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Mo Sanniang stood to the side, listening with a dumbstruck expression. Only now did she realize that this girl must have been annoyed by Lady Xie’s hollering from the moment she stepped through the door and had purposely come to pick a fight.

It wasn’t just Mo Sanniang who was shocked into silence, but also the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair of the Xie family.

Lady Xie had come to Mo Sanniang’s fabric shop more than once or twice before, and each time, wasn’t it Mo Sanniang who actively ingrated herself and fawned over her?

Over time, she became accustomed to walking on air in this shop, especially today, when she brought her future daughter-in-law, intent on thoroughly humiliating the shameless woman tangled up with her son.

Who would have thought that she’d carelessly fallen into Lin Yuan’s trap?

Lady Xie was at a loss whether to agree or deny. It was all because she had spoken too confidently just now, and now she couldn’t backpedal. Anxiety made a thin sheen of sweat form on her forehead, and even her elderly face turned somewhat pale.

Ma Xiaoqian, however, narrowed her eyes, finally realizing that this girl, barely into her teens, was not an easy character to deal with. Yet, she was thoroughly disappointed and looked down upon Lady Xie’s pettiness and hesitation.

Just ten taels of silver was enough to deter the old woman, who kept glancing over at her. What was she looking at? Did she expect her to cough up the ten taels for the booking fee? Dream on!

Although Ma Xiaoqian was a beloved niece, not a daughter, of the Head of the Ma Family Manor and was pampered since childhood, she simply couldn’t care less about ten or twenty taels of silver.

However, if it were to be spent on herself or given to the man she fancied, Brother Zhiyuan, she wouldn’t blink an eye. But for her mother-in-law? Humph, better to save it!

Seeing that Ma Xiaoqian had completely misunderstood her meaningful glances, Lady Xie felt secretly annoyed.

But she couldn’t make a scene in front of Mo Sanniang and had no choice but to swallow her pride and after struggling for a while, she squeezed out a few words through her gritted teeth, "Fine, isn’t it just ten taels of silver?

Since I dared to book the whole place, I can afford it! "

With a slap, Lady Xie pulled a ten-tael silver ingot from her bosom and slammed it down on the counter, her mouth twitching painfully. She didn’t even bother to take Ma Xiaoqian’s hand anymore, just called her name and turned to leave first.

Mo Sanniang had not expected Lady Xie to actually produce ten taels of silver, especially since for all these years, Lady Xie had always taken away plenty of good-looking fabric from the shop for free, including the jujube red outfit she wore today which she had taken last month.

She hadn’t expected that all her years of trying to please Lady Xie, in the end, wasn’t enough to win her favor.

Mo Sanniang was about to return the silver on the table to Lady Xie, when Lin Yuan pressed her hand down, stopping her.

Lady Xie, who had already stepped out the door, suddenly turned back, glaring at Mo Sanniang with a face full of resentment and disdain, and bellowed angrily, "Mo Sanniang, you’ve seen it today, Yuaner is soon to marry Ma Family Manor’s young lady.

From now on, you better not pester my Yuaner!

If I find you shamelessly clinging to him again, I will come and burn down your shop! Humph!"

Before leaving, she couldn’t resist giving Lin Yuan a begrudging glare as well.

After being scolded by Lady Xie, Mo Sanniang couldn’t bring herself to give back the silver anymore. She bit her lip hard and, with a huff, sat down on the stool. Tears she had been holding back for a long time finally spilled over, and she buried her face in the counter and began to sob loudly.

Lin Yuan’s heart ached; she was uncertain whether intervening today had actually helped or harmed Mo Sanniang. Gingerly pushing Mo Sanniang’s arm, she asked in a soft voice, "Sister Mo, are you, are you upset with me for being nosy?"

With her face buried in her arms, Mo Sanniang shook her head vehemently and answered in a smothered, resentful voice, "No, it’s not that, sob, it’s just, I feel so wronged! Sob!"