Chapter 100: A Day in the Life of Su Tan'er (Part Two)

The sound of carriages and horses drifted from afar. Behind the warehouse, in the dappled shade of trees along the alley, two figures sat, each holding a bowl of chilled bean jelly, eating slowly.

"The shops in Jiangning City require constant oversight. My father used to bring me along, saying that if I truly wanted to manage them, I had to put in the effort to understand everything. Nowadays, few of our family’s young masters can actually manage a shop well, but I can handle these; I can take over the duties of any shopkeeper if needed..."

Beyond the low wall, the trees, and the drainage ditch, the bustling activity of the market was faintly visible, accompanied by a steady hum of noise. Ning Yi had wandered over here after his lessons concluded at noon. They sat in the back, sharing the jelly and taking a brief respite. Su Tan'er did not usually snack, but today, much like she did on the balcony of their little building at night, she held a small bowl while chatting about trivialities—from the origins of the "Liuxian" (Immortality-Retaining) skirt to the specific ratios of various dyes.

"Records in the *Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital* state that the Liuxian skirt originated with Zhao Feiyan. Before the Western Han Dynasty, skirts didn't have such pleats. But it is said that once, while Zhao Feiyan was dancing, a palace maid tugged on her skirt, creating wrinkles. It looked even more beautiful when she danced, so the women of the court began to imitate it. However, the pleats back then weren't like those of today. During the Tang Dynasty, there was a beautiful pattern that required seven more steps than modern skirts, though it was quite troublesome to wear..."

"The white and blue of today's clothing are not simple colors either. This shade of white is very difficult to dye; it takes twenty-three steps. The dye itself is unique—it doesn't use sulfur or lime... Blue is actually easier to dye." She paused, noting that this particular shade, somewhere between cyan and royal blue, used an expensive dark-blue starlight stone—the same kind found on the folding screen in their room upstairs. "If used as cosmetic powder for drawing eyebrows, it would be incredibly costly. There’s a shop in Annan District where a tiny box costs fifteen strings of cash." When at home, Su Tan'er usually spoke of domestic matters—gossiping about her foolish cousins or complaining about business partners—often with a hint of mischief. Yet here, she spoke only of printing, dyeing, weaving, and tailoring. She could discourse on anything Ning Yi wore. It wasn't the attitude of someone reciting a book, but rather a deep, innate understanding. Ning Yi, holding his half-finished bowl, found it quite interesting to listen to this nineteen-year-old woman, who bore the title of his wife, speak with such expertise.

In the warehouse ahead, the loading continued. Around the time of the sheep hour, a commotion erupted on the street. Xing'er ran over to report that a fight had broken out—a brawl between two gangs. Su Tan'er merely glanced at Ning Yi and smiled. "Fights are common here. Sometimes people die. Let's not go look."

There was a hint of pleading in her voice. Ning Yi nodded. "Indeed, let's avoid getting caught in the crossfire." Xing'er sensed the mood and ran off with a smile. Only then did Su Tan'er turn back and call out, "Don't get hurt!"

On one side, the faint sounds of chaotic fighting persisted; on the other, the busy clatter of carts and horses continued. Sitting in the back alley, chatting and listening to the autumn cicadas while watching the dappled light filter through the trees, the noise seemed to grow distant. The jelly was not particularly good; Su Tan'er took a sip and left it in her hands. A leaf fell into the bowl, and she watched it for a long time before using her spoon to fish it out, spilling a bit of sugar water onto the ground.

"It has been a long time since I had such a leisurely day. If the city gates are closed, I fear it will be even busier."

"Wouldn't closing the city gates make things more leisurely?" Ning Yi took another spoonful of his cold jelly.

"The gates were closed for a month a few years ago. I wasn't very old then, but I remember feeling stifled." Su Tan'er looked at him. "Husband, have you forgotten even that?"

"I don't remember."

"What kind of person were you back then, Husband? I can't quite fathom it..."

"Likely a bookworm. Perhaps a very dull one, or maybe not much different from who I am now... Uh, why are you looking at me like that?"

"I went to see you once before, with Xiao Chan and Xiao Juan, just to find out what kind of person you were." Su Tan'er thought for a moment and laughed. "Everyone really did say you were a bookworm. I snuck a look at you from afar, but I couldn't go up and speak to you, so I never truly knew what you were like back then. You were just walking along, buried in your thoughts, unaware that Xiao Chan and I were peeking at you from the carriage."

In the distance, cries of pain and shouts of "Murder!" echoed like a chaotic background track. Ning Yi thought for a moment, smiled, and said nothing. Su Tan'er tilted her head. "Are you angry, Husband?"

"No, I just find it interesting."

Su Tan'er nodded, smiling in understanding. "I find it interesting, too." Her words carried a trace of emotion and a somewhat complex mood—though perhaps this complexity was different from what Ning Yi felt.

