The sky was already bright. Servants in the courtyard were busy cleaning. The spring morning's breeze caressed Jiang Wan's hair, the strands dancing in the wind with a messy beauty.
Jiang Nianzhu was just about to find Jiang Wan to go to the street when she unexpectedly ran into her. It was truly a godsend.
"Sister, why are you up so early?"
Why did she always run into her? This Prime Minister's Mansion was really small. Jiang Wan couldn't wait to marry into the Regent King's Mansion. Seeing Gu Chen's cold face every day was better than looking at these two-faced people.
"Yesterday, younger sister gifted me a hairpin. Today, I have nothing to do, so I'm going to the street to see if there are any good things to buy for younger sister."
"Sister, saying that makes you seem distant. Did you forget to wear your bamboo hat when you go out?"
Jiang Wan suddenly felt a pang of emotion. This Jiang Nianzhu and Shen Quan were truly a match made in heaven. She really was an inescapable sticky toffee.
"I wore a bamboo hat before because I listened to younger sister's advice, fearing that I would encounter bad people and cause a rift with Shen Wangye. Now that I am to marry the Regent King, I don't need to wear it."
"Sister is absolutely right. May this younger sister also go shopping on the street? Would you like to go together, Sister?"
Jiang Wan was speechless and helpless. She could only think of another way to shake her off.
"Alright, then let's go together."
Jiang Wan and Jiang Nianzhu arrived at a shop called "Drunken Rouge". Upon entering, they saw various kinds of rouge, lipsticks, and eyebrow pencils. They were all exquisite. The luxurious decorations inside seemed to be saying, "No entry for the poor."
In a moment, a middle-aged woman dressed lavishly and with exquisite makeup came forward to greet them with a flattering expression.
"Greetings, Miss Jiang. It's been several days since you've been here, Miss. And who is this noble lady? She's so beautiful. This must be her first time here. The shop has newly made some lipsticks. I'll introduce them to you two."
However, this woman was addressing Jiang Nianzhu as "Miss Jiang". Jiang Wan felt a lump in her throat. In her previous life, it was Jiang Nianzhu who claimed to be Jiang Wan. After Shen Quan killed her, she replaced her and became Jiang Wan with a righteous air. In this life, she would never let them succeed.
"Judging by your attire, you should be the shopkeeper, right? How can you call my sister Miss Jiang and mistake the person?"
Hearing Jiang Wan's words, the woman was also extremely taken aback, looking bewildered.
"This humble one is the shopkeeper of 'Drunken Rouge'. But what does the young lady mean by this?"
Seeing the situation was not good, Jiang Nianzhu wanted to smooth things over, lest she be exposed and lose face. But Jiang Wan spoke first.
"The shopkeeper must have mistaken us. This is my younger sister, the Second Miss of the Prime Minister's Mansion. I am the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion. I only spoke to the shopkeeper because she mistook us."
The shopkeeper was confused about how to address Jiang Nianzhu, so she simply called her "young lady."
"But this young lady has been calling herself Jiang Wan, claiming to be the First Miss of the Prime Minister's Mansion."
Jiang Wan turned her head, looking puzzled, and asked Jiang Nianzhu.
"After Eunuch Sun came that day, my sister was in my room to persuade me. I'd like to ask my sister, why did you call yourself Jiang Wan outside?"
Jiang Nianzhu was filled with regret. If she'd known, she would have worn a veil. Now, she was utterly mortified.
"Previously, because my elder sister doesn't reveal her true face, to avoid others mistakenly thinking the Prime Minister's Mansion's嫡女 suffers from a hidden illness and thus doesn't show herself, I rashly took her place. I hope elder sister will forgive me."
Jiang Wan rolled her eyes inwardly. This Jiang Nianzhu could smooth over anything. If she didn't forgive her after such a statement, she'd seem petty.
"What are you saying, little sister? It's good that the misunderstanding is cleared up. Do you see anything you like? Pick something, and I'll buy it for you."
The shopkeeper, seeing the sudden shift in the atmosphere, immediately perked up, enthusiastically introducing items, one after another, as if he wanted to sell everything in the shop to them.
Jiang Nianzhu also had the intention of taking advantage of Jiang Wan.
"Elder sister, everything the shopkeeper introduces, little Bamboo likes. I wonder if little Bamboo can buy everything she likes?"
Jiang Wan muttered inwardly, you, Jiang Nianzhu, are truly a bottomless pit, just like a bandit.
"If my sister likes them, then of course, shopkeeper, wrap them all up."
