Chapter 6 Too Delicate

 Chapter 6 Too Delicate

Today, Xie Jing took the time to come and break off the engagement. The longer it drags on, the more he delays the young lady.

So, Xue Yi's remark about making play a reality as a joke, which was actually a proposal in disguise.

Xie Jing's gaze followed through a gap and landed directly on Jiang Youning's slender waist, delicate enough that it seemed a single hand could break it.

He still remembered that night; he hadn't even exerted much force, and she had cried...

"Too delicate."

Xue Yi, upon hearing this, was not surprised. Having followed Xie Jing for five years, he deeply understood Xie Jing's ambitions and lofty aspirations, which had never allowed room for personal matters.

Staying in the military camp year-round, surrounded by rugged men, he had grown used to speaking loudly. When faced with delicate women, who would tremble at a raised voice and cry at the slightest thing, he naturally found it unappealing.

"Why didn't the master break off the engagement today?"

"No need to rush for now." Xie Jing's gaze once again turned towards Jiang Youning. How did he come to possess mind-reading abilities?

And she knew he could read minds just from a dream?

Apparently, she doesn't know that he can read minds without looking at each other.

Xue Yi lowered the curtain and played with the sandalwood folding fan in his hand, watching the reticent Xie Jing.

[He doesn't like fierce women, and he doesn't like delicate ones either. Does he perhaps like someone warm and passionate?]

Xie Jing: "..." Warm and passionate, my foot!

After seeing off Xie Jing, Jiang Youning followed everyone back to the house.

She was still preoccupied with Xie Jing's ambush, to the extent that she didn't even hear Jiang Xubai's sudden question clearly.

"Dad, what did you say?"

Jiang Xubai asked, "What did General Xie say to you just now?"

She didn’t expect Jiang Xubai to be so gossipy~

Unable to speak the truth, she had to make something up.

"The general said he was going out for a trip and asked what I liked to eat. He promised to bring it back for this daughter when he saw it."

Jiang Xubai didn't expect General Xie to be so considerate. He asked again, "Didn't he say anything else?"

Jiang Youning shook her head and replied, "General Xie isn't much of a talker."

Jiang Xubai had heard quite a few rumors about General Xie and knew he was a man of few words, so he believed her explanation.

Jiang Youning was about to return to her own courtyard when she heard Jiang Yanran call out to her, "Ning'er jiejie, please wait."

After returning, Jiang Yanran reverted to using her Jiang family surname.

When she turned around, she saw Jiang Yanran walking over with small steps.

Chuntao recognized at a glance that Jiang Yanran was wearing a Suzhou Embroidery YueHua Brocade garment, which complemented her complexion. She also had on a Jade Smoke Silk Cloud skirt for her lower half, which was elegant and graceful.

The shopkeeper at the Nishang Pavilion had introduced these garments previously, and although they were a bit pricey, the young lady had remarked that it was better to spend money on food than on expensive clothes.

Jiang Youning asked, "Is there something you need?"

Jiang Yanran asked, "Ning'er jiejie, do you not like me?"

Jiang Youning: "....Why do you ask that?"

Jiang Yanran pursed her vermilion lips and said, "Because when I returned, I took something away from you."

Jiang Youning looked at Jiang Yanran's cautious demeanor and replied calmly, "What 'taking', when those things were originally yours?

Jiang Yanran was a bit stunned and asked, "Aren't you angry? If I hadn't returned, all of these would still be yours."

"That's your perspective, not mine. I have other matters to attend to." Jiang Youning replied before turning and walking away.

Jiang Yanran watched Jiang Youning's departing figure. If it were someone else who had suddenly become a fake daughter and had to return everything they had to the real daughter, how could they not have any emotions about it?

She felt that Jiang Youning was just pretending not to care.

On her way back, while passing by the rockery, a boy suddenly emerged and placed something in Jiang Youning's hand, then quickly ran away into the distance.

