An Jin asked, puzzled, "But Sister Xin'er is clearly very capable..."
An Xin smiled slightly, then turned around and glanced back, where Xu Ruolan's voice could be faintly heard.
"Don't cry, my good child. Go wash up quickly, and I'll make you something to eat."
An Wan said, "Mother, I'm starving to death."
Xu Ruolan said with heartache, "Mother will make them for you right away. You can wear your sister's clothes for now, and Mother will have someone make you a few more outfits another day. Tell me what you want to eat, wear, or play with, okay?"
An Wan said sweetly, "Daughter just wants to be with Mother..."
...
An Xin looked away, and Lu Zhu ran over and said, "Miss, the Second Miss is back. Aren't you going to go and see her?"
An Xin said calmly, "I'm not going."
Dewdrop said, "But Miss likes Second Miss the most."
An Xin said calmly, "Really? I like you a little more now."
Dewdrop's cheeks flushed slightly, and she stammered, "Second Miss wants to eat something. This servant will see if I can help in any way..."
An Xin hummed in agreement and walked forward.
Those death row inmates have been much more obedient these past few days; they all shrank back in fear when they saw An Xin arrive.
Upon seeing An Xin arrive, Xu Hai hurriedly stood up and said with a smile, "Miss, what do you think of this fabric?" He then picked up a piece of cloth and poured a bowl of water onto it. Miraculously, the water slid down the cloth without wetting it at all.
An Xin hurriedly stepped forward, took the piece of cloth, and poured a bowl of water. The effect was the same, so she couldn't help but laugh and ask, "Butler Xu, how is this kind of cloth made?"
Xu Hai smiled and said, "I tried many fabrics but couldn't get the right material. Later, I used a kind of extremely tough grass to extract the silk, and then twisted it into thread through more than a dozen processes before weaving it. The stitches are so fine that it's hard to imagine, but it finally meets Miss's requirements."
An Xin casually took out a small bag of loose silver and stuffed it into Xu Hai's hand, saying, "Find a way to make clothes out of this cloth. The steward can keep these for now."
Xu Hai's expression changed and he hurriedly said, "No, no, Miss, this is what I should do. If it weren't for you, my whole family would be alive, and I would never accept your money."
An Xin said, "Take it."
Xu Hai was taken aback.
An Xin paused for a moment, then smiled faintly and said, "I have never liked to refuse, and Steward Xu should understand that."
Xu Hai trembled. Lu Zhu had already told him about Miss's temperament: once she gave it, she would never take it back. If he didn't accept it, he would definitely offend Miss...
"This old servant thanks Miss for the reward..." Xu Hai said softly, his eyes reddening.
An Xin casually picked up the piece of cloth and threw it into the water. After a while, the cloth was still dry. An Xin casually threw it in again, but this time she waited for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. It was still dry. An Xin casually threw it in again, but this time she waited for an hour. When she picked it up again, An Xin's eyes narrowed. The cloth that was originally dry was now wet in one corner!
In other words, this kind of cloth can only last for a maximum of one hour before it gets soaked in water...
However, it is already quite remarkable that the cloth could be made to this extent; after all, ancient times could not compare with the past.
Xu Hai's expression changed as he said, "Miss, this old servant will go and study it some more..."
An Xin smiled and said without taking it to heart, "It's already very good, Steward Xu, there's no need to blame yourself."
Xu Hai sighed. This thing was extremely important to the young lady, and the young lady had been incredibly kind to her. How could he not feel guilty? Thinking of this, Xu Hai said, "Miss, if you want this kind of fabric to be waterproof, you'll probably need to use silkworm silk."
An Xin was taken aback: "Heavenly silkworm silk?"
Xu Hai said, "This kind of silk thread is tough and not easy to break, and the cloth woven from it is waterproof. At that time, this old servant will combine this cloth with silkworm silk, and perhaps we can weave the kind of cloth that Miss uses."
An Xin frowned and asked, "Where can I find silkworm silk?"
Xu Hai sighed, "Heavenly silkworm silk is extremely precious. If this old servant hadn't seen that Miss urgently needed it, I wouldn't have brought it up. But heavenly silkworm silk is scarce, and it would be extremely difficult to find it in large quantities."
An Xin smiled faintly and said, "I know." Then she turned and walked out, and An Jin hurriedly followed.
****
An Wan was starving and wolfed down her food, while Xu Ruolan kept urging her, "Eat slowly, be careful not to choke..." as she secretly wiped away tears.
An Youwei sighed. This child must have suffered a lot these years. Otherwise, how could he be so pale and emaciated, starving like this?
Looking up, she saw An Xin and An Jin standing outside the door and hurriedly said, "Xin'er, Jin'er, come and see Wan'er quickly."
An Xin smiled slightly and said, "Father, An Wan is back. You can rest assured now."
An Wan paused in her eating, looked up at An Xin, and asked, "Sister, who is he?"
An Xin glanced at Jin'er and said, "Your younger brother."
An Wan was taken aback, then pushed the bowl away and said, "When did I get a younger brother?! Mother, what's going on?"
Xu Ruolan looked at An Wan with loving eyes and said, "Eat more, and I'll tell you slowly."
An Wan couldn't help but ask, "Mother, have you forgotten about me these past few years while I've been away?"
Xu Ruolan exclaimed in surprise, "Silly child, how could your mother forget you?! You are the apple of my eye!"
An Wan pouted and said, "Mother, but you already have a son and an older sister, how could you possibly think of a daughter?"
An Youwei said, "Wan'er, this is your father's adopted son. These past years, with you gone, your mother has been overwhelmed with worry. It was only with Jin'er that she felt some relief. But your father and mother think of you every moment. How could we forget you?"
An Wan said with dissatisfaction, "Now that his mother is here, she doesn't miss her daughter as much anymore. In her heart, her daughter is no longer considered the closest person!"
An Xin said calmly, "Why are you talking so much nonsense now that you've just gotten back!"