Chapter 125: Social Outing
The wind was gentle, and the sun was bright.
Tourists were abundant.
It was perfect for shopping.
Although Ming County was currently under the control of the Rebels, it showed no signs of desolation.
In fact, it was even livelier than in previous years.
From time to time, when bad news came from outside, the common people felt quite fortunate.
The shopkeeper scurried out and saw the maidservant by the carriage, and also the people alighting from the carriage.
It was two women holding a baby.
They were unfamiliar; he hadn’t seen them before.
Their clothes weren’t luxurious, but their demeanor was quite extraordinary.
Aunt Yin allowed Mrs. Qin and Sister Yu to be scrutinized.
If a small shopkeeper couldn’t handle this, they were completely unqualified.
There were too many shrewd people.
She wasn’t worried about the little one in her arms.
The little one was too good at bluffing, even bluffing her.
She saw that Mrs. Qin and The Eldest Miss were still a little nervous.
Their footsteps were different from when they were at home.
But the little one was just curious, not scared, and even showed a hint of disdain in her eyes.
It seemed she thought this Jewelry Store was too small.
Aunt Yin could now interpret the little master’s gaze, if not 100%, then 90% accurately.
Jiang Mianmian was indeed a little disappointed.
The invincible jewelry shop that her sister had been longing for turned out to be so small, and its facade was quite ordinary.
But thinking about it, in a small county town, it was probably already quite impressive.
And Jiang Yu was genuinely nervous, especially when she saw the shopkeeper bowing and smiling in welcome, looking incredibly attentive. She felt doomed. She was lucky she had no money; if she did, she would definitely be the type to spend recklessly.
She couldn’t stand other people’s obsequious smiles; she would feel compelled to spend a lot of money and buy many things.
No, no, the family wasn’t that wealthy. She had to spend carefully and not be misled by smiles. Great-Aunt was right, she had to maintain her composure, maintain it, so people couldn’t see through her and she could haggle.
This was just a jewelry shop; she couldn’t eat or drink here, so it was actually no big deal.
Thinking this, Jiang Yu put all the lessons Great-Aunt usually taught her into practice.
Walk with a straight back, openly and gracefully.
Don’t avoid eye contact with people.
Keep your pace steady, neither hurried nor slow.
It’s no big deal. She’s super pretty, that’s why everyone keeps looking at her.
No one looks at ugly things.
Don’t smile casually. When you smile, your eyes must be direct, not flirtatious.
This is especially true for men. Speak openly, don’t be hesitant.
For people you don’t like, just treat them like a dish you don’t like.
Steady, steady, steady.
Jiang Yu encouraged herself.
Qin Luoxia was also encouraging herself.
Her husband had such looks, and his status was now different. If she remained timid and hesitant, she would definitely not be worthy of him.
She heard that many shameless girls in the county town were still circling outside the county yamen, hoping to ‘accidentally’ meet her husband.
Qin Luoxia definitely trusted her husband in her heart. With his looks, if there were really something, it definitely wouldn’t be her turn.
Although her husband always encouraged her, telling her she was the best.
But a woman’s thoughts are different. She needed to learn and grow, needed affirmation from the outside world, and needed Aunt Yin’s guidance.
She had applied her hunting skills to practicing her walk, carefully observing Aunt Yin’s gait.
However, Aunt Yin said that status was different, and so were the steps. One couldn’t just copy everything exactly.
Aunt Yin realized that Mrs. Qin’s learning ability was too strong; she could walk exactly like her in a day, but their statuses were different, so it still wasn’t the same.
Qin Luoxia had also realized that Aunt Yin must have worked as a servant for a long time. She instinctively bowed to her husband, and the same for Mianmian.
They were all more at ease with her husband than Aunt Yin was.
She worked very hard and was a bit embarrassed, always asking Aunt Yin indirectly, as if it were part of Sister Yu’s lessons.
Aunt Yin taught very carefully, and later Qin Luoxia realized that Aunt Yin was teaching her.
She felt a tiny bit nervous jumping off the carriage, but she hid it well.
At first glance, she looked like a very imposing madam.
She seemed to be in charge.
Ordinary shop assistants judge people by their clothes, respecting the attire before respecting the person.
The shopkeeper’s discernment was naturally better; he ‘judged people by their appearance,’ observing the newcomers through their looks, expressions, and movements.
He bowed even lower, and his smile became more sincere.
He led them inside and headed upstairs.
Qin Luoxia said, “No need to trouble yourself, we’re just casually looking today.”
“Whether Madam and Miss buy or not is up to you. Our humble shop has just received a batch of new goods, please do Madam and Miss the honor of taking a look.”
The shopkeeper was enthusiastic yet polite.
The other people picking out jewelry in the shop were somewhat curious about the newcomers.
Unfamiliar.
But their demeanor was extraordinary.
They wondered which family’s female relatives they were.
Someone suddenly remembered something and covered her mouth.
She had personally attended the Rebels’ invited banquet last time.
It was too bloody and terrifying now.
She hadn’t remembered at first, but then she felt a sense of familiarity.
After a few more glances, she recalled that it was Second Young Master Jiang’s female relatives.
Those unmarried girls in the county were still unwilling to give up, and occasionally loitered around the county yamen, as if they thought Second Young Master Jiang’s wife was unworthy of him.
It was said she was just an ordinary village woman.
In the chaos that day, she hadn’t paid much attention.
It seemed she was very tall.
Also, her Eldest Miss seemed a bit carefree and bold; in that setting, everyone else couldn’t eat, but she ate with gusto.
