No Jadeite
At first, she felt uneasy and flattered, but later she realized that it was actually a matter of other people's upbringing. Moreover, they were not respecting her, Xu Xue, but her cousin Xu Xi.
Xu Xi was treated with such respect, and it was certainly not because she was the legitimate daughter of a marquis's family.
These past few days, Xu Xue has been interacting with her classmates at the academy and listening to their conversations. She has also learned that the capital city and even Beining County are places where hidden talents abound. The Marquis of Marquis of Suiping's Residence is not considered a top-tier family in the capital. There are many imperial relatives, nobles, and powerful officials with higher status and more influence than the Marquis of Suiping's Residence.
Xu Xi is respected entirely because of her own abilities and her humble yet assertive demeanor.
"If you despise yourself, feel you're not presentable, and act timidly, how can you expect others to respect you? But if you have self-respect and self-love, are convinced you're no less than anyone else, and act with grace and composure, others will naturally look up to you. This respect doesn't come from others, but from yourself."
These were the words Xu Xi had once taught her.
Now Xu Xue deeply feels that these words are truly a profound truth.
Madam Xiao was a decisive person. After Xu Xi and Shopkeeper Wang exchanged greetings, she waved her hand, and several maids and servants in the room opened the lids of several chests that had been placed in the room beforehand, instantly filling the room with glittering jewels.
"These are all raw materials," Madam Xiao said. "Take a look. Manager Shopkeeper Wang will tell you the specifics of the jewelry store later."
Xu Xi pulled Xu Xue along, "Xiaoxue, come and see for yourself."
Xu Xue smiled shyly at Madam Xiao, "I really want to broaden my horizons." She also stood up and followed Xu Xi to look at the raw materials inside the boxes.
Nanny Yun gave Madam Xiao a meaningful look. Madam Xiao felt her gaze, looked back at her, and looked puzzled.
Madam Xiao's name was Xiao Ruotong. After giving birth to three sons, the Princess of Zhennan had this daughter, whom she doted on. The Princess felt that her family was of illustrious lineage, and Xiao Ruotong had the protection of her father and brothers. Moreover, she was beautiful and talented, showing a talent for calligraphy from a young age and being taken in as a disciple by a famous teacher. She believed that Xiao Ruotong would not suffer any grievances after marriage.
Therefore, she simply lived according to Xiao Ruotong's preferences.
With such a mother and an extremely genuine master, Xiao Ruotong developed a personality that was detached from worldly affairs and lacked understanding of human relationships.
Even now, Xiao Ruotong is unhappy in her husband's family. When Princess of Zhennan went to the Duke of Ying's Residence to seek justice for her daughter, she was subtly criticized by the Wife of the Duke of Ying in a wronged tone. Only then did Princess of Zhennan realize that her family was indeed lacking in interpersonal skills.
If it weren't for Nanny Yun who stayed by her side and handled many things for her, she could have been killed by the maidservant of the Duke of Ying's heir.
After much agonizing reflection, Princess of Zhennan stood firm against the Duke of Ying's Residence, refusing to back down an inch, while also having Nanny Yun slowly teach Xiao Ruotong, at least teaching her how to judge people, so that she wouldn't be easily fooled by a few kind words and genuinely trust others as if they were kind-hearted people.
Seeing that her young mistress didn't understand, Nanny Yun took advantage of Xu Xi and Xu Xue going to the other end of the room to look at jewelry, where she couldn't hear their whispers, and quietly instructed them, "Many people, once they rise to prominence, often can't bear to hear others mention their past hardships, nor will they allow anyone who knows their past to be around. The kinder ones will give money to send those who raised them far away; the unkind ones might even kill them outright."
"No, no way?" Xiao Ruotong's eyes widened in shock.
"Why not? That's how it's sung in plays. The people who write plays also hear stories from real life. Haven't you seen that the events at the Marquis of Suiping's Residence are even more bizarre than what's sung in plays?" Nanny Yun said confidently.
Xiao Ruotong was speechless.
"Therefore, it is truly rare to find someone like Miss Xu Xi who not only doesn't shy away from this issue but also consistently helps and repays the Xu Family. This shows that she is an upright, honest, and grateful person."
Xiao Ruotong wasn't stupid. She didn't understand these things before, but her mind was completely immersed in the world of calligraphy, and no one around her taught or guided her, which made her seem out of touch with social customs.
Now that Nanny Yun had given her that hint, she understood and nodded, saying, "I understand. That's why I want to partner with Xu Xi. Not only did you not object, you were very supportive, because you know she's an excellent person."
"That's right." Nanny Yun with a look of satisfaction that her child was teachable.
Xu Xi had no idea that because of Xiao Ruotong's words about wanting to "partner" with her, she caught the eye of the Princess of Zhennan. The Princess of Zhennan not only relied on Nanny Yun, but also used other means to thoroughly investigate Xu Xi.
Fortunately, the original owner of the body, Xu Xi, went through a process from a county town to a rural village, and from being a pampered only daughter to becoming an orphan who lost both parents. This prevented Xu Xi's transformation from arousing suspicion.
Even if her personality changed, everyone would attribute it to a "sudden and drastic change".
Although some people were puzzled by her exceptional talent, which surpassed even that of well-educated noble ladies, the fact that she was literate and that Xu Yongzeng and his wife kept her hidden away and did not reveal her true abilities, coupled with her later display of "outstanding memory" and "extreme intelligence" at the academy, made her talents seem less surprising.
Xu Xi was looking at the jewelry in the chest at that moment.
As expected of the wealthy and powerful Prince of Zhennan's Residence, there were several boxes of jade, several boxes of gemstones of different colors, several boxes of Zhenzhu of various sizes, and several boxes of gold and silver ingots. Not only was Xu Xue, who had never seen the world before, stunned and stood there in shock, but Xu Xi was also dazzled by the dazzling array of jewels in the room.
Xu Xi picked up a few pieces of jade and looked at them, but didn't see Feicui that she liked, which made her feel quite disappointed.
In fact, among the jade jewelry pieces that the First Madam gave her, she didn't find any Feicui; and the name Feicui didn't appear in the old lady's collection of jewelry, which she liked to use to name her Daya. Xu Xi had her own guesses.
She vividly recalls that although Feicui existed in the Zhou and Han dynasties, it was still a rare Feicui until the late Ming dynasty. It wasn't until the mid-Qing dynasty, when it gained popularity due to Empress Dowager Cixi's favor, that Feicui gradually became a beloved piece of jewelry.
If you have the chance, you must go to the southwestern border, or send someone there, to bring back some Feicui from there.
Xu Xi made up her mind, pulled Xu Xue, who was staring blankly at the jewelry, back to her seat, and asked Shopkeeper Wang, "What are your plans, Shopkeeper Wang?"
Shopkeeper Wang stood up, bowed to Xu Xi, and then sat down again. Pointing around, he said, "This building is currently under renovation. Once the craftsmen have finished making the first batch of jewelry and the jewelry store is fully decorated, we can choose an auspicious day to open for business."