Once back in the carriage, Xu Peiwei asked, “Seventh Cousin, why did you take so long?”

  Qin Shuying replied casually, “The peach crisps were too delicious. I had Luye and the others buy some to take back.”

  Xu Peiwei and Qin Yunyun exchanged a gnce. She actually bought such expensive pastries for her maids to eat? Just how much silver did she have?

  Thinking of her maternal family’s situation, Xu Peiwei took a deep breath and forced a smile. “Seventh Cousin is truly a generous mistress.”

  Qin Shuying said lightly, “It’s just a few pieces of pastry.”

  Qin Yunyun’s long-suppressed resentment fred again. Qin Shuying always spoke of gold and silver so carelessly, as if she had no idea how others had to scrape and struggle for it.

  If she knew her pce, she should have handed over most of her earnings to her mother!

  She should have voluntarily gifted those jewels to herself!

  But it wasn’t too te. If Qin Shuying were gone, all those things would naturally fall into her hands.

  With that in mind, Qin Yunyun forced a smile and said, “You’re right, Seventh Sister. Gold and silver are just worldly possessions. As long as everyone is happy, that’s all that matters.”

  Qin Shuying smiled faintly. “Sixth Sister is right. I bought a pack of pastries for each of you as well. I hope you won’t mind.”

  Qin Lulu’s face lit up. “Really? Then I’ll thank you first!”

  “We’re all sisters. What’s there to thank? It’s just a few pastries.”

  The carriage began moving again, soon turning onto a narrower road at the foot of the hill. Though not as wide as the previous street, it was still wide enough for two carriages to pass side by side. This road led to the craftsman’s workshop.

  Before long, they arrived at a shop with a tall signboard.

  The shop’s entrance was broad and welcoming. Inside, all kinds of finely crafted wooden works were neatly dispyed. Clearly, it was a pce of skilled craftsmanship.

  Madam Xu’s maid brought the wooden bird. Madam Xu expined their purpose to the shopkeeper, who examined the bird and said, “It’s not difficult to repair, but it will have to be disassembled. It will take some time. If Madam is willing to wait, please rest upstairs in our private rooms.”

  Madam Xu looked at Xu Peiwei, who quickly said, “Since we’re already here, let’s wait. We can browse the shops nearby while we’re at it.”

  Qin Yunyun chimed in, “Yes, it’s such a rare outing. Let’s not rush back.”

  Madam Xu smiled. “Very well, as you all wish.”

  Xu Peiwei was delighted and took Qin Yunyun’s hand, then turned to Qin Shuying and Qin Lulu. “Cousins, why don’t you come along too?”

  Qin Shuying and Qin Lulu exchanged a gnce and agreed.

  The four young dies, all wearing veiled hats, strolled along the street with maids, older servants, and guards following closely behind. It was quite an eye-catching entourage, but as this area was frequented by officials and nobles, no one paid them much attention.

  Xu Peiwei led the way, the others closely behind, stopping at various shops selling rouge, silk fans, hair ornaments, and other trinkets. They chattered happily, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

  Qin Shuying gave her maids permission to shop freely, and Luye took full advantage, buying things without restraint, which only made Cailuan and the others more annoyed.

  The group was ughing and chatting when suddenly, a burly woman burst onto the street, brandishing a broom and chasing a boy of about ten. She shouted, “You little brat! You dare run again?”

  The woman was rge and rough, paying no heed to the fact that she was rushing straight toward noble young dies. She charged forward recklessly, forcing Qin Shuying and Qin Lulu to retreat without anywhere to hide.

  In the confusion, the woman’s broom knocked off their veiled hats, exposing their faces.

  In an instant, Qin Shuying lowered her head, shielding her face with her sleeve.

  Qin Lulu rubbed her shoulder, wincing in pain. “Where did this shrew come from?”

  Before she could finish, the boy darted around and hid behind Qin Shuying.

  The woman raised her broom to strike but couldn’t, as Qin Shuying was now between her and the boy.

  The boy moved left, and the woman followed left.

  The boy moved right, and the woman followed right.

  The boy shouted, “You can’t catch me! You can’t catch me!”

  The woman panted, “You dare hide again? You dare?”

  The two of them circled around Qin Shuying like a game of cat and mouse.

  Her veiled hat, lying on the ground, was trampled dirty, and completely unusable.

  Ziteng quickly handed her a fan she had just bought and opened one herself to block Qin Shuying’s face.

  As the boy circled her two or three times, Luye suddenly flung a packet of powder at the woman’s face. The powder burst open, covering the woman’s eyes, making her scream like a sughtered pig.

  Qin Shuying seized the opportunity to lift her fan and move beside Qin Yunyun. As she passed, she caught a glimpse of the boy, and her heart turned cold.

  That boy hadn’t even clearly seen her face, yet the moment he looked at her, he narrowed his eyes and shouted, “Sister-in-w! Sister-in-w! What are you doing here? Mother and I have been looking everywhere for you!”

  As he spoke, he reached out to grab Qin Shuying’s hand.

  Qin Shuying deftly avoided him, moving behind Qin Yunyun. Ziteng shoved the pastries they had just bought into the boy’s face, making him too flustered to reach for Qin Shuying again.

  Qin Shuying whispered to Qin Yunyun, “Sixth Sister, what kind of terrifying people are these? Let’s hurry back!”

  Qin Yunyun looked genuinely shaken and nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, let’s go back quickly.”

  Xu Peiwei stood dumbfounded, as if waking from a dream. “Nanny Yang! Call the guards quickly!”

  The boy tried to chase after Qin Shuying, but Luye flung another packet of rouge powder at him. He instinctively shut his eyes and raised his hand to block it. By the time he could see again, powder still clinging to his shes, Qin Shuying had already turned away.

  Ziteng shouted at the guards behind them, “Stop that boy!”

  The guards rushed forward to block him. “Where are you from, child? This isn’t your sister-in-w. Go away!”

  But the boy cried loudly, his voice sharp and clear. “Mother! I’ve found her! I’ve found Sister-in-w!”

  The woman, still wiping the powder from her eyes, heard him and shouted blindly, “Your sister-in-w? Where? Where? Is it true?”

  The boy wailed, “It’s true! It’s her! Sister-in-w, how could you be so heartless? Mother treated you so well. Even though my brother is gone, how could you abandon us?”

  As Qin Shuying walked away, she quietly sorted out everything in her mind. She finally understood what Qin Yunyun had pnned.

  Sure enough, the guards stepped in to drive off the boy and the woman, but the woman only cried louder, her voice echoing through the street. “Yaoniang! Do you know how many years we’ve been searching for you? How could you be so heartless? Don’t leave! Don’t leave…”

  The guards couldn’t y a hand on her. All they could do was spread their arms and try to shoo her away. “Stop shouting nonsense! This is an official’s young dy, not your Yaoniang!”

  But the woman cried even louder. “Yaoniang! When Dang died, you were only eleven! Why did you run away? Was it because you found some rich family to follow? Yaoniang, how could you be so heartless…”