Before the time of Huang Chao, the aristocratic families operated under the "manor economy," amassing land by absorbing the properties of bankrupt peasants during times of war and unrest. These sprawling estates often encompassed mountains, lakes, and vast stretches of land, spanning dozens or even hundreds of miles. For instance, during the Eastern Jin dynasty, the Xie family's manors in Kuaiji and Wuxing were not only nestled between mountains and rivers but also included farmland, pottery workshops, weaving workshops, and wineries, housing thousands of enslaved laborers, retainers, and tenant farmers—effectively functioning as self-contained cities.
After Huang Chao's rebellion, the manor economy collapsed, and the aristocratic families could no longer monopolize official appointments, land, or wealth. By the Song dynasty, ordinary people, buoyed by the burgeoning commercial economy, had a hand in creating the wealthiest era of the feudal dynasties.
Shen Miao led Sister Xiang and Ji Brother out of the carriage and stepped into the Xie family's estate in the countryside outside Bianjing. For some reason, she found herself thinking like a detached observer of history: compared to their ancestors' grand estates during the Wei and Jin dynasties, this manor might only be considered a large courtyard house built amidst vast fields of crops and mulberry groves.
Of course, the sight was still breathtaking—the dark-green tiled roofs and upturned eaves perched between mountains and water, the endless emerald fields visible from the estate's winding corridors, the weeping willows by the pond with their tender branches brushing the water's surface. Not far off stood a tower four or five stories high; climbing it and leaning against the railing, one could likely take in the sweeping view of the mountains and fields.
The gatekeeper who led them in was a familiar face—Yan Qi. Upon seeing Shen Miao, he rubbed his hands together in delight and said with a laugh, "This servant and Madam Shen are truly fated. With so many guests today, I still managed to run into you."
As they walked and chatted, Ji Brother eventually split off to join another gatekeeper heading toward the banquet for male guests. Yan Qi reassured her, "Ninth Brother’s classmates from the academy are all gathered there. Madam Shen need not worry."
Shen Miao and Sister Xiang continued inward, passing through two gates before the view suddenly opened up. The Xie estate had taken an unconventional approach—its rear garden seamlessly blended into the wilderness beyond. Stepping through the gate, Shen Miao expected to find a series of deep courtyards, but instead, she was met with the sight of "a lake of autumn water, clear and blue, with magnolia-oared boats"—groups of women, in twos and threes, were leisurely boating on the water.
Earlier, when she had first stepped out of the carriage and looked at the estate, she had thought it merely a large courtyard house. Now, Shen Miao couldn’t help but feel a pang of embarrassment at her own narrow-mindedness. It seemed this entire mountain, along with the vast wheat fields below, likely all belonged to the Xie family.
So, the foundations of the manor economy hadn’t been entirely destroyed by the failed scholars after all. Shen Miao mused wryly. But then again, in real history, the death knell for the aristocratic families had truly sounded with the Jingkang Incident.
By this point in the Song dynasty, the wheels of history had long since veered onto a winding mountain path, and Shen Miao could no longer reconcile it with the history she had studied. Some discrepancies were to be expected.
Among the reeds by the lake, a few bamboo-canopied boats, not yet fully occupied, lay moored. Following Yan Qi’s guidance, Shen Miao bent down with Sister Xiang and boarded the one with the fewest passengers. When she looked up, she realized three young ladies were already seated inside.
Two of them looked rather familiar.
The oval-faced one and the round-faced one—Shen Miao was certain she had seen them in the shop before, though she couldn’t recall their names. The round-faced girl even held a custom-made "mermaid cotton doll" from her store, dressed in a delicate Song-style outfit with tiny pearls adorning the cuffs and collar—such meticulous craftsmanship.
When the round-faced girl noticed Shen Miao enter, she seemed utterly shocked, though the reason for this reaction was unclear. The oval-faced one, however, blushed and greeted her warmly, "Madam Shen, what a coincidence! Please, have a seat."
Shen Miao sat down as invited, while Sister Xiang pressed close to her leg, silently clutching the floating ribbons of her skirt. The little tyrant of the alleyways was uncharacteristically quiet outside the comfort of home.
The boat wasn’t particularly narrow, its bamboo canopy arched high overhead. A small table stood between the five of them, bearing a lacquered wooden box filled with egg yolk pastries and butter cookies—treats Shen Miao had previously taught the chef, Fang, to make.
