Chapter 3, Section 3: Provocation
Neither Shen Qingtang nor Su Rong were the type to dawdle. After settling the hospital bills, the two got into a lava-red Maserati, one after the other.
The car sped along, its engine roaring like a howling beast. The trees on both sides of the road rushed past. Shen Qingtang turned her head to look out the window, a look of curiosity flashing in her eyes.
She seems to have had very few of these experiences.
The atmosphere inside the car was silent for a moment, which was quickly broken by Su Rong.
Looking at the blue and white striped hospital gown in the rearview mirror, she curled her lip and said with a look of disgust, "Are you planning to wear this back to the Qin family home?"
Remembering the punk-style leather jacket and pants she had forgotten at the hospital, Shen Qingtang hesitated for two seconds, but really didn't want to go back, so she said, "Mrs. Qin, I'll buy a new set here."
Su Rong waved her hand, and the driver immediately stopped. She followed Shen Qingtang's gaze and looked over, her eyes settling on a row of discounted clothes hanging on a clothes rack next to a high-end fashion store on the main road.
The huge signboard is marked with the number 38 in bright red and white lettering.
The old white loudspeaker dutifully repeated the passionate recording: "Boss is having a fire sale! Only 38, 38! Clothes and pants, take your pick!"
Su Rong: "..." She touched the pink diamond worth 20 million on her fingertip, her lips twitched, and she said with a complicated expression, "Are you sure?" As a former well-known fashion designer, she felt that her fashion taste had been challenged.
This outdated style is probably something even the most conservative Yingjie, who lives next to the old lady, wouldn't approve of.
Shen Qingtang ignored Su Rong's disapproving look and nodded lightly, "Not bad." She didn't have any particular requirements for clothing or appearance; as long as it was wearable and appropriate, that was enough.
Seeing Su Rong's dissatisfied expression, she added, "It's very cheap."
Su Rong, whose entire outfit cost less than five figures, rubbed her forehead, thinking to herself that this was not cheap at all, it was ridiculously cheap.
The uniforms issued to the servants of the Qin Mansion are a hundred times more expensive than this; this is probably something a beggar would wear.
She said sarcastically, "Have you become so poor? Didn't your dad leave you three million?"
The original owner's father, Shen Lang, did give her three million before leaving the country. However, the original owner was used to spending money lavishly, and with her frequent visits to bars over the past three months, she only had about one and a half million left.
Thinking about her original plan, Shen Qingtang shook her head and said, "It's not enough. I still need to save this money for Brother Qin's leg treatment." Although she didn't have a specific treatment method yet, she seemed to have a concrete idea: "Brother Qin's legs have been disused for a long time, so the muscles will slowly atrophy. Therefore, we need to use massage combined with medicinal liquid to massage the Zusanli, Huantiao, Yanglingquan, and Xiyan acupoints..."
"In addition, I need to make a batch of special gold needles to better stimulate Brother Qin's thigh acupoints... Also, the cost of medicinal materials cannot be omitted; good medicinal materials can achieve twice the result with half the effort."
"The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic once said that grains nourish, fruits help, livestock benefit, and vegetables replenish. Dietary supplements can expel evil and soothe the internal organs... Everything costs money, so every little bit saved is a good thing."
Seeing Shen Qingtang's eloquent explanation, Su Rong fell into deep thought.
She took Shen Qingtang away in one fell swoop today, ostensibly to take care of Qin Guanlan, but she also knew that the other party was a pampered young lady who never lifted a finger. Her real intention was to cause trouble and get revenge, and she didn't expect the other party to take good care of her.
But now the other party was speaking in a well-organized manner. Whether it was true or false, at least they had put their heart into it. But when she thought that if it weren't for the other party, Guan'er would not have spent the rest of her life in a wheelchair, her originally gentle expression turned cold again: "We have a physical therapist at home, three times a week. We don't need you to massage us."
