When a mother-in-law meets her daughter-in-law (and her family) for the first time, it’s customary to give a gift.
As soon as everyone was seated,
Li Wujiang, who had a mental issue, took out her first meeting gift for everyone, which was quite normal.
She first took out a long, narrow box. After opening it, she smiled at Dai Paipai and said, "I heard Qianfan mention you on the phone. He said you are one of his best friends, and I guessed you would be here tonight to accompany him. I specially prepared a gemstone necklace for you. I hope you like it."
Li Qianfan had mentioned Dai Paipai to Li Wujiang on the phone?
He couldn't remember—
On the contrary, his mother had already calculated that Dai Paipai would be present at the welcome banquet tonight and had prepared a gift in advance, which seemed more plausible.
As soon as Old Su and his wife heard Li Wujiang say this, they exchanged a quick glance: "No way? The mother-in-law is giving someone a gemstone necklace?"
Before they arrived, Li Qianfan had made it clear that the gift prepared by his mother-in-law was from selling trash. (Actually, they misheard. Li Qianfan only said his mother sold trash before coming to Qingyun; he didn't say she used the money from selling trash to buy gifts.)
Could the money from selling trash buy a gemstone necklace?
"Is it fake?"
Ning Xiaolan asked Old Su with her eyes: "Perhaps it's just a cheap trinket worth a dozen yuan."
"Mm-hmm."
Old Su nodded and replied with a look: "Even if it is, we have to pretend it's real."
The couple exchanged glances—
Meanwhile, Su Ziyu, after a slight frown (an instinctive reaction of displeasure at her mother-in-law giving Dai Paipai a gift), looked at Li Qianfan with a questioning gaze.
Li Qianfan understood.
He replied with his eyes: "My mother is rich!"
Looking at Dai Paipai again.
She truly hadn't expected Li Wujiang to prepare a gift for her.
After a moment of stunned silence, her face instantly flushed, and her eyes sparkled.
Dai Paipai was so excited internally that she wanted to jump, but she dared not look at Li Qianfan, let alone Su Ziyu (feeling guilty, so guilty).
She quickly walked up to Li Wujiang, bowed deeply, and said, "Thank you, Auntie."
As she thanked her, Dai Paipai held up both hands flat to receive the gift.
"Thank you very much, Auntie."
After thanking her again, Dai Paipai, with slightly trembling hands, took out the gemstone necklace from the box.
A black gemstone necklace.
None of the people present came from ordinary families, so they certainly had the discernment to judge the value of a gemstone necklace.
At the very least, when Dai Paipai saw the necklace, her heart trembled.
Not a million yuan!
It was impossible to get it for less!
Not only was Dai Paipai surprised,
but the Old Su family of three (the money from selling trash really couldn't buy such a necklace), and even Mo Hongti, were secretly shocked.
"Auntie, isn't this gift too precious?"
Dai Paipai, who had intended to put it on immediately (to show more respect to Li Wujiang), dared not accept it.
"There's an old saying: 'If an elder bestows, do not refuse.'"
Li Wujiang examined the woman, who had been Photoshopped by Empress Dowager Xiao, at close range and smiled.
She thought to herself: "Such an outstanding beauty, and Empress Dowager Xiao wants to let her go! Ha, what a joke? Qianfan is my son, and I, his mother, have the final say. I've decided on this Dai Paipai for my son!"
Since she said so—
Dai Paipai hesitated no longer. After thanking her for the third time, she carefully put it on her neck.
Li Wujiang took out another box from her bag.
She looked at Mo Hongti: "Qianfan told me about you risking your life to save Ziyu. I am very grateful to you, I really want to take you as my daughter."
Polite.
Just politeness!
Heaven could bear witness, Li Wujiang's words about wanting to take Mo Hongti as her daughter were merely the most innocent polite remarks.
But what was Mo Hongti?
She immediately walked up to Li Wujiang, bowed, and said, "Mom, from now on, you are my real mother!"
Uh—
Li Wujiang was stunned.
She thought to herself: "This child's skin is too thick!"
"Mom, let me see what good gift you've prepared for me."
Mo Hongti didn't wait for others to react. She took the box from Li Wujiang's hand and opened it.
"Wow!"
Mo Hongti's eyes lit up instantly: "Blood diamond!"
Yes.
The gift Li Wujiang prepared for Mo Hongti was also a gemstone necklace, but it was a blood diamond, several times more precious than the black gemstone.
A blood diamond is not the same as what people commonly call a ruby.
