Struggle in Ancient Times
Chapter 86
“Mother, don’t allow inexplicable people to come in in the future.” Liao Tingyu said with a serious expression.
Mother Deng was unhappy, “I wasn’t the one who let him in; You should go find your da-ge!”
Liao Ming nodded in agreement while Liao da-ge helplessly accepted the reproachful looks of the three people and tried to defend himself, “I didn’t invite them. They were looking for you, so I let them in.”@@novelbin@@
“Even if they’re looking for me, they shouldn’t be allowed in. They didn’t know where my house is. It’s unnecessary for them to come all the way here.”
Liao Ming added, “Son, remember not to let people in casually anymore. What happened today should never occur again.”
Liao Shi nodded, “I know.”
“You not only need to understand but also take it to heart. You said the same thing last time. Next time, you can copy the book yourself. It’s good handwriting practice,” Liao Ming remarked.
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On the way back, Huang Zilan remained silent. Liao Tingyu tried to find a topic, “Um… Zilan, my da-ge and the others mishandled the situation today. Please don’t be upset.”
Huang Zilan looked at him with a neutral expression, saying, “I’m not upset; it’s a common occurrence. After all, my husband is an outstanding person, and it’s natural for people to pursue him.”
“I feel embarrassed when you praise me like this, and why didn’t you say anything until now?” Liao Tingyu couldn’t comprehend it.
“I was thinking that those three people from the Wang family might have been telling the truth,” Huang Zilan explained.
“I’m a ger, and my ability to conceive might not be as strong as a daughter. I don’t know what it takes to have a child.”
Liao Tingyu reassured him, “The arrival of a child depends on fate. When the time is right, it will happen naturally. It’s all in the God’s hands. You don’t need to worry so much. Besides, isn’t it good for the two of us right now? We’re both young. I’m only twenty, and you’re still a teenager. Having a child this early can be troublesome. I’d like to enjoy a few more years of a carefree life!”
Liao Tingyu spoke sincerely; they were indeed quite young, and there was still time.
At the thought, Liao Tingyu’s face turned red, and he realized he needed to wait a bit longer.
Huang Zilan wasn’t sure how to approach the matter. His mother wasn’t there, and his father was a bit awkward, believing that the Liao family would…
Huang Zilan couldn’t quite fathom the thoughts. After contemplating for a moment, he said, “We’ve been married for three months with no news. Why don’t I consider finding some concubines for you?”
Liao Tingyu quickly declined. He didn’t want their peaceful life to be disrupted, “No, I have you, and that’s enough. Zilan, I only hope for the two of us to grow old together, just the two of us, for the rest of our lives.”
Huang Zilan stopped beneath the willow tree, “Just the two of us for a lifetime. But life is short, you’ll be thirty in five years, and forty in ten. If we still haven’t had children by then, would you consider marrying someone else?”
Liao Tingyu felt as though he was being scolded, “I didn’t. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. No, I mean I want to be with you for my whole life.”
Huang Zilan looked at the nervous Liao Tingyu and chuckled, “I was just joking. You, Liao Tingyu, belong to me, Huang Zilan, for life. If you ever let anyone else in…”
He paused, and Liao Tingyu, looking at his suddenly powerful wife, timidly asked, “What do you want me to do, Zilan? What are you planning?”
Huang Zilan ignored him and walked ahead, in high spirits.
Meanwhile, Huang Hao was still sipping his wine in the restaurant, observing the familiar figures below. “Ah, this is what happens when you have a wife. Those who pretend to be something they’re not will eventually reveal their true colors. Poor Liao-xiucai, doesn’t he understand the concept of pretends?”
If Huang Hao had known that Liao Tingyu was inquiring about the consequences of upsetting Huang Zilan, he might have thought he was walking into a dangerous situation.
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Upon returning home, Huang Zilan had someone invite the manager of the Huang family over.
Liao Tingyu asked, “Why did you invite them over?” as he adjusted the guqin. “You were quite disgusted with those three people today. I’ll play a piece of music to soothe your ears.”
Huang Zilan responded, “Cleaning your ears won’t be effective. The dead branches on this flowering tree need to be pruned.”
Putting down the guqin, Liao Tingyu said, “You intend to deal with the Wang family.”
Huang Zilan nodded, “My father taught me to protect myself from a young age and to handle potential threats if I have the means.”
Liao Tingyu asked, “Are you still concerned that I might marry someone else?”
“No, I just want to send a message to those scheming individuals, to let them know that you, Liao Tingyu, are mine, and no one can take advantage of me.”
Liao Tingyu couldn’t help but feel like he was being cared for by a dominant CEO.
But it seemed true. In terms of financial resources, he couldn’t compare to Huang Zilan, who owned dozens of shops. Not only real estate but also possessions worth a shop!
He was a true wealthy person, and he was a tender-hearted man.
“No problem, as long as you’re happy.”
“Aren’t you worried about what others might say about you?” Huang Zilan was surprised.
“What would they say?”
“That you’re worthless, and your wife will walk all over you,” Huang Zilan explained.
“Oh, just take a look at my parent’s home, and you’ll see.” Liao Tingyu responded.
When he thought of how mother Deng used to manage the family’s finances and make decisions independently, the Liao family appeared relatively normal.
Liao Tingyu continued, “We’ll discuss major matters, and you can handle the minor ones on your own. If you need my assistance, just let me know.”