"Besides, even the best neurosurgeon in the US says Guan'er's legs are incurable. How can you treat them? You're not a miracle doctor." In the end, Su Rong still harbored more resentment towards Shen Qingtang.
Shen Qingtang met Su Rong's gaze directly, neither dodging nor avoiding it, and said in a calm tone, "What Western medicine can't cure, traditional Chinese medicine can cure, so I can cure it."
Hearing this, Su Rong almost laughed in anger. She didn't know what the two had to do with her, but looking at the other person's confident eyes, she couldn't bring herself to deny it. She just turned to the window and said, "Old Wang, turn around and go to Jingnian Times Shopping Mall."
She scoffed, "So that someone doesn't lower the Qin family's taste."
Su Rong is a VIP customer of the Louis Vuitton store. As soon as the cool Maserati entered the underground garage, the store manager was already waiting respectfully with a tablet and a group of salespeople.
Upon seeing her arrive, he immediately trotted up to her and said with a very attentive smile, "Mrs. Qin, the store has just received a new brown crocodile skin bag, and I have already reserved it for you in advance."
Su Rong was a loyal fan of Louis Vuitton crocodile leather bags. Looking at the display pictures on the tablet, she scoffed and said, "They're getting worse and worse." Despite saying that, she stayed and picked out other styles of bags, while also asking the salesperson to help Shen Qingtang put together a few outfits to change into.
Suddenly, Shen Qingtang, dressed in a hospital gown, became a hot commodity. Several salespeople swarmed around her, constantly asking about her color preferences and style preferences.
Before long, more than ten outfits were put together, and Shen Qingtang was led into the dressing room.
Shen Qingtang was a natural beauty, and she could easily pull off various styles, including ladylike, aristocratic, sweet and cool, androgynous, and elegant. The waiters next to her were amazed and kept praising her in front of Su Rong, the big spender.
"Mrs. Qin, Miss Shen is simply a natural clothes hanger; there's no style she can't pull off."
"Mrs. Qin, this dress suits Miss Chen so well. Her skin is so fair, it would be a shame not to buy it."
“Mrs. Qin, this one is also very beautiful. Would you like to take a set?” One person asked tentatively, his eyes darting around. “If you wear it out, people will only think of you as sisters. Who would know you are mother-in-law and daughter-in-law?”
......
Su Rong, who was sitting on the sofa choosing a bag, was slightly dissatisfied when she heard this, but when she thought of the distressing matter of the Lin family breaking off the engagement, she surprisingly did not refute it.
Even if Shen Qingtang has a million flaws, her face is exceptionally beautiful, far surpassing that of her fiancé, the former daughter-in-law of the Lin family.
Especially striking was the green-slit cheongsam Shen Qingtang wore. She wore no makeup, her hair simply styled in a bun, adorned with two lake-green jade hairpins, revealing her fair neck and beautiful face. As she moved, the lifelike lilies on her skirt swayed, making her long legs appear even whiter and longer. She exuded nobility yet charm, looking as beautiful as a figure from a painting.
In other words, it really made her look good!
Satisfied with her vanity, Su Rong waved her hand excitedly and said, "I want this one too." Then she pointed to a women's clothing store next to her and said, "Let her try on the others too."
The salesperson was overjoyed and ignored Shen Qingtang's hesitant refusal, carrying another pile of clothes to the fitting room.
This scene was witnessed by a group of wealthy women who had been mocking Shen Ruowan for the scandal of her endorsement deal with a new brand of alcoholic beverages being terminated after just one day.
"Look, isn't this Shen Qingtang? I must say, this cheongsam is quite beautiful."
"Xiaomin, this cheongsam only costs a few hundred thousand yuan. How can your taste be so low?"
"Go ahead and buy it. I'm not going to wear the same thing as that famous unfilial daughter from Kyoto. But her little bit of money could buy several Louis Vuitton cheongsams."
The group exchanged glances, revealing knowing, mocking smiles.
