"You still have some copper coins on you, that should be enough for a cup of tea."
"I do have some..." Ziwu stammered. What she wanted to say was that the few copper coins she had were all her possessions.
Su Ruanruan gently hugged Bai Ruan into her arms, and then walked with it toward the tea stall.
After a night of brewing, Su Ruanruan and her family's affairs had become the talk of the town. Even Su Ruanruan's experiences in the Northwest were thoroughly investigated and dissected.
The crowd was abuzz with discussion, some offering kind words, others hurling insults.
However, even if Princess Jingyi didn't acknowledge her, the ordinary people didn't dare to be too presumptuous. But right now, they were enjoying the gossip about Su Ruanruan when they were suddenly caught red-handed by the person in question.
Su Ruanruan found a seat at the tea stall and placed Bai Ruan at her feet. She seemed oblivious to the whispers around her and simply ordered two bowls of tea from the stall owner.
The stall owner said with a smile, "Esteemed guests, besides tea, is there anything else you would like to order?"
Ziwu was pondering how to answer in a way that wouldn't embarrass her master.
However, Su Ruanruan on the other end said very frankly, "No need to trouble you, sir. We don't have any more copper coins on us. Let's leave it at that."
The stall owner still had a smile on his face, as warm as the spring sun. "Please wait a moment, gentlemen."
Not long after, along with two cups of tea, a plate of roasted chestnuts with their shells cut open was also served.
Before Su Ruanruan could even ask, the stall owner explained, "I had too many chestnuts stored up at home, and they were going to spoil if I didn't eat them soon. I've been roasting them over a fire every day, and I just can't finish them all."
He scratched his head sheepishly, glancing at Ziwu with a fleeting look in his eyes. "Please, gentlemen, help me out."
Zi Wu glanced at the other tables and asked, "Why don't they have any?"
The stall owner hurriedly said, "They have bad teeth, so naturally they can't enjoy these chestnuts. Giving them to them would be a waste."
"Gentlemen, please have a taste. I guarantee it will be sweet to your heart's content..."
As soon as he finished speaking, he secretly glanced at Ziwu, his ears instantly turning slightly red, before he hurriedly turned around to get back to work.
When Baiyun arrived, the two were enjoying chestnuts with great relish, their expressions as if they were savoring a delicacy.
"Su Ruanruan, where did you stay last night? I've looked at so many inns, and they all say they haven't seen you." Bai Yun looked anxious.
Su Ruanruan replied casually, "I spent the night in a dilapidated temple last night."
The moment Baiyun's bottom touched the bench, she jumped up as if pricked by a needle, crying out in surprise, "What? What happened to you? Did you run out of money?"
Her eyes darted between the two of them, and Zi Wu blushed, lowering her head in shame, which was considered an admission of consent.
Bai Yun pouted angrily, then plopped down in frustration, scolding, "Su Ruanruan, are you still angry with me? You won't stay at my house, you insist on staying at that dilapidated temple, you don't treat me like a friend at all!"
Su Ruanruan stuffed a peeled chestnut into her mouth, saying, "Even eating can't shut you up."
Seeing Baiyun's stunned expression, Su Ruanruan and Ziwu couldn't help but burst out laughing, and even Baiyun herself laughed along.
"Sister." Unbeknownst to the three, a carriage stopped by the roadside, and a maid helped her young mistress down. As they drew closer, she called out "Sister" again.
Su Ruanruan naturally heard this. She turned her head to look at her, a slight smile playing on her lips. "My mother only gave birth to me and my younger brother. I'm not fortunate enough to have a sister like you. I suppose Miss Su has mistaken you for someone else."
Su Qingyu was beautiful and refined, with a pitiful look on her face, as if a beautiful woman had tears in her eyes. "Sister, are you still blaming your elder sister for being incompetent and failing to change Mother's mind?"
Baiyun couldn't stand women who pretended to be weak. She had just been chatting enthusiastically with Su Ruanruan when someone came to spoil the mood. It was so annoying.
She was about to retort when Su Ruanruan quickly patted her hand, signaling her to shut up. Bai Yun then remembered that this wasn't Qingshan County.
Su Qingyu is the Princess Lai'en, personally appointed by the Emperor. If she were to contradict him, she would likely be accused of insubordination, and even her father would be implicated.
Sigh, looking back now, what her father said was true; she really is impatient.
At this moment, the maid's voice came again, "How can you speak of my young lady like that? Yesterday, the princess wouldn't let you in, but my young lady knelt down and begged for you! How can you be so ungrateful!"
The commotion immediately attracted everyone's attention, and someone chimed in, "Yes, Princess Lai'en kowtowed until her head was bleeding yesterday, we all saw it with our own eyes, but you don't appreciate it at all, you're really heartless."
Su Ruanruan brushed the crumbs off her hands and slowly stood up. She gazed at Su Qingyu, inwardly marveling. Su Qingyu was truly stunningly beautiful, like a fairy descended to earth.
However, for some reason, from the first time Su Ruanruan saw Su Qingyu, a strong sense of disgust welled up in her heart. This feeling was like being burned by a raging fire, and she could not suppress it.
Even when faced with Baiyun's aggressive manner, she didn't find it particularly annoying; she just thought Baiyun was impatient.
But today, when I saw Su Qingyu, her petite body was wrapped in a snow-white fur cloak, making her look like a delicate white rabbit.
Her face was like a finely carved piece of jade, her eyes were clear as water, revealing innocence and harmlessness, and she was looking back at her with a faint smile.
However, deep down, Su Ruanruan just couldn't bring herself to like her. Perhaps it was because of jealousy!
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
