Qin Yuan said some sweet words, and got a pile of things.
Returning to the room, the arrangement inside was completely new.
The nannies would still occasionally bring in some clothes, ornaments, and the like.
After all, she was about to marry into the Marquis Mansion as a distinguished guest, so the original provisions were far too inadequate. Mrs. Cui spent a lot of silver taels, adding many things, only then did it satisfy Qin Jijiu.
Mrs. Cui was furious.
Her daughter had gone mad and lost such a good marriage, and she still had to make up for Qin Yuan.
She couldn't help but complain to Qin Wan: "Qin Yuan didn't come from my womb, and there's still a divide between her and your brother. I don't even know if she can help him in the future, so why did you drop the watermelon only to pick up a sesame seed?"
Qin Jijiu was unaware, but Mrs. Cui could see clearly the reckless things Qin Wan had done, but what was done was done, and all she could do was help cover it up.
Qin Wan said firmly, "Mother, trust me, Brother Lin will definitely rise to success and achieve great things. Gu Jinghui is just a martial artist, even the Old Madam Gu wants her descendants to turn to the civil servant path, he can't help my brother."
Listening to this nonsense, Mrs. Cui was so angry that she was speechless.
Qin Wan continued, "Mother, I told you Qin Yuan could secure the engagement with the Dingbei Marquis, and she has, hasn't she? I would never lie to you, just rest assured."
Mrs. Cui sighed, "I just hope you live well, and that Lin Ziqi turns out as you say. His family is truly too poor, all these years they've had to rely on occasional assistance from your father. That's why I didn't stop Qin Yuan from getting close to him, thinking he was just a poor soul with no family background."
Qin Wan replied somewhat jealously, "Qin Yuan is pretty good at seeing people, but unfortunately..."
Before finishing her sentence, Mrs. Cui understood and said with frustration, "Unfortunately what? Didn't you also sacrifice a fortune for her? She is but an illegitimate daughter, to receive such fortune is all thanks to you. Whether Lin Ziqi can succeed is uncertain, but the Dingbei Marquis's fortune is assured. Only you exchanged something guaranteed for something uncertain."
Qin Wan fell silent.
Fortune, ha, it also requires a life to enjoy it.
Recalling the lonely and miserable days of the previous life, Qin Wan felt fearful. Heaven had given her a second chance to live, was it not to compensate her to enjoy great wealth?
As for Qin Yuan, an illegitimate daughter who had to humble herself in front of her, how could she live a loving and wealthy life with her husband? She should fall into misery, suffering the same hardships she once did.
Mrs. Cui felt that she was possessed but since it had come to this, she only could find ways to repair the relationship before Qin Yuan got married and repeatedly urged her not to provoke Qin Yuan.
Initially, Qin Wan complied, but later, when Qin Yuan's wedding dress was to be exchanged with hers, Qin Wan couldn't sit still, she led a group of nannies and maidservants into Qin Yuan's courtyard, trapping her inside the room, and said, "Sister, why do you want to take my wedding dress?"
Qin Yuan sighed, "Where did this come from? Mother said to exchange it. My previous wedding dress was simply made, as marrying into the Lin Family didn't require anything good, but now marrying into the Marquis Mansion, how can I use the previous wedding dress? Wouldn't the Marquis think that our Qin Family is looking down on him?"
First, the legitimate daughter was replaced with an illegitimate daughter registered under the legitimate mother, and now even the wedding dress is not up to par. Anyone would feel the Qin Family is slighting the Dingbei Marquis Mansion, right?
Qin Wan was at a loss for words, but still unwilling to give up her wedding dress to Qin Yuan, she hesitated and angrily said, "This is my wedding dress, isn't securing such a good marriage enough for you? You even want to take my wedding dress?"
The nannies and maidservants behind her surged forward to snatch the wedding dress.
Cui Ming and Hong Ye couldn't stop them and were pushed to the ground.
