Chapter 62
"I say, you're a young lady from a wealthy family, so why don't you have a place to stay in the capital?"
Dust filled the air, and when a mattress was placed on it, dust flew up.
"Ahem, I forgot to have someone clean. Why don't you stay in the next room for now, and move in in a couple of days when the house is clean?" Fu Niang warmly pulled Jiang Mian away.
This house is located in the bustling city center, next to a market. It was already noon, but there was still a constant flow of people outside.
Fu Niang placed the freshly made steamed buns in front of her. Jiang Mian felt a little embarrassed. She had met this proprietress three times in total, and the proprietress had always been very enthusiastic, which made her feel a little awkward.
"Little girl, you didn't come to the capital to find your lover, did you?"
"Cough cough...cough..." The steamed bun was a bit dry, and Jiang Mian almost choked on it.
"Wait a minute, no one's going to take it from you. Could it be that I'm right?" Fu Niang said with a gossipy look, leaning closer. "If you ask me, what's so great about those heartless men? They all become rich and then abandon their wives who stood by them through thick and thin, marry princesses and enjoy wealth and glory, while their wives at home are left waiting in vain. Bah!"
"What's so great about men!"
"Tell me, am I right?" As soon as she finished speaking, Fu Niang suddenly grabbed her wrist, her eyes shining brightly.
Jiang Mian nodded hesitantly. She really hadn't come to find her lover; on the contrary, she had come to the capital to escape Shen Ji.
“That’s more like it.” Fu Niang patted her head with satisfaction and continued, “I’ve lived in the capital for over ten years and have seen many women try to kill themselves over a man. There are so many interesting things in the world, why ruin your whole life over something like that?”
At that moment, Jiang Mian suddenly understood something.
In her family environment, no one ever taught her how a woman should conduct herself. Her parents spent very little time with her, and her grandmother only taught her how to protect herself. After that, everyone she met instilled in her the idea that if she wanted to live well, she had to marry well.
She witnessed firsthand how her aunt's family went to great lengths to arrange a marriage for their daughter, prioritizing personal feelings over personal gain in order to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy. The greed and lust of these powerful and wealthy individuals turned her beauty into the sharpest sword.
She clumsily tried to seduce Shen Ji, only to be imprisoned by him and entangled with him for months. Now, upon suddenly hearing these words, she felt a myriad of emotions swirling within her.
As if the clouds had parted to reveal the fog, all those things that had troubled her had vanished today. She was happy, and she was worried. From this day forward, she no longer needed to be mindful of others' opinions or try to please everyone.
She can also take control of her own destiny.
After the meal, Fu Niang led her around to familiarize her with the terrain.
"Little girl, tell me secretly, what exactly did you come to the capital for?" Fu Niang pressed on relentlessly. It wasn't that she was being nosy; she had lived in the capital for over ten years and had never seen a woman of such outstanding beauty, not even the noble ladies in the palace.
"I want to start a business."
"Business?" Upon hearing this, Fu Niang almost dropped her jaw in astonishment.
She had assumed the girl was looking for relatives, or at the very least, traveling and would return soon. But to her surprise, the girl immediately said she wanted to do business.
She knew that it was already difficult for a powerless woman to survive here, let alone dream of making a name for herself. It wasn't that she was being pessimistic, but that such a thing was extremely rare.
I advise you to give up as soon as possible.
"Why?" Jiang Mian was puzzled. She had thought about this carefully. To live in the capital, besides money, one also needed power.
The latter was almost impossible for her to obtain, but she wanted to try the former; she couldn't just spend all her capital and then pack up and leave.
Fu Niang looked at her intently, unsure whether to say that this young woman was fearless in her inexperience or that she was oversimplifying things. Regardless of how complex the business world was, as a weak woman, she was likely to encounter many injustices before even opening her shop.
"Is there no one home at your house?" Fu Niang took a deep breath and decided to ask in a more tactful way.
But as soon as she finished speaking, the woman in front of her suddenly fell silent, her eyes filled with sadness.
No, that can't be.
She was just asking casually.
"Don't cry, I didn't mean to. I was just thinking that, judging from your appearance and demeanor, you must come from a wealthy family. If your family hadn't fallen on hard times, how could you have ended up in this desperate situation?" Fu Niang was good at roasting people, but she wasn't so good at comforting them.
Looking at Jiang Mian at this moment, she felt somewhat at a loss.
"I'm fine." Jiang Mian wasn't deliberately sad; it was just that she had casually mentioned it, and it inexplicably touched her heart. All her loved ones had passed away two years ago.
Seeing that she had adjusted her mood, Fu Niang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"But don't be discouraged. If you want to make money, I have a way."
"Why don't you come work as a shop assistant in my shop? The painters here are very arrogant. They haven't painted portraits for months because they can't find a suitable candidate. If you come, my business might boom. I'll waive your rent and even pay you your wages. What do you say?"
It seemed like a windfall, but Jiang Mian checked several times to make sure it wasn't a trap before asking, "Why are you so good to me?"
