Fine, I’ll go!
Steeling her heart, she picked up the bolt of Soft Smoke Silk, pale as spring water, and strode toward the shop door with the determination of one marching to her doom.
When that stunning pomegranate-red figure appeared at the entrance of Cloud Silk Atelier, the bustling West Market seemed to fall silent for an instant.
Countless gazes snapped toward her, sticking to her like glue.
In everyone’s memory, Manager Shen had always been simple, neat, and efficient over the past three years, like an unassuming, uncompetitive orchid.
But today, she was suddenly radiant and bold, as if that orchid had overnight blossomed into a tree full of peonies, truly causing people to pause in surprise.
“My, has Manager Shen changed her nature?” a familiar neighboring shopkeeper’s wife teased with a laugh. “But this fabric of yours is quite vibrant. Is it new stock for your shop?”
“Tsk, doing business is doing business. No need to imitate the ways of those from Pingkang Lane…” another woman carrying a vegetable basket muttered under her breath before being hastily pulled away by her companion.
Shen Nianyi heard it all clearly, cursing Pei Yanshu a thousand times in her heart:
It’s all that scoundrel’s fault! Forcing me to go out dressed like this to make a spectacle of myself! What ‘leading the fashion’? He’s clearly making me a live target! Just wait until I get back—I’ll dye his robe green!
But curses aside, listening to the neighbors’ gossip, her heart still felt like a rabbit was hopping around inside it, all aflutter.
This is it, this is it. If this gets out, the good reputation Shen Nianyi has painstakingly built over three years will likely be utterly ruined by this dress!
Her face burned, her hands holding the fabric trembled, and she desperately wanted to rush back to the rear courtyard, tie Pei Yanshu to an abacus, and give him a beating!
“Ah, this dress is rather interesting,” a clear, cheerful female voice chimed in with a smile.
Shen Nianyi looked up to see two young women dressed in luxurious attire stopping before the display rack, their eyes shifting with keen interest between her and the bolt of Soft Smoke Silk.
Both had their hair styled in the latest fashion, their clothes made of top-grade Suzhou embroidery, and gold bracelets jingled on their wrists—clear signs of wealth and status.
“This color is quite elegant,” one of the noblewomen, with an oval face, touched the Soft Smoke Silk and then looked at the pomegranate-red skirt on Shen Nianyi. “The style is novel too. Is it a design from the Western Regions?”
Shen Nianyi stood frozen, momentarily unsure how to respond.
Pei Yanshu had, at some point, quietly appeared at her side and smoothly took over the conversation: “You ladies have a discerning eye. This is our shop’s original creation, blending the free-spiritedness of Hu attire with the grace of Han skirts.”
He lightly tapped Shen Nianyi’s sleeve with the tip of his fan. “Look at this sleeve style—convenient for movement, yet still retaining elegance. And this skirt hem, when walking, flows like liquid gold, perfectly suited for horseback riding or spring outings.”
A sparkle flashed in the oval-faced noblewoman’s eyes, and she exchanged a look of clear interest with her companion.
“This ‘Sky-Water Azure’… and the style of the dress you’re wearing, can they be custom-made?”
Shen Nianyi snapped back to her senses instantly. The instinct of a businesswoman immediately overpowered her embarrassment. “Of course! Please, ladies, come inside. Our shop has many more newly arrived fabrics and style sketches for you to choose from.”
Watching the two noblewomen follow Shen Nianyi into the shop, Pei Yanshu leaned against the doorframe, slowly fanning himself, a faint, knowing smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
Inside the shop, A Man rushed forward in a flash. While the noblewomen were looking at the fabrics, she suddenly grabbed Shen Nianyi’s arm, her voice trembling with excitement:
“Manager! The one in primrose yellow is the second daughter of the Vice Minister of Rites! The oval-faced one is the only daughter of the Yong’an County Princess! Good heavens, these are major customers who could make the folks over at the East Market cry themselves unconscious in the outhouse!”
The soft ruler in Shen Nianyi’s hand clattered to the floor—Vice Minister of Rites? Yong’an County Princess?
In her mind, three thousand taels of silver instantly sprouted wings and began fluttering around the shop.
“You… you two truly have excellent taste!” She snapped back to reality with a jolt, her smile instantly bright enough to blind someone. “This ‘Sky-Water Azure’ silk has been bathed in forty-nine days of morning dew from the Jiangnan region, woven by an eighty-year-old master weaver with tears in his eyes…”
“Ahem!” A Man coughed violently behind her.
Shen Nianyi quickly corrected herself: “What I mean is… this fabric is especially suited to your celestial grace!”