One of the sharp-eyed people said, "Wait a minute, isn't the person next to her Mrs. Qin?" She glanced at Song Yun beside her and immediately urged, "Xiao Yun, why don't you go in and ask your aunt?"
Song Yun shrugged and shook her head, saying, "Let's forget about it." Back then, her family had been trying their best to arrange the marriage between her cousin Qin Guanlan and Lin Qianyue from the Lin family. However, her cousin had just announced that his legs were crippled and beyond medical help when he rushed to break off the engagement. This made her aunt very resentful towards them, and she was very hostile towards them.
Given her aunt's volatile temper, she didn't want to go up there and get yelled at for no reason.
The others said, "Xiaoyun, you're relatives, you need to be more careful. Don't forget, your cousin's leg was broken because of Shen Qingtang. Your aunt brought her here to buy clothes, could she have been tricked by her?"
"Yes, Shen Qingtang is no good person. She forced her whole family to go abroad."
“I saw that the salespeople took in quite a lot of clothes. If we’re talking about buying clothes, Mrs. Qin should buy some for your niece.”
“By the way, didn’t you say you wanted to buy a bag recently?” She pointed to the store’s prized possession, valued at three million, displayed prominently in the center of the store and said, “I think this white Eternal Diamond bag would be perfect as your birthday gift.”
The logo is adorned with 334 diamonds arranged in a row, which is almost blinding.
These words struck a chord with Song Yun. Everyone knew that her aunt was usually the most generous person. Not only was she pampered at home, but she also married into a long-established wealthy family like the Qin family. Once, when she got angry with her brother-in-law, she bought 50 million worth of goods in one go, while Song Yun's monthly allowance was only a pitiful 200,000.
So she nodded seriously and said, "You're right, I have to go in and see what's going on. We have to be careful of that bitch Shen Qingtang." Then, she strode into the store, completely unaware of the gloating and instigating expressions on her sisters' faces.
"Auntie, what a coincidence! Are you here shopping too?" She blinked, cleverly concealing her jealousy as she watched the clothes being brought into the fitting room like a flowing stream.
Upon seeing Song Yun, Su Rong was reminded of the broken engagement, and feeling somewhat displeased, she responded with a lukewarm "Mm."
Song Yun chuckled sheepishly and shamelessly clung to Su Rong's arm, pouting, "Auntie, don't be angry. I had no idea the Lin family were the kind of people who curry favor with the powerful. It's all Dad's fault for being unreliable; he thought the two of them were compatible and introduced her to my cousin." She absolved herself of all responsibility while also playing the sympathy card: "Auntie, I was deceived just like you. After I found out about this, I gave Dad a good scolding."
Su Rong chuckled, but didn't spell it out. The Song family was in the furniture supply business, while the Lin family owned several hotels. Such marriages were inevitably tinged with some self-interest.
When Guan'er graduated from military school, she was already 24 years old. Seeing that the other party had no intention of dating and didn't even have a female companion, and was busy with business all day, she couldn't help but get anxious. She had met Lin Qianyue, who had a gentle personality and was easy to control, so she took it upon herself to arrange for the two of them to get engaged.
She waved her hand, not wanting to deal with this cunning younger woman, and said, "If you want to buy clothes, go ahead and buy them. You don't need to follow me."
"How can that be? You're my aunt, I have to keep you company." After saying that, Song Yun gestured towards the fitting room with her lip, knowingly asking, "Auntie, who's in there? Why are they trying on so many clothes?" Her eyes darted around, and she deliberately lowered her voice, "Are they here specifically to rip off rich young masters?"
Wealthy families are full of rich and idle young men who find beautiful young models or internet celebrities. They offer each other financial support, and during their relationship, they can get anything from small things like clothes and bags to big things like luxury cars and houses. It's not uncommon for them to do this.
Upon hearing Song Yun compare herself to a rich young master and use the word "rip-off," Su Rong's expression subtly changed.
Seeing the saleswoman select a few more outfits and go inside, she asked with displeasure, "Haven't you tried them on yet after all this time?"
