"Shh Mu Qing gestured with his fingers, he went down from the steps of the gazebo, gently brushed aside the bushes, and blurted out in surprise, "Big brother, Miss Qi is you!" ”

Qi Shan's face was crimson, and she was shy and silent.

"Second brother, third sister, you ...... Don't say it, okay? "Such a soft big brother, it is the first time that Zhilan has seen it.

"Miss Qi San, do you love my eldest brother?" Zhilan on the side interjected and asked.

Yuehua couldn't help but get nervous when she asked him this, and he was looking forward to Qi Shan's answer.

"I love him. I don't have to marry him in this life. Qi Shan twisted her handkerchief and said firmly.

"Even if he's not as perfect as you think he is? He may have a lot of past, a lot of stories, a lot of flaws, and you love him unwaveringly? As soon as these words came out, Yuehua looked at Zhi Lan with some uneasiness.

"I can. He's been honest with me about it, and I've heard about him. Even if he had a lot of bad things before, as long as I believe that he tolerates him, he will definitely feel it. I don't care about his past, and he will love me enough in the future. ”

"Then I don't have much more to say." Having heard the anecdote of her eldest brother, she can still love her eldest brother unswervingly, Zhilan can't help but admire Qi Shan, she finally understands why Yuehua can't give up on Qi Shan.

She said to Yuehua: "Big brother, Miss Qi San is a good girl, don't let her down, treat her well." He turned to Mu Qing and said, "Brother, let's go elsewhere, leave this place to the eldest brother and them, let's go." ”

"Miss Qi San is a brave and good woman, weak on the outside and firm on the inside, it is the luck of the eldest brother to have such a woman who loves the eldest brother, I admire her very much." Zhilan sighed.

"If your lover is like this, what more can you ask for?" Mu Qingdao.

"Brother, I hope there will be such a girl who loves you and feels sorry for you." Zhilan heard that there was envy in Mu Qing's voice, and she affirmed sincerely and emotionally, "You are worth it." ”

Mu Qing stared at her with a complicated expression, a faint pain in her heart, and said vaguely: "Yes, it will." ”

At this time, the servants of the Li family shuttled into the living room.

It was time for the feast to begin, and they were back just in time. The dishes have already been arranged, and all families and ethnic groups have also been seated. The Zhou family sat together in two rooms.

After everyone was full of wine and food, they stopped chatting with each other.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Mu Qing quietly handed the box to Zhilan and gave her a look. Zhilan's departure attracted everyone's attention. Li Shaowen sat at the main table and watched his sweetheart come to his mother with the box in his hand.

Zhilan stood in front of Wan Xinqiao, respectfully presented the jewelry box with both hands, and said loudly: "This is a birthday gift specially made by my Wande Yinlou for Mrs. Li's fiftieth birthday. ”

Wan Xinqiao took the box in surprise and said, "Oh? Specially crafted? ”

She opened the box and pulled out a glittering necklace from inside. As soon as he took it out, the golden dazzle was dazzling, and everyone was a little curious, and the nearest Master Li and the Li family brothers took a rough look, it was indeed a treasure! The phoenix posture is lifelike, the peony petals are shining, and the handiwork is exquisite!

Wan Xinqiao praised it at first glance, but when he carefully admired it, he found that it was all set with rubies, and his face changed greatly. Zhilan noticed her face turning from sunny to cloudy, and had a bad premonition, and became nervous.

Master Li's two aunts also leaned over to take a look, almost admiring in unison, when suddenly Zhang's glanced at Wan Xinqiao's expression, and secretly pulled Feng's words, and the two of them held back their words to their lips.

Master Li stood up and said, "Miss Zhou, thank you, it's too troublesome." ”

"Mer, put it away." Wan Xin Qiaorao is the wife of a big family, and she can endure it no matter how unhappy she is. Meier put the things in the box and put them as they were. Wan Xin glanced at him secretly, and Mei'er handed the box back to Zhilan as it was.

