Xianyue's delicate frame couldn't handle it, and she came down with a cough the next day. However, Second Madam Lou had treated her since she was young, and she'd been nourished with precious medicinal herbs year-round, so these were minor ailments, nothing serious.

She was just a little sickly, lying in bed, unwilling to get up, even having her meals brought to her bedside. Fortunately, there were no banquets to attend these past few days, so she didn't have to go out.

Lingshuang, feeling sorry for her, stayed in her room with her. But Lingshuang disliked needlework and had no interest in drawing eyebrows or hair. Seeing Qingyun gone, she actually took a small knife and started carving small wooden sculptures by the bed.

Xianyue was talking to her when Qingyun came in and coughed. Lingshuang quickly put the knife away and quietly handed it to Xianyue, who took it with familiarity, tucking it under her pillow.

The two of them worked together year-round; otherwise, Qingyun would have scolded her again if she'd seen her playing with the knife.

"What are you holding?" Ling Shuang asked Qing Yun preemptively.

"I told Mother that Sister Cai Huan was pitiful and had no good clothes. Mother asked me to find a few nice ones to send to her. Also, there are some accessories in this box, all from my past."

"Show them to me," Xian Yue said.

Qing Yun then showed her the pieces one by one. They were all clothes the sisters no longer wore, made in the past two years. A sable cloak was made for Ling Shuang two years ago, but she suddenly grew taller than her sisters and couldn't wear it anymore. The other pieces were from last year, not looking outdated, but not exactly new either. The piece of jewelry was a gold heart-studded turquoise ornament with two sideburns.

Xian Yue looked at it, smiled, and put it back meaningfully.

"In my opinion, you shouldn't give these away. You can make some money selling them in the shop," she said calmly.

"What are you talking about? Selling them in the shop will only make a few bucks. This is about helping the needy. How can you say that?" Qingyun frowned.

Qingyun wasn't as quick-witted as Xianyue. Sometimes, when her mind was stuck, she was a bit clueless. Her two sisters also liked to tease her. But Lingshuang pointed out, "She thinks the items are bad."

"That's not right. They're not bad either. At least they're better than what she wore last night.

I was thinking that Sister Cai Huan is staying with my great aunt. If we ostentatiously send her some expensive gifts, it would seem like my great aunt is mistreating her niece and trying to sow discord," Qingyun said.

She always acted calmly and impartially, as if she were bound by a certain framework.

In her opinion, the weight of these items was just right. Anything less would be excessive.

But Xianyue immediately refuted her.

"If you give these, people won't say anything. They'll say something more. What kind of thing is this? Are you sending away a beggar?" Xianyue said sharply, "The moment I met Cai Huan, I knew she was a thoughtful person, so I couldn't help but overthink things. Giving these things to her seems like charity.

Besides, these are just average-looking clothes. Even if she wears them out, when we go to enjoy the flowers together, the three of us will be dressed more glamorously and beautifully than she is. We'll gain fame and the spotlight. What do you think she'll think?"

Qingyun was stunned by her words.

"What do you think?" she asked Xianyue.

"If it were up to me, I wouldn't give her anything. I'd do less and make fewer mistakes. I wouldn't turn a favor into an enemy." Xianyue said lazily, "We're guests from afar. We shouldn't interfere in the affairs of the eldest wife.

I've heard that she's an orphan, with no one to take care of her. She relies on the eldest wife. The eldest wife is a widow, unemployed, and she values oney. She's kept her property and is incredibly stingy with her. Can you help her with clothes and a dowry?"

"If that's the case, how can I feel at ease?"

Qingyun sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, momentarily at a loss.

Lingshuang couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the two of them.

"What? The only options are nothing or some hand-me-downs? Cai Huan has nothing to wear. What do I care what the first wife thinks? If you're going to give her anything, just give her the best."

"What do you mean?" Qingyun understood. "Isn't that a bad idea?"

"Why wouldn't it? We always make extra sets when we make clothes. Yesterday, Xianyue picked out all the embroidered dresses for the three of us, and there happened to be one magnolia dress left, so we gave it to her.

Just say we made a mistake when choosing the material, and it would be a shame to keep it. Giving it to her would be both nice and presentable, wouldn't that be good?

The Spring Festival Banquet is in two weeks. The four of us can wear them out together then. How nice?"

Qingyun hesitated. "I don't understand. If she really thinks we've made something bad and don't want it anymore, then all your efforts would be in vain."

Lingshuang and Xianyue both laughed.

"Don't worry, she'll definitely know," they both said.

Xianyue had confidence in her needlework. Cai Huan did all the sewing herself. At the Cui family banquet, aside from the white foxtail cape, she wore an ordinary Hangzhou silk dress underneath. But the orchid pattern around the cuffs was truly elegant, beautiful, and lifelike. Xianyue, a painter, recognized Cai Huan's embroidery skills at a glance.

How could Cai Huan not recognize the preciousness of this embroidered magnolia dress? The magnolias were embroidered entirely with pearly white silver thread, shimmering even in the dark. The silver thread alone must have consumed several taels.

Giving gifts is the way it should be: you don't need to say a word; the other person understands.

Ling Shuang understood Cai Huan's character. Although she was bullied by Princess Xun and the sisters Yuzhu and Bizhu, she possessed a certain pride.

Since ancient times, swords have been given to heroes. When she saw this priceless embroidered magnolia, she understood the weight of this friendship.

Although Qingyun hesitated, her two younger sisters agreed. Besides, Second Madam Lou was out meeting friends and away, so there was no one to ask. Waiting any longer would be too late.

