Chapter 30: True Nature Revealed, Feelings Deepen...
At this moment, a supervisor was circling around Xiao Rong, watching his every move, as if he would be in trouble if he made even the slightest mistake.
Xiao Rong gently stroked the luxurious, gold-hued fine silk, holding the scissors, hovering in the air, hesitant to make a move, sweat gathering at the tip of her nose, almost forming a drop of water.
She quickly glanced at the person next to her and saw that he was still staring at her intently. She panicked and hurriedly reached for the scissors, but stopped just before they touched her.
His craftsmanship is mediocre. If he were to damage such valuable fabric, even if he were sold again, he couldn't afford to pay for it.
Xiao Rong was feeling discouraged and was about to explain to the supervisor when Zhang Ting suddenly appeared and rescued him.
Zhang Ting waved his hand, signaling him to step back first.
Seeing this, Xiao Rong breathed a sigh of relief, quickly wiped the sweat from her face, and left without looking back.
Zhang Ting quietly observed the audacious and reckless young man before her. He had been working with Xiao Rong just moments before, full of energy, a stark contrast to the pitiful little girl from last night.
When Xiaoyi saw her arrive, she also saw her own arrogant side. Her eyes darted around, and she nervously tugged at the hem of her clothes. Then she suddenly thought: It was she who took the initiative to make the promise, so what's wrong with me actively keeping it?
So he looked up at her with a self-righteous air.
Zhang Ting glanced at him indifferently, gave a soft "humph," and sat down in the main seat.
Looking at the order in her hand, she said, "You really know how to inflate your own value."
Xiaoyi's true colors were revealed. Not only was she not guilty, but she also stubbornly retorted, "It was Miss who promised to make me beautiful clothes. I thought Miss didn't know how to sew, so I specially made a list for Miss."
"What's wrong with that?"
The cold words "raise your status" reminded him of the humiliation of being dragged to the front of the stage like livestock and sold. Recalling Zhang Ting's indifferent gaze just now, a bitter and shameful feeling welled up in his heart, and he clenched his fists tightly.
He lowered his eyes, the sharp spikes on his body suddenly snapping open, his voice low and menacing, "As for raising my price,"
He paused for a moment, then looked up and met Zhang Ting's eyes directly. His gaze was arrogant and filled with contempt, and a cold smile appeared on his thin lips: "It's just a piece of clothing, yet you're so stingy with it, Miss."
What Zhang Ting saw was that the person in front of him was pale, his eyes were wet with tears, and he was extremely uneasy, with even his lips trembling.
The boy was tense, staring at her warily, as if he was preparing to be scolded by her before launching a fierce counterattack. All of this made his previous sarcasm seem like a bluff.
She only said one sentence, but the man replied with four.
Of all her body parts, her mouth was the hardest; Zhang Ting's lips curled up in a barely perceptible arc.
Then, she straightened her lip line.
No, she only has less than a hundred taels of silver in her entire body, but this person spent nearly thirty times that amount on just one piece of clothing. She needs to be taught a lesson!
Zhang Ting cleared his throat, his gaze calm, "A gentleman's word is as good as his bond, and I have promised you that I will not go back on my word."
Seeing that her eyes were calm and she was indeed not angry about it, Xiaoyi's heart slowly calmed down, and her clenched fists slowly loosened, but she was still a little uneasy.
Since his previous words were ambiguous, Zhang Ting wouldn't let him question them, lest he lose face. Instead, he said directly, "Didn't you say the other day that you were good at housekeeping?"
Xiaoyi wanted to ask her what the first sentence meant, but she didn't expect that the other person would be asked first. He was a little confused, but he still nodded in cooperation.
Zhang Ting smiled slightly: "Since you are not able to work these days and are good at managing the household, then you can take care of the affairs of the house. This will not affect your injury. I will come back at the end of the month to settle the accounts."
After this incident, she was no longer comfortable letting Du Zaolang manage the household, since Du Zaolang had actually gone to buy it without any suspicion in the face of someone's outrageous request.
