As they had planned.
And just as they had, the moment the perpetrator heard what Yang Xumei said, her eyes lit up.
Madam Yun instantly stood up from her seat and came to Gu Yanyan.
"Child you suffered a lot." Madam Yun's eyes were red and filled with tears, as if she was much more in pain than Gu Yanyan herself.
"It's fine mother. It's just for a few days. I believe I'll be fine after a few days when I'll get used to my new environment." Gu Yanyan stepped forward and held Madam Yun's hand just as lovingly as the last time when they had met for the first time after 10 years and showed each other their love as the Mother and daughter.
But soon Madam Yun pulled her hands out of Gu Yanyan's hands, not daring to receive too much 'love' from her just returned 'daughter'.
Instead she patted her hair and said,"Yes. You'll be fine. But if in a few days you won't get better, send someone to tell mother, mother will ask imperial physician to come and take your pulse." Madam Yun said in a soft and loving voice.
"Sure mother."
Looking at Mother and daughter sharing a loving moment, old Madam Gu didn't say anything but just as their conversation came to end, old Madam again frowned and asked in displeased tone for the reason of her wearing such plain and simple clothes at the family banquet.
"Grandmother that.." Instead of answering old Madam Yun's question directly, Gu Yanyan looked in Madam Yun's direction.
Madam Yun was puzzled at her staring and trying to think about the reason but she didn't find any but soon got her answer when she heard Yang Xumei's next crying.
"Old Madam please don't blame my miss. It's not her fault." Yang Xumei's face was full of tears as she pleaded for Gu Yanyan.
"Then whose fault was it? Yours? Are you saying, you were the one who forced eldest sister Yanyan to wear such plain and simple clothes at such an occasion." Gu Yanwen couldn't help but sneered at Yang Xumei.
Other members of the family also stared at Yang Xumei as if they had caught a criminal.
"Wen'er, you shouldn't speak in elders' matters. Shut up and sit in your seat quietly." Madam Yun scolded Gu Yanwen sternly but didn't denied her accusations against Yang Xumei.
Just as everyone had decide their judgments, they heard another slow and hoarsed voice.
"It was not Yang Xumei who asked me to wear this dress. Instead it was I who insisted to wear this dress." Gu Yanyan said as she looked towards old Madam Gu.
"But why do you have to wear such clothes? Don't you know, it's inauspicious to wear such plain clothes in happy occasions. Even though it's not a big feast, it's true that today we're celebrating your returning home after ten years and you should show a little respect towards us elders, towards your mother who prepared so much just for you." As old Madam Gu said this, she looked at Gu Yanyan disapprovingly.
When they last met in An Shui hall, she was quit satisfied with this eldest grand daughter of hers for being filial and thoughtful. She was also pleased with her for having a healthy and cheerful aura around her but seeing her today like this, old Madam Gu couldn't help feel a little displeased with her.
"My miss wore this dress because she wanted to please second Madam. Old Madam please don't blame my miss." Old Madam Gu was still shaking her head in disappointment when she heard Yang Xumei say this.
"What did you say?" Old Madam Gu looked at Yang Xumei in puzzlement and then at Gu Yanyan.
"But why would Yanyan would wear such clothes to please me?" Madam Yun aslos looked confused.
"Madam did you forget that these are the clothes you had sent by your maid as gift on miss' return. You also said that you hope miss would like and enjoy your gift. That's why miss wore these clothes and accessories, thinking, you would be looking forward to wear the clothes you have gifted her on this family banquet." Madam Yun was stupefied after hearing what Yang Xumei had said and she looked at her blankly and trying to remember the day Gu Yanyan returned.
Other members of the Gu family also looked at Madam Yun to see what she had to say now...
"Mother it's not me." Madam Yun straightly denied and looked at Gu Yanyan in strange.
"If not you then are you saying Yanyan is trying to frame?" Old Madam Gu's gaze on Gu Yanyan became even more displeased.
"No Grandmother. It was really given by mother." Gu Yanyan hastily tried to explain.
"It was really delivered by mother's maids and she really had said those words, all the servants in Water Pavilion can testify for this." Gu Yanyan's face was full of tears. Looking like a little girl who doesn't know how to make others believe her words.
She looked around herself and suddenly went towards a certain direction and pulled out a woman in maids clothes.
"Grandmother, mother, this was the woman who sent these clothes and accessories to me." Gu Yanyan said with certainty.
Looking at the her maid grabbed by Gu Yanyan, Madam Yun suddenly remembered that she had said to send something from her wardrobe to her as gift but it shouldn't be anything valuable.
She didn't think, these lowly maids would be so audacious to send such lowly and plain clothes as gifts for tge eldest young lady of the household.
At this juncture she could only grit her teeth and step forward to slap that loy maid.
"How dare you to switch the gifts I prepared for Yanyan?" At this time she could only blame everything on the maid and I'm truth it was her fault in the first place.
Thinking this madam Yun straighten her back and turned to Old Madam Gu.