After her transformation and rebirth, she manipulates the innocent and ruthless to overthrow the wor

Just then, a hot-tempered woman strode aggressively toward Xiao Ran.

Her brows were furrowed, her face filled with dissatisfaction and indignation, clearly provoked by He's words.

Seeing this, Madam He did not stop it; instead, she looked gloating.

She took a small sip of tea, a slight upturn of her lips, and a hint of smugness flashed in her eyes.

She desperately wanted someone to stand up for her and teach Xiao Ran a lesson, making her look foolish in public.

The woman walked up to Xiao Ran and stared at Xiao Ran's head for a moment.

Sure enough, the hairpin was dazzlingly exquisite. It was made of gilded silk thread, with a pearl the size of a thumb, and a tassel adorned with tourmaline. It was the "pearl-and-kingfisher feather" style that was most popular in the capital.

Several ladies around couldn't help but whisper among themselves—a hairpin of this quality could probably last an ordinary family half a year.

The woman, who had been so aggressive, was now stunned.

Having lived half her life, she had never seen such exquisite jewelry. A hint of envy unconsciously flickered in her eyes, and even her tone softened slightly.

"Miss Xiao, the hairpin in your hair is really beautiful."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ran turned her head as if startled, her eyebrows curving into a sweet smile.

"Really? Auntie has such good taste! Ran'er thinks so too. I took a liking to her at first sight."

The woman was taken aback by the girl's polite address of "Auntie." Although she knew the girl was just being polite, seeing her innocent smile made her anger subside considerably.

But she came to seek justice for the He family, so we can't be soft-hearted.

"It's beautiful, but..."

The woman's tone softened somewhat, but it still carried a hint of sarcasm: "But the good things in this world must ultimately be obtained through one's own abilities, not by taking advantage of one's status to seize them by force."

As soon as she finished speaking, the ladies around her nodded in agreement.

Their gazes darted back and forth between Xiao Ran and He Wan, as if accusing Xiao Ran of bullying such a frail younger sister.

"Auntie, where did you hear that?"

Xiao Ran tilted her head slightly, her eyes full of doubt, as if she really didn't understand what the woman was saying.

Her expression was innocent and naive, making it difficult to tell whether she was genuine or not.

"No matter where you heard it from, it's wrong to steal other people's things."

The woman frowned, her tone tinged with reproach, but her eyes flickered involuntarily.

"Rob?"

Xiao Ran repeated it softly, as if she was thinking seriously.

After a moment, she slowly nodded, her tone calm:

"If that's the case, then Ran'er could be considered to have 'stolen' it... but Ran'er paid for it with money of equal value."

As soon as she finished speaking, a hint of doubt flashed in the woman's eyes.

She had never heard Madam He mention this before. Was this little girl lying? But Xiao Ran's eyes were clear and open, without the slightest hint of evasion, which made people a little unsure.

"You paid?"

The woman's tone held a hint of skepticism, "But these are your sister's things, why would you buy them with money?"

"Where did you hear that from, Auntie?!"

Xiao Ran looked somewhat aggrieved, and she pouted.

“These are jewelry pieces that I had my maid collect from Baotong Pawnshop. They are all unpawned pieces. If they weren’t, why would Ran’er say she bought them? She could have just said she took them from the manor.”

"Buying pawned jewelry?!"

These words startled the woman.

This is the legitimate daughter of a general! How could she have fallen so low as to have to buy jewelry from a pawnshop?