Chapter 147 Witnessed
Although this matter is more difficult than imagined, the words have been spoken, and Hu Xiner has to agree even if she doesn't want to.
Since the Duke's wife wanted her to show her unique skills, she didn't hesitate: "Although I am not very knowledgeable, I will do my best in this matter, but I will need some mineral pigments."
"Mineral pigments?" The Duchess's wife was a little surprised.
Hu Xiner explained: "It's a mineral similar to blue inkstone."
When she was in the village, she used pigments made from minerals, which were brightly colored and better than the pigments mixed today.
Although the Duke's wife didn't quite understand, there were still quite a few different kinds of gems and other things in the warehouse.
So he looked at the housekeeper and said, "Go and take Miss Lu to find it."
Hu Xiner bowed and retreated, but when she turned to leave, she bumped into the second young lady who had been called over.
The second young lady's long eyelashes trembled slightly, obviously she didn't expect her to be here.
Hu Xin'er didn't intend to stay any longer, but the Second Miss paused and said softly, "Wait a minute, won't you be polite when you see me?"
"Meet the Second Miss." Hu Xin'er bowed. "What can the Second Miss do for me?"
"No." Xuanyuan Huili spoke slowly, "I misunderstood you yesterday, but what is the relationship between you and Lu Lang?"
"I'm his cousin."
There was nothing unusual in Xuanyuan Huili's expression and words, but just based on her action of stopping a study companion for no reason at the Duke's wife's door, Hu Xiner knew that she was looking for trouble!
"Cousin? Huh..." Xuanyuan Huili asked slowly, "Is she a cousin from afar, or are you truly related by blood? Since you're so favored by Lu Lang, you must have an extraordinary family background!"
Hu Xiner saw out of the corner of her eye that the housekeeper's face showed a hint of barely perceptible surprise.
Making things difficult for a study partner is not the style of the gentle and elegant Second Young Lady!
A strong wind blew, and the shadows of the trees swayed. The second young lady held up her handkerchief and coughed weakly a few times.
"It's windy outside, Miss, you'd better go in first. Madam has been waiting inside for a long time!" Hu Xiner wanted to change the subject.
But although the second young lady looks weak, she is actually very stubborn.
He also harbored hidden hostility towards Hu Xin'er, perhaps because he did not dare to reveal it too much in front of his mother and the housekeeper, so he only asked indirectly what the relationship between Hu Xin'er and Lu Yunjue was.
Hu Xin'er didn't want to be exposed, so she used all kinds of tricks and finally escaped with great difficulty.
Hu Xin'er was picking and choosing in the warehouse, deliberately delaying time so as to avoid running into the second young lady again on her way back.
Since the second young lady is about to get married, her love for Lu Yunjue will naturally be nipped in the bud. Why should she cause trouble out of jealousy?
It was not until the Duke's wife sent servants to urge her that she finally took the paint back.
The Duke's wife was a little surprised when she saw her holding the paint: "You finished polishing those gems so quickly?"
In fact, there has been a tradition of making pigments from minerals in ancient times, and the Duke's Mansion was wealthy and powerful, and there happened to be a set of mineral pigments in the warehouse.
When Hu Xin'er was in the village, she used some not-so-valuable minerals. Now that there were better alternatives, she briefly explained them to the Duke's wife.
The Duke's wife obviously couldn't remember that there was such a thing in her own storehouse until the housekeeper reminded her that it was a birthday gift from the Zhao family in a certain year, and then she suddenly realized it.
The second young lady sat upright in her seat, having changed into an elegant and luxurious eight-piece floral and bird-patterned silk dress, looking demure and elegant.
But the way he looked at Hu Xin'er was always a bit condescending and contemptuous.
Until the Duke's wife said: "I am impatient, you should paint a portrait of Li'er now!"
"Mom, it's just a portrait, why do you have to dress like this?" Xuanyuan Huili immediately withdrew her gaze from Hu Xin'er and clenched the handkerchief in her hand.
She had a bad feeling.
The Duke's wife's face was full of love: "My precious daughter has reached the age of marriage. Naturally, I have to paint a beautiful portrait of her to dazzle those brats in the capital!"
When the second young lady learned that the Duke's wife wanted her to get married, her eyes immediately turned red.
"Okay, mother knows that you are filial, but how can a woman not get married? Don't worry, the daughter of our Duke's Mansion will marry a royal relative, so as not to bring shame to the Duke's Mansion!" The Duke's wife touched her head with heartache, but her hand grabbed Xuanyuan Huili's clothes forcefully.
Although the second young lady was unhappy, she did not dare to lose her temper.
Originally, Hu Xin'er was wondering how such a military family could raise a second young lady with such a weak character.
It now seems that the Duke's Mansion's educational model should be authoritarian, requiring children to grow up according to a fixed mold.
If it exceeds expectations, there will be punishment.
The more Xuanyuan Jing'an was punished, the more naughty he became, while Xuanyuan Huili kept her resentment silently in her heart.
Now that the Duke's wife has made her angry, this has indirectly brought bad luck to Hu Xiner, the painter!
The servants brought in a desk and a screen to create a background for Xuanyuan Huili.
After finishing the painting, the Duke's wife looked at her daughter, who was gentle and charming, full of bookish air, and was rarely satisfied: "Not bad, the painting has captured 70% of my daughter's charm!"
"Is this how I was born, in my mind?" Xuanyuan Huili said, her tone derogatory. "This drawing doesn't look like her at all. Her nose isn't straight enough, and her face is too big!"
"Then put this painting away and draw another one." The Duke's wife naturally acted according to her daughter's request.
Moreover, when she compared this painting with others, she always felt that it was not amazing enough.
Hu Xin'er painted one picture after another. At first, she was very dedicated in revising it, but later she became more and more sloppy.
Xuanyuan Huili either said that the eyes were too small or too big, and she criticized all the facial features, just to make things difficult for Hu Xiner in secret!
The Duke's wife was easily influenced by Xuanyuan Huili's opinion. In short, she felt that her daughter's portrait could not achieve that kind of stunning effect.
But even if Hu Xin'er is an expert in beauty cameras, she still has to pay attention to the basic facial features when drawing portraits!
Xuanyuan Eri is not a peerless beauty, so how could she be both beautiful and as pretty as a fairy?
As a result, I spent the whole morning painting, my back and waist ached, but I still couldn't satisfy Xuanyuan Huili!
When it was time for dinner, Hu Xiner went to eat dejectedly, but the servants had already snatched up all the food.
She went to ask the cook, but she retorted directly: "You can't even keep the food hot, do you think you are a lady?"
She was so angry that she argued with the cook, and just as she walked out of the kitchen, she ran into Mu Qing.
Seeing Hu Xiner's worried look, Mu Qing couldn't help but reach out and touch her head to comfort her.
But no one expected that just a few steps away, Xuanyuan Huili, who had secretly come to look for Lu Yunjue, happened to see this scene...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
