The one - month deadline was fast approaching, but Ruan Jiu remained as calm as ever.
This really worried Chun Tao.
In recent days, the servants in the mansion had been treating them differently based on their status.
Even the charcoal allocated for winter was more than half less than in previous years.
What was even more infuriating was that the whole Qinzhou City was spreading the rumor that there was an ungrateful white - eyed wolf in the Xie family.
Every time Chun Tao went to the street, she couldn't help arguing with others.
"Miss Ruan, you still have the mood to sleep in!"
Hearing Chun Tao's voice, Ruan Jiu slowly opened her eyes.
Chun Tao's complaining face came into view.
"Why shouldn't I have the mood?"
Ruan Jiu sat up and stretched lazily.
This month had been a rare period of leisure for her.
"You don't know. I went to Guangji Shop to buy your favorite peach cakes. The shopkeeper actually said in front of everyone..."
"Said what?"
Chun Tao gritted her teeth. "He said that the pastries in Guangji Shop would never be sold to villains!"
Hearing this, Ruan Jiu couldn't help laughing out loud.
She didn't expect that even after almost a month, the rumors about her were still so rife.
It was really hard for the person behind all this.
"Miss Ruan, how can you still laugh?" Chun Tao complained.
Chun Tao naturally knew what kind of person Ruan Jiu was.
But others didn't.
Chun Tao just couldn't bear to hear others slandering her miss. As a result, she had been arguing with the servants in the mansion every day and with outsiders when she went out.
Her mouth was so dry from arguing.
But Miss Ruan seemed like nothing had happened.
Just then, a servant boy ran over from outside the door.
He stopped three meters away from the door, as if getting closer would bring bad luck.
He shouted at the top of his voice, "The silk and satin shop is blocked. Master Xie asks you to go there quickly."
After saying that, he ran away in a flash.
Chun Tao snorted. "Bah! These people used to rush to flatter us before. Now they can't even be bothered to call you 'Miss Ruan'."
When they arrived at the silk and satin shop, the entrance was already crowded.
Many people were holding brocade fabrics in their hands and shouting that they wanted the shop to take back the goods.
Seeing this, Ruan Jiu walked over unhurriedly.
When Xie Jing saw Ruan Jiu coming, he immediately pointed at her and said, "Since our Xie family has promised everyone, today let Miss Ruan give everyone an explanation."
Hearing this, everyone turned their eyes to Ruan Jiu.
Chun Tao whispered, "Isn't there still a few days left before the one - month deadline?"
As soon as she said this, many people were dissatisfied.
"We spent so much silver to buy these brocades, and they turned out like this. Giving her this much time is already giving the Xie family enough face."
"She has ruined the Xie family's brocades like this. How dare she stay in the Xie mansion for a few more days?"
"That's right. The Xie family's brocades have always been fine all these years. How come they became like this as soon as they got into her hands? She must have embezzled the silver privately."
...
The public's criticism was so intense that Chun Tao felt scared and couldn't help hiding behind Ruan Jiu.
On weekdays, when she heard others slandering Miss Ruan, she would roll up her sleeves and argue with them.
But now, facing so many people, she suddenly felt a little afraid.
Ruan Jiu was not in a hurry. She gently patted Chun Tao's hand and gave a charming smile.
Then she said, "Everyone, don't worry. I will definitely give you an explanation today."
She was so calm and her words were so powerful that she didn't seem like a fifteen - or sixteen - year - old girl at all.
Everyone made way for her.
Ruan Jiu stepped forward and then whispered a few words in Chun Tao's ear.
After a while, Chun Tao took out a long robe made of brocade from the silk and satin shop.
Ruan Jiu then said, "These days, there have been a lot of rumors in the city about the Xie family's brocades. But I would like to solemnly state again that those low - quality brocades are not from the Xie family's silk and satin shop."
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone was dissatisfied.
"You mean the brocades we bought are all fake?"
Ruan Jiu nodded. "Exactly."
"Absolutely impossible!" A woman immediately denied it and held up the brocade in her hand. "This was specially prepared for my birthday banquet by my husband, who spent a hundred taels of silver on it!"
Just thinking about this made the woman angry. She had been counting on wearing this brocade to outshine everyone at her birthday banquet.
Unexpectedly, on the day of the birthday banquet, the brocade suddenly split open in several places.
It made her so ashamed.
She still couldn't hold her head up in front of her close female friends.
She had hidden at home for many days and didn't dare to go out.
"Why should we believe you just based on your words!"
Many people echoed.
After all, many people present had spent a lot of silver to buy these brocades. Now being told that the brocades were fake, they naturally didn't want to believe it.
Ruan Jiu smiled and then said, "Actually, it's very simple to tell whether the brocades in your hands are real or fake."
Everyone held their breath and waited for Ruan Jiu's next words.
They saw Ruan Jiu take the scissors that Chun Tao handed over and then cut a small hole in the cuff of the brocade robe in Chun Tao's hand.
A character "Xie" suddenly appeared in front of everyone.
"Since last year, all the Xie family's brocades have had a character 'Xie' sewn on the inner lining of the cuff. You just need to check if there is a character 'Xie' on the brocades in your hands to know if they are from the Xie family."
Xie Jing couldn't help widening his eyes. He didn't even know that there was a character 'Xie' on the Xie family's brocades!
If so, why didn't she clarify it earlier and let the rumors spread?
Was she doing it on purpose?
I'm afraid he was also a part of her plan.
Thinking of this, Xie Jing couldn't help swallowing.
This Miss Ruan, at such a young age, actually had such scheming.
As soon as Ruan Jiu finished speaking, the woman was the first to tear open the brocade in her hand.
Sure enough, the inner lining of the cuff was bare.
The woman's face immediately turned red. Looking at the man with his head down beside her, she angrily scolded, "Didn't you say you were going to buy me the Xie family's brocade? Why is it fake?!"
The man buried his head and stammered, "My mother said it was really not worth spending a hundred taels of silver on a piece of clothing. And just that day, I heard someone say that there was brocade that looked exactly the same as the Xie family's brocade, but it only cost ten taels of silver. So I..."
Many people heard this and quickly tore open the brocades in their hands. They were all stunned.
Some people held the brocades in their hands tightly and didn't do anything for a long time.
They just buried their heads low and silently retreated to the outermost part of the crowd.
Seeing this scene, Ruan Jiu already understood.
Some people were really deceived.
Some people knew that the brocades in their hands were fake.
Suddenly, the scene was in a complete mess.
The woman just now threw the brocade in her hand on the ground fiercely and cried to the man beside her, "I have been a good wife and mother for your family and served your parents whole - heartedly for many years. I'm not even worth a piece of brocade!"
The man saw his wife crying like a tearful mess. He was at a loss and felt very depressed.
So he took all his anger out on Ruan Jiu and shouted loudly.
"Isn't the Xie family's brocade supposed to be unique? If the fake brocade didn't look exactly the same as the Xie family's brocade, how could I have had this idea! Maybe those fake brocades are also yours!"