tallest building

Chapter 28 Silk Shop

Song Xiulian was taking care of the new mother at her brother's house, but she didn't actually have to do anything; she was just helping out.

She sat in her sister-in-law's room for half a day before returning to her own courtyard.

As Granny Yang poured her tea, she said, "These days we've been out, and the master isn't home either. The mansion has truly become Wen Mingqian's domain. Heaven is truly blind, letting her be so carefree."

Mrs. Song then washed her hands and slowly sipped her tea and ate her candied fruit.

After finishing a cup of tea, she smiled and asked, "How is Aunt Liu doing now? Is she settling in well at the estate?"

When asked about her cousin, Granny Yang sighed and said, "How can the village compare to the manor? But who told her to be so unlucky! That plague god got her into trouble."

“Don’t say that,” Madam Song said with a smile. “The weather is nice now, so going to the estate is just a way to relax. We’ll figure out a way to bring her back soon.”

"Is that really the young mistress?" Granny Yang perked up immediately upon hearing this. "But I'm afraid that plague god is grinding his teeth."

"You just said that Liu Mama was unlucky, but that's not true. As the sage said, fortune and misfortune are interdependent. Who knows if this is not a good thing?" Madam Song gently shook her fan and then put it down.

"I don't understand, what's so good about it?" Granny Yang shook her head.

Madam Song glanced at her gently and smiled, "Don't forget these four words—'Man proposes, God disposes.'"

Upon hearing her say this, Granny Yang quickly leaned closer and asked, "Young Madam, have you perhaps come up with some brilliant plan?"

"Didn't you say that Wen Mingqian is living a carefree life in the manor? If something happens in the manor now, you can't blame anyone else, can you?" Madam Song covered half of her face with her fan, her lips slightly curved, but her eyes were as cold as ice.

"What does the young mistress want to happen to her?"

“Wen Mingqian has transferred Zhu Mama’s family back to the manor, so they must be her confidants now!” Madam Song had already planned it out in her mind. “Let’s start from here and make sure they can’t clear their names even if they jump into the Yellow River.”

"Young mistress, please tell this old servant in detail, so I can arrange for someone to do it later." Granny Yang almost pressed her ear to the door.

A flying insect landed on the bamboo curtain. A gust of wind blew by, disturbing the curtain, and the insect spread its wings and flew away.

The tea on the table had gone cold, but the whispers hadn't stopped.

Despite the clear weather, a chilly feeling lingered in the air.

Wen Mingqian got up early and took a car out the door. The person driving the car for her was Zhu Xi, Zhu's mother's husband.

Gong Chang'an and Aunt Tian also went out with her.

“There’s a Sangji Silk Shop next to Zou’s General Store,” Wen Mingqian instructed Zhu Xi. “Go there.”

Along the way, Gong Chang'an kept looking out the car window at the street scene. Wen Mingqian said to Aunt Tian, ​​"I picked out two pieces of fabric at the silk shop last time. They are very nice. I was thinking that the old lady and the first lady will be back in a few days. I should prepare some gifts for them."

But a child like him won't stay still. You can take him to the bookstore next door later. I'll call you all to come back together when I'm done buying what I need.

Then he gave Aunt Tian some loose change, in preparation for Gong Chang'an to use for buying things.

Upon arriving at the destination, Wen Mingqian entered Sangji Silk Shop, where there were no customers except for two employees.

It was that same extremely handsome young man who came to greet them again.

"Madam, you've arrived. What kind of fabric would you like to choose?" the young shop assistant asked with a beaming smile.

"I'm giving these as gifts, so I'd like to choose some good ones," Wen Mingqian said, looking at the goods in the store.

“We’ve received some new patterns and designs, all top-notch quality, but they’re still at the back and haven’t been brought to the front yet. Why don’t you come with me to the back and see if there’s anything you like?” the shop assistant said, bowing respectfully. Wen Mingqian didn’t speak, but walked to the back.

Behind it is a small courtyard, with flowers, trees and shrubs planted around the patio, and a small pavilion.

The young waiter chuckled and hugged Wen Mingqian's arm, saying in a coquettish tone, "Mother Wen, you left in such a hurry last time, I didn't even get a chance to talk to you properly."

Wen Mingqian only made a brief appearance last time, so it wasn't convenient for him to say much.

"Has your uncle come to the capital yet? You've been taking care of things here all this time?" Wen Mingqian asked with a smile.

“My uncle wrote to say he’ll be arriving in Beijing at the end of this month,” the young man said. “From now on, I’ll mainly be doing business in the capital, and I won’t be running around like before.”

“That’s good, this way you two, uncle and nephew, can see each other more often,” Wen Mingqian said.

“Mother Wen, we’ve earned quite a bit of money in the capital over the past three years. My uncle said to give you some in case of emergency.” The shop assistant said, taking out a stack of silver notes.

“We brought money with us when we came to the capital, and we don’t have any major expenses, so we don’t need to take it now,” Wen Mingqian said. “But I’d like to buy a maid in a few days. Could you arrange for one of your own people to go?”

The young man clapped his hands with delight: "Then I'll go! I don't want to spend all day staring at my uncle."

"What, tired of wearing men's clothes?" Wen Mingqian said with amusement. "I've never seen anyone like you, so dependent on each other yet so disgusted with one another."

"Oh, Mother Wen, please say yes! I'll be your maid, I promise I'll be attentive and clever." The young shop assistant grabbed Wen Mingqian's hand and shook it from side to side, like twisting a piece of candy.

"Sang Er, stop shaking me, stop shaking me! You're going to rip my arm off!" Wen Mingqian pulled his hand back. "This matter needs to be discussed with your uncle first. You're not allowed to make decisions on your own, do you hear me?"

Sang Er scratched her head and reluctantly agreed.

It turns out she was a girl who dressed as a man to make things easier.

"Mother Wen, how are you doing at the Gong family? Are those heartless people ganging up on you again?" Sang Er asked.

"Things seem fine now, but it's not time to see the real results yet," Wen Mingqian said. "However, I think the Song family will definitely not be at peace, and they will try every means to trip me up."

"By the way, Mother, we've almost finished investigating the people you asked us to look for." Sang Er said hurriedly as she ran back into the house, returning shortly with a booklet.

Wen Mingqian took it and glanced at it briefly, then smiled with satisfaction: "Thank you for finding out so much detail."

“I’ve devoted most of my time and energy to this in the two or three years I’ve been in the capital, so naturally I’ve seen results,” Sang Er said with a smug tone.

Unbeknownst to Wen Mingqian, a car stopped at the back gate of the Gong family shortly after she left.

A man with a bag tucked under his arm boarded the carriage furtively and then quickly left.

Granny Yang walked into the room with a happy smile and said to Madam Song, "Young Madam, they have brought out the things."

"Did you disturb anyone?" Mrs. Song was trimming her nails, filing them little by little with a small file.

"No one was alerted, no one was alerted! The Wen mother and son went out early this morning, and that old hag Zhang Ma has been keeping watch in the courtyard of Lingyue Pavilion the whole time," said Granny Yang. "They don't have eyes and ears that can see a thousand miles or hear a thousand ears, how would they know?"

"Alright, then let's wait and see the show!" Madam Song raised her hand and blew the powder off her nails. "When they find out that so many treasures are missing from the mansion, let's see how Wen Mingqian proves himself."

"Young Madam's plan is truly brilliant," Granny Song said, feeling relieved. "The Second Madam happens to lose valuable things while she's at home. It's obvious she's short of money and has stolen them to sell."

(End of this chapter)