A Willing Mistake, My Lady – Chapter 83
by Little PandaThe New Shopkeeper
A Faux Rival
After the trade fleet returned, a new beauty from Jiangnan had appeared in the shop. The woman had snow-white skin and raven hair, a tall figure, and a gentle nature—she smiled before she even spoke, stealing away every gaze that had once been fixed on Chuntao.
The woman had been brought back by Jiang Ning from a tea plantation. Her name was Lin Qiubai. She had once been the young lady of a tea estate, but it had been seized by relatives. If she couldn’t find a way out, she would be at their mercy. After meeting Jiang Ning by chance, she had begged to be taken along, and thus arrived in the capital with the trade fleet.
Jiang Ning saw that she knew tea leaves inside and out, and they were short on exactly such a person, so she agreed without hesitation.
So Lin Qiubai was assigned to the first floor, specifically to sell tea. Even her living quarters were arranged in the small room where Jiang Chenyu had once lived.
Thanks to Miss Lin’s knowledgeable pitches, the new batch of tea sold remarkably well right from the start.
Even Jiang Ning, normally rough and blunt, took extra care of her—asking after her health and comfort. Chuntao had never seen her be so attentive before.
That day, Chuntao arrived at the shop as usual. Ever since that Blue-Green-and-White had shown up, her standing had declined considerably. Truly annoying.
“Chuntao, you’re here!” The moment she stepped through the door, there was that Pale-and-Pasty, standing ramrod-straight in the middle of the shop, smiling as she greeted her.
She wore a plain white long robe layered with an ivory printed bijia1, her long hair elegantly half-pinned—a picture of humble courtesy.
Chuntao just gave her an “Mm” and went upstairs. They say don’t hit a smiling face2, but she simply couldn’t muster a pleasant expression for her.
At lunchtime, she came downstairs to find the two of them already sitting at the same table eating—without even waiting for her.
“Chuntao, you’re done? Come eat with us!” Jiang Ning looked up and saw her standing there, calling her over.
“Chuntao-meimei must have been so busy she forgot all about lunch. The kitchen made fresh steamed sea bass today—come have a taste, meimei.” Lin Qiubai’s gaze drifted over to her lightly, the picture of tender concern.
“It’s not like we’re busier upstairs than you are down here. It’s just that Boss Jiang is so important these days she forgets all about me, even at mealtime,” Chuntao shot back crisply, her round eyes brimming with resentment.
“Oh! You’re always the one reminding me to eat—look at my memory. Tomorrow, tomorrow for sure, I’ll have someone bring your food over. Can’t let our Chuntao go hungry,” Jiang Ning said, slapping her thigh with her usual breeziness.
“Hmph, who needs you to give orders? Don’t I have a mouth of my own?” Chuntao felt a lump in her chest. So she was an eyesore now, and they didn’t even want her coming down anymore.
“Chuntao-meimei’s straightforward nature is truly endearing,” Lin Qiubai said with a faint smile.
“Don’t mind her. She’s been this blunt and fiery since she was little—I really don’t know what mother-in-law or husband could put up with her,” Jiang Ning said, shaking her head with a laugh.
“Jiang Ning, if you keep bullying me, I’ll go home and tell my mistress on you.” This time she was genuinely angry.
“No, no, no—ancestor3—I was just joking. You’re clever and pretty, everyone loves you, all right? Come eat,” Jiang Ning pleaded.
“You two go ahead and eat. Nothing much to do today, so I’ll head back first.” Something seemed to have crossed her mind, and her voice went flat and listless.
“All right, it’s not busy today, so go get some rest,” Jiang Ning said without a second thought.
Chuntao glanced at the two of them, then left without looking back.
“Does Chuntao not like me?” Lin Qiubai said, watching Chuntao’s retreating figure.
“How could that be? Miss Lin, you’re like a fresh breeze—how could anyone dislike you? Chuntao’s just blunt by nature, she’s like that with everyone. Even I get lectured by her all the time, but she’s also the one who takes care of me the most. You see how careless I am, like a man—so many things are only handled because of her.” Her contact with Chuntao was far greater than Jiang Chenyu’s.
