When Xu Keke returned to the Du residence, she learned that Du Bingtian's car had already left the police station and was on its way home.
Back in the room, when she saw Xibao waiting for her, her chubby little face had lost its usual cheerfulness, and she looked somewhat dejected.
The best thing about this girl is that she doesn't need to be asked; she just says whatever comes to mind.
“Young Miss, this afternoon, Third Madam asked me to help Xiuxiu in her room pick up Buddha beans.”
Xu Ke could tell she'd misheard. "Was it the one who was reciting Buddhist scriptures while picking up beans, the one who's picking up Buddha beans?"
Xi Bao waved her hand, "I wasn't talking about picking up Buddha beans. I was saying that when I was helping to pick up Buddha beans, I heard Fourth Miss say that she wanted your white gauze dress. Madam originally disagreed, but Third Miss chimed in, and I think Madam actually agreed."
The Third and Fourth Misses have gone too far. You have no idea that while you were away, Madam prepared a lot of fabrics and jewelry for you. She went out almost every day during those days to buy things for you.
The fourth young lady said, "What if you don't like it when you come?" So she and the third young lady divided all the items among themselves. They even asked the second young lady if she wanted any. Unlike them, the second young lady only took two pieces of fabric as a token gesture.
"Perhaps the item didn't catch Du Yuan's eye," Xu Keke thought to herself, but didn't say it aloud. This Xi Bao was a huge fan of the Second Miss Du Yuan. Even if she told her, Du Yuan probably wouldn't believe her.
"Why were you asked to pick up Buddha beans?" Compared to the ladies arguing over the fabric, Xu Keke was more curious about the Buddha bean picking incident.
She had seen records of this kind of thing in her previous world. But those were things that people who devoted themselves to Buddhism would do. Xu Keke had heard them mention churches and worship services at this house, but she had never heard anyone mention burning incense and worshipping Buddha.
"When Madam visited the Sun family, Old Madam Sun asked her daughter-in-law to pick Buddha's beans. Madam brought some back and asked the two concubines to pick them when they had nothing to do, saying it would calm their minds. The second concubine hasn't been feeling well these days, so she pushed all the responsibility onto the third concubine."
Third Concubine didn't have time to do this, so Xiuxiu and I did it.
It was the Sun family again; this was the second time Xu Keke had heard them mentioned today. The matriarch of the Sun family was a devout Buddhist. Whether out of kindness or misplaced concern, she made her daughter-in-law gather Buddhist beans at home to help her find peace. The family also had a simple-minded young master who had taken a liking to Kang Shu. The Sun family insisted on taking her as a concubine. The Sun family had connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds of the city; the police chief was a relative of theirs.
Thinking about the Sun family's affairs, Xu Keke casually asked Xibao, "When you were picking up Buddha beans, you weren't chanting 'Amitabha Buddha' while doing so, were you?"
“Why chant Amitabha Buddha? Xiuxiu and I both think that even Buddha wouldn’t do something so stupid. Mixing red beans, mung beans, soybeans, broad beans, and rice together and making people pick them out. Third Aunt said that not a single grain could be missing, and that they were weighed when they were put in. After they were all distributed, they would check to make sure nothing was missing. Tell me, why did they mix them together in the first place? Isn’t this just making things difficult for people?”
Xu Keke chuckled, "This isn't something to mess with."
"If you don't want to pick them up next time, just tell Third Madam that the work I assigned you hasn't been finished yet."
"No, no, I like doing this work. It's much easier than other jobs. Xiuxiu and I can even chat openly. Third Aunt even told us that if we pick them up well, we'll be blessed by Buddha."
"Fine, as long as she's happy." Xu Keke handed her the clothes she had changed out of. "How could you two have overheard what the Third Miss and Madam were saying in the Third Concubine's room?"
Xi Bao carefully folded the clothes, replying to Xu Keke, "Third Aunt twisted her ankle and called an outside bone-setting doctor. She sent Xiu Xiu and me to the small living room. They were talking in the living room and didn't know we were there."
During dinner that evening, in front of Du Bingtian, Lin Meijuan asked Xu Keke, "Have you prepared your outfit for tomorrow night? Which one have you ordered? You sisters all had your clothes made together, so don't wear the same thing again. The worst thing at a banquet is wearing the same clothes as someone else."
Hearing Xu Keke say she wanted to wear a Western-style dress, Lin Meijuan nodded slowly and said, "That's what I was thinking too. You have a good figure, so you'll look best in a dress with a cinched waist."
Xu Keke didn't respond, waiting for her to continue.
“Your fourth sister wasn’t feeling well the other day, and I didn’t have time to make clothes for her when I was making clothes for you all. I thought that since you’re the eldest sister, you should let your younger sister have her wear your white dress.”
Du Yuan, who was drinking soup, looked up in surprise and saw that the third concubine across from her hadn't even stopped eating. Realizing that she had lost her composure, she quickly lowered her head in annoyance.
“Okay, but that dress was made to my measurements. It will definitely need alterations if my fourth sister wears it.” Xu Keke paused after saying that.
"What do you mean by 'made to your measurements'? Fourth Sister needs alterations to wear it. You're just being stingy and don't want to give it to her. You're just making excuses. You're such a hypocrite."
Du Shan quickly added a sentence, and Du Bingtian's expression changed, his eyes showing displeasure as he looked at Xu Keke.
“You’ve always lived with your grandmother in the countryside and haven’t been close to your younger sisters. But your sisters are all well-behaved and sensible. As the eldest sister, you should act like one.”
Xu Keke chuckled; she really didn't want to embarrass Du Bingtian. But he insisted on coming closer, and there was nothing she could do to stop him.
Wiping her mouth with a handkerchief, she said, "Third Sister is too hasty. I haven't finished speaking. The banquet is tomorrow night. Fourth Sister wants to wear that white dress, so she probably needs to take it to the shop now to have it altered."
When I got home tonight, I heard that my fourth sister was going out tomorrow night too. I was thinking that my second sister made six dresses, my third sister made four, and I even got two. Of all the sisters in the family, only my fourth sister didn't make any.
What should I wear to the banquet tomorrow night? Although my third and fourth sisters are about the same size, they are both younger sisters and at an age when they love to dress up. I haven't even worn the dress I just made yet, so how can I bear to take it out?
I had Xibao deliver the dress to the second concubine's room before dinner.
Xu Keke tossed aside her handkerchief. "It seems that Second Madam hasn't had a chance to tell Madam about this yet. Third Sister is too hasty, and Second Madam is too slow. Look, this has caused Father to misunderstand me."
Xu Keke crossed her arms and watched the changing expressions of the people at the table.
Du Bingtian didn't know who to blame for a moment. But he understood what Xu Keke said: "Du Yuan, Du Shan, you two, each take out one set, no, each take out two dresses for your fourth sister."
She glared fiercely at Lin Meijuan. She had told him she needed to make clothes for the girls in her family. She added that since Du Jin had just arrived, she needed to make at least a few more outfits. That's just how she was.
There's a type of man who can be incredibly foolish himself, but he just can't stand being lied to. He especially can't stand being lied to by a woman who constantly puts on airs in front of him. They never think about why the woman could lie to them; they only think how despicable that woman is.
Du Bingtian was that kind of man. He thought bitterly to himself, no wonder his mother said Lin Meijuan was petty and uncouth. He thought things would be better once she had money, and now that she could spend it as she pleased, she hadn't changed at all.
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