Chang Ning stepped forward and greeted her respectfully. “Greetings, Miss.”
“You’re here early.”
Grinning, Chang Ning replied, “Second Master retrieved the item last night. It was too late to disturb you, so I’ve come first thing this morning to deliver the good news.”
Mingxi’s eyes lit up with surprise. “How did Second Uncle manage to get it so quickly?”
So Easy?
“It was a coincidence! You don’t know this, Young Miss, but when we got there, they were being hounded by debt collectors right at the door. It’s like heaven handed us an opportunity,” Chang Ning, who had gone along personally, recounted the scene vividly.
“…If we had been even a step late, that Zhang Yuchang—what a coward—just had to feel a blade at his neck, and he’d have wet himself! We showed up with money in hand, and he was practically worshiping us like ancestors. Young Miss, guess how much silver Second Master spent?”
Chang Ning’s face radiated cheerfulness, and his words amused Mingxi, making her laugh. “Ten thousand taels?”
Seeing her smile, Chang Ning amped up his theatrics, slapping his thigh as he exclaimed, “That kind of trash isn’t worth ten thousand taels of your silver! Second Master only paid two thousand taels to settle his gambling debts and gave Zhang Yuchang an extra hundred taels to set up a home. Then, we took the goods away.”
Mingxi: …
Seeing her stunned expression, Chang Ning grinned even wider and added, “Second Master was worried there might be trouble, so he gave an extra fifty taels to the debt collectors to make sure they wrote out receipts and left their signatures and fingerprints.”
Chang Ning handed the receipt to the eldest Miss. Qian Cao walked over to take it and placed it on the table beside Mingxi.
Mingxi picked it up and skimmed through it. The names of the creditors, Zhang Yuchang’s signature and fingerprints, and the details of the transaction were all recorded clearly.
She handed the document to Qian Cao, instructing her to store it in the inner room. Then, she asked Xiangxiang to fetch five taels of silver as a reward for Chang Ning.
Chang Ning gratefully accepted the reward and left, beaming with joy. Five taels of silver was equivalent to two months’ wages for him. Truly generous of the eldest Young Miss.
Meanwhile, Second Master Duan personally delivered the materials to Duan Pingchang. As Duan Pingchang carefully compared the fabric samples, he confirmed they were identical.
He knew then that this was clearly a deliberate trap.
But outwardly, Duan Pingchang remained calm and composed. He invited Second Master Duan to stay for a meal and drinks. This time, Second Master Duan didn’t refuse, as he needed to discuss the specifics of the situation with Duan Pingchang to ensure no mistakes were made later.
With three days left until the deadline given by the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau, Duan Pingchang, who had previously been as anxious as a cat on hot bricks, now felt at ease.
Over drinks, Duan Pingchang began reminiscing. “When my wife and I first met Xixi, she was just a tiny little thing. The human trafficker wanted to sell her to… that kind of place. We couldn’t bear it, so we paid a hefty sum to buy her. You didn’t see her back then—Mingxi was beautiful, fair-skinned, and so tiny. Who wouldn’t fall in love with her? My wife and I have always had poor luck with children and hadn’t had any of our own despite years of marriage. We raised her as if she were our own flesh and blood.”
“She was extraordinarily intelligent. Where it took others ten reads to understand a book, she needed just one. One year, I took her with me to visit Chen Qiting, the great Confucian scholar. He tested her knowledge and was so impressed that he beat his chest, lamenting that she wasn’t a boy. Otherwise, she would’ve brought glory to the family name.”
Second Master Duan listened in astonishment. “Xixi was this exceptional even as a child?”
Duan Pingchang nodded proudly. “Absolutely. Back then, people laughed at me for treating a girl like a son, mocking me for having no male heir and for treasuring an adopted child. Do you know what Xixi said to me?”
“What did she say?” Second Master Duan was intrigued.
“She said, ‘Father, give me ten years, and I’ll make everyone in Jiangcheng envy you for having raised such a remarkable daughter. A great daughter is worth ten sons. By then, those people won’t even be fit to shine my shoes. When they see you, they’ll respectfully address you as Lord Duan.’”
Second Master Duan was speechless.
His niece was truly extraordinary!
“When your family found us and demanded to take Xixi back after we’d raised her for so many years, I was heartbroken. But I couldn’t hold her back and risk her future. Still, the way your family treated her after bringing her back was downright cruel.”
Second Master Duan felt a pang of guilt. Back then, he had been aware of what his sister-in-law had done but hadn’t stopped her. As an uncle, he could have intervened if he’d wanted to, but he hadn’t.
He wronged that child.
“I’ll admit, Xixi may be formidable outside, but to her family, she’s always been devoted. I know she cares about her biological parents too. But for the madam of the house to do what she did… Xixi wrote us a letter from Jiangcheng, and my wife cried over it all night.”
“In Jiangcheng, even though we’re mere merchants, Xixi was still addressed as the ‘Eldest Young Miss of the Duan family.’… Her younger brother is now studying hard at the academy, determined to succeed and stand by her side. Even though I allowed her to acknowledge her roots, to us in Jiangcheng, she will always be our precious jewel. If your family doesn’t want her, just send her back to us. Why put her through such hardship?”
Second Master Duan poured Duan Pingchang a drink and said earnestly, “Our family’s treatment of Mingxi back then was indeed wrong. Rest assured, from now on, no one in the household will dare mistreat her. She will never suffer again.”
“With those words, I can rest easier. As parents, we’re filled with concern for our children. I hope you won’t find me laughable.”
Second Master Duan couldn’t smile. He remembered the day Mingxi returned to the manor. He couldn’t quite recall her expression, only that the sun was shining brightly and the household was bustling.
After seeing Second Master Duan off, Madam Xu helped her husband back to their room and couldn’t help but chide him, “Why did you say so much? What if it upset him?”
Duan Pingchang scoffed, “Fine, I admit that the Marquis Manor looks down on me because I’m a merchant. But my daughter is someone I raised on my shoulders, and how dare they treat her like this? I’ll make them understand that even though I’m just a merchant, I’m willing to risk everything to stand up for my child.
“There’s an old saying: ‘Don’t bully the poor young man.’ When our son achieves success, let’s see if any of them dare speak to us arrogantly then!”
“You’re drunk. Even if your son passes the imperial exam, it still won’t compare to the prestige of a noble title,” Madam Xu said, wringing out a cloth to wipe her husband’s face. “You need to stop letting a few drinks make you lose control of your tongue.”
Duan Pingchang sighed and fell silent.
If only Xixi were really my daughter, he thought. Then she wouldn’t have to endure all this suffering.
The next morning, when the effects of the alcohol wore off, Duan Pingchang had no time to regret his drunken rambling. A messenger from the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau, representing Tong Qianshu, came to demand the goods.
After exchanging information with Second Master Duan the previous night, Duan Pingchang finally learned who had sabotaged him.
Tong Gaozhuo was a loyal subordinate of the Crown Prince. Setting him up and kicking him while he was down—it was clear where the plot had originated. Duan Pingchang made a note to settle this score.
“Master Duan, are the goods ready? The deadline is fast approaching. If the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau fails to deliver, you won’t be able to shoulder the blame!”
Duan Pingchang, looking troubled, replied, “We’re already preparing the goods. It’s not the final deadline yet, so please rest assured that I’ll deliver on time.”
Hmph!
Scoundrel!
Just wait!