She lowered her head to take a look and found that it was a horned bug, pitch-black in color, with a mouth that resembled pincers. It had a somewhat ugly appearance.

Before she could even discard it, the bug bit her, causing her to yelp in pain.

"Ah!!!"

Jiang Youning had a low pain threshold, and the sudden bite caused her to react strongly.

"Hahaha!!!" The boy laughed gleefully, "Ugly freak, you're not my sister. Get out of my house!"

Jiang Youning rubbed her hand to alleviate the stinging pain and looked up to see the chubby Jiang Tai making faces at her.

Jiang Tai was born to Madam He and had just turned seven. He had a mischievous personality and often called the original host an 'ugly freak' because he was favored.

Jiang Youning saw Jiang Tai make faces and then run off, "Little rascal!"

Back in her room, Jiang Youning lay on the couch, waiting for lunch.

Chuntao stormed into the room with a food box in hand and placed it on the table, "Xu Mama is too biased. She knows the Young Lady isn't the master's biological child, so she's started skimping on the meals. She's well aware that the Young Lady likes meat, yet she doesn't even include a bit of it."

Chuntao continued to vent her frustrations while taking out the dishes and placing them on the table one by one.

Jiang Youning paused in her actions and glanced at the dishes on the table—a plate of vegetables and a plate of tofu, and that was it.

"Young lady, please go ahead and start eating. Nubi will go inform Madam right away."

Chuntao had just turned around when Jiang Youning called her back. "Just make do with it."

Chuntao pursed her lips, "Young Lady, you're being wronged. Why won't you let me go and speak up?"

Jiang Youning said, "It's useless to complain; they'll still be like this. Instead of spending time reporting them, it's better to make more velvet flower hairpins to sell. You can buy whatever you want yourself."

Chuntao thought the young lady had a point.

"Nubi understand."

After finishing their meal, Jiang Youning taught Chuntao how to make velvet flower hairpins so that she could be an arm-flinging shopkeeper.

Chuntao was quick to learn, and after a few repetitions, she had mastered the skill.

Patterns like peach blossoms, crabapple blossoms, and pear blossoms were all quite simple, and a pair of flowers didn't take much time to make. They were also sold at an affordable price.

Jiang Youning planned to make a pink rose, as the rose pattern was slightly more complex and Chuntao was unlikely to make it.

By the time she had finished working on it, it was already quite late, and she let out a yawn.

Chuntao heard the yawn and looked up, only to see the rose in Jiang Youning's hand. It had a gradient from dark to light, and it was quite captivating. A look of amazement crossed her eyes.

"What a beautiful rose! Young lady, you're very skilled."

"It's alright," Jiang Youning replied, not being modest but knowing that she could create even more beautiful and intricate peonies and Moutan peonies.

Chuntao noticed that Jiang Youning was yawning repeatedly and urged her, "Young Lady, go to sleep now. Nubi will take care of the rest."

Jiang Youning responded with a "hmm" and got up to go to sleep.

Early the next morning, Jiang Youning and Chuntao went to the street together to sell velvet flower hairpins.

When they arrived on the street, they noticed that there were unusually many people today, most of them dressed in coarse clothing and carrying bamboo baskets on their backs.

"Is there a festival today? It's so lively."

"Young Lady, today is market day."

In ancient times, market days were designated as festivals or specific days for fairs. On these days, residents from remote areas would bring their belongings to the market to sell or exchange items of equivalent value.

Jiang Youning had some knowledge of it but was experiencing it for the first time.

Jiang Youning followed the aroma to a pastry shop. After becoming a fake daughter, even tea and snacks had become a luxury for her.

She looked at the various pastries and picked a few, "Three of each, please."

Not receiving a response, Jiang Youning raised her head and looked over in confusion. The shop attendant was a plain-looking young man in his seventeens or eighteens, and his unblinking eyes were fixed on her.

She waved her hand and said, "Hey?"

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