Fang Qingxue scurried away with her maidservant in tow.
Well, she fled with the massive pile of jewelry she had just purchased.
On one hand, she couldn’t win a war of words against Jiang Yueyao… More importantly, when Jiang Yueyao remarked enviously about how great it must be to be the Minister of Revenue’s daughter, even Fang Qingxue’s not-so-bright mind noticed the suddenly peculiar expressions on the faces of those around them.
The Minister of Revenue’s daughter, coming out to squabble over jewelry, could actually splurge thousands in gold.
Where did all this money come from?
That was worth pondering.
[She’s leaving already? I haven’t finished venting yet!]
Jiang Yueyao shook her head helplessly, feeling like she hadn’t fully unleashed her verbal prowess before it was over.
But fortunately, she had gained something else.
Walking over to the shopkeeper, Jiang Yueyao rubbed her fingers together.
The shopkeeper immediately produced a box with a beaming smile.
“Young Lady Jiang, the jewelry purchased by Miss Fang just now totaled eighteen thousand taels. As per our agreement, here is one thousand eight hundred taels.”
Jiang Yueyao’s face initially lit up with joy, but soon…
“Shopkeeper, this isn’t right. That set of ornamental hairpins was originally worth only two thousand taels. Are you planning to fob me off with just five hundred taels for the extra three thousand?”
“This… this…”
The portly shopkeeper’s smile turned somewhat awkward.
“Young Lady Jiang, we had already agreed, you…”
“Alright then, I won’t make things difficult for you, shopkeeper. Um… how about you give me these two hairpins as a gift?”
Jiang Yueyao had long had her eye on these two hairpins, but they were terribly expensive—each costing thirteen hundred taels.
Even though the rubies, sapphires, and pearls on them were beautiful, they were just too pricey.
But if someone else gave them to her, that would be perfectly fine.
In the end…
After some haggling between Jiang Yueyao and the shopkeeper, she successfully secured both hairpins and walked away with eighteen hundred taels in cash.
“Here, sis, this is for you!”
Jiang Yueyao grandly handed the sapphire-embedded hairpin to her elder sister, keeping the ruby one for herself.
[Wow, now I have matching hairpins with my sister!]
[Sniff, I’m so touched!]
[Yao Yao is going to eat three big bowls of rice to express my excitement!]
Jiang Yuehua: …
“Yao Yao, what is this…”
“Ah, before I argued with Fang Qingxue, I made a deal with the shopkeeper. We get a ten percent cut of whatever Fang Qingxue spends.”
“So, sis, am I amazing or what?”
“By picking a fight, not only did I vent my anger, but I also gained two pieces of jewelry and eighteen hundred taels for free.”
“Sis, what do you want to eat? It’s on me!”
“How about we go to the most famous Drunken Immortal Restaurant in the capital!”
Jiang Yueyao hugged the box of silver, grinning so widely her eyes disappeared into slits.
Making money—this is what happiness feels like!
Jiang Yuehua: …
So, she had brought Yao Yao here intending to buy jewelry for her, but… instead, Yao Yao gave her an expensive hairpin and even earned eighteen hundred taels through her own cleverness?
Something about this felt rather off.
[Oh my, talking about the Drunken Immortal Restaurant is making me a bit hungry]
[Speaking of which, the alcohol in this era probably isn’t very strong, right? Like beer or sake in my previous life—I kind of want to try it]
[Also, everything we’ve eaten at home these past few days has been steamed or boiled. I wonder if stir-frying exists in this era?]
[I wonder if the food and drink at the Drunken Immortal Restaurant are expensive. It’d be great if another patsy showed up]
…
…
Outside the Treasure Pavilion.A carriage passed by the front of the Treasure Pavilion.
“Stop the carriage.”
Xie Yanqing had come to the Treasure Pavilion intending to prepare some more fine South Pearls for Jiang Yuehua. Who would have thought… just as he arrived at the entrance, he heard a familiar Inner Voice.
