C11 Shamelessness

Chi Meng'er was momentarily at a loss for words in response to Chi Rongyan.

Rongyan ignored her and handed the blood jade earrings to the clerk holding the gold hairpin. She then confidently pulled out a stack of bills worth ten thousand dollars and said, "Clerk, let's settle the bill."

The clerk's face lit up at the sight of the money, and his disdain for Chi Meng'er and her companions grew. Could someone who could produce ten thousand dollars really be a thief?

Chi Meng'er had publicly accused her own sister of theft and was trying to put on a show, which was truly contemptible. The clerk, raising his voice slightly, announced, "Miss, your selections total five thousand dollars, and you've given me a ten thousand dollar bill. I'll get your change."

The crowd, drawn by the spectacle, couldn't help but gasp. While the store's patrons were generally well-off, spending five thousand dollars in one go was still rare.

Chi Meng'er turned even paler. Where did Rongyan get so much money? She looked at Rongyan in disbelief, about to speak, when Rongyan waved her hand dismissively and said, "No need for change. Just pick out a few more items to make it an even ten thousand."

Impressed by her generosity and decisiveness, the clerk's opinion of her improved even more. He promptly retrieved a wooden box and placed it in front of Rongyan.

"Miss, these few pieces of brocade just arrived. It's not the season for brocade production, so there are only a few available in the city."

Chi Rongyan noticed the patterns were perfect for the old lady and nodded in satisfaction, asking the clerk to wrap them up. She then prepared to leave with her purchase.

Before leaving, Chi Rongyan smiled at Chi Meng'er and said, "If you didn't bring enough money, just let me know. It's only right for me to cover it for you."

"No... no need."

Chi Meng'er clutched her handkerchief tighter, but for the sake of appearances, she forced a smile and responded to Chi Rongyan.

Seeing this, Chi Rongyan didn't say more to Chi Meng'er. She gracefully curtsied and continued, "In that case, I won't disturb you. Enjoy your time with the others."

With that, Chi Rongyan swiftly left the shop, leaving Chi Meng'er and her stunned entourage behind.

As soon as Chi Rongyan was gone, all eyes turned to Chi Meng'er. Both from the Duke Mansion, they were curious to see how much money Chi Meng'er, who had accused Chi Rongyan of stealing, would spend.

Chi Meng'er's face shifted between shades of green and white, feeling stuck in a tough spot. The items in this shop weren't cheap, and she only had about $3,000 on her, while Chi Rongyan had spent $10,000! If what she bought didn't match up to Chi Rongyan's, she feared not only failing to please the matriarch but also becoming the laughingstock among the other young ladies. She couldn't afford to lose face!

Gritting her teeth, Chi Meng'er picked out a lustrous white jade hairpin and asked the attendant helping them, "How much is this?"

"You have a great eye, Miss! The jade in this hairpin was sourced by our manager from the Tianshan Mountains, and its design is one-of-a-kind. It’s priced at just $5,000."

Five thousand dollars? Chi Meng'er turned pale, but having already asked for the price, she was too embarrassed to back out. So, she put on a brave face and said haughtily, "I have other matters to attend to. Please wrap it up and deliver it to the Duke Mansion. My mother will handle the payment."