The preciousness of a blood diamond is even inferior to that of a ruby.
By estimation, the price of this blood diamond would be around three to four million yuan.
Mo Hongti had some eye for such things.
"Thank you, Mom!"
The shameless woman thanked her loudly again and then put the gemstone necklace on her own neck.
"If I had known you'd call me Mom, I would have prepared an even better gift."
Li Wujiang smiled bitterly, speaking the truth, but her peripheral vision was fixed on the Su family of three.
It was Su Ziyu's reaction that Li Wujiang cared about the most.
What was Su Ziyu's reaction?
Only joy.
"Mm, the character of the Su family is indeed impeccable. Mo Hongti, you are worthy of Empress Dowager Xiao's approval."
Li Wujiang nodded secretly.
Under normal circumstances,
when Li Wujiang, as the mother-in-law (and relative of the in-laws), gave gifts to other girls in front of them, both Old Su and his wife, and Su Ziyu, would feel uncomfortable.
Li Wujiang had indeed noticed that the Su family of three frowned slightly when she gave Dai Paipai a gift.
This proved that subconsciously, they did not approve of Dai Paipai.
However,
when Li Wujiang gave Mo Hongti a gift, and the latter seized the opportunity to call her "Mom" on the spot, the Su family of three were all very happy.
This proved that in their hearts, they were grateful to Mo Hongti and subconsciously approved of her.
Looking at Li Qianfan again.
He was just holding his teacup and drinking water.
Regarding what his mother was doing, it was best for him to pretend to be invisible.
"Ziyu."
Li Wujiang took out another box and placed it in front of Su Ziyu: "This is Mom's first meeting gift to you. Please accept it for now. When you and Qianfan go to Sijiu, I will prepare a big gift for you then."
Look—
What does it mean to be a true daughter-in-law?
It means that the meeting gift tonight, no matter how precious, is just a temporary one!
When she goes to Sijiu with Li Qianfan later, she will receive the truly good things!!
Su Ziyu, who now knew her "mentally ill" mother-in-law was very rich, accepted it with composure.
Since her mentally ill mother-in-law had given gifts to Dai Paipai and Mo Hongti, it was only natural for her to give a gift to her own daughter-in-law, wasn't it?
She would never refuse.
But she also showed appropriate delight and quickly stood up: "Thank you, Mom."
She and Mo Hongti also called her "Mom."
But the weight of this "Mom" in Li Wujiang's heart was definitely very different.
At least, Li Wujiang did not feel any surprise.
She just smiled and said, "Open it and see, Mom's gift to you."
"Okay."
Su Ziyu replied obediently and opened the rectangular box.
Inside was a hairpin inlaid with colored diamonds.
Huh!
Why does this hairpin look so familiar to me?
It looks exactly like the colored hairpin displayed in Qingyun Zhai!
When Old Su saw the hairpin, he was stunned for a moment and subconsciously looked at Ning Xiaolan.
Ning Xiaolan also found it familiar—
"Wow!"
Mo Hongti exclaimed exaggeratedly: "Mom, the hairpin you gave Ziyu, could it be the Colored Hairpin, one of the Emperor's Three-Piece Set from Qingyun Zhai?"
Ordinary people with a monthly salary of three to five thousand yuan were "not interested" in wandering around Qingyun Zhai, a place where money was no object.
But Mo Hongti had been there many times.
She had also stood in front of the display cabinet made of special materials and carefully admired the Emperor's Three-Piece Set.
She really liked this hairpin.
But she was reluctant to buy it.
After all, its historical value far exceeded the intrinsic value of the item.
Now,
when Su Ziyu opened the box, Mo Hongti recognized at a glance that this colored hairpin was one of the Emperor's Three-Piece Set from Qingyun Zhai.
"Hehe, you child still have some eye for appraising treasures."
Li Wujiang chuckled and nodded.
Su Ziyu had also been to Qingyun Zhai and knew the price of this hairpin.
She felt somewhat apprehensive: "Mom, this hairpin is worth over ten million yuan. Isn't it too precious?"
"Hey! A small item worth eight or nine million, what are you talking about being precious? When you go to Sijiu in the future, Mom will let you see real treasures, and you can pick whatever you want!"
Li Wujiang said generously and simply took out the remaining two gifts from her bag.
She placed them in front of Old Su and his wife: "In-laws, this Phoenix Bracelet is a meeting gift for you. In-laws, this Emperor's Heart is for you."
She paused.
She habitually added, "A small token of my appreciation. Please accept it."