At that mont, Song iqin had just co in from outside.
She had just gone to check on the furnace buried in the pit outside the house.
Song iqin looked all around, glancing this way and that.
She reached out a delicate hand to touch the scorching hot wall.
"It’s so warm in here..."
Although Song iqin was the type to never give an inch in an argunt...
...if she still insisted on being stubborn after feeling this, she’d just be obnoxious.
The warmth in this room was truly beyond words.
It was so warm that after just a short while inside, she already felt like taking off her clothes.
Zhao Qiao’Er might have sounded sarcastic, but she was telling the absolute truth.
Her thick winter clothes were unbearable in this room.
"Can it really get this warm just by burning coal?
It feels like the height of sumr in here now.
How did you do it?"
Song iqin asked, her face full of astonishnt.
Before Lu Yuan could say anything, Zhao Qiao’Er, who was standing to the side, bead and said:
"Oh? So now you want to know?
Weren’t you just complaining that our sweetheart was wasting his ti?
Weren’t you just saying our sweetheart was wasting money?!"
After Zhao Qiao’Er’s back-to-back sarcastic remarks, Song iqin was naturally having none of it.
She imdiately put her hands on her hips and huffed:
"You can stop your idle chatter!
So what if your house is a little warr!
What’s there to be so smug about!
We’ll just go ho and burn more in our Spirit Stone Furnace!!
It’s not like we can’t afford it!"
You have to admit, Song iqin looked strangely cute with her hands on her hips.
She had the air of a headstrong young lady of privilege.
But then again, Song iqin really was a young lady of privilege.
She ca from a truly noble and powerful family.
Her paternal family was a renowned and powerful clan in Luxi.
Her father was the Academic Administrator for the province of Qilu, also known as the head of the Academic Platform.
The family she married into was even more formidable. Her father-in-law was the Inspector General of Qilu province, also known as the head of the Inspectorate.
Furthermore, Song iqin was the proper, legitimate daughter of the main wife.
Needless to say, the difference between a legitimate and an illegitimate child in ancient tis was as wide as the sky.
Most importantly, their family’s power continued unbroken.
In her generation, her own younger brother was the Vice General of Qilu.
The key was that her brother was young, only twenty-eight this year. The position of General was bound to be his sooner or later.
Moreover, her brother had married the legitimate daughter of the Governor.
Her family’s power could be described as reaching the heavens.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this status that Song iqin never considered others’ feelings when she spoke.
She said whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted.
However, Zhao Qiao’Er didn’t indulge Song iqin in the slightest. Their relationship was exceptionally good.
In response to Song iqin’s words, Zhao Qiao’Er raised an eyebrow and said with an amused smile:
"Oh?
You can still afford to burn Spirit Stones?
I’ve heard that the current emperor detests corrupt officials. If one is caught, their entire household’s assets are seized.
How co I hear that your family doesn’t even dare to use gold-rimd bowls for als anymore, and has switched to Plain Bowls instead?"
Often, the more familiar people are with each other, the more a sarcastic remark can land a critical hit.
Song iqin was instantly choked speechless by Zhao Qiao’Er’s comnt.
However, Song iqin was by no ans soone to be trifled with.
When it ca to arguing, she had never been afraid!
If she couldn’t win an argunt about money, she’d just argue about sothing else.
Calming down, Song iqin sat down and started taking off her coat, huffing coldly:
"What’s wrong with a Plain Bowl?
A Plain Bowl is still the bowl of an official family!
No matter how beautiful your bowls are, even if they’re made of solid gold, they can be smashed just like that!
But who would dare to smash our family’s bowls?!"
Seeing Zhao Qiao’Er remain silent after she finished, Song iqin thought she had gained the upper hand and grew smug, saying:
"I’ve also heard that your family’s bowls are about to be smashed~
Why don’t you beg !
I can help you, you know?
You have to call sothing nice, though~
You have to call Sister Qin, and only then will I help you~"
At Song iqin’s words, Zhao Qiao’Er couldn’t help but spit disdainfully, rolling her eyes at her.
"I really don’t understand your hobbies.
You’re clearly three years younger than , but from the day we t, you’ve wanted to call you ’sister’.
Stop dreaming. In this lifeti, between the two of us, I will always be your Sister Qiao’Er.
We don’t want Xilingzi anymore."
