The West Mountain Lake was abloom with lotuses, truly more beautiful than the fish ponds contracted by Su Xiaoqi.
Vast patches of pink flowers, set against emerald green leaves, shimmered in the sunlight, reaching towards the sky, exuding vibrant life.
Su Xiaoqi's gaze was immediately drawn to it, and she couldn't help but calculate how many lotus roots could be harvested from such a large lake filled with lotuses.
She thought about finding the owner of the garden later to discuss acquiring lotus roots.
Her mind was buzzing with business ideas when she saw Zhao Haihua leading several well-dressed and wealthy young ladies over.
Compared to them, Su Xiaoqi's simple cyan cotton clothes seemed utterly provincial.
Su Xiaoqi looked at Zhao Hai’e and Zhao Xiaohua, who were accompanying her.
They likely had attended banquets hosted by Zhao Haihua before.
They had tidied themselves up neatly, wearing brocade cross-collared gowns, their hair styled in updos, adorned with silk flowers.
They looked like the principal maids accompanying those noble ladies.
She lowered her head and couldn't help but smile.
“Why is Miss Shen smiling?” Zhao Haihua spoke first, successfully drawing everyone’s attention to herself.
“Tsk, Madam, why did you invite this village bumpkin?” someone said, looking at Su Xiaoqi, expressing their disdain without politeness.
“Exactly, we specifically declined the Su family’s flower viewing party, but we didn’t expect Madam to treat us like this.”
“Isn't it because we are concubines’ daughters?” someone spoke bluntly, immediately pointing out their identities.
“So what if we are concubines’ daughters? She’s just a mere concubine.
My elder sister and my stepmother would have wished to throw her into the lotus pond in the backyard if they had received her invitation.”
“Mine too, my elder sister is at the Su family’s flower banquet ahead.
My mother couldn’t refuse, so she sent me to make an appearance.”
“Hmph, just a concubine, nothing refined, making us unable to attend the other event.”
“Alas, let’s not speak of it. My stepmother said she is very capable, able to change the county magistrate’s mind with just a few words.
Our families are merely merchants, we cannot afford to offend her.
Let's not cause trouble for her, lest it implicate our families.”
...
Su Xiaoqi had sharp ears.
After everyone had greeted each other, she overheard the young ladies from various prominent families gossiping.
She also took note of their gazes towards her.
However, she didn’t care. Life was for oneself, and it had nothing to do with others.
Let them say whatever they wanted.
As Su Xiaoqi pondered this, a large group of young ladies suddenly approached from the front.
They were adorned with gold and silver, their clothes fragrant and beautiful, their hair adorned with jade, approaching with laughter.
Listening to their greetings, Su Xiaoqi realized that this group was precisely the "elder sisters" the concubines’ daughters had spoken of.
Although she didn’t want to listen, Su Xiaoqi still overheard many ladies from wealthy families mocking Zhao Haihua.
They laughed that she was merely a concubine to an old man, yet she dared to invite them to a flower viewing party.
She was too naive to think they would accept her invitation.
Of course, they had come, but not to attend Zhao Haihua’s flower viewing party in response to her invitation.
Instead, they came for the flower gathering hosted by the eldest daughter of the Su family, Su Yurú.
Unexpectedly, Su Xiaoqi was stopped by Su Yurú.
“You’re here too.” Su Yurú looked at Su Xiaoqi with slight surprise.
What business did a beggar-born country woman have in a place like this today?
She immediately thought of something and looked up towards the Lotus Viewing Pavilion on the mountainside.
A group of students from the county school had already gathered there.
The weather was good today, and their teacher had let them out to gather inspiration.
They said one needed experience and artistic conception to write good essays.
Her second brother and Shen Yun were both there.
It was precisely because she knew this in advance that she had hastily sent invitations to her girlfriends.
Her intention was to have a legitimate opportunity to spend time with Shen Yun.
But she hadn't expected to encounter her here.
