Even though the scent from the soap only lasted about two hours, it was already better than all the soaps she had ever used combined.
And the price was affordable.
At Xiangbao Pavilion, a box of soap cost at least three hundred wen. This intensely fragrant soap, however, was sold for only one hundred wen, so she didn’t feel the pinch no matter how much she used it.
She was the most favored concubine in the Chen Manor, and her natal family also gave her financial support from time to time. This amount of money was nothing to her.
As long as it could eliminate that embarrassing odor, she would gladly bathe five times a day!
However, more frequent baths naturally meant the soap was used up faster.
Besides, she was using two bars at once. Now, only three days later, both bars were already more than half gone.
She had become completely dependent on it.
Having tasted the experience of being a fragrant person and feeling the envy in others’ eyes, she would never want to go back to being the smelly one again!
She didn’t want to see those looks of avoidance anymore.
Early in the morning, Wang Yue sent Xiaocui to the general store at the foot of the mountain, giving her all her private savings and instructing her to buy soap—as much as she could get.
Now, the sun was already high at noon, so why wasn’t she back yet?!
Meanwhile…
Jiang Yi had thought he would be the only one guarding the place today, but before long, he saw a carriage approach.
A girl dressed as a maidservant stepped forward and knocked on the door.
“Shopkeeper? Is the shopkeeper here?”
Silence from within.
Jiang Yi’s heart echoed the cry, “Is the shopkeeper here? When will the shopkeeper come out?!”
The Crown Prince’s tone when questioning him yesterday had grown even graver. If the shopkeeper didn’t appear soon, he really would be demoted to shoveling horse manure!
Of course, Jiang Ling couldn’t hear him. She was still deep in sleep at the moment.
Once the wooden door was closed, no matter how loud the noise outside, it couldn’t penetrate the interior of the general store.
Xiaocui waited until noon, as the sun climbed higher and dark clouds gathered.
A torrential downpour began, yet the shop door remained tightly shut.
The rain quickly dampened her hair and shoulders. She had no choice but to return to the Chen household.
“How many did you buy back?” In the side courtyard, Wang Yue rushed up to Xiaocui as soon as she saw her, her face alight with joy. She needed to calculate how long her supply would last.
Xiaocui reported truthfully, “Second Madam, the shopkeeper wasn’t open today. I didn’t manage to buy a single bar.”
She took out the untouched money pouch and handed it back.
“What?!” Wang Yue was greatly disappointed. “None? Then why did you come back so early?”
“The rain was too heavy, Second Madam,” Xiaocui said, aggrieved. “The shop door was tightly closed; it’s even less likely to open in the afternoon. This servant… was afraid you were waiting anxiously, so I came back to report first.”
Although disappointed, Wang Yue could do nothing about it. “Forget it. Perhaps the shopkeeper had some business. Fortunately, my soap should last a few more days.”
With the rain these next few days, she would go out less. It would be fine to bathe less frequently.
“You must go early tomorrow! No matter what, even if you have to wait the entire day, you must bring back the soap! Do you understand?!”
Xiaocui hesitated for a moment but finally agreed.
Just then, a young lady dressed in a brocade, embroidered jacket and skirt, holding an exquisite oil-paper umbrella with a bamboo basket on her arm, walked gracefully into the side courtyard.
It was none other than the Chen family’s legitimate eldest daughter, Chen Yuzhu.
She called out sweetly, “Second Mother.”
“Yuzhu?” Wang Yue was taken aback. “Why have you come? Do you need something from your Second Mother?”
Chen Yuzhu had always carried herself with the pride of a legitimate eldest daughter since childhood and had never shown any kindness towards her, her Second Mother. Fortunately, she didn’t actively cause trouble either.
In the five years since Wang Yue married into the family, the number of times Chen Yuzhu had visited her courtyard could be counted on one hand.
Today was truly a case of ‘no one visits the temple without a reason’!
Chen Yuzhu wore a gentle smile on her face as she walked to the corridor and closed her umbrella.
With a soft smile, she took a small plate of pastries from her basket and placed it on the tea table in the corridor. “Second Mother, Yuzhu recently learned to make these pastries and specially brought them for you to taste and offer some guidance.”
Yuzhu had just turned sixteen this year and was already engaged, reportedly to a young master from the wealthy Wu family in town.
She was currently in her pre-wedding period, occasionally learning pastry-making from the cooks.
This was the first time she had brought pastries for her Second Mother to sample.
“You… brought pastries for me?” Wang Yue glanced at them warily.
Chen Yuzhu gave an awkward smile. “Yuzhu will soon be married and will spend less and less time at home. I was ignorant in the past and often upset Second Mother. Now, I wish to make some amends.”
“Is that all?”
Chen Yuzhu wiped the sweat from her brow with a handkerchief; uttering these insincere words had made her break out in a cold sweat.
“Also… Yuzhu heard that Second Mother has that kind of… soap made as tribute for the King of the Western Regions? With an exceptionally unique fragrance. I wonder if Second Mother could spare one bar for Yuzhu? Consider it as part of Yuzhu’s trousseau.”
“Oh, so that’s what this is about!” Wang Yue said unhurriedly as she sat down.
She thought the little minx had been possessed!
Not long ago, when Wang Yue mentioned adding to her trousseau, Yuzhu had looked disdainful, as if accepting her things would bring bad luck. Yet now, she was here asking for them herself.
Seeing a mere concubine dare to put on airs before her, Chen Yuzhu was furious and wanted to leave on the spot. But then she thought of that enchanting fragrance…
She had heard from her mother that Wang’s cousin was a merchant who traveled far and wide. Something meant as tribute for the King of the Western Regions might indeed be something only she possessed.
The Wu family she was engaged to had extensive business in the town, making it a marriage into a higher social standing.
That’s why she had been frantically improving her culinary skills lately. Her mother had even spent a large sum to hire a retired maid from the palace to teach her how to please men.
That soap’s fragrance could be detected from far away. If she could use it, it would surely double the effect with half the effort.
This was the first time Chen Yuzhu had come to her with a request, so Wang Yue couldn’t easily refuse.
After all, Chen Yuzhu was soon to marry into the Wu family, who couldn’t be easily offended. It would be even better to establish good relations.
Just one bar of soap wasn’t a big issue.
“What? Is Second Mother unwilling?” Seeing her remain silent, Chen Yuzhu was running out of patience.
Wang Yue immediately smiled. “How could that be? This is the first time Yuzhu has asked anything of your Second Mother, and it concerns your marriage—a major event. No matter what, your Second Mother must fulfill your wish.”
Hearing this, Chen Yuzhu’s expression softened somewhat.
“However…” Wang Yue’s tone shifted, and she showed a look of difficulty. “That soap… I happen to have none left at the moment.”
Chen Yuzhu’s smile instantly froze.
Wang Yue calmly explained, “You must know, this item is precious. My cousin managed to obtain it from a Western Regions merchant with great difficulty. The previous batch was just used up. The new one… will take a few more days.”
Hearing this, Chen Yuzhu smiled. “That’s natural. Such a fine item surely isn’t abundant. Yuzhu isn’t in a hurry. Just remember, Second Mother.”
After seeing Chen Yuzhu off, Wang Yue finally felt at ease and picked up a pastry from the table to eat.
The usually haughty eldest young lady had come to beg her—how could she not feel immensely pleased?
Suddenly, she thought of something else and glanced at the still-raining sky.
Tomorrow, she would go to the general store herself.