“Why did Ning Ning suddenly want to come to the fabric shop? Are the clothes at home not to your liking?”

At noon, by the side of the street, inside a small stone-blue colored carriage, sat An Ning and her mother. Following alongside them were several household servants and maids.

After reporting to Madam Wu and receiving permission, the group was finally able to go out smoothly.

After browsing around a nearby silver shop, An Ning suddenly had a whim to visit the fabric shop next door.

A six-year-old little girl was at an age of liveliness, and having been cooped up for so long, Madam Lin didn’t think much of it, only casually asking this question.

Now, hearing the little one in her arms pouting her small mouth and muttering to herself about that “Peacock,” the He family’s Eldest Miss, she couldn’t help but feel a little amused.

Alright, no need to think about it, she probably got shown up by someone again!

Children, after all, are always competitive.

Thinking this way, the group soon stopped in front of the fabric shop.

Although the Liang family were the largest fabric merchants in the area, they didn’t have a complete monopoly. Within the county town, aside from the Liang family, there were still a few scattered, not-too-big-not-too-small fabric shops. Although they couldn’t match the Liang family’s shop in terms of variety, they still had some good stuff.

“Esteemed guests, please come inside!”

“To be honest with you, Madam, you’ve come at just the right time. Our shop just received a batch of top-quality Rain Thread Brocade not long ago…”

“And this, this pattern, was just finished by the most skilled embroiderer in the shop…”

The young shop assistant in charge of reception was also a clever fellow. Seeing the two’s attire, he immediately ushered them into the inner room without another word. He then ordered people to bring over the newly arrived fabrics and materials one by one for display.

This was also tradition; you couldn’t let these noble ladies and young misses squeeze together with the common folk outside!

How undignified!

Although these families often had their own dedicated embroidery rooms, or directly had people come to their homes, they rarely came in person.

Inside the inner room, An Ning and her mother were happily browsing. Unexpectedly, not long after, they heard a familiar voice.

Madam Lin, who was originally picking out fabric for her daughter, paused her movements for a moment.

“Oh, so it’s Madam Lin. What good fabric have you brought over this time?”

Unlike the surprise of the two inside the room.

Seeing the newcomer, the young shop assistant was also pleased, especially as his gaze paused on the moon-blue colored fabric the other person brought over. His originally pleasing round little face wore an increasingly earnest smile.

His dark, shiny eyes subconsciously rolled.

This was top-grade Scattered Flower Silk, extremely precious. Only wealthy households like the Liang family could have some surplus. For their fabric shop, getting three or five bolts a year was already not easy.

Seeing this person looking east and west again, but ultimately setting her gaze on the silk fabric on the side, whose value was clearly much lower, the young assistant was happy, but the contempt in his heart also grew heavier.

Of course, on the surface, he was still all smiles:

This was several times more money, after all.

“Madam, are you sure? You want to exchange for this bolt, right?”

Outside, a woman roughly in her forties, with a weathered face, hurriedly nodded heavily, her face visibly tense and awkward:

“Just… just exchange for this bolt is fine. This fabric is good, the color is bright and vivid, it looks nice!”

It’s just right for a scholar to wear!

Color, looks nice? Uh…

Carefully putting away the moon-blue fabric in his hands, the young assistant thought nothing of it inwardly.

“Whatever you say, Madam!”

What is this?

Hearing every single word of the two’s interaction clearly, inside the inner room, Lin Ting suddenly felt a wave of irony and absurdity.

If she still couldn’t tell what this person was actually doing, then Madam Lin had wasted all those years maneuvering within the inner household.

Exchanging fabric?

Even thinking with her toes, she knew where this fabric came from. No wonder, no wonder. She had clearly sent so many things home before—clothing fabrics, writing brushes and ink, jade ornaments—but every time she went back, she never saw them appear on her younger brother or sister.

Especially after she became the Liang family’s concubine.

So that’s how it was! So that’s how it was…

Judging by the situation, it was clearly a practiced skill, not just a few times.

Listening to the familiar, constantly hesitant and mumbling voice of the woman outside, at this moment, Lin Ting only felt utterly absurd and ridiculous.

“Mother? Mother?”

An Ning called out cautiously, her face also carrying anger that was hard to conceal, but her tone softened when she looked at the person beside her. Her large, dark, shiny eyes were filled with worry:

Madam Lin’s heart instantly softened.

“Ning Ning, don’t worry, Mother is fine…”

Separated by a room, outside, Zhang Xiaocao, however, hadn’t noticed anything at all. She carefully put away the exchanged fabric. Shrinking her body, she was just about to lift her foot to leave when she suddenly saw a familiar figure walk out from the inner room.

Seeing clearly who it was, the already timid and hesitant woman instantly turned pale with fright, subconsciously hiding the package in her hands behind her back.

“Da… Da Ni’er, what are you doing here!”

Da Ni’er was Madam Lin’s previous name. Farming families, and a girl child at that, who would have a proper name back then? When she was a maid, she also had a fixed name. The character “Ting” in Lin Ting was a name Madam Lin later gave herself after learning to read.

Hearing the commotion, Lin Ting didn’t pay any attention now, not even sparing a glance. She only held her daughter’s hand with one hand and walked out without looking back.

Behind her, the little maid she brought hurriedly took out the money pouch and took away the chosen fabrics. Looking at a little maid casually taking out a large silver ingot, and then looking at the eldest daughter who got into the sedan chair without looking back.

Not far away, Zhang Xiaocao opened her mouth, her face growing increasingly pale. Only when she touched upon the seemingly curious young shop assistant nearby, fearing exposure, did she hurriedly leave with her package.

On the way, she even specifically reached out and felt inside the package. Seeing that the small piece of jade pendant she had “bought” earlier was still there, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

In a few more months, Qingyun would be going to the prefecture city for exams. Several classmates would be traveling with him. How could he go without a few good sets of clothes!

On the way back, Zhang Xiaocao barely managed to dismiss the earlier little episode, but inwardly, she still felt somewhat uneasy.

Especially when she thought of the look her eldest daughter gave her before leaving.

At the Lin family’s small courtyard, hearing his wife speak anxiously and uneasily, Old Man Lin also fell silent for a moment.

A moment later, he finally spoke in a low voice:

“Da Ni’er hasn’t sent anything home these past few months?”

“Exactly! If it weren’t for the fact that the things she brought last time were plentiful and could be exchanged for stuff bit by bit, plus the savings Mother and Father had kept over the years, this household…”

Probably wouldn’t have lasted until now.

Studying truly costs money! Zhang Xiaocao sighed worriedly.

Not to mention, in another couple of months, their son would be going to the prefecture city for exams. Travel expenses, accommodation, food—all of it costs money.

Even everyday writing brushes and ink were astronomical figures for farming families like theirs. If it weren’t for that, the family wouldn’t have insisted on sending Da Ni’er over back then.

Old Man Lin beside her was also silent. His cloudy old eyes moved slightly for a moment before he slowly uttered a few words:

“In a while, have Si Ni’er go see her older sister!”

Right at this moment, Lin Qingyun, who had just finished discussing studies with his classmates, stepped into the house.

At this, the couple could no longer care about anything else and hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.

Lin Qingyun was handsome. Because of years of studying, he naturally carried a scholarly aura about him. Usually, he appeared quite refined. Only when his gaze fell upon the jade pendant his mother had just brought over, treasuring it like a precious item, did it instantly darken:

As if insulted, a look of disgust instantly flashed in the eyes of the scholar in blue clothes:

“Mother, where did this jade pendant come from?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep