Chapter 30: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" (Are You the One)

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 Chapter 30: 

 

Mian Tang smiled gently and said, "I was just feeling happy and couldn’t hold it in!"

Li Mama gave her a deeper look, puzzled. Could it be that the unpleasantness she endured at the guild wasn't enough? Why was she in such a good mood?

Mian Tang’s spirits remained high as she continued with a bright smile, "Li Mama, you heard what they said earlier. This year’s royal porcelain orders are significant, but the clay used for firing needs to be of the highest quality, which means it has to be extracted from Kaoling, fifty miles away. I’ve been thinking about something—originally, the transport route was smooth, but due to Prince Huaiyang’s water conservancy project and the digging of canals, the ships can’t pass through for now, so they have to take a detour. And that detour adds two mountain passes, meaning they’ll need to switch from carts to boats..."

Li Mama, still confused, asked, "What’s there to be happy about?"

Mian Tang laughed and explained, "There are quite a few tricks to this switch to boat transport. Originally, with the canal construction in full swing, there aren’t enough workboats, so even civilian fishing boats have been conscripted for labor. If I were to acquire plenty of boats... or transport a large amount of clay, wouldn’t those old men be scrambling to curry favor with me?"

Upon hearing this, Li Mama started to understand. Indeed, when she went to buy fish yesterday, the price had gone up. After inquiring, she found out that many fishing boats had been conscripted for labor, leading to fewer catches and higher prices.

However, Mian Tang’s idea of acquiring a fleet of boats seemed like wishful thinking. The number of boats in Zhenzhou was limited, and she didn’t have any extraordinary influence or deep connections. She only had a small amount of money that hadn’t even warmed her hands yet, so it was simply a pleasant thought.

But Mian Tang clearly wasn’t one to just indulge in idle thoughts. After returning to the shop, she immediately instructed the staff to harness the donkey cart and set off to walk along the newly constructed canal.

Li Mama had grown accustomed to Mian Tang's spontaneous actions. This time, she even prepared some convenient food like boiled eggs and meat buns, to avoid missing mealtime like they did on their last countryside visit.

When Mian Tang saw that Li Mama had even brought a small stove to keep a kettle warm on the donkey cart, she teased, "Mama, you've been so attentive with your work lately. Is it because of the raise in your monthly salary?"

Li Mama swiftly packed the food box while replying, "Madam, you are indeed generous. You’ve just made some money, and now you've tripled our wages. But what happens if the business doesn't make money in the future? Would you take it back? As the mistress of the household, you can't just hand out rewards like a mountain bandit following her whims. You've got to manage things with some order!"

Although Mian Tang had generously increased their monthly wages, Li Mama, with her discerning eye, didn’t place much importance on it. She had received plenty of rewards from the royal household, and her own family had landholdings. Her attentiveness was driven more by the fact that Mian Tang had likely endured hardships in the past, resulting in her current stomach ailments. So, she prepared everything with care.

However, she couldn't help but think that Mian Tang would eventually remarry. If the prince were kind-hearted, he would provide her with a house and some silver for her dowry. Considering her beauty, there would surely be suitors lining up to propose. If she found an honest man, all would be well. But if he turned out to be unreliable, given Mian Tang's current lack of restraint, even a mountain of gold could be spent away. Li Mama, therefore, saw it as her duty to teach Mian Tang some lessons now, hoping to save her from future missteps.

Miantang was sipping on the silver ear and red date tea that Li Mama had prepared. Listening to her speak so freely, almost forgetting the boundaries between servant and mistress, Mian Tang simply smiled and let her continue without offering any retort.

She had come to realize that, despite her stern appearance, Li Mama was actually a soft-hearted woman with a tough exterior. And with her age, she wasn’t like the young, inexperienced maids who lacked understanding of propriety. So, Mian Tang allowed her to chatter on about these trivial matters.

Besides, Li Mama wasn't entirely wrong. After recovering from a serious illness, Mian Tang couldn’t remember how she had managed the household after marriage. Running the inner household was no less complex than doing business, and she knew she had to start learning again from scratch. So, she took Li Mama's advice to heart.