Hearing Zhao Qiao’Er’s words, Song iqin looked baffled.
"You don’t even want Xilingzi?
Do you have too much money or sothing!"
Zhao Qiao’Er, however, tilted her head up slightly, a nonchalant smile playing on her lips.
"We don’t want it. It’ll belong to the officials sooner or later anyway.
Since ancient tis, the common folk don’t fight with officials. We’ll give it up!"
When it ca to this serious matter, Song iqin stopped bickering with Zhao Qiao’Er, her expression one of exasperated disappointnt.
"Are you being stupid?!
Even if it’s going to the officials eventually, that’ll be seven or eight years from now, after the north has completely stabilized.
How much money will you lose out on in those seven or eight years?!
Doesn’t your entire family depend on Spirit Stones to get by?!"
Zhao Qiao’Er, however, didn’t want to argue about this any further. So things were hard to explain clearly, even to the closest of sisters.
Zhao Qiao’Er just blinked her beautiful eyes half-jokingly and said:
"We don’t want it.
In any case, there’s no way I’m calling you sister."
Song iqin pouted, grabbed the coat she had just taken off, and started walking out.
Startled, Zhao Qiao’Er imdiately raised an eyebrow and said:
"Hey? Where do you think you’re going?
Walking outside without a coat, you’ll catch your death of cold!"
But Song iqin replied huffily:
"Catching a cold is better than staying in the sa room as an idiot!"
Zhao Qiao’Er just bead and said:
"Fine, go ahead.
But in our kitchen today, we’re stewing a certain soone’s favorite dish: golden broth with crab at and shark fin~
Ever since a certain soone’s bowls at ho turned plain, it’s probably been a while since you’ve had it, hasn’t it?
If you don’t eat it this ti, you won’t get another chance~"
Song iqin, who had just reached the door and was about to open it, heard this and obediently ca back.
This sent Zhao Qiao’Er into a fit of delicate laughter.
Lu Yuan and Su Liyan, standing to the side, couldn’t help but purse their lips to stifle a laugh.
Song iqin, her face red, glared at Zhao Qiao’Er in frustration.
"What’s so funny!"
Then she turned to Lu Yuan and Su Liyan and snapped playfully:
"You two aren’t allowed to laugh, either!"
...
After lunch, having finished the golden broth with crab at and shark fin, Song iqin still left in a huff.
As she was leaving, Zhao Qiao’Er watched her retreating back and called out with a beaming smile:
"How about you call Sister Qiao’Er, and I’ll have my sweetheart co to your house and install this Underground Heating System?
I’m older than you anyway, so it’s no loss for you!"
But when Song iqin heard this, she called back without turning her head:
"In your dreams!
I’d rather freeze to death than have your stupid heating system!
You’d better go warm up your own ’system’! Make sure it doesn’t get full of cobwebs!"
After Song iqin said her piece, Zhao Qiao’Er was so angry she was about to grab a stool and chase after her.
However, it seed Song iqin knew Zhao Qiao’Er was about to explode, so she quickly picked up her pace and ran.
Zhao Qiao’Er, carrying the stool, ran to the corridor and shouted furiously, though still with a hint of playfulness:
"Oh, you’re so clever, aren’t you!!
Yours is probably already full of dust!!
Why don’t you take a broom handle and go poke around in there yourself!!
You crazy bitch!!"
anwhile, Lu Yuan and Su Liyan sat at the table, looking at each other in stunned silence.
’I an...
Do all these noble ladies curse so filthily?’
’Hmm... My wife is still the best. She’s obedient and well-behaved, and she doesn’t curse at people~’
A mont later, Zhao Qiao’Er ca back, still huffing and carrying the stool.
Upon seeing Lu Yuan and Su Liyan, Zhao Qiao’Er’s mature, elegant face couldn’t help but blush.
’That really wasn’t how an elder should behave...’
However, Zhao Qiao’Er quickly composed herself and, never ntioning what had just happened, looked at Lu Yuan and said softly:
"After she goes back this ti, sweetheart, you should install the Underground Heating System at her house too.
That crazy woman has never handled the cold well, and now the Court forbids officials’ families from using Spirit Stones. I’m afraid she’ll freeze and sothing bad will happen to her.
That crazy woman... she doesn’t have it easy, you know...
She was running her mouth earlier, sweetheart, but don’t you take it to heart. She’s the only sister your auntie has."
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