Qi Zhenzhen had always favored exquisite craftsmanship, so she chose a set made with fine silver twisted threads. In terms of material, it was likely the least valuable among the hair ornaments, but in terms of craftsmanship, it was undoubtedly the best.
"The Heir's wife has good taste. This set is the work of Chen Hai, our most renowned master craftsman at Linglong Pavilion," the manager said with a smile.
Lin Fangruo had initially thought Qi Zhenzhen was deliberately choosing a cheaper set to limit her options. However, upon hearing that the hair ornament set was from Chen Hai, she felt even more that this plain silver set was extraordinary. After all, Chen Hai was the pride of Linglong Pavilion, and it was his rule to only produce one piece of jewelry per month. It was rare to see an entire set produced at once like this.
"I'll take this set," Lin Fangruo said, withdrawing her gaze and casually selecting a set of gemstone hair ornaments.
When it came time to pay, although the gemstone hair ornaments were more expensive than Qi Zhenzhen's, she still felt displeased. Gemstone hair ornaments were easy to come by, but Chen Hai's craftsmanship was rare.
"Just picking one set?" asked Madam Da Qin.
"My mother and grandmother have quite a few dowry items that were custom-made at Linglong Pavilion, totaling thirty sets. The Duke's mansion also provided many hair ornaments as betrothal gifts," Qi Zhenzhen replied. "If you hadn't insisted, I wouldn't have even chosen this set."
Lin Fangruo couldn't help but feel envious again. Although she was a legitimate daughter and her dowry was not insignificant when she married, it depended on who she was compared to. The lavish wedding of Qi Zhenzhen, with its ten miles of red silk, was still a topic of much admiration outside. Furthermore, although she was a legitimate daughter, she was not the only daughter in the household. Her father had said that he had to treat all his children equally. Therefore, her dowry could not compare to Qi Zhenzhen's. Moreover, Gu Sinian was the legitimate son and the Heir.
"What woman doesn't like having plenty of hair ornaments and jewelry?" Madam Da Qin said with a playful chide.
A commotion was heard from outside. Madam Da Qin glanced at wet nurse Jiang, who understood and quickly went out. She returned shortly, "Someone from Concubine Dong's courtyard wishes to select a couple of jewelry pieces as well. The Duke has agreed."
By the rules, concubines did not have this privilege.
However, since the Duke had spoken, it was a different matter.
Madam Da Qin was not overly concerned and waved to the people from Linglong Pavilion.
Since the selections had already been made, she saw no reason to keep them.
"Wait," Qi Zhenzhen called out to the people from Linglong Pavilion, "Leave all these jewelry pieces here."
Linglong Pavilion had brought thirty sets this time, and they were all to be left behind...
The manager instinctively looked at Madam Da Qin. Although Madam Da Qin was surprised by her daughter-in-law's actions, she could not say anything at this moment and merely nodded to the manager, "Since Zhenzhen has made her choices, then leave them all."
Qi Zhenzhen unhurriedly untied the purse at her waist and took out a piece of dark jade inlaid with a gold border. "From now on, if there are any new styles, just send them to Madam's courtyard."
The manager of Linglong Pavilion accepted the jade token with both hands, greatly astonished. As a manager of Linglong Pavilion, she naturally knew the token's purpose. It not only granted the right to select items from Linglong Pavilion preferentially but also allowed for extremely low prices. However, there were only three such tokens in total, indicating their immense value.
Recalling herself, the manager solemnly returned the token to Qi Zhenzhen, "This humble woman abides by the Heir's wife's instructions."
Although she was just a small manager, working at Linglong Pavilion meant she knew too many secrets of the noble families. The Heir's wife's intention was clear: Linglong Pavilion's jewelry would not be sold to Concubine Dong. The reason, of course, was to stand up for the Duchess.
Lin Fangruo stared intently at the token in Qi Zhenzhen's hand. What was that? Why did the manager of Linglong Pavilion become so respectful after she produced that item? Also, if she wasn't mistaken, Qi Zhenzhen's implication was that from now on, all jewelry from Linglong Pavilion would be sent to Madam Da Qin's place, meaning anyone in the household who wanted to select jewelry from Linglong Pavilion would need Madam Da Qin's consent.