Chapter 117: Casting a Brick to Attract Jade — A Similar Painting Desk

After Chu Liuchen departed, Qin Wanru summoned Mother Dong and instructed her to begin scouting for a suitable storefront with Wang Feng starting tomorrow. She intended to open a shop in the capital specializing in embroidery and accessories.

Because of Qin Wanru’s recent medical treatment, Dong Xiuer’s leg had improved significantly. Mother Dong was deeply grateful and treated Qin Wanru with utmost respect. Upon hearing that she was being tasked with finding a location, she nodded repeatedly, though she advised Qin Wanru not to rush the process, emphasizing that finding the right spot required careful consideration.

As she was also new to the capital and unfamiliar with its layout, she explained that she first needed to survey the streets, analyze the rental prices and the nature of existing shops in various areas, and determine if any owners were looking to sell. Fearing that Qin Wanru, as a young girl, might not understand these intricacies, Mother Dong offered this explanation as a way to put her mind at ease. Qin Wanru smiled and agreed, granting Mother Dong full authority over the matter. She knew little about such things, and letting Mother Dong handle it was the best course of action; she could see that Mother Dong was genuinely eager to help her find a prime location.

Once the matter was settled, Mother Dong took her leave. At the doorway, she collided with Qingxue. Fortunately, neither was moving quickly, but Mother Dong still stumbled, and Yujie, standing nearby, reached out to steady her with quick reflexes.

"I am so sorry, Mother Dong! Are you hurt?" Qingxue asked with concern, quickly passing the tray she was holding to a young maid behind her. Her voice was gentle and she wore a smile before she even spoke, making it easy for others to feel favorably toward her. In truth, the collision was not entirely her fault; Mother Dong had been hurrying out.

"It is nothing, nothing at all!" Mother Dong replied with a smile. She treated the maids in Qin Wanru’s courtyard with equal respect. Although her arm was aching from the impact, she did not show it.

"You should come to my room and let me take a look. If you truly bruised yourself, we should apply some medicated wine early to avoid any damage to the muscles or bones," Qingxue said softly, reaching out to lead Mother Dong toward her quarters.

"Then I shall trouble you, Miss Qingxue," Mother Dong replied, feeling she had no choice, especially since the pain was indeed quite sharp.

Watching the two walk away, Yujie returned to the room. "Miss, Qingxue bumped into Mother Dong and even took her to her room, saying she wanted to check if she was injured."

"Mother Dong went with her?" Qin Wanru asked, lifting her eyes in thought.

"At first, Mother Dong did not intend to, but Qingxue said that if she were injured, she should apply medicated wine early to prevent damage to her muscles or bones." Yujie had heard and seen clearly; she noted that Mother Dong had not wanted to go until Qingxue uttered those words.

"She certainly knows how to manipulate others' hearts," Qin Wanru said with a faint smile. Dong Xiuer had suffered because she delayed her treatment, and Qingxue was clearly exploiting that memory to make Mother Dong willingly follow her.

"Did you arrange for her to share a room with Qule?"

"As you instructed, Miss, they are still sharing a room," Yujie nodded.

"Then tell Qule to keep a close watch on her! She has only just arrived in the capital and is already starting to stir up trouble." Qin Wanru gave a cold snort. Qingxue had been quiet back in Jiangzhou, but now that they were in the capital, she was making moves. It seemed someone was finally losing their patience.

The fact that they were losing their composure was exactly what she wanted. She had been longing to uncover the mystery of the small seal. She had examined the tiny object countless times, yet she could not understand its connection to her. In her previous life, Qin Yuru had used this seal to gain the favor of the Old Madam of the Duke of Xing’s Mansion, and Qin Yuru had claimed the seal was her own. It was highly likely that the seal was linked to her own true background. Since she could not decipher it herself, she would start by targeting Lady Di and Qin Yuru.

"Are we preparing to make new dresses?" Qin Wanru walked to the window, added ink to her inkstone, and asked slowly. It was a tradition in the Qin household for the masters to have sets of clothing made for each season. In Jiangzhou, they had been too busy moving house to focus on it, and the winter clothes that should have been finished long ago were still not done.

"Yes, we are. I heard Mother Duan mention it earlier when she came by; she said the needlework room will be coming to take the Misses' measurements soon," Yujie replied. When Qin Wanru was napping, Mother Duan had brought over the maids selected the day before to be assigned their duties by Mother Yu, and she had chatted with Yujie. Since Qin Wanru had previously asked her to look into the household’s clothing arrangements, Yujie had kept her ears open.

"When are they coming?" Qin Wanru unfastened the top two buttons of her collar, pulled out the small seal she wore on a cord around her neck, took it off, and placed it on the table. She began to sketch the pattern engraved upon it.

