The Possession of My Beloved - CH 20

When these two young men with extraordinary appearance appeared at the gate of the house, the women and children sitting idle in the street all looked forward one after another and pointed at them for a moment.

Some even came up to talk to their new neighbors. Unfortunately, this man was not as approachable as his wife. He got on the carriage with eyes fixed and had no intention of chatting with his neighbors.

Zhao Quan got into the carriage and couldn’t wait to start asking questions. He whispered, “Didn’t Miss Lian deliver food to you today? Why did you come here to eat again? It couldn’t be that you have started to develop feelings for Lady Liu?”

Cui Xingzhou ignored him and said slowly, “Brother Zhao, you should know what will the Old Lady of the Marquis do if he knows your thinking.”

This statement immediately stopped Zhao Quan’s momentum in trying to catch the traitor in action.

It should be noted that Zhao Quan’s mother can recite scriptures better than his Buddhist wife. If she knows that he has a crush on a thief’s wife, she will kill the Marquis!

Therefore, Cui Xingzhou only needs to mention it, and Zhao Quan is deflated. But he didn’t give up. He just groaned angrily, “Not that I say, according to what I saw, it’s Brother Cui who can’t help but be immersed with the beauty of Lady Liu. You’ve also started to develop different feelings for her! Aren’t you afraid that I’ll tell the Old Princess Consort and Miss Lian?”

Cui Xingzhou just drank a small half of the pot of high-quality Shaoxing wine. Although he was not dizzy and drunk, he was tired and lazy, so he leaned back in the carriage and said lazily, “Please help yourself…”

Zhao Quan was so angry that he didn’t bother to explain, but he was envious again.

Yeah, what if he complains? Who did Cui Jiu fear?

Although Cui Xingzhou has a mother above him, she has a soft personality and listens to her son.

There is no wife in the royal residence now, and her fiancee Miss Lian is in favor of Cui Jiu everywhere. Even if Cui Xingzhou has raised a mistress outside, he’s afraid that Miss Lian will virtuously select one of the ten donkey whips to cook soup for The Prince to magnificent his male hormones!

In this way, Cui Jiu’s lawless and uncontrollable situation really does make people jealous.

Thinking of his sad part, Zhao Quan said honestly: “It’s a pity that you don’t keep more mistress because you are so freely…”

Cui Xingzhou knew that his friend had been infatuated. He didn’t bother to listen to his infatuation. He just turned over and took a nap.

On the other hand, in the North Street Mansion, Liu Miantang escorted her husband’s carriage out of the street. Then she led Servant Li home with a smile.

But those neighbors who didn’t talk to Merchant Cui ran in small steps to catch up with Lady Cui and began to drag in all sorts of irrelevant matters.

“Madam Liu, I just looked at your husband today. How can he grow so well? I think the legendary Pan’an is nothing more than him!”

Mrs. Yin click at her tongue as she handed over the melon seeds.

Mrs. Zhang, who once suspected that Lady Liu was a mistress of the merchant, was also busy mending her friendship with her neighbors. She handed over a wooden stool to Miantang: “I saw the back of Merchant Cui before, and I thought it was extraordinary at that time. He’s really a pair match in Heaven with Lady Cui… Do you know if your husband has any brothers who are married? Do they look like him? My uncle’s niece is 15 years old, but she is still waiting for a marriage!”

“My husband is the ninth oldest in his family. All the brothers above have married in the Northwest. He is the only one who has stayed in the capital. There are no comparable brothers below. However, in the future, I will ask him if he has a suitable cousin. If so, I will tell you.”

Liu Miantang is elated now, letting the neighbors know that her husband is a man with the appearance of talent and is not a greasy middle-aged businessman!

So she took out a very approachable self, smiled, and sat down, while eating melon seeds, chatting, and received the praise of the women without any hesitation.

For a time, North Street was full of the atmosphere of good-neighborly and friendly relations. A handful of melon seeds could be eaten until the end of time.

But just then, an old scholar stumbled all the way under the guidance of the worker of Miantang’s shop.

Liu Miantang has a good eye. She can see from a distance that he is Mr. Chen, the Hate Pen Hermit.

Seeing that he was running eagerly, she stood up and hurried forward a few steps.

Mr. Chen was in a hurry all the way, and he was so excited that he could hardly speak: “Cui… Lady Cui, I’ve… I’ve succeeded!”

He took out a piece of cotton cloth from his arms which is wrapped with a cracked piece of porcelain.

Liu Miantang hurried over and saw a dragonfly on it. If she carefully identified it, he could see that there was a clear female figure inside. Mr. Chen was finally able to successfully paint on the bright and clean porcelain plate.

It’s just a pity that the hand-painted plate cracked when it was finalized for the last time. But now that Mr. Chen has mastered the trick of painting with paint, he can do it again.

At that moment, the worries that had been entrenched in her heart for many days could finally be swept away. Liu Miantang felt that he could finally show off her strength.

The next day, Miantang got up early in the morning and came to the kiln where Mr. Chen was staying. Mr. Chen hurried and drew three plates and send them into two kilns for color fixing.

At sunset, one of the plates was burnt, the remaining two plates were fixed and stable, and the painting was presented perfectly.

Liu Miantang has lived in Lingquan town for more than a month now. In addition, when she visited various porcelain workshops, she also met many insiders expert and learned many unwritten rules of the profession.

