Chapter 53 – Do You Deserve to Be Like Xishi?

As Xia Tian had just entered Jinglan Courtyard, Ning Xiang was setting the table, and they hadn’t yet prepared to eat when Ning Xue came in. “Madam, the third young lady has arrived.”

“Oh? The third young lady? Shen Lan?”

“Yes, Madam.”

“She’s here for what? This morning, when I saw her, she was giving me a hard time about my nose not being right and my eyes not being right,” Xia Tian muttered, confused.

However, it was a good timing, the day had been dulled, and having someone come looking for trouble wasn’t bad either.

Xia Tian’s eyes lit up as she put down her chopsticks and said to Ning Xue, “Please invite the third young lady in.”

“Hmph, do I need your permission to enter my own courtyard?” Before Ning Xue could leave, Shen Lan entered with her nose in the air, followed by her maid.

“Is that so? Then are you planning to move in?” Xia Tian asked, amused, as she looked at Shen Lan.

“Hmph, if it weren’t for you, I would have definitely moved in.”

“That’s strange, I heard this courtyard has been empty for several years. Why are you just now thinking of moving in?” Xia Tian teased her.

“You… if it weren’t for my older brother stopping me, do you think I wouldn’t want to?” Shen Lan replied, irritated.

“Oh—so it’s a matter of being stopped!” Xia Tian dragged the tone out, acting like she had just figured it out.

“Don’t get cocky. Wait until my older brother stops liking you. See how I deal with you,” Shen Lan stomped her foot in frustration.

“Oh, well, you’ll have to wait for that,” Xia Tian said, sitting down at the table, picking up a bowl of porridge to drink. “Third young lady, have you eaten breakfast yet? If not, would you like to join me?”

“I won’t eat your food.”

“Afraid I poisoned it?”

“Hmph!” Shen Lan turned her head away, not wanting to look at her.

“Then what brings you here?” Xia Tian asked curiously after taking a bite of her food.

She had only known this spoiled young lady for three days, so she wasn’t very familiar with her.

“I just came to see, is that okay?” Shen Lan said irritably. If her older brother hadn’t given this courtyard to Xia Tian, she wouldn’t have wasted time talking to some wild girl like her.

“Sure, it’s your courtyard, go wherever you like,” Xia Tian responded with a nonchalant smile.

“Good, at least you know your place,” Shen Lan said, sitting on a chair, then raised her brows and looked at Ning Xiang. “Tea? Haven’t you seen me talking for so long?”

Ning Xiang turned to look at Xia Tian. She nodded, and then Ning Xiang went to prepare tea.

Shen Lan was even more irritated and sneered, “What’s this? The guest arrives and you don’t even serve tea? You still want to be the Young Master’s wife? At least know how to entertain guests.”

Xia Tian was speechless. Just a moment ago, she had been acting all high and mighty, and now she was acting like a guest!

If I served her tea, I’m afraid she wouldn’t even dare to drink it!

She had just sworn she wouldn’t eat anything from Xia Tian’s place, and now she wanted tea? This girl had some issues!

“How? Are you not afraid that I poisoned it now?”

“Hmph, I know you wouldn’t dare,” Shen Lan said, her nose in the air, snorting.

Ning Xiang placed the teacup on the table in front of Shen Lan, and she didn’t speak. She just picked up the cup and started sipping slowly.

Xia Tian leisurely finished her meal, then sat down opposite Shen Lan, also holding a cup of tea, sipping it slowly.

The two maids stood aside, watching as both women silently drank their tea, not saying a word.

After finishing a cup of tea, Shen Lan suddenly stood up. “I’m leaving,” she said, exiting quickly.

Xia Tian was left confused. What was going on?

She came when she wanted and left when she wanted. Was she always this abrupt?

By the time Xia Tian came to her senses, Shen Lan had almost reached the gate of the courtyard. She quickly called out, “Third young lady, aren’t you going to stay a while longer?”

“Hypocrite,” Shen Lan muttered and left without even turning her head.

Xia Tian, Ning Xiang, and Ning Xue were left staring at each other, bewildered.

“What exactly did she come here for?” Xia Tian asked, puzzled.

