Chapter 2: Slap Him Twice Across the Face

“Father, are you really going to bring that woman back home?”

Jiang Chongyuan resisted vehemently. “Didn't you say she was talentless and unvirtuous? Bringing her back won’t make Mother happy. If Mother’s unhappy, won’t that trouble you the most?”

He had witnessed his parents arguing, even seen his mother slap his father. His father said nothing after being struck, but after brooding for half a day, he bought jewelry and took the initiative to apologize to her.

Jiang Chengwen stopped in his tracks, his face stern. “You’ve reached the age where you should understand. Even if she has turned to dust, she is still your birth mother. You should treat her with respect. When you rise in rank and enter officialdom, showing disrespect to your birth mother will be a stain on your reputation, a weapon for your political enemies.”

“Yelling at her like you did today, even pushing her—that is truly unacceptable.”

Jiang Chongyuan remained defiant. Even if it was wrong, his father hadn’t scolded him at the moment, which meant it was somewhat tolerated.

Reluctantly, he said, “Son knows his mistake.”

Jiang Chengwen valued his eldest son somewhat. The main issue was that Ru Zhen had indeed fallen short in managing the household affairs and did not get along well with Mother. Though Lady Yan was jealous, she had never faltered in household management and was thoughtful in social dealings.

If she had been as dedicated to the Bo family’s affairs as she was three years ago, he might have given her some respect.

“When she comes around, you must not behave as you did today. Say a few kind words and coax her back. This is for your own good. After all, she is your birth mother. Wandering outside, she may encounter misfortune. If her reputation is ruined, it will reflect badly on you.”

Jiang Chongyuan’s eyes widened. Though young, he understood much—he had even been taken by his mother to a brothel to learn about the world. Naturally, he knew what it meant for a woman to lose her reputation.

The very thought made him uneasy, and he even felt a flicker of worry for Yan Chaonian’s intentions. Then came a flush of frustration, thinking Yan Chaonian only brought him shame.

“She left with her maternal family from the capital back then. Though her grandfather had lost his official position, her grandmother’s family were merchants with silver to hire guards. There was no chance of misfortune.”

Jiang Chengwen nodded. He had considered this carefully before agreeing. If a woman traveled all the way to the southwest alone, she would likely have lost her purity. For Chongyuan’s sake, no matter how capable Lady Yan was, she could not be allowed to live.

The spring in the southwest arrived unusually early. By early March, the fields were lush with blooming grasses and trees, sunlight breaking through the clouds to bathe the land. As the day grew brighter, more and more people streamed into Jinxiu Street, mostly merchants from various regions arriving for the silkworm market. Laughter and greetings filled the air.

Jiang Chengwen and Jiang Chongyuan inquired along the way about the route to Chaoyin Lane. Those they asked were friendly. “Are you gentlemen here for tomorrow’s ordering fair at Chaoyin Lane, too?”

Jiang Chengwen smiled. “Yes, I’m hoping to buy some fine brocade.” He then praised Chaoyin Lane again, hinting at a desire to befriend the shopkeeper. “This is my first visit. Are there any rules I should know?”

“Not every shop can get goods from Chaoyin Lane, let alone meet the shopkeeper.”

Thinking this was another dreamer, the man added, “The shopkeeper is a woman who always wears a veil. Even when meeting merchants on the second floor, there’s a veil between them. Among so many customers, no one has ever seen her true face.”

Those gathered speculated she must be ugly, but the man disagreed. “She’s probably just in her early twenties, slender and graceful, with a pleasant voice. Such a person can’t be ugly. She just finds it inconvenient as a woman to conduct business openly.”

Jiang Chengwen was curious. Wasn’t she afraid of the powerful?

The man pointed skyward. “Chaoyin Lane used to be the Li family’s brocade shop three years ago—nothing special. Since this new shopkeeper took over, it’s gained fame within just a year. Such a person must have backing.”

“Besides, her goods are truly excellent—featuring the precious Bao Xiang flower pattern. Her fabrics have a rare sheen. To get even one bolt of such material is like burning incense to the heavens.”

Sometimes, a rare bolt could seal a great deal. Many merchants had influential buyers behind them, usually officials or nobles. Naturally, no one dared to provoke Chaoyin Lane.

Patting Jiang Chengwen on the shoulder, the man said, “Don’t hope to meet the shopkeeper. Just figure out how to place an order.”

Jiang Chengwen furrowed his brow. His main purpose in traveling southwest was to win over Chaoyin Lane. The current Empress Dowager adored the brocades from the southwest. Their colors and patterns were magnificent and grand.

The emperor was filial. If he could please the Empress Dowager, the Bo family might rise again.

In the past three years, the Bo family had waned. If they didn’t turn things around soon, they might lose their title altogether. How could they face their ancestors if that happened?

At this moment, Yan Chaonian returned home.

“Mother~”

In the spacious courtyard of the southwest garrison, a child with arms wide and tiptoeing hurried toward her, smiling to reveal two front teeth, eyes shining with joy at seeing her mother.

Seeing the little one, Yan Chaonian’s gloom vanished. She bent down to lift the child. “Did you behave well while Mother was away?”

“Our little one was very good.”

Yan’s mother smiled, stepping forward with mock reproach. “Tomorrow is the silkworm market, and you’re supposed to be at Chaoyin Lane. Why did you go there today?”

“To read to the little one for half a day.”

Yan Chaonian laughed. “I was bored, so I went to see how the merchants were arriving. Tomorrow is both the silkworm market and our Chaoyin Lane’s ordering fair. How much we earn depends on tomorrow.”

“Just testing the waters, huh.”

“You never can stay still. Don’t you have your father?”

Yan Chaonian carried the child inside. “The tea in our garden has grown wonderfully with the nourishment of silkworm droppings. Father practically wants to sleep in the tea garden. How could he have time?”

Yan’s mother shook her head helplessly. “Your father isn’t busy in the garden. He’s just tasting tea and composing sour poems. Those years of officialdom were wasted; he wishes he was rooted in that tea garden.”

Yan Chaonian’s gaze darkened briefly, then she smiled again, teasing the child. The little one, already past bedtime waiting for her return, soon grew drowsy in her arms and fell asleep.

After tucking the child into bed, Yan Chaonian began to speak of meeting Jiang Chengwen. Before she could finish, her mother’s face fell. “Why did he come all the way here instead of staying in the capital with his beloved?”

The Yan family was a scholarly household. Yan’s father had lived a smooth life and had the support of three generations of the weaving business from the maternal family. He had smoothly risen to a fifth-rank official. Had things continued smoothly, he might have advanced further. But at the crucial moment, he encountered Jiang Chengwen, the true love of Yan Chaonian.

Yan’s father became entangled in a corruption case. He was about to be singled out, but Jiang Chengwen, eager to remove Yan Chaonian’s lover from the capital, stirred things up and was defined as an accessory for failing to report.

Though he was not imprisoned or exiled, he was stripped of his rank, and Yan’s eldest brother, Yan Wenchao, newly entering officialdom, was implicated as well.

“Don’t be foolish. When such things happened, if our family hadn’t been united, and if your uncle hadn’t helped, how could you have met your husband and had the good life you do now?”

“That despicable man dares to show his face to you? Why didn’t you give him two good slaps?”