The oval-faced young lady kindly offered two pieces to Sister Xiang, using a handkerchief to cushion her hands. "Are you Madam Shen’s younger sister? Should we call you Second Madam Shen?"
Sister Xiang glanced up at Shen Miao for approval before accepting the treats, then turned back with a sweet smile. "Thank you, elder sister. My name is Sister Xiang."
The oval-faced girl beamed. "You’re so well-behaved. Much better than my own little sister."
At this, the round-faced girl seemed to snap out of her daze and hurriedly exchanged greetings with Shen Miao. They introduced themselves, and Shen Miao realized both were familiar faces—the oval-faced one was Feng Qiniang of the Feng family, while the round-faced girl turned out to be Ninth Brother’s full sister, Xie Shiyiniang.
Xie Shiyiniang then gestured toward a young woman gazing silently at the water in the corner. "This is my aunt’s daughter, Eldest Cousin Cui. You may call her Cui Wan Niang."
Shen Miao followed her gaze. Cui Wan Niang seemed unaware of the introduction, her expression distant as she stared at the river.
Her frame was painfully thin, her complexion paler than paper, her clothes hanging loosely as if she hadn’t yet recovered from a grave illness. Her features bore a striking resemblance to Eldest Madam Xie’s—bold and spirited—but sickness had shattered that vigor, leaving behind only a shadow of despair, her brow faintly touched by an air of mortality.
Since Cui Wan Niang paid no attention, Shen Miao remained silent as well. Upon boarding, she had mistaken Cui Wan Niang for a Xie family daughter due to the resemblance, only to learn she was a cousin.
Xie Shiyiniang smoothed over the awkwardness. "My cousin Cui isn’t well. Please don’t take offense, Madam Shen."
"Of course not," Shen Miao replied graciously.
Xie Shiyiniang’s eyes darted between Shen Miao’s turquoise overcoat and Cui Wan Niang, her heart twisting into knots. She alone knew the storm raging inside her, a tempest she couldn’t share with anyone.
Unaware of Xie Shiyiniang’s turmoil, Shen Miao soon relaxed, savoring the gentle breeze.
To her surprise, Feng Qiniang was eager to chat. Shen Miao had assumed a commoner like herself would struggle to converse with noble young ladies, but Feng Qiniang first praised her noodle soup, then mentioned how her father, Dr. Feng, couldn’t stop craving her grilled fish—so much so that he sent servants to buy it daily. And then…
"Wasn't it just the other day that Lady Shen hosted the festival celebration? My father even had Feng Liu set aside eighty fish for the raffle, and we drew lots like crazy—won several silk dolls too, all sent home as gifts for us daughters."
Shen Miao blinked, suddenly realizing the truth—the top patron those two days had been a servant from the Feng family! No wonder the lavish, spendthrift style felt so familiar. It was the Fengs, after all.
Well, that explained everything.
As they drifted on the boat, enjoying the breeze, snacks, and tea, Shen Miao caught the faint sound of distant music—like the delicate touch of a bird’s wing skimming the water—carried on the wind, utterly soothing.
Sister Xiang was devouring egg yolk pastries with single-minded focus. Shen Miao hadn’t made them much since she’d been busy, but today’s batch tasted strikingly similar to her sister’s. She ate with such delight, eyes sparkling like she’d struck gold, crumbs dusting the corners of her lips.
Xie Shiyiniang, torn between hesitation, glanced at Sister Xiang’s blissful expression and couldn’t resist reaching for one herself. The pastries, prepared by Chef Fang, came in several flavors: red bean paste, lotus seed paste—made from the freshest lotus seeds from the estate, painstakingly peeled, steamed, ground, then simmered with sugar and oil into a silky, fragrant filling—as well as matcha and taro with pork floss. Rumor had it these recipes were all taught by Lady Shen.
Xie Shiyiniang still preferred the red bean paste best—its soft, sweet richness balancing the salted egg yolk’s savoriness, infused with a deep, comforting bean aroma. She could eat them endlessly without tiring.
Once she started, Shiyiniang quickly lost herself, eventually scooting next to Sister Xiang. The two munched away, chatting between bites: "This one’s delicious, Sister Xiang—try it! Chef Fang crushed rose petals into the dough, so the pastry’s dotted with flecks of red. Sweet, fragrant, crispy, and pretty!"