The salesperson said respectfully, "Miss Shen said she didn't like the first few sets too much."
Song Yun feigned surprise and said, "Could the one inside be Shen Qingtang? Why are you buying clothes for her? Have you forgotten that she's the one who caused my cousin's legs to become crippled?"
She sighed softly and said, "This Shen Qingtang is really something. She used to like flirting with some frivolous men and making them willingly buy her clothes. Now even my aunt has fallen for it."
"My aunt is rich and kind-hearted, so buying these is just a donation to her. But isn't she too greedy? Trying on so many? Is she trying to buy all the clothes here?"
Hearing these words, Su Rong's face grew darker and darker. She had only brought Shen Qingtang to buy a few outfits out of kindness because she disliked Shen Qingtang's taste in clothing, not to be ripped off here.
She felt increasingly uncomfortable, but she forced a smile and said, "You're overthinking it. It's just a few sets of clothes, not worth much. Besides, Shen Qingtang agreed to my terms and will take care of Guan'er for the rest of his life."
Song Yun put on a worried look and said, "Aunt, do you really think someone as greedy as her can take good care of my cousin? Could she have ulterior motives?"
As the two saleswomen carried a large pile of clothes out of the fitting room and walked towards them, she shook her head and fanned the flames, saying, "It seems that Shen Qingtang is planning to only buy clothes this once a year."
Su Rong's expression was already somewhat displeased, but she still took out a black card with no spending limit and said in a deep voice, "Let's pay the bill." She then glanced at Song Yun and said, "If you see anything you like, you can pay for it too."
Song Yun was overjoyed and immediately took out the white Eternal Diamond Bag she had her eye on and handed it over.
Unexpectedly, the salesperson shook her head and said, "Mrs. Qin, these are the ones Miss Shen doesn't want. She's already paid for the few sets she liked at the front desk." This brand store is very large, so the fitting room has two doors, one at the front and one at the back. The back door leads directly to the cashier.
Before she finished speaking, Shen Qingtang came over with a shopping bag in one hand and a receipt in the other, saying, "Mrs. Qin, I've finished shopping. May we go now?"
Su Rong glanced at Song Yun, whose face was embarrassed. The anger in her heart just now quietly dissipated. If the other party was really as greedy as Song Yun said, why would she pay for it herself? It was clearly because the other party was too petty.
She glanced at the receipt again, saw the [X] size marked on the green cheongsam, and frowned, saying, "Don't you wear a size M?" Shen Qingtang is slender and can wear both sizes S and M, but the latter would make her look more elegant.
Shen Qingtang said calmly, "Madam Qin, this set was bought for you." Seeing that the other party remained silent for a long time, she reminded her, "You just said that you really liked this cheongsam."
As a wealthy socialite, Su Rong and Qin Yuan's relationship had long since broken down, so she preferred to dress up and often went on shopping sprees at the mall. She had bought cheongsams worth not only 120,000 yuan, but also 1.2 million yuan.
But none of them had ever left such a deep impression on her. Apart from the green cheongsam she had her eye on, Shen Qingtang bought a total of four sets of long pants and long coats that were easy to move in, spending a total of 150,000 yuan, of which her cheongsam alone accounted for 120,000 yuan.
Then look at Song Yun. Although she is my niece by blood, she has never bought me any clothes, and she shamelessly asked me to pay for her bag worth more than three million yuan.
Looking into the other person's clear, bright eyes, and remembering that she had just misunderstood their character, her face flushed slightly. Feeling guilty, she scolded the salesperson, "How could you let the person I brought pay for herself? Swipe my card."
She looked at the clothes the salesperson was holding, picked out two or three items, and decisively said, "I don't want these, wrap up the rest."
"Bring the matching shoes and bag, and those necklaces over there too." She then glanced at Song Yun and took the white Eternal Diamond bag from her hand, saying, "I want this one too."