However, it took some effort to get out of the house because Mian Tang had locked herself in her room again, busy with who knows what. 

Once she was finally out, she walked briskly, practically covering every road and bridge leading to Gaoling. She didn’t stop, continuing this trek for two straight days. But by the second day, Mian Tang seemed to have come to a decision. She headed straight to Shuangling Village, where she sought out the village chief. With just a few words exchanged, she astonishingly finalized the purchase of a plot of land.

Li Mama, watching from the side, was utterly stunned. She witnessed Mian Tang purchase a vast stretch of sloped farmland along with a fish pond. To the seasoned farmers, these lands were nearly worthless… Yet Mian Tang didn’t even blink, paying a high price for them.

Clearly, she hadn’t taken Li Mama’s well-intentioned advice to heart. Frustrated, Li Mama shook her head but decided it was no use saying anything further.

On their way back after buying the land, they ran into some trouble. The roads along the riverbank had been dug up for construction, leaving them muddy and impassable. At one point, the wheel of their donkey cart became stuck in the mire.

Li Mama helped Mian Tang up onto a small slope while the coachmen struggled to free the cart. 

As fate would have it, when they reached the midpoint of the canal, Mian Tang spotted a familiar figure standing on the riverbank in the distance…

“Husband!” She leaned out and called toward the figure.

Prince Huaiyang was standing on the riverbank, gazing out at the ongoing excavation of the canal, when he unexpectedly heard Miantang call out to him.

He turned around, and sure enough, it was Mian Tang!

Today, he had come in plain clothes, bringing along a few trusted aides for a discreet inspection, so Mian Tang didn’t notice anything unusual. She was simply curious about the crowd gathered around her husband.

Prince Huaiyang glanced at the adjutants and waterworks officials standing behind him, signaling them to stay where they were. He then stepped forward toward the donkey cart, preventing her from getting close enough to engage with the others.

Mian Tang, looking over his shoulder curiously at the group standing in the distance, asked, “Husband, what are you doing here?”

Cui Xingzhou furrowed his brow slightly and replied offhandedly, "Just out with some friends by the river for inspiration... What brings you here?"

"I came with Li Mama to check out the canal, thinking about transporting some clay," Miantang responded, still curious. She added, "Inspiration? Are you planning to paint or compose poetry, husband?"

Cui Xingzhou had little patience for spinning stories and kept a neutral expression as he said, "They're building a canal here, and there are many laborers coming and going. It's inconvenient for a woman to be walking around. If you have no urgent business, you should head back quickly."

In fact, today was not going well for Prince Huaiyang. Early in the morning, the reports and financial statements from the water conservancy officials arrived, and recent accidents among the laborers had only added to his frustration.

The completion of this canal was crucial for ensuring a stable supply of grain in Zhenzhou and for more efficient troop deployments. However, unexpected expenses and significant delays had angered him greatly. Many of the officials in Zhenzhou were his father’s old subordinates, and their arrogance and deceit had made the situation even more frustrating.

Cui Xingzhou chose not to make a fuss and, accompanied by a few trusted aides, personally inspected the site to get a clear picture before taking any action.

Seeing that her husband was upset and wanting to make amends for the issues with the Young Master Zi Yu, Miantang responded obediently and did not argue. As she prepared to leave, she offered a kind reminder: “Husband, please be careful. The workers are using blasting techniques for the excavation, which is quite dangerous. Try not to get too close.”

Cui Xingzhou looked at Mian Tang with surprise, not expecting that she, as a woman, would have knowledge of water conservancy techniques. He asked, “You understand water conservancy?”

Mian Tang nodded her head and said, “My uncle is fond of these things. He contracts water transport and has studied methods for constructing waterways. I’ve heard him talk about the blasting technique. It’s a shortcut used by those who don’t know better. It seems to save time, but it actually requires more effort for cleanup later and can be dangerous if not handled properly.”

