Chapter 19: Yan Chaonian Expresses That His Eyes Are A Little Sore

Yan Chaonian realized he truly knew very little about Jiang Wencheng—at least, he had no idea his face was so thick-skinned. No matter how many cold shoulders he received, Jiang Wencheng could endure it. The more indifferent Yan was to him, the more spirited Jiang became. He recalled how Jia Ruzhen had also been blunt with him back in the day, even coming to blows—a real shameless scoundrel.

Perhaps the Bo residence was genuinely going through hard times.

“Master of the workshop, although Chaoyin Workshop is unrivaled in Rong City, it’s nothing when viewed across the nation. Have you ever considered expanding Chaoyin Workshop, selling its fabrics and brocades all the way to the capital?”

At this moment, Jiang Wencheng was half modest, half narrow-minded. “If the Master is willing, I might be able to help realize that wish.”

As soon as he said this, the other brocade workshop owners nearby glanced at Yan Chaonian with amusement—some with sarcasm, some with cold detachment, others eager for a show. “Unrivaled?” What arrogance! Do they think we’re just ornaments?

Yan Chaonian sneered. Jiang Wencheng had never dealt with household affairs or business before, yet here he was, shamelessly pushing forward. Such desperation made him look more like a con artist.

It was clear the Bo residence was truly on the brink of collapse.

“There’s always someone stronger. A mountain is always higher than another. Let’s not speak boastfully. Boss Zhao, Boss Zhang, and Boss Huang’s brocade workshops have solid foundations. Their looms and weavers outnumber those of Chaoyin Workshop.”

“Chaoyin Workshop only won the brocade competition by luck last year. Even so, the winning brocade wasn’t much better than those presented by these bosses. Such wild claims of being ‘unrivaled’ are simply unfounded.”

He turned slightly and smiled politely at the other bosses. “You should know that before this, the top spot in the brocade competition rotated among these bosses. Moving forward, Chaoyin Workshop will need your support.”

The previously disgruntled bosses immediately smiled. “Well said, well said. We’re all brocade weavers; supporting each other is only right.”

Though competition among brocade workshops was fierce, they were like branches of the same tree. Often, they would even exchange goods and collaborate, especially with large clients, aiming to sell the most fabric and make the most profit.

Jiang Wencheng, unaware of these intricacies, had inadvertently made all of them see him as a charlatan.

“Chaoyin Workshop, it’s your turn.”

The officials from the Brocade Industry Bureau announced the next group: Chaoyin Workshop, Yun Brocade Workshop, and Zhao’s Brocade Workshop. Li Chun and Li Xia each carried batches of brocade to the stage; Boss Zhao went personally.

As they left, Jiang Wencheng stepped forward to speak again, but Yan Chaonian glanced sideways. “Mr. Jiang, I am a woman with a husband and son. Please, Mr. Jiang, do not be reckless. My husband has a bad temper—I fear your delicate nature might not endure.”

“Once more, brocade is fine, but payment must be in silver.”

“Or you may offer goods of equal value in exchange, but then you’ll need to negotiate with the Brocade Industry Bureau.”

With that, she turned and went onstage, leaving Jiang Wencheng stiff with restrained anger. Such a small merchant dared to show him such insolence?!

Onstage, the three workshops spread out their brocades: the square patterned “Plum Crane Competes in Spring,” the cloud-like “Rain Silk Brocade,” the floral “Pavement Brocade,” and the “Ruyi Peony” Tonghai satin. The brocade cascaded down the tables for the crowd to admire closely, eliciting endless awe.

“No wonder they’re among the top in Rong City. Their work is truly extraordinary.”

“Look at that ‘Plum Crane Competes in Spring’—bold and magnificent. Imagine how stunning a dress made from this would be.”

“See the ‘Ruyi Peony’ Tonghai satin woven with golden threads—such wealth! Truly the height of luxury...”

Of the six brocades on the stage, four were bright red—festive and grand. One was the dazzling “Moonlight Brocade,” but the most eye-catching was the black background with golden patterned Tonghai satin. “This full-flower brocade is no easy feat. Most weavers can’t even grasp the warp and weft properly—it’s an incredibly complex technique.”

Jiang Wencheng was also drawn to this golden-flowered brocade—its subtle gold patterns and rich, elegant design. The Empress Dowager would surely love it.

“Can anyone guess which workshop this is from?”

He didn’t have to choose Chaoyin Workshop exclusively. If another workshop possessed such superb skill, that would be an option in his efforts to court favor.

“Hard to say.”

People around shook their heads. “These three workshops are all among the city’s best and have each won the brocade competition before. It’s difficult to distinguish.”

When all have reached a certain level of mastery, it’s truly hard to rank them.

The audience couldn’t tell, nor could those onstage. Lord Xu of the Brocade Industry Bureau smiled, saying this year’s brocades surpassed last year’s. “It shows no workshop has slackened in the past year. A good thing indeed.”

“Lord Xu speaks wisely. The lifting of restrictions on brocade production was a clever move by the court. Both quantity and quality have increased manifold in recent years.”

The officials exchanged compliments, while Mistress Qin and several master weavers carefully examined and quietly discussed the works.

Among the last few brocade workshop bosses standing on stage, after viewing each other’s brocades, some hearts sank while others secretly rejoiced, exchanging polite but insincere words.

Li Chun and Li Xia stretched their necks, their faces betraying their tension. Winning the top spot meant more than just selling more fabric—it came with the Bureau’s support and tax benefits, with many advantages.

“You know what’s at stake, right, Nian Nian?”

Li Xia was extremely nervous.

“Don’t speak,” Li Chun whispered sharply. “Just wait for the results.”

Soon, three brocades were returned. The boss of Yun Brocade Workshop’s face immediately fell. Returning brocades meant rejection; two of the three returned were theirs.

Boss Zhao breathed a sigh of relief—they had only one returned. Li Xia was about to show happiness but was silently pinched by Li Chun, who instead wore a disappointed expression, leading Boss Zhao to mistakenly think they too had brocades returned.

Next up was another group. Yan Chaonian stepped down first, while Li Chun turned to the back of the stage and laughed slyly—managing to keep two brocades safe.

The next group included Zhang’s Brocade Workshop. Earlier, the theft incident involving Zhang’s Workshop had caused quite a stir, with many secretly waiting to see Boss Zhang’s downfall. But when six brocades were displayed, Yan Chaonian judged that Boss Zhang had suffered no loss.

Those rumors were likely deliberately spread.

Li Chun noticed too. “Could it have been Boss Wu from Yun Brocade Workshop? Look at his face—it’s awful.”

“Or maybe all their brocades were returned just now.”

A gaze lingered on her, making her uncomfortable. She turned and saw Jiang Wencheng giving a polite smile—such a shameless grin.

Yan Chaonian felt a sharp pain in his eyes.