Marriage of the Di Daughter

Chapter 32: Shifting Blame

"This set is a fake," she lowered her eyes, "this is not my head ornament."

The crowd was silent for a moment.

Madam Liu was the first one to open her mouth and ask: "second miss Jiang, what do you mean with this sentence?"

Jiang Li smiled and handed the head ornament in her hand to Madam Liu. She spoke faintly: "I spent 400 taels of silver to buy a ruby head ornament in Yanjing's Ji Xiang Lou. There are only a total 3 sets of ruby ornaments available in Ji Xiang Lou, precisely due to the excellent quality of this gem and its bright color." Jiang Li paused for a while before continuing, "however, the workmanship of the head ornament in my hand was crude, the colour dull. Don't even mention it being 400 taels of silver, it's not even as good as 40 taels of silver."

"What the young lady means is ......." Tong'er couldn't help asking.

"If I really wanted to curse third sister, I wouldn't use such an unpresentable small thing." Jiang Li's tone was filled with disdain, "this is not my head ornament, someone else took away my head ornament and exchanged it with this broken thing with the idea to make me a joke."

Someone took her head ornament!

In a split second, the matter changed dramatically. Everyone suddenly realized, but for a short moment they fell into deeper doubt.

Old Madam Jiang asked: "Li girl, saying someone took your head ornament, what's the meaning of this?"

Jiang Li turned her head around and smiled slightly to her and said: "Old Madam, no need to be anxious. Right now I'm here to make things clear, in the end, what actually happened?"

Old Madam Jiang was startled. In the presence of guests, Jiang Li called her "Old Madam" and not "grandmother." Once heard, it was soon evident of their close or distant relation. Was this complaining to her because a moment ago she didn't stand by Jiang Li's side when she was trapped in predicament?

A trace of astonishment flashed across Jiang You Yao and Ji Shuran's faces. The matter shouldn't develop like this. Ji Shuran's heart trembled, not wanting Jiang Li to break her plan, she quickly said: "Li'er, how could this head ornament be fake? Perhaps you've made a mistake?"

"Impossible!" Madam Liu spoke up. She resolutely said: "It's impossible for the items coming out from Ji Xiang Lou to be of this quality. Everyone is a frequent visitor of Ji Xiang Lou, once you look at it you'll know." Madam Liu handed the head ornament in her hand to the madam at her side. A few madams touched and felt the head ornament together and everyone nodded.

They verified Madam Liu's words.

Ji Shuran frowned and looked at Jiang Li to suddenly discover that from the beginning until now, since the cracks were discovered on the head ornament, no matter whether anyone criticized or looked at her peculiarly, Jiang Li wasn't anxious in the face of all these.

Jiang Li was puzzled, suspicious, remorseful, but against reason she wasn't anxious, angry, helpless and desperate.

Even now, the corner of Jiang Li's mouth still carried a warm and gentle smile, exactly the same as how she was initially.

With this situation, how can she still smile, what's so funny?

Ji Shuran was thinking and felt more and more there was something wrong. She subconsciously caught sight of Jiang Li lowering her head to look at Xiang Qiao on the ground, and followed Jiang Li's gaze to discover that Xiang Qiao who had been kneeling all along on the ground seemed paralyzed.

Xiang Qiao was shaking.

Jiang Li crouched down and reached her hand out to help Xiang Qiao up. Her eyes as she was looking at Xiang Qiao were amiable and gentle, her tone was also still as good-natured as before.