Seeing the clothes she was wearing, so shabby it made her teeth ache.
Su Xiaoqi bowed, remaining silent.
She truly didn’t know what to say to Su Yurú.
Should she scold her, blaming her for being pretentious, for previously disdaining Shen Yun for not having a title and refusing to marry him.
Now that she saw he was handsome, she developed a crush and was actively approaching him.
Or should she flatter her: Oh, Miss Su, you are truly beautiful, radiant, charming, and alluring.
Su Xiaoqi found both types of remarks difficult to utter.
So, she simply pursed her lips and said nothing.
Her attitude displeased Su Yurú, who was accustomed to being admired.
But she maintained the decorum of a noble lady and initially didn’t want to bother with Su Xiaoqi.
However, Xiaoqi, who followed her, was not as easygoing.
She pointed her slender index finger at Su Xiaoqi and began to scold her, “Hmph, you’re someone born without a father and raised without a mother.
It’s an honor for our young lady to speak to you.
What makes you so proud?”
Su Xiaoqi, inexplicably scolded, was not one to be easily bullied.
She immediately rolled her eyes at Xiaoqi.
This infuriated Xiaoqi, who reached out to push Su Xiaoqi.
“You lowly commoner, you flirtatious tramp, you’re already married, yet you’re still trying to seduce our second young master…” Xiaoqi cursed as she pushed Su Xiaoqi.
Su Xiaoqi saw that there were quite a few onlookers.
She sidestepped and moved aside, avoiding her outstretched fingers.
But when Xiaoqi’s first push failed, she tried a second.
This time, the dissatisfaction Su Xiaoqi had long harbored towards her surfaced.
She grabbed Xiaoqi’s wrist and applied a little pressure.
Xiaoqi screamed in agony, her delicate, round face instantly contorting in pain.
“Ah, ah, you little slut, you lowlife.”
Su Xiaoqi tightened her grip, a chilling smile on her face, “Speak properly, or if this continues, one of your hands will be crippled.”
“You, you… ah, let, let go of me.” Xiaoqi didn’t believe her and cried out as Su Xiaoqi exerted more force, almost fainting.
Su Xiaoqi looked towards Su Yurú.
As Xiaoqi’s master, she had stood by the entire time without uttering a single word of dissuasion.
Su Xiaoqi snorted coldly.
It seemed that Xiaoqi, a mere maid, dared to provoke her repeatedly because she had Su Yurú’s backing and instigation.
Thinking of how the original owner was tricked by the Su family into a marriage of convenience, gaining no benefits, but instead committing many misdeeds, and was finally executed by Shen Yun.
Su Xiaoqi’s heart trembled, and her expression was not good.
Her grip on Xiaoqi’s wrist tightened, causing Xiaoqi intense pain.
Initially able to curse, she was later in such pain that she couldn't even form coherent words.
Su Xiaoqi’s ears finally quieted down.
However, the silence lasted only a moment.
Soon, another maid beside Su Yurú, at her signal, loudly addressed the onlookers.
She was quite eloquent, describing Su Xiaoqi as a detestable country bumpkin.
Just because Xiaoqi had accidentally touched her, she had beaten the girl until she couldn’t even cry.
“Who is she? I’ve never seen her before.”
“I heard she’s the wife of this year’s top scholar in the provincial examination.”
“Hmph, even if she’s the wife of a scholar, how can she be so rude and violent…”
Everyone, without discerning the truth or considering Su Xiaoqi’s defense, stood on a moral high ground and began to condemn her.
Their voices buzzed like a swarm of bees, an annoyance in her ears.
Su Xiaoqi disliked the internal power struggles and schemes that these noble ladies engaged in. She tightened her grip on Xiaoqi’s wrist, increasing the pain.
Xiaoqi cried out in pain and, in return, pushed Su Xiaoqi into West Mountain Lake.
“Ah…” everyone exclaimed in unison.