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As Jin Lingling and the others entered the Rice Flower Fragrance, they saw Ma Xiaonan sitting in a chair, holding an Osmanthus Cake in one hand and a Wife Cake in the other, with half a stick of spicy snack dangling from her mouth.

The young ladies following behind Jin Lingling were first taken aback, then chuckled behind their hands with amusement.

Jin Lingling and Meng Chunyan, however, looked on with contempt. If it wasn’t for the fact that the Ma family Manor was now considered an up-and-coming presence in Zhuma Town, they wouldn’t bother associating with this little country girl.

"Lingling, look at the state she’s in!" Meng Chunyan rolled her eyes at Ma Xiaonan and whispered to Jin Lingling.

Ma Xiaonan, though, seemed completely oblivious to their gazes.

Seeing everyone come in, she hurriedly pointed to the pastries on Liang Zi’s tray and exclaimed excitedly, "Why are you all so slow? I’ve already eaten two pieces.

Come taste, this shop’s pastries are so delicious!

Oh, and this one, it’s spicy and aromatic, what’s its name?

It’s also particularly tasty, try some!"

Lin Yuan smiled and reminded her from the side, "That’s spicy sticks."

Ma Xiaonan nodded repeatedly, "Yes, spicy sticks, tsk-tsk, this is the first time I’ve tasted something so delicious. Your spicy sticks aren’t found in any other shop."

Saying this, Ma Xiaonan turned to Meng Chunyan and said, "Sister Chunyan, didn’t you just say that this shop is not that great, not as good as the Century-old Cake Shop? I think the pastries here are even tastier than the ones from the Century-old Cake Shop!"

Meng Chunyan looked at her disdainfully, "How many times have you tasted the treats from the Century-old Cake Shop? Country bumpkin."

The term "country bumpkin" was obviously toned down for Jin Lingling’s sake; only her lips moved, but she didn’t say it out loud.

But Ma Xiaonan was not a fool, and from her look alone, she could tell what she meant.

Honestly, this was her first time going out with Meng Chunyan and the others; she had only interacted with Jin Lingling twice before.

So, she didn’t care about Meng Chunyan and her peers’ views at all.

It was best to be friends, but she didn’t insist if it wasn’t possible, after all, she wasn’t the kind of person to fawn over the wealthy and powerful.

Shrugging indifferently, Ma Xiaonan called over several of the more honest-looking young ladies and began picking out pastries from the shop with them.

Lin Yuan gave Liang Zi a look, and Liang Zi followed suit with the tray very sensibly. He also realized that among the young ladies who had come in together, these were likely the only ones who were actually planning to spend money on pastries.

As for those two confronting the owner now, one could tell at a glance they were up to no good; it was best to keep a distance.

Honestly, as soon as Jin Lingling walked in the door, she was captivated by the unique decor of the shop. Although she was very disdainful of this village girl, she had to admit the shop was beautifully decorated and had distinctive pastries, many of which she had never seen before.

Meng Chunyan felt the same, but the high-and-mighty Meng family’s young lady would certainly never admit it.

"Second Miss Jin, I didn’t expect you to grace my shop with your presence today. It truly honors me," said Lin Yuan. As "the customer is king," she naturally wouldn’t show Jin Lingling the door with a frown, even though she really wanted to.

Jin Lingling timely masked the flash of astonishment in her eyes and said to Lin Yuan with a smile, "It’s all because the pastries from your shop taste good and have a reputation.

I still remember the last Mid-Autumn festival, my grandmother couldn’t stop praising the mooncakes you made.

So of course, I had to come and congratulate you on your shop opening, especially since I consider myself one of your regular customers. "

Looking at Jin Lingling’s innocently smiling and lovely demeanor, one would hardly associate her with a highway robber.