"Hmmm. You are right. Don't worry after Gu Yanyan comes out of her shell and us use her as we want, I'll make sure to reward second branch with good stuffs and treasures but for now..." Old Madam Gu's old but sharp fell on her second son and daughter-in-law as she continued "I've a piece of red silk jade, I'll get someone send it to Tingsong Courtyard."
Hearing this Madam Yun immediately stood up from her seat and thanked old Madam Gu to show her gratitude while Madam Shen could only gnashed her teeth and clenched her fist under her sleeves in jealousy.
Red silk jade was one of the valuable and jade and seals and inkstone made of this jade are often seen as treasures.
Madam Shen had always wanted to ask this red silk jade to make a seal for her eldest son once he passed the scholar's exam next year but she didn't know before she could get the chance to ask for this valuable jade, old Madam had already decided to give it away to second branch as a reward.
In result she could only huff in annoyance while twisting her silk handkerchief in resentment till it was almost worn out.
Next Morning before it was ten, young ladies of the Residence were already making their way towards the Water Pavilion one after another.
As the younger generation was still kept in dark from the schemes of adults, they only knew that this just returned eldest sister of theirs was getting special treatment from all elders in the family.
Even their old Grandmother who never cared about anyone's feelings other than the ones who could be proved useful for her and the Gu family and the ones who could add stars in the Gu family's prestige and it's reputation, was also suddenly caring about Gu Yanyan.
They had also heard from the maids in their yards that old Madam had asked Madam Yun and Gu Yanran to send new clothes and jewelleries to please Gu Yanyan yesterday and for doing that Gu Yanran even received a valuable jade as a reward.
The little young ladies in the Residence were sure of one thing that if they also wanted to be rewarded by their grandmother, their time had came.
If they could please Gu Yanyan and come into her good books, may be they could also be rewarded by Old Madam.
Madam Shen had also told Gu Yanjie to perform well in front of Gu Yanyan and form a closer relationship with her.
The more closer the better.
For doing this Madam Shen had two agendas up her sleeve; first if Gu Yanjie could form a closer relationship with Gu Yanyan, she would also have a chance to get rewarded by Old Madam. Even though old Madam had already given away that piece of red silk jade to second branch but she still have a precious piece of yellow Haitian jade.
Haitian jades was usually wore by imperial family but it didn't mean others couldn't have it.
Haitian jades feels cold in summer and warm in winters making the wearer calm and feel at ease.
If she could get her hands on that piece of jade, Madam Shen thought, she would definitely make it a pendent for her second child.
Her eldest son had calm mind and he always did things by book but her younger son always played mischievous and caused troubles every once in while.
And the second reason was that Madam Shen also had the same thought about the rising general Lin Chenfeng.
She knew what play Madam Yun was brewing in her courtyard about Lin Chenfeng and Gu Yanran but Madam Shen waved sure that her Yanjie was more capable than Gu Yanran and the past between the second branch and Madam Yun had with Madam Lin and her family, no matter how lovestruck Lin Chenfeng would become after seeing Gu Yanran's gentleness and beauty, he wouldn't allow a Yun descendant to enter his Lin backyard as the mistress of the house.
She only wanted Gu Yanjie to form a closer relationship with Gu Yanyan and leave a better impression on her so that when the times comes, Gu Yanyan would support Gu Yanjie and not Gu Yanran as her cousin-in-law.
While in the Wanlei courtyard, Concubine Qiu was again reminding Gu Yanwen to not overstep her boundaries and compete with Gu Yanran for anything in Water Pavilion, be it Gu Yanyan's favour or her recognition, Gu Yanwen always leave these things for Gu Yanran first.
Even though she didn't had much power or influence in the Gu Residence but concubine Qiu had also received some inside information about how old Madam Gu and two masters of the house wanted to use Gu Yanyan's face to gain Lin family and newly appointment third rank Earl Lin Chenfeng's recognition and respect and bond with Lin family again which had made a huge comeback in the Capital city and in the imperial court.
She could read in the situation and knew how important it was to get into Gu Yanyan's good books and if her Yanwen defeated Gu Yanran in this, Madam Yun and Gu Yanran both won't let them, mother and daughter, off the hook for ruining their plan.
But who was Gu Yanwen?
How could she were to tell her mother that she didn't like that Gu Yanyan i'm the first place and now that she was already a hot topic in the Residence, getting all limelight and favour from their grandmother and other elders in the family, Gu Yanwen's hate for her had only intensified.
Gu Yanwen wanted nothing more than to scratch that b*itch Gu Yanyan's face and skin her alive.
'Expecting from her to please that Gu Yanyan and get closer to her? Hmph. If that were to do me then I won't be Gu Yanwen anymore.' Gu Yanwen sneered to herself before making her way towards the Water Pavilion.
"Ah fifth sister Yanwen also came to play with eldest sister Yanyan?"
Note- Author doesn't know anything about jades. I just made up those things. Please readers don't memorize these things to use in the future. (I just thought to let you know because I had memorize a lot of things from other novels thinking it was real. I only knew it was just made up by the author after i tried to find more details on google. Sob sob.)