her eyes.
Ye Wanning ignored her and picked up a book to read.
Seeing that she was being ignored, Ye Jingshu felt bored and left after sitting for a while.
As soon as she left, Chuntao asked, puzzled, "Miss, what did the young lady come here for? To show off?"
Ye Wanning put down her book and sneered, "She's not here to show off."
"So what is she here for?"
"Just wait and see," Ye Wanning said. "You'll find out soon enough."
Sure enough, the next morning, Ye Jingshu came to find Ye Wanning in tears.
"Sister, my jade hairpin is gone!" Ye Jingshu grabbed Ye Wanning's hand, her eyes brimming with tears. "It's the one I showed you yesterday, the one my brother gave me! I've been looking for it all morning, it must have been stolen!"
"How could this happen?" Ye Wanning said. "Look carefully again, did you perhaps forget where you put it?"
"I've searched everywhere, but there's nothing there!" Ye Jingshu said. "Besides those dishonest servants, there's only..."
She left her sentence unfinished, deliberately omitting half of it, while glancing towards Ye Wanning.
Ye Wanning knew in her heart that they had arrived.
"What do you mean by that, sister?" Ye Wanning feigned anger. "Are you suspecting I stole your hairpin?"
"That's not what I meant!" Ye Jingshu quickly said, "It's just... Sister has just returned to the manor and may not be familiar with the rules. If Sister accidentally took it, just give it back to me."
"You're just suspecting me!" Ye Wanning shouted. "Even though I, Ye Wanning, came from the countryside, I wouldn't stole your things!"
"Sister, don't be angry, I really didn't mean that!" Ye Jingshu said. "I was just too anxious. It was given to me by my eldest brother, and it's very important."
As the two were talking, Ye Chengjing arrived.
"What's going on? What's all the noise about?" Ye Chengjing frowned.
"Big brother!" Ye Jingshu cried even harder when she saw him. "My hairpin is gone! It's the one you gave me!"
"How could it be gone? Look again carefully!" Ye Chengjing was also anxious when he heard this.
“I looked, but it’s not here,” Ye Jingshu said. “I suspect it was stolen.”
Ye Chengjing's gaze fell on Ye Wanning, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
Ye Wanning sneered inwardly, thinking that Ye Jingshu was indeed the one who believed her.
"Big brother, you also suspect that I stole it?" Ye Wanning looked at him, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
Ye Chengjing felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze: "That's not what I meant. It's just..."
“No,” Ye Wanning said. “I returned it to my sister as soon as I finished looking at it yesterday, and I have no idea where she put it.”
"You're talking nonsense!" Ye Jingshu said, "I didn't give you the jade hairpin at all yesterday!"
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