The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

Clearing her mind of her thoughts, Feng Xianglan straightened her face and continued, "With Xinhe's embroidery skills in hand, she can embroider another one. This time, there is no time limit, so Xinhe can embroider a complete one. Wouldn't that be even more enjoyable?"

To embroider a complete piece, given the time of day, it would be a bit late. If it were tomorrow… then… she subtly raised the corners of her mouth, secretly calculating in her heart.

“Alright, since everyone wants to see it, let’s make it Xinhe Embroidery. However, in my opinion, just Xinhe Embroidery isn’t very interesting. How about letting Xianglan embroider it too? That would be better. Madam Liu, what do you think?” It was Madam An, Yu Fangfei, who spoke. At this moment, she smiled gently, but An Mi caught the calculation in her eyes.

An Mi's interest was piqued. What was Yu Fangfei up to? She glanced at Feng Xianglan. Her resentment must have provoked Yu Fangfei's displeasure. Feng Xianglan was shrewd, but Yu Fangfei was a cunning old fox!

Ha... these two? This is going to be interesting!

"Oh? That's fine too." Madam Liu agreed, glancing at Feng Xianglan a few more times. She had seen the woman's embroidery earlier, and it was indeed a rare and excellent piece. If it weren't for An Xinhe, Feng Xianglan would probably have been the champion today. "Xianglan, right? Let's do as Madam An says. What do you think?"

Madam Liu stared intently at Feng Xianglan, a gaze that made it impossible for Feng Xianglan to refuse.

Madam An inwardly scoffed, then quickly said, "Xianglan's embroidery is actually excellent. If we don't agree, those who don't know the situation might say that Xianglan is afraid of Xinhe and doesn't dare to..."

"Xianglan didn't say she disagreed, it's just..." Feng Xianglan blurted out subconsciously, afraid of An Xinhe? Humph, why would she be afraid of An Xinhe?

A smile appeared on Madam An's face, and a hint of smugness flickered in her eyes. She had been waiting for Feng Xianglan to say this. Before Feng Xianglan could finish speaking, Madam An quickly interrupted, "If there is no disagreement, then it means you agree. That's very good. Since everyone here is here, please come to the An residence tomorrow to witness for Xinhe and Xianglan, and also to convince some people."

Feng Xianglan's heart skipped a beat as she realized that she had been tricked by Madam An. Anger immediately enveloped her, but with so many people present, she couldn't vent her anger. She could only lower her head in silence, her hands clenched tightly, her eyes seemingly calculating something.

Hmph, make her submit willingly? They'll see!

Afterwards, the atmosphere at the banquet became somewhat eerie, and even as An Mi and the An family returned home after the banquet, the atmosphere remained lingering.

Just like when they arrived, Madam An rode in a carriage with her two daughters, while An Mi and Feng Xianglan rode in the same carriage they had come in. In the carriage, An Mi suddenly remembered the strange look in Qing Lan's eyes when she saw her off, as if she had something to say to her.

"Anmi, if one day I leave Rongjin City, would you be willing..."

Qinglan's voice rang in Anmi's ears, "Would you...would you wish for what?"

An Xinhe interrupted her at the time, and when An Mi later remembered to ask Qing Lan, Qing Lan said it was nothing, but his expression didn't seem like nothing was wrong.

What exactly did Qinglan want to say to her?

"Mi'er, how did you and the Prince of Bohai meet?"

As An Mi was pondering, she heard Feng Xianglan's probing voice. Snapping out of her thoughts, An Mi met Feng Xianglan's curious yet seemingly suppressed jealous eyes. She understood immediately: was Feng Xianglan jealous of her? Was it because of Bai Yi's interaction with her at the embroidery appreciation event?

Mi'er? Feng Xianglan's way of addressing her really makes her feel like she's not an outsider!

She subtly raised her lips, her smile gentle and harmless. "I wouldn't say we know each other, we just had the honor of meeting once. Didn't you say that the King of Bohai is not someone someone like us can easily get to know? Xianglan, tomorrow you and Xinhe... are you confident?"

An Mi subtly changed the subject, but the moment the matter was brought up, Feng Xianglan's eyes sharpened, and she seemed to forget what she was supposed to hide from An Mi. "What? You don't believe I can beat her?"

“I believe it, of course I believe it. But… but Xinhe is, after all, the champion of today’s embroidery competition…” An Mi secretly observed Feng Xianglan’s reaction and saw that her eyes were full of disdain.

"Hmph! Champion? What champion? Apart from Madam Liu and the Prince of Bohai, none of us have seen that embroidery. Who knows if there's anything fishy going on? Besides, tomorrow..." Feng Xianglan said coldly, but stopped midway through her sentence.

An Mi saw through her expression and, without asking, understood. It seemed that Feng Xianglan wouldn't sit idly by and wait for her fate tomorrow.

And what about Madam An, Yu Fangfei?

Her gaze lowered slightly, and Anmi fell silent, unaware that Feng Xianglan's thoughtful gaze was fixed on her, and the smile on her lips grew even colder.

Ha, she already knows how to carry out her plan!

Meanwhile, in another carriage, the atmosphere was quite pleasant. An Xinhe was still immersed in the fact that she had gained the title of the richest man's fiancée today, and she had a bright smile on her face, looking very proud.

"Mother, when do you think the Liu family will choose a date to marry me? I don't want to wait too long. Being the young mistress of the richest family would be so prestigious." An Xinhe had been talking nonstop since she got into the carriage. As if she had thought of something, she pouted and looked at Madam An expectantly. "Mother, how about this? Tomorrow, when the Liu family comes to propose marriage, you can tell them to get the wedding done as soon as possible. Anyway, I've already come of age."

"Are you in such a hurry to marry Liu Zhan? Aren't you ashamed? Xinhe, don't forget, tomorrow isn't just about the marriage proposal. Feng Xianglan's provocation is still there." An Xinlian glanced at An Xinhe. A mere rich man's wife makes her so excited? She wouldn't be so short-sighted. No matter how she thought about it, she felt that Qinglan's identity was not simple. If she could win Qinglan over, what would the position of a rich man's wife matter?

An Xinlian glanced at Madam An and frowned slightly. "Mother, why did you let Xinhe agree to that little bitch Feng Xianglan's request? That little bitch is clearly deliberately causing trouble."

"Sister, you don't believe in my skills, do you? Since Feng Xianglan wants to see my embroidery, I'll make her lose convincingly. Humph, plus that bet from before, I, An Xinhe, will definitely teach her a lesson!" An Xinhe said fiercely, already plotting how to make Feng Xianglan suffer.

Madam An glanced at her indifferently, "You silly girl, it's one thing to teach her a lesson, but you need to think about how to be even more ruthless and make her suffer in silence. You need to learn more about this. After you marry into the Liu family, there will be plenty of intrigue and backstabbing. Madam Liu is no pushover."