Shen Qingze immediately shrank his neck, looking like a frightened quail. Strangely enough, this child was known for being mischievous and naughty in the academy, but he became meek in front of his second brother.
Meng Zhao reached out and shook the crumbs off Shen Qing's robe, saying, "You've finally come out, so don't be angry."
Seeing the smile flickering in her eyes, Shen Qinghe shook his head helplessly: "Sister certainly knows how to be a good person."
Although Meng Zhao sensed a hint of teasing in her words, she didn't refute it. After all, it was the truth. Shen Qingze and Shen Qinghe were brothers, blood ties that couldn't be severed. Even if she was very close to them, they weren't blood relatives. If she went too far in disciplining them, it would inevitably create distance. Therefore, she needed to find the right balance when educating them.
Seeing that someone was backing him up, Shen Qingze became bolder and quietly moved closer to Meng Zhao. However, as he moved, the remaining half of the milk skin pastry in his hand landed squarely on Meng Zhao's newly made light purple brocade cloak.
These flaky pastries are all deep-fried, so a small oil spot instantly appeared on the clean cloak.
Before even stepping out the door, his clothes were already dirty. Meng Zhao, who was usually so tolerant, immediately shouted, "Shen Qingze! I think you're asking for death! Do you know how troublesome it is to wash an oil stain on a cloak?"
After saying that, he snatched the pastry box away from him and closed it, pointing at him and saying, "If I see you eating in the carriage and making a mess again, you'll see if I don't beat you up."
Shen Qingze was almost in tears, but the carriage was so small that there was nowhere to hide, so he could only shrink into a corner and finish the milk skin pastry in his hand.
Shen Qinghe coughed lightly, covering her mouth, and said with a slight tremor in her shoulders, "Sister, don't be angry. It's normal for children to be greedy. There's no need to get angry."
Sure enough, only when the paddle hits you do you know the pain. Seeing Shen Qing's mocking smile, Meng Zhao was truly unable to vent her anger.
Shen Qinghe's gaze lingered for a moment on the oil stain on her cloak, then his slender fingers gently lifted the carriage curtain, looked outside, and suddenly said, "Stop the car."
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhao looked up and asked, "Have we arrived?" Peering through the gap in the carriage curtain, he saw a bustling street outside.
Shen Qinghe shook his head and pointed to an elegantly decorated shop on the street. "Qingze dirtied your clothes, so naturally he should compensate you with a new one. Why don't you go down and take a look?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingze immediately peeked out. When he saw the sign, his heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected his usually unassuming second brother to point so casually to Jinxiufang. He subconsciously touched his empty purse at his waist, his little face scrunching up like a bun: "Sister, how about we go to another shop? Or should we take care of our business first and come back to choose clothes tomorrow?"
Seeing his gloomy face, Meng Zhao's mood immediately improved. She deliberately put on a stern face and said, "No, this is the one." Then she stretched out her hand to Shen Qingyu, "Qingyu, come on, come with your sister to pick out something nice." Shen Qingze didn't even have a chance to borrow money from his sister anymore.
Jinxiufang was a famous tailor shop in the capital, where many high-ranking officials and nobles would come to have their clothes custom-made. The shop was not large, but it was exquisite in every aspect.
Meng Zhao, who loved shopping, was immediately overwhelmed by the choices upon entering. She dragged Shen Qingyu to compare one item after another; the fabrics were soft and delicate, and clearly expensive. Shen Qingze, feeling her empty purse, finally couldn't resist approaching the shopkeeper, her face flushed, and whispered, "Shopkeeper, could you... possibly let me buy on credit? I'll definitely bring the money tomorrow!"
Before he could finish speaking, his collar was suddenly tightened. Shen Qing pulled him back like a chick, and said with a look of "How could I have such a younger brother?", "I was just teasing you. You actually took it seriously. Stop embarrassing yourself here and go help pick out the materials."
Shen Qingze then realized, "Right, when is it my turn to pay when I go out with my older sister and brother?"
At this moment, Shen Qingyu was holding up a piece of sky-blue cloud-patterned satin and gesturing to Meng Zhao. “Sister, this is good. The cloud pattern on it is very smooth and doesn’t need ironing. Moreover, the color is clear but not ostentatious. It would look especially beautiful if you wore it to enjoy the snow in winter.”
Indeed, brighter colors are especially suitable for winter. Shen Qingze quickly chimed in with a grin, "Sister looks good in any color! If you ask me, that begonia red is quite nice too; it makes your complexion look even better."
Meng Zhao was somewhat helpless. They all said the material she picked was good. Did she have to buy every single piece? In the end, she only chose two pieces and also picked one for each of Shen Qingze and Shen Qingyu.
Just as they were about to pay the bill, Shen Qingyu suddenly exclaimed, "Oh dear! Second brother, you haven't chosen yet!"
Shen Qinghe stood in front of the counter and shook his head slightly. "I wear official robes every day in the yamen, why waste them?"
Meng Zhao disagreed somewhat, "Since you're here, there's no reason to come empty-handed. Let us help you choose." As she spoke, she began to select items around him.
Shen Qingze held up a piece of vermilion satin, shouting about the festive occasion, but was embarrassed and put it down after being glanced at by Shen Qingyi. In the end, Meng Zhao made the decision and chose a piece of dark blue satin with a dark pattern. The color was black with a hint of blue, and under the light it was as deep as the sea at night, which suited him well.
Once the fabric was chosen, it was time to take measurements. Meng Zhao and Shen Qingyu had their measurements taken in the inner room, but Shen Qinghe, being a man, naturally didn't have so many reservations and had his measurements taken right there in the shop.
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