Chapter 183 - There Were So Many Pieces of Jewelry (1/2)

Chapter 183 There Were So Many Pieces of Jewelry

Lan Xinru didn’t come here to find Mo Xuetong, and she had planned the exact time of her arrival. She told her maid to ask the servant to watch Mo Huawen in order to know when he would come to Qingwei Garden. She even cooked for his daughter in person and hurt her hand.

It was unknown whether Mo Huawen tried to evade Lan Xinru on purpose. But when Mo Huawen went to greet Old Madam, Lan Xinru was not there. Lan Xinru would only stay at Mo Manor for a few days and didn’t have many chances to meet Mo Huawen, which made both Old Madam and Lan Xinru worried, so Old Madam came up with this idea.

Old Madam’s suggestion was to let Lan Xinru cook the millet congee and bring it over to serve Mo Xuetong carefully, which must be gentle like treating her own daughter. But Lan Xinru had a different idea – she came a bit late on purpose and served the porridge to Mo Huawen, himself. She had intended to show Mo Huawen her injured finger to make him care for her more.

But Mo Huawen didn’t show much concern. Instead, he asked about Mo Xuetong’s conditions. Therefore, all her anger was fixed on Mo Xuetong and she hated Mo Xuetong even more. But she knew she was in Mo Manor and had to flatter Mo Xuetong. She smiled and pretended to be attentively listening to their words until she felt Mo Xueyan pulling on her sleeve.

Mo Xuetong observed the whole process of the changes on Lan Xinru’s face and smiled to herself. She fixed her attention on her father again and gently said with a smile, “Dad, don’t worry. It’s probably because I went to sleep late last night. I didn’t dare go against the rules and talk too much, but I did chat with the princess for a while. I’m just not rested, which caused the pain to come back. Now I’ve almost recovered, and it will only take a few days more to get all well. When I used to get ill like this, I usually didn’t need to see a doctor or take the medicine, just more rest.”

“You used to get ill like this? Since when have you had this illness?” Mo Huawen asked with surprise. When they were in Cloud City, though Tong’er was weak, she didn’t get ill. She just used to be weak and delicate.

“It’s not a real illness; I just said it like that. You don’t have to worry about me. When we were in Cloud City last year, I just got ill for no reason; that’s when it started. Since then, every time I get too tired, I may fall ill again. Grandaunt found many famous doctors for me. They all said it was nothing serious, but I had to take care and couldn’t get too tired.” Mo Xuetong’s sweet voice sounded cute with a daughter’s tenderness, which comforted her father’s emotions, but Mo Huawen’s heart still ached.

This time last year, he took the other two daughters to the capital for quite a while. When it came to the New Year, Min’er and Qiong’er asked to make many clothes and jewelry for themselves. They had different clothes and jewelry every day and chatted happily like larks. They got everything they wanted and weren’t tired at all.

He did think of Tong’er at that time, but Auntie Fang confused him. She just said Tong’er didn’t want to come back to see her father. And the presents sent her were returned unopened. By then, he was quite sad and didn’t know his delicate daughter was ill in bed. Even if she said it lightly, it couldn’t be a small thing that she had this uncured disease.

“Tong’er…” Mo Huawen ashamedly looked at his daughter who was pale, but still smiled to comfort him. Then he recalled what his beloved first daughter had done and didn’t know what to say.

“Father, it’s New Year’s Eve today, and we can’t say anything sad on such a festive day. Aren’t you supposed to send me some presents? You haven’t sent me gifts for so many years!” Mo Xuetong pouted her little mouth, acting coyly to change the topic. There was indeed a tradition in Great Qin that the elders should send the youngsters gifts to ensure their safety.

But this was the custom when they were young and Mo Huawen hadn’t sent his daughters gifts for a few years. But now he felt warm when he heard the words. Looking at his little girl, he felt his tension melt away, and the sadness on his face was gone. He laughed out loud and walked to feel Mo Xuetong’s head, saying, “Yes, of course. I’ve prepared them for you, already.”

Then he took out an exquisite jewelry box from his sleeves and handed it over. Mo Feng, who was standing by her bedside, took it for her and opened it. There were many pieces of s.h.i.+ning gold jewelry inside it. Lan Xinru and Mo Xueyan eyed the jewelry greedily.

Mo Xueyan was not too surprised. She was born in a merchant’s family, which was quite rich. Though she hadn’t seen jewelry much, she had seen some of it before. Lan Xinru’s family, on the other hand, had declined. Though she was said to serve Old Madam, everyone knew she was aiming for Mo Huawen.

Lan Xinru had already saw herself as Mo Huawen’s stepwife. When she saw Mo Huawen give a box full of jewelry to Mo Xuetong, she couldn’t help feeling the pity . Before she came, Old Madam promised to make her Mo Huawen’s wife, anyway. The jewelry should have belonged to her.

She was so jealous that she said, “Cousin, third miss is too little to use so many pieces of jewelry. Besides, she’s so pretty that the jewelry would seem shabby on her. Maybe we should wait until she gets older and pick some for her then.”

She smiled coquettishly towards Mo Huawen and threw a glad look to him.

Mo Huawen frowned even harder…

Mo Xuetong blinked her big watery eyes and asked Mo Feng who was carrying the box to come near and echoed Lan Xinru’s words. “Miss Lan, is the jewelry shabby? Aren’t they a gift from the palace? Mo Ye, does it say made in the palace at the bottom of the box?”