After a moment of silence, Fu Niang suddenly said, "Perhaps we clicked. More than ten years ago, I also came to the capital alone."
"So you're here to see that... unfaithful man?"
A sudden realization dawned on Jiang Mian, and she understood why Fu Niang had been so earnestly trying to persuade her.
"Little girl, don't ask so many questions. Go back and rest well today, and go to the painting shop tomorrow." As if her secret had been exposed, Fu Niang's expression instantly became a little unnatural. She turned around and walked away without waiting for Jiang Mian.
"Wait for me, I don't know the way." Jiang Mian quickly chased after him.
...
"Young master, we've found it."
In Luomei Courtyard, Yun Qing, weathered and worn, stood behind Shen Ji.
“Zhang Xuan and Consort Ning worked together to control His Majesty’s medicine for years. No trace of the Crown Prince’s interference was found. However, Consort Ning should be on the Crown Prince’s side.”
Shen Ji, wearing an outer robe, sat on a clean futon. In front of him was a neatly arranged memorial tablet. He clasped his hands together, looking devout and serious, like a high monk in a temple who was detached from worldly affairs, exuding nobility in every way.
"knew."
"..."
"Is there anything else?"
Yun Qing raised his eyes to look at Shen Ji, closed his eyes briefly, and then said, "Today I saw the Fifth Miss in a painting shop. In addition, the Princess of Ningguo Mansion seems to be interested in Lord Jiang, and the two are considering marriage."
The incense candle broke in mid-air, staining his snow-white collar.
After Yun Qing finished speaking, she didn't wait for Shen Ji's reaction and immediately withdrew.
The bright room was somewhat quiet. Shen Ji relit the incense and candles, knelt for a moment, and then got up and went to the window.
The sky had been clear for several days, but it was still a bit chilly every night, just like his heart, which could never be warmed up.
He rarely drinks, but for some reason, he suddenly felt like getting drunk tonight.
Shen Ji took out the jade ring from his pocket, held it in his palm for a long time until it warmed up, then carefully put it away and back into his pocket.
...
When Jiang Mian returned home at night, Fu Niang had already prepared a dinner. Her eyes lit up when she saw her.
"Little girl, come here." Fu Niang beckoned to her, and Jiang Mian pursed her lips when she saw the wine in front of her.
"It's too late, we have to get up early tomorrow."
"How can you be so insensitive? If you're late tomorrow, I'll go and talk to them for you."
The most skilled painter in the painting shop was nearly fifty years old. He was strict and extremely punctual. Jiang Mian could barely exchange five words with him in a whole day. She couldn't imagine what would happen if she made a mistake; the old gentleman would probably be furious.
“Fu Niang…”
"Stop talking. You've been here for half a month, and we still haven't gotten to know you. Today is a full moon, a beautiful day, how can we let it go to waste?"
Fu Niang poured her a cup of warm wine. To be honest, she was very curious about the beautiful woman in front of her. At first, she thought that the woman had come to the capital to find her relatives, but after spending the last few days with her, she changed her mind.
She has a calm and reserved personality, which is quite different from her appearance.
Since she started visiting her shop, the number of people buying paintings has increased exponentially. Madam Fu's judgment of character is never wrong; this little girl is destined for greatness.
Fu Niang pointed to the stool beside her: "Sit."
"I don't need to go to the art shop tomorrow."
"Why?" Jiang Mian was a little confused, her first thought was that she had made a mistake.
"Prime Minister Zhang has ordered a batch of paintings, but we don't have enough manpower. You can go and deliver them too." Fu Niang took a swig of wine, her mood seemingly a little gloomy.
Hearing this, Jiang Mian felt a little relieved. Fu Niang's painting shop was quite famous in the capital, and many dignitaries came to buy her paintings. Without any hesitation, she agreed.
"Take this." Fu Niang handed over a jade pendant. "Wear it around your waist tomorrow. Those nobles will know your identity and won't make things difficult for you."
Jiang Mian took it and nodded subconsciously.
Fu Niang was not a good drinker and had drunk a lot before Jiang Mian arrived. Now, as soon as she handed the jade pendant to her, she swayed unsteadily, and Jiang Mian immediately reached out to support her.
"Little girl, go early and come back early tomorrow." Fu Niang said these words with her last lucidity before her head drooped and she lost consciousness.
Jiang Mian helped her into the house and settled her in. After cleaning up the unfinished dinner, she went back to her own room.
She extinguished the candles and lay down on the unfamiliar bed.
I wasn't feeling sleepy for a while.
For some reason, the scene in the snow that day came back to her mind. Since she left, it seemed that he had really disappeared from her world. Instead of deliberately inquiring about him, she knew nothing about him at all.
This is good, it's quiet now.
She can fully commit to her new life and establish herself on her own.
Jiang Mian turned over, but for some reason, she still wasn't sleepy at all.
Before, no matter how much she fussed around him, she would fall asleep instantly. But now that she has no such worries, she finds it hard to fall asleep.
After much thought, I realized it must be because of the change in environment that I'm having trouble adapting.
Overthinking, she simply closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep.
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