"They said either today or tomorrow. Mother Duan mentioned that Madam Shui intends to measure Lady Di and the Eldest Miss first, and then the Second Miss, so there might be some delay!" Yujie said. Qin Wanru understood Madam Shui’s intentions. Although she was currently managing the household, her foundation was not yet secure; she had to project an image of respect toward the first wife and her legitimate daughter.

"Very well. When the people from the needlework room arrive, give them this pattern and have them embroider it on the hem of one of my new dresses," Qin Wanru said. She put down her brush, compared the orchid pattern on the paper to the one on the seal, and then put the seal away with satisfaction. If she remembered correctly, Qin Yuru had several dresses with similar patterns, which she loved to wear whenever she visited the Duke of Xing’s Mansion.

"Miss..." Yujie, who had been standing by her side, had seen clearly that her mistress was copying the pattern from the seal, yet the drawing was not identical—it differed significantly in several places. Hesitating, she said, "Miss, these two patterns are not the same!"

"I want them to be different," Qin Wanru smiled faintly, picking up the paper to examine it by the window. Indeed, they were different—several leaves pointed in different directions—but the overall shape of the orchid was very similar, especially the leaf that appeared to hold a dewdrop; that part was identical to the seal.

Until she knew the truth, she did not want to expose herself. Her background seemed to hold hidden secrets, and some things were better revealed slowly. She wanted to stir the stagnant waters until they were murky.

She knew nothing of the Old Madam of the Duke of Xing’s Mansion; in her previous life, she had never even met the woman. She only knew that the Old Madam had inexplicably favored Qin Yuru, even taking her into the Duke’s mansion to be raised like a legitimate granddaughter for a time, and had even provided a dowry for Qin Yuru’s wedding. That was why Qin Yuru had not only earned the reputation of a talented woman but had also been able to marry into the Bo of Yongkang with a spectacular procession, enjoying a moment of great glory. Because of the Old Madam’s indulgence, Qin Yuru hadn't married until she was eighteen, receiving more affection than even the Duke’s own granddaughters.

Of course, this "greater affection" was something Qin Yuru had bragged about, claiming that the Old Madam liked her so much that she couldn't bear for her to marry early.

What puzzled Qin Wanru was that the Marchioness of the Duke of Xing had met her, but every encounter had been unpleasant. She had grown to loathe the Marchioness, who held such a sterling reputation in the outside world. The first time they met was at Lady Di’s place. Qin Wanru felt the woman had come specifically to see her, with Lady Di hovering cautiously by her side while she stood with her head bowed. In that moment, she had felt only the Marchioness’s cold, intense loathing. At the time, she had trembled, assuming the woman disliked her because of the rumors about her, but after her rebirth, she found the encounter highly suspicious.

Given the Marchioness’s status, there was no need for her to summon Qin Wanru, stare at her in icy silence while looking her up and down, and then dismiss her without a word. They had never spoken directly, yet the palpable loathing was clear. Especially when she later heard the Marchioness sneering to Lady Di, "So this is the Second Miss of your house? Truly... you can’t polish a turd."

She hadn't heard the rest, only Lady Di’s fawning response. Later, the repeated cancellation of her marriage proposals had all been linked to the Duke of Xing’s Mansion and that very Marchioness. Upon reflection, there was an inevitable connection involving her own identity and the Duke’s estate.

In this life, Lady Di had not yet secured a foothold in the Duke of Xing’s Mansion and was not yet colluding with the Marchioness to manipulate her marriage. Her task was to discover that connection first. The seal was the key.

"Yes, Miss, I understand!" Yujie took the half-dried painting and carefully placed it on the side of the table, holding it down with a paperweight.

"How many of these patterns shall I have embroidered, Miss?"

"Just one. Only on one dress, on the hem," Qin Wanru said after a moment’s thought. Until she knew who was friend and who was foe, she would not reveal her hand. With just this similar pattern, she would see if there was a connection to be found.

By casting a brick to attract jade, she would slowly unravel the mysteries that had haunted her until her death in her previous life, never to repeat the same mistakes again.

The staff for the needlework room had been prepared when the manager entered the house, knowing that once the masters arrived in the capital, they would certainly need seasonal clothing for the upcoming banquets—they couldn't keep wearing old clothes. This was their first chance to shine in the capital's noble circles, and everyone hoped to make a splash and integrate more quickly.

The needlework room was efficient; by evening, five matrons had arrived, bringing not only measuring tapes but also an abundance of embroidered silks. They were very meticulous, as this was their first time measuring the masters of the house.

Earlier, things had not gone quite as smoothly when they were measuring the Eldest Miss...