Jun Jiuling

To buy accessories.

Miss Jun laughed.

“Miss Zuo may pick first,” she offered, taking a step back.

Zuo Yanzhi grabbed her arm.

“How could we let that happen,” she said with a sweet smile, her tone intimate.

This was how Jun Zhenzhen always wanted Miss Zuo to look at her.

However, Miss Jun’s face was impassive, neither happy or sad.

“Miss Jun, although you are engaged with merchants like the Fang Family, you still have not been married. Right now, you are not a merchant woman. I cannot bully you,” said Miss Zuo with a smile. “Both of us have the qualifications to choose accessories.”

Her intonation was heavy on the words ‘merchant family’ and ‘merchant woman.’

You say you won’t steal my earlier choice, but didn’t you already do so? Is this not bullying?

These girls, each of them bullied others with more arrogance than a princess.

Miss Jun smiled.

Zuo Yanzhi was surprised that Miss Jun could still smile. With Miss Jun’s temper, shouldn’t she already be making a loud fuss right now?

“Then what do you want, Miss Zuo? When I let you choose, you do not want, but when I choose again, you want it,” said Miss Jun somewhat helplessly.

“That’s fair,” said Miss Zuo. “We have a mutual regard for one another as there should be between those of worth.”

Miss Jun didn’t say anything, somewhat hesitant.

“I hope that Miss Jun can forgive me. My elder cousins came from the capital to give me a present, including presents from the Yang Family’s young miss. So this New Year’s, I wanted to choose some presents for her in return,” said Miss Zuo with a small smile, lowering her voice as she added the explanation.

No doubt you stupid girl will take the bait.

Although she hadn’t spoken to her in many days, Zuo Yanzhi was very familiar with Jun Zhenzhen. In fact, the whole of Yangcheng was very familiar with her.

This girl’s ignorance and stupidity was loathful.

What was even harder to bear was that she, without having been married, passed herself off as the daughter-in-law of the Ning Family. What kind of person was Tenth Noble Son Ning to be matched with the likes of her?

After great suffering, this girl was finally going to die. But then she didn’t.

Her death unsuccessful, the Fang Family was soon about to marry her off somewhere far away. Thus, it was unexpected when they revealed that they wanted to take her in as a wife. How could this woman capture their gazes?

{Since you still want to dangle yourself before me, then you must live as a disgrace.}

After her words, Miss Zuo looked to Miss Jun and saw the change on her face as expected.

Miss Yang was rumored to be in marriage talks with Tenth Noble Son Ning. Her father and Tenth Noble Son Ning’s uncle Ning Yan were of the same age.

Tenth Noble Son Ning followed Ning Yan to study in the capital. It was said that he and Miss Yang had fallen deeply in love.

When Miss Jun heard this news, she rushed to find a rope to hang herself with.

“All right,” said Miss Jun, a smile still on her face. However, that smile seemed to be hiding some hurt and anger in Miss Zuo’s opinion. “Since Miss Zuo is so considerate, I will help you.”

Zuo Yanzhi grinned. Fang Yuxiu acted like she hadn’t heard anything. She stood there silently.

Miss Jun had played a hateful trick on Fang Yunxiu because she had interrupted when Miss Jun and the noble young misses were talking.

Actually, Fang Yunxiu hadn’t interrupted anyone. She was just telling Miss Jun that those young misses were teasing her.

But to Miss Jun, these official young misses were her sisters. Instead, the Fang Family girls were nothing.

“This decorative hairpin,” said Miss Jun, pointing to one of the jewelry pieces on the pattern the servant was holding. “I like this one. Miss Zuo, do you?”

Zuo Yanzhi gave it a look, a sneer flashing in her eyes.

This ornamented hairpin looked exquisite, but in actuality it was a varnished, inferior material. This Jun Zhenzhen was an idiot. No brains or insight.

Zuo Yanzhi looked at Jun Zhenzhen. To be fair, Jun Zhenzhen was very beautiful. However, she was just like the hairpin she chose, a shiny piece of donkey dung.

“Miss Jun is very insightful,” she said, making a happy expression. She picked up the ornamented hairpin. “I like it too.”

“Young misses, this costs five taels of silver.” The employee did not pay attention to the enmity of the two girls. He loved such business the most and rushed to quote a price.

“I’ll pay ten taels,” Miss Jun said immediately.

“I’ll pay twenty,” said Miss Zuo with a smile, without much consideration.

The sound of activity outside drew everyone’s attention. In a private room on the second floor, a middle-aged man looked out from behind, lifting up a beaded curtain.

His expression was gloomy. He seemed to be unhappy because of the commotion downstairs.

“Master Jin, it’s a fight between two young misses,” a man who looked like a shopkeeper explained. “This happens every so often.”

