After being momentarily stunned by Mian Tang’s beauty, Er Ye frowned and raised his voice, “Mrs. Cui, why hasn’t Mr. Cui come in person? Is he displeased with the late invitation from the merchant association?”
Mian Tang recalled visiting her maternal grandparents as a child. She had witnessed her grandfather and uncles engage in tense negotiations, their words sharp as hidden knives, with real weapons concealed at their waists. Far from frightening her, she had found it intriguing.
She never imagined she’d encounter such dramatic scenes again, especially among these frail porcelain makers putting on airs. It seemed the association chairman looked down on her representing her husband.
Noticing He’s contemptuous gaze, Cui Mian Tang relaxed her formal demeanor. She raised her chin, her large eyes scanning the association rules hanging on the walls. Finding them difficult to read from afar, she slowly walked over to examine each one closely.
Er Ye He had spoken, but Mrs. Cui didn’t respond. Instead, she calmly strolled around the hall as if no one else were present.
His face darkened with displeasure. A sycophantic shopkeeper quickly spoke up, “Mrs. Cui, why don’t you answer the chairman’s question? Are you deaf?”
Mian Tang finally turned halfway and replied leisurely, “I was reviewing the association’s rules after hearing the chairman’s words. I wanted to ensure there were no regulations against women entering, to avoid breaking any taboos.”
Though surrounded by silk-robed men, Mian Tang spoke clearly. Her tall stature and confident manner were far from the timidity of ordinary women unused to such settings.
With a slight raise of her eyebrow, her tone was calm but full of sarcasm, leaving the questioning shopkeeper momentarily speechless.
Er Ye He, who had initially dismissed the Cui family’s newcomer shop, couldn’t help but reassess Mrs. Cui. However, the assembled merchants, accustomed to flattery from their wives and concubines, were unaccustomed to such bold speech from an outsider woman.
Another of Er Ye He’s supporters sneered, “While there’s no rule against women entering, this gathering is for the masters of each household. Wouldn’t a lone woman feel out of place?”
Mian Tang, her ankle starting to ache again after walking around, chose a round chair and sat down. “Our Yusha Porcelain Shop isn’t new to Lingquan Street. Everyone knows my husband is away studying, leaving me to handle business matters. I came in person out of respect. Had I known you gentlemen were uncomfortable speaking with women, I would have sent our shop’s janitor to pay respects instead!”
As she spoke, Mian Tang’s lips curled into a slight smile, regarding the boisterous fat merchant as if he were nothing more than dung by the roadside. These intimidation tactics were child’s play compared to what her uncles had taught her. Even with her injured hand and foot, her tongue remained sharp. If anyone else dared to be disrespectful, she’d leave them unable to find their way home!
The fat merchant’s face reddened at Cui’s retort. Just as he was about to slam the table and continue his tirade, a clear voice rang out from the side door: “Mrs. Cui speaks truly. In our Jiangnan region, women have always been as capable as men in business. How could we look down on Mrs. Cui?”
Mian Tang looked up to see a woman adorned with pearl and jade hairpins, accompanied by two maids, striding in with a hearty laugh.
Mian Tang observed her, remaining seated without responding. Meanwhile, Mama Li, carrying herself with the authority of a royal household matron, surveyed the hall with a disdainful expression, as if everything were beneath her.
This display of superiority from mistress and servant irritated the assembled gentlemen, though they hid their annoyance.
However, the newly arrived young woman smiled and greeted Mrs. Cui warmly. Following the principle of not rejecting friendly overtures, Mian Tang exchanged pleasantries with her, learning that she was He Zhen, Er Ye He’s third daughter.
He Zhen, eighteen years old like Mian Tang, remained unmarried for unknown reasons. She was shrewd and capable, outperforming her brothers as her father’s right hand. Most of the He family’s shop accounts passed through her hands.
Miss He’s straightforward manner and apparent kindness put Mian Tang at ease. After appraising Mian Tang, He Zhen took her hand and engaged her in conversation, quickly lighting the atmosphere in the hall.
The earlier talk of inconvenience and disrespect was forgotten. After all, those who knew anything about the Cui family were aware that their man was a layabout, and it was the woman who kept the business running.
As the shopkeepers had gathered to discuss the important matter of fulfilling porcelain orders for the royal family and noble houses, they soon turned to business.
