Flowers in full bloom

"Madame Li, Madame Gu, go to my cousin's room and see if there are any of my jewelry. Chunhua, you guys come with me. Don't accuse me of blackmailing you later." Zhenzhu said.

"Madame Li, you and Chunhua go and bring Qingge's makeup box over here." Madam Han said weakly.

"Yes." Nanny Li took the trembling Chunhua to the room where Han Qingge lived. After a cup of tea, she brought a mahogany makeup box and placed it next to Madam Han. Chunhua went up and opened the locked makeup box with trembling hands. Madam Han personally flipped through it and found the several pieces of jewelry that Zhenzhu mentioned.

"Hey, isn't this my second sister's white jade agate hairpin? My eldest brother gave it to my second sister on her twelfth birthday. My eldest brother gave my eldest sister a white jade Ruyi hairpin on her twelfth birthday, my second sister a white jade agate hairpin on her twelfth birthday, and I a white jade pearl hairpin on my twelfth birthday. My eldest brother engraved the last character of our names on the back of each hairpin. Look, mother, this hairpin has the word "nao" (agate) engraved on the back. I remember my second sister was angry with my eldest brother at that time, saying why not engrave something else instead of "nao"." Pearl reached out and took out a white jade agate hairpin from her makeup box and showed it to Madam Han.

Madam Han's head hurt even more. She glared at Han Qingge who was kneeling on the ground, not knowing what to say.

"Isn't this my second sister's red gold twin phoenix gold hairpin? My grandmother gave it to her on her fourteenth birthday. My eldest sister and I both argued with grandmother at the time, asking for an identical one. Later, grandmother customized an identical one for my eldest sister and me. Oh, my red gold twin phoenix gold hairpin, why is it gone?" Zhenzhu took out another red gold twin phoenix gold hairpin from her makeup box. "This belongs to my second sister. I remember that she happily put it on her bun and rushed to look in the mirror. As a result, she was hit by the door and it is a little dented here."

Madam Han looked at Zhenzhu speechlessly. She remembered this little thing that happened a few years ago clearly. Why didn't she use her brain when she was learning music, chess, calligraphy and painting? Otherwise, she wouldn't have learned everything half-heartedly.

At this moment, Zhenzhu didn't care what Madam Han was thinking, she just looked for her own golden hairpin. "Qinglan, what about the golden hairpin that my grandmother gave me? It's the same as the one my second sister has." "Miss Third, this golden hairpin was taken directly from your makeup box by my cousin on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month last year." Qinglan was so scared that her voice changed a little.

"Mom, look, how did my jewelry end up in my cousin's makeup box? These are my favorites. I was missing seventeen pieces of jewelry, and now there are only eleven here, mom..." Pearl began to make bubbling sounds.

"Madame Li, Chunhua, please go to Qingge's room and take a look. I remember I customized a makeup box for Qingge." Soon, Madame Li and Chunhua found another makeup box from Han Qingge's closet, and Madam Han also found some pearl jewelry from it.

Seeing Madam Han leaning weakly on the couch, Zhenzhu went forward and hugged Madam Han's waist, "Mom, are you unhappy? Do you think I'm too petty? But before I came, I didn't know that my jewelry was taken by my cousin. Now I know, and I think it's right to take back my own jewelry. Many of them are gifts given to me by you, father, grandparents on my birthday. I can't bear to wear them myself." Zhenzhu's eyes were filled with tears.

"I know you feel sorry for my cousin, but think about it, if I don't take these jewelry back today, my cousin's behavior would be considered stealing according to the laws of our Great Sheng Dynasty. If I make a scene, not only will my cousin lose face in our mansion, but you, as her aunt, will also lose face.

If the maidservants and servants spread the news of my cousin's affair outside the mansion, my cousin will never be able to find a good family in the future, don't you think?" Madam Han was startled.

"If I don't take the jewelry back today and pretend I don't know about this, and let my cousin continue to take things without asking, and if her appetite gets bigger, will she go to other people's houses and take things without asking? If someone else's family makes a fuss about it, my cousin will be punished. If that happens, my uncle will probably send my cousin to the family temple. Will my uncle blame you for not taking good care of my cousin? After all, my cousin has lived in the marquis' mansion since she was a child?"

Mrs. Han's face changed. "Mom, you often say that sisters should take care of each other and encourage each other. I am urging my cousin to mend her ways." She looked at Mrs. Han's face.

Zhenzhu continued to apply eye drops to Han Qingge, "Mother, you used to make clothes and buy jewelry for my cousin, and I never said anything. After all, our family is rich and powerful, and we don't care about what you give to my cousin. But have you ever thought about what others would think when they see your cousin wearing the clothes worth hundreds of taels and jewelry made by you to attend lotus viewing banquets, birthday banquets, etc.?

They don't know that it was our mansion that paid for it. They only know that my uncle's monthly salary is only twelve taels. Can he afford to wear such clothes as my cousin? If someone plots against us, do you think it will be a disaster? Will the censor report my uncle? If he is reported, it will be even more troublesome.

Although my uncle is definitely not afraid of being tainted by his own integrity, he should also be careful about what he sees, right? Even if my uncle and cousin are finally proven innocent, the dirty water has already been spilled, and it won't be easy to clean up, right?

So, mother, don't buy nice clothes or jewelry for your cousin in the future. You are probably bringing disaster to your uncle. Your aunt won't be as easy to talk to as she is now. She might even dare to tear you apart. Don't you think so? Don't do bad things with good intentions. "Mrs. Han's face was as pale as Han Qingge who was kneeling on the ground.

Zhenzhu didn't know, but she knew that seven or eight years ago, the daughter of a fifth-rank official had an argument with the daughter of another official because she dressed too extravagantly and had an arrogant and domineering personality. Later, the matter became more and more serious, and eventually the censor reported it to the higher authorities. It turned out that the fifth-rank official was corrupt and derelict in his duty, and finally the whole family was demoted to Lingnan.

Zhenzhu reached out and held Madam Han's trembling hand, and continued softly, "Mother, I think you should organize your cousin's wardrobe and makeup box. You should put away those clothes and jewelry that brought disaster to your uncle. Your cousin is still young and her temper is not stable enough. She can't help showing off in the mansion when she wears the clothes you make. Do you think you can guarantee that she won't show off when she goes to other people's homes?

And those expensive jewels are even more eye-catching. There is no need to show off. They are shining brightly on the head. Uncle is a sixth-rank civil servant with a monthly salary. You can dress your cousin according to the sixth-rank salary. "

Zhenzhu looked at Han Qingge lying on the ground, and comforted Madam Han with a few words. Then she took her lost and found jewelry, including the two pieces of agate jewelry, and leisurely returned to Zhenzhu Courtyard.