By the time the boat docked, they’d polished off every last snack on board.
After disembarking, they were ushered into a grand hall where seating had been arranged. Shen Miao and Sister Xiang were pulled to sit with Feng Qiniang and Xie Shiyiniang, though the Cui family’s cousin-girl didn’t join. Instead, a maid came to fetch her, and after whispering briefly with Shiyiniang, she slipped away.
Only then did Shen Miao notice—the hall was filled with younger guests, no elders in sight. Xie Shiyiniang explained: Eldest Madam Xie and the other matrons were gathered elsewhere, while the men had been settled separately.
Ah, Shen Miao understood. The adults had their table; the "children" had theirs.
And she’d been lumped into the "children’s" group.
Did that mean she wouldn’t get to see Eldest Madam Xie today? Her hand drifted to the small satchel at her side, where her meticulously prepared investment proposal—"A Bite of Bianjing"—lay tucked inside.
She’d written and sketched ten whole pages, covering everything: the shop’s location, market analysis, signature dishes, risk assessment, funding needs, projected returns…
She’d even drawn a detailed bar chart for revenue forecasts!
Distracted, Shen Miao picked at her meal. Sister Xiang, however, ate with gusto, cheeks puffed like a squirrel’s, still managing to nudge Shen Miao with a hushed, "Eat up, Sister—it’s beef!"
After finishing their meal, Shen Miao and Sister Xiang were dragged by the excited Xie Shiyiniang to watch two acts of an opera. Sister Xiang couldn’t understand the performance and focused on eating pastries, chewing while wide-eyed, utterly baffled as Xie Shiyiniang wept beside her, so moved that her handkerchief was soaked through.
Shen Miao, however, had no patience for the melodramatic tale of star-crossed lovers. Her mind was preoccupied with her own investment troubles, which had hit an unexpected snitch.
Had today’s efforts been for nothing? The thought had barely crossed her mind when, as if heaven-sent, Mama Xi appeared before her and whispered, "Eldest Madam Xie wishes to speak with you during the opera intermission. She has matters to discuss."
Shen Miao was overjoyed—she had matters of her own to bring up!
She quickly entrusted Sister Xiang to Feng Qiniang, who was engrossed in the opera alongside Xie Shiyiniang. Seizing the opportunity, Shen Miao excused herself and followed Mama Xi down from the opera pavilion. They crossed the lake by boat, disembarked, and hurried toward a secluded side hall.
Lady Xi, too, had no love for operas. After a busy morning, she had taken advantage of the performance to excuse herself for a brief rest. But rest was hardly what she got—the moment she left, stewards and servants swarmed her with reports on the banquet arrangements. By the time she finally sat down, nearly half an hour had passed.
Just then, another visitor arrived. Mama Xi lifted the curtain, and a ghostly figure drifted in, taking two steps forward before collapsing at Lady Xi’s feet in a desperate kowtow. "Aunt," the woman sobbed, "Wan Niang begs you—save my life."
Lady Xi was stunned and instinctively reached to help her up, but Cui Wan Niang, frail as a flickering candle, refused to rise. She lifted her hollow, dying eyes. "Aunt, I know I have no right to ask, but I have no way out. After today, my mother and father will force me into Lou Tai Convent, never to leave again."
Lady Xi frowned. Lou Tai Convent was a Taoist nunnery, but it lay hundreds of miles from the capital in Yongxingjun Circuit. Why send a daughter already wasted away by illness to such a remote place?
Seeing Lady Xi’s confusion, Cui Wan Niang’s despair deepened. A bitter smile twisted her lips. "So Ninth Brother truly kept even you in the dark. He is the true gentleman—I was the blind one."
Steeling herself, she confessed her sins. She had fallen for a destitute lute master who taught her younger brother. Trusting him, she had abandoned everything to elope—only to discover he had merely wanted to extort money from the Cui family to pay his debts. The man had demanded a fortune: ten thousand taels in banknotes, or he would expose their affair.
In the end, the Cui family had lured him into a trap and disposed of him.
The Cui name carried great weight in Chenzhou—dealing with a penniless scoundrel was no challenge. They pretended to agree, lured him in, then framed him for theft. They forced him to swallow a steamed bun stuffed with burning charcoal, searing his throat, before handing him over to the authorities. A mere ten taels to the clerks ensured he was beaten to a pulp.
