Chapter 854 - 853: Rouge Shop

Words : 1350 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 854: Chapter 853: Rouge Shop Wang Yongzhu took a look and saw that it was a copy of the Inner Canon of Huangdi. He casually opened a page and slowly read aloud: "In ancient times, there were people who had attained perfect virtue and complete mastery. They harmonized with yin and yang, adjusted to the four seasons, led a secluded life, cultivated their essence and spirit, roamed between heaven and earth, and perceived beyond the eight reaches. This contributed to their longevity and strength, and ultimately, they returned to being true people..." At this point, Imperial Doctor Du signaled for Wang Yongzhu to stop. He stroked his white beard and after a while said, "Well, learning medical techniques depends on one’s talent! Seeing your filial piety, you should first memorize this Tangtou Song, then come back to see me." On hearing this, Wang Yongzhu knew there was hope. Without saying much, he just accepted the Tangtou Song and expressed his gratitude. Imperial Doctor Du, seeing it was getting late, gave an order, and soon an attendant brought in a porcelain bottle, which he carefully placed in front of Imperial Doctor Du. Imperial Doctor Du casually tossed the bottle to Wang Yongzhu: "This contains a month’s supply. Take one pill daily, after dinner, dissolved in ginger water. Come back in a month for a follow-up to adjust the prescription!" Wang Yongzhu sincerely thanked Imperial Doctor Du, left a gift, and took his medicine with him as he departed. As soon as Wang Yongzhu went out, the curtain inside moved, and an older woman came out, saying, "Today you’re quite generous, giving even the Tianwang Heart Repairing Pill?" Imperial Doctor Du had been in such a hurry to see people this morning that he hadn’t even had breakfast. Now, starving, he sipped some warm tea and casually opened the few gift boxes Wang Yongzhu had brought. He was stunned for a moment. Aside from some snacks, there was a neatly packed bundle of tea leaves in one of the gift boxes. Seeing the packaging, he realized it was the same as what had been brought out the day before. Imperial Doctor Du understood immediately. He first tucked the tea leaves into his coat, then solemnly said, "I saw she had some potential and thought to give a pointer or two." The woman, who was Imperial Doctor Du’s wife, knew her husband well. He was an avid tea lover. The claim that he had seen potential in the young lady was obviously because he had noticed the tea leaves she brought! However, she rather admired the young lady’s demeanor and intelligence. With such a presence and character, she was indeed quite impressive. She simply reminded him, "If that young lady truly has talent, you should guide her more, in honor of the tea leaves, right?" Imperial Doctor Du chuckled and feigned ignorance, laughing it off. Wang Yongzhu took the medicine and Tangtou Song, along with the revised prescription from Imperial Doctor Du, and prepared to head home. Halfway there, she suddenly heard a familiar voice: "Lady Niu, take care. If it works well, I’ll give you the same price next time—" She turned her head and saw that the person enthusiastically bidding farewell to a customer outside a rouge shop was none other than the young wife who had been with Zhang Qiuju that day. The customer was smiling broadly, and the maid beside her was holding several packages of cosmetics. After sending Lady Niu off, the young wife stood at the entrance, calling out to well-dressed women: "Ladies and young miss, we have new rouge just in from the Prefecture City. It’s of excellent color and fragrant scent. If you buy from our shop today, we’ll give you a free bottle of wood shavings oil—" This call attracted quite a few young women into the shop. Wang Yongzhu stood there for a while without moving. The young wife initially smiled brightly at her, but upon recognizing Wang Yongzhu, her smile stiffened momentarily before quickly returning to normal: "Sister, we meet again." Wang Yongzhu had wanted to know where Zhang Qiuju’s family was now. Judging by the situation, this rouge shop was likely their business. She nodded slightly and said, "Is this your family’s rouge shop? The business looks good!" The young wife, Lady Fang, was the second daughter-in-law in Zhang Qiuju’s family. Because of her cleverness and eloquence, she had been assigned to help in the rouge shop shortly after marrying into the family. Lady Fang entertained female customers in the shop, earning the second branch of the family an additional hundred large coins monthly, which was considered her monthly allowance. This hundred large coins made the eldest brother and his wife extremely envious. The eldest brother’s wife was not only inarticulate but completely lacked social skills. She was the type who could kill a conversation the moment she opened her mouth. Naturally, she couldn’t handle entertaining customers, so she was relegated to cooking and washing at home, working herself to exhaustion every day, with her hair and clothes perpetually smelling of oil and smoke. To avoid soiling her clothes, she was always dressed in drab attire. In contrast, Lady Fang, needing to serve customers, was always beautifully made up, looking more radiant and further emphasizing the dowdiness of the eldest brother’s wife. The eldest brother’s wife frequently made bitter comments about this. Seeing the comparison with her sister-in-law, Lady Fang cherished her opportunity to work in the shop even more. Hearing Wang Yongzhu’s question, she couldn’t help but answer, "It’s going well, thanks to everyone’s support! Sister, would you like to try our rouge? Let me tell you, our rouge is the most comprehensive in all of Jing County. We regularly have trendy items from the Provincial Capital and the Capital City. The prices are fair, and if you buy a box of rouge, we’ll give you a bottle of wood shavings oil. Sister, with your lovely complexion, if you use our rouge, you will truly look as beautiful as a celestial being. Would you like to have a look inside?" Wang Yongzhu gave a faint response and didn’t refuse, following Lady Fang into the shop. The rouge shop was neither big nor small. Upon entering, she saw shelves behind the counter filled with various rouges and powders, as well as osmanthus head oil. Several customers were opening boxes to smell them or try the products. The shop was permeated with the fragrance of cosmetics. Several shop assistants were bustling around, quickly fetching various cosmetics for the customers. Lady Fang followed behind Wang Yongzhu, introducing, "This rouge is just released this year, popular from Qingzhou Prefecture. They say it gives a healthy complexion, makes the skin look fair and rosy, and is both fragrant and moist. And this palace powder is fine and white, best used with rouge. Those who have bought it say it’s excellent. It’s our best-seller now. Would you like to try it?" Wang Yongzhu shook her head and continued to walk forward, seeing that the shelves behind the counter were indeed filled with various scented head oils, rouges, palace powders, and eyebrow dyes. As she listened to Lady Fang’s explanations, she began to calculate in her mind. Shops near East Main Street weren’t cheap. If these two shops were their own, they would be worth quite a bit. If they were rented, the rent wouldn’t be cheap either. Seeing the shop’s business and hearing the shop assistants call out the prices, that so-called rouge from Qingzhou, which was the most expensive, sold for five large coins per box. With the palace powder and head oil, a set would cost two or three taels of silver. Wang Yongzhu discreetly asked a few more questions, and Lady Fang casually revealed that the rouge shop belonged to her family. She said that this shop was the foundation of their business, as their Tian Family had first risen by selling rouges and cosmetics. While they had other businesses now, the rouge shop remained the core of the Tian Family.

Chapter 854 - 853: Rouge Shop

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