The saleswoman beamed as she took the black card, nodding repeatedly and saying, "Okay, Mrs. Qin." The group of people around her were also busy packing, looking at Shen Qingtang as if she were a gold nugget.
Shen Qingtang shook her head and politely declined, saying, "Mrs. Qin, there are too many clothes. I can't wear them all." Even if she didn't buy them, it would still be too wasteful.
Su Rong waved her hand and said, "If you can't wear them all, then just leave them in the fitting room and look at them every day. A woman's wardrobe is never complete." She paused for a moment and then said, "From now on, call me Aunt Su."
Faced with Su Rong's overtures, Shen Qingtang naturally accepted them and readily addressed her as "Aunt Su."
Song Yun, standing to the side, roughly estimated the price and found it to be close to five million. Her face turned pale and then green, and she couldn't hide the jealousy in her eyes. However, thinking that she could also get the bag she had been longing for, she barely suppressed her anger and praised with a smile, "Auntie, you are so kind. You are so generous to Shen Qingtang."
Su Rong chuckled and said, "I just can't stand hypocritical people, like that Shen Ruowan." Hearing these words that revealed her personal feelings, Song Yun's eyes flickered, and a guess arose in her mind: Could it be that Shen Ruowan's endorsement of the donkey brand was arranged by her aunt?
Others might not know, but she did know that the president of Louis Vuitton's China regional agency was her aunt's classmate in the French design class. The two were as close as best friends. When the other was just a small salesperson, her aunt even went out of her way to boost store sales and introduced her to many wealthy women.
Song Yun not only thought this way, but also asked this question.
Su Rong scoffed and admitted directly, "That's right, I did it." A sharp glint flashed in her eyes: "I will not let anyone who hurts Guan'er off easily." If Shen Qingtang hadn't said it herself, she wouldn't have known about these details.
Although Shen Ruowan had visited Guan'er once with Qin Rongyun, she hadn't mentioned this matter at all, and Rongyun had kept it a secret as well. Thinking about this, she actually held Shen Qingtang, who had openly admitted her mistake, in higher regard.
Song Yun thought to herself, "Then why are you so nice to Shen Qingtang?" But she was still satisfied with getting this inside scoop.
If the wives of the wealthy are said to be drawn by their husbands, children, and family background, then the young ladies are drawn by their education, boyfriends, and fame.
Since returning to China, Shen Ruowan has entered the entertainment industry and become an actress. At first, they just watched it for fun, but they didn't expect her to become more and more famous and to frequently market her wealthy family background while putting others down.
Because Song Yun and Shen Ruowan were both studying at the University of Macau and in the same major, Song Yun was the most attacked by tabloid reporters, which made her even more dissatisfied with Shen Ruowan. She immediately sent the news to her group of friends.
When Shen Ruowan lost her endorsement and blamed it on her agent's poor handling of the work, an insider revealed that it was revenge from a wealthy woman, and that this was the punishment she deserved. Shen Ruowan's originally pure and innocent image was now tarnished.
Meanwhile, news of Shen Qingtang's possible engagement to Qin Guanlan was spreading unnoticed.
Su Rong paid the bill and left happily with Shen Qingtang, while Song Yun was politely stopped by the salesperson behind her.
"Ms. Song, you haven't paid for this bag yet. The total price is 3.08 million."
"Did you forget to pay, little aunt?" Song Yun, who already considered the white pearl bag as her own, was shocked to hear this.
The salesperson behind him said with a half-smile, "Mrs. Qin specifically instructed that she wouldn't buy two of the same bag."
Seeing that the bag's tags had already been cut off and it couldn't be returned, Song Yun could only grit her teeth and say, "Then I'll pay." In her heart, however, she harbored a deep resentment towards Shen Qingtang.
Because she didn't have enough money, she had to ask Song's father for help. However, her extravagant spending immediately drew a loud scolding from Song's father. She lost face on the spot and became a laughing stock in the industry, and had to stay at home for a month.
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