Before long, the yamen bailiffs arrived, dispersed the fight, and made some arrests. By dusk, Ning Yi and Su Tan'er walked through the warehouse toward the front entrance. The street had returned to its usual bustle; pedestrians moved about, porters hauled goods, and shop managers barked orders just as they had before. A small incident occurred while passing through the warehouse.

A wooden rack, which didn't look very stable, swayed as they passed. A worker opposite them was loading a large item and couldn't quite control it. As it tottered, Ning Yi reached out to steady it, but Su Tan'er, who had been looking the other way, noticed at the same time and instinctively stepped back, attempting to nudge Ning Yi aside.

It was a reflexive action, and before she could even speak, she had pushed him enough to make him pause. She failed to steady the large bag, and white cotton yarn spindles spilled out. They were light objects, but one struck Su Tan'er on the head. She squinted, shrank her neck, and let out a soft, "Ah!" Then she added, "Husband..." Chest pressed against back, the two were almost leaning against each other. A moment later, Ning Yi stepped back.

Even if the whole bag had fallen, it wouldn't have caused much harm, but her subconscious, counterproductive attempt at protection made Ning Yi laugh. It was a subtle sort of assertiveness. A while later, he smiled and said, "Do you know that if it had been something else, it would have been a disaster?" Su Tan'er just tilted her head and smiled calmly. "I only stepped in because I saw it was cotton spindles."

Ning Yi nodded and laughed again. "Helping by doing the wrong thing..."

"I know..." Su Tan'er made a slightly embarrassed expression.

It was just a small matter; after smoothing out her slightly disheveled hair, it seemed to pass.

As the sun set, after exchanging a few words with Shopkeeper Liao, Su Tan'er and Ning Yi gathered Xiao Juan and Xing'er. They picked up several boxes of various sizes and prepared to board the carriage to head home. The people still busy at the wharf would likely not rest until midnight.

With the middle of the seventh lunar month approaching, the road back to the Su residence was lined with stalls selling paper, bamboo, and spirit money. With refugees arriving, many sorrowful faces were visible, alongside beggars and displaced people on the roadside. Upon returning to the Su estate, there were many new faces. As they entered the gate, a dozen people waiting in the reception room approached Su Tan'er. She greeted them all with a smile, while Ning Yi accompanied her. Soon, Xiao Chan, who had likely been busy all day, came running from the courtyard gate, waving and smiling, then silently slipped into the crowd and moved to Su Tan'er’s side.

On the way to their courtyard, Xiao Chan chattered about household affairs—which relative was in trouble and so on. Some matters concerning the main branch were handled by Su Boyong, while others fell to Su Tan'er. It was said that a distant cousin had been wandering Jiangning City lately and got into trouble at a gambling den. He was detained, and his mother, afraid to ask Su Boyong for help, had heard that Su Tan'er was easy to talk to, so she sought her out. Su Tan'er frowned as she asked about the amount of money involved, then told Xiao Chan to fetch Sun, the guard who specialized in handling such matters.

Such things happened often, especially lately. Before dinner, the guard, Sun Er, arrived, learned the details from Su Tan'er, and left with a bank note. Before dinner, Su Tan'er also visited her father. After dinner, as night fell, various people came to visit. Once the distant relatives had finally left, Su Tan'er was able to return to her room to process documents and accounts.

Ning Yi often felt that such busyness was quite interesting. For someone with true ambition and goals, like Su Tan'er, this level of work usually didn't pose a significant problem. Watching her skillfully handle these matters, Ning Yi sometimes thought of his former self. But in the last few days, it had been a bit of an overload.

Preparing for the ancestor worship in the seventh month, arranging affairs for the relatives, the impending closing of the city gates, and, most importantly, the progress regarding the Imperial Merchant status—by midnight, the light in Su Tan'er’s room had not yet gone out. Ning Yi had read for a while and went for a walk in the courtyard. The autumn night was cool. He had been practicing the breathing techniques Lu Hongti taught him; while he hadn't seen any destructive results yet, his spirit felt good. He stopped in the corridor under the eaves of Su Tan'er’s room and sighed softly.

The window of Su Tan'er's bedroom was open, and her desk was placed right beside it. The oil lamp flickered on the desk, and in the warm, yellow light, Su Tan'er had fallen asleep over a pile of letters, her hair slightly disheveled.

Ning Yi stood by the window for a while, then reached in and blew out the lamp. The window went dark, and the clear moonlight spilled into the courtyard. Just as he was about to turn away, he noticed a shift in the light from behind, followed by a soft sound. He turned back to see Su Tan'er struggling to sit up. She rubbed her eyes in a daze, sniffed, and looked out the window.

In the moonlight, they shared a plain, quiet gaze. Su Tan'er’s eyes seemed to hold a glimmer in the darkness, though she couldn't open them fully. She looked sluggish and bewildered. "Uh... Husband..."

Under the moonlight, it was a soft murmur, like that of a little girl.