Chapter 130: It Is Not Over Yet

It all started spreading from a small workshop belonging to the Wu family.

In the eyes of many, the Jiangning textile industry has always been home to many shining figures. Merchants skilled in business and calculation have been active on various stages, displaying their talents. Figures like Su Tan'er, Xi Junyu, the brothers Wu Qilong and Wu Qihao, as well as Wu Chenghou, Xue Sheng, and even the older generation’s Su Yu, all possessed accomplishments worthy of praise, which is how they attained their current status.

These people are gifted merchants who could likely succeed in any trade. Furthermore, there are those specialized in technical aspects; every household has its own strengths to some degree, and in many ways, the industry relies on their support. Among them, the most renowned is likely the Wu family’s "Needle of the God of Embroidery," Can Minzhi.

Can Minzhi is one of the most important veterans of the Wu family, the leading textile firm in Jiangning. Now in his early forties, he once single-handedly pushed the Wu family’s weaving technology to its peak. Over these past few years, although the Su, Xue, and Wu families have stood like a tripod, each with its own advantages, the strengths of the Su and Xue families were never so stark as to create a decisive gap. Only the Wu family’s weaving, on a high-end level, could always be considered a cut above the rest—a fact attributed to Can Minzhi’s efforts over the years.

Nowadays, this Wu family manager usually does not handle trivial matters. He loves brothels, enjoys fine wine, craves adulation, and possesses a somewhat wild personality. Of course, in the field of weaving, he is undoubtedly a man of immense talent. The Wu family gives him everything he desires, and all he needs to do is maintain their lead in weaving technology. Recently, however, he has become slightly busy.

As the most trusted manager of the Wu family, he has been overseeing the workshops and warehouses regarding the imperial business. For him, this is less of a burden and more of an honor, as the technical aspects of weaving and dyeing have already been solved. All he has to do is watch over the workshops as they produce the cloth destined for the imperial palace, ensure it is strictly inspected, and store it for the first shipment to Bianliang.

Though the responsibility seems heavy, the Wu family is full of people capable of doing it. Can Minzhi is the manager in name, but the actual work is done by the clerks originally in charge of these workshops and warehouses. Can Minzhi only drops by once a day, while the rest of the time his eldest son, Can Xia, sits in charge, building relationships with the shopkeepers and managers in preparation for his future entry into the Wu family’s management.

Can Xia did not truly inherit his father’s talent for weaving, but having idolized him since childhood, he is at least diligent and commendable. Even if he lacks the ingenuity to innovate, he is more than capable of maintaining the status quo. Planning his life as a methodical shopkeeper presents no major issues, especially now that the Wu family is embarking on large-scale expansion—the perfect time for him to prove his worth.

Tasked by his father, he has been working hard to build good relations. Beyond that, his daily inspections are meticulous, even if there is little of technical substance to do. He understands that in this role, having nothing to do is the norm. His father only sent him here to meet the predecessors and build connections, not expecting him to do anything significant. Although the young man had worked in the Wu family’s textile stores for several years—mostly learning management under his father—he found this "important task" far more monotonous than anything he had done before. He felt somewhat disappointed, but could only comfort himself with the commercial wisdom that those who achieve great things must be able to endure boredom.

A month of routine passed. Talking to the seniors every day usually involved discussing Can Minzhi. The reason they secured the imperial contract this time, aside from the scheme by Wu Qilong and others to steal the dyeing formula belonging to the Su family, was the "trump card" of Can Minzhi’s weaving skills. Otherwise, if the cloth were just of standard color, the Wu family would have had little advantage and would not have so easily caused the Su family’s humiliating defeat. A month ago, at that banquet, the Su family member named Ning Liheng threw his own cloth out the window precisely because he understood the significance of the "Needle of the God of Embroidery."

Of course, constantly talking about his father brought the young man pride, but it also became tedious. Some shopkeepers would talk to him about brothels; although the married Can Xia was no longer a naive youth, his honest and upright nature made him feel awkward discussing such things or visiting those places with his uncles. He would go through the motions of inspecting the workshops and warehouses, but with his uncles in charge, there was no room for him to interfere. Perhaps it was due to this temperament that, late in September, he became the first to notice something amiss.

"Father, the 'Radiant Gold Brocade' in the small warehouse at Qinming Pavilion... it seems to be fading..."

He mentioned it with some uncertainty during dinner that night. Fading is a serious matter. Can Minzhi was stunned for a moment before asking, "Qinming Pavilion? That was from the first batch. Shopkeeper He of the dyehouse said it wasn't great, but... where did you see it?"

"In the corner."

"The corner... those were scraps. The very first batch. Manager Chen and I felt they weren't up to standard, so we tossed them there. The corner is damp, so it’s inevitable. We’ll take a look tomorrow morning."

***

Recently, the Wu family has been preparing for expansion after the imperial business settles. As one of the family’s most famous icons, Can Minzhi has been busy with banquets and social obligations. A month had passed; if there were going to be problems, they should have appeared by now. Many in the Jiangning textile trade had almost forgotten about the Su family. In such a stable situation, how could there be any more twists and turns?

However, Can Minzhi understood the gravity of the situation. Since his son had mentioned it, he went to the small warehouse near Qinming Pavilion the next day. Indeed, the brocade was from the first batch he had experimented with and discarded. Scraps stored in a damp corner would naturally get dirty and messy; the fading wasn't very obvious. He comforted his son, and the matter was put to rest.