Cui Xingzhou, intrigued, asked, “What would be the proper method then?”

Mian Tang shook her head, “When my uncle talked about it, I was young and didn’t remember clearly. If you’re interested, I can write to my uncle…”

She suddenly stopped speaking, realizing she couldn’t recall where her maternal grandfather's family was now. She vaguely remembered that her grandfather's escort agency had gone out of business and relocated to another province. She hadn’t received any letters from her grandfather during her year of illness.

As a headache began to overcome her, Mian tang slumped into Cui Xingzhou’s arms. Sensing something was wrong, he quickly supported her and asked in concern, “What’s wrong?”

Mian Tang, her eyes closed tightly from the pain, murmured, “I have a severe headache…”

Cui Xingzhou glanced at the donkey cart stuck in the mud and then at the few carriages he and his aides had. He decided to lift Mian Tang onto one of his carriages and instructed Li Mama to take her back to the North Street.

He noted that Mian Tang’s headache was severe enough to make her unable to eat and turn her face pale. He wondered how Zhao Quan had treated her—wasn’t it said that medicine would alleviate her pain?

Mian Tang felt some relief only when she was able to lie down on the bed back at the North residence.

When Li Mama brought her the medicinal soup, Mian Tang hesitated and asked, “Li Mama, did my maternal grandfather’s family ever send me any letters after I got married?”

Li Mama, unaware of the details, simply replied, “If you received any letters, you didn’t show them to me. Hurry and drink your medicine while it’s still hot. You can ask the master when he returns.”

So, when Cui Xingzhou came back, Mian Tang asked him about it.

Having already prepared for this question after speaking with Li Mama earlier, Cui Xingzhou said, “Your maternal grandfather’s family relocated far away, and communication is difficult. Also, during that time, your father and brothers’ case caused quite a stir. People in the countryside were harshly critical, and they might have avoided contact to stay out of trouble.”

Mian Tang was silent for a moment, then asked, “Do you know where they moved to?”

Cui Xingzhou, while examining a sketch on her desk, replied distractedly, “I’ll ask someone to send a letter to your old home and see if we can find out their whereabouts… What are you drawing?”

Since hearing Cui Xingzhou's words, Mian Tang had been feeling a bit down and listlessly said, “It’s a route map for transporting clay.”

Cui Xingzhou had heard from Li Mama about Mian Tang’s plan to make a statement to those merchants. Looking at the sketch she had drawn, it seemed that these clays could be transported overland through the mountains, bypassing the need for water routes.

Mian Tang, usually not one to stay down for long, had recovered her spirits a bit. When Cui Xingzhou asked about it, she nodded and explained, “This area under the mountain ridge is a large stretch of farmland and fishponds. If we fill in the farmland and fishponds, it would create a shortcut.”

Cui Xingzhou raised an eyebrow and asked, “Since this route is available, why hasn’t anyone else thought of it before?”

Mian Tang smiled slightly, “Before the canal was being built, it was naturally closer and more convenient to use the water route. The boats could also be loaded. No one would think of using the land route. But now that the canal isn’t finished and boats are in short supply, this shortcut is something people simply haven’t considered.”

Cui Xingzhou found her attempt to outmaneuver the merchants to be quite revengeful and remarked with amusement, “But this is farmland. Even if you thought of it, they wouldn’t let you use it.”

At this point, Mian Tang looked a bit uneasy and carefully asked, “Husband, I’ve used a large sum of the family’s money today. Will you be upset with me?”

Cui Xingzhou narrowed his eyes, noticing signs that money might have been moved. He guessed and probed, “You’ve used the buried money... to buy that farmland and fishpond?”

Mian Tang nodded obediently and looked at her husband with admiration, “Husband, you’re really amazing. You guessed it right away!”

After surveying the route, she had immediately gone to the land beneath the mountain ridge and bought it at twice the price.

Because the price was so high, the landowner immediately brought a guarantor and signed the land contract with Mian Tang.

