Shen Li slept until late the next morning. After getting up, she drank a bowl of tremella and red - date congee cooked and brought by Ruxue and ate a few delicate steamed buns. Then she comfortably picked up a book and sat at the table to read.
"Miss! Just now the nanny beside the Second Lady came and said that the Shen Mansion is preparing a lunch banquet tonight. She asked Miss to go there for sure at noon today!"
"Okay! We haven't shown up for almost a day. They must be scared out of their wits!" Shen Li's eyes were fixed on the book, but she still opened her mouth to talk to Jiaoyue.
"Servant girl thinks that this whole family has no good intentions. They might have come up with some dirty tricks to harm Miss!"
Jiaoyue gritted her teeth with hatred every time she mentioned the Shen family. Remembering that when Shen Li came to the Shen Mansion yesterday, from the old Lady Zhu to the lowest maid and nanny, all of them were so arrogant. She also grew tired of the whole Shen family.
"Miss, just say you're not feeling well and don't go, just like the previous times! Anyway, we're going back to our own mansion tomorrow. There's no need to stay here and watch their looks."
Shen Li put down the book in her hand and said to Jiaoyue with a smile, "If we don't go, how can they find a chance? Silly Jiaoyue! Your miss is so smart. How come after following me for so long, you haven't learned even a little bit from me? You're still so silly!"
"Miss! How can you praise yourself like this and belittle me at the same time?" Jiaoyue pouted and looked at Shen Li resentfully.
Shen Li stood up from the chair and poked Jiaoyue's puffy little face with her finger. "Hahaha! Jiaoyue, I just realized that you not only have the shortcoming of being silly, but now you're also ugly!"
Jiaoyue: "......"
Facing such a childish Shen Li, Jiaoyue simply rolled her eyes, turned around and ignored her.
Shen Li quickly stepped forward to coax her. "Jiaoyue, good Jiaoyue! Don't be angry! I was just joking! Don't be angry anymore!"
Seeing that Jiaoyue remained unmoved, Shen Li turned her firepower to Hanyue. She leaned over to Jiaoyue's ear and whispered to her, "Jiaoyue, I'll tell you! Actually, what I just said wasn't true! Hanyue is even stupider and more foolish than you. She's so silly!"
Then Jiaoyue looked back at Hanyue whose face was as cold as ice. Suddenly she smiled. She and Shen Li turned their heads at the same time and snickered, "Haha! Hanyue really looks like a block of ice. She's so stupid and dull!"
Then the two of them kept their backs to Hanyue, shaking their shoulders and covering their mouths to hold back their laughter.
Behind them, Hanyue's face remained unchanged from beginning to end. But seeing Shen Li and Jiaoyue laughing happily, she hesitated in her heart whether she should tell them that she had heard all their words. They didn't need to secretly laugh behind her back anymore!
When it was almost time for the lunch banquet, Shen Li still took Jiaoyue to the old Lady Zhu's courtyard, leaving Hanyue to guard the courtyard where they were currently staying.
As soon as Shen Li walked into the courtyard, she heard the laughter coming from the room.
Inside the room, Shen Sijia had just told a joke, which made the old Lady Zhu burst into laughter. Everyone present also grinned.
The moment Shen Li entered the door, the laughter in the room stopped abruptly. Everyone's eyes fell on her. Shen Li pretended not to see and stepped forward to bow to the old Lady Zhu.
"Greetings to Grandmother!" Shen Li called the old Lady Zhu "Grandmother" following Shen Miao's identity.
The old Lady Zhu moved the hand on her knee and said casually, "You child. If you're not feeling well, you don't need to come and pay respects to this old woman!"
Although the old Lady Zhu's words were flawless, there was no trace of intimacy in her tone. Moreover, she didn't tell Shen Li to get up.
So Shen Li maintained the bowing position and said uprightly, "Li'er just couldn't sleep well last night because the bed was unfamiliar. That's why I had a terrible headache this morning and couldn't get out of bed. I was afraid of bothering Grandmother and Auntie, so I didn't say anything. Fortunately, I've rested for the whole morning. Now I just feel a little uncomfortable. I can bear it!"
"Besides, such a minor ailment is naturally not as important as paying respects to Grandmother!"
Shen Li's words blocked all the scolding words the old Lady Zhu was about to say. She also made it clear that she wasn't fully recovered yet. If the old Lady Zhu wanted to punish her, it would be bullying a junior.
"Oh! You child is still not well. Why don't you get up?" Liang Shi, Shen Miao's little - aunt, looked at Shen Li still maintaining the bowing position and said in a blaming tone.
Shen Li took the opportunity to get up but didn't say anything else. However, Jiaoyue behind her was a bit annoyed. It was clearly these people who deliberately made things difficult for her miss and didn't let her get up. Now they even said that her miss didn't get up on her own. It was really too much.
Shen Li sat down in the seat below Shen Miao. The moment she looked up, she saw everyone in the room clearly. The Shen mother - daughter, Liang Shi with her four children, and Shen Simin from the first wife's branch of Shen Zhuo.
Just as she sat down, she heard a teasing male voice from the opposite side. "So this is Sister Li! She's really beautiful! In my opinion, she's even more beautiful than the famous Zihong girl from Yuhua Tower in the capital!"
The one who spoke was Shen Yuwen, the eldest son of Shen Feng. While speaking, he didn't forget to scan Shen Li from head to toe several times with his eyes.
Moreover, his words were too hurtful. Everyone knew that Yuhua Tower was the largest brothel in the capital, and Zihong girl was the top - ranked courtesan there.
Comparing a young and unmarried daughter of a noble family with a brothel courtesan was really insulting!
As soon as he finished speaking, someone let out a "puff" laugh.
"Sorry, Sister Li! I didn't mean to laugh at you! I just think you're much more beautiful than that Zihong girl! If Sister also went to Yuhua Tower, you would definitely be more famous than her!"
Regarding the excessive teasing of Shen Yuwen and Shen Sijia, no one present stood up to blame them.
The old Lady Zhu was holding the teacup and sipping tea in small sips. Liang Shi and Shen Shi both lowered their heads to look at the embroidery on their clothes. Shen Miao, Shen Siyi and Shen Yuhao all looked at them with mockery and disdain, pretending not to hear their words.
Only Shen Simin frowned and looked at Shen Sijia and Shen Yuwen with a bit of dissatisfaction.
Shen Li looked at the people in the room from the Shen Mansion and sneered. This Shen Mansion really has good breeding. Well, today I'll teach them a lesson!
She looked up at Shen Sijia who was looking self - satisfied and said with a look of confusion, "Where is Yuhua Tower? Why do Brother Yuwen and Sister Sijia keep mentioning it? You must go there often, right?"
"And who is this Zihong girl? Is she your good friend, Sister Sijia? It seems that you must have a very good relationship! You're so familiar with her!"