After finishing everything, Jiang Ling looked at Jiang Yaojie, who seemed lost in thought, and said, "Yaojie, come on, Mom will take you to buy some clothes!"
Jiang Yaojie looked at Jiang Ling with some confusion and said, "Mom, my clothes are perfectly fine, why do I need to buy new ones!"
"Silly boy, we're going to visit the Shen family tomorrow, we can't dress too shabbily!" Jiang Ling smiled, locked the shop door, and led Jiang Yaojie toward the clothing store.
The clothes in the clothing shop were not cheap, but Jiang Ling didn't care. In the end, he chose the best one in the shop, a light gray coarse gauze straight robe, and he gestured to the shopkeeper to take the robe down.
After comparing the garment to Jiang Yaojie's body and confirming that the size was correct, he asked the shopkeeper to wrap it up.
Although the clothes were made of coarse yarn, they were much better than those coarse linen clothes. Jiang Yaojie wanted to refuse, but looking at Jiang Ling's expression, he could only swallow his words in the end.
The next morning, the Shen family's carriage was already parked in front of Jiang Ling's house.
Jiang Ling was also wearing a brick-red coarse gauze dress, which she bought when she went to Yecheng, thinking that since she was going to the Shen family today, she might not look too shabby.
She also secretly bought two boxes of pastries from the mall as gifts.
After everything was prepared, Jiang Ling and Jiang Yaojie sat in the Shen family's carriage.
The horse-drawn carriage was much faster than the oxcart, and Jiang Ling arrived at the entrance of the Shen Mansion in Guangping County in just an hour and a half.
"Oh my, Madam is here! Please come in quickly!" Shen Qianhe seemed to have been waiting for a long time. As soon as Jiang Ling got off the carriage, Shen Qianhe greeted her warmly.
"Auntie! I miss you so much!" Shen Congxin had already changed into a set of fine silks and satins, the color of which made her skin look as white as snow and radiant.
Jiang Ling smiled and took Cong Xin's hand, saying, "Cong Xin, this outfit looks better on you!"
Unexpectedly, Shen Congxin pouted and muttered under her breath, "I still prefer the two peach-colored coarse cloth clothes that my aunt made for me. They're comfortable to wear and convenient for working!"
"This silly child, how could you, the dignified Miss Shen, possibly do housework!" Jiang Ling said affectionately, poking Shen Congxin's forehead.
Shen Congxin and Jiang Ling exchanged a smile, looking just like a mother and daughter who could talk about anything.
“Miss Chen… Miss Chen…” The usually quick-witted Jiang Yaojie stammered, his face flushed and he greeted Chen Congxin in front of him somewhat awkwardly.
Shen Congxin didn't reply to him, but simply nodded slightly with a slight upturn of her lips.
"Alright, alright, come in, everyone!" Shen Qianhe said to the crowd.
It was still early before lunchtime, and Shen Qianhe chatted casually with Jiang Ling. Jiang Ling looked at Madam Shen next to Shen Qianhe and was quite surprised. After such a big incident last time, this woman was still standing here unharmed.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ling couldn't help but shudder. This woman was too cunning.
Shen Congxin would glance at Jiang Yaojie every now and then, and Jiang Yaojie would also glance at Shen Congxin every now and then. The two smiled at each other and then blushed.
They thought no one had seen this scene, but little did they know that Jiang Ling had already seen it all.
Jiang Ling coughed lightly and said to Shen Qianhe, "Master Shen, Congxin is not young anymore, is he?"
“That’s right, I’m planning to find a good family for my daughter next year!” Shen Qianhe said.
"What! Father, I won't get married!" Upon hearing Shen Qianhe's words, Shen Congxin stood up in a panic and refused.
Shen Qianhe was a big, burly man and didn't notice Shen Congxin's little thoughts. He thought Shen Congxin was just embarrassed.
He looked at Shen Congxin with a big smile and said, "Congxin, don't be shy, we're of marriageable age!"
"No! I won't get married! Father, don't force me to do this!" With that, Shen Congxin covered her face and ran towards the door.
Jiang Yaojie, who was standing to the side, was also a little anxious. He was about to stand up and chase after her when he was stopped by Jiang Ling's gaze. Jiang Ling glanced at Shen Qianhe in front of her and it was not hard to understand why Madam Shen was able to control the entire Shen family.
"This isn't just being naive, it's downright stupid!" Jiang Ling said to Shen Qianhe. "I'll go check. Even though it's broad daylight, it's not good for a young lady to run around like this!"
He then glanced at Jiang Yaojie and said to him, "Yaojie, you stay here and keep Master Shen company!"
Shen Congxin's mind was in complete turmoil. She covered her face and ran out, only to bump into someone. Shen Congxin roared, "Can't you see someone this big?"
The man was taken aback by Shen Congxin's shout, but quickly noticed her unusual behavior. He looked at Shen Congxin, whose eyes were red-rimmed, and asked, "Who bullied you?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Congxin looked up abruptly. The man looked somewhat familiar and was about the same age as her, but she couldn't quite place who he was.
"Huh? Qianyu, what are you doing here?"
A voice pulled Shen Congxin and Zhao Qianyu back to reality, and their eyes fell on Jiang Ling, who was not far behind them.
"Zhao Qianyu? Was that you last time?"
Jiang Ling's words reminded Shen Congxin, who quickly asked.
Zhao Qianyu didn't speak, but simply nodded, warmly greeting Jiang Ling before asking, "Auntie, what are you doing here? What happened to Miss Chen?"
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just a little upset. It's normal for a young lady to have some little quirks! Miss Shen's father invited me to his residence for a banquet." Jiang Ling pulled Shen Congxin behind her and said.
Although it was broad daylight, it was still somewhat conspicuous for an unmarried girl and several men to stand so openly on the street.
"Oh, okay, Auntie, you go ahead and get busy. I won't bother you any longer!" Zhao Qianyu said with a smile and turned to leave.
Jiang Ling didn't take Shen Congxin back immediately. The two found a teahouse and sat down. Looking at Shen Congxin's red eyes, Jiang Ling asked calmly, "Congxin, do you not want to get married, or do you not want to marry someone you don't like?"
Shen Congxin was taken aback. After hesitating for a long time, she clutched the hem of her clothes and said softly, "I... I just don't want to marry someone I don't like!"
"Auntie, you know that Wang Xiu from last time was several years older than my father. How am I supposed to marry him? Besides, Wang Xiu is said to be extremely lecherous and has already taken eight concubines!"
Shen Congxin frowned and said with a look of disgust.
Jiang Ling nodded after hearing this, and then asked again, "Congxin, what do you think of our Yaojie?"
Shen Congxin probably never expected Jiang Ling to break the ice. Her face immediately turned red, and she kept fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, sitting there shyly.
Jiang Ling didn't urge her, but just sat opposite her, drinking tea and waiting calmly for Shen Congxin's answer.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Shen Congxin slowly spoke, "Auntie, I... I think he's quite good."
As he finished speaking, Shen Congxin didn't even realize that a slight smile had appeared on the corners of his mouth.
Jiang Ling smiled and said to Shen Congxin, "Let's go back. Your father will worry about you if you rush out like this!"
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