Chapter 25: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" (Are You the One)

 FlamingoBees 

Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)

Home    :    Novels

 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 Chapter 25: 

 

However, His Excellency, Prince Huaiyang, found the lingering sweet scent from Miss Liu even in his semi-drowsy state to be rather annoying.

As a result, Cui Jiu spent the remaining days in Qingzhou visiting friends and staying out all night.

On the day of the poetry and painting tea party, Qingzhou's streets were suddenly filled with many luxurious carriages, and mud barriers were set up along the roads.

Miss Liu, who left the house late, stood on the second floor of the inn, looking down from the balcony at the passing carriages.

Although she came from a prestigious family, her noble lineage had faded. Despite the ancestral reputation, she had never lived a life of leisure and abundance amidst tea parties.

Now married into a merchant family, even that small bit of official fame had slipped away.

Her father, who had once experienced the prosperity of the Liu family in his youth, had clung to those memories, always hoping to restore the family's glory. He often spoke of "how the Liu family once was" when educating his children.

Yet, despite his lifelong efforts, he ended up in prison, sentenced to death.

Her half-brother, born of her father’s late first wife, came from a respectable family. His birth mother had a distinguished background, which led him to look down on his stepmother and often mock his sister Liu Mian Tang for her coarse manners.

This natural aversion to the high and mighty lifestyle made Liu Mian Tang indifferent to the opulence she saw below. The intricately carved carriages and the richly adorned young ladies passing by did not stir any envy in her.

Even though her carriage was simple and she was living a life no different from ordinary people, Liu Mian Tang found it more comfortable compared to her days back at her parental home. While the noble ladies and mistresses could leisurely attend the poetry and painting tea party, she had to focus on managing her own business at the market.

Since she was running a stall, Liu Mian Tang chose not to dress too elaborately, to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.

She wore a simple green cloth skirt, wrapped her forehead and hair with matching green fabric, and looked every bit the practical businesswoman.

Her assistant, Mo Ru, was quite competent. The chosen stall location was lively, positioned at a busy intersection where nearly everyone strolling by would pass through.

Liu Mian Tang directed two maidservants to arrange the porcelain pieces neatly on the table and had the shop assistant Gui Sheng, who had come from Zhenzhou, set up the “Burned Jade Porcelain Workshop” banner.

Having learned the ropes, she knew she couldn't stick solely to high-end, niche items. Therefore, she also included a batch of zodiac-themed decorations and a variety of white porcelain pieces.

Mr. Chen, who had been eating the pork cooked by Li Mama but hadn’t opened his own shop recently, felt a bit guilty. Without needing Liu Mian Tang’s prompt, he had painted and outlined the new batch of porcelain pieces with unique patterns. The designs were charming and different from other shops, adding an appealing touch to the porcelain.

As a result, the distinctive and adorable designs attracted quite a few onlookers.

Liu Mian Tang decided to increase sales volume and instructed the shop assistant to promote a "buy one, get one free" offer. Customers who bought a full set of porcelain dishes would receive a set of small zodiac-themed decorations for free. Additionally, those purchasing a single dish could get a small zodiac piece as a gift.

As a result, many parents buying items for their children flocked to the stall. The large capacity of the porcelain dishes made them practical for storing coins, and the small zodiac decorations were particularly popular with kids.

Some collectors, driven by the desire to complete their set of small zodiac pieces, even bought the entire sets of dishes.

Liu Mian Tang and her two maidservants were busy wrapping the sold porcelain pieces in yellow paper and tying them with straw ropes, making it easier for customers to carry their purchases. They were thoroughly occupied with their tasks.

Until noon, when most of the shoppers had gone off to find places to eat, the street began to quiet down a bit.

Liu Mian Tang wiped the sweat from her forehead, ignoring the braised meat buns that Li Mama had bought for her. She was happily counting the money in the cash box and threading the coins onto a string.

The feeling of watching the cash box fill up was immensely satisfying. Counting money was even more enjoyable than eating...

Just then, a new customer approached the stall.

Liu Mian Tang quickly put away the cash box and stood up to greet the customer with a smile. However, her smile gradually froze as she recognized the visitor.

It was none other than the "paramour" mentioned by Li Mama—Master Zi Yu. He still looked as handsome and troubled as ever. Behind him, there were five or six attendants, giving off an air of importance.

Liu Mian Tang was deeply shocked by the audacity of this gentleman. Even if she had once had some connection with him, he should have been more considerate of his position as her "paramour" and avoided coming to see her in broad daylight.

At this moment, the young gentleman stared at her with a look of deep sorrow and said, “Mian Tang, is this the life you wanted when you left me?”

His tone implied a disdain for merchants, suggesting he saw himself as superior to her current life. 

Liu Mian Tang, irritated by his condescension, shot him a sideways glance with her captivating eyes and replied, “What’s wrong with this life? I have a roof over my head, food to eat, and every penny I earn is clean and honest. Why does it offend you?”

