Chapter 36: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" (Are You the One)
FlamingoBees
Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)
Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One
Chapter 36:
As for Miss He, who had been busy with social engagements and had not been seen recently, she had now become free and had stopped visiting Zhenzhou for tea. Perhaps due to an overindulgence in high-society teas, the sudden cut-off of supply left her feeling quite unsettled. Consequently, Miss He fell ill.
When Mian Tang received the news, she hesitated for a while. With frequent interactions between the He family and the many visitors to the He household, she decided not to add to the commotion.
However, as the He family was the leading power in Lingquan Town, Mian Tang knew she had to make an appearance to maintain good relations.
So, on a clear autumn day, she prepared two bags of fruit and selected a piece of ginseng from the large box of supplements her husband had bought, putting it in a brocade box. After neatly arranging everything, she went to visit Miss He.
When Mian Tang entered the inner room, she was taken aback by Miss He’s appearance. The once vibrant young woman had noticeably lost weight, and her jade bracelet on her wrist had become a bit loose.
When Miss He saw Mian Tang arrive, she greeted her with a warm expression. They chatted briefly about nourishing and health topics related to ginseng, but soon found themselves at a loss for words.
Feeling the awkward silence in the room, Mian Tang tried to make an excuse to leave. However, Miss He sighed deeply and could no longer hold back, starting to share her grievances with Mian Tang.
"Madam Liu, I know you have a perceptive heart and understand the situation. So, I must confide in you."
Miss He seemed to have taken a liking to Mian Tang, believing she was someone trustworthy to confide in. She continued to vent her frustrations, feeling she had no one else to talk to about her troubles.
"Miss Lian has somehow become upset with me. She no longer replies to my letters or invites me, as if the words she spoke a while ago were nothing but a dream."
Perhaps feeling embarrassed or fearing that Mian Tang might misunderstand her earlier boastfulness as false, Miss He even showed Mian Tang the private letters written by Miss Lian.
Mian Tang unfolded the fragrant letter and noted that Miss Lian must be a talented writer, as the handwriting was exceptionally good.
From the content of the letter, it was clear that Miss Lian had a deep appreciation for Miss He, expressing a sense of warmth and kinship as if they were long-lost sisters.
Mian Tang read through the letter carefully, keeping in mind her husband’s advice not to speculate or comment on the family affairs of influential officials.
Mian Tang gave a gentle smile and said, “Miss, it’s truly a blessing to have Miss Lian's favor. Others envy you for that. However, Miss Lian is soon to be married and has many responsibilities. It’s natural that she may not be able to maintain correspondence with you as before. As merchants, we should maintain a proper balance in our interactions with officials, neither too humble nor too presumptuous. Miss He, there’s no need to be overly anxious.”
Miss He sighed deeply, “You were right. Miss Lian wouldn’t have been kind to me without reason. In such large households, with the prince’s future consorts, someone like me from a merchant family would naturally be at a disadvantage. I was hesitant whether to accept her proposal or not. Perhaps Miss Lian found my attitude unsatisfactory and sought someone else.”
Mian Tang thought it might be a good thing for Miss Lian to have found someone else. She took the opportunity to comfort Miss He, suggesting she should find a suitable partner and become a principal wife.
Miss He was filled with regret, tears streaming down her face as she lamented, “I keep thinking if I had expressed my intentions back then, I might have already been married into the prince’s household and enjoyed a life of happiness with him…”
Despite her sorrow, after ten days of reflection, Miss He’s mood began to settle.
Mian Tang, feeling impatient with the endless lamenting, seized the opportunity while Miss He was wiping her tears to bring up some business matters. She casually mentioned that Miss He’s two half-brothers had been quite active recently, often handling affairs on her behalf and seemingly earning praise from Master He.
This mention naturally piqued Miss He’s interest, making her voice tighten as she inquired about the daily activities of her half-brothers.
Mian Tang replied with a smile, “Miss He, you need not worry. From what I see, your two brothers are managing things quite well. As women, it’s often best if we don’t have to be constantly in the spotlight. You can rest easy at home, especially since Master He has others to assist him…”
By the time Mian Tang left the He residence, Miss He had largely recovered from her sadness. Her eyes were now shining with renewed vigor, ready to return to her business and address any issues with her half-brothers who dared to interfere with the shop's affairs.
