Chapter 518 - 518 Nightmare (1)
“Last time, Auntie Chang came and went in a hurry, so I didn’t get to chat with you. You said that you would come back another day. I waited for a long time, but I didn’t see you coming, so I took the initiative to invite you over. I was afraid that it wouldn’t be appropriate to use my name, so I used my mother’s name. Auntie Chang won’t blame me, right?”
Chang Zaiqing looked at the girl in front of her. Shen Miao had a natural smile on her face, not looking embarrassed at all. If Chang Zaiqing got angry, it would make her look like she was being petty. She immediately smiled and said, “Of course I won’t. It’s my honor to be invited by Fifth Miss.” As she spoke, she sized up Shen Miao again. Last time she was here, although Shen Miao was not cold to her, she was definitely not friendly. She even made some rude remarks a few times. Being invited by Shen Miao unexpectedly, Chang Zaiqing couldn’t help but be on guard.
“It’s cold in the main hall. Auntie Chang, come to my room.” Shen Miao smiled and stood up. “It’s not far from here. I really can’t stand the cold wind.”
Chang Zaiqing agreed. When they arrived at Shen Miao’s room, Shen Miao asked the maid to serve tea and pastries. The stove was burning. Shen Miao opened the window a little before closing the door. The room was warm, but it was not stuffy.
Shen Miao pushed the teacup to Chang Zaiqing. Chang Zaiqing smiled and took a sip, her expression suddenly becoming a little strange.
“This is Zhudan tea. It tastes very bitter and doesn’t smell good. Auntie Chang is probably not used to it,” Shen Miao explained with a smile.
Chang Zaiqing’s expression froze. She was a little confused, not knowing what Shen Miao was up to. The way to treat guests was naturally to take out the best tea. Why did Shen Miao use such lousy tea to treat guests? Was it to humiliate her? However, Shen Miao’s expression was kind and did not seem to be hostile towards her.
“Although this tea is bitter, it’s extremely good for the body. If you drink it in the winter, it can ward off the cold and keep you warm. My father and brother are both martial artists. They always drink Zhudan tea in the winter. Gradually, this tea also grew on me.” Shen Miao looked at Chang Zaiqing. “Auntie Chang comes from a scholarly family. You probably don’t like to drink such tea, but in our military family, we’re not so particular about tea.”
Chang Zaiqing waved her hand and smiled. “Fifth Miss, you must be joking. The Chang family is just an ordinary family. Although this Zhudan tea is bitter at first, after I take a few more sips, it doesn’t taste bitter anymore.”
Shen Miao shook her head. “It’s easy to force yourself for a moment, but it’s difficult to force yourself for a lifetime.”
Chang Zaiqing was stunned. She felt that there was something else in Shen Miao’s words and couldn’t help but look at her.
Shen Miao smiled. “Speaking of which, I heard that Auntie Chang has been living in the old Shen mansion. Do the people there treat you well?”
“They’re all good people.” Chang Zaiqing smiled and said, “They take good care of me.”
“You and Third Aunt are like-minded. I think you two must hit it off very well.” Shen Miao smiled and said, “Third Aunt has always liked to draw and write. Back then, Third Uncle took a liking to her very much because of this. I think you’ve seen how well Third Uncle treats Third Aunt. Third Aunt is the only wife in the entire third branch.” As she spoke, she sighed. “Unfortunately, Third Aunt hasn’t been able to give a son to Third Uncle. If she did, she wouldn’t be so sad.”
Chang Zaiqing had been in the old Shen mansion for quite some days, so she naturally knew that because the third branch didn’t have a son, Chen Ruoqiu and Old Madam Shen were not on good terms. However, she did not expect Shen Miao to bring this up. After all, Shen Miao was an unmarried girl. Chang Zaiqing felt a little awkward. However, when Shen Miao spoke, her expression was natural, as if she did not think that this was something inappropriate for her to say. Chang Zaiqing could not tell if Shen Miao was smart or just naive.