“I remember when she was about ten, she’d come looking for me in the alley. She was so tiny then, but she’d have the cart drivers spinning in circles—it was hilarious.” Jiang Ning recalled the past, and it all felt so very long ago.
“Oh, she was already taking charge at that age? That is indeed clever and capable,” Lin Qiubai said with a gentle laugh of agreement.
Though Chuntao had been displeased with Jiang Ning lately, spring had arrived and it was time for a seasonal change. Yet she was still going out in her padded winter jacket, not bothering to switch to something lighter. Truly careless.
Chuntao hadn’t wanted to care, but her heart softened anyway, and she found someone to sew two new outfits for her.
She buzzed over like a little bee to deliver them.
Lin Qiubai watched enviously as Chuntao brought over both clothes and handmade shoes, then edged closer to her.
“Chuntao, Boss Jiang is truly fortunate to have you looking after her like this. Not like me—I’ve lived under other people’s roofs since I was young, and even eating an extra steamed bun would earn me dirty looks.”
Lin Qiubai wore the face of someone brimming with talent, claiming she’d grown up hungry—who would believe that?
“Miss Lin, you don’t look anything like us servant girls at first glance. Those fair, pale hands of yours—about the hardest thing they’ve ever done is grip a writing brush!” Though she didn’t want to admit it, that refined, scholarly air about her was not something a person who’d truly been pushed around would have.
“You jest, Chuntao. Studying hard is probably my only way out.” Lin Qiubai’s eyes dimmed as she said this.
The current dynasty did have a path for women to test into officialdom—after all, certain specialized positions required a few female officials4 as window dressing. But the exam demanded not only genuine talent and learning but also mastery of countless court rituals, and the available posts were so few it was like reaching for the sky.
Seeing her dispirited, Chuntao couldn’t bring herself to keep needling her. She vaguely knew a bit about her situation, and after a moment’s thought, she said, “Since you don’t have any spring clothes made either, I’ll make you two as well. It’s not much silver.”
“Truly? Chuntao really is a sweet and kind-hearted girl,” Lin Qiubai said, smiling warmly in praise.
“Don’t flatter me. It’s not like I’m making them specially for you—it’s just a convenient thing to do,” Chuntao said dismissively.
“I still have to thank you. But I’m rather strapped at the moment—all I have are some storybooks. If Chuntao doesn’t mind, I could bring them over for you to read sometime?” A rare, self-conscious flush crept onto Lin Qiubai’s face—she really was that poor. Jiang Ning’s monthly allowance5 to her wasn’t small, but between buying books, writing supplies, and inquiring about the female official exam…
With all those expenses piled together, no amount of monthly allowance would be anything but tight.
“Hahahaha! You’re so poor you only have storybooks left?” Seeing her embarrassment, Chuntao brightened.
“We’ll talk about that in a few days. Come here and let me take your measurements first.”
“Huh?”
“I said take your measurements. Aren’t we making spring clothes?” Chuntao said, waving the measuring cord in her hand.
“Oh, then… sorry to trouble you.” Lin Qiubai took a couple of shy steps toward Chuntao.
“Hmph, you’ve troubled me with more than just this,” Chuntao said, holding the cord and measuring against her body.
Lin Qiubai smiled abashedly again.
Seeing her stay quiet, Chuntao thought to herself: a typical Jiangnan girl, right down to her temper—so slow and unhurried, you just couldn’t stay mad at her.
“You’re far too thin. Don’t go out when the wind is strong,” Chuntao teased as she measured her waist.
“When the wind is strong, I’ll just have to ask you to go out with me—after all, Chuntao is pleasantly plump.”
“Oh? Are you mocking me for being fat?” Chuntao’s hands stopped, and she stared with wide eyes.
“No, no—pleasantly plump is wonderful!” Lin Qiubai still wore that same languid faint smile.
Chuntao huffed and said nothing more. Was the mistress’s cooking too good? Was she really getting chubby? A flicker of self-doubt crept in.
