"You want me to seduce the Crown Prince? Why are you crying now that I've entered the pala

Chapter 29 As expected of a rich family's heiress

The stepmother, Zhang, came from the Zhang family of Qinghe, and was quite wealthy. The main courtyard where she lived was as grand as the original owner remembered, with white walls and green walls everywhere you looked.

As soon as Qin Su stepped into the room, she felt a cool breeze and a faint fruity fragrance.

In the center of the room stood a huge ice chest, surrounded by cut fruit.

When the poor couldn't even afford to eat, the expensive fruits in the homes of the nobility were merely for smelling their fragrance.

She withdrew her gaze, and together with Qin Wanrou, bowed to the beautiful woman in a bright red silk dress with hibiscus patterns on the sandalwood couch: "Daughter greets Mother."

This time, unusually, Zhang did not deliberately make things difficult for her illegitimate daughter in terms of etiquette, and simply raised her hand to excuse her from the formalities.

Qin Su stood up, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the other two girls beside Qin Wanrou:
The fourth younger sister was born to Aunt Wan of the Evening Glow Courtyard, and the sixth younger sister was born to Aunt Mu of the Hibiscus Courtyard. (The fifth younger sister died young.)
The two girls were younger, but their clothes and appearance were not too bad. Their hands had delicate skin, which showed that they had never done manual labor.

The more this happened, the more speechless Qin Su felt. She didn't know whether to blame Aunt Xu for being too pretentious or to curse the original author for being too disgusting.

There were other illegitimate sons and daughters in the Prime Minister's mansion, but the original owner of this body was the one who was abused so badly.

Normally, when these concubine daughters come to pay their respects, they are supposed to serve their stepmother meals and listen to her instructions.

But Madam Zhang said she had already eaten breakfast and didn't need to be served. She also told her two younger concubine daughters to go back first, leaving only Qin Su and Qin Wanrou behind.

Qin Su tensed up, knowing that something was about to happen.

Madam Zhang gave a gentle yet distant smile: "Time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, you sisters have all reached the age where you should be looking for husbands. These days, you should all settle down and pick up your traditional needlework again. As your mother, I will carefully select good husbands for you."

As soon as she finished speaking, a nanny next to her, dressed in a brocade dress with a dark blue front opening, said with a smile, "That's right. You two young ladies don't know yet, do you? In order to teach you, Madam specially invited a skilled needlework nanny from the palace to instruct you in embroidery. You must not let Madam's kind heart go to waste!"

Zhang smiled reservedly, her gaze sweeping over Qin Wanrou before finally settling on the quiet and unassuming Qin Su:

"With Aunt Qiu taking care of Wanrou, I have less to worry about. But Sangsang, you have the most reliable and steady personality. I have the highest hopes for you. You must study hard and not let me down."

One sentence was enough to make Qin Wanrou glare at Qin Su with jealousy.

Qin Su didn't say anything. If she didn't know the truth of the original story, she would have actually believed it.

"Appropriate and composed"? Are you sure it doesn't mean being submissive and easy to bully?
Sure enough, the next sentence was from Madam Zhang: "Your needlework and embroidery skills are the best among the sisters. Send an embroidery piece to the main courtyard every three days so that the nanny can guide and correct it."

The jealousy in Qin Wanrou's eyes instantly turned into surprise, and when she looked at Qin Su again, all that remained was schadenfreude.

Tested every three days?

Even a donkey pulling a millstone couldn't be more effective, right?
Moreover, embroidery is different from other crafts; it requires the embroiderer to be meticulous and patient, which is time-consuming and laborious. How can this be considered "valuing"? You would believe it if I told you it was making things difficult for her!

She said that her stepmother had always disliked Qin Sangsang, so how could she be so kind as to "teach" her?

If it weren't for the fear that her stepmother would apply the same standards to her, Qin Wanrou would have really wanted to urge Qin Sangsang: "Your stepmother has said all this, aren't you going to thank her?"