The He family business had largely been passed down from the main wife of the family. Miss He's mother was the legitimate wife, and Miss He’s younger brother was the only legitimate heir. As the elder sister, it was her responsibility to manage the family estate for her underage brother.
As Mian Tang got into the carriage, she felt a tinge of sympathy for Prince Huaiyang. It wasn’t entirely fair to blame him for Miss He’s delayed marriage. Mian Tang thought that perhaps Miss He was deeply invested in managing the family business and looking after her brother’s interests, which made her reluctant to marry.
However, these concerns were not Mian Tang’s responsibility. Her focus should be on managing her own business and ensuring a stable life.
Fortunately, the artisans and workers hired for the shop were skilled. Recently, Mr. Chen had produced several high-quality items, which sold for a substantial sum.
With more money in hand, Mian Tang began contemplating the purchase of a new, larger estate. When she mentioned this plan to her husband, he hesitated.
“The current residence is quite adequate. Let’s stay here for now, and in the future, I’ll get you a better one.”
After the recent kidnapping incident orchestrated by the Mountain bandits, Cui Xingzhou had instructed his secret guards to increase their vigilance. If they were to sell the current house, it would involve many craftsmen and workers coming and going, which could lead to security lapses. Therefore, it was better to hold off for the time being.
Mian Tang always complied with her husband’s wishes. Since he preferred living on North Street, she found the small house quite acceptable, though it lacked space for her husband’s training.
After discussing with Li Mama, Mian Tang decided to fill in and level the flowerbed on one side of the small courtyard. She planned to purchase a rack for swords and knives to provide her husband with space for his martial arts practice.
With this decision made, Mian Tang had Mo Ru level the flowerbed and lay down flagstones to create an open area. Next, she intended to buy a suitable weapon rack for the training ground. Knowing her husband was skilled with swords, she eagerly anticipated seeing him in action.
So, while her husband was away, Mian Tang visited the local blacksmith’s shop to select a weapon rack. Unfortunately, in this town, there were not many options for weaponry, so she ended up buying all the available styles.
After paying, she nearly collided with a plump young lady accompanied by three or four attendants.
“Have you no eyes? How dare you bump into our miss!” The young lady, clearly from a wealthy family, had her servants barking loudly.
The maid behind Mian Tang, Bi Cao, was also not one to be easily intimidated. She retorted, “It was clearly your miss who bumped into our madam. How can you question others’ eyesight? Perhaps you should check if your own brain is working properly!”
Seeing the confrontation about to escalate, the plump young lady, clearly impatient, interrupted, “Alright, there’s no need to argue. It’s not like anyone was hurt.” She then turned away from Mian Tang and entered the shop.
However, a beautiful young lady following her continued to gaze at Mian Tang and said, “Sister Liu, it’s been a while since we last met…”
Mian Tang was taken aback, as she did not recognize this girl. Why did she address her as “Sister Liu” so familiarly?
So, she returned the courtesy with a polite bow and asked, “May I inquire who you are?”
The young lady seemed surprised by Mian Tang's polite and unfamiliar response and hesitated before saying, “Sister, don’t you remember me?”
Mian Tang was momentarily stunned by the question and took a closer look at the delicate young lady in front of her. Although she looked gentle and charming, Mian Tang did not recognize her.
However, before Mian Tang could collect her thoughts, the young lady’s eyes were already filled with tears, and her voice trembled as she said, “Sister, how can you not remember me?”
Mian Tang felt she might be encountering an old acquaintance, but her memory was unclear. She looked the young lady up and down and asked, “Do you know me from the capital? I was ill recently and have not been very clear about past events since waking up. If I’ve forgotten something, please forgive me.”
The delicate young lady was indeed Sun Yun'niang. With the upcoming amnesty from the Yangshan bandits, many of the bandit leaders had been visiting Qingzhou frequently. She had taken the opportunity to descend the mountain and had quickly become close with Shi Xueji, the daughter of General Shi’s concubine. In no time, they had become like sisters.
After meeting with Prince Zi Yu, Shi Xueji was deeply smitten. Although the marriage was only discussed in vague terms and not formally addressed, Shi Xueji eagerly anticipated the day when Prince Zi Yu would become a high-ranking official and they could marry.
On this day, Shi Xueji came to Lingquan Town because she heard that the local ironworks had uniquely designed hand stove molds. She intended to order one as a token of her affection for Prince Zi Yu.
The two newly acquainted women, Shi Xueji and Sun Yun'niang, happened to encounter Liu Mian Tang in Lingquan Town.
