Indeed, the young matron couldn’t bear to let go of the lantern crafted in the style of a palace lantern, yet her eyes lingered on the one beside it, equally coveted.
Chun Yang followed her gaze and promptly explained, “This lantern is painted with wintersweet blossoms. In recent years, wintersweet has become highly sought after in the capital.”
The young matron nodded. It was true—wintersweet had fetched astronomical prices in the capital these past few years, especially those of superior quality, which often sparked fierce competition among noble families.
However…
“The wintersweet I’ve seen wasn’t as vibrant in color.”
“Before wintersweet gained favor among the nobility, it grew wild in the mountains. The artist who painted these plum blossoms once saw an entire hillside of wintersweet in the wilderness—a sea of yellow so intense it was overwhelming. Since then, no other plum blossoms have captured his admiration.”
The young matron looked at her. “Is the color truly as rich as it appears on the lantern?”
“Yes.” Chun Yang replied with certainty, her gaze fixed on the yellow lantern. “If you doubted anything else, I might not have proof, but for this yellow plum blossom, I can indeed provide evidence. Please wait a moment.”
Chun Yang went to a corner, pulled out a drawer, and retrieved a long box. After opening it to inspect its contents, she brought it over and presented it to the young matron.
“Back then, he plucked two branches and preserved them as dried flowers. Though the color has faded considerably compared to when they were fresh, take a look—aren’t they still more vibrant than the wintersweet you’ve seen in the capital?”
The young matron studied the dried flowers for a moment and had to admit that even in their dried state, they were indeed more vivid than the fresh wintersweet she had encountered.
Chun Yang then led her to the next lantern. “Now, look at this palace pink plum blossom. Is it the same pink you’re accustomed to seeing?”
The young matron was dazzled. She adored pink—as a maiden in her family home, everything she owned was pink. Even after marrying, whenever she had the freedom to choose, pink remained her primary color. Yet she had never seen such an intense shade of pink, so vivid it seemed as if the pollen would scatter at the slightest touch.
Pink was not typically considered a bold color, but the lantern before her was an unimaginably rich pink.
The young matron couldn’t tear her eyes away.
Chun Yang pretended not to notice and guided her further along, introducing each lantern one by one. “This is vermilion plum blossom. Though it’s red, it differs slightly from the crimson plum…”
“This is the eight-layered cold red plum, a rare pinkish-purple hue…”
“This is the purple-red weeping plum, distinct from pinkish-purple, with a clear purple tone…”
“…”
All twelve lanterns were crafted in the palace lantern style, their colors pushed to the extreme. Each one was captivating, impossible to ignore.
By now, other customers had entered the shop, equally enchanted by the lanterns’ intense colors. They gathered around the young matron, listening as Chun Yang introduced each one.
“I’ll take all twelve,” the young matron declared, clutching the pink lantern tightly, afraid someone might snatch it away. She adored it too much.
Chun Yang smiled and agreed. With a glance, she turned to Yu Zhi Yue, who was diligently observing and learning beside her. “Zhi Yue, please settle the account with this esteemed guest. The price is thirty-eight taels per lantern. For twelve lanterns, that totals four hundred and fifty-six taels. We’ll round it down—collect four hundred and fifty taels from the guest.”
“Yes.”
Upstairs, Lan Jin overheard the price and couldn’t help but think, “A master’s teachings produce a skilled disciple.” Charging thirty-eight taels for a single lantern—such audacity! With this sale alone, they could comfortably sustain themselves for three days.
Clearly, the price also surprised several customers in the shop. It wasn't that they had never bought expensive lanterns before, but this lantern wasn't particularly large, nor was it made of silk that cost one tael of gold per bolt. Thirty-eight taels for a single lantern was indeed not cheap.
Chun Yang smiled and said, "It is a bit expensive, but 'Feng Deng' never sells identical lanterns. Each of these lanterns is unique. To ensure every lantern is one-of-a-kind, the owner invests heavily in both the design and patterns for each piece. If you ever see 'Feng Deng' selling an identical lantern in the future, we promise to compensate you double the price. That is our shop's guarantee."
Who wouldn't appreciate such uniqueness?
Especially in a place like the capital, uniqueness often meant having an edge over others. However…
"Couldn't it be cheaper if I buy twelve at once?"
Chun Yang shook her head apologetically. "You are our shop's first customer since opening. If you were buying a single lantern, I could offer it to you for just thirty taels. But themed series like this are even more expensive, and they are not sold individually. Please understand."
The young woman, who had been frowning, immediately relaxed and cheerfully counted out the silver notes for Yu Zhi Yue.
In the capital, the harder something was to obtain, the quicker one had to act. She had arrived early; any later and she might have missed her chance.
Over there, Chun Yang continued her sweet-talking yet shrewd sales pitch for the lanterns, with laughter occasionally drifting over.
Meanwhile, Yu Zhi Yue brought over all twelve lanterns and, following Aunt Chang's instructions, explained some precautions to the customer regarding lighting them.
After listening for a few moments, the young woman interrupted her. "Even though you've left the Marquis Mansion, you are still the legitimate daughter of the Marquis's household. There's really no need for you to expose yourself here and demean yourself like this."
Here it comes.
Yu Zhi Yue lowered her head, carefully placing the lanterns into their boxes. Her response was neither soft nor harsh: "What are you saying, esteemed guest? I am making an honest living through my own efforts. How is that demeaning?"
The young woman scoffed. "Working in a shop, serving others—you call that making an honest living?"
"Young lady, before marriage, you were protected by your family, and after marriage, you are protected by your husband's family. Naturally, you cannot imagine what it means to rely on one's own abilities to survive," Yu Zhi Yue replied, packing one lantern after another without pausing her hands or her words. "But I am only eleven, and with no one in my family to protect me, if I don't find a way to support myself, how else am I to survive in this world?"
Recalling the affairs of Chengenhou Manor, the young woman softened her tone considerably. "With your mother's bridal dowry, your life should be quite comfortable."
"But until I turned eleven, my family never hired a tutor, nor did anyone teach me how to manage assets. If I don't plan for myself, I might be deceived by servants and still think they are good people."
"And staying here is your way of planning for yourself?"
Finally getting to this point, Yu Zhi Yue glanced at her: "I don't know your purpose in coming, but since you asked, I'll tell you. When I was at my wit's end, I learned of Feng Deng's existence. As a last resort, I entrusted my request to Feng Deng, never expecting it would actually help me reclaim my mother's bridal dowry and properly bury her remains. Those born into fortune may not understand what that feels like, but for me, it was like a parched person finally tasting sweet spring water. Having tasted such relief, I naturally wouldn't let go, so yesterday I entrusted a new request to Feng Deng—to learn how to conduct business from them. Once I've mastered it, I'll be able to manage my mother's dowry. Do you think it's wrong for me to make such plans for myself?"
Wrong? Of course not. There could be no more correct decision than this.
The young woman looked at the eleven-year-old girl with a complicated expression. If she were in her place, she too would cling tightly to such a presence that could help her.