Seeing the chaos had reached its peak, Qin Yuan covered her face and cried loudly, "I already have a thin dowry, and now I don't even have a decent wedding dress. I won't marry then! This isn't forming a marriage, this is forming enmity! What good days can I have marrying into the Marquis Mansion? It would be better to become a nun, to live a life before the ancient Buddha, what difficulty is that?"
These words were so said that even Qin Heng, who came to support Qin Wan, couldn't bear to listen and said to Qin Wan, "Sister, let it be, buy another good one, it's just a wedding dress, why bother with her."
Qin Wan: "..."
Due to Qin Yuan securing the Marquis Mansion's engagement, Qin Heng's attitude towards Qin Yuan had a subtle change, this was truly hard for Qin Wan to swallow.
The Qin Mansion was small, and when everyone started to make a scene, Qin Jijiu and Mrs. Cui came upon hearing the commotion.
Upon knowing what happened, Qin Jijiu said with a stern face, "The wedding dress need not be exchanged, just go to Jixiu Pavilion to buy a ready-made one for the eldest lady, and find a good embroideress to refashion it."
Mrs. Cui's face turned extremely sour.
The wedding dresses from Jixiu Pavilion were not cheap, and without an appointment, rushing for time now, the costs would far exceed that of Qin Wan's wedding dress.
Qin Yuan cried, "Father, I..."
She looked at her father with teary eyes, aggrieved yet strong, as if not knowing what to say.
Seeing her, Qin Jijiu felt a stirring in his heart, remembering the early-deceased Aunt Chen, and said, "It's the father's lack of thoughtfulness. Your dowry is indeed too small. Marrying into the Marquis Mansion is originally to clean up the situation for your sister, the public coffers will add twenty percent more to your dowry, and together with the betrothal gift from the Marquis Mansion, it will be decent enough, and no one will belittle you."
"Add twenty percent?" Mrs. Cui, disregarding the dignity of the main wife, screamed in public, "Are you just worried about marrying off the daughter while disregarding the livelihood of your sons?"
Speaking of sons, it was practically only her legitimate son, Qin Heng.
After all, the illegitimate sons wouldn't get much family property.
Qin Jijiu said, "Then let Qin Wan give two percent of her dowry to her sister."
Mrs. Cui: "..."
Clearly, it was just because of a single wedding dress, and now so much money had to be spent.
Mrs. Cui felt such heartache that she could hardly stand.
Still, it was Qin Heng who cherished his sister and said, "Mother, let the public coffers supplement the eldest sister's dowry, the Lin Family is too poor, let's not deduct the second sister's dowry."
Qin Wan: "..."
Although she kept her wedding dress, she was not happy about it.
When Qin Wan left, she couldn't suppress the jealousy and resentment in her heart, glared at Qin Yuan and said, "You can enjoy yourself for these few days, when you get to the Marquis Mansion, you may not have such good days."
Qin Yuan looked at Qin Wan in surprise and said, "You are my sister, I can ignore it, but don't let others hear you talking such nonsense, do you think the days in the Marquis Mansion will be dire straits?"
Qin Wan seemed to realize she misspoke, stopped talking, rolled her eyes and said, "Hmph, I don't care about you, don't think that by marrying well, you can lord it over me, in the future, there will be regrets for you, by then don't come begging to me."
With that, she looked around disdainfully at the furnishings in the room, these were all supplemented by Mrs. Cui recently, she shook her head and said, "These things, I wouldn't look twice at them, you are just destined to live a hard life."
Watching Qin Wan leave with her entourage, Hong Ye couldn't help but sneer, "Is the second young lady mentally ill?"
Cui Ming also said, "Maybe she was provoked because Master added more to the eldest lady's dowry."
Hong Ye said, "She moved the stone herself and deservedly smashed her own foot."
Qin Yuan thought, Qin Wan indeed had a screw loose, arrogantly assuming she could become Prime Minister's wife just like in her previous life, little did she know, without her, the position of Prime Minister wouldn't be Lin Ziqi's.
When the time comes, she must see what good days Qin Wan can have.