Can Minzhi didn't take the scraps to heart, and Can Xia stopped thinking about them as well. He continued his daily rounds. With the imperial contract confirmed, the first shipment of 220 pieces of Radiant Gold Brocade was due in about a month. This silk was the Wu family’s signature, and they couldn't risk mass production yet. The small workshops were rushing, constantly trying to refine and screen the product. Watching the weaving, the dyeing, and the finished cloth—those golden hues—Can Xia went back to the scrap warehouse at Qinming Pavilion one day.

The fading of the cloth in the corner had become obvious. Although it was normal for scraps left in a corner to fade, an ominous feeling flashed through Can Xia's heart. On the shelf nearby were several other discarded pieces of brocade. These had been kept better, but when he opened the boxes to check, several pieces no longer possessed that brilliant golden yellow.

"We just developed it after stealing the Su family's formula; there are bound to be differences. None of this batch could be shown to anyone..."

These were his father's words. Can Xia thought for a moment and went back to check the rest of the finished cloth. True to the name "Radiant Gold Brocade," all the cloth in sight was bright yellow and magnificent. Yet, for the next few days, those faded scraps haunted his mind, leaving him distracted. It was now October. One day, he went to the warehouse, opened the sealed boxes of brocade, and laid them out piece by piece. When Manager Qin arrived, the silk was already stacked two meters high, the golden shimmer almost blinding. No one could stop Can Xia; he kept going, and surprisingly, the warehouse workers joined in opening the boxes.

"Can Xia! You..." Manager Qin didn't finish his sentence, for he had seen it too. In the middle of that golden pile were two pieces of a different color. Can Xia turned, holding a piece of cloth.

"Uncle Qin, the first batch of Radiant Gold Brocade has a problem..."

Manager Qin hesitated for only a second before suddenly waving his hand: "Unpack it! Unpack everything!"

The news that the first batch of Radiant Gold Brocade had problems shocked Can Minzhi, Wu Qilong, and the others. Fortunately, the rest seemed fine. When they were all placed together, the faded pieces stood out, but the rest were uniform. This proved the later pieces were fine, and the issue was merely a minor problem from when the Wu family was still unfamiliar with the dyeing formula.

"We don't know exactly where the problem lies. We've adjusted the formula over these days. We’ll have to look into it. Well, finding it in time is the best-case scenario." The pieces that hadn't faded were stacked together, looking like an impenetrable wall of gold. Relieved, Wu Qilong ordered an investigation, then had the cloth packed up again. Small setbacks are common in business. With the issue resolved, Can Xia was rewarded. There were twenty days left before the first imperial delivery. The workshops were still working feverishly, no one mentioned the fading again, and the warehouse door was locked, the key kept by Manager Qin himself. But just a few days later, the situation mutated.

On the afternoon of the ninth of October, a worker passing the warehouse found the door—which only Manager Qin had been able to enter in recent days—standing open. He walked inside. In the dimly lit warehouse, Manager Qin sat to one side. He was already old, his hair and beard white, and he looked haggard from the recent busy days. But now, something finally showed its true colors.

Manager Qin sat there with a vacant gaze, his expression drawn, one hand trembling, staring straight at the stacked cloth as if he had seen something terrifying.

The worker called out to him, but the old man didn't respond. The worker turned and shouted, "Someone, come help!" When he looked back at the pile of cloth, he realized with a start that in the dim room, the wall of cloth, which had been uniform before, now showed a jagged contrast. About a dozen pieces of cloth mixed within had changed color, some deep, some light, no longer the original bright yellow. Those faded pieces mixed in the wall looked like a grotesque face—two eyes, one high and one low, pulling at a twisted mouth, smiling in the room. Even the daylight seemed to fade, blocked at the door, refusing to enter. What had happened in the Su family’s workshop months ago was now being replicated here, step by step.

In the nearby workshop, the workers were still working feverishly, new cloth was being dyed, and managers were chatting and laughing among the crowd. Everyone was following the preordained plan, preparing to walk toward a beautiful future...

***

When he received the news, Wu Qilong was drinking tea with Can Minzhi at a lavishly decorated teahouse, discussing innovations for the second batch of the imperial contract and a meeting that evening with a major merchant to solve the shortage of tribute silk. A worker came over and whispered what had happened.

"What did you say?" The voice was so soft that Wu Qilong didn't think he heard clearly, so he asked again.

"Manager Qin... he’s collapsed, and... the cloth is fading..."

"What... what cloth is fading?"

"That Radiant Gold Brocade..."

"I know it's the Radiant Gold Brocade! Didn't we already pick out the faded ones? We haven't found the cause yet, what are you talking about..."

"But..." The worker repeated the situation at the workshop and warehouse. Even after hearing it, Wu Qilong couldn't believe it. He understood every word, but he couldn't form a concrete image in his mind. There were only ten days left before the imperial delivery—was the cloth... perhaps all problematic? Fading?

"What... what are you talking about?" He tilted his head, his gaze shifting before turning back. "What exactly is fading..."

A month and a half had passed. By now, something had finally gathered enough strength to shatter the deliberately constructed illusion that had felt like heaven for the past month and a half, and then, it began to pull everyone back, hard...

At this moment, Ning Yi was walking out of the small laboratory by the schoolhouse. On this late autumn, early winter afternoon, he closed the door and prepared to head home. Recently, he had no social obligations; he didn't even have to greet many of the people in his household. He was exceptionally relaxed.