Such a foolish and greedy man—yet back then, she had been blind to it, deceiving herself into believing she could escape her suffocating home with him. Since childhood, she had been different from her sisters. She loved riding and hunting, often shaking off the family servants to gallop alone into the distance, charging up the highest peaks of the Cui family estate to watch the sunrise. But from those lofty heights, all she saw were layers of mist-shrouded mountains, one range after another, stretching endlessly.
Her sisters’ greatest aspiration in life was to marry a man of good family and handsome appearance, to settle into a life of tending to their husbands and raising children, never daring to dream beyond that. But she, rebellious to the core, despised the arranged marriage that would only move her from one gilded cage to another.
She had always wanted to see what lay beyond those mountains.
The musician had once told her of the gentle beauty of the Jiangnan water towns, the rugged splendor of Lingnan, the chivalrous heroes of Guanzhong, the vast desolation of the northwest… Such a magnificent land, he said, and she had foolishly believed his vows, thinking he would take her to wander the world, never abandoning her.
But in the end, when she fled to him with dreams in her heart, he bound her and sent her back to the Cui family, extorting silver from them.
All his sweet words had been lies.
Locked in the ancestral hall, she watched helplessly as her belly grew day by day, only then realizing the magnitude of her mistake. She tried to escape, but there was no way out. If not for Ninth Brother’s rescue, she would likely have been beaten to death by her father.
Her father was a man of rigid principles, unable to tolerate any stain on his honor. The sight of her filled him with disgust, and he had long wanted to cast her out. It was only because her mother knelt and begged him that she was allowed to stay—just long enough to recover from childbirth before being sent to a Taoist nunnery to live out her ruined life.
But what difference was there between that and a slow death?
Cui Wan Niang kowtowed deeply to Lady Xi, tears streaming down her face. "Aunt, I know I am shameless… but I still want to live."
Lady Xi remained silent for a long time before finally gesturing for Mama Xi to help Cui Wan Niang up. After a heavy pause, she spoke in a somber tone: "Wan Niang, I’ve watched you grow up. You were always clever—that’s why I arranged your betrothal to Ninth Brother. You’ve read so many books, learned so many principles… how could you have been so easily deceived? To bring such disaster upon yourself!"
Cui Wan Niang lowered her head.
She had been bewitched, and now, there was not a day she did not regret it—but regret was useless.
Lady Xi sighed deeply. "Your mother sent you to me, didn’t she? Your father has always feared me. Back when he came to Youzhou to propose to your mother, I beat him with a stick more than once."
Lady Xi and Cui Wan Niang’s mother were sisters, raised together since childhood. One was quiet, the other spirited—the Eldest Lady of the Cui family was gentle and serene. Back then, when her beloved elder sister was to be married, Lady Xi had refused to stand for it. Every time the Cui family came, she drove them off, even clinging to her sister at night, refusing to let her go.
Her fondness for Cui Wan Niang had always been, in part, because she saw something of herself in her sister’s child.
But she had never imagined the girl could be so foolish.
"Yes… Mother is waiting outside," Cui Wan Niang nodded. Her mother loved her dearly, but could not sway her father. That was why, despite her frail health, she had made the journey to Bianjing. If not for the Xie family’s invitation, she would already be on her way to Loutai Temple—this was her only chance to slip past her father’s watchful eyes.
Mama Xi led the Cui Family's Eldest Lady, whose face was already streaked with tears, into the room. Lady Xi, noticing how much older she looked, felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. She rose and took the Cui Family's Eldest Lady’s hand, guiding her to sit before gently wiping her tears.
"Elder Sister, don’t cry anymore. I understand your heart, and I don’t blame you or Wan Niang for this matter. In the past, when Ninth Brother was plagued by misfortunes, you never once shunned him for his ill luck. I’ve also learned of Wan Niang’s situation. If your husband insists on sending her away, why not let her return to her maternal grandparents’ home in Youzhou?" Lady Xi then instructed Mama Xi to help Cui Wan Niang settle onto an embroidered stool.
The Cui Family's Eldest Lady had considered this option before, but… She sighed. "I thought of it too, but my husband fears word of this might spread. If her uncles and cousins were to find out, the Cui family would lose all face. That’s why he insists on sending her somewhere with no relatives, to avoid tarnishing the reputation of the Cui family’s daughters."
