Wang Lian knotted his brows hearing Shen Lang call him intimately like a brother. He frowned slightly and replied not to Shen Lang’s words but instead questioned him,“You don’t diligently study. What are you doing now playing with dyes when you should be learning instead? Are you trying to destroy yourself?”
His questioning was not based on prejudice. In this world, there were two skill set that are most valued and sought after. One was knowledge and the other martial arts.
During the Song Dynasty, literary scholars suppressed the might of the warriors. In a way, they could be called a literary fighter. But however, in this world, in the Great Yan Empire, both knowledge and martial arts were a noble thing one could thread upon.
Military exams are as distinguished and noble as literary ones.
Compared to the two, being a craftsman was cheap and insignificant.
Though the dye master of the Xu Family who’d come here earlier to make a case against Shen Lang was excellent indeed, he never had any sort of name to remember him from beginning to end, only a mere craftsman.
But this young official was only saying so just for the heck of it.
Since Wang Lian wished to curry favor with Jin Mulan, he endeavored himself on teaching for half a month’s end. Shen Lang’s stupidity was still fresh in his mind. How could he ever forget such a foolish boy? If you give him one hundred years, he still would not pass. Teaching Shen Lang how to read was only a waste of his time, his life, and his money.
“As for the young miss of the Count’s Palace,” Wang Lian turned his head and looked at Shen Lang sharply, his tone indignant, “She is the first daughter of a century old noble family. She is of noble blood. Her name isn’t something a peasant like you should say.”
His face contorted, revealing disdain as he walked away.
The reason why he’d so wholly chosen to go against the Xu Family was merely for the reasoning of having a grudge against Zhang Jin. It was only right he takes the opportunity to suppress the Xu Family for the heck of it. He did not do it because of his “friendship” with Shen Lang.
Though he taught Shen Lang for half a month, he felt no shred of brotherhood in his heart.
“This ridiculous country bumpkin peasant actually wants to take advantage of the situation and suck up to me! In his dreams! Such shallow thinking! Delusional!” Wang Lian sneered and rode back home.
Shen Lang saw everything from behind. Wang Lian looked down on him, not placing him in his eyes. Wang Lian had no intentions of being friends.
He’s not surprised.
… … …
After Wang Lian left, the owner of Jinxiu Pavillion popped in. “Shen Lang, you won. You truly, truly slapped their faces in the cruelest way possible…” Lin Mo sighed. “But it was better for you to have lost. Now it’s even worse for you!”
“Shen Lang, you’re done for! Finished!” Said Tian Thirteen.
“The esteemed official was only hostile against the Xu Family because of a feud between him and Zhang gongzi. It wasn’t to protect you. In other words, what troubles or dangers you encounter next, he won’t be there to protect you. He wouldn’t want to dirty his hands on someone like you. You want to climb high but in the end, you fell hard.” Lin Mo said coldly.
This… Shen Lang knows very well…
Wang Lian was a prominent member of a noble class. He was fed with a golden spoon and nurtured well to succeed in life. He’d never put poor Shen Lang in his eyes. He already knew this. His past memory served him well.
But still, it was enough to use him against the Xu Family for today. Besides, Shen Lang had no extravagant desire to climb up Wang Lian’s ladder.
Soon enough Wang Lian will only end up his bitter rival.
Shen Lang’s family had yet to escape danger. Instead, he’d placed them an even more precarious situation. Now the Xu Family wished to kill him. Now more than ever!
Right now he’s fighting for a sliver of time. One day. Just one day is all he needs to reverse this all.
Once successful, he can completely reverse the situation and maybe even sit high above them.
By then, if the Xu Family, Lin Family, and even the Heiyi Gang wished to harm a single strand of his hair, they’d have to think carefully and cautiously plan as to how they can suppress Shen Lang.
This is also why Shen Lang depended heavily on today’s results. Sure enough, it shocked their core. The value the of the purple and rainbow dye was enough for their tongue to salivate and for the Xu Family to covet.
If there were no unexpected mishaps, Xu Qianqian will appear before him soon enough.
The events which unfolded today was truly dangerous, but it was good. Everything was according to his calculation.
……
After leaving Silk Pavillion, Xu Qianqian’s shapely figure came to view.
“Shen Lang, it’s my fault. I looked down on you,” she said softly. “I didn’t expect you’d learn anything and everything about dyeing for me. You’re so kind. Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
It was perfectly normal for her to believe Shen Lang adored her. She thought she’d easily be able to revert everything back to the way it was before. Shen Lang fancied her. Surely he’d be willing to do anything for her, willing to give her anything.
The Xu Family engaged in the silk and clothing business. In her eyes, Shen Lang learned to how to dye in order to please and curry favor with her.
The art process of dyes… intellectual people may not be able to perfect them. It only needed a persistent fool who’ve got the time to experiment countless of times for the perfect recipe.
“If you had said so earlier, I may not have needed to drive you out of the house.” Xu Qianqian’s voice was softer. “Shen Lang… our marriage was false. It no longer exists. I will be marrying Zhang Jin. I want to marry him. But… you can still return to the Xu Family house as a craftsman. How about it?”
Shen Lang said nothing.
Xu Qianqian’s deep pool of captivating eyes grew soft and tender. “Shen Lang, I will give you ten gold coins every month, enough to feed your whole family and live comfortably. So long as you hand over the purple and rainbow dye recipe, I can prepare for you the best dyeing room? Shen Lang, don’t you love me? Aren’t you willing to give everything just for my sake? Then give me this, Shen Lang.”\n