The Fourth Lady

Chapter 37 Missing Hairpin I

After receiving the hairpin from Qingyan, Xiaocui smiled all the way back to her room. In the room, all

the other servant girls made an envious look when they saw the hairpin in her hand. Originally, she

didn't want to tell Chai Yiyun about this, but she knew that in this yard, there were also other spies of

hers.

If she didn't tell her, then the one with an unfortunate end would definitely be her. After all, in Chai

Yiyun's eyes, she was only a pawn. And a useless pawn would only be discarded.

Xiaocui glanced at the hairpin and quietly said to herself: Miss, you shouldn't blame me, I'm only doing

this because I have no other choice.

Just as Xiaocui stored the hairpin into her sleeve, she saw Chai Yiyun's maid, Juyue standing at the

door talking to another girl. Soon after, that girl called Xiaocui over.

When Juyue saw Xiaocui, she spoke in a distasteful tone, "Xiaocui, you have to know, your master now

isn't the fourth miss."

Listening to Juyue's words, Xiaocui lowered her head and promptly replied, "Yes, Xiaocui's master now

is madam. Xiaocui was just about to go report this matter to madam."

Juyue glanced at her in contempt before taking her to leave with her.

When Xiaocui saw Chai Yiyun, Chai Yiyun was in the middle of grooming. Seeing Xiaocui, she smiled,

"I heard that girl gave you a hairpin, is this true?"

When Xiaocui heard this, she immediately presented the hairpin to Chai Yiyun, "This is the hairpin the

miss gave me."

Chai Yiyun, seeing that the hairpin was made from a material she'd never seen before, picked it up and

played with it in her hand, "Xiaocui, what kind of accessory do you think a servant like you should

wear?"

Xiaocui understood that this was Chai Yiyun implying that she wanted the hairpin for herself. She

promptly replied in a soft voice, "If madam likes it, then madam can have it."

Satisfied with what she heard, Chai Yiyun nodded her head and glanced to Meixue. Meixue brought out

a bag of silver shards and handed it to her, "Take this money as payment for the hairpin."

Xiaocui smiled as she received the moneybag from Meixue, "Thank you very much, Madam."

Chai Yiyun asked about a few trivial matters, before letting Juyue send her away.

This whole time, Chai Yiyun had been staring at the hairpin in hand. In that moment, she just felt that

this hairpin suited Su Qingwen more. Soon after, she let Lanzhi send this hairpin to Su Qingwen.

When Su Qingwen saw the hairpin, she loved it to bits and even told Juxiang that she was going to

wear hairpin tomorrow.

Everything was going just as Qingyan predicted.

--------------------------------

Early next morning, Qingyan was already waiting at the dressing table for Baizhi to come fix her hair.

But seeing her reflection, she couldn't help but to think of the image of that person drawing her

eyebrows for her.

That line, 'finishing her makeup, she lowered her head and asked her husband, whether her eyebrows

were drawn in fashion*', vaguely resounded in her mind.

(*TN: This is a line from a Tang dynasty poem. The context of the poem is referring to the morning after

the wedding as the bride ask her husband whether her makeup will be to her in-laws' liking.)

As she thought of this, Qingyan's lips curled into a smile.

When Baizhi entered, she saw Qingyan sitting in front of the mirror alone smiling to herself. Seeing

Qingyan like that, Baizhi laughed, "Miss, did something good happen?"

Hearing Baizhi say that, she turned to her, "You've become quite bold, even daring to tease me."

Baizhi spoke as she placed down the basin of water in her hand, "Even if I were to become shameless,

I still wouldn't dare to make fun of the miss."

After Qingyan washed up, she sat down in front of the dressing table, "Baizhi, I want the same simple

hairstyle as before for today. Yesterday, I heard Qingdai say that Bogu hall is going to be opened for ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

class again."

"That's right." Baizhi spoke as she very quickly fixed Qingyan's hair. She then scanned the case of

accessories on the table, "Miss, why don't you wear the jasper golden ringed hairpin that madam gave

you. That was one of madam's dowry when she married over."

As Qingyan listened to Baizhi, her lips curled into a smile, "Alright, since it was mother's dowry, then

naturally it's exceptional. Baizhi, I want to wear that hairpin today."

Baizai glanced to Qingyan, before starting to look for that hairpin in the accessory case. But no matter

how she looked, she couldn't find that hairpin.

"Miss, that hairpin madam gave you is missing." Baizhi anxiously looked to Qingyan, "Could it be that

miss forgot and left it somewhere?"

"That's not possible. I haven't gone out in the last few days, when have I ever worn that hairpin?"

Qingyan impatiently looked to Baizhi, "Hurry up and find some people to look for it. If that hairpin is lost,

I won't forgive you."

Hearing the clamor coming from the room, Zizhu promptly pushed open the door to see what was

going on. Baizhi could only explain to her the cause of what happened.

After carefully listening, Zizhu immediately ordered the servants to search for the hairpin.

Although the others didn't know what the hairpin looked like, Xiaocui was panicking on the inside. She

really didn't think that Qingyan would pull something like this.

It was natural that the hairpin was missing, and moreover, its whereabouts, Qingyan knew very well.

Third aunt, this is my first big surprised for you. You better be prepared to receive it!

Although the hairpin wasn't found, Qingyan still picked a piece she usually liked to wear and headed to

go greet Su Jiashi.

Just as Qingyan entered Meixiangyuan, she saw Su Qingwen wearing that hairpin on her head. She

immediately knew that everything was going accordingly as planned.

"Yan'er is here to greet grandmother." Qingyan looked to Su Jiashi with a smile, "Grandmother looks

much better than usual today."

When Su Jiashi saw Qingyan, her originally cold expression immediately grew a bit kinder, "Yan'er,

you've come. Quick, come sit next to grandmother."

Not only did Ning Siyao and Chai Yiyun found it unpleasant when they saw this, even the other children

felt extremely irritated.

When Ning Siyao thought of what happened a few days ago, her gaze towards her was terribly vicious,

but Qingyan seems to have completely disregarded her gaze.

"Yan'er, why are you wearing such a plain hairpin today?" Su Jiashi worryingly asked as she looked to

the hairpin in Qingyan's hair. "Did you not get issued new accessories?"

Qingyan looked to Su Jiashi and said with difficulty, "This morning, Yan'er had planned to wear the

hairpin that was mother's dowry, but who would have thought that the hairpin went missing. I have yet

to find it all morning."

"How could you be so careless?" Su Jiashi looked to Qingyan and helplessly shook her head. "Did a

thief come and steal it?" She nodded as she said this.

Qingyan glanced to Chai Yiyun, before turning her gaze back towards Su Jiashi, "That's right, a thief

must have came and stolen Yan'er's hairpin."

"Who is that thief? To dare steal something from our manor. I sure want to know just who in the world

would have the nerve to steal something from a General's manor!" Su Jiashi heavily struck her cane as

she said this.

Chai Yiyun looked to the hairpin on Qingwen's head, and glanced again at the pitiful looking Qingyan.

She quietly thought to herself: not good.