Cui Wan Niang sat on the stool, thin as a sheet of paper, trembling slightly at these words.
Lady Xi pondered for a moment. "I may have another solution."
She looked up at Cui Wan Niang and asked, "If I recall correctly, Wan Niang began learning household management at the age of six?"
The Cui Family's Eldest Lady nodded, tears welling up again as she wiped them away. "Wan Niang excels in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, horseback riding, and archery. She’s been trained in accounting and estate management under my guidance since childhood. If not for that wretched scoundrel, she could have excelled in anything. Her father once praised her as the most capable and sharp-witted among her sisters…"
"I’ve co-founded a workshop in Youzhou and have been struggling to find a reliable manager. The workshop is located in Lu County, Youzhou, two counties away from our family estate. My elder brother wrote recently to say construction had begun, and by now, it should be nearly complete. If Wan Niang goes there, she won’t need to stay with her maternal relatives—she can live right at the workshop." Lady Xi glanced at Mama Xi, who seemed to grasp her intention and gave a slight nod before withdrawing.
Cui Wan Niang abruptly lifted her head.
Lady Xi then explained her plan in detail to the Cui Family's Eldest Lady. The workshop was overseen by a front company meant to serve as a decoy. This shell company required a loyal and knowledgeable person well-versed in accounting, tax laws, and legal statutes to manage it—otherwise, the entire arrangement would collapse. She had been searching for such a person among the servants, but now, Wan Niang seemed the perfect fit.
She placed great importance on this noodle workshop’s front company. It was an experiment to see if such a method could truly safeguard the wealth and assets the Xie family had accumulated. If successful, other Xie family businesses would gradually follow suit.
"Rather than withering away in a Taoist convent, why not spend the rest of your life building something meaningful?" Lady Xi turned to Cui Wan Niang, whose face was now flushed with excitement. "But you must swear to me, Auntie, that you will remain clear-headed at all times and prioritize the workshop’s interests above all else. You must never let yourself be swayed by others."
"Auntie, you needn’t worry," Cui Wan Niang replied through gritted teeth. "For the rest of my life, there is nothing I despise more than men."
The memory of how she had once been infatuated with that despicable scoundrel filled her with revulsion.
Cui Wan Niang knelt down once more, kowtowing with a series of heavy thuds. "I am willing to go, Aunt, Mother. In my foolishness, I once pinned all my hopes on others, but now, after suffering greatly and nearly losing my life, I have awakened. A person must rely on themselves—mountains crumble, walls collapse, and depending on men is a dead end. I truly wish to start anew. I beg you."
The Cui Family's Eldest Lady also made up her mind, her voice somber. "Very well. Wan Niang can no longer marry in her current state. A Taoist temple would be a bleak and stifling existence, no different from imprisonment. She has always longed to see the world beyond—this will fulfill that wish."
Yet the cost was unbearably steep.
She was only seventeen, but her life had already reached a dead end.
It was her fault—she hadn’t paid enough attention to her daughter’s feelings. And she was useless, never able to sway her husband’s decisions... Tears streamed down the Cui Family's Eldest Lady’s face, wiped away repeatedly before she finally composed herself under Lady Xi’s comforting words.
Just then, a firm knock sounded at the door. Lady Xi said, "The person partnering with me in the workshop has arrived," and invited the Cui Family's Eldest Lady and Cui Wan Niang to freshen up in the inner quarters.
Once they had retreated behind the screen and entered the inner chamber, Lady Xi called out, "Please, come in."
Mama Xi led Shen Miao inside, and Lady Xi smiled. "I’ve imposed by inviting you here—I must have interrupted your opera enjoyment." Her gaze lingered briefly on Shen Miao, but she said nothing further, her smile unchanged.
Shen Miao replied with slight embarrassment, "Not at all. I’ve never been much for opera anyway."
Lady Xi gestured for her to sit and had tea served before getting straight to the point. She explained in detail her intention to send her niece to Youzhou to manage the workshop. Naturally, she omitted the reason for Cui Wan Niang’s illness, only mentioning her skill in accounting and management. She added that the girl’s health was frail, making marriage unlikely, so this path would give her purpose. Being of noble Xi lineage, she was more reliable than servants. Later, the Xi family would select a dozen or so literate, loyal maids to assist her. Her status alone would deter any thoughts of deceit among the servants.
