Chapter 32 Initial Investigation of the Flower Scheme: Chen Junbai's Magnanimity, Tolerance, and Indulgence...

Li Yang lifted the curtain and glanced to the side. Chen Junbo beside her let out a soft laugh from his chest. She glanced at him and saw that the curve of his eyes only increased. She quickly turned her eyes back to look at the scenery by the roadside, and her ears felt slightly hot.

Chen's Flower Shop was located on East Street. Unlike the all-encompassing Chang Street, East Street seemed to be a money pit specially built for young ladies who loved beauty.

Fashionable clothing, newly made rouge, dazzling headdresses... everything you could want.

With a beautiful bride, scholars and poets were also attracted. Whether they composed a poem in a tavern or sketched something in their study, it was all considered refined taste, all for the sake of making the young lady smile.

Whether she was a daughter of an official, a daughter of a merchant, or a courtesan, it was all a matter of prestige. If one was fortunate enough to win the favor of a courtesan, it would be a boastful achievement in literary circles.

As the carriage moved on, Li Yang looked up and saw a hexagonal pavilion with a helmet-shaped roof, several times larger than the pavilions in the courtyard of Bao Mo Tang.

The pavilion has two stories. The second floor has six vermilion windows, each set inlaid in black bricks. Yellow tiles cover the white eaves, beneath which are black lacquered, openwork wooden decorations that connect to the round wooden ornaments on both sides. The entire structure is black, yet the different materials and patterns subtly reveal a layered beauty.

On the ground floor, around the street corner, a large door opens, above which hangs a black plaque with gold lettering that reads "East Market Flower Bureau".

A carved lantern hangs on each side. On each pillar is a semi-circular black plaque with gold lettering; the left reads, "The grass and trees know that spring will soon be gone," and the right reads, "A hundred kinds of red and purple vie in fragrance."

It was a rather ordinary flower shop, with bright and clean windows and tables. There were quite a few young ladies coming and going in twos and threes at the entrance.

Li Yang wondered to himself: Wasn't this flower shop supposed to be losing money one after another? How come it doesn't look dire at all now, and the number of customers coming and going is quite a lot?

She clung to the window frame, turned to ask Young Master Chen beside her, "Is this the money-losing flower party?"

Seeing the man nod in confirmation, her doubts deepened: "It doesn't seem like there's no business here."

Chen Junbo said with a smile, "Don't rush, let's go see it first."

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the flower shop. The shopkeeper saw the Chen family's carriage from afar, patted his sleeves, and ran over from inside the shop, saying incessantly, "Oh my, oh my, the boss is here! A rare guest indeed! Hurry up, everyone, perk up!"

The carriage curtain fluttered slightly, and out stepped not the lady, but the young master. The shopkeeper was overjoyed, wishing he could transform into the carriage bench, crouching low to the side, repeatedly calling out, "Young master, young master, watch your step!"

After getting out of the carriage, the young master of the house did not look at him, but turned around and reached out to help the young lady who was crawling out of the carriage.

The young lady wore a light red brocade shirt embroidered with folded branches and flowers, with a lake blue vest over it, and an autumn-colored horse-face skirt with embroidered butterflies and flowers on the hem.

A slightly worn, plain silver peach and bat hairpin hangs diagonally between her hair buns. Her face is unadorned, neither dazzlingly beautiful nor alluring, but her every smile and frown is radiant.

The shopkeeper was in charge of things on East Street all year round. The wealthy man was always accompanied by either a magnificent wife, a charming concubine, or a well-trained, beautiful and alluring young woman from the pleasure boat.

This one, dressed in fine clothes but simply adorned, exuded innocence... truly, she didn't fit into any particular category, leaving him unsure of her background.

Young Master Chen placed his hands on the young lady's waist and half-lifted her down.

The young woman grinned, put her hands on his shoulders, and without stepping on the bench, she pulled her legs up and, using the force of her hands, landed on the ground with a 'thud'.

The shopkeeper was stunned by the scene before him. This was not a young lady at all. His little girl, who was not yet ten years old, would always be held on the ground with her arms around his neck whenever she rode in the carriage.

Looking at Young Master Chen, upon seeing the young lady's behavior, he merely curled the corner of his mouth, showing no sign of annoyance or reproach.

The young master of the Chen family never cared about the affairs of the flower bureau in the past. Even when he was at the Chen family's residence, he would only have a detached expression. The only people who were close to him, apart from the head merchants, were the butlers. And all of these people were devoted to him...

What is this today?

The shopkeeper's eyes were filled with a thirst for knowledge: Just who is this young lady?!

He stepped forward and approached the two men. "Young masters, I am Zhong Qian, the manager of this flower shop."

Chen Junbo finally spared a glance at him and said calmly, "Manager Zhong, from today onwards, the young mistress is the owner of this flower shop."

A thunderclap out of nowhere!

Is this young lady the young mistress?!

A sudden gust of wind swept through his mind across the wilderness...

Young mistress, you snatched the flower arrangement from the madam's hands?!

Despite the turmoil raging within him, the shopkeeper remained outwardly composed and approached Li Yang with great enthusiasm, saying, "This humble one, Zhong Qian, greets the young mistress and the master."

Li Yang was so overwhelmed by his enthusiasm that he stumbled backward, landing his foot on Chen Junbai's black boot without realizing it. He just waved his hand repeatedly at the bowing and scraping man in front of him, saying, "Hehe, Manager Zhong, you're too kind."

Suddenly, she felt someone reach out to support her lower back. She turned around sharply and followed the other person's gaze downwards, only to realize that her heel was on the other person's shoe.

She jumped up and saw a clearly visible half-gray footprint on the black boot. Startled, she immediately squatted down to wipe it off.

To everyone's surprise, as soon as she bent down, Chen Junbo supported her with both arms, saying, "It's alright."

Li Yang felt uneasy: Are you alright? Really? Don't you have to change your clothes if there's even a drop of water on you?

This footprint was really an eyesore. After just one glance, it was etched into Li Yang's mind and wouldn't go away, making her uneasy.

Zhong Qian observed the two's every move clearly and silently classified the young mistress as an important person in his heart.

For him, having the opportunity to speak with the young master of the Chen family was a once-in-a-millennium stroke of luck, so he naturally paid special attention to him.

I thought this young lady was unknown, but I never expected that she was Chen Junbai's wife.

Then he thought again, how could he not have heard a word about such a big event as Chen Junbai's marriage? This young mistress doesn't seem to be a rich and noble lady, and is probably someone who is not valued.

Who would have thought that while the young mistress was somewhat "unconventional," Young Master Chen was "magnanimous," "indulgent," and even showed some "pity for her"... So, should I, of course, "be afraid to act rashly"? No, should I "out of respect for the monk but for the Buddha"? Or "love me, love my dog"?

Anyway, even if the young mistress is "using her position to bully others," Zhong Qian still has to "be mindful of her master" for the sake of the young master... Well, Zhong Qian decided to go home and ask the tutor next door for advice on how to handle this situation...

Chen Junbo slowly explained, "This matter has already been formalized with the old master, and I will inform everyone in a few days. I had some free time today, so I came to the shop with the young mistress to inspect it. Thank you for your help, Manager Zhong."

This matter actually went through the old man's connections.

This time, Zhong Qian couldn't help but look at the young mistress in front of him with new eyes: Just who is this young mistress? He had never heard of her before, yet she managed to settle things with the madam and even won the favor of the old master and the young master.

He kept his head down, repeatedly saying "yes," and glanced sideways at the man beside him without making a sound.

The man lowered his head sharply. Well, they were all a bunch of guys who knew absolutely nothing about their boss's family affairs!