"You really think you're—" Yao Niang's expression changed, and she was about to retort when Ying Niang laughed and changed the subject, "Second sister, eldest sister just loves to joke!"
Normally, Xiao Jin would let it go and not make a fuss, but today she didn't want them to have an easy time! "How can you call it a joke?" Xiao Jin smiled calmly. "Don't you think so, Third Sister?"
This immediately silenced Yingniang before she could speak.
She originally wanted to act as a peacemaker, putting Yao Niang down to show that she genuinely cared about Xiao Jin, and then probe further, but she didn't expect Xiao Jin to not give her any face at all!
"Second Sister!" Yingniang pouted, feeling a little aggrieved. "Of course I want Second Sister to be happy!"
Xiao Jin raised an eyebrow but declined to comment.
"My eldest sister and I came to see if there's anything we can do to help my second sister..." Seeing that Xiao Jin wouldn't give her face, Yingniang had no choice but to continue, "I didn't mean anything by it!"
You don't have it? Xiao Jin sneered inwardly. Could it be that Yao Niang does?
"Thank you for your kindness!" Xiao Jin said gently, her smile unchanged. "I do need your help!"
Xiao Jin is so good at seizing opportunities!
Both Yao Niang and Ying Niang had a bad feeling. Xiao Jin was unusually aggressive today!
"I hadn't prepared anything beforehand, and my dowry hasn't been embroidered yet!" Xiao Jin said with a smile. "It would be wonderful if my eldest sister and third sister could help!"
Yao Niang and Ying Niang both breathed a sigh of relief; it turned out to be embroidery for their dowry. Others would handle the needlework, but they took these back to have them made, hoping to gain favor in the process!
"I'm really at my wit's end!" Before the two could speak, Xiao Jin immediately added, "I wanted to find someone skilled in needlework to help, but then I thought, after all, I've married into the Duke's mansion! Wouldn't those unrefined tasks make our scholar's mansion look bad?"
"I trust my eldest sister's and third sister's cooking skills!"
Xiao Jin actually wants them to embroider it for her by hand? Has she gone mad?
"Jinniang, don't put on airs!" Yaoniang sneered. "Who do you think you are, trying to order me around doing needlework for you? Are all the people in your courtyard dead? Is Zisu too incapable of holding a needle and thread?"
Xiao Jin wasn't angry. He just glanced at Yao Niang with his cold eyes and said slowly, "The people in my courtyard naturally have their own things to do!"
Yao Niang was even more furious upon hearing this. Her people were busy, so why should she be expected to serve her? "Jin Niang, don't push your luck!"
Xiao Jin shrugged, feigning helplessness, her face full of innocence. "I didn't mean that at all. It was me who went to Cuiluo Courtyard and Qingtong Courtyard to ask my eldest sister and third sister for help. It was my eldest sister and third sister who took the initiative to come to Jinrong Courtyard to offer their assistance..."
Yingniang, who had been standing aside, felt a sudden tightness in her chest and looked up to see the resentful look Yaoniang was giving her.
"Yingniang!" Yaoniang finally realized that Yingniang had been using her as a pawn all along. She said resentfully, "I heard from Aunt Chen that your needlework has improved a lot in the past two years!"
Yingniang looked somewhat embarrassed. "My skills are really not up to par! I'm afraid it would be embarrassing for Second Sister if I were to embroider her dowry! I could probably embroider something small like a purse or sachet!"
As expected of Yingniang! She uses minimal effort to achieve maximum effect. Does she think she can get away with this so easily? No way!
Xiao Jin had already made up her mind to make things difficult for the two of them, so they wouldn't keep causing her any peace and quiet with their constant scheming. They would have to embroider the dowry whether they wanted to or not!
"Master, you've arrived!" Cuizhu's deliberately raised voice was exceptionally clear in the brief silence.
Xiao Ji has arrived?
Xiao Jin almost couldn't help but sneer. He actually dared to step into Jinrong Courtyard? This was truly unprecedented!
Seeing the obvious relief on Yao Niang and Ying Niang's faces, Xiao Jin sneered inwardly.
They thought Xiao Ji came to save their lives? Don't even think about it!
So she decided to turn this life-saving talisman into a death warrant!
The three Xiao sisters hurriedly went out to greet them.
Today, Xiao Ji was dressed in a dark blue robe with a floral pattern. He was tall and upright with fair skin and a handsome appearance. He walked with his hands behind his back, exuding a dignified and imposing air.
What good is a beautiful appearance if your heart is completely black?
"Father!" The three sisters stepped forward and curtsied.
Xiao Ji nodded, a smile appearing on his face. "You're all here!"
"Let's see if there's anything we can do to help Second Sister!" Yingniang said with a smile. "Second Sister is getting married, and as sisters, we want to do our part!"
Before Yingniang could finish speaking, Xiao Ji's face showed admiration.
Yao Niang looked extremely displeased, having been outmaneuvered by that little hussy Ying Niang!
"It's good that you think this way!" Xiao Ji said with satisfaction. "Sisters should live in harmony like this!"
"How could a despicable person like Xiao Ji possibly hope for family harmony and prosperity?" Xiao Jin scoffed inwardly, utterly disdainful.
"You're right!" Xiao Jin, who was usually taciturn in such situations, was unusually quiet today. She smiled and said, "I just happened to have some dowry that I couldn't embroider here, so my eldest sister and third sister came to help!"
Yao Niang and Ying Niang were both taken aback. With Xiao Ji here, how dare Xiao Jin bring up the matter of embroidering the dowry?
Xiao Ji didn't take it too seriously and nodded, saying, "Alright."
Yingniang panicked. If Xiao Ji really agreed, she would truly be at Xiao Jin's beck and call! She quickly smiled and said, "Father! Although I want to help Second Sister embroider her dowry... I'm afraid my skills aren't good enough. With a family like the Duke's mansion, if I embarrass Second Sister... that wouldn't be good!"
Yao Niang nodded in agreement.
Xiao Ji immediately hesitated, saying somewhat tentatively, "Jinniang, I think you should find someone skilled in needlework to do it for you!"
Seeing that Yao Niang and Ying Niang had relaxed because of Xiao Ji's words, Xiao Jin curled up the corners of his mouth and said calmly, "Father, I don't mean to make my eldest sister and third sister do chores for me!"
This one sentence exposed Yao Niang and Ying Niang's true colors.
Seeing that Yao Niang was about to argue with her stiff neck, Xiao Jin smiled and said before she could speak, "I did this to save face for the Scholar's Mansion! If people knew that I had sisters, but my dowry was still to be made outside, wouldn't that be inappropriate?"