At the entrance of ’Xuji’s Tailor Shop’, a fourteen-fifteen-year-old maiden walked in. Her face was long, her cheekbones high, her lips thin, giving her a look of cruel ungraciousness. Moreover, she had covered her already ugly face with such a heavy layer of makeup that she looked like the madam of a brothel.
She was wearing a big red orangutan woolen cloak, a large ermine collar around her neck, and holding a hand warmer cleverly embellished with colorful embroidery and jade beads. She walked in with her head held high, with a posse walking behind her.
Cai Wei paused momentarily; she had seen this young lady at Old Madam An’s birthday feast. Word has it that she was the county magistrate’s daughter born of a concubine. Despite her illegitimate status, her display of overbearing arrogance seemed to surpass even the daughters born from a legitimate wife by tenfold, a hundredfold.
The young lady also noticed Cai Wei, she curled up her thin lips and snorted dismissively.
Cai Wei turned her head, shrugged and continued admiring the ancient brocade art.
"Third Young Lady...."
"The shopkeeper ran down from upstairs and said with a smile, "The clothes you ordered have just been completed. We were just about to deliver them to your mansion. How come you are here in person?"
Li Jinzhi glanced at the shopkeeper disdainfully, and asked coldly: "What? Can’t I come?"
"No, not at all, Third Young Lady, you misunderstand." The shopkeeper waved his hands to clarify, "What I meant was that your distinguished presence graces our humble place, it is our good fortune. We could have delivered your order to your mansion, why had the Third Young Lady herself needed to trouble herself with this trip?"
A few obsequious words satisfied Li Jinzhi greatly. She glanced at Cai Wei, who was busy looking at the clothes, smirked coldly and then hinted, "Shopkeeper He, no offense, but your customer base seems to be decreasing in quality. Even a countryside woman who collects cow dung can waltz in here, aren’t you afraid it will lower your shop’s repute...."
Following Miss Jinzhi’s gaze, the shopkeeper saw Cai Wei, the girl who had just spent more than a dozen taels of silver in his shop. How could she be classified as a countryside woman who collects cow dung?
However, he dared not offend the county magistrate’s daughter, he could only smile and engage in small talk, "Miss Jinzhi, you sure have a sense of humor, hehe..."
Li Jinzhi was dissatisfied with his non-cooperative attitude, she threw him a disdainful glance, snorted, and walked towards Cai Wei with her servants.
Sensing her hostility, Cai Wei was somewhat puzzled. They had only met once before, and never even spoke to one another. Yet, her hostility was so intense, as if Cai Wei dug up her family’s ancestral grave or molested her mother.
Standing in front of Cai Wei, Li Jinzhi raised her chin arrogantly, scrutinized Cai Wei from top to bottom with a mocking look, and sarcastically said, "Rustic girl, let me give you a piece of advice. Xuji’s Tailor Shop is not a place for rustic people like you. Even the money you earn by fanning and roasting meat skewers all day may not be enough to afford a single item here."
Cai Wei was distressed. She did not want to stir trouble, especially with her beloved younger siblings around. If there was to be a commotion, they might get hurt. However, why did this young lady insist on courting disaster?
She only wanted to ignore the girl’s unreasoning provocation and hurry the children away. But Wen’er, who had been staring at her saw that his elder sister was being bullied, suddenly blurted out: "Elder sister, who is this ugly woman?"
The kid stood there, a look of indignation on his innocent face. Seeing his beloved sister being bullied by an ugly woman, he would never let her off easily!
Li Jinzhi was insulted by a boy who hasn’t even grown his full set of teeth yet, was infuriated straight away!
The one thing she despised in her life was people commenting on her looks. Although she didn’t possess the seductive beauty like those vixens, she was the daughter of the county magistrate and naturally exuded a noble aura. How could those coquettish girls compare to her splendor?