Granny Fang pursed her lips, "People like that, it's best we keep our distance. A young lady, without a shred of shame."
As for liking men and women, Qi Zhenzhen felt it wasn't for outsiders to judge. You couldn't look at someone with prejudice just because they liked women. But setting that aside, she truly disliked Miss Yingying's disposition. She didn't believe she had offended her, so Yingying's confrontational attitude was completely unreasonable.
Li Nuan and Li Rou looked at Qi Zhenzhen and Granny Fang with curiosity, eager to know what had happened.
Adhering to the principle of not speaking ill of others behind their backs, Qi Zhenzhen shook her head at them and pulled them over to look at a set of exquisite wooden figurines.
"Second Sister, Eldest Sister, these figurines are so exquisite. Look, their expressions are so lifelike. The clothes painted on them are different from ours in Da Feng, and they look rather embarrassing," Li Rou picked up a figurine and examined it closely in her palm.
The craftsmanship was indeed exquisite, and the clothes were indeed—
From the perspective of Da Feng people, they were indeed embarrassing.
But from a modern perspective, they were nothing much, a bit like the attire for belly dancing, only more opulent.
"Exotic," Qi Zhenzhen said with a smile. "Different countries coexist in this world, so their attire naturally has different styles. Perhaps people from other countries would also find our Da Feng clothing unacceptable."
Li Rou nodded, "That's true."
"If Sister Rou likes them, buy them. They'll make for unique decorations," Qi Zhenzhen suggested.
Li Rou glanced at Li Nuan, her eyes asking for permission. Li Nuan nodded, "If you genuinely like them, then buy them."
"Oh!" Li Rou's lips curved into a happy smile. "Second Sister, Eldest Sister, you are so good."
They had just called over a shop assistant, and before they could ask for them to be wrapped, that unpleasant voice sounded again.
"Shop assistant, I'll take all of these. Wrap them up for me." Yingying was pointing at the very figurines they were looking at, her smug expression as if she had gained an immense advantage.
"Why are you so ill-mannered?" For the second or third time, even the good-tempered Li Nuan was getting impatient. With a cold face, she chided, "We were looking at these items first, and you barged in. We didn't argue with you and let you have them. Then we looked at other things, and you pull this stunt again. Are you going to snatch anything we fancy today?"
Yingying glanced at Li Nuan with arrogance and nodded slightly, "Miss, what you're saying is not right. I merely happened to fancy what you fancied. As for snatching? This young lady cannot bear such a label!"
"You!" Li Nuan was so angry she couldn't speak. She rarely went out and had a kind nature, so how could she deal with a drama queen like Yingying?
Qi Zhenzhen held Li Nuan back, "Sister Nuan, there are plenty of good things in Linlang Pavilion. Let's take our time picking them out. There's no need to argue with someone like that and lower ourselves."
After speaking, she turned to Yingying, "Miss Yingying, you should open your eyes wide. The things we fancy today will not be few."
Her tone was even, without a hint of anger, and there was even a smile in the corner of her eyes. She looked as if she didn't care about Yingying's provocation at all.
After speaking, the group continued to browse leisurely, chatting and laughing, completely unconcerned about what had just happened.
Yingying indeed followed step by step. Whatever Qi Zhenzhen and the others wanted to buy, she would cut in and snatch the item.
Qi Zhenzhen and the others didn't get angry. If she snatched something, they would look at something else.
At first, not many people paid attention. As Yingying bought more and more, the murmuring grew.
Most of it was criticizing Yingying and sympathizing with Qi Zhenzhen and the others.
"If you apologize to me, I'll consider not competing with you for these items," Yingying blocked Qi Zhenzhen. "I can let you have these things."
"Isn't Miss Yingying's request a bit unreasonable? I don't recall myself, or any of my sisters or cousins, offending you. Why should I apologize?" Qi Zhenzhen frowned slightly, feigning confusion. "Besides, we were just looking at those things; we didn't intend to buy them. Why should you let us have them?"
Li Rou immediately understood Qi Zhenzhen's meaning and put on a show of 'surprise,' "Second Sister, I think this Miss Yingying is probably puffing herself up. She clearly can't afford these things, but… tsk tsk! Look how pitiful she is. Why don't we reluctantly accept these things?"
Yingying's face turned pale, and the veins on her neck bulged. It was evident that Li Rou's words had easily provoked her.
Her money was indeed running out. She hadn't known, and she hadn't snatched too many things, but her maid had just reminded her that the value of these items had exceeded a thousand taels of silver. She had originally come out today to choose a birthday gift for Shen Zhixin, so she had gritted her teeth and brought all her savings, which amounted to only six hundred taels of silver.
It was not enough to pay the bill.
The young shop assistant looked at Yingying warily, with a hint of annoyance on his face, "Miss, are you treating our Linlang Pavilion as a playground for young girls? These items we've painstakingly brought back from overseas to make money, and you can't just toy with them like this."
Many customers who knew Yingying's behavior were now pointing and whispering, their voices not loud, but all criticizing Yingying.
"Who says I don't want them? Ah Hong, pay the deposit, and tell them to deliver these things to the Zhenguo General's Mansion. Someone will settle the bill then. Can our Shen Mansion not afford such a small amount of things?" Yingying shouted in a shrill voice.
The Zhenguo General's Mansion? The murmuring of the crowd immediately stopped. If she were a young lady from the General's Mansion, she would naturally be able to afford them.
Seeing that no one was discussing anymore, Yingying's expression softened considerably, and she put on her airs again, "I gave you a chance, but you didn't seize it yourself. Don't blame me, then. We're not done with each other!"
"Huh, that's not right. I've seen the young ladies from the Zhenguo General's Mansion, and you're not one of them," a little girl in a pink dress tilted her head and said. "Lvliu, you were with me at the time, right? Miss Shen, you've met her too."
A girl dressed in green nodded, "Replying to the Princess, yes."
With a round face and large almond eyes, it was Princess Ruining of the Rui King's Mansion.
Qi Zhenzhen had seen her at the Old Madam's birthday banquet, but they hadn't spoken.
"Greetings to the Princess," Qi Zhenzhen curtsied. Li Nuan and Li Rou also quickly followed suit.
Ruining waved her hand, "I'm just out shopping, no need for so much formality. Sister Qi Er, please rise."
Because of Princess Ruining's words, everyone's gaze towards Yingying became unfriendly. Some bold individuals, wanting to gain favor in front of the Princess, shouted loudly, "Where did this shameless brat come from, impersonating a young lady from a noble family? This is the capital, right under the Emperor's nose. We can't let her continue her deception. Let's take her to Shuntian Prefecture and let the Prefect punish her!"