The young gentleman’s face contorted with pain as he slowly said, “...Indeed, this might be the life you always dreamed of... But did you really settle so easily with that man?”

Though she couldn't recall the specifics of her past involvement with this man, Liu Mian Tang was determined to make things clear today and put an end to his unwelcome advances.

“Sir,” she said firmly, “whom I marry is none of your concern. If you are truly a person of some standing, why do you persist in meddling with a married woman? Did your parents not teach you any manners or respect for others?”

At that moment, one of the elderly attendants accompanying the young gentleman couldn't hold back and hissed, "Liu Mian Tang, how dare you speak to our master like that!"

Without hesitation, Mian Tang splashed the remaining tea from her cup onto them, drenching them completely. The attendants jumped back in shock. She then shouted at the attendant, “From now on, I’ll speak like this every time you come around. He may be your master, but he’s not mine. If you dare to meddle again, next time I’ll throw a bucket of filth at you all! Gui Sheng! Sweep the area in front of the stall—clear out any dirt and mess so we can continue to serve our customers!”

Gui Sheng, quick to act, brandished his broom energetically, shouting, “Get out of the way! Don’t dirty our stall!”

The attendants of the young gentleman, clearly enraged by Mian Tang’s rudeness, glared at her and seemed ready to confront her. 

However, the young gentleman himself, with a pale face, stopped them and said to Mian Tang, “Since you don’t want to see me, I won’t trouble you anymore. But you must know, my heart has always been with you alone. You’ve misunderstood my relationship with Miss Yun…”

Mian Tang was too anxious to listen. Her eyes were darting nervously to see if Li Mama had picked up any of the black stain.

The nerve of this so-called gentleman showing up again to cause trouble! What if Li Mama spread these shameless words to her husband?

Sure enough, Li Mama’s face looked strange, constantly shifting her gaze between the young gentleman and Mian Tang, as if her rigid mind was concocting some scandalous story!

Mian Tang, feeling as if she had lost someone dear, said impatiently, "You can be with whoever you want. I don't care! Leave now—I never want to see you again in my lifetime!"

Her words were more resolute than when she had left a year ago. The refined young gentleman’s lips trembled slightly.

He, with pale lips, seemed to want to say something but ultimately turned and walked away.

Mian Tang felt an unexpected pang of heartache as she watched his retreating figure, a bittersweet sadness creeping into her heart.

But once she snapped out of it, she found herself praying, "Amitabha, forgive me, forgive me for staring at his back for so long! Husband, if you’re indifferent to me, it’s truly my fault..."

However, she didn’t have time to dwell on her thoughts.

Soon after the crowd left, the street erupted in chaos. People started screaming and running, as if there was a fight ahead. The street became a tumultuous mess, with vendors' stalls being knocked over by panicked people.

Mian Tang, seeing her fragile porcelain ware in danger, immediately called her attendants to quickly pack the valuable items into crates lined with straw, preparing them for transport.

As they hurriedly packed up, a large number of soldiers arrived on the scene, rushing towards the source of the commotion.

When Mian Tang finally returned to the inn, she found the first floor crowded with people discussing the incident. It was reported that many had died in the street, with blood spilled everywhere.

As Mian Tang listened to the commotion and quickly checked her porcelain for any damage, she felt a sigh of relief once she confirmed everything was intact and her money box was securely in her possession. "My goodness, the streets of Qingzhou are really chaotic... By the way, Li Mama, where did my husband go to meet his friends? Could he have run into the disturbance?"

Li Mama, exhausted from the frantic packing, rubbed her bruised foot from where a crate had dropped on it. She replied, "The master went out of the city to visit friends. He should be safe from the chaos."

Miantang breathed a sigh of relief. While she sent the servant Gui Sheng to fetch a doctor for Li Mama's foot, she pondered, "With such chaos in the city, they must have closed the city gates and imposed an early curfew. I wonder where my husband will be spending the night."

As she suspected, that night, Cui Jiu did not return.

However, in contrast to Mian Tang's expectation of her husband staying in a humble countryside dwelling, Prince Huaiyang was instead enjoying a luxurious boat ride on the lake outside the city. He was accompanying his mother, the Old Princess Consort, and several invited noble families on a scenic tour of Qingzhou’s famous Yingri Cai Lake.

When the Old Princess Consort and her future daughter-in-law, Lian Binglan, arrived in Qingzhou, they had already missed the start of the tea party. Out of filial piety, Prince Huaiyang chose not to attend the event. Instead, he went out of the city to welcome his mother and her close friends, taking them on a leisurely boat tour.

As the day approached sunset, they prepared to return to the city. However, upon reaching the shore, they learned that a disturbance in the city had led to a lockdown and curfew.

© 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.

•••

Prev  :  TOC :  Next

https://ko-fi.com/flamingobeestranslations

https://twitter.com/FlamingoBee2009

Thank You For Reading <3