From then on, the shortcut for transporting clay was known as, “This path is mine. If you want to pass, pay the toll!”

Cui Xingzhou looked at Mian Tang with renewed depth.

To him, women usually fell into two categories: either gentle and virtuous like his mother and his cousin Lian Binglan, or scheming and manipulative like the concubines in his father’s harem, who specialized in vying for men’s affection and using underhanded tactics.

But Mian Tang clearly didn’t fit either type. She seemed like a delicate flower, yet she had thorns and roots as tough as wild grass.

There was also a stubbornness in her that was atypical for women.

Cui Xingzhou had never encountered such a woman before, or rather, never truly paid attention to one. He found himself wondering: If she were to remarry in the future, what kind of man would be worthy of her?

Though Prince Huaiyang rarely concerned himself with such domestic matters, he found the thought a bit unsettling. It seemed to him that a woman who had been in such rough circumstances might have a rather skewed view of men.

Since Mian Tang missed her maternal family, Cui Xingzhou decided to have someone thoroughly search for her relatives. At least this way, she would have family support and wouldn't be easily deceived by any man’s sweet talk in the future.

With this in mind, he genuinely began to think about finding Mian Tang’s relatives.

When Mian Tang nervously confessed that she had spent all the money she earned, she was surprised to see her husband remain calm. He merely responded with a gentle "mm" and continued to sit at the table, appearing completely composed.

Cui Xingzhou was naturally handsome, with a dignified demeanor. He held his teacup with one hand, his deep gaze fixed on the tea, his nose slightly raised and his thin lips pursed, seemingly lost in thought about some profound strategy.

Compared to the often quarrelsome couples next door who argued over mundane matters, the atmosphere in their household was notably harmonious, thanks to her husband’s gentlemanly demeanor, which was different from the more superficial tolerance of ordinary men.

As she felt an overwhelming surge of affection for her husband, Mian Tang nestled against his knee and said, "Husband, don't worry. I will earn back the money I've spent and won't let the deep pit you dug go to waste."

Cui Xingzhou thought to himself, 'She is like a thorny flower and wild grass at times, but also like a clingy cat.'

Unlike her bold demeanor outside, she now had her hair flowing over her slender back, resting softly against his face, filling the air with the sweet scent of peaches.

He raised his hand as if to stroke her hair but hesitated and gently said, "You haven’t had dinner yet. Please eat first."

Cui Xingzhou's mood had already improved significantly. Mian Tang’s casual remark had given him a breakthrough in reviewing the river works.

It seemed that the bureaucrats in Zhenzhou were novices when it came to water conservancy. The officials in charge of the water project were exploiting this, using outdated and inefficient methods, which allowed them to pocket funds under various pretenses, enriching themselves through corruption.

Cui Xingzhou had always followed the principle of “water that is too clear has no fish” when dealing with bureaucratic corruption. Being overly stringent could alienate loyal subordinates, so he turned a blind eye to minor transgressions. This was a balancing act for someone in a high position.

However, he couldn't allow them to become too complacent or reckless.

For instance, officials who delayed the project to embezzle more funds and even caused fatalities could not be tolerated.

Having clarified many sources of the problem and having a plan in mind, Cui Xingzhou felt quite relaxed when he arrived at the North Street residence.

Li Mama, aware that both the Prince and Miss Liu had walked a lot that day, prepared a hearty dinner. 

There was a pig’s trotter marinated with fruit wine and spices, braised until tender with a glossy red sheen. Wild bird eggs bought from a street vendor were boiled to a soft center, seasoned with sweet scallions and wild vegetables to make a refreshing salad. There were also flaky sesame cakes served with a sweet and spicy soup, perfect for stimulating the appetite.

Once Mian Tang’s headache eased, she began to feel hungry, and she enjoyed the meal with great delight.

It was a mystery where Li Mama had learned her cooking skills, but whenever the household wasn’t short of money and the ingredients were plentiful, she always managed to come up with new and delicious dishes. The pig trotter, for instance, was so delectable that Mian Tang found herself savoring a taste she had never experienced before.

