FID – Chapter 619

Chapter 619: The Kind Merchant

Rural households sleep early.

If anyone in the courtyard refused to obey, Wei Hong would mysteriously appear by their window and eerily remind them, “It’s late. Time to put out the lights and sleep.”

Of course, the only ones needing her nightly reminders were the disobedient young women of the inner courtyard.

Liu Yusheng was already used to it. The moment Aunt Hong’s voice rang out, she would immediately extinguish her lamp—because if she didn’t, the woman outside would keep repeating that sentence until she lost the will to live.

In another room, upon hearing Wei Hong’s voice, Liu Muqiu hurriedly blew out her lamp, scrambled into bed, and pulled the quilt over her head. She perked up her ears, carefully listening for any sounds outside.

After a long while, sensing that the coast was clear, she sneakily climbed back out of bed, relit her oil lamp, and propped up her embroidery frame under the dim light.

Her fingers danced swiftly, guiding the needle and thread with precision. As she gazed at the embroidery before her, a soft smile lingered on her lips.

She owed her embroidery skills to the training she received in the Li family. In order to sell their daughters at a higher price in the future, the Li family placed great emphasis on their education from a young age.

Renowned masters were hired to teach music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Among all these skills, the one she dedicated herself to the most was embroidery.

Because it was a craft that could sustain her livelihood.

Even when she was very young, she had already made up her mind—so long as she mastered this craft, then no matter how empty-handed she was when she left the Li family one day, she wouldn’t have to fear starvation.

Compared to the other girls in the family, her embroidery skills stood out as exceptional, and she had learned a vast range of techniques.

Seeing her dedication and diligence, her embroidery master took extra care in teaching her. She was even entrusted with complex stitching techniques—Su embroidery, Shu embroidery, double-sided embroidery—she had learned them all.

Looking at the newly embroidered stitches on the fabric, she knew that in the grand scheme of the entire design, this was merely a tiny fraction—just a drop in the ocean. Yet, Liu Muqiu could already envision the majestic grandeur it would exude once completed.

She was confident she could create a flawless masterpiece.

Just as she was lost in thought, the creak of a door opening startled her. Her hand trembled, and the embroidery needle slipped from her fingers.

She thought it was Aunt Hong coming to urge her to rest again, but when she looked up, she saw Liu Yusheng sneaking in through the door.

The young girl tiptoed inside like a thief, carrying several small lanterns in her hands.

After entering, she placed the lanterns around Liu Muqiu and lit them one by one, instantly brightening the entire room.

“Nannan…” Liu Muqiu immediately understood why the girl had come, and her eyes welled up with warmth.

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to sit still. If you embroider under such dim light from a single oil lamp—your eyesight will be ruined in no time. If you really can’t hold back and need to work, at least light up all the lamps and brighten the room. Our family can afford the extra oil.”

The young girl leaned in and flicked Liu Muqiu’s forehead before turning to leave. When she reached the door, she turned back and reminded her, “No matter how impatient you are, don’t overwork yourself. Your body is already weak, and embroidery is very taxing on the eyes. You need to pace yourself.”

Liu Muqiu’s lips curved into a soft smile, and she nodded. “I know. I’ll sleep in at most half an hour.”

“As long as you remember. I’m heading to bed first—I’m exhausted.” The girl yawned, left the room, and gently closed the door behind her.

Liu Muqiu stared at the closed door for a moment before lowering her head and swiftly resuming her embroidery.

Her fingers danced like butterflies across the pristine white fabric, using needle and thread to paint a picture in vibrant colors.

Just two days after Wang-shi and the others left, the Chen family’s Chen Qiming personally visited.

He came bearing gifts to apologize.

Looking at her elder brother, who now appeared much older than before, Chen Xiulan felt a complicated mix of emotions.

The Liu family’s attitude toward Chen Qiming was much better than toward Wang-shi and the others.

The Liu elders were well aware of who was genuine and who was deceitful.

Chen Qiming didn’t stay long at the Liu courtyard. He arrived in the morning, had lunch, and then hurried back home.

The flood disaster had affected the entire Xiushui Village, leaving no household unscathed.

Fortunately, his family had Chen Xiulan’s support, and he had also saved up some silver from his past orchard business. This money was enough to repair their house and sustain them through the next year.

Compared to many others in the village, their situation was relatively good. Some families couldn’t even afford to rebuild their homes and had to live among broken walls and collapsed structures, slowly saving up until they could afford to repair their houses.

Wang-shi had secretly come to the Liu family to borrow money without telling him. This not only embarrassed him but also made him feel deeply ashamed toward the Liu family and his younger sister.

Although the Liu family had generously let the matter go, he still couldn’t get over his own guilt and had no face to stay any longer.

In late July, a decree from the court arrived in Cangwu Town and was passed on to Xinghua Village.

During the Southern flood disaster, individuals and groups who had contributed both money and effort were all commended.

The four major families of Yunzhou City were specifically named in the imperial decree, and they were honored and recorded in the government archives for their contributions, marking their achievements.

The most praised was the current head of the Qian family, Master Qian Baihao.

During the Yunzhou disaster relief efforts, Qian Baihao personally raised 1.2 million taels of silver and donated all of it to Yunzhou for the relief of the affected people and the reconstruction of the disaster-stricken areas.

This act was considered a great display of kindness and righteousness, a model of virtue for businessmen.

The court specially bestowed upon him the honorary title of ‘Benevolent Merchant’ and selected the Qian family as the Imperial Merchant for this term, which would last for three years.

After three years, a new election would be held, and the best candidate would win.

The Qians selection was truly well-deserved.

Already the wealthiest family in Nanling, with the added title of Benevolent Merchant, no other merchant could compete with the Qian family.

When Qian Wanjin heard the news, he couldn’t stop smiling all day long.

After so many years, the Qian family had finally climbed to the highest position, becoming the wealthiest merchant and earning the Imperial Merchant title.

On this day, the Liu family’s courtyard was filled with lively celebrations, and all the distilleries were bustling with joy.

Especially the Xinghua Village Distillery—it had practically grown alongside Liu Yusheng and Qian Wanjin.

Back then, the little girl and the young boy had now all grown up, and their respective backgrounds had only become more powerful and influential. For the distillery, these factors brought even greater cohesion and prestige.

With such capable owners, the distillery’s reputation would continue to rise, making its workers the envy of many.

Anyone employed at the distillery seemed to carry an invisible badge of honor.

As Liu Yusheng put it, the men were considered ‘tall, rich, and handsome,’ while the women were ‘fair, rich, and beautiful.’

Families with unmarried sons and daughters now prioritized finding matches from households where someone worked at the distillery.

This has become a trend throughout Cangwu Town and even Xiangshan County.