Chapter 29: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" (Are You the One)

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 Chapter 29: 

 

After being momentarily stunned by Liu Mian Tang's beauty, Master He furrowed his brows and raised his voice, "Madam Cui, why hasn’t Master Cui come in person? Could it be that he feels slighted by the timing of the invitation and is unhappy?"

Liu Mian Tang, having witnessed her mother's interactions with their family and their relatives before, knew well the kind of posturing and rivalry that came with high-stakes negotiations. She wasn't afraid of such confrontations; rather, she found them intriguing.

She hadn’t anticipated being involved in such high-stakes dealings herself, but here she was, facing the disdain of a man who seemed to look down on her simply for being a woman representing her husband in the business association.

Seeing the disdain in Master He’s eyes, Liu Mian Tang decided to abandon some of her earlier deference and straightened up. She glanced around the room, noting the association's rules displayed on the walls, and addressed Master He with newfound resolve.

Then, perhaps annoyed by the perceived lack of attentiveness, Liu Mian Tang slowly walked over to examine the rules displayed on the walls one by one.

Master He, noticing that Liu Mian Tang did not respond to his question and was instead leisurely strolling through the hall, became displeased. His face darkened, and a nearby merchant quickly chimed in, "Madam Cui, why are you not answering Master He's question? Are you deaf?"

Only then did Liu Mian Tang slowly turn her body and reply, "I was just listening to Master He’s words and realized that my presence here might be seen as a slight from the Cui family towards the association. I was merely checking the association's rules to ensure there are no provisions against women entering, to avoid any inadvertent offense."

Although Liu Mian Tang was surrounded by men dressed in silk robes and long gowns, her voice was clear and her demeanor confident, completely devoid of the usual timidness one might expect from a woman unfamiliar with such settings.

As she raised an eyebrow and spoke with a tone that, while calm, carried a hint of mockery, the merchant who had initially questioned her found himself momentarily speechless.

Though Master He had initially looked down on the out-of-town Cui family's shop, he could not help but reassess Liu Mian Tang with renewed interest.

The merchants present, accustomed to being flattered by their wives and concubines at home, were not used to being spoken to so directly by an outsider.

One of Master He's supporters, attempting to defend him, sarcastically remarked, "While there are no explicit rules against women joining the association, this is a gathering of the heads of various families. Having only one woman here might be somewhat inconvenient."

Liu Mian Tang, after a brief walk that caused her ankle to ache slightly, chose a circular chair to sit down. She responded, "Our Porcelain Workshop has been in business on Lingquan Street for some time. Everyone knows my husband is away studying, so I handle the household matters. I thought it would be more courteous for me to come in person. If I had known there would be discomfort at having a woman present, I would have sent one of our servants to represent us instead!"

As Liu Mian Tang spoke, a subtle smirk played at the corners of her mouth, making the loud, pompous merchant look like an obnoxious roadside nuisance in her eyes.

Such tactics to assert dominance were nothing new to her; her uncles had used similar methods. Even with her injuries, Liu Mian Tang's sharp tongue was still very much intact. If anyone continued to be unreasonable, she could easily make them regret their words.

Just as the plump merchant's face was turning red from embarrassment and he was about to escalate the confrontation, a clear, cheerful voice rang out from the side door: "Look at what Madam Cui says. In our Jiangnan region, it's well known that women can be just as capable as men in business. How could anyone look down on Madam Cui?"

Liu Mian Tang glanced up to see a woman adorned with jewels and a jade hairpin, accompanied by two maidservants, walking in with a bright smile.

Liu Mian Tang took her time to evaluate the newcomer and remained seated with a composed demeanor. Meanwhile, Li Mama, who had the presence of a senior matron from the Prince family, looked around the hall with a stern expression, as if assessing the surroundings with disdain.

The presence of both the mistress and her maid was imposing and dignified, making the merchants present feel a pang of envy and discomfort.

The newcomer, who introduced herself as Miss He Zhen, greeted Liu Mian Tang with a warm smile and engaged in polite conversation. Adhering to the principle of not striking out at someone who extends a friendly hand, Liu Mian Tang responded courteously. Through their exchange, Liu Mian Tang learned that He Zhen was the third daughter of He Erye, the head of the He family, and about the same age as herself. Despite being eighteen and unmarried, He Zhen was known for her exceptional skills and was a key asset to the He family, handling much of the accounting for their many shops.

Miss He Zhen's demeanor was straightforward and amiable, and she quickly made Liu Mian Tang feel at ease. Her friendly engagement and effortless charm warmed the atmosphere in the hall, and the earlier concerns about propriety were forgotten.

The gathering was focused on discussing the large orders for royal and aristocratic porcelain that the merchants would be handling this year. Liu Mian Tang, adhering to the principle of listening more than speaking, observed and learned the reasons behind the merchants' obsequiousness towards He Erye.