He spoke while pointing downstairs.

“That is the Fang Family’s Miss Jun, and that is the young miss from the Zuo Family that are in-laws with the Ning Family.”

The middle-aged man obviously knew the backgrounds of those two people. After all, the Ning and Fang Families were big names in Yangcheng.

“Worrisome children,” he said apathetically.

In just a short time, the prices below had grown higher and higher.

As the bids grew higher, the atmosphere between Miss Jun and Miss Zuo had grown more and more intense. Miss Jun had been incited, and Miss Zuo’s posture had stiffened.

Zuo Yuxiu had not reacted at all, watching the activity like a member of the crowd.

“One hundred taels!” said Miss Jun, grinding her teeth as she spat out a price.

Miss Zuo breathed in deeply.

“150 taels.” She refused to give in.

Miss Jun looked at her, bit her lower up. It looked like there were tears sparkling in her eyes.

“How good is that woman?” she asked suddenly.

{You couldn’t take it? The heartbreak?}

“Yes, Miss Yang is virtuous and kind, an outstanding person. Such a person is hard to come by,” Miss Zuo approached Miss Jun, pitching her voice low. She then took a step back and appraised her. “Miss Jun, let it go.”

Of course, when she said ‘let it go,’ there was a hidden meaning behind it.

Then she waited for the woman to madly raise the price.

Did this Fang Family, who had no idea of the immensity of heaven and earth, believe that just because they had money, they could do what they wanted in Yangcheng? Can’t they see they’ve offered shelter to a rubbish?

Miss Jun looked at her, tears trickling, but otherwise remained silent.

“Then, I am relieved.” She sighed lightly. “With this hairpin, I wish the noble couple to forever have harmonious hearts until they bear the white hairs of old age.”

Zuo Yanzhi’s smile immediately stiffened.

The surrounding crowd were similarly stunned, but soon burst into laughter. They, of course, understood what had happened.

At this time, the man in the private room on the second floor could not stop himself from laughing behind the beaded curtains.

“These kids,” he said. He gave Miss Jun a final look and let down the curtain.

Miss Jun’s expression was warm as she gazed at Zuo Yanzhi.

“Spending 150 taels to buy a hairpin that originally cost five,” she said softly. “Miss Zuo, Miss Yang will definitely feel your sincerity.”

She bent slightly in respect. Not waiting for Zuo Yanzhi’s response, she walked away.

“Congratulations, Miss Zuo,” tacked on Liu’er, following after Miss Jun with smug satisfaction.

Fang Yuxiu hurried to follow.

“You!” Zuo Yanzhi snapped back to her senses and also wanted to follow them.

“Miss Zuo, this hairpin is yours,” said the employee, trying to stop her. He immediately shouted, “For 150 taels, it’s yours!”

“How is your broken rubbish worth 150 taels!” shouted Zuo Yanzhi, face flushed red.

The employee did not like to hear such things.

“Miss Zuo, this is not the price we asked for. It was you who gave it. Shouldn’t you know whether it is worth it or not?” He snorted.

Zuo Yanzhi wanted to say, ‘The devil, who would give such a price!’ but it was the truth. She saw the employees’ ravenous, tiger-like gazes. This Jin Hall forbade people from causing a disturbance among the patrons.

This was also the reason why she had decided to provoke Jun Zhenzhen here.

She was waiting for when Jun Zhenzhen would get worked up enough that she wouldn’t care about bothering the Jin Hall patrons and get herself into trouble.

She didn’t think that the one to dig herself a hole and jump into it would be her.

She dared not pay up.

But 150 taels…

150 taels was a small amount of money to her. But it wasn’t just the money. After today, the news of her, Zuo Yanzhi, spending 150 taels to buy an inferior hairpin would be spread everywhere.

She looked all around her, the surrounding young misses and madams were watching her, whispering into each other’s ears.

She, Zuo Yanzhi, had turned into a laughingstock.

Jun Zhenzhen.

That cheap woman had actually played her.

Zuo Yanzhi looked at Jun Zhenzhen, who was already leaving, and bit her lips until they bled.

“Pay the money, we’re leaving!” she shouted.

The servant girl next to her fumbled around to find the money. Young Miss had gone out just for a stroll, so no one brought that much money. In the end, a servant had to run back home to find enough money, leaving another servant there as collateral.

The Zuo Family was a big name in Yancheng, so they definitely wouldn’t not pay up. The shop did not give her much trouble and enthusiastically sent her off.

“Miss Zuo, please come again,” said the employee happily, while wrapping up the hairpin for her. “Your hairpin. Here you go.”

Zuo Yanzhi grabbed the hairpin and threw it violently to the ground. She got into her carriage and left in a hurry.

Come again. For the rest of her life, she would never return there.