Shen Miao considered it and found the arrangement reasonable. In ancient times, trust was paramount—families supported one another, and collective effort brought success. She wasn’t surprised by Lady Xi’s choice, though she was impressed by her progressive decision to send a woman rather than a male relative.
Still, she hesitated.
"I happened to catch a glimpse of Miss Cui earlier," Shen Miao said, recalling the girl’s pallid complexion. "Youzhou is harsh and cold—will her health hold up?"
Lady Xi smiled. "Her condition stems from heartache and despair. Now that she has hope, she’ll recover with care."
The vague explanation suggested private matters, but Shen Miao trusted Eldest Madam Xie’s judgment and didn’t press further. She nodded. "In that case, I leave this matter in your hands, Madam."
Lady Xi patted her hand reassuringly. "Rest assured, Shen Miao. The noodle workshop concerns the meals of Youzhou’s garrison—I would never take it lightly." The Xi family had nurtured Youzhou’s forces for generations; the soldiers were practically kin, each loss a personal grief.
Her goal was simply to improve their lives, not merely for profit.
Seeing Shen Miao so straightforward and trusting, Lady Xi felt a surge of delight. Her gaze lingered on the faintly embroidered lotus at Shen Miao’s collar, and she smiled warmly. "The gown you’re wearing today suits you very well, Miss Shen."
Shen Miao’s cheeks flushed instantly, though the ripple of emotion in her heart was swiftly suppressed. In her current state of mind, love paled in comparison to practicality. She pulled out a hand-drawn business proposal that had been tucked in her bag for some time and moistened her lips. "Actually, I also came today to discuss something with you, Eldest Madam Xie."
"Oh? What is it?" Lady Xi accepted the proposal with curiosity and was quickly engrossed as she flipped through it. She had never seen such a ledger before. The first page detailed the location of a small shop—its exact address, surrounding buildings, streets, and a special note emphasizing its bustling surroundings and the affluence of nearby residents.
Next were the listed prices of the shop and neighboring properties from brokers. Shen Miao had drawn bar graphs to illustrate the figures, making it immediately clear that this shop was priced 20-30% lower than others nearby, even without reading the fine print.
"Eldest Madam Xie, my proposal might seem presumptuous, but I hope you’ll hear me out." Shen Miao studied Lady Xi’s expression as she carefully laid out her plans—why she wanted to expand, how much capital she had saved, how much more she needed, and three possible investment options:
First, an advance on the profits from the noodle workshop, deducted annually until the debt was repaid.
Second, an equity-based investment where Eldest Madam Xie’s thousand strings of cash would buy a 20% stake in the shop’s future profits. Shen Miao would provide regular financial reports to ensure the investment remained secure.
Third, Eldest Madam Xie could purchase the shop outright and lease it to Shen Miao, eliminating risk for the Xie family while guaranteeing steady rental income. Even if Shen Miao’s business failed, the property could be leased to others.
After explaining, Shen Miao flipped to the last page of her handwritten proposal, where she had outlined projected financial returns—short, medium, and long-term—for each investment scenario.
Lady Xi was visibly surprised. She looked up from the booklet to Shen Miao, noting her composed demeanor despite the underlying tension. The young woman spoke with clarity, logic, and unwavering conviction about what she needed.
"Eldest Madam Xie, you may keep this booklet to review further," Shen Miao said with a gentle smile. "Please know that whatever your decision, I will always hold you in the highest regard. You’ve been my benefactor, and that will never change."
Yet Lady Xi simply smiled back. "I never hesitate when making decisions. I’ll choose the second option."
Shen Miao blinked. She had anticipated rejection or perhaps the first or third option—never had she imagined Lady Xi would willingly tie her finances to such a small venture. The second option favored Shen Miao far more than the Xie family.
Shared risk meant the shop would still belong to Shen Miao.
After speaking, Lady Xi also tucked Shen Miao’s ledger into her sleeve, smiling as she praised, "I’ll gladly take this ledger as well. What I admire most about Shen Miao is your cleverness and meticulous planning. You have a precise grasp of every expenditure, down to the smallest detail, and you dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to managing the household’s livelihood—whether it’s running small businesses or acquiring modest properties, you handle everything with care and foresight. Truly, you are the kind of woman who brings prosperity to a family."
When she uttered the words "the kind of woman who brings prosperity to a family," her tone seemed to carry a deeper implication.
