Chapter 10, Reunion

The eldest daughter of the Zhongqin Bo family speaks in a manner that is truly distinctive, and even Wei Heng admires her way of handling affairs. "My sister always thinks of me in every way, and I am grateful to her, not to mention the mountain ginseng you sent, which has come in handy; otherwise, I wouldn't have recovered so quickly."

Wei Heng merely smiled at Fan Xin's words without responding, knowing that Fan Xin was saying this to cheer her up. In fact, Wei Xuan had not been showing off at all; rather, she was trying to keep a low profile. However, gold will always shine, and it cannot be hidden.

Upon hearing Master Ouyang's name, Mu Jin's expression changed, becoming somewhat awkward. Ouyang was a master craftsman from the previous dynasty, and every piece of jewelry he created in his lifetime was a masterpiece, still cherished today and difficult to purchase even for a fortune

If it were in the past, Wei Heng would have been able to stand up to Mu Jin, but now when she looks at Mu Jin, she only feels like she is looking at a pitiful child. With her temperament, she will surely be dealt with harshly by her in-laws in the future. Evil people have their own ways of dealing with each other, and Wei Heng can only feel pity for her.

With a maternal aunt like Empress Mu Gong, Mu Jin could walk arrogantly and still have someone to protect her, which cultivated her spoiled temperament, making her look down on everyone. However, it is strange that everyone has their nemesis, and Wei Xuan is Mu Jin's nemesis. Mu Jin does not submit to anyone, except for Wei Xuan, whom she regards as her most loyal supporter

"Ah, Sister Wei, you actually came as well. What’s the matter? Aren’t you having stomach issues this year?" The speaker was a girl of exquisite appearance, about the same age as Wei Heng. She was the daughter of Wei Xuan's uncle, Zhongqin Bo Mu Wei, and her name was Mu Jin. She was also the legitimate niece of Empress Mu in the palace.

"Second sister, thank you for your class notes during this time; I was able to keep up with my studies," Wei Heng said with a smile, taking the box from Mu Yuer and handing it to Wei Xuan. "Second sister, this is a birthday gift for you." This was not prepared by the He family for Wei Xuan, but rather Wei Heng's own heartfelt intention.

At this moment, everyone looked at the plum blossom hairpin. The petals of the plum blossom were as thin as cicada wings, swaying as if they were snowflakes blown by the wind. The plum blossom stood proudly on its own, exuding a unique beauty that defied the frost and snow. This exquisite craftsmanship and the elegance of blooming alone in the frost made other ornaments pale in comparison. This plum blossom hairpin was truly the most suitable for Wei Xuan.

Wei Heng placed her hand in Wei Fang's palm, and the two sisters held hands as they entered Shu He Ju

"How could Master Ouyang's works be considered vulgar?" Wei Xuan said with a smile

Wei Xuan possesses a graceful and elegant demeanor, often adorned with jade jewelry. Today, on the first day of the month, which also happens to be her birthday, she is wearing merely a gold collar, a piece she typically does not don. However, in the high society of the capital, where superficial judgments abound, no one dares to look down upon her, praising Wei Xuan as a lotus emerging from the water, considering jewelry to be nothing more than a burden for her.

Thus, Wei Heng was reborn, and she had no intention of changing her husband. She naturally regarded Fan Yong as her possession. At this moment, seeing him circling around Wei Xuan, Wei Heng's expression inevitably turned somewhat unpleasant

Mu Jin said with a hint of sarcasm: "You are really generous. Do you give such expensive gifts to each of your sisters on their birthdays?" If Mu Jin's words were meant to sow discord between Wei Heng and Wei Fang, then she was somewhat clever. Master Ouyang's jewelry was not something she had in abundance, and of course, Wei Heng would not give a gift to everyone.

Mu Jin is not even worthy of Wei Heng's attention; her status to Wei Heng is akin to that of Wei Heng to Wei Xuan, amounting to nothing at all. Of course, in her previous life, Wei Heng did not possess such refinement.

Wei Xuan took the opportunity to separate Mu Jin and Wei Hang, as the two did not get along and would constantly provoke each other when together, causing both her and Mu Zhen considerable headaches

Fan Xin pulled Wei Heng aside and sneered at Wei Xuan, "With her abilities, she has monopolized all the spiritual energy in the world, and yet she is still not satisfied, flaunting it everywhere as if she is afraid others do not know."

Of course not. During the months I have been ill, my second sister has sent me notes every day. I have no way to repay this kindness; no matter how precious the jewelry is, it cannot compare to the bond of sisterhood, can it? Wei Heng is speaking from the heart. Although she feels envy and resentment towards Wei Xuan, she cannot help but admire her.

At this moment, as we dine together, we wish for a lively yet elegant and interesting atmosphere, naturally calling for a game. Among those present, Mu Jin and Wei Heng are still quite young. Although Wei Xuan and a few others excel in poetry and literature, they must also consider the feelings of others. Therefore, Wei Xuan suggested: "Let us play the Flying Flower Game, as it is simple and enjoyable."

Although Mu Zhen's call temporarily attracted everyone's attention, the boys in the room quickly shifted their gaze back to Wei Xuan.

Wei Hengchong Mu Jin playfully wrinkled her nose and said: "What does it matter if it's vulgar, as long as my second sister thinks it's not vulgar."

