Qian Yuanbao felt his teeth ache. He had known Gu Sinian since childhood. Gu Sinian had always been a cold and aloof person. Now, he was suddenly warm. Although it wasn't an ardent passion, the change from before was too great. Could it be that matters of the heart between men and women truly changed a person's disposition? Should he also start considering it?
Meanwhile, Qi Zhenzhen and the others had already returned to the manor and naturally went to pay their respects to the Old Madam first, and to share their experiences from the outing that day.
Upon hearing Qi Zhenzhen mention the Yingying from the Shen family, the Old Madam's brows furrowed. "That girl has poor character. The Shen family actually didn't see it and took her in as an adopted daughter. It seems the Shen family's general and his wife have poor eyesight! Zhenzhen, you should keep your distance from that Shen Zhixin in the future, lest you become the target of someone's unwanted attention for no reason."
Qi Zhenzhen nodded. She had the same thought even without the Old Madam saying it.
Yingying had set her sights on her. If she said it had nothing to do with Shen Zhixin, she wouldn't believe it.
That Yingying was probably overly suspicious, thinking everyone was like her. A girl who liked girls would see everyone as a potential rival. Therefore, after encountering her at Linlang Pavilion, she impulsively targeted her.
Qi Zhenzhen also mentioned Qian Yuanbao's invitation, naturally concealing the fact that Gu Sinian was present.
"Grandmother, I plan to send another recipe to the Qian family. It will be considered repayment for this invitation. They are all signature dishes, and that meal probably cost over a hundred taels of silver."
The Old Madam nodded. "That is as it should be."
The Old Madam then asked what Li Nuan and Li Rou had bought. They answered one by one. Upon learning that Li Nuan had only chosen some spices, the Old Madam chided her, "Are you saving money for your great-aunt like this?"
Li Nuan shook her head. "No, Great-Aunt. That Jiǔmí xiāng is very precious. Its most rare qualities are two: first, it doesn't conflict with any other spices, and second, no matter what fragrance it's paired with, adding a little Jiǔmí xiāng fragment can make the scent last. If it's added to incense for clothes, as long as the clothes aren't washed, the scent won't dissipate."
"No wonder Sister Nuan always had someone carrying that piece of wood, afraid of letting it go and someone snatching it away. So that Jiǔmí xiāng is so precious. If it weren't for someone like Sister Nuan who is so knowledgeable about incense, who else would know?" Qi Zhenzhen said with a smile.
"Don't you love plum blossom fragrance the most? I'll mix you some Hánméi wán to scent your clothes, so you'll carry a faint plum blossom scent with every move," Li Nuan said with a smile.
"Sister Nuan, you can't go back on your word," Qi Zhenzhen said playfully, blinking her eyes.
"Grandmother, next time Second Sister goes out, can Xuanxuan also go?" Qi Xuanxuan looked at the Old Madam with pleading eyes. "Xuanxuan has never been out of the manor before."
She looked like a pitiable child.
The Old Madam recalled the life Qi Xuanxuan had lived before, with a father who didn't love her and a mother who didn't dote on her. It was truly...
"Alright, next time your Second Sister goes out, have her take you along," the Old Madam nodded.
"Second Sister, did you hear? Grandmother agreed. I can go out with you next time," Qi Xuanxuan said joyfully.
"I heard, I heard. Second Sister will definitely take you out next time."
In the Zhenguo General's Manor, the Shen family.
Yingying was crying a river of tears, complaining to Shen Zhixin and Madam Shen that the young lady from the Qi family had bullied her in broad daylight.
Madam Shen knew the second young lady of the Qi family. She had seen her from afar at a birthday banquet.
This second young lady from the Qi family had not been in the capital before, so there were no rumors about her. However, after her tea ceremony at the birthday banquet, she had gained a reputation for talent. Now that she was betrothed to the heir of the Duke's manor, her fame had spread far and wide. After all, that heir was quite famous.
But that she bullied Yingying? Where did that come from?
"Yingying, how can Zhenzhen be that kind of person? Isn't there some misunderstanding in this?" Shen Zhixin asked doubtfully.
"Does Xin Xin believe an outsider more than me?" Yingying looked at Shen Zhixin pitifully. "I've known you since childhood. Don't you know what kind of person I am? I've always been the one bullied by others. If I had the ability to bully others..."
Saying this, she began to sob.
Shen Zhixin felt a headache coming on. "Don't cry first. I didn't say you bullied anyone. This matter needs to be clarified! After all, Zhenzhen is my good friend, and the Changping Marquis's manor is not a small family. Moreover, Zhenzhen is engaged to the Duke's heir. We can't just go and demand an explanation like this!"
Madam Shen nodded with satisfaction. Although this daughter of hers preferred military attire to feminine adornments, she was not careless. Her thoughts were quite meticulous.
"Xin Xin is right. We can't jump to conclusions about this matter. Go, summon the maids who serve the second young lady," Madam Shen instructed her personal maid.
Yingying's expression faltered. Although Ah Hong and Ah Lu had come with her, they now relied on the Shen family for their livelihood. While they always pledged their loyalty, Madam Shen was a capable woman, and might be able to elicit something from them. It would be too late to say anything then.
"Godmother, Yingying lied." Yingying looked as if she were about to cry. "Today at Linlang Pavilion, I saw the young lady from the Qi family. Thinking she was Xin Xin's friend, I went to greet her. But she was arrogant and didn't put me in her eyes. Godmother knows my nature; I've always been weak. If she looked down on me, so be it. But in her words, she even looked down on Xin Xin, calling Xin Xin rude. I, I couldn't stand it for a moment and got into an argument with her. I even went against her, snatching up things she liked... I originally went to choose a birthday gift for Xin Xin, but I didn't find anything I liked and ended up bringing back a pile of things. My, my money wasn't enough, but to spite the young lady from the Qi family, I, I said I was the general's daughter and asked Linlang Pavilion to deliver the items..."
Madam Shen's expression became very unpleasant. "This is not your fault; it's that young lady from the Qi family who was too much. Xin Xin treats her sincerely, and she only puts on a show. It's detestable. Xin Xin, you can't judge a book by its cover. Don't associate with that Qi Zhenzhen in the future."
Madam Shen was not a foolish person, but she had a weakness: she couldn't stand hearing that Shen Zhixin didn't have the demeanor of a refined lady.
Yingying had guessed correctly this time. Indeed, Madam Shen didn't bother to investigate the matter further but instead demanded that Shen Zhixin cease contact with Qi Zhenzhen. She even praised Yingying and did not blame her for spending over a thousand taels of silver.
Only Shen Zhixin found it a bit unbelievable, but she had always listened to her mother and did not object.
When the shop assistant from Linlang Pavilion arrived, the Shen manor promptly paid the money. This indirectly showed the Shen manor's regard for their adopted daughter. The shop assistant from Linlang Pavilion naturally had to report back to the shopkeeper and the owner. They were in business to make money and valued harmony; they would never offend anyone if they could avoid it.