When selling porcelain, one-third depends on the quality of the porcelain, another third depends on the name of the shop, and the rest depends on whether the shopkeeper knows how to call for business.

The so-called calling is to use allusions. For example, the No. 1 in Lingquan Town, the long-established store of the merchant He’s family famous porcelain shop whose porcelain kiln was personally appraised by one of the highest-ranking imperial concubines Xi, who was beloved by the former Emperor.

It is said that the highest-ranking imperial concubine was very playful when she was not in the palace. There’s once when she went to the kiln with her father to buy Porcelain. She remembered the story of “The Sword Forged by the Capable Person, Mo Xie, and his Wife” and followed it. She playfully cut locks of hair and threw them into the kiln. Unexpectedly, when the stove was opened, it produced a top-grade product with seven colors streamer.

The former Emperor doted on the highest-ranking imperial concubine Xi and also fell in love with the seven-color porcelain in Lingquan town. From then on, the porcelain shop of the He family had become the workshop of the royal court.

The former Emperor abolished the crown prince, changed Liu Tang, the son of imperial concubine Xi, to be the crown prince, and successfully ascended the throne, who becomes the Emporer today.

Since then, the long-established store of the merchant He family has been in a more stable position in Lingquan town.

Liu Miantang didn’t want to win over the He’s family to become the number one in Lingquan Town, but she hoped that the plate would sell at a good price and make her shop name known.

However, according to the famous journey of the long-established store or brand of the merchandise in Lingquan Town, her family’s business of the “Jade Porcelain Workshop” is well-equipped, except for the famous allusions.

At this time, Miantang could not find the nails of Qin Shi Huang or the hair of Empress Yuhuan. She just solemnly places the two porcelain plates on the high-quality sandalwood shelf, waiting for a noble person who has an insight into treasure and discovers such exquisite items.

Unfortunately, those who can take the initiative to enter her shop are just laymen. Although Miantang tried her best to explain and guide them to look at the eyes of the dragonfly, they had nothing to say except to shout “Marvelous”.

There is no other reason. The price they offered is too low. She’s felt really sorry for Mr. Chen’s painstaking efforts these days.

For a period, Liu Miantang’s mind deduced numerous allusions suitable for her shop. Although the plot was wonderful, she was short of a noble man. For a time, she couldn’t help sighing.

At noon, the sun was shining. The yard was filled with fragrant rice. There were two high and low tables in the North Street house.

Miantang and Cui Jiu sit at the high table for meals. Mo Ru and Servent Li ate at a low table near the door of the small kitchen.

It’s not in line with the rules of the royal residence that The Master and servants eat together.

However, Lady Liu is in charge here. She said that since it was time for dinner, it was good to share two tables. Otherwise, the servants will have to wait until The Master finishes eating and they will have to heat it again. A bundle of firewood will be wasted. There are not so many rules for small families.

Cui Jiu motioned the people to come according to the meaning of Miantang.

He is free these days thus, he comes back for lunch. This was also forced by the chef in the Military Camp. Ever since The Prince picked out cockroaches with eggs from the cauldron of the Military Camp a few days ago, he didn’t want to eat in the camp anymore except to punish the chef by flogging him hard.

However, as the Commander-in-Chief, it’s not good for him to enjoy favored treatment alone. After thinking about it, Cui Jiu came to Lingquan town for lunch and packed a food box back for dinner.

So these days, Cui Xingzhou eats with Miantang at noon. After all, he was determined to give Lu Wen a cuckold and he had to act like his relationship with her looked legit, so as to attract Lu Wen to the bait, don’t he?

Miantang heard from her husband that his Mentor’s wife, who was studying chess, was ill. She couldn’t manage his meals in the daytime. At night, he had to study the chess manual in the chess hall. So, she quickly took the job of packing food boxes for her husband.

In addition, apprentices can’t ignore the master, so the food box is not good to only contains dried radish, so she tries to have meat and fish dishes and try not to make duplicate dishes.

However, Miantang feels shocked when she dials the abacus every time she visits the small kitchen. She asked Servant Li where the money for the meat comes from?

When Servant Li was staring at her to make up a lie, Mo Ru was smart enough to help deliver firewood. She said that Her Master played chess with others, broke the solitary chess piece, and got some money rewards.

Miantang nodded in admiration.

Although there is only one-word difference between gambling and gambling chess, the temperament of a twisting chess piece and a shaking dice is very different.

Her husband is smart and plays a game of wonderful chess. He can break the solitary chess piece and support his family!

For a while, she was ashamed of her uselessness and could not immediately earn money, so that her husband could learn chess at ease and not do the mundane business for money.

So Liu Miantang thought and thought about it. Finally, she couldn’t help sighing at the dinner table: “Husband, do you think it’s good for me to stop Prince Huaiyang’s carriage?”

Mo Ru on the low table had just swallowed a marinated egg. Hearing that Lady Liu wanted to stop The Prince’s chariots and horses, he was immediately shocked. He didn’t have time to chew them and swallowed half of it. For a moment, he choked and rolled his eyes, frightening Servant Li to quickly pour water and pat him on the back.

However, the main character Cui Jiu was calm, smiled, and asked Miantang why she wanted to stop the chariots of The Prince?