Qiu Ling got up and asked Xiao Er to clear away the empty plates and bring some snacks and tea. Xiao Er was surprised by the appetites of the three young ladies but quickly brought the snacks and tea.
"Qiu Ling, you don't have to stand either. Sit down." Qiu Ling hesitated for a moment before sitting.
Previously, Li Xia had asked Qiu Ling to keep an eye on Zhang Qiming. Qiu Ling was confident she could handle the task assigned by her mistress. However, she failed, not only embarrassing the Li family but also causing Li Xia to come to the Capital City and nearly lose her life on the journey.
Qiu Ling felt very guilty and didn't dare approach Li Xia. In private, however, she served even more attentively, eager to take on many tasks.
Li Xia noticed Qiu Ling's awkwardness during this period. Originally, she thought Qiu Ling would come to terms with it herself, but now it seemed she couldn't figure it out. "You do have a knack for taking responsibility upon yourself."
Qiu Ling remained silent, feeling she had betrayed Li Xia's trust.
"You didn't handle this matter well. But what's done is done. If I assign you another task in the future, do it properly," Li Xia's words made Qiu Ling's eyes light up. "Mistress, you're still willing to give me tasks?"
"Of course. If you don't trust yourself, you should at least trust your mistress's judgment." Li Xia handed Qiu Ling a snack. Qiu Ling accepted it and ate it in small bites.
Li Xia also shared her thoughts. Qiu Ling listened attentively, "Rest assured, Mistress, I will do my best."
"Remember to protect yourself," Li Xia valued the lives of those around her more than anything.
Li Xia's concern moved Qiu Ling, who vowed to complete any task assigned by her mistress. "Mistress, you can rest assured. I may not have other skills, but I'm a master at escaping."
Li Xia was about to say more when she heard the footsteps of Li Xin and Auntie Mei. Qiu Ling also heard the noise, stood up, placed her used teacup aside, and opened the door.
Li Xin and Auntie Mei entered with others and sat down. Li Xia poured tea for them, "Auntie, Sister, have some tea."
Li Xin and Auntie Mei were also thirsty and drank the tea.
"Xia Xia, I bought you a set of Furong gift boxes," Li Xin said, motioning for Dan Qing to open a box decorated with lotus flower patterns for Li Xia to see.
Li Xia saw six small bottles shaped like lotus flowers inside. Labels on the bottles indicated they contained moisturizer, essence water, and lotions.
These items seemed similar to gift sets she encountered while on a mission in her previous life, passing by a cosmetics counter in a mall. She remembered the joyful expressions on her teammates' faces when they saw these skincare products. It seemed that no matter when, women always wanted to look beautiful.
"Do you like it?" Li Xin asked, seeing Li Xia staring intently.
"I like it. The box and bottles are very beautiful," Li Xia nodded.
Li Xia's words made Li Xin laugh out loud, while Auntie Mei shook her head helplessly. "Elder Sister, I told you not to buy Xia Er such an expensive gift. It's a waste on her."
Li Xia wasn't bothered by her own mother's insult. She was more concerned about the cost Auntie Mei mentioned. "How much is this set?"
"388 taels of silver," Li Xin's words made Li Xia exclaim without thinking, "That's highway robbery!"
Li Xia's reaction caused Li Xin, who was drinking tea, to choke. Auntie Mei hurried over to pat her back, and it took a while for Li Xin to recover. Auntie Mei glared at Li Xia, signaling her to keep quiet if she couldn't speak properly.
Realizing her reaction was too extreme, Li Xia carefully closed the Furong gift box. "Sister, return it. 388 taels of silver for such a thing is too wasteful."
"Xia Xia, this cannot be returned once purchased," Li Xin said after recovering.
Li Xia looked at the Furong gift box with disdain. Initially, she thought it was beautiful, but now the more she looked, the less valuable it seemed.
"All the young ladies in the Capital City use this. In winter, applying these products is excellent for dry skin. Xia Xia is a grown lady now and should take care of herself." Li Xin spoke gently, and Auntie Mei nodded in agreement, glancing at Li Xia to encourage her to follow suit.
But Li Xia's mind was fixated on the 388 taels of silver, completely oblivious to Auntie Mei's hint. Knowing the gift box couldn't be returned, she waved for Qiu Ling to take it away, not wanting to look at it anymore. 388 taels of silver! She could buy so much pork with that money.
Li Xia's disdainful yet regretful expression made Auntie Mei kick her under the table, reminding her to mind her manners.
Kicked by her own mother, Li Xia looked at Auntie Mei with some resentment. Was she really her mother? Auntie Mei was so angry she didn't want to acknowledge her.
Li Xin silently laughed watching the interaction between the mother and daughter.
The tea house didn't serve lunch, so they left for a restaurant. Zhang Hu led the way, taking them to a nearby restaurant. As they passed by one, Li Xia noticed the name and tugged Li Xin's sleeve. "Sister, there's a Yu Zhuang here too."
"Yes, I didn't expect to find a Yu Zhuang in the Capital City too." Li Xin recalled the time in Liuzhou when she and Li Xia went out to eat sour fish soup together.
"Let's eat here," Li Xia suggested.
"Alright," Li Xin agreed, and Auntie Mei had no objections. They all entered Yu Zhuang.
Xiao Er greeted them and led them to a private room upstairs. They ordered a serving of the signature sour fish soup and a few other local specialty dishes recommended by Xiao Er. The dishes arrived quickly. The three ladies ate in the private room while Zhang Hu and the servants took two tables downstairs in the main hall.
After the meal, they rested for a while before going downstairs to browse the shops, finally returning to Osmanthus Alley with reluctance.
The purchases were delivered to their respective residences, as arranged by Li Hui.
Li Xin and Li Xia went to find Li Hui first thing upon their return. They had also bought him clothes, jade pendants, and an inkstone.
Li Hui accepted the gifts from his sisters and set them aside. He then took two boxes from a nearby shelf and handed them to the two women, motioning for them to open them. Inside the boxes were gold and silver ingots.
Li Xin and Li Xia exchanged glances before accepting the boxes. "Thank you, Brother/Elder Brother." Having such a generous brother made Li Xia very happy, and she decided to find Li Hui if she had anything valuable in the future.
After their outings satisfied their curiosity, Li Xin and Li Xia reduced their outdoor trips. They studied the latest fashion trends in the capital with their maids, making clothes, handkerchiefs, sachets, and knotting tassels.
After researching, they began making clothes. However, they didn't make anything for themselves first but instead made a new outfit for Li Hui. Since Li Hui had been so generous with them, they wanted to reciprocate in some way.
If it were before, Li Xia definitely would not have done this. But after her abilities were upgraded and her embroidery skills increased considerably, Li Xia found that her sewing and embroidery had improved a lot too. As Auntie Mei put it, her work was now presentable.
Li Hui received the outfits made by his sisters and tried them on - they all fit perfectly. Not only did Li Hui appreciate the sentiment behind his sisters' efforts, but he also took the two of them out for a stroll.
Donning their new clothes, Li Hui took Li Xin and Li Xia out. It happened to be the fifteenth day of the month, and people from the vicinity of the Capital City were flocking to the markets, making it very lively. Originally, they had planned to walk around the streets, but the crowds were too dense, and the jostling throngs quickly dampened their enthusiasm.