Zhilan was stunned, and said skillfully: "I understand the intentions of your Zhou family." Please come back. ”

Master Li and the brothers of the Li family were caught off guard by this sudden change.

Zhilan was indignant, took the box and turned to leave, forgetting to salute. Wan Xinqiao looked at her and frowned slightly. Li Shaowen followed her, when he found that the necklace was inlaid with rubies, his heart was not good, he didn't expect his mother to be so disrespectful and have a seizure in public.

Zhilan was disheartened and threw the box to Mu Qing, she didn't know where she went wrong, and she was listless and depressed. Mu Qing felt that the situation was very strange, and he couldn't help but wonder.

Jingru asked curiously, "Sister Lan, what did you just give my aunt?" ”

Mu Qing handed the box to Jingru, she opened it and exclaimed: "It's so beautiful!" ”

Mu Qing continued: "This is called a phoenix wearing a peony, with a gold background inlaid with rubies. I don't know why your aunt doesn't like it. ”

"Ruby setting?" Jingru repeated.

"Yes, really?" Mu Qing's brows furrowed.

"You guessed right. The problem lies in rubies, my aunt has always been taboo about ruby jewelry, let alone ruby jewelry at home, that is, these three words are taboo. ”

"Why is that?"

"I don't know why, I just know that there is this taboo."

"Alas! I see, we should have consulted you first when we knew that we were planning this matter, but we were negligent. We had good intentions, but we did something wrong with good intentions. Mu Qing repented.

The eldest lady was secretly happy.

Yuehua thought to herself: Let you be in the limelight and it will be self-defeating. If something like this happens, it will soon spread in the market, and when the time comes, the position of the manager of the silver building will depend on whether you Zhou Muqing can sit firmly!

"You two children, why don't you discuss things with me?" Master Zhou was unhappy, "Qing'er, you have always been steady in doing things, how could you not think about it this time?" Is Lan'er fooling around? Lan'er is not sensible, don't you understand? The last time Steward Zhou told me about your going to the study, I felt that something was wrong. You have disappointed me so much! ”

"I'm sorry Dad. It was I who hurt my second brother, it was my idea. Zhilan listened to the old man's words, and was afraid that it would affect the errand that Mu Qing had just arrived, so she took over the matter.

"It has nothing to do with Lan'er, Dad! She didn't understand anything, she just listened to my arrangement. Mu Qing didn't want the old man to blame Zhilan for everything, so he defended her.

"Shut up!" The old man said angrily, "Qing'er, you go back and write me an inspection book, there are things in writing, and I can explain it to the shareholders." Lan'er, don't meddle in business matters in the future, as a girl. What a mess! "Old Man Zhou is angry.

"Okay, okay, second brother. You said that you are also responsible, Qing'er and Lan'er are all for the good of Wande, and they will forgive them this time if they are sincere. "Master Zhou interceded for them, and it was considered to give the old man a step down, and he didn't say anything more.

The eldest lady listened to Master Zhou's painless treatment of them, and her heart was indignant for Yuehua.

Li Shaowen was thinking about Zhilan in the distance, and he decided to talk to her after the meal.

Wan Xinqiao was not affected by this episode in the slightest. Rinse your mouth with a little sip of tea, and tell the butler Fu to withdraw from the table.

The housekeeper promised to withdraw from the table and was like an amnesty for Zhi Lan, and she didn't want to stay here for a moment. I heard all the discussions about her birthday gift, and some said that the Zhou family was in trouble with the Li family...... After a while, her father's face became more and more pale, Zhilan couldn't listen to it anymore, and she rushed out of the banquet hall.

Mu Qing was in a hurry, and he chased him out desperately. Li Shaowen saw Zhilan running out, and hurried out in a hurry. Wan Xinqiao shouted: "Shaowen ......" caused many guests to turn their heads to look at her, and immediately swallowed the second half of the sentence.

