Chapter 1: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment (Are You the One)

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 Chapter 1: 

 

Lingquan Town is a renowned pottery production area in the Great Yan Dynasty, with merchants from all corners of the world arriving daily to trade.

The prices of local property deeds have soared, but this hasn’t deterred outsiders seeking to make a living from settling here.

On a breezy February day, when the grass is growing and the orioles are singing, a carriage once again arrived on the cobblestone street of the northern part of Lingquan Town.

Among the locals, a group of women who often gather to chat and sew peeked out, curious about the new tenants moving into the old blue-tiled house on North Street that had been vacant for a long time.

The carriage stopped in front of an old gate. A thin, dark-faced old woman got out a small plum blossom stool from the back of the carriage and then helped a young woman, looking around eighteen and dressed in a light smoke-colored silk shirt, to step out.

For some reason, the young woman was holding a bamboo cane used for climbing mountains. With the old woman’s assistance, she slowly descended from the carriage.

After stepping out, the young woman naturally scanned her surroundings. Her eyes, resembling distant mountains and delicate greens, immediately captured everyone’s attention.

The sight made people exclaim inwardly in amazement! Could there really be such a stunningly beautiful woman in the world?

Lingquan Town, located in the Jiangnan region, has always been known for its beauties. However, this young woman’s allure was different from the gentle and delicate beauty typical of Jiangnan’s water towns. Instead, she was slender, long-legged, tall, and striking, especially with her black hair highlighting her bright and beautiful features.

From the style of her hair, it seemed she was already married.

The beautiful lady was indeed stunning, but she evoked a sense of distance rather than familiarity. It seemed that such a refined and enchanting beauty should be kept in a grand palace or luxurious residence, not found in such a bustling, common place.

Old Madam Yin, who had been peeking for a long time, was still reluctant to part with the sight as the woman, accompanied by two maids and a coachman, entered the courtyard. She couldn’t help but whisper to the women sitting beside her, "Goodness, I’ve lived so long and have never seen such a beautiful woman before. I wonder what kind of position her husband holds to be able to marry someone so stunning!"

The woman from the Zhang family disdainfully added, “What else could it be! Out-of-town buyers of houses are mostly merchants dealing in porcelain. Common artisans couldn’t afford an entire house on this street.”

Hearing this, one quick-witted person immediately squinted and remarked, “If her husband is a merchant, he’s short-sighted. Making some money and thinking he can marry such a beautiful woman, if he’s often away on business, leaving such a lovely wife at home—how can he ensure she stays faithful with such low walls and doors?”[implying that she may invite a lover to jump the wall or sneak him in]

Her words carried a hint of historical reference. There are many merchant families on the northern street of Lingquan, and most men travel far and wide for profit. These merchants often take courtesans as concubines, not virtuous wives. Even if a merchant’s family settles here, they usually don’t bring a respectable main wife.

In such households, it’s not uncommon for the merchant’s wife to grow lonely and find solace elsewhere, leading to frequent illicit affairs with local rascals.

The movements concealed under the cover of night are hard to escape the watchful eyes of the gossiping women in the alley. During the day, these women gather, chatting while sewing, exchanging news about the daily lives and romantic affairs happening in neighboring households.

Over time, these women have become increasingly sharp-eyed, able to discern every detail!

As for the new, beautiful woman who arrived today, her background was a mystery. She seemed like trouble, a source of calamity for men. The locals wondered which young scoundrel in Lingquan Town might knock on the back door of this northern street blue-tiled house...

Meanwhile, the local women sighed and lamented, criticizing the influence of the outsider merchant's family on the neighborhood’s morals. They proudly boasted about their own virtue, expressing gratitude that their husbands had been wise enough to marry such virtuous wives. The conversations grew lively and passionate.

Ignoring the gossiping women outside, inside the newly renovated blue-tiled courtyard, the beautiful woman, Liu Mian Tang, entered the gate with a furrowed brow, feeling uncertain.

It seemed that only the exterior walls and the weathered old gate had not been renovated, while the courtyard itself was adorned with a small pond, flower beds, and exquisite sandalwood furniture.

Liu Mian Tang couldn’t help but look up at the courtyard once more, frowning slightly, and hesitated, "Wasn’t Husband suffering significant losses in business and forced to leave the capital? How could he afford to buy such a fine house here? He..."

Before Mian Tang could finish her sentence, the dark-faced old woman standing nearby somewhat brusquely interrupted, "The master’s family has been wealthy for generations. Even a dead camel is bigger than a horse; such a small house is still affordable. Madam, you worry too much."

Mian Tang said nothing, merely lightly stroking the bamboo cane she was holding with her slender fingers.

Old Mama Li had clashed with her several times before. Mian Tang wasn’t sure how she used to manage the household before she fell ill, but she felt she could hardly tolerate this.

The severe illness not only weakened her body but also burned away much of her memory.