In truth, Sun Yun'niang had urged Shi Xueji to come to Lingquan Town with the hope of finding Liu Mian Tang. Although her master had forbidden her from seeking trouble with Liu Mian Tang, she suspected that her master might be covering for Liu Mian Tang regarding the missing money from Yangshan. Additionally, Sun Yun'niang had noticed Prince Zi Yu growing increasingly distant and could not uncover any hidden details, so she needed to confront Liu Mian Tang directly to find some answers.
However, Sun Yun'niang was astonished to find that Liu Mian Tang seemed to not recognize her at all and only politely mentioned her memory loss.
Yun'niang, both astonished and suspicious, fixed her gaze on Liu Mian Tang and asked, "You don't remember anything?"
Liu Mian Tang, not wanting to appear rude or dismissive to an old acquaintance and feeling that her illness was not something to be hidden, replied honestly, "I only remember events before I went to the capital to get married. The details after that are a bit unclear... May I ask who you are?"
Yun'niang was well aware of Liu Mian Tang. Although Liu Mian Tang was clever and shrewd, she was not the type to feign politeness or put on a false front.
Given that Liu Mian Tang had previously shown hostility, if she were not truly suffering from amnesia, she would likely have coldly ignored Yun'niang. The fact that Liu Mian Tang was being so courteous indicated that she genuinely had forgotten about her time in Yangshan and her relationship with Zi Yu.
Yun'niang felt a surge of excitement at this realization.
Yun'niang did not answer but instead asked, "If Sister Liu has forgotten everything, how are you managing to live?"
Liu Mian Tang looked at her in confusion and replied, "Naturally, my husband takes care of me. Why do you ask?"
In that moment, Yun'niang understood everything. Liu Mian Tang was indeed stunningly beautiful. Now, with her martial arts gone and her defenses down, she was like a prized piece of meat without protection. If someone with ill intentions wanted to deceive her, it would be all too easy.
Yun'niang surmised that when Liu Mian Tang had been cast aside and suffered a head injury, someone must have taken advantage of her beauty, deceived her into believing she was their wife, and kept her captive.
Yun'niang, not wanting to arouse suspicion, smiled slightly in response to Liu Mian Tang's earlier comment and said, "I met you once in the capital but never had the chance to meet your husband. I intended to get to know you better, but unfortunately, I had to return home with my father and missed the opportunity."
Liu Mian Tang, hearing this, offered a polite smile. Since Yun'niang was not a close acquaintance and she had no desire for further conversation, she courteously bid her farewell.
As Liu Mian Tang walked away, Yun'niang continued to watch her retreating figure.
At that moment, Miss Shi, who had purchased the hand warmer, looked at Liu Mian Tang's back and asked, "So, Miss Sun knows her? Which family is she from? She is truly beautiful!"
Yun'niang concealed the disdain in her eyes and smiled warmly at Miss Shi. "Yes, she is indeed a rare beauty, but unfortunately, she's just a merchant's wife. There's little chance she'll rise any higher."
Miss Shi found her comment amusing and laughed. "It's as if you're suggesting that if she didn't marry, she could achieve greatness on her own. Does she think her beauty alone could make her a consort in the palace?"
Yun'niang didn’t respond, only maintaining a smile that seemed both enigmatic and relieved.
The chance encounter in front of the iron shop soon reached the ears of Prince Huaiyang.
Cui Xingzhou, while setting up a chessboard in the military camp, asked leisurely after hearing the report from his spy, "Are you sure the woman accompanying Miss Shi is indeed Sun Yun'niang?"
The spy confirmed, "Miss Shi called her by name several times. I am certain she is Sun Yun'niang. However, whether she is the same Sun Yun'niang who attacked Liu Mian Tang previously is still unknown."
Cui Xingzhou arranged the chess pieces and said, "She claims to be an old acquaintance of Liu Mian Tang from the capital? That fits. Aside from old acquaintances from Yangshan, Liu Mian Tang has no other connections in the capital since she was bedridden and rarely went out. Go, keep a close watch. When the time is right, capture that Miss Yun and interrogate her privately. I want to find out what kind of person this Young Master Zi Yu really is!"
•••
Prev : TOC : Next
https://ko-fi.com/flamingobeestranslations
https://twitter.com/FlamingoBee2009
Thank You For Reading <3
Comments
Post a Comment
What did you think of this chapter?