Chapter 90 Fading Red

"To be frank, it's unlikely that the second young mistress still has feelings for Xie Xuchuan."

Wei Hu squatted by the eaves, silently shaking his head as he watched his master.

"Think about it, since that person chose to be with the Jiang family girl, he should have thought about the second young mistress's situation. If the second young mistress hadn't married you, she would be in a very difficult situation right now, suffering all kinds of scorn."

"The second young mistress is, after all, a merchant's daughter. Even if she seems gentle, she is not someone who can be easily manipulated."

"Xie Xuchuan did something to wrong her, so I don't think he will forgive her easily."

As he spoke, Wei Hu added, "How could a proud and arrogant young lady of a merchant family tolerate betrayal?"

"Don't people always say that once someone is unfaithful, they will never be trusted again? Xie Xuchuan has done such an outrageous thing, how could the second young mistress still have feelings for him?"

Xie Qi thought there was some truth to what he heard, so he closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and felt the slightly scorching sunlight.

He disliked that she also favored Xie Xuchuan; as long as it wasn't Xie Xuchuan, it didn't matter to him who she loved.

As his anxiety subsided, Xie Qi raised his hand and gently touched the faint scar on his wrist.

For some unknown reason, he suddenly frowned.

Don't you find this a little strange?

Wei Hu exclaimed, "What's so strange?"

When did Xie Xuchuan and Jiang Wansu start dating?

"yes."

Wei Hu scratched his head, also puzzled: "All these years you've had nothing better to do than keep an eye on Xie Xuchuan. His every move is under your watchful eye."

"When exactly did he get together with the Jiang family girl? And suddenly the two of them had a child."

Xie Qi glanced at him, her face showing displeasure.

What do you mean he's been focusing on Xie Xuchuan all these years?

Ignoring his master's disdainful look, Wei Hu frowned: "Over the years, anyone with eyes can see that the young master really likes the Shen family's daughter. In the past, whenever the Shen family's daughter gave him something..."

For some reason, Wei Hu felt his face tighten, and when he looked at Xie Qi, he noticed that Xie Qi looked displeased.

Knowing better than to say anything more, I shut up.

Xie Qi closed his eyes, not only finding Xie Xuchuan's reaction strange, but also finding Jiang Wansu's attitude unusual.

If Xie Xuchuan and Jiang Wansu harbored feelings for each other, why did he abandon everything in the Xie family to elope with Shen Yuanzhu after learning that she had married him?

Shen Yuanzhu thought Xie Xuchuan wanted to trick her into giving the dyeing manual to Jiang Wansu's child, but he didn't think so.

Even without the dyeing manual, Xie Xuchuan's lineage is still the direct descendant of the Xie family, so there is no need to be fixated on the "Shen Family Dyeing Manual".

And then there was the day Jiang Wansu came to warn him...

No matter how you look at it, it's unreasonable for a sister-in-law to warn her brother-in-law.

She should just keep an eye on her own husband; what kind of scheme is it to come and threaten him?

Slightly opening his eyes, Xie Qi was blinded by the sunlight. He lowered his gaze and asked, "Was it Dr. Yan from Huichuntang who was treating Jiang Wansu's pregnancy?"

"Yes, you and the second young mistress returned to your parents' home yesterday, and I saw him come to our house."

"Have Zhang Mama check Jiang Wansu's medical records to see how far along she has been pregnant."

Wei Hu nodded and dashed out.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Wei Hu returned with a thin piece of paper in his hand.

Xie Qi took it, glanced at it, and raised an eyebrow.

If he remembered correctly, Xie Xuchuan was preparing to go to Huizhou to collect madder at this time...

With a forceful twist of his slender fingertips, the paper was crumpled into a ball and quickly crushed into dust.

Paper scraps fluttered and scattered in the wind.

"Go and find out what Jiang Wansu was doing before Xie Xuchuan went to Huizhou."

"I understand, I'll check it out today."

Wei Hu left, and Xie Qi returned to Qianxiang Courtyard.

