The moment the two entered, the entire cloth shop seemed to brighten. They were a striking pair—handsome man, beautiful woman, radiating wealth and nobility. Everyone’s eyes were drawn to them. Even Wang Shuang couldn’t help but inhale sharply at the sight of Zhao Mingzhu and Chen Xingwei, so young, elegant, richly dressed, and dazzling.
The young lord and lady looked every bit the scions of a powerful aristocratic family. How wonderful it must be to have money!
Manager Ding immediately recognized Zhao Mingzhu and Chen Xingwei. Excited, he hurried forward. “Second Miss Zhao, Heir Chen! Why have you come in person? You need only send a servant, and I would gladly bring our newest fabrics straight to your residence for you to choose.”
Zhao Mingzhu gave him a cool glance, her face still proud and noble. “If we hadn’t come ourselves, we wouldn’t have known your shop had such fine goods. Makes one wonder if what you usually send us are just leftovers.”
Manager Ding quickly bowed and pleaded. “Second Miss Zhao, I wouldn’t dare! Every delivery to the Zhao Minister’s household has always been our finest and newest stock. What goes to your residence is the very best of the best. Everyone knows you are the most honored young lady of the Zhao family!”
Zhao Mingzhu was deeply pleased by this flattery—especially the reminder of her past life of luxury and her unique status in the Zhao household. She was the only unmarried legitimate daughter of Minister Zhao. Among all the daughters of the family, none could compare. Even her cousin Zhao Jiahan or her younger cousin Zhao Mingshu, though also legitimate daughters, could not rival her. Her father was the great Minister Zhao himself! She was the most distinguished young lady of the Zhao family.
“Well, well! And here I was wondering who made such a grand entrance. Turns out it’s the fallen Zhao household. Didn’t Minister Zhao’s family get confiscated for treason not long ago?” Wang Shuang gave Zhao Mingzhu no face at all, snapping back immediately.
Ha! So that’s who it was—the disgraced Zhao family. She hadn’t even realized that Zhao Mingzhu was Zhao Mingyan’s sister. All she saw was someone from a ruined household still strutting about arrogantly. In her experience, when wealthy families fell, even their dogs tucked their tails, whining and flattering everyone, terrified of being slaughtered for meat.
Shouldn’t Zhao Mingzhu be keeping her head down, living cautiously?
Sure enough, Wang Shuang’s words made Zhao Mingzhu’s face flush red.
At that moment, a young man’s voice rang out, full of authority. “Impudent!”
Standing beside Zhao Mingzhu, Chen Xingwei—who had been silent until now—spoke with displeasure. His cold gaze swept toward Wang Shuang, but when it landed on the coarse‑clothed young woman beside her, he faltered for a moment.
Wang Shuang glanced at Chen Xingwei and rolled her eyes. Some people were better off keeping quiet; the moment they opened their mouths, their true nature was revealed. This handsome noble son looked the part, but in reality, he was nothing more than a brainless fool!
Forget it—she wasn’t going to waste her breath arguing with such a useless spendthrift. Instead, she pulled Zhao Mingyan’s hand and turned back to the fabrics.
“Mingyan, let’s keep choosing. Pick a bolt you like. Eighty taels or not, our household can afford it!”
Hearing Wang Shuang’s words, Zhao Mingyan felt warmth spread through her heart, like autumn sunlight falling across a quilt. Though Nan Yan’s household was modest, living here was truly comfortable.
Wang Shuang treated her like a beloved younger sister, and Nan Yan was kind to her as well. Modest though they might be, every meal had fresh chicken, duck, and fish—and now they were even offering her such expensive fabric.
Zhao Mingyan was about to say she didn’t need such costly cloth, that a few bolts of ordinary fabric at ten or twenty taels would be enough, when a mocking voice sounded behind her.
“Manager Ding, didn’t I say I wanted all of these fabrics?” It was Zhao Mingzhu again. If Wang Shuang hadn’t insulted her earlier, she wouldn’t have stooped to competing over fabric. Noble young ladies raised in wealth and privilege didn’t need to scramble for bolts of cloth. She only wanted to flaunt her status and importance. Though the Zhao family had fallen, she couldn’t accept it. In her mind, she was still the pampered daughter surrounded by admirers.
Manager Ding’s flattery had rekindled a spark of her old pride. And now, this insolent older woman dared to mock her—how could she let it pass?
“Hey! Haven’t you had enough? We saw these first, and you barged in to snatch them! No wonder your Zhao family was confiscated—your rotten upbringing couldn’t produce anything decent! Isn’t that right, Mingyan?” Wang Shuang dragged Zhao Mingyan into the quarrel.
Zhao Mingyan: “……”
“Mingyan, don’t be afraid of people like her. Let’s curse her together. The Zhao family really has no good people. Wait, Mingyan, aren’t you also a Zhao?” Wang Shuang suddenly realized.
Zhao Mingyan really did seem to share the same surname—Zhao—as the disgraced Zhao Minister’s household across from them.
“Pfft!” Zhao Mingzhu burst into laughter. She looked at Zhao Mingyan.
“Fifth Sister, who is this woman of yours? Which servant is so lacking in manners? You should sell her off quickly, before people laugh themselves silly!”
“Do you even know how to speak? Servant, servant—you’re the servant! I find it strange—you and Mingyan are sisters, yet the difference is so vast! Our Mingyan is gentle and refined, like a fairy from the heavens, while you’re shrieking and clawing like a toad in a pond!”
“You—!” Zhao Mingzhu’s face flushed red with anger at Wang Shuang’s words.
What! She was compared to a pond toad, while Zhao Mingyan was likened to a celestial fairy? Impossible! Zhao Mingzhu had never in her life heard anyone say she was inferior to Zhao Mingyan.
“You’ve got some nerve! Such insolence! Do you dare give your name?” Wang Shuang straightened her neck proudly. “What’s there to be afraid of? I’m Wang Shuang, wife of Nan Yan. If you’ve got the guts, come to my house!”
At the mention of her name, Zhao Mingzhu’s expression changed again. She never imagined that this coarse, blunt woman was actually the legitimate wife of Grand Secretary Nan!
She didn’t dare provoke her—not openly. But still…
“So you’re the famed Lady Nan of the capital. Truly, just as the rumors say—unrestrained in conduct, with a pig’s heart that cannot be tamed!”
Wang Shuang frowned, not understanding the insult. “What are you babbling about? What conduct, what pig’s heart? Is that something you eat?”
Her words made Zhao Mingzhu burst out laughing, and even the other customers in the cloth shop chuckled. Most of the women here were wives of officials—every one of them educated.
“Yes, yes, it’s something you eat!” Zhao Mingzhu laughed on, mocking Wang Shuang further.
At that moment, a cold, clear female voice rang out. “Enough!”
Zhao Mingyan hadn’t wanted to interfere, but Wang Shuang treated her so kindly—how could she allow anyone to bully her?
Her gaze darkened as she held Wang Shuang’s hand and looked straight at Zhao Mingzhu. “My lady is the wife of Grand Secretary Nan, a titled Second Rank lady of the court. And you, Second Miss Zhao—what rank are you now, that you dare make sport of her?”