In addition, she will cut the money circulating in the house in half, and then let's see how he can still squander it.
Xiaoyi didn't mind. She was used to handling household affairs by learning from her father at home, so she could easily manage the small Zhang residence.
Having been diverted from the conversation, I forgot to ask again for a moment.
He revealed his true nature in front of Zhang Ting, and seeing that she didn't show the slightest displeasure, he couldn't help but curl his lips in satisfaction. This time, he was completely no longer pretending.
Xiaoyi leaned against the shelf next to her as if she had no bones, her posture lazy and casual, completely lacking her usual dignity.
Then, as if remembering something, she straightened up and walked over, leaning close to Zhang Ting. Her long, thick eyelashes cast heavy shadows, and her clear, bright eyes held a smile. Her tone was playful: "This servant can do things for Miss, but... what can Miss give this servant?"
The boy's handsome face loomed large before her eyes, and his warm breath washed over Zhang Ting's face. She noticed a tiny beauty mark under the boy's right eye.
The faint floral scent emanating from him wafted into her nostrils, and her thoughts drifted away.
Fresh and elegant, refreshing and delightful, it's jasmine.
So, they actually use jasmine-scented soap to wash clothes at home?
She smelled herself, but something was wrong; she didn't smell at all.
Xiaoyi noticed that she seemed distracted and lost in thought, and that she herself was perfectly fine but couldn't see her standing right in front of her, which made Xiaoyi feel annoyed.
He narrowed his eyes, suddenly grabbed Zhang Ting with a cold smile, pressed down on her shoulder, and shook her violently.
Zhang Ting's mind cleared instantly. She widened her eyes, grabbed the armrest on one side, and lost her composure—a rare occurrence for her.
"what you do?"
Xiao Yi immediately stopped, a sly glint in her eyes. Her gaze was clear and bright, and her tone was soft and innocent: "I thought Miss was possessed, and I was very worried. I wanted to wake Miss up."
Zhang Ting pursed her lips, pondered for a long time, and decided that a strong woman should not argue with a weak man!
She is definitely not helpless!
He told him to stand further away from him before saying, "Xiao Rong's skills are mediocre; he can't make your clothes. But I won't treat you badly; I'll find a skilled needleworker in the capital to make them for you."
She felt it was a pity to waste such fine fabrics and accessories.
Xiao Yi's eyes lit up, and she unconsciously curved into a sweet smile, lightly biting her lower lip, her fingertips secretly hooking the hem of Zhang Ting's clothes.
"Then I want Mr. Xiangyu from Qingyi Pavilion to do it."
Zhang Ting gritted her teeth; was he really that picky?
Qingyi Pavilion is a renowned embroidery workshop in the capital, with exorbitant prices. It is usually used to make clothes for nobles or wealthy merchants, and Xiangyu Langjun is one of the best among them.
But since he had already spent an extra three thousand taels, Zhang Ting wouldn't be stingy with this small amount of money, so he simply agreed.
Watching Xiaoyi's light and quick departure, Zhang Ting leaned back leisurely, resting her chin on her hand.
Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. Guessing how many days he could last, she came to beg him in tears.
Zhang Ting remembered the important matter. He returned to his study and wrote a letter to Luo Zijun, asking her if she would like to study at the Imperial Academy together. As her older sister, he would definitely pay for her if she was interested, so she wouldn't have to worry.
Zhang Ting is an investment genius and is very willing to spend money.
It was getting late when fragrant roasted meat was delivered. Zhang Ting instructed Du Zaolang to give some to everyone before they went to the main hall to eat.
Just then, I saw someone reach out and steal a skewer of meat. The meat smelled delicious, and after taking a bite, he smiled broadly and looked very pleased with himself.
He disregarded social hierarchy and acted recklessly; those unaware of his status might mistake him for the master of the house.
Zhang Ting quickened her pace considerably.