“I think the third young lady just came to look. She’s always wanted to move into this courtyard, but my older brother never agreed,” Ning Xue quietly explained.

“I heard that yesterday the third young lady caused trouble with the Madam, but the Madam insisted on not letting her come,” Ning Xiang added with some gossip.

Xia Tian nodded in understanding. From today’s interaction with the third young lady, it seemed Shen Lan was just a spoiled girl with little strategy.

But one should never judge by appearances. What if she was secretly very cunning?

It was still necessary to observe more closely.

After Shen Lan left, Xia Tian once again found herself bored. She pulled out the books she had taken from Shen Nian’s study and continued reading.

The weather had turned cold, and she didn’t feel like going out, so she curled up on the warm kang (bed) in the courtyard to read.

After lunch, she took a short walk around the courtyard, planning to sleep well in the afternoon. But, once again, Miss Shen came.

Xia Tian was completely speechless. Why was she here again? Was she this idle?

Ning Xiang led her to the warm kang room, and Ning Xue prepared tea for her. The two maids stepped aside to watch.

“Miss Shen, what do you want today?” Xia Tian asked with some irritation as she saw Shen Lan enter without a word.

“Just so you know, if you try to pay me off with silver to leave, then don’t bother speaking,” she added.

“Hmph, I just want to see why you’re staying here.”

“I’m staying because your brother is tall, handsome, and rich,” Xia Tian smoothly replied.

“And what do you have? My brother is good-looking, comes from a good family, and is the object of admiration for many noble ladies in the capital. What makes you think you deserve him?” Shen Lan retorted disdainfully.

“I think I deserve him just fine. I have a good personality, I’m funny, I look good, I cook well, and I saved his life. Most importantly, he’s willing,” Xia Tian said seriously, counting her qualities on her fingers.

Shen Lan stared at this shameless woman, who was openly listing her qualities without a hint of embarrassment, feeling a throbbing headache.

How could there be such a thick-skinned woman? She was like a piece of meat.

“How do you know he’s willing? He’s just someone who values loyalty. Do you really think he’d like you just because you saved him?” Shen Lan mocked. “Aside from that, what do you have that compares to the noble ladies of the capital?”

“Well, it’s true. I don’t have a noble father,” she sighed, nodding in agreement. “But what does that have to do with whether your brother likes me?”

“Difference in social status—do you think that doesn’t matter?”

“But in the eyes of a lover, even a plain woman is a beauty.”

“Do you deserve to be like Xishi?”

“Big sister, why do you always try to break up the couple?” Xia Tian asked helplessly. How could this young lady be so stubborn?

“Because I don’t want my brother to become the laughingstock of the entire capital.”

“Fine, suit yourself. Go tell your brother. If he agrees, I’ll leave immediately.” She gave up on the argument. She had figured out by now that this young lady simply didn’t like her, and no matter what she said, it was useless.

“Hmph, I’ll be back tomorrow,” Shen Lan said as she strutted out of the room, her head held high like a victorious rooster.

Xia Tian lazily stood up and flopped down onto the kang table.

Ning Xiang and Ning Xue returned after seeing Shen Lan out.

“Hey, what’s up with this young lady? Why is she so stubborn?”

“Does she not realize that I’m a girl with no background? Without her brother’s approval, how could I possibly marry into the duke’s family?” Xia Tian complained weakly.

“Maybe she’s too invested in her brother and can’t see clearly,” Ning Xiang said, unsure how to comfort her.

This young lady was so used to getting her way that she didn’t think much deeper.

Thinking about what Miss Shen had said—that she would come back tomorrow—Xia Tian felt a headache coming on. It was fine once or twice, but if this went on every day, it would drive her crazy.

No, she couldn’t just sit and wait.

Suddenly, Xia Tian sat up. If one day she could no longer stay in the duke’s residence, she needed to have a backup plan.

She had earned about seven or eight hundred taels from her braised meat business, but half of it had been spent on buying various grains and storing them in her space.

Right now, she only had about four hundred taels in hand.

She still couldn’t afford to buy a courtyard in the capital.

Selling braised meat on the street wasn’t a suitable identity for her either, or if she wanted to accumulate some funds, she had to find another way.