Many things were now hazy. She only remembered that she was Liu Mian Tang, the youngest daughter of the once prominent Liu family of Peishan. She lost her mother at ten and had an elder brother who was five years older. Due to the Liu family’s generations of extravagance and financial ruin, her father arranged a profitable marriage for her with the merchant Cui family in the capital, receiving a hefty dowry in return.

She still recalled how unwilling she was at the time of her marriage, feeling as though she was being sold by her father.

Now, the past seemed distant, but she couldn’t remember anything about her married life. That memory was like being wrapped in layers of thick cotton, hiding somewhere she couldn’t find.

Fortunately, her husband was kind and didn’t disdain her for her initial fright upon waking up. Instead, he hired a physician, continuously provided expensive mountain ginseng and medicinal herbs, and spent a large portion of their family fortune to pull her back from the brink of death.

However, her prolonged illness had drained a lot of money, and after a year, her husband's financial situation had greatly diminished.

Her husband, now away on business, sent word through someone that their shop in the capital had been handed over to someone else. Their business had moved to Jiangnan, and she needed to prepare her belongings and settle in Lingquan Town.

Since falling ill and losing her memory, a year had passed, enough time for Liu Mian Tang to come to terms with her initial confusion and helplessness.

According to her husband, Liu family was implicated in the Daishan Academy case three years ago. Her father was executed, and her elder brother was wrongfully imprisoned and exiled to Lingnan.

Upon hearing this tragic news, she was not surprised deep down.

The decay of the Liu family had already shown signs before she got married. Although her father had been indifferent to her, he was excessively indulgent with her brother, spending money to buy official positions and laying the groundwork for the family’s misfortune.

Even though it had happened three years ago, it was still a heavy blow for her, who had lost her memory over the past years. Upon learning of her father's brutal death and her brother's fate, she was so distressed that she couldn’t eat for several days.

Later, her husband forced half a bowl of soup into her mouth, gripping her chin firmly, and said coldly, "It’s all in the past. You’re just suffering from amnesia and feeling sad for a while. The dead are gone, and living people don’t have to follow them to the grave. The families of those scholars who were harmed by your Liu family didn’t seek death. Are you trying to atone for your father’s sins by starving yourself?"

His words were as sharp as a knife, making her feel unable to defend herself, but they also jolted her out of her uncontrollable grief like a splash of cold water.

The once-prominent Liu family was long gone, and the living had to continue living.

Her husband, though not very articulate and usually quiet, was a dependable man who had not rejected her because of her family's downfall.

Given this, she could not use her illness as an excuse to burden her husband with distractions.

Especially after hearing from Old Mama Li that her husband's focus was diverted due to her illness, leading to poor management of their business and substantial financial losses, Liu Mian Tang felt even more guilty. She resolved to be a good wife and support him effectively, so he could focus on managing the business without losing all their wealth.

Now that she had settled in Lingquan Town, this would be her home going forward. However, it seemed that Old Mama Li was still not treating her kindly, as if she had wronged her husband in the past.

Although Old Mama Li was difficult, Liu Mian Tang did not explode. The Cui family was not as well-off as before, and the servants who stayed were all loyal old servants. As a newcomer, she didn’t want to assert her authority and offend Old Mama Li, potentially upsetting the other servants. However, she would still need to address the issue later on.

If necessary, she could reassign Old Mama Li to work at her husband’s store.

Thinking this, her mood lightened. Perhaps the future days would be as gentle and warm as the Lingquan Town spring breeze in February, with only a slight chill before endless warmth.

Although Liu Mian Tang had just arrived, her trunks and clothes had been delivered early. However, the clothes and bedding were somewhat disorganized, scattered haphazardly in the trunks.

Liu Mian Tang called for Old Mama Li to come and organize the trunks, but Old Mama Li’s voice came from the nearby small kitchen: “The master will be coming soon. I need to prepare the food and wine first. Let the clothes be sorted out tomorrow!”

Old Mama Li’s response was sharp but reasonable; it wouldn’t do to have the master come home and find no food prepared.

With only two servants by her side, Old Mama Li and a mute servant who handled rough chores, both of whom were busy in the kitchen chopping firewood and cooking, Liu Mian Tang had to handle the tasks in the house herself.

After her illness, her legs could no longer stand for long periods, so she decided to sit on a chair by the window and fold the clothes one by one.

These clothes, some of which had become a bit worn, were mostly bought a year ago when her husband had them made for her. Since then, no new clothes had been added.

Given that her husband’s business was struggling, having clothes to wear was sufficient for her, and she didn’t mind the old ones.

However, there were no clothes belonging to her husband, Cui Jiu, in the trunks.

Could it be that her husband’s belongings hadn’t been moved over yet? Liu Mian Tang couldn’t help but feel a bit puzzled.

While she was deep in thought, the sound of a carriage rolling over the stone pavement and the creak of the front door opening came from outside the house.

Liu Mian Tang, sitting by the window, leaned out to see a tall man walking past the house’s front screen wall and striding into the courtyard.

[Author’s Note:] The story is starting. Welcome to the new chapter, dear readers! Please feel free to discuss and share your thoughts. I’ll continue to write with dedication to repay your support and love!

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

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