The oval-faced daughter of the county princess was doubled over with laughter, pointing at Shen Nianyi’s pomegranate-red skirt: “I actually find your style quite novel. Is this skirt practical?”
“Practical, extremely practical!” Shen Nianyi immediately spun in place, nearly tripping over her own hem before catching herself on the counter. “Look, the cuffs are narrow, so they won’t get ink on them when using an abacus. The skirt is long, but there are hidden fasteners on the inside—just lift it when climbing a ladder!”
The Vice Minister’s daughter leaned in curiously: “This waistband…”
“Designed to ward off scoundrels!” Shen Nianyi swiftly untied it. “Look at this knot. Pei… our head manager says this is called the ‘Anti-Lecher Knot.’ Without the exclusive technique, it simply cannot be undone!”
The two noble young ladies laughed uproariously. The county princess’s daughter wiped tears of laughter from her eyes: “Very well. We’ll take two bolts of this Sky-Water Azure, and make a set of these ‘Anti-Lecher’ skirts just like yours!”
“Right away!” Shen Nianyi’s voice boomed. “Da Chun, quickly bring all our newly arrived embroidery pattern books! And brew tea—use that purple clay pot I’ve hidden at the very back of the cabinet!”
While the noble ladies browsed the patterns, she pulled A Man aside and whispered urgently:
“Hurry to the backyard and keep an eye on Pei Yanshu. If that fellow saunters out now and starts winking or spouting nonsense at these noble ladies, this deal is sure to fall through!”
A Man suddenly understood: “You’re right! Last time he told Madam Wang in the shop something like ‘this fabric makes you look radiantly beautiful,’ causing her to run off blushing, too embarrassed to come back for three days!”
“So go quickly.” Shen Nianyi pushed her. “Tell him… tell him the front shop is taking inventory and he shouldn’t come out and cause trouble!”
A Man lifted her skirt and dashed toward the backyard like a gust of wind.
“Manager Shen—” the noble ladies called for her.
Shen Nianyi took a deep breath, instantly plastering a warm, proper smile on her face, and answered brightly: “Coming right away!”
She walked briskly toward the two noble ladies, her mind now fully immersed in how to secure this major transaction.
Meanwhile, at Brocade Splendor Atelier in the East Market.
Chen Wanqing was listening to her servant’s report, the pace of her round fan slowing, growing increasingly listless.
“Miss, you should have seen it!” Granny Zhou described vividly. “Cloud Silk Atelier hung some scribble at their entrance, claiming it was Young Master Pei’s personal calligraphy in some ‘cat-paw style,’ attracting a crowd of young ladies and married women to gawk!”
Chen Wanqing scoffed lightly: “Just seeking cheap attention.”
“There’s something even more infuriating!” Granny Zhou took a few steps closer.
“That Manager Shen was dressed today like a freshly made candied hawthorn stick, flaunting herself at the entrance—and guess what happened? The Vice Minister of Rites’ daughter and the Yong’an County Princess’s daughter were lured right into their shop!”
“What?” Chen Wanqing’s round fan halted abruptly in her hand, nearly slipping from her grasp. “Are you certain it’s those two?”
“Absolutely certain! Our people saw it with their own eyes. They’ve been inside for almost half an hour and still haven’t come out!”
Chen Wanqing slapped the fan down with a sharp crack, her expression darkening.
Those two were esteemed guests she had gone to great lengths to befriend, having sent formal visiting cards three times already. And now, Cloud Silk Atelier had snatched them away using that “tanghulu tactic”?
“Go,” she ordered coldly. “Take two bolts of our newly arrived Phoenix Through Peony brocade and deliver them immediately to the Vice Minister’s residence and the Princess’s manor.”
Granny Zhou hesitated. “Madam, this… we haven’t even set foot inside their gates yet…”
“Then find a way to get it in!” Chen Wanqing glared, her beautiful eyes flashing. “We can’t truly let that tanghulu spirit trample the face of our Brocade Splendor Atelier underfoot!”
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Pacing anxiously in the room for a few steps, she suddenly remembered something and whirled around. “By the way, what’s going on with Manager Liu? Wasn’t he supposed to cut off Cloud Silk Atelier’s supply of madder root? Why did someone see his clerk delivering goods to the West Market this morning?”
Granny Zhou’s face changed, and she stammered, “This… this old servant was just about to report. I heard… I heard that Shen Nianyi secretly added a cartage fee for Manager Liu, an extra thirty coppers per cart…”
“What?” Chen Wanqing was so furious she threw the fan to the ground. “That old traitor! Taking benefits from our Brocade Splendor Atelier while secretly colluding with that tanghulu spirit!”
