By the afternoon, most of the guests who came to celebrate the birthday and give gifts had left, and the formal birthday banquet would be after the evening.
The Mo family no longer receives guests from outside, and those left in the living and banquet hall are immediate relatives of the Mo family, or relatives and friends who are very close and closely related in terms of social status.
"Grandpa Mo, I haven't been able to get a word in before. This is a gift prepared by our Ji family for you." Ji Mengran took out a refined antique box at the table.
When she said this, she glanced at Ji Nuan specifically.
Ji Nuan noticed her gaze but did not react.
The relatives on the table saw someone making this move again. All kinds of special and well-thought-out gifts were placed on the table one by one. This time they were no longer piled casually on the gift racks, but all took the initiative. He took it apart and showed it to the old man like a treasure.
Seeing that the time was almost up, Ji Mengran suddenly said as if by accident: "Sister, why haven't I seen your birthday gift? Come and show it to Grandpa Mo! I believe that your birthday gift will be very special!"
As she said this, she winked at Ji Nuan, smiling as if she was innocent.
"It's really special. After all, it's hard to get." Ji Nuan took out the square rosewood gift box that couldn't tell what it contained and put it on the table.
When she saw the size of the gift box, which was the same size as the chessboard Ji Mengran had given her before, Ji Mengran's eyes were filled with excitement.
Ji Hongwen frowned imperceptibly when he saw the box Ji Nuan took out.
"Grandpa, this is a surprise for you. I believe you will like it very much." Ji Nuan put the gift box in front of Mr. Mo and smiled sincerely.
Mr. Mo was smiling and had not spoken yet. Ji Mengran suddenly stared at the rosewood gift box and said with a look of shock: "No, sister! Is this the birthday gift you want to give to Mr. Mo?"
Ji Nuan said calmly: "What?"
Ji Mengran still looked shocked: "Look at the size of this gift box, what you have in it...could it be the chessboard from the early Tang Dynasty in our family? Dad lost a beloved antique a few days ago. I didn't expect it. You actually stole it secretly! Sister, I know you want to please Grandpa Mo, but you can’t steal Dad’s most cherished antiques to borrow flowers to offer to Buddha!”
Ji Hongwen could hardly sit still at this moment: "My little daughter speaks freely, Mr. Mo, please don't be offended, Nuannuan will never do such a thing. As for this jade chessboard..."
Shen Heru suddenly spoke from the side: "I just said that a few days ago, I felt that something was missing from the antique shelf in your study. I didn't expect that Ji Nuan secretly took this thing away."
Saying that, Shen Heru shook his head again and sighed: "Although Nuannuan wants to give good things to Mr. Mo, her original intention is good, but after all, a married daughter is like water thrown out, and she doesn't even say hello when she returns to her parents' home. To take away such a valuable private collection of antiques is not considered stealing, but it is indeed against the rules."
"Stop talking!" Ji Hongwen didn't get angry directly due to the presence of the Mo family, but he kicked Shen Heru hard under the table and warned her not to talk nonsense.
Shen Heru said nothing, but looked at Ji Nuan with a vague look.
I don't believe how Ji Nuan can clear herself now that all the witnesses and physical evidence are there. After all, no one from her mother's family or her husband's family can prove her innocence. Although this matter is not big, it is not small either. In the eyes of the two families, Ji Nuan's tongue was absolutely useless.
Ji Nuan still smiled calmly: "What chessboard? Why didn't I understand a word Mengran and Aunt Shen said?"
What an unexpected bonus.
This matter turned out not to be the fault of Ji Mengran alone. She asked how the chessboard could be taken out as soon as she said it was taken. It seemed that Shen Heru was helping her behind the scenes.
It was a perfectly matched show. If it were Ji Nuan in her previous life, and she was completely unprepared for Ji Mengran, she would probably be wronged to death now.
Even if Mr. Mo suppresses this kind of thing and smooths things over for her, there will still be scolding behind it, and she will be ridiculed and ridiculed by her relatives and friends for the rest of her life.
"Sister, please stop pretending to be stupid. This chessboard is inside. You can't take back the gift that has been delivered to Grandpa Mo now." Ji Mengran spoke in a high tone.
Ji Nuan glanced at her, with an unnoticeable sneer in her eyes: "Mengran, why did you say something so weird today?"
"Sister, I'm doing it for your own good, so stop pretending. You stole this jade chessboard from the early Tang Dynasty and gave it to Grandpa Mo. Even if Dad doesn't care about you now, this chessboard can't be used as a birthday gift at all! "Ji Mengran sighed as he spoke: "This chessboard is the collection of a eunuch who caused trouble in the palace during the early Tang Dynasty. The eunuch was later sentenced to death for treason by Ling Chi. After his death, his bones were buried by his cronies. This chessboard was also buried with it, and it was something that was buried with it! Even though it is indeed a very expensive antique worthy of collection, this kind of thing must not be used as a birthday gift!"
Ji Mengran's voice became lower and lower, as if he didn't mean to say this, but his voice was just right for everyone at the table to hear clearly: "Send something like this, sister, what are your intentions..."
"Mengran!" Ji Hongwen was so shocked that he originally planned to admit his mistake, but he didn't expect that Ji Mengran actually said such a thing, and he wanted to slap her to death.
Ji Mengran had already said what he said and couldn't take it back. He simply looked at Ji Nuan with a fearless face, but he didn't see any expression of surprise, panic or even fear on Ji Nuan's face.
She finally found an opportunity that would make Ji Nuan no longer able to gain a foothold in the Mo family, and she couldn't miss it like this.
All the relatives and friends sitting here had different eyes, but because Mr. Mo kept his face cold and silent, no one dared to slander him at will. But even if the old man wanted to protect Ji Nuan, he probably wouldn't be able to protect him now. ? On the occasion of the old man's eightieth birthday, he was given a burial gift of a rebellious eunuch from the Tang Dynasty, and he was still a eunuch who died an unlucky death. This is simply... unreasonable!
Mo Jingshen sat on one side with a calm expression all the time, and only when the scene was almost over, he sneered coldly.
When Ji Mengran saw that Mo Jingshen did not immediately speak out to defend Ji Nuan, he probably felt that Ji Nuan had gone too far in this matter, and then said: "Brother Jingshen, I didn't mean to say such things in this situation. For my sister's face, Grandpa Mo's body is more important. The implication of giving such a thing is really bad, so I... "
There was a clear and shallow smile in Mo Jingshen's eyes. He did not look at Ji Mengran, but looked calmly and calmly at the unopened rosewood gift box in front of Mr. Mo.
His tone was low and lazy, unhurried and unhurried: "I'm already curious about what you're talking about. Why don't you just open it and see what kind of special antique it is that allows the ignorant Miss Ji Er to memorize history texts like The whole story is so familiar."