Shen Manor.
Chuntao was picking out colors from her bolts of fabric.
“Are you making new clothes? Didn’t you just finish a few the other day?” Jiang Chenyu asked, puzzled, watching her sort through the fabrics.
Jiang Ning usually dressed as a man and wouldn’t wear these pale blues and greens.
“It’s all because of that Miss Lin. A servant’s body with a lady’s destiny—when she saw me bringing clothes, she insisted she had none either, so I couldn’t stand it and said I’d make her two as well.” Chuntao kept fiddling with the fabric in her hands.
“Didn’t you want to chase her off? Now you’re making clothes for her?” Jiang Chenyu pointed out the odd contradiction with a strange look.
“It’s because I’m beautiful and kindhearted, that’s why! I just can’t stand seeing someone play the pitiful card. It’s not much silver anyway—what’s wrong with helping her out a little!”
“Oh, I see. As long as you’re happy!” Jiang Chenyu had met that Miss Lin a few times—she did indeed have the air of someone well-read and gently courteous.
It was just that Chuntao had always been cold to her, yet now she was making clothes for her. This was truly an eye-opener—this girl might actually have something to her.
Since Jiang Ning had returned, Jiang Chenyu spent most of her time at the manor, only visiting the shop occasionally.
She also knew that Jiang Ning had installed the girl she’d brought back as the shopkeeper, specifically in charge of selling tea.
She had also agreed to let her have the small room in the back. Jiang Ning took very good care of this Miss Lin, which had bothered Chuntao for quite some time.
Chuntao wasn’t young anymore. Jiang Chenyu seemed to have some inkling of what was on her mind—she really ought to have a talk with her one of these days.
Shen Hetang had been summoned to the palace and hadn’t returned yet.
Bored, she decided to check the kitchen to see what was for dinner tonight. Though the kitchen’s menu had been set days in advance, the master of the house occasionally changed things on a whim, and whatever they wanted would be added to the menu.
Shen Yunjie had received the post of City Defense Commandant, Rank 6b6. Though he hadn’t distinguished himself at the border, he had after all followed Old General Shen in the army for many years.
In consideration of General Shen’s reputation, it wasn’t hard to bump him up a rank or two. City defense positions weren’t exactly lucrative posts—they even required daily soldier training, making it a tiring appointment.
But since getting married, Shen Yunjie had shaped up considerably. He’d been at the post for a while now without a single complaint of hardship or exhaustion, which pleased Shen Hetang greatly.
Inside Qianqing Palace, the Emperor spoke at an unhurried pace: “General Shen, how is your health these days?”
“Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. Your humble servant is fully recovered!” She stood respectfully, head bowed as she replied—seemingly even more cautious than the last time she had faced the Emperor.
There was no helping it—who wouldn’t bow their head before the Emperor? With a whole household to think of, she had to keep her tail between her legs.
Her trust in this old Emperor was down to barely half.
“Young people recover quickly. It’s about time you returned to the border. Reports from there say the enemy beyond the passes is stirring again. These wolf-hearted wretches—barely a few days of quiet and they’re already coveting Great Qian territory!” The Emperor’s pace quickened as he spoke.
In truth, Shen Hetang had long had a clear picture of the border situation. Zhao Chenlan sent her intelligence reports at regular intervals.
This ensured she could still remotely direct operations from time to time.
“Your humble servant is entirely at Your Majesty’s command!” she replied crisply, with no interest in making small talk with the Emperor.
This Emperor had probably forgotten that what she’d injured was her brain…!
Footnotes
- A traditional Chinese sleeveless vest or jacket, typically worn over a long robe as a decorative outer layer.
- A common Chinese saying meaning that even when annoyed, one should not be harsh to someone who is being friendly and courteous.
- Literally 'ancestor,' used here as a playful, exasperated term of address for someone being indulged.
- A female government official position attainable through a special imperial examination.
- A regular monthly stipend or wage paid to employees or servants by the employer.
- A subordinate sixth rank, lower grade in the imperial civil-military ranking system.
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