She took a deep breath, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes. “Go, invite Manager Liu over. I want to ask him: is Cloud Silk Atelier’s little cartage fee more important, or is all of Brocade Splendor Atelier’s future business more important?”
Granny Zhou quickly assented and scurried out to relay the order.
Chen Wanqing slumped back into her chair, heaving a long sigh as she rubbed her throbbing temples.
When Granny Zhou returned and saw this, she tried to console her. “Madam, why get so worked up? That Shen girl is just relying on her youth, dressing a bit flashily…”
“Young?” Chen Wanqing abruptly lifted her head, fighting spirit igniting in her eyes.
“I’ve managed Brocade Splendor Atelier for over a decade. What storms haven’t I weathered? Go, fetch my cloud brocade outer robe embroidered with gold-thread peonies, and the ruby headdress set I wore for my birthday last year!”
Granny Zhou’s heart sank, thinking to herself that this was bad—that robe was so densely woven with gold thread it could stop arrows, and the headdress was heavy enough to be used as a weapon. Was her mistress planning to compete in beauty with a young girl? Wouldn’t that be like the ugly woman imitating the famous beauty’s frown?
“Madam,” Granny Zhou said with an ingratiating smile, “isn’t that robe a bit too… extravagant? Last time you wore it, Manager Li said it looked like you’d embroidered all the gold thread from the storeroom onto it…”
“What do you know!” Chen Wanqing examined herself left and right in the bronze mirror. “It’s precisely this imposing aura I want! If Shen Nianyi dresses like a tanghulu, then I’ll dress like… like…”
“Like a gilded ruyi scepter hung for New Year’s?” Granny Zhou quietly added.
“Exactly!” Chen Wanqing, completely missing the sarcasm, straightened her back proudly instead. “Hurry and fetch it! And bring my box of rouge too. Today, I’m going to apply the latest peach blossom makeup!”
Watching her mistress excitedly powdering her face, Granny Zhou couldn’t help but think to herself: though her mistress still retained her charm, deliberately dressing up like this to compete with a young girl was likely to invite ridicule.
But she could only brace herself and reply, “Yes, yes, yes, this old servant will go fetch it right away, I promise to dress the lady up radiantly!”
Evening, inside Cloud Silk Atelier.
Shen Nianyi sat behind the counter, her fingers flying over the abacus beads. Seeing the account book’s turnover multiplied several times over, she couldn’t help but let a slight smile curl the corners of her mouth.
That pomegranate-red skirt was still worn on her body, but now it no longer felt glaring.
“Manager, today alone we sold ten bolts of Celestial Water Green,” A Man counted the silver coins, her voice filled with joy. “And the two noble ladies who ordered the Golden Glow Satin skirts—just their deposits are enough to cover two months of our expenses.”
Shen Nianyi was lowering her head to check the accounts when, from the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of indigo-blue robe hem swaying out from behind the door curtain.
Her fingers holding the brush instinctively tightened, then slowly relaxed again.
Strangely enough, if she had seen this person sauntering out a few days ago, she would have surely felt her temper flare. But today… perhaps the business from those ten bolts of Celestial Water Green had put her in a pleasant mood, for she didn’t immediately bristle.
“Chief Manager Pei is out?” She raised her head, her voice unconsciously softer than usual. “They were just saying earlier they needed to take inventory—didn’t disturb your rest, did it? Would you like… a cup of tea?”
Before the words even finished, Shen Nianyi herself froze. How could she have offered to pour tea for this nemesis of hers?
Xiao Ya, who was keeping accounts beside her, looked up in surprise, even the sound of her abacus stopping.
Da Chun even let out a “plop” as the cleaning cloth fell into the bucket, gaping as she looked over.
Pei Yanshu paused mid-step, a flicker of astonishment in his eyes: “What’s going on? Manager Shen actually offering to pour me tea?” He walked up to the counter. “Could it be the sun rose from the west today? Or perhaps… Manager Shen has finally discovered my good qualities?”
Shen Nianyi felt her ears grow warm at his words and immediately put on a stern face: “Don’t flatter yourself! It’s just that today you’ve been… relatively well-behaved.”
As she spoke, she turned to go brew the tea.
But then she heard Pei Yanshu leisurely add from behind: “Since Manager Shen is so gracious, then I’ll have Pre-Rain Longjing tea. The water shouldn’t be too boiling—just when the crab-eye bubbles first appear.”
“You!” Shen Nianyi turned back to glare at him, furious. “You should be grateful you’re getting any tea at all, and yet you’re still picky!”