Having said this, she turned her head and whispered to the maid behind her, "Hurry to the store and settle the bill. Then tell the waiter that the white bear must be delivered to the... noble's mansion today!"
The woman in red couldn't help but smile. "I've already said that I'm not blaming you. If you want the white bear, keep it. There's no need to send it to me."
He Qing shook her head repeatedly. "If the noble insists on not accepting it, it means you haven't forgiven me and won't let me off!"
"You're really..." The woman in red's clear black-and-white eyes were full of helplessness. She looked at the other woman for a while and finally sighed. "Fine, fine. Since you're so insistent on giving it to me, it would seem unkind of me if I refused any longer."
"Thank you, noble!" He Qing was so excited that she almost knelt down to express her gratitude again, but the woman in red was quick - eyed and quick - handed, stopping her.
"We've met today, so it's a kind of fate. I don't have many friends usually. It's so boring when I finally come out for a stroll. If you're free, would you accompany me for a walk around Yongding City?"
Hearing this, how could He Qing dare not agree?
She immediately replied repeatedly, "Yes."
The carriage slowly started moving and began to wander around Yongding City.
He Qing sat upright in a corner of the carriage, stealing timid glances at the woman in red from time to time.
The woman in red was sitting by the window, waving a delicate round silk fan and smiling as she looked out of the window.
The fan handle made of cyan - green glass looked pleasing to the eye in her fair and slender fingers.
Taking another look at the extremely luxurious interior of the carriage, He Qing lowered her head. She began to weigh the identity of the woman in red even more in her heart.
"It's really different outside. The things on the street are so rare."
Putting down the curtain, the woman in red couldn't help but sigh.
He Qing quickly flattered her. "They're just small trinkets. They're not worthy of the noble's attention."
The woman in red shook her head with a smile. Suddenly, she sniffed. "What smells so good?"
As soon as He Qing smelled it, she knew the answer.
She lifted the curtain and gave a few instructions to the maid outside. Then she turned around and said with a smile, "The lotus - flower cakes from Chunmanlou in the east of the city are the most delicious. I've already sent someone to buy them. Would the noble like to try some?"
"Really? That's fine." The woman in red replied.
At this time, there was already a long queue in front of Chunmanlou. All of them were there to buy lotus - flower cakes.
The carriage stopped on the opposite side.
The woman in red looked outside and was a little surprised. "Why are there so many people?"
He Qing was used to it and explained, "The lotus - flower cakes in Chunmanlou are on sale at 9 - 11 am every day. There are so many people who like them, so the queue is long. Some people even come to queue up at 3 - 5 am in order to buy them earlier."
The woman in red looked at the endless queue outside and felt a bit embarrassed. "It's tough on your maid."
"The noble is being too kind. If it weren't for the noble's blessing today, I wouldn't be able to eat these lotus - flower cakes either." He Qing quickly said.
The woman in red squinted her eyes slightly. Watching the maid walking to the end of the queue, the corner of her lips curled up slightly, and she fanned herself more vigorously.
Seeing the woman in red take out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat off, He Qing quickly asked considerately, "Is the noble feeling hot?"
The woman in red nodded. "The weather in May and June is really hot. And it's almost noon now, isn't it?"
He Qing glanced at the fierce sun outside and then at the woman in red, who was fanning herself faster and faster. She lowered her eyes slightly.
"Please wait a moment, noble."
He Qing immediately leaned out of the carriage again and gave a few instructions to the two servants outside. Then she turned back and said, "The ice cellar is far away. Please bear with it for a while, noble. I've already sent someone to fetch the ice at full speed."
The woman in red looked deeply at He Qing and nodded with a smile. "Thank you for your trouble."
"It's my honor to relieve the noble's worries." He Qing replied with her head bowed.
The woman in red waved the silk fan in her hand. Her gaze fell on the ground, and she sighed softly as she looked at a virtual point in the air. "If Xiaowu were even half as sensible as you, things wouldn't have... Ah, well, everyone has their own destiny."
These words didn't seem to be connected. He Qing was completely confused.
She quickly leaned forward, respectful and flattering. "Does the noble have any troubles? If I can be of any help, I'd like to relieve the noble's worries."
Hearing this, the woman in red's usually gentle eyes suddenly became sharp. She sized He Qing up and down, and her right index finger tapped the fan handle rhythmically. The crisp sound echoed throughout the carriage.
He Qing felt a chill down her back under her gaze. She was a bit panicked. Her lips trembled for a while. Just as she was about to say something, she heard the woman in red ask.
"I forgot to ask just now. May I ask what your identity is, madam?"
He Qing answered honestly. "I'm the concubine of the eldest young master of the Grand Tutor's Mansion."
"Zhao Yujin?!" The woman in red looked shocked. "You're Zhao Yujin's concubine?"
He Qing didn't expect such a strong reaction from the other woman. She nodded and replied, "Yes. Does the noble... know my young master?"
"No." The woman in red quickly calmed down, but the sharpness in her eyes became even stronger. She said meaningfully, "But I'll get to know him soon."
"What does the noble mean?" He Qing couldn't understand her words at all.
A flash of sarcasm passed through the woman in red's eyes, but instead of answering, she asked, "Don't you know yet? Your young master is about to get married."
"Get married?!"
It was as if a thunderbolt had struck He Qing on the head, leaving her completely stunned.
The woman in red seemed not to notice her reaction and continued coldly on her own, "I heard before that this young master Zhao had taken concubines early on. I thought the rumor was false.
Now it seems that there's not a bit of falsehood in it.
Good! He's really bold! Taking concubines before getting married and still having the nerve to propose marriage to our Xiaowu!"
These words made He Qing turn pale. She stared blankly at the woman in red. "Please calm down, noble! Please calm down!"
At this time, the woman in red was clearly in a fit of rage. She no longer looked friendly as before. Her cold gaze swept over the trembling He Qing, and she asked coldly, "When did you enter his household? How many concubines does he have now, and how many sons and daughters does he have?"
He Qing lowered her eyes and answered one by one. "I entered the household six years ago. I'm the only concubine around the young master. As for sons and daughters... I don't have any."
"None at all?!" The woman in red widened her eyes and couldn't believe it. She raised her voice, "You've been in the household for six years, a full six years! And you still haven't given birth to any children for him?"
These words were like a knife stabbing deeply into He Qing's heart.
She had been a vegetarian and prayed for six years since entering the Grand Tutor's Mansion, but she hadn't given birth to a single child.
Not being able to give birth to a son or a daughter for Zhao Yujin was a permanent pain in her heart.
He Qing's cheeks turned pale, and she bit her lips tightly.