As they spoke, Wei Xuan had already walked over to Wei Heng, "Third sister, you look much more spirited now"

"What is this? Let me take a look." Mu Jin directly "snatched" the box from Wei Heng's hands and opened it without hesitation

I really like it, thank you, Third Sister. Wei Xuan nodded to Wei Heng

In fact, the Hou residence lacks ginseng, and the He family is renowned for their wealth. When Wei Heng said this, Mu Zhen could only secretly acknowledge that Wei Heng had a way of making people happy. Although they were the same age, she was far more sensible compared to her own sister, who was utterly clueless.

This Fan Yong is precisely Wei Heng's husband from her previous life, the heir of the Yongping Marquis. Fan Yong's mother is the younger sister of the first lady, the Mu family, making Fan Yong a cousin of Wei Xuan, two years her senior, and he is thirteen years old this year

Wei Heng secretly thought that the thirteen-year-old boy already knew Mu Shao Ai, his eyes only revolving around Wei Xuan, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. After all, they had been married for a lifetime; a day as a couple meant a hundred days of affection. Moreover, in her past life, Fan Yong had treated Wei Heng quite well because of Wei Xuan. She only gave birth to a son at the age of thirty, and all the grievances from her mother-in-law were shielded by Fan Yong. Furthermore, although Wei Heng's temper was not particularly good, Fan Yong had a good temperament and was always able to tolerate her.

Wei Heng could not be bothered to pay attention to Mu Jin, as this girl acted as if she had taken gunpowder whenever she saw her, and Wei Heng understood the reason. Mu Jin had always prided herself on her beauty, ranking among the top in the capital, but she could not compare to Wei Heng. Among women, it is not about talent but about looks; Mu Jin had little talent, which only fueled her resentment towards Wei Heng, who was more beautiful than she.

"As long as Second Sister is happy," Wei Heng said with a smile, and then she secretly made a face at Mu Jin. Even after living a second life, Wei Heng's personality had not matured much.

Wei Xuan is turning eleven today. Although she is only one year older than Wei Heng, she has already started to grow taller. She is quite tall for her age, and at just eleven years old, she is already as tall as Wei Fang, who is thirteen, beginning to take on the appearance of a young lady. In contrast, Wei Heng, despite being only a year younger, has not yet started to grow taller and still looks like a little girl, resembling a bun. No matter how beautiful she is, she still has the beauty of a little girl.

Mu Jin took the gold hairpin out of the box and chuckled, "I was wondering what it was, Heng Jie'er, why would you give such a mundane item to Xuan Jie? What gold hairpins or silver hairpins, when has Xuan Jie ever valued such things?"

"Sister Jin." Mu Zhen called out in a somewhat exasperated tone, drawing the attention of others surrounding Wei Xuan.

Fan Xin is Wei Heng's sister-in-law and close friend from a previous life. The two share a great deal of conversation, and Fan Xin is one of the few young women who supports Wei Heng without trying to curry favor with Wei Xuan. As a result, Wei Heng has a very good relationship with Fan Xin. After marrying into the Fan family, she enjoys the benefits of a kind mother-in-law and a supportive sister-in-law, truly living a blessed life without much hardship.

At this moment, Wei Heng's attention was entirely focused on Fan Yong; she did not expect that the Fan siblings had also arrived.

Hypocritical, does your family really lack those few taels of mountain ginseng to eat? Mu Jin spared no effort in criticizing Wei Heng

All the boys in this room have their eyes solely on Wei Xuan. One praises her writing, saying it has become increasingly refined, another comments that her paintings have gained more spirit, while yet another claims that her embroidery skills are nothing short of extraordinary

"Miss, the banquet is ready," Shu Ying reported as she lifted the curtain and entered.

Wei Heng's face turned red instantly. These words are indeed hypocritical, but everyone must be this hypocritical for the sake of maintaining appearances. However, being pointed out like this by Mu Jin makes it truly uncomfortable.

Weifang is already thirteen years old this year. Because she did not gain admission to the girls' school, she is still studying in the Weijia school alongside Weixuan and Weiheng. Weiheng does not actually dislike her.

Mu Jin's sister, Mu Zhen, shot a glare at Mu Jin and reached out to pull Wei Heng, saying, "Quick, don't pay attention to that girl Jin. Speaking of which, it has been quite a while since we last met. The other day, I heard that you were ill, and I was worried that you might not be able to handle visitors while you were unwell, so I didn't dare to come see you. I only had someone send you a few packets of medicine, so please don't hold it against me"

Some daughters are like this; there is no deep-seated hatred between them, yet for some unknown and laughable reason, they come to hate each other

The room was filled with young boys and girls, all of whom were cousins, not very old, and with the presence of the elder women watching over them, it was certain that no inappropriate behavior would occur. Old Lady Zhang had the most easygoing temperament, allowing the younger generation to enjoy their lively interactions, and she did not permit other elders to visit Shu He Ju, stating that their presence would make the younger ones uncomfortable

As Wei Heng just arrived at Shu He Garden, Wei Fang happened to arrive as well. She was slightly surprised upon seeing Wei Heng, but being a person of good character, she said nothing and called out, "Third Sister," while extending her hand towards Wei Heng

Wei Xuan possesses a delicate appearance; although she may not be as striking as Wei Heng or Mu Jin, she is more attractive than most girls. Moreover, she has an inherent radiance, with bright and clear eyes that exude a unique charm, something that others cannot easily match.