So she went to Huang Niangzi to get her keys and clothes, then went to the main courtyard to pay her respects. It was her first time there, and she found it eerily quiet. First Madam Lou's chambermaid, a rather astute-looking woman named Cai Jiujia, said only that First Madam Lou was still meditating before the Buddha. She noticed Yuexiang, the maid behind Qingyun, holding a box, and asked with a smile, "Why did you bring a gift, young lady?"

"I just have something to ask Sister Cai Huan."

Qingyun was wary of the people in the mansion, so she just smiled and said nothing more. When she saw Cai Huan, she was indeed sewing. Qing Yun closed the door and showed her the dress embroidered with broken branches. She was genuinely delighted. She traced the stitches with her hands, feeling deeply moved. Then she held it up to the bedside and held it up to the light. The silver thread shone brightly in the dark, but not too bright in the light; it was just the right amount.

"They say Jiangnan embroidery is amazing. I've finally seen it." Her eyes lit up. "The embroidery of this magnolia must have a foundation in flower and bird art. I heard someone say the thread has a front and back, and I thought it was a joke, but it turns out it's true. Gold and silver thread can be used like this! It's truly amazing."

Qing Yun had been a little worried about losing her precious pearl, but seeing her captivated by it, she felt relieved. "I heard from my mother that this embroidery style only became popular in Jiangnan in the latter half of the year. Apart from Jinshang, there's nothing else available in the market."

"Jinshang" means tribute. This folded-branch embroidery is a novel technique developed by Yangzhou embroiderers. It draws inspiration from the patterns of folded branches of flowers and birds depicted in literati paintings, embroidering them in a similar way. The stitches imitate the intensity, depth, wetness, and smudges of ink, and the skilled can even mimic the brushwork. Needless to say, it's time-consuming and labor-intensive, comparable to kesi silk.

Cai Huan's eyes were filled with shock. After listening for a moment, she fumbled with the embroidery thread and meticulously copied the technique.

Seeing the time was right, Qingyun whispered, "There are four dresses in total. The tailor made one extra. We three sisters have worn them, so there's one left. It would be a shame to leave it alone. If you don't mind, I'll give it to you."

Cai Huan was shocked and said, "How can I do that? It's too expensive..."

"Ling Shuang insisted on giving it to you, so I just brought it here. Now that I've brought it, I have to go back." Qingyun didn't give her a chance to refuse and stood up to leave.

Cai Huan hurriedly grabbed her, but Qingyun finally broke free and said with a smile, "I don't care about your lawsuit. At least accept it. This is Ling Shuang's kindness."

"No, she's really messing around. I'll go find her," Cai Huan said anxiously.

Qing Yun quickly pushed her down and whispered in her ear, "Don't refuse! Just keep it. There are so many people here, and passing it around wouldn't be a good idea. Just think of it as keeping it for us. When we get to the Spring Festival banquet, the four of us can wear the same clothes. Isn't that great? Well, I've bothered you for half the day. I have to go."

Ignoring Cai Huan's attempts to refuse, she simply said, "Please keep it safe. Don't let anyone know," and hurried away.

As expected, she saw someone from the third house peeking outside the warm room. She simply called out, "Who is it?"

The person came out. It was Madam Feng, the housekeeper. Seeing her, she beamed. "Hello, Miss," she said. "Old Madam sent me to ask what the ladies would like for lunch. By the way, Third Madam has found some fabric to make spring dresses, and I'd like to take your measurements and take a look at your existing dresses to avoid any clashes."

Though gentle and honest, Qingyun was no fool. She knew what she was talking about and said calmly, "Don't worry, Third Aunt. Our household expenses are high, and my mother has already told us that we can make our own clothes, so there's no need for the government to worry."

As for lunch, I'll talk to the old ancestor later. I'll tell him what I have to say then. Don't bother Madam Feng."

Madam Feng didn't expect Qingyun to actually open the door and let her see the three sisters' dressing gowns and clothes, so she simply peeked back and said with a smile, "Then I'll be leaving now. My mistress asked me to ask you all to be safe and take care not to catch a cold and miss the Spring Festival Banquet."

It was clear they already knew about Xianyue's cough.

"Thank you for your concern, my sisters. We feel the same way," Qingyun said calmly, without anger.

She returned to the warm room. Xianyue had felt better. The maid was serving her medicine. She was always delicate, taking a mouthful of medicine and a mouthful of candy, and the bitterness made her face wrinkle.

"Madam Feng, what are you doing peeking out there?" Ling Shuang asked, flipping through a book.

"Isn't it just to gather information?" Qingyun called over Xianyue's maid, Taoran, and asked, "Where are all the residue from Xianyue's decoction?"

"As Second Madam said, they're buried outside at the roots of a tree." Taoran said, "Don't worry, I watched Xiaoliu and the others bury it at night. No one will know."

She then called over Ruyi, Lingshuang's older maid, and said, "Although our clothes and jewelry are with Mother, you all have to be careful. Keep our daily clothes safe after we change out, and don't show them to anyone. I think the Third House is getting ready to make some moves, and they're probably up to something bad."

The three older maids nodded in agreement and each went to instruct the younger maids.

Qingyun then asked Madam Huang for some rice candy for Xianyue to eat while she took her medicine.

While doing some needlework, she saw Ling Shuang sitting outside in the sun reading a book. She thought about how weird she and Cai Huan were. One of them didn't come to say thank you, and the other didn't ask for Cai Huan's reaction. They were so weird together, no wonder they could become friends.