As for the classification of major and minor matters, Huang Zilan had already sorted out which ones Liao Tingyu should be involved in.
“Okay, I’d be happy to offer my advice, Liao-xiucai.”
“Tell me, what do you need me to do?”
“The Wang family is involved in the fabric business. I recall you mentioning which flowers can be used for dyeing and how to fix the colors.”
“They mainly work on cotton fabric. Does our shop also produce cotton fabric?”
“We do have a dyeing and weaving workshop.”
Liao Tingyu nodded; his wife was indeed wealthy!
“I’m not very knowledgeable about this, but I do know that madder, safflower, and cypress can be used to dye red, while sage, gardenia, ginger, and sophora can be used to dye yellow. Gardenia and indigo can create green. That’s the extent of my knowledge.”
Huang Zilan took this information seriously, “So, what exactly should I do?”
“I’m not entirely sure. We’d need the experts to try it out, but the process might be similar to those steps,” Liao Tingyu explained.
Huang Zilan seemed slightly disappointed. Liao Tingyu immediately continued, “But I know some strange dyeing techniques. The key is that the patterns are exceptionally beautiful.”
“You can dye fabric?” Huang Zilan exclaimed in surprise, “Then, what can’t you do?”
Liao Tingyu replied seriously, “I don’t know how to fight.”
“It’s okay, I can handle that,” Huang Zilan immediately accepted and changed the subject, “I’ll have people prepare these materials first. If there’s anything else we need, just let me know. We can visit the workshop tomorrow.”
“By the way, are you available tomorrow?”
“No,” Liao Tingyu said, “The two little ones will only be here in the afternoon. We can do it in the morning.”
Huang Zilan found it feasible, although he wasn’t particularly fond of the smell in the dyeing workshop.
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When the shopkeepers arrived, Huang Zilan politely welcomed them to take a seat.
“I’ve invited you here today because I have something to discuss. I hope you can help facilitate the Wang family’s relocation.”
“Is it just a small move?” inquired one of the shopkeepers.
Huang Zilan nodded, “After all, it’s based on the friendship we had when we used to play together.”
Liao Tingyu was quietly observing his wife’s display of power, but his words made him jump to his feet.
“Whom did you play with?”
“It was Wang Chen, the son of the Wang family! We played together for a while when my father took me on a business trip,” Huang Zilan casually mentioned.
One of the shopkeepers, who knew the backstory, commented, “That period was a true nightmare for the young master of the Wang family.”
He recalled the time when the slender young master played with the Wang family’s older young master. Both families had business collaborations at that time, and there was no one else to accompany the young master except the Wang family’s young master, so he was taken along.
The Wang family’s young master had been instructed to play with him, but what was the result?
Upon arriving at the house to reveal their tiles, two children were engaged in a squabble. The topic of discussion revolved around the age of the Wang family’s young master.
Haha… that Young Master Wang would never forget those days.
Liao Tingyu couldn’t discern any issue and simply didn’t anticipate that they knew each other. However, this was quite normal since they hailed from the same town and shared affluent backgrounds.
He returned to his seat thoughtfully, wondering why he hadn’t noticed his wife’s commanding presence before.
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Upon arriving at the dyeing workshop, the odor was overpowering. Liao Tingyu believed that those who could endure working there must be truly dedicated to their craft.
Although one smell per unit would be manageable, the combination of multiple odors was akin to a garbage bin.
“Let’s aim to complete this as quickly as possible. First, a few of the masters who are unoccupied should stop their current tasks and follow my instructions.”
Several individuals were mentioned, and two who couldn’t stand the smell exchanged annoyed glances.
Liao Tingyu could hardly be bothered and paid no heed to their opinions. The fumes were overwhelming!
“Don’t look at me that way. I’m aware I’m sensitive to odors. Masters, please follow my guidance for the time being. Once we’re finished, I won’t be a bother anymore,” Liao Tingyu asserted.
Several individuals looked toward their manager, who nodded in agreement.
Huang Zilan kept his distance from the dye vats, and Liao Tingyu followed suit.
“Bring any fabric here, and the masters can select a dye vat of their choice.”
After all selections were made, Liao Tingyu took charge officially.
“Tie the middle portion of the cloth securely with a rope. That’s right.”
“Then, immerse one end into the dye vat. Yes, as long as the rope is tied up, it doesn’t matter. You can create as many as you like. Keep it lengthy.”
“Alright, lift it out and submerge it again. Place it slightly lower than before. You can estimate it yourself, but make sure it’s a bit lower. It should reach the very bottom.” Everyone followed Liao Tingyu’s directions for a substantial period, and the task was completed.
They were instructed to allow the dyed fabric to dry. Then, they were prompted to create another piece, with the only additional step being folding it and tying it with a rope, and a lot of ropes were needed.
The masters were tired by this process, but since Liao Tingyu was the young master’s husband, they had no room to voice their complaints.
Liao Tingyu pondered throughout the night that he merely supplied ideas. The people here were incredibly resourceful.
He had heard it said that certain individuals could discern what needed to be done just by looking at it. This was quite common in the region, even in the village where he resided.
For the fixation of colors and other matters, Liao Tingyu had carefully practiced all the formulas himself.
When everyone assumed his instructions were arbitrary, the finished products were unveiled, and the masters were overcome with realization.
Two of them remarked with tears in their eyes, “Indeed, scholars are brilliant. The colors and textures are beyond anything I could have imagined in my lifetime.”