The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

Anmi was silent for a moment, then her eyes filled with a smile. "Is this really so wonderful? It truly is wonderful!"

“Actually, my relationship with the Liu family isn’t that distant,” An Mi said, her brows furrowed, her words carrying a hidden meaning.

"Oh? What kind of close relationship is that?" Madam Liu became interested. She hadn't expected things to go so smoothly, and she certainly hadn't expected that An Mi's next words would completely shatter the smile on her face.

“Logically speaking, my family and the Liu family are in the same industry to some extent. I run an embroidery shop called ‘Prosperous Flames,’ which is right across from Liu’s Embroidery Shop! Madam, don’t you think it’s very close? In the future, when you visit Liu’s Embroidery Shop, you can also stop by Prosperous Flames for a cup of tea.” An Mi said loudly, her voice carrying enough to reach every corner of the banquet hall.

As soon as she finished speaking, An Mi saw Madam Liu's smile freeze, and she paused, as if trying to figure out what she had just heard.

Those around An Mi heard her words clearly, and almost instantly, the entire banquet hall erupted in excitement, with everyone whispering among themselves.

"What did she just say? 'Prosperous Flames'? Located opposite Liu's Embroidery Shop?"

"Ah, there were rumors circulating before that someone would open an embroidery shop opposite Liu's Embroidery Shop. It turns out that it is Shengshi Lieyan!"

“But she is clearly a woman… In our Great Jin Dynasty, how could a woman show her face in public like this…”

"Don't talk nonsense. Didn't you see how the King of Bohai and the King of Donglin treated that woman just now? Be careful what you say."

"Heh... This is going to be interesting. The woman the Liu family is looking for is actually going against them... Heh heh..."

The guests' voices, some loud and some soft, reached Madam Liu's ears, and her face paled even more. "Shengshi Lieyan?" Madam Liu looked at An Mi, her brows furrowed tightly. An Mi, enduring her gaze, smiled innocently. "Madam Liu, what's wrong? Why do you look so pale? Oh, right, didn't you just say you wanted another embroidered handkerchief from me? You can ask Young Master Liu for that."

Madam Liu turned to look at Liu Zhan, her eyes full of questions. Liu Zhan was also completely baffled. "What do you mean?"

An Mi smiled slightly, her eyes exceptionally bright and radiant, as if she were surrounded by a halo, making people want to see how stunningly beautiful her face was beneath the veil.

A melodious laugh escaped from beneath the veil, followed by her saying, "That's right. Young Master Liu is very busy today, so he probably hasn't had time to open my gift."

A congratulatory gift? Liu Zhan suddenly remembered—that box!

Suddenly realizing something, Liu Zhan hurriedly ordered his servants, "Quickly, go and bring me that box!"

He wanted to see for himself whether it was what he thought.

He felt increasingly uneasy; if what he thought was true, he feared he would feel even more frustrated.

In just a moment, the servants brought in several boxes and presented them to Liu Zhan. "Young Master, this servant doesn't know which one is it..."

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Zhan began searching impatiently, dropping several boxes from the servants' hands onto the ground. When he saw the brocade box he was looking for, his eyes sharpened like knives.

Clutching the brocade box tightly in his hand, Liu Zhan's feelings were extremely complicated. He wanted to open the box as soon as possible to see what was inside, but he was also afraid. This fear made him feel extremely uneasy. If the gift inside was really as he guessed... what would that mean?

Liu Zhan's hands trembled slightly, but Madam Liu urged impatiently, "Zhan'er, open it and take a look."

At this moment, Madam Liu was trying her best to maintain her elegant composure, but in her heart, she had already realized that something was wrong.

Liu Zhan paused, took a deep breath, a determination forming in his eyes, and slowly opened the brocade box…

Anmi subtly observed Liu Zhan's expression. When she saw his face change slightly after he opened the brocade box, the corners of her mouth under her veil involuntarily lifted up. She could almost imagine Liu Zhan's feelings at that moment.

Regret? Or perhaps resentment? A sudden blow? Or a combination of all of these?

Just as An Mi had predicted, Liu Zhan's feelings at this moment were a mixture of emotions. What did he see? Inside the brocade box was only an embroidered handkerchief, neatly placed, and the stitches on the embroidered surface facing upwards... were exactly the same as those on consignment at Liu's Embroidery Shop. Wasn't that the one he had been searching for with all his might for the past few months?

For this embroidery technique, he even married An Xinhe... married that big liar An Xinhe! This created the first stain on his life!

The pent-up emotions in his heart made it hard for him to breathe, as if a huge stone was pressing down on his chest, unable to go up or down, causing him a sharp pain in his heart.

Madam Liu noticed Liu Zhan's unusual reaction and immediately stepped forward. She took out the contents of the brocade box and was stunned. An embroidered handkerchief? The embroidery technique that the Liu family had been searching for for many years?!

The guests present were particularly curious about the embroidered handkerchief in Madam Liu's hand as they watched the mother and son's every move.

"Madam Liu, are you satisfied with this embroidered handkerchief?" An serene voice slowly rang out, still as harmless as ever, without a trace of malice. However, to some people, it didn't taste good at all.

Liu Zhan paused, his gaze slowly turning to the veiled woman in white. He found her smile incredibly irritating, and the memory of encountering her on the way to the wedding flashed through his mind. He felt a surge of anger rising within him, as if a fishbone was stuck in his throat.

Was this woman giving him this gift with ill intentions? That was what he thought at the time, which is why he was on guard. When she asked him to open the brocade box to see what the gift was, he instinctively refused.

However, he was now filled with regret, regretting why he hadn't opened it back then. If he had opened it, he could have discovered that this woman was the one he was truly looking for before he and An Xinhe got married. That would have saved him from being laughed at by so many people and from his father's anger.

But what's the use of regretting it now? It's too late, it's all too late!

“Madam, this embroidered handkerchief is somewhat different from the previous ones.” An Mi suddenly spoke up again, noticing that Madam Liu frowned and there was a hint of inquiry in her eyes. She paused for a moment and continued, “This embroidered handkerchief is the first piece of embroidery made by the Flourishing Flame. You see, I also embroidered the Flourishing Flame’s logo on it. I think that with the red flames, this embroidered handkerchief is even more exquisite.”

Upon closer inspection, Madam Liu noticed that in the lower right corner of the embroidered handkerchief, there was indeed a flame embroidered, blooming exceptionally brightly, as if mocking her.