Chapter 35 – Disputing, disputing…
The corner of Ning Xuemo’s lips curled upwards as she reached for the cup of tea and gently sipped. Her eyes softly closed as she listened to the zither master playing from behind a curtain of pearls.
The skill of the zither master who could play music here would naturally be at the pinnacle. The notes were like flowing water, curling and intertwining with the aroma of tea in the air, letting people’s hearts experience a rare peacefulness.
Ning Xuemo could appreciate music; after all, in her spare time she liked listening to those ancient songs. Whether it was the guqin, pipa, erhu, or the piano, she liked listening to all of them. She even learned how to play a few pieces, eventually making music one of her hobbies.
Even though she had never heard this song before, she could tell that though soft, it was capable of cleansing the soul. She felt that drinking tea while listening to this music would allow her to contemplate and focus on her own matters.
The rest of the patrons of the teahouse were also serenely enjoying the music, with the occasional soft sound of people chatting in the background.
‘Pa!’ A crisp sound ruined the naturally peaceful atmosphere.
The noise startled everyone, causing all of them to turn and stare at the source.
“That tea set has been taken by someone else?! Didn’t I already tell you to set aside that red clay tea set?!” Hu Diechang, this big miss, was enraged.
The waiter who had brought them tea looked at the broken tea cup with a pained heart, refuting in a small voice, “Miss Hu, you have always used this tea set. You have never used the bamboo red clay tea set before, hence this one let another customer use it…”
“Just because I always use this tea set doesn’t mean I won’t use another tea set today! If I tell you to reserve it, then you should reserve it no matter what! Hurry up and take that tea set, and wash it well before giving it to me. Any more nonsense and I’ll break your dog leg!” Hu Diechang wanted to show Ji Yunhao her prestige as a general’s daughter, hence she was rather aggressive.
General Hu was very influential, and the Sixth Prince was of noble lineage. These two individuals were not people a tiny waiter could afford to provoke, so he could only rush downstairs to report to his superior.
After a quick moment, a middle aged scholar who had a refined look and wearing even more refined clothing came up the stairs, first going to the Sixth Prince and Miss Hu to speak a few words before heading for Ning Xuemo’s area, quietly sizing her up.
Ning Xuemo wore a pink muslin today, her small face pink and tender, looking very much like a pure and innocent child. He did not really take her seriously as he spoke while cupping his fists, “Young customer I am really sorry, but the tea set you are currently using has already been reserved by another patron. The waiter downstairs forgot and gave you the tea set, but now the original owner is looking for it. Therefore, can you please return the tea set? This one will bring another excellent tea set to you to use.”
Ning Xuemo raised her head; her large eyes flashed, and her small lips pursed. “Shopkeeper, you’re wrong. I clearly heard just now that the customer had reserved another tea set, how did it turn out that she ordered this tea set? Originally, I didn’t really care much for this tea set. If you had told the truth, I might have readily given in. However, you blatantly lied to me. You obviously thought that since I’m young I can be easily bullied. Now, I don’t feel like returning this tea set.”
Ning Xuemo’s words stupefied the shopkeeper. Originally, he observed that she was young with a kind and lovable face, and so thought that she would be easy to deceive, but who would have known that her words would be so sharp?
Right now, a trace of embarrassment appeared on his face. “This…”
He had not managed to say anything yet when Hu Diechang, who had overheard Ning Xuemo’s voice, came over.