Shen Yuanzhu was doing accounts in the room when she saw Xie Qi enter, so she put the account book in her hand on the dressing table.

The ledger was wrapped in the same mulberry paper as the dowry catalog, and was stacked together with the dowry catalog, so it was not conspicuous.

Xie Qi never touched her things, especially her dowry accounts, which allowed Shen Yuanzhu to be somewhat unaware of what was going on.

Is there anything I can do for you today?

Shen Yuanzhu shook her head: "You have plans?"

Xie Qi said, "Let's go for a walk together."

Shen Yuanzhu was also a decisive person. She changed her clothes and went out with Xie Qi.

However, as the carriage drove all the way to Zuichunlou, Shen Yuanzhu kept turning her head to look at Xie Qi.

"What's wrong?"

Shen Yuanzhu pointed to the huge plaque above Zuichunlou, but before she could speak, Xie Qi grabbed her hand.

"Why show it? The wound has already healed, hasn't it? It won't happen again."

After saying that, he led Shen Yuanzhu into the Drunken Spring Pavilion.

Shen Yuanzhu pursed her lips, thinking to herself that she had already experienced many of Xie Qi's unique qualities, but she still found it difficult to adapt.

The Drunken Spring Pavilion was filled with the scent of perfume, not strong but still unpleasant to the nose.

Shen Yuanzhu looked at the bright young girl in front of her, who was just over ten years old, and silently followed her up to the second-floor private room.

"You've found a market for your faded red silk?"

As soon as they sat down, Shen Yuanzhu spoke, and Xie Qi's eyes showed a faint smile upon hearing this.

Shen Yuanzhu is intelligent; when dealing with smart people, there's no need for many words.

"Just you wait and see."

After having pastries and tea served, Xie Qi walked to the window and opened the wooden window.

The weather is perfect today; it's a great day for a river cruise.

Flower boats lined the river, accompanied by the sounds of gongs and drums. The boats featured not only courtesans and musicians, but also young ladies from noble families and refined scholars.

I don't know who came up with the brilliant idea of ​​organizing a "flower contest" today.

It's a lucky and fun event, and also a good opportunity to spread fame for beauty and talent.

Shen Yuanzhu walked to the window and immediately saw a bamboo raft surrounded by many boats.

The bamboo raft was much larger than usual, with long poles supporting it and some pretentious and affected sentences hanging on it, which made many literati rack their brains to try to outdo others.

A group of three or five students from some academy gathered together and started yelling and shouting on the river, making Shen Yuanzhu squint.

Xie Qi pointed to a flower boat slowly approaching in the distance and said, "Look at that flower boat."

Shen Yuanzhu looked up and saw a bamboo raft adorned with fresh flowers, on which stood two alluring women with bright and beautiful faces.

They wore silk skirts, the hems of which, along with their bright red shawls, were stained by the water.

They danced gracefully to the sound of drums.

As she danced, her shawl and skirt stirred up ripples in the water, and a faint blush spread across the surface, adding a touch of rosy blush to the river.

Before anyone could react, a man wearing a turban and indigo robes loudly proclaimed: "The clouds are cut and soaked to become the color of the Red River, half dyed with silk gauze and half dyed with waves..."

"A beautiful poem, beautiful lines."

Although Zuichunlou was right by the river, Chen Yuanzhu couldn't hear the sentimental poems very clearly. He only occasionally heard phrases like "drenched in autumn water," "blemishes," and "peach blossom color."

Someone shouted that the rouge cloth should be soaked in water, and that each wash would lighten the color by three points, like a beauty removing her makeup. She heard it very clearly.

Before long, the entire lake surface was covered in rouge, half of the water dyed.

Shen Yuanzhu turned to Xie Qi and couldn't help but exclaim, "Your move was brilliant. I imagine in a couple of days, all the literati and scholars in Suzhou will be clamoring to buy 'rouge-removing cloth'."

Hearing her praise him, Xie Qi suppressed the joy on his lips and forced a cold expression: "Do you really think so?"