Mian Tang listened quietly, adhering to the principle of speaking little and listening much. She soon understood why the shopkeepers fawned over Er Ye He. While the He family held the exclusive royal contract, they couldn’t handle all the orders from noble houses in the capital. This allowed other shops to benefit as well, creating a harmonious atmosphere in the Linquan Town Merchant Association.
However, while the established Linquan Town merchants got their share, newcomers like the Yusha Porcelain Shop were left out entirely. No one paid them any attention.
Mian Tang wondered why they had been invited at all. Was it merely to make them envious? However, she hadn’t come seeking favors and didn’t feel jealous.
She sat calmly in the corner, watching the gentlemen fawn over the father and daughter in their efforts to secure more orders. To her, the scene was even more entertaining than the monkey shows in Qingzhou.
Amused, she selected some appealing fruits from the dishes, eating them with her tea. She then had Mama Li bring her paper and brush.
As she ate and wrote with one hand, He Zhen, who had been observing Mrs. Cui, used the excuse of stretching her legs to approach Mian Tang’s table.
Mian Tang didn’t try to hide her work, allowing Miss He to look. However, her drawings resembled arcane symbols, leaving He Zhen puzzled even after staring for a while.
When the meeting concluded, the shopkeepers were satisfied with their allocated “meat and soup,” except for the Yusha Porcelain Shop, which the He family had deliberately overlooked. They didn’t even receive a small order for coloring teacups.
Some shopkeepers, believing the woman had offended Er Ye He with her behavior, watched Mrs. Cui with meaningful smiles, stroking their beards.
Mrs. Cui brushed the pastry crumbs from her clothes, bid farewell to the shopkeepers, and left for home without a backward glance.
After Mian Tang’s departure, He Zhen joined her father as they left the association.
In the carriage, Er Ye He, still angry about Mrs. Cui’s earlier sarcasm, complained to his daughter, “Why were you so kind to that outsider woman? We should have put her in her place, and shown her there’s no room for newcomers in Linquan Town… Just because they have a good painter doesn’t mean they can disregard our He family…”
He Zhen asked seriously, “Father, did you notice what powder Mrs. Cui was wearing?”
Er Ye He was taken aback. “I don’t understand women’s cosmetics. Why would I have noticed?”
He Zhen explained gravely, “That scent is from Hanxiang Zhai’s special powder in Jiangnan. It’s beautiful in color and has a lasting fragrance. It’s very popular but rare. Each year, it’s sold out to the wives of princes and nobles before ordinary merchants can get any. Mrs. Cui’s using it suggests she has unusual connections. We shouldn’t offend her without knowing her background.”
Seeing her father still unconvinced, He Zhen added, “Moreover, do you know Mrs. Cui is connected to a strange case in Linquan Town?”
This piqued Er Ye He’s curiosity. “What case?”
He Zhen looked out of the carriage to ensure no one was eavesdropping before continuing, “Father, are you aware that the garrison commander’s wayward nephew has been missing for over a month? His wife cried herself sick, and his father sought the commander’s help. After investigating, the commander berated and expelled his brother from the compound. It was later revealed that the nephew had been exiled three thousand li, escorted directly by the military. Someone had seen the nephew and Mrs. Cui having an unpleasant encounter on the street not long before. Father, considering these events together, how can we risk offending her without knowing her background?”
Er Ye He hadn’t realized there was so much gossip surrounding the matter. He felt a twinge of shame, acknowledging that his daughter was always astute in social matters and keen in her observations. If she thought Mrs. Cui was extraordinary, there must be something to it. He immediately instructed his daughter to investigate Mrs. Cui’s background thoroughly.
Now that the Yusha Porcelain Shop possessed superior coloring and painting techniques compared to the He family’s old business, if Mrs. Cui truly had a powerful backer as his daughter suspected, wouldn’t they gradually expand and eventually replace the He family as the royal supplier? They needed to be cautious to protect the He family’s royal contract and maintain their generations of wealth and honor…
Meanwhile, Mian Tang was unaware that the box of rouge gifted by her husband had aroused He Zhen’s suspicions, leading her to believe Mian Tang was a merchant backed by powerful figures.
After leaving the association, Mian Tang strolled along the stone bridges and riverbanks of Linquan Town. The more she thought about it, the more confident she felt. Her mood brightened, and she unconsciously began to hum a tune.
Mama Li, an old servant from the Wang household, was accustomed to the proper behavior of noble ladies. She couldn’t stand Mian Tang’s casual manner and couldn’t help but correct her, “Madam, it’s not appropriate to act so carelessly in public…”