It turned out that while the He family dominated the royal porcelain supply, they were still unable to handle all the orders from the capital's wealthy households. Consequently, the He family secured the prime contracts, while other local merchants, including those from Linquan Town, benefitted from secondary orders. Despite this, new entrants like the Burned Jade Porcelain House found themselves sidelined, merely catching the aroma of the success without being actively involved.

Liu Mian Tang couldn't help but wonder why the trade guild had even bothered to send her that invitation. Was it just to let her watch them feast on their orders? It was as if they were deliberately trying to provoke jealousy.

But Mian Tang wasn’t there to seek favors, so she didn't care to covet their success. Sitting comfortably in her corner, she watched the merchants fawning over He Erye and his daughter with a keen eye. The flattery, the scheming—everything seemed more amusing than the monkey shows back in Qingzhou.

Feeling quite entertained, she casually picked out some of the fruit from the trays in front of her, nibbling away while sipping her tea. At the same time, she signaled Li Mama to hand her some paper and a brush.

As she snacked, she began sketching with one hand, jotting down strokes on the paper. Her actions caught He Zhen's attention, who had been subtly watching her from afar. Using the excuse of needing to stretch her legs, He Zhen strolled over to Mian Tang's table.

Mian Tang didn't bother to conceal her work, allowing He Zhen to peer over her shoulder. The scribbles looked like some strange symbols to He Zhen, who stared at them for quite some time, unable to decipher their meaning.

By the time the meeting wound down and the "feast" had been divvied up among the merchants, everyone seemed satisfied—except, of course, for the Burned Jade Porcelain House. Deliberately overlooked, they weren’t even granted a simple cup-filling commission.

Some of the merchants felt that this young woman didn’t know how to navigate the social landscape and had offended He Erye from the outset. Now, the consequences were coming back to her. They stroked their beards and exchanged knowing glances, smirking at Liu Mian Tang’s misfortune.

Meanwhile, Mian Tang casually brushed off the crumbs from her clothes, bid farewell to the merchants, and left without a second glance, heading home for her meal.

After she departed, He Zhen and her father left the guild hall as well. Once inside their carriage, He Erye still harbored some anger from the earlier exchange. Displeased, he remarked to his daughter, “Why were you so kind to that outsider? We should have put her in her place, so she’d understand that there’s no room for newcomers like her in Lingquan Town. Just because she brought in some painter and created a bit of a stir, she thinks she can disregard our He family…”

He Zhen, however, remained serious and asked, “Father, did you happen to notice which powder that lady was wearing?”

He Erye was taken aback and replied, “How would I know about women’s powders? I didn’t pay attention to that.”

He Zhen solemnly explained, “That particular fragrance is from Jiangnan’s famous Huanxiang Studio, a powder that is highly coveted for its beautiful color and long-lasting scent. It's extremely popular, and due to its limited production, it’s usually snatched up by the wives of princes and marquises. Ordinary merchant families can’t get their hands on such a rare item. For the wife of the Cui family to be using it suggests her connections may not be so simple. We don’t know her background, and it wouldn’t be wise to offend her over mere words.”

He Zhen noticed her father remained unconvinced, so she added, "Besides that, Father, did you know that the Cui family wife is also connected to a strange case in Lingquan Town?"

This piqued He Erye's curiosity, and he asked, "What case is she connected to?"

He Zhen lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked outside to make sure no one was around before continuing, "Father, have you heard that the dissolute nephew of the town commander has been missing for over a month? His wife cried herself nearly to death, and his father went to the commander for help. But what happened? The commander scolded his own brother and kicked him out of the commander's estate. Later, it was discovered that the commander's nephew had been exiled three thousand miles away, escorted directly from the military camp. And someone saw that not long ago, the commander's nephew had a public altercation with the Cui family wife in the street. Father, if you think about it, these two matters together suggest that it would be unwise to offend her without knowing more about her background."

He Erye hadn’t been aware of such hidden stories swirling around town, and for a moment, he was silent, feeling a twinge of embarrassment.

His daughter had always been astute and capable in dealing with people, with a keen eye for detail. If she believed that the Cui family wife was not simple, then there must be something special about her. He immediately instructed his daughter to look into the background of this Cui family wife thoroughly.

Now that that Porcelain Shop had mastered a coloring and painting technique even superior to the He family’s renowned methods, if, as his daughter suspected, this shop had powerful backing, wouldn’t it continue to grow, potentially taking over their position as the sole supplier of imperial porcelain?

Thus, caution was needed to preserve the He family’s imperial contracts and safeguard the wealth and prosperity they had built over generations…

As for Liu Mian Tang, she had no idea that the box of rouge her husband had given her had led He Zhen to suspect her of being supported by someone of high status.

After leaving the guild hall, Liu Mian Tang strolled along the stone bridge and waterfront of Lingquan Town, her confidence growing with every step. Without realizing it, her mood brightened considerably, and she began to hum a little tune.

Li Mama, who had served in the palace for many years and was accustomed to the strict decorum of the royal family, couldn't help but frown at her lady's carefree demeanor. She gently corrected her, saying, "Madam, behaving so freely in public like this... it’s not very proper..."

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