Chapter 53 Helping Her Stand Up
"Unlike some people who just send a few bunches of grapes and call it a day without any sincerity."
Jiang Ran listened and couldn't help but chuckle.
How come this involves putting down one while praising the other?
Upon hearing this, Old Master Si's face showed displeasure. The butler whispered from the side, "Haven't you recently changed your opinion of that person a lot? Why not see how she handles this kind of thing?"
As he listened, Old Master Si paused slightly, his movement of getting up slightly, and looked at Jiang Ran.
Some people assumed that the old man was still the same as usual, and that the two did not get along. Seeing that the old man did not speak up for him, they continued to speak.
"Yes, we eat and live at the Si family's house, so it's not considered shabby to bring out something like this."
Seeing that the old man wasn't making any moves, Jiang Ran knew that he wanted her to handle it.
She raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly, "Oh? Don't you know that gifts have no distinction of value?"
"And this person calls himself an upper-class person? Does he just look at people with prejudice?"
Her words carried no anger, yet they sounded incredibly sarcastic, causing the faces of the people who had just spoken to turn ugly.
"What nonsense are you talking about!" someone couldn't help but retort. "How many grapes were there at the banquet? Who knows if you just grabbed some from the banquet?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ran suddenly let out a cold sneer.
"Don't say I brought it myself, so what if I took it from a banquet?"
Before the man could say anything, a gentle female voice came from afar.
"It's so lively, but what did I miss?"
Upon hearing the sound, everyone looked toward the source and saw a woman in a floral evening gown gracefully approaching, her features gentle and elegant.
Ji Xia walked up to the head of the table and smiled gently: "You won't be upset that I'm late, will you?"
"How could that be?" When Old Master Si saw the visitor, his eyes lit up and he smiled.
Some insiders were astonished. Ji Xia was well-known in socialite circles. Back then, she was the daughter-in-law preferred by Old Master Si, and everyone thought she was the most likely to marry into the Si family.
Unexpectedly, the marriage did not go through.
Even though it didn't work out, she was still very close to the old man. Some people who wanted to see a good show couldn't help but wonder who the old man would prefer when she and Jiang Ran appeared on the same stage.
Jiang Ran was oblivious to her surroundings, but suddenly felt a light fall upon her. Looking up, she saw Ji Xia smiling gently at her.
Jiang Ran was taken aback, then nodded slightly as a greeting.
Then she took out the congratulatory gift, which turned out to be a jade cabbage.
Among them were some knowledgeable people who exclaimed in surprise: "I heard that this was passed down from the Qing Dynasty and fetched a considerable price at the auction house. I never expected it to be in Mrs. Cheng's hands."
Ji Xiafu's family name is Cheng, and they are also a leading business tycoon.
Grandpa Si remained calm, took the money, and thanked him with a smile.
Some whispers arose from the side: "Mrs. Cheng's bow really outshone those grapes."
Upon hearing this, Ji Xia turned her head in confusion and asked, "Grapes?"
Those who had just been subtly reprimanded by Jiang Ran recounted the events, their words filled with disdain.
I originally thought that Ji Xia, whose status as Mrs. Si had been stolen, should also mock and ridicule that person.
To everyone's surprise, she smiled and said softly, "Oh? This gift is quite novel, though it's also very practical."
"Practical?" someone asked, puzzled.
Ji Xia looked at Old Master Si and said, "Don't you love grapes the most?"
"It's better than this decorative item I gave you that just looks nice but is useless."
"And Mrs. Si's gift of a bunch of grapes must have been a joke, with a surprise to come."
Jiang Ran raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised, as she heard Ji Xia's words implying that she was trying to extricate herself from the predicament.
That's strange. From the moment she arrived, everyone was being sarcastic and unfriendly towards her, yet she still tried to find excuses for herself.
As he listened, a hint of approval flashed across Old Master Si's face.
Then he took out the grapes that Jiang Ran had given him and said with a smile, "Indeed, she gave me a birthday gift a long time ago."
Those who were just mocking Jiang Ran were now being slapped in the face by the very person in question.
Some shrewd people immediately realized why the old man hadn't said a word earlier; they thought he was trying to use them to put her down.
I never imagined they were the real clowns.
She then ate a few pills, which was her way of making a clear statement.
The banquet officially began, and Jiang Ran, finding it boring, sat down to the side.
He glanced around and noticed Ji Xia walking towards the door, but didn't pay it any mind.
Ji Xia ran into Song Yuqing after she went out. The two of them had some connection.
Song Yuqing had tried every means to enter the socialite circle, but was rejected by Ji Xia.
She always held grudges, and later tried every means to get close to her mother-in-law, causing her no shortage of trouble.
When Ji Xia saw that she had also sneaked in, she frowned slightly and turned to leave.
Upon seeing this, Song Yuqing scoffed and called out, "Oh, isn't this Mrs. Cheng?"
Ji Xia pursed her lips. In order not to disturb others in public, she had no choice but to turn around, look up at her, her eyes full of distance.
He asked in a cold voice, "How did you get in?"
As far as she knew, the people who came in were all rich and powerful, and this time it wasn't a big event, so how could she possibly have received an invitation?
Looking at her aloof and cold demeanor, Song Yuqing's eyes flashed with a hint of mockery.
What she hated most was her arrogant attitude, as if she could never be considered worthy of her.
"I have my own way of doing things." Song Yuqing snorted coldly, then looked at her stomach and spoke again.
"You've been married into the Cheng family for several years now, how come there's still no sign of pregnancy?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Xia's expression changed: "This is my family matter, what does it have to do with you?"
Song Yuqing shrugged, looking helpless: "It has nothing to do with me, but your mother-in-law comes to me to confide in me every few days, and I'm tired of listening to her."
Hearing her words, Ji Xia thought of her mother-in-law's usual harsh treatment of her, and knew that they weren't nice words.
Not wanting to say anything more to her, he turned to leave, but then heard Song Yuqing continue talking to herself.
"Tsk tsk, being pointed at and talked about openly or subtly by others must not be a pleasant experience, right?"
He took a step closer to her, his face full of disdain: "A hen that doesn't lay eggs?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Xia was instantly struck where it hurt, and her eyes reddened slightly.
After saying this, Song Yuqing, seeing that she had achieved her goal, scoffed coldly and turned to leave.
Liu Jixia stood there blankly for a long time, and when she returned to the banquet, her face was pale.
He walked up to a very stylish lady and said softly, "Mom, I'm not feeling well, so I'll be leaving now."
Upon hearing this, Cheng's mother frowned slightly, her face showing displeasure.
"The banquet has only just begun, how can you just leave like that?"
"If you feel unwell, just hang in there and go to the hospital to get checked out when it's over."
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