Li Tian'er gazed enviously at the furnishings in Li Man'er's room, her heart churning with jealousy.
A rosewood couch, nanmu chests, and huanghuali chairs and tea table – these few pieces of furniture alone were worth a fortune, not to mention the dazzling array of ornaments on the display shelves.
There were ivory carvings of magnificent palaces, jade trees and bonsai made of agate and jade, and various types of porcelain vases and gallipot vases, all of which looked incredibly valuable. Even the Kang screen was a double-sided embroidery with gold and silver threads, truly extravagant.
Looking at Li Man'er herself, the pearl hairpins she wore might seem unassuming, but they were made of southern pearls. Although southern pearls were not as rare as eastern pearls, it was still difficult to find ones of consistent size and luster to create hairpins.
The fabric of Li Man'er's clothing was exceptionally elegant. It appeared plain and unadorned, but its craftsmanship was extremely intricate and costly.
Not to mention the boxes brought from the Ning family in the south. While the contents were unknown, the Ning family was the wealthiest, so they wouldn't have sent anything worthless, would they?
It was unbecoming.
"Third sister? Third sister?"
Li Tian'er snapped back to attention, realizing she had been spacing out while holding her teacup.
"Oh, elder sister." Li Tian'er quickly picked up her teacup and took a sip, masking her embarrassment.
Li Man'er asked, "Are you alright? Why is your face so red? Are you feeling unwell?"
Li Tian'er instinctively touched her face and indeed, it felt warm. She shook her head, quickly assuring her she was fine.
"Then why did you come here..." Li Man'er said, "Third sister, please don't misunderstand, I just thought since Second Aunt is still ill, shouldn't you be attending to her? How do you have time to visit me?"
Li Tian'er replied, "Oh, my mother took her medicine and is asleep." After a moment's thought, she added, "I heard Mama Lin say that elder sister's place is quite busy, so I thought I'd come and see if there's anything I can help with."
"Oh~" Li Man'er understood. So, Li Tian'er had come to seek favors?
"As third sister can see, I've finished tidying up, and all the items that needed to be accounted for have been registered and stored. All that's left is some cleaning, which the maids and servants will handle. I don't need your help. If Second Aunt knew I dared to order her precious darling around, she'd skin me alive."
Li Tian'er wasn't foolish; she naturally heard the sarcasm in Li Man'er's words. She guessed that her little scheme had been seen through by Li Man'er, and she became uncomfortable all over.
Li Tian'er was proud and arrogant, and she certainly didn't want to stay and be laughed at. She quickly found an excuse and fled as if on wings.
As soon as she left, the atmosphere in the room immediately became relaxed. Madam Wu even chuckled heartily, leaning this way and that.
"Good heavens, to think she's a legitimate daughter from a marquis's household, yet so short-sighted!" Madam Wu said, clapping her hands. "Even people from humble backgrounds would quickly excuse themselves when things are being sorted in the courtyard. But the third young lady, she came out in the open to ask for favors. I truly wonder where she learned her manners."
Lüyi, who was never one to mince words, immediately added, "Second Madam is still ill. If she had come to inquire about medicine for her, I would have thought highly of her. But she didn't say a word about that. Instead, she scrutinized everything in the room, as if she wished she could carry it all away with her eyes."
Although Lüyi's words were a bit exaggerated, they were certainly to the point!
Li Man'er also smiled, "Who would have thought."
This matter was put to rest in Qingping Xuan. After all, she was a young lady of the household, and they had to save some face for the third young lady.
Upon returning, Li Tian'er cursed Li Man'er profusely in her mind.
Of course, she didn't dare to curse her openly, only poking imaginary needles into Li Man'er's image in her heart. It was infuriating! That Li Man'er, she clearly saw through everything. Wasn't she always as dull-witted as a pig? How did she become so clever when it came to money?
And why was she so stingy? With so many good things in her room, couldn't she have picked out just two to give her? If she didn't build a connection now, would she wait until she married a prince to do so?
Hmph!
Li Tian'er thought that by then, she wouldn't be so easily appeased.
Li Man'er, of course, was unaware of Li Tian'er's plans. However, even if she had known, she wouldn't have reacted much, at most she would have scoffed at Li Tian'er's overestimation of herself and her daydreams...
The items sent by the Ning family were even more numerous than Li Man'er had imagined.
They sent over a dozen pieces of fur for her to make cloaks, in various colors. The finest among them were two fiery red fox furs and a snow-white sable fur. The red was like fire, and the white like winter snow, both top-grade without a single stray hair.
"Young lady, this fur is truly beautiful. Look at the color, it's so rare," Lüyi said. "It's a pity that even with such good material, you can't wear it now."
She was still in mourning.
"But there's still a piece of white fur," Ziyan said. "This fur won't spoil. Just air it out when the weather is good, and with proper care, it will be like new. You can wear it after the mourning period, won't that be the same?"
"There's only one piece of white fur. It's not enough for a cloak, but it can barely make a vest."
Ziyan smiled, "You, your mouth could hang a jar. Making a vest isn't bad either. When has our young lady ever lacked clothes to wear?"
Muyun, who always preferred quiet, chuckled softly from the side. She picked up her brush and began to meticulously record the various items being cataloged. Accounting was a meticulous task; one had to first confirm that the list of gifts matched the actual items, and then record them. It required a steady temperament like Muyun's.
Yinzhu entered the room and bowed slightly. "Eldest young lady, Miss Huang requests an audience." She then presented a visiting card.
Li Man'er took it and saw that the round-faced Miss Huang was named Huang Yuhe, and her father was the Deputy Director of the Imperial Observatory.
"Please invite her in. Let's use the side hall."
Yinzhu went out as instructed, while Li Man'er asked Ziyan to help her change her clothes. It wouldn't do to meet a guest in her daily attire.
When Li Man'er arrived at the flower hall, Huang Yuhe had already been waiting for a short while. As soon as she saw Li Man'er, she quickly stood up, saying somewhat excitedly, "Eldest Miss Li, it was my impudence."
"What are you saying, Miss Huang? We are old acquaintances, but..." Li Man'er frowned. "We haven't seen each other for some time, why have you become so thin?"
Huang Yuhe was originally a plump-faced young girl, her figure not yet fully developed, with a bit of baby fat that made her look lively and lovable.
But in such a short time, the girl's face had lost its fullness. She looked more than ten catties lighter, and her expression was somewhat haggard.
"Eldest Miss Li, I truly have no other recourse. I don't know who else to turn to, I..." In her agitation, Huang Yuhe actually knelt directly before Li Man'er.