Zhilan ran fast, and there was a church meeting after the birthday banquet, and a stage was set up in the garden. She didn't know the way, and stopped in a hand-copying verandah, hugging the pillars and weeping bitterly.

Li Shaowen found her first. Ignoring her objections, he picked her up with brute force and took her to a side room.

"What are you going to do? Do you think your family didn't humiliate me enough? Zhilan cried with red and swollen eyes, "Let me go!" ”

"I'm sorry. Lan'er. He took her into his arms and made her cry on his shoulder.

Zhilan's limbs were full of rejection of himself, Li Shaowen couldn't care about anything, he hugged her, let her cry to her heart's content, beat and vent, and kept apologizing: "I know that nothing I say will help." I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. ”

Her tears poured out. Li Shaowen's heart was like a knife, and the guilt filled his heart, and he hugged her tightly.

Zhilan is not only for the phoenix to wear peonies, but also because of the ups and downs in her heart, all of which are vented with tears. The more she thought about it, the more she hated, and her hands kept beating Li Shaowen.

"How about Lan'er listen to me tell a story?" In front of him, he clearly felt that she was angry with herself, he let her vent, but he calmed down, still hugging her tightly without stopping, and speaking in a gentle voice in her ear.

"What's the story?" She was still choking, and slowly stopped crying, "Let me go!" ”

Li Shaowen was warm and fragrant nephrite in his arms, where was he willing to let go, and continued to tell the story: "Back then, I still had two aunts in my family, Sanniang and Wuniang. At the beginning, Wu Niang was the most favored by my father, and she was Sanniang's maid. At that time, we were facing the biggest crisis, and my father was busy with the family's business. One day, Sanniang sued her mother, saying that she had caught Wuniang committing adultery with the doctor. Niang sent someone to search for a ruby bracelet of Wu Niang from the doctor, saying that it was a token of love. I didn't expect Wu Niang to refuse to die. So my mother told my father, and my father was furious and planned to divorce Wu Niang, but I didn't expect her to have a strong personality and throw herself into the lake. ”

"She's dead?" Zhilan exclaimed.

"Yes. The doctor fled, and there was no evidence of death. I heard that my mother lost a ruby ring, and Sanniang also lost a ruby pendant. What is surprising is that on the corpse that Wu Niang fished up, a ring and a pendant were found. It didn't take long for Sanniang to go crazy, and she couldn't find a good doctor all over the world. Two years later, in the winter, she fell in the back garden, and died after hearing that she had hit her head on a rock. My father was deeply affected and never married a concubine. Since Sanniang's death, my mother has regarded ruby jewelry as a taboo, and no one is allowed to mention it in the house, and she also sent away all the servants who knew about it. ”

"It's so bizarre, I think there must be something else going on here."

"The grievances of the elders, the details are also hearsay. Today, I must tell you the cause and effect, otherwise you will not be able to let go of the burden in your heart. A piece of your heart, we understand. Li Shaowen comforted softly, took out a handkerchief to wipe away the tears on her face, he let go, and Zhilan took the opportunity to sit on the chair next to him.

"It is indeed a good treasure to wear a peony. I don't want Wande Silver Building to have such exquisite craftsmanship. ”

"Of course, we put a lot of effort into this piece of jewelry. My design was personally supervised by my brother and made by the best craftsmen in the Silver Building. If you don't want to be recognized by your mother, no matter how good the treasure is, it is meaningless. ”

It was Li Shaowen's turn to be surprised: "Your design? Do you do design? ”

"Don't underestimate people."

"Where do I dare, but Shibei should be impressed for three days. The person I like is really amazing! Li Shaowen's flattering words made Zhilan's heart much more comfortable.

"You are so attentive to my mother's birthday. Either way, I'm very grateful. Suddenly, he gave a deep salute.

"It's nothing, why do you bother to make such a big gift." Zhilan said lightly.

"Lan'er, thank you." He shook her hand emotionally.

Zhilan pulled out her hand embarrassedly, and the atmosphere was a little frozen for a while.