High-class maid

"It's nothing more than that."

Kong Bingyan entered the tea room, looking left and right, her disdain impossible to hide.

Shen Xing'er smiled slightly; it seemed this person had come to cause trouble.

"Our shop is simple. If you feel it is not worthy of you, miss, you may wish to visit the shops next door."

Kong Bingyan almost choked. What was wrong with this brat? Why wasn't she trying to coax her? She came here to spend money!

"Everyone in the capital says how wonderful the embroidery from Jinxiu Workshop is. Well, I'm not here for tea. Let's see if you can draw it first."

After she finished speaking, she sat on the stool and quietly watched Shen Xing'er's reaction.

Unexpectedly, Shen Xing'er was not annoyed at all. She still poured Kong Bingyan a cup of tea with a smile. Kong Bingyan was about to say that she did not drink tea from outside, but she smelled that the tea in the cup was Biluochun.

This tiny shop can actually afford Biluochun tea. I've heard that Young Master Song loves Biluochun the most. Could it be that he gave it to this brat?

"I wonder what kind of embroidery this young lady would like? I'd like to recommend some to you." Shen Xing'er sat opposite her, holding a pen and paper in her hand.

"Don't you have any ready-made clothes in your shop? I don't need anything, I just want to buy a dress to wear."

"The shop isn't big, and it's already full of small embroidery items. The ready-made clothes you wanted, Miss... we don't have any yet. But if you can wait, we can make them, it's just a matter of money..."

After Shen Xing'er finished speaking, she looked up at Kong Bingyan, as if to say, "Can you handle this?"

How could Kong Bingyan allow anyone to question her? How could she, the legitimate daughter of the Grand Commandant's family, not afford the money for a piece of clothing?

"What I lack least is money. You draw well, and if I like it, I will only buy things from your shop in the future." Kong Bingyan raised her head, like a proud peacock.

"When would you like to wear it, young lady? Let me recommend some colors for you first."

Shen Xing'er put her thoughts aside and instantly got into work mode.

Kong Bingyan voiced her thoughts, and although she had originally intended to find fault, she was ultimately completely captivated by the design drawn by Shen Xing'er.

"It's really good. If I wear this dress to the palace a month from now, it will definitely attract everyone's attention." Kong Bingyan thought to herself, her eyes sparkling as she held the blueprint in her hand.

"Alright, alright, I'll let her off this time. At worst, I'll tell her I don't like it and ask her to change it after the clothes are finished."

In a short moment, Kong Bingyan had pondered so much. She suppressed her satisfaction, coughed, and said...

"It barely meets my standards, but what if I don't like it anymore?"

"These are all one-on-one designs, no returns or exchanges. As long as you can wait, if you're not satisfied, you only need to pay for alterations until you are," Shen Xing'er said.

"Okay, how much silver?"

Putting aside everything else, Kong Bingyan has plenty of money, and besides, the woman in front of her is Brother Song's sweetheart, so she won't give him any leverage.

Shen Xing'er didn't speak, but tapped the pearly white abacus on the table with her hand.

There was no abacus on the second floor originally, but Zhang Yuzhu gave her a white jade abacus that day, so she took it to the second floor, making it more convenient to settle accounts upstairs.

"It costs thirty-two taels in total. The fabric is Yunyu silk from Jiangnan, and the thread is the finest brocade thread. The cuffs will be edged with silver thread according to your request, and the pattern will be drawn according to your requirements. I guarantee that it will not be sold twice in our store."

Shen Xing'er explained to Kong Bingyan why it was so expensive.

Kong Bingyan didn't even blink, and the maid behind her cleverly placed the purse on the table.

"The rest is yours, let's go."

Supported by her maid, Kong Bingyan walked out step by step. She needed to get home quickly because her father was at home today. If he found out that she had secretly left the manor, she would definitely get a beating!

Little did she know, her dear sister had betrayed her.

"Father, these are socks that your daughter sewed for you. Please take a look." Kong Bingrong brought her embroidery to her father's room.

Her father was finally in the manor, and her dear younger sister was finally out of the manor; shouldn't she go and make her presence known?

"That's kind of you. Here, I'll leave it. Where's your sister? Why didn't she come with you? Is she still upset with me?"

Lord Kong didn't even glance at her, continuing to write something without looking up.

Kong Bingrong clenched her hands, tears almost welling up in her eyes. Look, even if Kong Bingyan does nothing, her father still only has her in his heart!

When the two of them left the manor last time, it was clearly me who got beaten up, so how come in my father's mouth, it was Kong Bingyan who was injured?

"Yes, Father, my sister... she's not feeling well and is staying in my room," Kong Bingrong said, her head bowed.

Because Kong Bingyan left the mansion today, she claimed to be learning embroidery in her sister's room, so everyone assumed she was learning embroidery.

"Not feeling well? This girl actually dares to stay home? Come on, I'll go check on her." Lord Kong put down his brush, glanced at the socks on the table, and went straight out the door.

"Father! You'd better not go, lest my sister pass on her illness to you." Kong Bingrong pleaded anxiously, kneeling on the ground.

Lord Kong's eyes seemed to pierce through her; he stared at her for a long time before finally speaking slowly.

"Tell me, where is she?"

"My sister... she's resting in my room," Kong Bingrong said softly, her voice growing weaker.

She looked like a loving older sister protecting her younger sister. Perhaps only a woman could understand her subtle thoughts.

"You're lying to your father too, aren't you? Tell me, where is she?!"

Lord Kong asked loudly.

"Father, please don't ask anymore. Your daughter dares not say." After saying this, Kong Bingrong covered her face with a handkerchief and began to cry.

"Go to the gatehouse and wait for the Second Miss. As soon as she returns to the manor, have her come to my study to see me," Lord Kong instructed the servant at the gate.

After giving these instructions, he remembered that his eldest daughter was kneeling on the ground. He awkwardly touched his nose and finally said softly.

"Get up, stop kneeling. I know this is not your fault. Your sister is unruly, and you have been wronged."

"As the older sister, it's only natural for a daughter to care for her siblings. Besides, my parents have never lacked anything from me, so I'm not feeling wronged," Kong Bingrong said, moved.

"Sigh, if only that girl were half as sensible as you," Lord Kong said.

Kong Bingrong sat on the stool, her head lowered, seemingly lost in thought.

"Hmph, you keep saying you love me, but why do you only punish me every time! Why do I have to marry a mere seventh-rank official and be sent to a post outside the capital with him, while my sister can marry the young and promising Song Wenyang without doing anything!"

"I must snatch Song Wenyang away! I want my stepmother to bow down before me! I want my sister to envy me! I want my aunt to never be bullied again!"

Her thoughts grew stronger and stronger, and just as she was about to go astray, Kong Bingyan's voice from outside the door pulled her back to her senses.