The two turned around at the same time, and the person was none other than Zhang, Liao Yifeng's wife.
However, Jiang Jiuniang did not recognize her and looked at Hou Shi with some confusion, saying, "You have a friend looking for you, I'll go wander around somewhere else."
"Oh, no, no, no, General's wife, I've come to see you! I am Zhang, the wife of Liao Yifeng, the military governor of the southwest. I heard that you had come to Liangzhou City, so I couldn't wait to come and see you!"
"I've long heard of your unparalleled beauty, and seeing you in person now, I'm truly amazed!"
...
Zhang Shi chattered on and on, praising Jiang Jiuniang from head to toe. Jiang Jiuniang seemed to fall for it and kept laughing as Zhang Shi amused her.
Hou knew in her heart that the military governor and her husband were of the same ilk, so as long as one of them could please Jiang Jiuniang, that would be enough. Therefore, she kept quiet when the two of them were talking, and she was happy to be relaxed anyway.
However, while Jiang Jiuniang chatted with Zhang Shi like sisters, she treated her like a maid.
"What are you still standing there for? Go pay! Didn't you see that waiter has been standing there for ages?"
Is this an attempt to get her out of the way, or simply to get her to pay?
Hou was furious; she had really spent money only to make herself miserable.
If Jiang Jiuniang knew that the mastermind behind all this was actually Jiedushi Liao Yifeng, let's see if she could still chat so happily with Zhang Shi!
Madam Zhang chimed in, "Oh, Madam Ji, you're older than all of us, so don't just stand there. Why don't you go and arrange for dinner? Don't let our beautiful lady go hungry!"
Zhang was not much older than Jiang Jiuniang, so there was nothing wrong with what she said. But the key point was that she directly distanced herself from Hou, did not speak up for Hou at all, and even kicked her when she was down, which was very hateful.
Hou felt she had seen through this woman in an instant, and realized that her family was probably going to be abandoned in this matter. She felt a chill run down her spine and was so angry that she couldn't say a word.
Jiang Jiuniang, standing to the side, laughed and said, "Oh dear, Madam Liao, I thought you and Madam Ji had a very good relationship, but it seems it's just so-so!"
At this moment, Madam Hou was already walking out, but Zhang's frivolous laughter could still be heard: "Yes, she is much older than me. We don't usually have any contact, and when we meet, we don't say more than a few words. But she just doesn't think things through. I've wanted to say something to her several times, but I held back after thinking about it."
Jiang Jiuniang immediately chimed in, "It's not just her, I think Lord Ji is also a thoughtless person! This couple is really annoying. I have to speak up if I don't like something, and I'm only doing it for her own good. Her mind is just... sigh, I don't know what to say."
Zhang covered her mouth and laughed, her mockery undisguised.
Hou's face turned pale and then red, never expecting that she would be so despicable in their eyes.
Jiang Jiuniang could tolerate whatever she said, after all, they had witnessed Ji Ziqiu's men trying to harm Prince Jing, so a bit of sarcasm was acceptable, but Zhang Shi was different.
At all these years, Ziqiu had been working for Liao Yifeng, and she and Zhang Shi often met. Every time they met, Zhang Shi was very enthusiastic, just like she did with Jiang Jiuniang today, linking arms with her and chatting and laughing. She once considered Zhang Shi a friend, but she never expected that Zhang Shi would belittle her like this.
She knew that Zhang's treatment of Jiang Jiuniang was fake, so did that mean that Zhang's treatment of her was also fake?
Indeed, how innocent could a woman be who could stand out among so many women and become Liao Yifeng's second wife?
She chuckled self-deprecatingly, then reluctantly paid the bill, instructed someone to arrange food at a restaurant, and waited for them in her car.
Jiang Jiuniang and Zhang Shi did not chat for too long inside. After all, this was a jewelry shop, not a teahouse, so it was not suitable for talking. Besides, they came out to shop, so it was not appropriate to stay in one place for too long. It would be more interesting to shop and talk at the same time.
Interestingly, Jiang Jiuniang, who said she didn't like sharing a carriage with others, directly got into Zhang's carriage with Zhang. The two chatted in the carriage, and Hou, who was in the carriage in front, could hear them clearly.
“Madam Liao, you always say I look good in this outfit, but I think you are the truly beautiful one. Look at all that jewels you’re wearing, who wouldn’t be envious? Liangzhou is really nice here, with beautiful mountains and rivers, and the people are wonderful too. If it weren’t for this natural disaster, it would probably be even better.”
Jiang Jiuniang pulled Zhang Shi aside and praised her endlessly, her joy overflowing.
Madam Zhang beamed from ear to ear: "Oh, Madam Lu, you're so kind to say that! But Liangzhou is so far away, how can it compare to the capital? I much prefer the prosperity of the capital! And you're saying that all this jewels I'm wearing is too much for me. They're all fake. My husband is very concerned about his image. Even though we don't have much money, he always spends it on me. I feel sorry for him because being an official isn't easy, so I had these fakes custom-made. I just wear them casually!"
As she spoke, she casually pulled out a hairpin and handed it to Jiang Jiuniang to show her, wanting to prove that it was indeed a fake.
Jiang Jiuniang casually touched it, her smile becoming even more amiable, and said, "Then how about you order a few boxes for me? In the capital, where land is so expensive, we're always strapped for cash, and I'm often troubled by these things. I never expected Madam Liao to be so virtuous and capable, coming up with this solution that instantly solved my urgent problem!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang's smile instantly froze on her face. There were still people eager to buy counterfeit goods?
Is Jiang Jiuniang crazy?
Besides, this isn't a fake; where would she get it custom-made?
For a moment, Zhang didn't know what to say. Her smile was stiff and forced. She couldn't understand why Jiang Jiuniang had no sense of boundaries and was making such a rude request to her after only knowing her for a short time.
But Jiang Jiuniang didn't seem to think it was rude at all, and turned her head to ask her, "What's wrong, Madam Liao? Is it inconvenient?"
"Convenient, convenient, of course it's convenient! But these things take a little time to make..."
Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Jiuniang interrupted, "It's alright, it's alright. We'll be here for a while, that'll be enough!"
Zhang: "..."
Alright, since the master sent her to cultivate a good relationship with Jiang Jiuniang anyway, let's give her some.
She certainly couldn't possibly give Jiang Jiuniang a batch of counterfeit goods; they had to be all genuine, and there couldn't be any shortage.
Fortunately, her family was wealthy enough that she wouldn't mind receiving a lot of jewelry, but she still felt uneasy, thinking that Jiang Jiuniang didn't know how to behave.
No wonder she's a rough country girl!
What's the use of being good-looking if you don't have a brain? You'd be dead before her!
Zhang cursed Jiang Jiuniang a few times in her heart before smiling and agreeing, "Then it's settled. Madam Lu, you can tell me what style you like."
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