First meeting

Yin Zhu did not get a chance to refuse Yin Xia as Mister Jiang's shop started to get busier as the sun started to climb higher, seeing that the man was going to get busy, Yin Xia paid for the two dresses and left some final requests regarding how the dress should be altered.

Hearing the requests of Yin Xia, both, the seamstress and Mister Jiang were dumbfounded. Yin Zhu did not blame them because when the customers left some requests to them regarding the alterations of the dresses it was to make their dresses prettier, she and Yin Xia were the first ones who left requests to make the dresses even uglier than they already were.

As the two ladies stepped out of the shop, Yin Zhu placed her hat back on her head under the glare of her sister. She covered her face and only then did she step out on the street that was bustling a lot more than it was when the two of them came to the town.

Yin Xia who was walking towards the vegetable shop was telling Yin Zhu about life in the mansion and the dangers that they have to face while working for the Situ family. " That family is not safe, servants especially maids disappear very often and the rumours about the young masters bedding their chamber maids and sucking their blood is not a lie either. I have lost count of how many times I have received bed sheets that were covered with blood and not just a drop or two they were completely stained with them."

" Wow, I never thought that one day I will hear you talk about your masters, didn't you always warn me not to gossip about the young masters of the Situ family in the past," said Yin Zhu with a teasing smile as she cleared her throat and then impersonated her sister's actions from the past. " You should not talk about the young masters, they are the rulers of this place as someone from the slums you should know your limits and don't go around gossiping about their matters!"

" I am not gossiping about them," sighed Yin Xia, she could tell that her sister was a bit too carefree and it was not her fault either. She and their father have protected Yin Zhu a bit too much, she has never seen the dark side of life if possible till now Yin Zhu's life could be counted as a bed of roses without a single thorn.

She heavily breathed and then turned to look at her sister sideways. " I am telling you the truth, I know how childish and naive you can be sometimes and I have to say that you cannot act as you do at home. Be serious and be vigilant, all right?"

" I am not a child and I have told you this countless times already ..but I have no interest in the young masters of the Situ family no matter what, so you can take a chill pill," said Yin Zhu as she tried to ease her sister's worries. " If you continue worrying like this then I am afraid that you will get crowfeet before your time."

Her sister's frown only deepened further, " I know you are not a child but you are a bit too much like a free bird, always doing what you want and saying what is in your head. I am worried that you will offend someone without knowing anything, to you, your words might have meant no harm but nobles are weird beings, especially the ones who are at the top, you wouldn't even know when and what word of yours offended them. You have to be very careful, Zhu'er."

" I will be very careful, sister," promised Yin Zhu as she wrapped her arm around her sister's and said, " And I also have you and dad, don't I? I am sure that you and father will protect me."

" Very well, you little honey pot," Yin Xia knew that she could not win in front of her sister, though she was indeed worried about her naive and tender-hearted sister, there was nothing she could do about it. At most, she can try her best to keep her sister safe and away from the predatory gaze of the Situ brothers.

Yin Zhu smiled at her sister as the two headed down the lane, upon reaching the end of the streets, Yin Xia turned to look to her left. The meat in the town market was sold at a rather high price, she couldn't purchase it from there which was why she bought the meat from the black market where they sold stale but cheaper meat.

" Zhu'er, I will be right back," Yin Xia did not want to take Yin Zhu to the black market where all sorts of shady characters roamed, she was a beta female she would be fine but the same couldn't be said for Yin Zhu. That was why she looked around the street and then found a small corner in front of an alley where the crowd was neither big nor small, Yin Xia pointed at the alley next to the cafe and said, " You go and stand there, don't move until I return. If I see you take a step away from the alley then I will break your legs once we return home."

The people of the slums have to pay at least two silver nuts as the entry fees when entering the town, if possible Yin Xia wouldn't have left Yin Zhu alone but she didn't have a choice! She couldn't pay two silver nuts as an entry fee just to buy a pound of meat that cost a bronze nut.

That would be equivalent to making a loss!

" I won't move from there," Yin Zhu promised as she walked over to the mouth of the alley and stood in place just as she promised Yin Xia, she was determined to show her sister that she was not as much of a troublemaker as her sister made out her to be!

Yin Xia watched Yin Zhu for a while before she turned to leave and no sooner did she enter the black market someone knocked into Yin Zhu, causing her hat to fall.