Qin Wanrou looked at Qin Su, eagerly anticipating seeing her look aggrieved, resigned, and forced to admit defeat.

Sure enough, Qin Su knelt down the next moment, but what she said was:

"Mother, I am too dull to deliver it every three days."

The stepmother smiled and said, "Sangsang, you don't need to be modest. Everyone knows that you come from a family with a long tradition of learning. You could hold a needle as soon as you could hold chopsticks. Sending it to someone every three days is just a matter of course. Isn't that easy for you?"

"Pfft~"

This time, Qin Wanrou couldn't help but laugh out loud. Seeing her stepmother's cold gaze sweep over her, she quickly lowered her head to suppress her laughter. What "family tradition"? Wasn't it just a way of mocking Aunt Xu for being a silkworm farmer who then climbed into her father's bed to come to the capital?

Qin Su lowered her head even further, but her words were clear and distinct: "Mother flatters me. I really can't do it..."

What does "not reaching" mean?

Zhang's face suddenly darkened, and her voice became stern and oppressive: "I specifically praised you in front of the nanny, and this is how you repay me?"

The old nanny chimed in, "That's right, Third Miss. Madam has you deliver the goods every three days, all for your own good. Only through constant diligence can your skills improve. You can't let Madam down."

Zhang snorted coldly, interrupting her: "What are you saying to this ungrateful girl? Consider my kindness as being wasted on dogs."

The old woman hurriedly comforted Zhang Shi, then frowned and urged Qin Su, "Third Miss, why don't you hurry up and thank Madam?"

After such a performance of singing, recitation, acting, and fighting, the original, gentle and kind person would have long since given in to it.

Even if it means staying up all night, I will do my best to fulfill my stepmother's requests.

Let alone complaining.

But today, it is Qin Su who is here, firmly believing that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease."

So she sniffled, and tears welled up in her eyes:
"I dare not disappoint my mother's kindness, but my aunt is seriously ill. I only have two hands. I cook, wash clothes, chop wood, fetch water, and take care of my aunt every day. I am already overwhelmed and have no extra time to do embroidery. Please have pity on me, Mother."

"You are presumptuous!"

Originally only three parts angry, Zhang's anger surged to seven parts after hearing Qin Su's words. She slammed her hand on the table, her eyes wide with fury, and shouted:
Are you accusing me of withholding your food and clothing and deliberately making things difficult for you?

Qin Su shook her head: "I dare not. I am just telling the truth. My aunt has been bedridden for a long time, and I really have no choice. If you don't believe me, you can ask my sister Rou'er."

When the gossip suddenly found itself on her own, Qin Wanrou immediately denied it: "Don't ask me, I don't know anything about it!"

“But sister, you clearly…” Qin Su looked up, wanting to argue with Qin Wanrou, but was interrupted by Zhang Shi:

"Enough! Your aunt is just a worthless woman. How could she possibly be of any use to the young ladies of the manor? Since you can't take care of her properly, move her out and let someone else take care of her. You can just focus on your embroidery!"

One sentence made Qin Wanrou, who was originally watching the show, feel inexplicably uncomfortable.

What's wrong with my aunt? She's a human being too.

She couldn't help but think of her mother's words about her stepmother, saying that she was mean and jealous. If it weren't for her stepmother being favored and having her father's protection, their lives might not have been better than Qin Sangsang's and her mother's.

The stepmother's harsh treatment of Qin Sangsang and her daughter was actually an outlet for her hatred towards her aunt.

Thinking of this, Qin Wanrou's gaze towards Qin Su became more complicated...

In the past, if things had reached this point and angered the stepmother, the original owner would have always given in.

She is the kindest and most filial daughter; if you can control her aunt, you can basically control her too.

"Thank you, mother..."

Hearing Qin Su express her gratitude, Zhang was about to smile when she heard Qin Su say the second half of her sentence: "I am extremely grateful for your willingness to ask for a doctor for my aunt."

Zhang's smile froze: "What did you say?"

(End of this chapter)