Quietly bypassing the obstruction, he came up behind Xiaoyi and patted him on the shoulder before he noticed.
The sudden movement startled Xiaoyi, who cried out in alarm. She kicked over a stool in a panic and lost her balance, falling to the left.
Zhang Ting quickly grabbed his waist and pressed him back onto the stool.
The boy's waist was slender and supple; she even felt she could easily break it.
Zhang Ting frowned slightly. Was he missing food and drink at home?
The other person calmly returned to their seat, then turned back to glare angrily at her.
Her delicate and pretty face was puffed up with anger, as if Zhang Ting had done something utterly heinous.
Zhang Ting touched her nose, pretending not to see it, and sat down gracefully, lowering her head to eat quietly.
The rich aroma of meat, combined with the unique smoky flavor of charcoal, whets the appetite, while the spicy and numbing taste stimulates the taste buds, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
She moved quickly, and as Xiaoyi watched the meat skewers disappear one by one, a sense of anxiety rose in her heart. She quickened her chewing process and had no time to investigate the person's mistake.
After eating and drinking her fill, Zhang Ting immediately made her escape.
Xiaoyi looked up at the empty plates and the empty seat, pouting angrily and slamming her hand on the table.
Nothing was left behind!
Zhang Ting continued her walk in the courtyard as usual. After a long silence, she finally seemed unable to hold back, her shoulders trembled slightly, and she chuckled softly.
...
On the other hand, Mrs. Zhang, who had been running around all day, was not so lucky. After hitting a series of setbacks, she returned home to find a table full of leftovers.
The husband and children had just finished their evening meal.
Zhang Sheng sighed and asked the kitchen staff to make him a bowl of noodles, hoping to get by for the night.
Zhang Fulang had the nanny take the child away, and pulled Zhang Sheng aside, saying, "I thought you were going to eat out, so I didn't save any for you."
Zhang Sheng waved his hand and said it was nothing.
Seeing that his wife didn't complain, Zhang Fulang quickly asked, "How did things go today?"
Their family was living peacefully in Taizhou Prefecture, but then they learned that all their businesses in the capital had been shut down. Coincidentally, it was his mother's birthday, so the whole family came along.
But the situation is very bad today. Zhang Sheng brought gifts to visit, but all the connections he had cultivated in the past refused to see him.
Having lived for over thirty years, she could see things clearly. She said to her husband, "Our family shouldn't get involved in my mother-in-law's birthday celebration. Let the steward organize the servants and maids to pack up. At the latest... we'll return to our hometown the day after tomorrow."
Zhang Fulang was stunned. "This is so sudden... Wife, what happened?"
What else could it be?
The Zhang family produced a literary giant who was as famous as the former Grand Secretary Zong. The two were also close friends. Now that Grand Secretary Zong has fallen from power, the Zhang family has been implicated.
She wasn't going to fight for the banned businesses, since the Zhang family had no connections in Beijing.
But she didn't tell her husband, lest he be so frightened that he wouldn't dare leave the house and would be filled with anxiety all day long.
He shook his head, buried his head in his noodles, and told her about a talented man he had just met that day, who even shared the same surname.
Zhang Sheng was full of praise for this person.
Zhang Fulang was surprised that his wife valued her so much, and couldn't help but ask her, "Compared to Yang Fuchen, Zhang Dajia's first disciple, who is more capable?"
After saying that, he wanted to slap himself. Yang Fuchen was a learned man and one of the top candidates for the next imperial examination. How could an unknown person compare to him?
But to his surprise, as his wife ate the noodles, she stroked her chin and solemnly said, "They're about the same."
Zhang Fulang found it strange that his wife had such a high opinion of this person, and kept pestering Zhang Sheng to tell her more about it until bedtime.
At night, Zhang Sheng lay in bed with her husband in her arms, casting aside the annoying trivialities, and sighed comfortably. She was about to fall asleep when she suddenly sat up.
"It's her!" she exclaimed in astonishment.
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