Chapter 280 Ancestors’ Bracelets
“We have to accept the gift!” Madam Dowager heaved a sigh, her smile fading away. “I also know about the previous actions of Madam of Duke Xing. It seems that she has colluded with that side, wanting to deal with your mother and you. I just don’t know why that side agreed to collude with this madam!”
Madam Dowager’s expression was a little cold.
No one was stupid. Be it about Nanny Sheng’s matter on that day or the family members that Shui Ruolan’s ex-husband Qin Huaiyong found, Madam Dowager knew about them all. So, how come she did not know about the unfriendly intent of Madam of Duke Xing?
She was also very wary of Madam of Duke Xing.
Although Nanny Sheng came to send gifts today, Madam Dowager did not intend to accept them, after she knew about this matter.
She was not sure if the Madam of Duke Xing would do such a thing for Madam Di!
“Grandma, so why did you accept the pair of bracelets?” Qin Wanru looked curiously at the pair of bracelets on top of the box Yujie brought, and said.
Just now, she had seen the bracelets from a distance and knew they were of great value, but after taking a careful look, she found they were quite different from ordinary bracelets. The gold ornaments on the outside of each bracelet were made in the simple and old style, and each bracelet looked even brighter and more beautiful, due to the two rubies on them.
At a glance, one would think the pair of bracelets was not like one customized from a shop, but more like one handed down by ancestors.
“The bracelets are from the ancestors of our Qin’s Mansion. At that time, something bad happened to your grandfather, and your father was still young. I had no choice but to sell the family treasures to save him. The bracelets were sold at that time. For this reason, I knelt in front of the ancestral tablets all night, begging for their forgiveness! But in the end, though I spent a lot of money, your grandfather still…”
Speaking of this, Madam Dowager felt sad, her eyes turning red. Putting down Qin Wanru’s hand, she wiped her tears with her handkerchief.
“Grandma, why were the bracelets in the hands of Madam of Duke Xing?” Qin Wanru took her grandma’s other hand in a rea.s.suring manner, and asked softly.
“I don’t know, either. The family I sold the bracelets to was not from Duke Xing’s Mansion!” Madam Dowager shook her head and said.
“Then…what does Madam of Duke Xing want me to do, for returning the bracelets?” Qin Wanru looked at the pair of conspicuous bracelets, finding them inexplicably familiar. She rubbed the section between her brows lightly, closed and opened her s.h.i.+mmery eyes a couple of times, and said. She also seemed to have seen these pair of bracelets in her previous life!
But she could not think where, and only felt that they were somewhat familiar!
The bracelets were from the ancestors of Qin’s Mansion. Just now, she did not feel that they were familiar at first glance, but after careful observation, she felt they were a little familiar.
She picked up one bracelet and rubbed the rubies on it casually.
“Zhuozhuo, there is a small piece missing, right? It is because I knocked it carelessly when I was young. Later, I stowed the pair of bracelets away. Initially, I intended to send it out as a betrothal gift when your father married, but…later, it was gone!” Madam Dowager heaved a sigh and said.
Qin Wanru looked at the bracelets in her hands, in surprise. If Madam Dowager had not mentioned it, she would never have noticed. The place where her finger pressed did have a tiny recess, and she could feel that a tiny piece was missing, but it could not be seen at first glance. She could not find the recess so easily.
“Grandma, what does Madam of Duke Xing mean?” Qin Wanru bit her lip, suppressed her heart’s strong desire, and expanded the topic.
She had long known that her previous life’s memory was not complete. It seemed that she could not recall some crucial parts. So, it was possible that she had seen the pair of bracelets in her previous life.
But in her previous life, it should not be the time that the pair of bracelets was returned to her grandma. So, she did not know where she had seen the pair, in her previous life, and it looked a little familiar!
“You are going to attend the banquet, and it happens that a niece of Duke Xing’s Mansion also wants to go with the reputation of Madam of Duke Xing, but no other Misses of their mansion will be going to the palace. So, she wants you to take care of her, if…” Madam Dowager felt embarra.s.sed when she spoke of this, looking at Qin Wanru hesitantly.
“No other Misses of Duke Xing’s Mansion will attend the banquet? What about the Misses of their mansion?” Qin Wanru’s attention was drawn by the condition—”take care of her”.
“First Miss is not in the capital, Second Miss is ill, Third Miss tripped and fell a few days ago, and Fourth Miss will need to take care of her sister. All of them can’t go!” Madam Dowager said.
“Duke Xing’s Mansion is powerful in the capital city. Even if their mansion’s niece has a low competence, it is also impossible to ask others to take care of her, but why me?” Qin Wanru’s eyes were deep with unseen sharpness.
Madam of Duke Xing was different from Jiangzhou’s Magistrate Qi, who only knew their family in the capital, and had to let Qi Rongzhi stay in their family.
