The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 309: What the Heck is Dark Cuisine (1)_1

Chapter 309: Chapter 309: What the Heck is Dark Cuisine (1)_1

Pei Qian had been waiting by the side the whole time, disliking her aunt Fang Hui, whom she found to be full of schemes and harboring ill intentions. She also disliked the idea of her aunt fixing her elder sister’s hair.

Watching her twist Pei Qin’s hair and then trying to adorn it with a silver hairpin, she grabbed her hand, pulled it away, and without any courtesy inserted the jade hairpin she had been holding into Pei Qin’s hair, saying, "The jade hairpin was already prepared for my elder sister, why would you even consider using a silver one!"

Fang Hui saw the silver Bu Yao almost secured in Pei Qin’s hair when, unexpectedly, Pei Qian rushed forward, pulled it away, and caused disruption; the silver Bu Yao, not held securely, also fell to the ground, making Fang Hui’s face turn ugly in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, the silver Bu Yao on Pei Qin’s head was replaced with the jade hairpin.

Grandma Fang and Lady Yu watched from the side, both feeling that Pei Qian was lacking in manners. Even if she was usually sharp-tongued, it wasn’t appropriate for her to interrupt at such a time.

It wasn’t good for Fang Hui to publicly scold her niece Pei Qian, but her actions were indeed unreasonable. She opened her mouth and said, "Qianqian! You cannot disrupt the rituals of coming-of-age!"

Pei Qian was unafraid, but since it was her elder sister’s coming-of-age day, she didn’t want to talk back and spoil the mood, so she chuckled, "I already said before that the hairpin for my elder sister’s coming-of-age was prepared in advance, it’s only natural to put it on her!" That broken silver hairpin couldn’t compare to the jade hairpin! And besides, the jade hairpin was a gift from Shen Songming to my elder sister.

Fang Hui’s face darkened, and she quickly bent down to pick up the silver Bu Yao, "Is Qianqian despising the hairpin your aunt gave because it’s made of silver and is not to your liking!?"

Grandma Fang slightly frowned, looking at the jade hairpin on Pei Qin’s head. The whole hairpin was made of jade, its color luminous and translucent, carved with fish playing among lotus flowers, looking extraordinary at a glance.

Lady Yu, smiling, tried to smooth things over, "Second sister! Little kids don’t understand the rules of coming-of-age. I think the jade hairpin suits Qinqin; since they prepared it ahead of time as siblings, let’s just use this one! Mother and I, we both gave jewelry, Qinqin can’t wear everything all at once, she can alternate later, there’s plenty of time!"

Since she put it that way, Fang Hui couldn’t make a scene publicly, but she couldn’t let it go, so she smiled and said, "The jade hairpin does look pretty, but wearing just one is too plain. Qinqin will be a young lady from now on, you should wear another one!" She stubbornly picked up the silver Bu Yao and tried to put it on Pei Qin’s head again.

Pei Qin sighed softly, "This silver Bu Yao looks familiar. Aunt, are you just going to put it on my head like that?"

The hand Fang Hui used to insert the hairpin paused.

Pei Qin stood up, her gaze towards Fang Hui turning somewhat cold.

The atmosphere tensed up, and Grandma Fang along with everyone else couldn’t quite understand what was going on.

Sun Tiezhu, recalling the wooden hairpin that Zou Xing had been carrying without intending to give it away, looked at Fang Hui, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes. This hairpin represented a sentiment, and having been rejected, she intended to give it to Xiao Pei, cornering her into an awkward position where she’d be compelled to accept a marriage for the sake of her reputation. How despicable! This was her own aunt, calculating against Xiao Pei, what a sorry excuse for a relative!

Seeing that Pei Qin had actually recognized the hairpin, Fang Hui became a bit panicked and explained, "This hairpin is something I bought a few days ago; even though it may not be worth much, it’s still a gesture of affection."

Seeing Pei Qin’s face still smiling but her eyes noticeably cooling, Lady Yu felt a twinge in her heart. Qinqin recognized this hairpin, could it be the one from Feng Bo previously...

Old Scholar Fang, a highly astute man, and moreover, having been briefed by Fang Li about Fang Hui’s intention to marry Pei Qin off to the Feng family, took in the situation, pursed his lips even tighter, deepening the lines around his mouth, making him seem severe and stern, cast a glance at Feng Shouxing, and moderated his voice, saying, "Since there are plenty of hairpins, let Hui Niang exchange them for two pieces of fabric instead! It’s best to give the same gifts; we wouldn’t want the other items to fall short!"

Seeing him speak out, Fang Hui knew he had seen through her, and she grew anxious and agitated. If her father knew, he’d surely scold her and order her not to entertain any more thoughts of arranging a marriage. Yet her grandson was almost always loitering around Pei Qin, not allowing others even a chance.