The shopkeeper's smile stretched to his ears upon hearing this, thinking that a big spender had arrived; the Prime Minister's daughter was indeed generous.
"Alright, alright, this humble one will have someone wrap them up."
"Miss, these items come to a total of nine hundred taels. Since you've bought so much, we'll give you a box of qingdai as a gift."
Jiang Wan felt like she was hallucinating. These rouge and powders actually cost nine hundred taels? Ordinary people only earned about a hundred wen a day with hard work, and this Jiang Nianzhu really knew how to enjoy herself.
"Shopkeeper, of the rouged lipsticks you've wrapped up, what's the most expensive?"
"In reply to Miss, the most expensive is this 'Tilted White Cherry' lip rouge, fifty taels a box."
"Then, shopkeeper, please wrap up another box of this 'Tilted White Cherry' for me. Xitao, give the shopkeeper one hundred taels, for the two boxes of rouge."
Jiang Nianzhu felt a bad premonition after hearing Jiang Wan's words.
"Sister, what do you mean? Didn't you say you'd give it to Nianzhu? Why only the money for these two boxes of rouge?"
"Are you confused, little sister? I said earlier that you could look and choose one you liked, and I would buy it for you. 'Tilted White Cherry' was the most expensive item you chose, so I gave it to you."
Jiang Nianzhu was unwilling to give up. Even if Jiang Wan gave her fifty taels, she still needed to pay eight hundred and fifty taels! Where could she get so much money?
"But I just asked you, sister, if I could buy all the ones I liked? And you said yes."
Jiang Wan smiled sweetly, her expression seemingly unconcerned, yet with a hint of innocence.
"If you like them, little sister, of course you can buy all of them. If you like, you can even buy the shop."
Jiang Nianzhu finally understood after hearing Jiang Wan's words. This was a trap Jiang Wan had set for her. What a bitch.
Ting'er, standing behind Jiang Nianzhu, immediately checked the silver in her pocket and whispered to Jiang Nianzhu, "Miss, we only have two hundred taels."
The shopkeeper, who had overheard the maid's words, was afraid the deal would fall through. She dropped the smile from her face and adopted the air of a shrew, no longer addressing Jiang Nianzhu as "Miss," but directly.
"Second Miss, this item is already wrapped. Please pay the silver. If you're just playing games, this servant will go find the people outside to judge."
Seeing the shopkeeper's opportunistic behavior, Jiang Nianzhu was so angry she was almost incoherent.
"You, how dare you be rude? I won't take these things then, what can you do?"
The shopkeeper cleared her throat and raised her voice, as if wanting everyone on the street to hear.
"Oh, the Second Miss of the Prime Minister's Mansion comes to buy things but doesn't have any money to pay, and is also playing games with my small business. Is there no law? I'll go out now and let everyone judge."
Jiang Wan saw the shopkeeper about to leave and immediately stopped her.
"Shopkeeper, don't be rude. Since my sister likes it, even if she doesn't have any money, when we go back, she'll tell Father, and Father will definitely give you the money, right, sister?"
Jiang Nianzhu really didn't want to, but to avoid embarrassment, she could only admit it dejectedly.
"That's right. I am the second miss of the Prime Minister's Mansion. How could I not have money for you? It's just that I didn't bring enough silver with me when I came out. You can take the things to the Prime Minister's Mansion to collect the money before sunset."
The shopkeeper returned to her usual smiling appearance and flattered, "Yes, this humble one will definitely go on time."
After Jiang Wan and Jiang Nianzhu walked out of "Drunken Rouge", Jiang Wan thought that Jiang Nianzhu would immediately return to the mansion to find a way to get the money. Unexpectedly, she actually asked the shopkeeper to collect the money before sunset. This was clearly still wanting to follow her. She had to think of a way to get rid of Jiang Nianzhu, and she also had to investigate the hairpin.
Just as Jiang Wan was worried about how to get rid of Jiang Nianzhu, she heard Xitao next to her with a surprised and envious voice.
"Miss, look! This is the Regent King's Mansion. It's so imposing and huge!"
Jiang Wan followed Xitao's finger and saw the words "Regent King's Mansion" on the plaque above the gate. Six sword-wielding guards stood motionless in the blazing sun, a truly imposing sight.
"Miss, this will be your home from now on. It's so solemn and grand!"
Home? Jiang Wan felt a warmth in her heart from Xitao's words, and suddenly had an idea, stopping in her tracks.
"If you have something to do, go ahead and take care of it. I need to speak with the Regent King."
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