"Second Miss, I'd better not go! I'm quite... quite fine here! I'd rather not go out!" Shen Zhen tightly clutched the clothes on her body with her fair and delicate little hands. There was even a thin layer of sweat on her forehead due to nervousness.
"Look at you, little sister! It's such a hot day, and you're sweating!" Shen Miao picked up her handkerchief and gently wiped Shen Zhen's forehead twice.
Shen Zhen couldn't help but tremble. "It's okay, Second Miss!"
Shen Miao withdrew her hand, with a gentle smile on her lips. Looking at Shen Zhen with a doting and concerned expression, she said, "The weather outside is so nice. How about going out for a stroll, little sister?"
"Recently, there's a kind of cloud - mist yarn in the capital. I heard that the clothes made of it are not only as light as a cicada's wings, but also look like floating clouds when you walk. It's very popular!"
The fleeting curiosity and longing in Shen Zhen's eyes didn't escape Shen Miao's notice. She grabbed Shen Zhen's hand and said affectionately, "Coincidentally, Mother allowed me to choose two bolts of it to make clothes. So today, I'll give one bolt to you, little sister!"
"Second Miss, this was given to you by Madam. It's not very appropriate for me to take it..."
"What's the big deal? We're sisters in the same family. Why are you being so polite with me? Moreover, little sister, your skin is as fair as snow. If you wear clothes made of this cloud - mist yarn, it will surely set off your ethereal temperament."
Shen Zhen was a bit tempted by Shen Miao's words, but she still felt a bit uneasy in her heart.
"Little sister, I've heard that the noble ladies in the capital are now proud to be able to wear dresses made of cloud - mist yarn. If you also have one, you can show those noble ladies who used to look down on you. Let's see if they still dare to laugh at you in the future!"
Shen Miao was intelligent and extremely meticulous. With just one sentence, she hit the nail on the head of Shen Zhen's concern, leaving Shen Zhen with no choice but to nod in agreement.
Shen Miao held Shen Zhen's hand all the way out of the Shen Mansion without letting go for a single step. The maid beside Shen Zhen was extremely anxious, but she couldn't remind Shen Zhen at this moment. She could only fret.
As soon as the two of them went out, the maid didn't hesitate at all and ran towards Concubine Su's courtyard.
"Little sister, how about this cyan - green one?" Shen Miao pointed at a bolt of cloud - mist yarn on the counter and asked Shen Zhen beside her.
"It's very beautiful!" Shen Zhen reached out and stroked the light veil twice. She could feel how silky it was.
At this time, the shopkeeper's wife said from the side, "The two young ladies have good taste! These bolts of cloud - mist yarn just arrived in our shop today. No other shop has such high - quality goods."
"This cloud - mist yarn has been very popular in the capital recently. If I didn't have some connections, I might not be able to get such good bolts. Moreover, this cyan - green and this light pink color are both extremely suitable for the two young ladies' beauty!"
As soon as the shopkeeper's wife finished speaking, she suddenly remembered that the leading girl was wearing a light veil on her face, only showing a pair of eyes. The rest of her face was completely invisible. It seemed a bit inappropriate for her to praise her beauty here.
Sure enough, as soon as the shopkeeper's wife finished speaking, Shen Miao unconsciously raised her hand and touched her face through the veil.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! The two young ladies, please take your time to look around!" Afraid of really making the customers angry and losing the business, the shopkeeper's wife quickly apologized.
Seeing Shen Miao's somewhat displeased look, Shen Zhen silently took two steps back, afraid of getting involved in any trouble. She knew that in the mansion before, even if a maid took a few extra glances at Shen Miao, Shen Miao would think that the maid was mocking her face and would give the maid a dozen slaps.
Let alone a merchant woman directly mentioning Shen Miao's face now!
But to Shen Zhen's surprise, this time Shen Miao didn't cause a big scene or lose her temper. She just glared at the shopkeeper's wife unhappily for two times and then ignored her.
"Little sister, have you taken a fancy to any one?"
Shen Zhen was startled by Shen Miao's sudden question, but she quickly pointed at the cyan - green cloud - mist yarn.
"Wrap up that pink one too!" Shen Miao waved her hand generously and paid nearly a thousand taels of silver.
Seeing that these two bolts of light veils were worth so much silver, Shen Zhen couldn't help but be a bit shocked. "Are they so expensive?"
The shopkeeper's wife was in a very good mood after making a big deal, so she explained to Shen Zhen, "Miss, you may not know. There's a reason why this cloud - mist yarn is so expensive! It takes ten weavers a whole month of non - stop weaving to complete one bolt. If there's a snag or something in the middle, then this bolt of yarn is ruined and can't be used. Do you know why this cloud - mist yarn is so silky and light?"
"There's also a reason for this. The silk threads used to weave this cloud - mist yarn are all soaked in water made from ground high - quality pearls for a whole day. That's why it has such a luster, which other yarns can never achieve."
Shen Zhen was extremely shocked by the shopkeeper's wife's words. She never thought that a bolt of light veil could be so precious. This world of the rich was something she could never have imagined before.
While the shopkeeper's wife was talking, Shen Zhen didn't deliberately interrupt. She just pretended to casually stroke her sleeve.
"Little sister, the life of the rich is even more luxurious than this. You just haven't seen much yet. Fabrics like this silk and light veil that cost hundreds of taels per bolt are nothing at all!"
Shen Miao whispered in Shen Zhen's ear in a tempting voice, "There are all kinds of silk fabrics, jewelry, and rare antiques in Lord Ji's house. When little sister marries into his family in the future, all these will be yours. What's this bolt of cloud - mist yarn?"
"Little sister, you didn't see how big the South Sea pearls Lord Ji sent today were, and how dazzling the ruby hairpins were. If you saw them, you would surely like them!"
Shen Zhen began to fantasize in her mind as Shen Miao spoke. Even her originally firm will began to waver.
"I know little sister you haven't thought it through yet! But it doesn't matter. Lord Ji's wealth is far more than this. Even I'm very tempted when I see it. I believe little sister will only be overjoyed when you see it."
This time, Shen Zhen didn't directly refuse. She just nodded hesitantly.
Shen Miao immediately showed a bright smile. "Little sister, you're right to think like this! Once you marry Lord Ji, everyone will look up to you in the future. Even Concubine Su and Shen Zhang will benefit from you!"