Every time she tasted such delightful dishes, Mian Tang regretted her illness even more, which had caused her to forget many of the wonderful flavors she once enjoyed.

Cui Xingzhou, hearing Mian Tang’s lament, merely said, “It doesn’t matter if you’ve forgotten. It’s not like you won’t get to enjoy these things again. If you like something, just ask Li Mama to make it for you.”

Mian Tang beamed with a sweet smile and quickly offered a piece of the pig trotter to her husband. Cui Xingzhou was momentarily surprised by the touch of the pig skin on his lips, but he slowly opened his mouth and tasted the meat.

Meanwhile, the merchants in Lingquan Town were becoming increasingly anxious.

The imperial court had placed urgent orders for porcelain, and with the emperor’s upcoming wedding this year, the porcelain production was of utmost importance and had to be completed on time.

Although each workshop typically used high-quality clay, the quantities they kept were minimal, as they were accustomed to stocking up only as needed. However, once the merchants allocated their quotas, and the workshops began working around the clock, they realized there was a severe shortage of clay.

When the foreman of the workshops reported the issue to Master He, he initially thought it wasn't a major problem. After all, this was for the imperial court! Who would dare delay it? Even the work on the canal had to give way to the emperor's orders, so he instructed his staff to draft a petition to the Zhenzhou Water Department, requesting them to lend boats to transport the clay for the workshops.

However, unexpectedly, this coincided with Prince Huaiyang’s crackdown on the Water Department. Within three days, Prince Huaiyang uncovered dozens of cases of embezzlement. A former general who had served the Old Prince for many years was executed according to military law, and all his assets were confiscated.

For a time, the officials at the Water Department were on edge, all working diligently. The He family’s merchant house, accustomed to handling imperial orders, approached to borrow boats with a certain arrogance.

However, the Water Department supervisor frowned upon their request. If they lent the boats, the He family could fulfill the imperial order, but who would take responsibility for the delayed construction caused by the Water Department’s mismanagement?

After reviewing the He family’s petition, the official didn’t even meet with them in person. He sent a message through the office staff saying, "Although your shop is handling imperial orders and should be given priority, this matter is not our department’s concern. There’s no precedent for an imperial contractor needing official assistance."

The He family’s manager, growing anxious, responded, "If we don’t have boats to transport the clay, won’t we be forced to use inferior materials? If the palace questions us, will you officials be able to bear the responsibility?"

The messenger, bolstered by the Water Department official’s instructions, replied with a sneer, “Our official isn't handling imperial orders nor has he made any profit from them. If your business fails to meet the deadline, it has nothing to do with us. Are you saying that if your He family's lord can't produce a son, it's somehow our fault?”

"You... You!" The manager, infuriated and at a loss, could do nothing but report back to Master He.

Master He was furious as well and discussed the matter with his daughter, Miss He. Believing that the Water Department officials might be motivated by greed, Miss He and her father decided to send a substantial bribe under cover of night to the Water Department official’s residence.

To their surprise, the official returned the bribe with an air of righteousness.

In the current climate of scrutiny and recent investigations into several officials, no one dared to risk their position for a bribe.

When Master He realized that borrowing boats was no longer a viable option, he found himself in a predicament and grew increasingly frustrated. At that moment, someone informed him that the Burned Jade Porcelain Workshop had stockpiled a large amount of clay in their own shop.

Miss He immediately sent someone to investigate and discovered that Madam Cui had indeed created an overland route.

If they could avoid using boats, that would be ideal! Master He quickly dispatched people to scout the route, only to find that it was a rather cunning path. It was a route discovered between the cliffs of Shuangling and led directly to the large piece of land recently purchased by the Cui family. Along this path, there were several burly men blocking access, reportedly hired by Madam Cui to guard her "estate."

Master He was furious upon hearing this. He slammed the table and exclaimed, "What is that woman trying to do? Is she attempting to monopolize the highland clay?"

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