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墨書 Inktalez
The girl walking gracefully wore a light yellow embroidered dress and a foot-length skirt, adorned with two shimmering silver plum blossom hairpins. Her slender figure attracted many gazes.
Liu Qingxi squinted her eyes, watching the girl approach her.
As she got closer, the thick makeup on the girl's face became apparent, with rosy cheeks and heavy cosmetics that gave the impression of being ready to fall apart at any moment.
To Liu Qingxi, the thick layer of powder was somewhat shocking, but to the villagers who had never used rouge or powder, the girl appeared as a beauty stepping out of a painting!
"Whose daughter is this? She's so beautiful!"
"Look at her dress; it's brand new! We've seen someone wearing it in town!"
"Indeed, this outfit must cost over a hundred coins, enough for a whole family's expenses for a year. She's really extravagant!"
Seeing the envious gazes of the crowd and hearing the villagers' praises, the girl raised her head high, walking proudly with delicate steps, mimicking an elegant demeanor.
Her movements made everyone gasp; the villagers had never seen such a beautiful girl, especially one with the poise of a refined lady in every gesture.
In Liu Qingxi's eyes, however, the girl was merely pretentious, having learned etiquette in a clumsy manner. Shaking her head, she prepared to turn back to her courtyard.
The girl stood before her and spoke with rosy lips: "Qingxi sister, how have you been lately?"
Upon hearing her voice, Liu Qingxi recognized that the girl was none other than her so-called cousin, Liu Qingzhi.
With such a thick layer of makeup on her face, it was fortunate that it appeared white; otherwise, at night, she might scare people like a ghost.
Turning around, Liu Qingxi looked at the girl, startled by her shocking appearance.
Liu Qingzhi had a bad temper; during their time in the Liu Family, she treated Liu Qingxi no better than Wang. The two mother and daughter were cut from the same cloth—sharp-tongued and bitter.
Liu Qingxi did not think there was anything good about the woman in front of her, who was looking up with her eyes.
However, she wanted to leave, but someone was unwilling to let her go!
Liu Qingzhi suddenly stepped forward and blocked her path: "Sister, you haven't told me how you've been doing!"
She covered her mouth with a handkerchief embroidered with mandarin ducks and giggled: "Oh dear, sister, even I can tell from your appearance that you must not be doing well. Hehe, but I am going to marry into a prominent family in town!
That is a wealthy household with a yard so big you can't see the end of it, and there’s a very large restaurant. Qingxi, if you are willing, I can help you get a job there. You are clumsy and probably can't do much else, but serving tea and starting fires should be manageable for you!"
Liu Qingxi scoffed coldly a couple of times, truly wondering who gave her such an inflated sense of superiority.
Thinking this way, she replied, "Thank you, but I don't need it. If you want to work, go ahead!"
"You!" Liu Qingzhi was so angry that her hands trembled: "Liu Qingxi, don't be shameless! I only offered you this out of pity; otherwise, I wouldn't care at all!"
"Is that so? Then I really don't need your concern. Also, I'm no longer part of the Liu Family; stay away from me in the future!" Liu Qingxi had no intention of giving the woman in front of her any courtesy.
"You deserve to live this poor life anyway. I'm going to be a big Young Lady; I won't stoop to your level!" Since agreeing to the marriage with Wandehai, Liu Qingzhi had been trying to imitate the people in the city.
Even her usual self-reference had changed from "I" to "me," which made Liu Qingxi scoff.
Changing the surface does not change the essence; deep down, she remained a petty and ignorant woman.
"Then I wish you a smooth life as a Young Lady and hope you get divorced soon!" With that, she slammed the fence gate shut.
Liu Qingzhi stood there dumbfounded, staring at the closed door. She never expected that her usually timid cousin would not give her any face and even dared to curse her with divorce. Was the sun rising from the west?
It took her a full tea time to awaken from the shock and realize that everything that had just happened was real!
The surroundings were silent, and the villagers who had come to watch were equally stunned by the unexpected outcome!
Having been humiliated in front of so many people, Liu Qingzhi's face flushed with anger, and the thick makeup she wore began to fall off, making everyone laugh even more.
With her dignity shattered, she stomped her feet in frustration and shouted, “Liu Qingxi, just wait! I will make you pay for this!”
Then she pointed at the onlookers, “What are you staring at? What’s so interesting?” She ran away in a huff, no longer caring about her new clothes or the refined demeanor she had tried to portray.
“Hahaha!” Even after running a distance away, Liu Qingzhi could still hear the laughter of the crowd.
“Who is this? Oh, it’s the eldest daughter of the Liu Family. Well, it seems there’s no difference between her and that Wang woman!”
“Like mother, like daughter; just look at how she’s acting!”
“You all don’t know why Wang and Liu Qingzhi are so arrogant, do you? It’s because they’re about to become concubines for Master Wan in town!”
Upon hearing this news, the crowd's gossiping instincts kicked in, and they gathered around!
It turned out that rumors had been circulating for several days about Liu Qingzhi becoming a concubine for Master Wan.
Most people in the village disapproved of such actions: “Even if they are poor, they shouldn’t sell their daughters!”
“What do you mean by selling daughters? Marrying into town means living a good life. What kind of good families can you find in the countryside? I think you’re just jealous!”
There were countless such comments, but Liu Qingzhi's sudden change in attire and the dazzling hairpin she wore only made others envious.
To know that dress, those silver and gold hairpins, are things they could never afford in their lifetimes, Liu Qingzhi became the envy of many young girls.
She basked in her pride for a long time!
At the same time, Liu Qingxi, having closed the door, felt speechless. She truly did not understand; what was so proud about being a concubine to an old man?
All she saw were the formalities, unaware of the hidden troubles in the inner courtyard. Was what Wang was doing really for her daughter's benefit?
However, she had no sympathy; she was no saint who would use her kindness to change others. Ha! Forget it; in this day and age, looking out for oneself is more realistic!
Looking around at the tidy courtyard filled with beautiful flowers and Liu Qingyan busy tending to the fire, every bit of money earned on the table inside made her happy!
"Yan, Sister Ming is taking you to town!"
"Great! Great!" Liu Qingyan cheered!
For someone her age, going to town meant delicious food and fun, which meant she could indulge herself in the future!
Running into the house, Liu Qingyan's eyes widened as she looked at the Copper Coins on the table and exclaimed, "Sister, are these all ours?"
Liu Qingxi playfully tapped her head and smiled, "Of course!"
Just as laughter filled the courtyard, there were angry shouts coming from the cave!
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