Is that Yuehua’s younger sister?
If Jiang Yueyao is here, then Yuehua must be here too, right?
A wave of excitement immediately flashed across Xie Yanqing’s face.
Quickening his pace, he indeed saw the young girl holding a small wooden box, smiling like a blooming flower, and… the Jiang Yuehua he had been longing for.
“The wine and dishes at the Drunken Immortal Restaurant are unmatched in the capital. I wonder if I have the honor of inviting both Miss Jiangs to join me for a taste.”
[Wow, I was just thinking if there was any sucker around, and here comes the sucker!]
[Future brother-in-law, just for your generosity, I’ll definitely put in a good word for you in front of my sister later.]
Xie Yanqing was even more moved.
His future sister-in-law was really too considerate.
Just for Jiang Yueyao’s attitude, not only would there be fine wine and dishes later, but also…
Xie Yanqing glanced at the jewelry behind the two.
Should he buy some more gifts for his future sister-in-law… and, of course, mainly for Yuehua?
“Young Master.”
Just then, a young beauty in green clothes hurried in through the door.
Though dressed as a maid, her figure was graceful, her features picturesque, and she carried a very unique aura.
The moment she walked in, she caught more eyes than many noble young ladies.
“Young Master, you left your cloak behind.”
The green-clad woman gently draped the thick cloak over Xie Yanqing’s shoulders and gave a soft smile.
A handsome man and a beautiful woman—the scene was quite lovely.
However…
Jiang Yueyao noticed that when this green-clad beauty ran in, her sister’s expression had turned rather unpleasant.
[What’s going on? Does future brother-in-law have a mistress by his side?]
[I never thought you were like this, Xie Yanqing! Not even married yet and already fooling around!]
[No way, this kind of man absolutely cannot be kept!]
[No matter how handsome, rich, or devoted he is, if he’s scum, he’s not worth it.]
[Goodbye, from now on you’re no longer my brother-in-law. Next time we meet, we’re enemies!]
[All that deep affection wasted on a dog—might as well give you a shot.]
Xie Yanqing: …
Wait.
How did he go from brother-in-law to enemy?!
“Miss Jiang, listen to me…”
Jiang Yueyao: … “Who’s your sister?”
[Your whole family are sisters!]
[What relationship do we have for you to call me sister right off the bat!]
[You probably call all the beauties around you that way, don’t you?]
[First friends, then sisters, and finally little darlings.]
[Ugh!]
Xie Yanqing: “Uh… I meant to say, let me introduce you. This is my maid, Daiqing.”
[Oh ho, Daiqing… You’re Yanqing, she’s Daiqing, you two can be all lovey-dovey together!]
[Just bullying my sister, huh!]
[Hmph, if I ever let you, Xie Yanqing, step into our Jiang family’s door again, I, Jiang Yueyao, will… wait a minute.]
“Daiqing?”
Jiang Yueyao suddenly widened her eyes and looked strangely at the green-clad woman standing behind Xie Yanqing.
[Wow, so this is Daiqing!]
[Shouldn’t she be Xie Yanqing’s sworn sister? How did she become a maid?]
[Forget it, that’s not important. What matters is… I remember now. Wasn’t it this very Daiqing who planted the evidence of treason in the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s study?]”Oh right, originally Xie Yanqing and my sister had a pretty good relationship at first. It was only because of this Daiqing that they gradually grew apart.”
“If I remember correctly… this Daiqing was actually a girl Xie Yanqing rescued at the border who was almost bullied. But in reality, that little fool Xie Yanqing didn’t know it was all an act put on by Daiqing herself. She was originally from Northern Liang and deliberately set out to frame the Loyal and Brave Marquis.”
“Hmph hmph hmph, Xie Yanqing, serves you right for not knowing what’s good for you. Instead of choosing my sister, this great beauty, you picked a spy.”
“You’ll suffer for this later!”