“About this, the old maid of Madam of Duke Xing also explained, saying that this Miss’s status is not prominent. Previously, her family was prominent, but their status has declined, so she is afraid to stay with the Misses from the great aristocratic families, afraid they will ridicule her. It happens you will be going to the palace, so Madam of Duke Xing asked you!” “To thank you, she sent the pair of bracelets!”
Madam Dowager became sad again instantly, as she looked at the bracelets and remembered that they were finally sent back by an outsider.
This explanation also sounded reasonable. Although Duke Xing’s Mansion was powerful, the niece seemed to be a girl of a declining, small aristocratic family. When she faced the Misses of the great aristocratic families, she was bound to feel self-abased and unwilling to travel with them. This was also acceptable.
But the pair of bracelets was still an expensive gift!
Asking Qin Wanru to take care of her was not something difficult. Two of them could go together. It was unnecessary to send such an expensive gift.
“Grandma, does Madam of Duke Xing have any other requests?” Qin Wanru said, as the look in her eyes changed slightly.
“This…is a little difficult, in fact. Zhuozhuo, if you are unwilling, just forget it. At most, I only need to return the pair of bracelets to Madam of Duke Xing!”
Madam Dowager sighed as if she was caught in a dilemma and looked a little depressed.
“Grandma, tell me, maybe this is not difficult!” Qin Wanru shook Madam Dowager’s hands and said. From Madam Dowager’s appearance, she could tell how much the pair of bracelets meant to her, because of its value, as well as it being an heirloom, which had been handed down by the ancestors. Madam Dowager felt sorry before the ancestors of the Qin Family, for selling off their bracelets.
Now, Madam Dowager desperately wanted to take back the pair of bracelets!
Madam of Duke Xing’s gift was just the one Madam Dowager wanted, and could not refuse.
“She wants you to take her niece to Rui’an Great Elder Princess!” Madam Dowager said helplessly. She really did not want to give up the pair of bracelets.
“To Rui’an Great Elder Princess?” Qin Wanru was a little shocked.
“Right, but if Rui’an Great Elder Princess really does not like the Miss, it’s not your fault!” Madam Dowager said.
“Then…the gift is still too expensive!” Qin Wanru looked calm, and continued asking with a smile.
“One reason for sending the gift is to apologize to you. The old maid of Duke Xing’s Mansion said that when Madam of Duke Xing came here that day, Countess Yong asked her to see Madam Di and Yuru. The map was from Countess Yong. Madam Di asked her maid to take out a letter, and Madam of Duke Xing also thought it was a family letter, but never thought there were other twists and turns to it!”
“For this, she has scolded Countess Yong, but she still feels sorry for you. By taking this chance to ask you for help, she sent back the bracelets. This can also be treated as her apology and shows her sincerity!”
Madam Dowager explained.
Not only grat.i.tude, but also an apology. If it was only her grat.i.tude, the gift was too expensive, but if she felt guilty and sent a gift that was a little expensive, it was possible.
What was significant was that Madam of Duke Xing was so careful and had specially sent the ancestors’ bracelets of Qin’s Mansion. No doubt, she was quite sincere.
As for the matter of that day, although no one explored it further, it still meant that Duke Xing’s Mansion did wrong. Now Madam of Duke Xing did not come herself, but she had sent her old maid to apologize, send the gift, and also find an excuse to make the two families closer. This was also acceptable.
Everything was reasonable. It was perfect!
But Qin Wanru did not believe in such perfection. Madam Dowager might think what Madam of Duke Xing did was acceptable, but Qin Wanru had already known this was another plot of Madam of Duke Xing.
Madam of Duke Xing was really smart. With these words and an apology, she managed to allay most of her grandma’s suspicion immediately, and her grandma even thought she was quite sincere.
When confronting Madam of Duke Xing, she should not be slack at all!
When all these things were put together, the sincere heart of Madam of Duke Xing could be seen. Asking her to help was but a reasonable reason to send the pair of bracelets. It was only a random favor, nothing so important.
Qin Wanru sneered silently, but did not show it on her face, and put down the bracelets, which Yujie brought to the table in front of Madam Dowager. “Grandma, Madam of Duke Xing is so sincere, so you should have no worries. Anyway, taking a person to Rui’an Great Elder Princess is not something so different. Giving me this task, Madam of Duke Xing is also showing her friendliness to our mansion!”
“I also think so, but I still feel a little uneasy!” Madam Dowager looked at Qin Wanru, tucked her falling hair behind her ears, and looked worried. “Zhuozhuo, I don’t know why I feel we can’t believe everything Madam of Duke Xing says. When you go to the palace, please be careful. If this Miss behaves without observing the rules, just ignore her! We know the pair of bracelets is in Duke Xing’s Mansion, so we can use other ways to get it back!”
Madam Dowager was also very sophisticated. Although she lost her normal demeanor for an instant upon seeing the pair of bracelets, she was back to her normal self now. With the previous matter as her reference, no matter how perfect Madam of Duke Xing’s explanation was, she would feel it was untrustworthy!
“Grandma, don’t worry!” Qin Wanru smiled, but her s.h.i.+mmery eyes looked cold!