But Shen Miao was too overjoyed to dwell on it. She rose to her feet and bowed deeply in gratitude:
"I know Eldest Madam Xie has no need for such trivial gains. That you so readily agreed to my request must stem from your kindness toward a younger generation. I hardly know how to express my thanks, but I will hold this kindness close to my heart. Should you ever have any instructions for me in the future, I would never dare to refuse."
Lady Xi, however, said nothing more. Glancing at the sky, she stood and escorted Shen Miao to the door. "Since you are a guest of the Xie family, how could I, as your host, spoil the occasion? Go on—once the opera ends, take a stroll around. Though the spring estate is vast, only the lakeside scenery is truly worth admiring. You won’t find such fine waters in Bianjing. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by."
Mama Xi politely accompanied her all the way to the long corridor leading to the lakeside embankment, where Shen Miao thanked her once more.
The opera stage was set up on the opposite shore of the lake, and returning required a boat ride. Fortunately, many Xie family servants were waiting by the boats, ready to assist with rowing. She casually chose the one nearest to her.
Overwhelmed by the joy of securing the deal, her excitement bubbled over, and she couldn’t resist skipping forward before bending down and leaping into the boat. The sudden movement caused the vessel to sway violently, but she laughed as she steadied herself against the side, only looking up once she regained her balance.
To her surprise, there was already someone in the boat—someone who seemed to have been drinking, as the faint aroma of plum wine lingered in the air.
The man turned his head slightly. His dark, luminous eyes, softened further by the influence of alcohol, met hers. A sudden gust of wind swept through, rustling the tall reeds around them and passing between the two.
Xie Qi, whose mind had been dulled by the wine, felt an instant clarity.
He gazed at the woman before him, dressed in a pale green robe. She seemed surprised to find him there, her delicate brows arching slightly. That slightly dazed expression of hers made his eyes crinkle with an irrepressible smile.
Long ago, he had thought Shen Miao resembled a lotus standing gracefully in the wind. Now, seeing her in this attire, she was just as lovely as he had imagined—so much so that he wished time would freeze in this moment, with all the world’s beauty converging upon her alone.
"Ninth Brother, why are you hiding here?" Shen Miao grumbled inwardly at the servants onshore for failing to warn her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have leaped in like a clumsy stone, sending the boat rocking.
Embarrassing. Truly embarrassing.
"I drank too much and came here to sober up," Xie Qi replied, his smile unwavering as he continued to gaze at her.
Under his lingering look, Shen Miao grew even more flustered. She pressed the back of her hand to her slightly warm cheeks and smoothed her skirt self-consciously before murmuring, "Ninth Brother, what are you smiling at? Is there something on my face?"
Xie Qi shook his head, finally tearing his eyes away. The wind swept past again, lifting the hems of their robes and strands of their hair.
It seemed that every time he saw Shen Miao, his heart was filled with inexplicable joy.
He couldn’t quite explain why—perhaps it was simply because the same breeze had once brushed against both their sleeves.
He was also quite delighted.
Originally, she had planned to ask Ninth Brother why he had suddenly gifted her clothes when she saw him. But in the end, even after leaving the Xie household, Shen Miao remained utterly bewildered, having said nothing at all.
She and he sat together on the boat in silence, foolishly saying not a word, simply letting the wind blow over them for a long while as they gazed at the water.
Later, Shen Miao could hardly believe her own behavior—how had she turned into such a mute, dazed fool in front of Ninth Brother? Why had she inexplicably lost all desire to speak?
Meanwhile, Sister Xiang had thoroughly enjoyed herself. In her words, the Xie family’s gardens were delicious, beautiful, and endlessly entertaining. While Shen Miao was foolishly sitting in the wind, Sister Xiang not only watched a play but also ran into Yan Shu. The two "food-loving friends," reunited after so long, chatted for quite some time. Yan Shu even gave her a package of loquat preserves, explaining that they were made from wild loquats picked during a recent trip to the countryside with the Grand Madam. There had been too many to eat fresh, so they’d been candied.
Shen Miao turned the matter over and over in her mind—what had Ninth Brother been thinking? And what had she been thinking? Before she could figure it out, Zheng Neizhi arrived to deliver the investment silver and contracts. Instantly, she cast aside all her girlish musings and stopped pondering altogether.
Expansion! She was going to expand the shop!
