Seeing the old man speak with such conviction, Shen Jinhua couldn't help but sneer and immediately began to speak recklessly.
"The person who sold me this jade ruyi has a genuine piece of paper with Master Qian Yuan's private seal to prove it. It's not something you can deny with just a few words. Who exactly bribed you to deal with me?"
As soon as she finished speaking, her sinister gaze shifted directly to Song Zhiyu, who was standing to the side, almost as if she wanted to call her by name.
Song Zhiyu shrugged, looking somewhat innocent; she had been unfairly blamed again.
The person in front of her was not someone she could bribe; Shen Jinhua was giving her far too much credit.
She merely fueled the flames; she didn't have the power to command this rigid and serious appraisal master.
This was the first time the old man had been questioned like this. His face turned red with anger, and he angrily flung his sleeves, saying, "I have been appraising treasures for many years, and I have always been upright and honest. Your jade ruyi is indeed fake. I am not so blind as to not be able to tell the difference between a fake and a genuine piece."
"Impossible! You must have been bribed by Song Zhiyu. How much money did she give you to slander me like this?" Shen Jinhua spoke without restraint, her anger rising and she no longer cared about the occasion.
"Smack!"
"Shut up!"
A crisp slap and a roar rang out at the same time. Shen Jinhua's face was distorted and her cheeks were swollen. It was clear that Shen Feng had not shown any mercy.
Shen Jinhua covered her face, her eyes filled with disbelief. "Uncle, why did you hit me?"
"This is Master Jiang, an appraiser personally appointed by His Majesty. His words are certainly not wrong. Hurry up and apologize to Master Jiang." Shen Feng's face was stern, and his eyes seemed to be filled with icy coldness as he looked at Shen Jinhua, making people feel cold all over.
It's all because of this fool. He not only disgraced the Chengen Marquis's mansion, but also wasted three thousand taels of silver.
"An expert in appraising treasures..." Shen Jinhua murmured, looking dazed.
She had also heard of Old Jiang's reputation; he had a sharp eye, and no fake could escape his notice.
Why would Old Master Jiang come to Old Madam Ling's birthday banquet, and why would he happen to be there when she was presenting gifts to celebrate her birthday?
At this moment, Shen Jinhua's mind went blank, but even she, in her stupidity, knew that she had been tricked by that old man. She had spent three thousand taels of silver to buy a fake, and thought she had gotten a great deal.
"Everyone knows the name of Elder Jiang. This Miss Shen is really bold to insult him like this."
"If she can even fool Old Madam Ling with counterfeit goods, it wouldn't be surprising if she did something else."
"..."
Mocking remarks pierced Shen Jinhua's ears. From being praised by everyone to being despised by everyone in just a moment, she experienced the pain of falling from heaven to hell.
But the reason she bought this jade ruyi in the first place was entirely because of Song Zhiyu...
Suddenly, Shen Jinhua understood something. She stiffly turned her head and looked at Song Zhiyu. When she looked at Song Zhiyu, she was stung by the bright smile in her eyes.
No wonder Song Zhiyu was able to let her snatch the jade ruyi so easily. She even thought she was clever and slightly better than Song Zhiyu, showing off in front of her, but in reality, she was completely fooled by her.
She's so stupid.
*
After a while, Ling Wushuang, having watched the commotion to her heart's content, suddenly stood up and looked down at Shen Jinhua, whose face was ashen. She said, word by word, "I didn't want to be so clear-headed, so as not to embarrass people, but some people just don't know what's good for them."
She clapped her hands lightly, and amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, slowly opened the brocade box in the maid's hand.
“This jade ruyi was acquired by my grandmother by chance years ago and has been kept in the storeroom ever since. If it weren’t for Miss Shen today, we probably wouldn’t even remember this jade ruyi.” Ling Wushuang knew how to kill by destroying the spirit, repeatedly bringing up Shen Jinhua and whipping her corpse.
The difference between the two jade ruyi scepters is too obvious when placed side by side; anyone with a discerning eye can tell the real one from the fake one at a glance.
A fake is a fake. You won't know unless you compare them. Once you do, you'll see that they're worlds apart and not even in the same league.
"It's pitiful that some people treat fakes like treasures, protecting them like the plague. Little do they know that in the eyes of outsiders, they are just a joke." Ling Wushuang glanced coldly at Shen Feng and his mother, her words carrying a double meaning.
Shen Feng, his face tense, felt extremely embarrassed being insulted to his face.
But he wouldn't think he was wrong; he would only vent his resentment on Shen Jinhua and Song Zhiyu.
It was because of them that he lost face in front of everyone.
Shen Feng glared at Shen Jinhua with a hint of anger, his brows furrowed in gloom. He would deal with her when he returned to the manor.
But the most important thing right now is to resolve the issue of counterfeits and avoid giving anyone cause for criticism.
Shen Feng gave a fawning laugh, and in a few words, he beautified Shen Jinhua's act of sending a fake as being deceived and showing his sincere devotion to the old lady.
“Madam, Jinhua is naive and didn’t realize she was being deceived, making a fool of herself for no reason. But this girl was sincere. When the swindler said that the jade ruyi had the effect of prolonging life, she immediately thought of Madam, which is why she was tricked by others. I hope Madam will not blame her.”
Madam Ling lifted her eyelids, exuding an imposing aura; she certainly had a silver tongue.
This person was tricked because he wanted to give her a congratulatory gift; if she makes a fuss about it, it will be her fault.
"It's alright. If your eyesight isn't good, just practice more. You won't be led by the nose by others." Old Madam Ling's words left Shen Feng speechless, but fortunately, she didn't hold a grudge about what happened today, so it was a close call.
But Shen Feng was unwilling to let his many days of planning go to waste, and he wanted to try again.
"Jinhua, didn't you prepare other congratulatory gifts for Madam Ling? Hurry up and bring them out."
"Yes, Madam, Jinhua has also prepared other congratulatory gifts for you. You must take a look." Shen Jinhua nodded hurriedly and called her maid to bring over the things she had placed in the hidden compartment of the carriage.
Fortunately, she had prepared a birthday gift before buying the jade ruyi, which now comes in handy.
Shen Jinhua breathed a sigh of relief; this gift was her only chance to reverse her reputation.
The continuous excitement kept the guests entertained; they never expected that attending a birthday banquet would involve so many interesting things.
In particular, the Chengen Marquis's residence has become their greatest source of amusement today.
Before long, the maid sent out by Shen Jinhua came in carrying a congratulatory gift.
"Madam, this gift was carefully selected by Jin Hua. I hope you will like it." Although Shen Jin Hua's face was still a little pale, it was obviously much better than before. This new gift must have given her courage.
Shen Jinhua secretly gave Song Zhiyu a provocative look, her lips slightly raised. She didn't expect Song Zhiyu to have a backup plan.
Song Zhiyu raised an eyebrow, a knowing look flashing in her eyes.
In a corner where no one was watching, she exchanged a glance with Lu Bai, and only after receiving her affirmative answer did she slowly lower her eyelids, concealing the smile in her eyes.
I just hope Shen Jinhua can still smile later.
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