There was also a very small infant, of course, she didn’t notice what they looked like either.
In such a situation, these minor details were truly forgotten; she didn’t even dare to recall them.
But seeing Madam Jiang again, she found her to be tall and dressed very beautifully.
And her temperament was extraordinary.
She looked every bit the proper wife, graceful in her movements and composed in her demeanor.
That day, she thought The Eldest Miss was a bit crude.
But seeing her today, she found her to be different.
The Eldest Miss had a very round and open appearance, which was very endearing, and she looked to have a very good and approachable personality.
Her every move was natural and graceful, and she carried a youthful pride.
She was also the kind of person elders would like.
Now that she thought about it, being able to eat and drink freely in such a situation that day wasn’t crudeness, but rather that she understood the situation thoroughly.
And the little girl in the maidservant’s arms looked so much like Second Young Master Jiang, as beautiful as a jade carving.
The scrutiny was only for a moment. (The author wrote for a long time o(╯□╰)o)
The madam then stepped forward to greet them.
“Madam Jiang.”
Qin Luoxia looked at the person who greeted her.
She didn’t recognize her, but she still smiled. She also liked the address ‘Madam Jiang’.
Initially, she felt a bit awkward when someone called her ‘Madam,’ but now that Aunt Yin called her ‘Madam’ every day, she had gotten used to it.
The person introduced herself, saying her husband worked in the county yamen.
Qin Luoxia handled it gracefully. She was a little nervous at first, but after a few sentences, she felt it wasn’t much different from chatting with the village aunties, just small talk.
One was at the village entrance, the other in a shop.
Thinking this, Qin Luoxia became more at ease and controlled the direction of the conversation.
After a few pleasantries, she decisively stopped and went to look at jewelry.
Because Aunt Yin said that when speaking outside, don’t stand and talk for too long unless specifically invited. More words lead to more mistakes; speak less and listen more.
While Mother was talking to someone, Jiang Yu didn’t let her eyes wander. She followed obediently, looking very well-behaved.
Jiang Mianmian was still young, so she looked left and right.
Then she saw an acquaintance.
Jiang Mianmian didn’t really have an impression of anyone else here, but that girl left too deep an impression on her.
Aunt Yin also looked over in the direction Mianmian was gazing.
She saw a girl.
Aunt Yin couldn’t help but be surprised.
She took another look.
Of course, Aunt Yin’s way of observing people was very subtle, so it wouldn’t make anyone feel uncomfortable being scrutinized.
Aunt Yin felt that this girl had an extraordinary demeanor, with a maturity that surpassed her age.
She was very beautiful and knew how to dress herself well.
Eight parts beauty, enhanced to ten parts, with a subtle artifice that ordinary people couldn’t detect.
They just felt she was incredibly beautiful, like a lotus emerging from water, naturally unadorned.
Her every gesture also had the air of nobility.
Aunt Yin felt a little puzzled.
She saw her walk over to greet them.
“Cousin, Second Aunt.”
Qin Luoxia frowned slightly at the young girl in front of her.
She loved those her husband loved and hated those he hated. She thoroughly disliked anyone her husband disliked.
Although in that family, Jiang Wan seemed to be different.
Qin Luoxia used to think this girl was kind-hearted and very polite to people.
She didn’t understand her Father’s generation’s affairs.
But after the Kidnapper incident, were children innocent? Her life of luxury was not innocent; her eating, drinking, and high-and-mighty attitude were not innocent.
Moreover, she only just noticed that this young girl had never called her’Second Aunt’ before.
Although she was educated and sensible, she had never treated her as an elder.
Qin Luoxia acted as if she hadn’t seen her, passing her by.
“Let’s go upstairs. It’s noisy downstairs, and there are too many idle people.” Qin Luoxia finished speaking.
Then she smiled and explained to the madam from earlier, “Madam Wang, I wasn’t referring to you.”
The madam smiled understandingly.
Jiang Wan was extremely embarrassed, feeling as if everyone was looking at her.
But she still maintained a calm expression, looking unperturbed.
She merely smiled and nodded, making people feel she was very sensible, able to endure humiliation with ease.
This, however, startled Aunt Yin.
She felt that this young girl’s cunning was a bit too deep.
When Jiang Yu saw Jiang Wan, her eyes immediately went to her new clothes, jewelry, and embroidered shoes.
It seemed she was dressed a bit more simply than before, but still very luxurious.
After this period of special training from Great-Aunt, Jiang Yu now understood a little about women’s grooming techniques.
She used to think Jiang Wan was high and mighty. Although they both shared the surname Jiang, she felt inferior in front of Jiang Wan. Her way of expressing inferiority was to be stubborn, saying all sorts of unpleasant things, arguing and pushing back hard.
But she never expected that, after such a long time, when Jiang Yu recalled her past self, she suddenly realized how childish she had been back then.
It turned out Jiang Wan wasn’t so scary after all. She just dressed better, used better things, and groomed herself better. These were all achievable if one had the means; there wasn’t much difference between them.
In fact, her Father was more beautiful, so she was also more beautiful – this was what Mianmian called Genetic Excellence.
For the first time, she realized that Jiang Wan was actually short, not as tall as her.
Jiang Wan was also not as fair-skinned as her; her own skin was whiter.
Moreover, Jiang Wan’s brows weren’t relaxed. Great-Aunt said that such girls aren’t endearing because they have too many worries.
Jiang Yu took a couple more glances, then held her head high and chest out, like a true little phoenix, and went upstairs.
Just as she reached the staircase, she couldn’t resist turning back and making a funny face at Jiang Wan.
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