Recognizing You in the Rainy Alley

Abuse the wicked, face-slapping, marriage first and love later, sweet romance, devoted couple, adorable children, happy ending, and making a fortune through ancient-style business

On a stormy night, in a ruined temple, Shen Zhiyi, an orphan drugged by someone, forces herself on a badly wounded man wearing a mask. To hide her pregnancy, she spends ten taels of silver to buy a down-on-his-luck man to pass off as the father. She has no idea that he is Pei Yan, the powerful chief minister who rules the court, and the very man from that ruined temple.

By day, he is a minister who can turn the tide of power. At home, he kneels beside the abacus and begs for mercy: “Madam, could you earn a little less today? My colleagues are starting to suspect me of embezzlement.” Shen Zhiyi clicks her abacus and raises an eyebrow. “Who’s spreading rumors? I’ll bankrupt his whole family by tomorrow morning!”

From the tea hills of Jiangnan to the shifting tides of the capital, they go from scheming against each other to entrusting each other with their lives. She takes on despicable adversaries and expands her business, becoming the richest imperial merchant. He turns their plots to his advantage, protecting his wife and crushing her enemies. Then one day, Pei Yan clutches twins who look just like him and grits his teeth. “You expect me to be their stand-in father? Madam, you’ve got some nerve!”

A deal that began with ten taels of silver becomes the best bargain the cold-faced chief minister ever made: a beloved wife, adorable children, and wealth beyond measure. The scent of tea drifts across Jiangnan, and the legend lives on for generations.