In the end, Chen Huanyun was carried into the Fang family's mansion in a small sedan chair. She didn't even enter through the side gate but was taken in through the back door.
On the day she was carried in, Fu Zhen was watching from the balcony of the Yongchun Tower.
The streets were filled with the continuous cries of peddlers. Passers - by only saw the sedan chair but didn't know who was inside. When they saw the plaque of the Fang family's mansion, they just shook their heads and said, "It's Young Master Fang taking another concubine again."
Everyone knew that Fang Junhua was a womanizer, and taking concubines was a common occurrence, nothing out of the ordinary.
After seeing Chen Huanyun enter the Fang family's mansion, Fu Zhen withdrew her gaze and gave a faint smile in the sunlight.
"The weather is nice today. Since I rarely get out, let's go and stroll around the Luhua Pavilion," she said.
Cuilan and Biyu naturally agreed without hesitation.
The Luhua Pavilion was still as bustling as ever, with people coming and going, and the business was booming.
The women working in the shop all recognized her. When they saw her coming, they greeted her with smiles and led her upstairs.
"We haven't seen you for a long time, miss. How have you been recently?"
The last time she came to the Luhua Pavilion was in spring, and now summer was almost here.
Fu Zhen wore a gentle smile on her face. "Everything is fine. I just ran out of rouge at home. Since I'm out for a stroll today, I thought I'd come to the pavilion to pick out some suitable for summer."
"That's a coincidence. Recently, our shop has newly developed two types of rouge. They are light and elegant in texture, just perfect for you, miss. Please sit here and take a rest. I'll go and get them for you right away!" The woman's smile became even more sincere. After saying that, she served a pot of tea and then went downstairs to pick out the rouge.
This was the same room she had been in last time. Fu Zhen looked around. There were light curtains hanging by the window. When the wind blew, they swayed gently, creating ripples like water. On the table by the window, there were two flower pots with two branches of gardenias in them. A few buds were hanging on the slender branches. Even though they hadn't bloomed yet, there seemed to be a faint fragrance lingering around her nose.
"The owner of this shop must be a wonderful person. The last time I came here, there were vases with some blooming peach blossoms in them. Now they've been replaced with gardenias, which are just in season. It makes people feel happy at first sight," she said as she walked to the window and gently touched a bud. The branch swayed, as if greeting her.
Biyu was munching on the pastries on the table. Hearing this, she glanced at the flower pot and then lowered her head uninterestedly to take another bite of the cloud - shaped cake. "I think the pastries here are delicious. There are different varieties every time we come."
Cuilan laughed at her. "Even if they were the same pastries, I've never seen you get tired of them."
The last time Cuilan went to report to Chen Tingfeng, he really stopped sending sweet pastries and started sending savory ones. Fu Zhen never really liked pastries much and only ate one or two pieces occasionally. Now, after Chen Tingfeng's actions, she didn't eat any at all.
But it would be a waste not to eat such delicious pastries, so they all ended up in Biyu's and the other greedy maids' mouths.
"The pastries sent by the young master are delicious, but he always sends the same flavor. Who wouldn't get tired of it after a while? No wonder miss doesn't like them," Biyu said while eating the pastries. "The young master really doesn't know how to please girls. How can he give gifts like this? He should give whatever miss lacks."
Fu Zhen couldn't help laughing. "You mean he sends pastries to please me?"
Biyu nodded. "Otherwise, why would the young master send pastries to our courtyard for no reason? The pastries from the Yongchun Tower are not cheap, and they're always hot when he sends them. He must have sent Yuanbao to queue up early in the morning."
"I think he's just trying to annoy me," Fu Zhen didn't believe a word Biyu said. She wrinkled her nose and said, "The last time I said I didn't want to eat them, did you see him listen? If I ask for apples and he sends me a bunch of peaches, do you think I'll be happy? I think he's just trying to mess with me. Those who don't know might think he, this cousin, really cares about his cousin."
"What do you like, miss?" Biyu looked up curiously. "Good books, good ink, or good embroidery thread?"
Since returning to the capital, Fu Zhen had been working hard to read and write. Although her calligraphy couldn't compare with that of great scholars, it had its own charm. She had studied the Four Books and the Five Classics thoroughly. Although she couldn't quote classics at will, she could still compose a couple of poems.
"None of them," she smiled. "I like... gold, silver, and treasures!"
Biyu was amused and giggled. "It's rare to hear you joke, miss. What gold, silver, and treasures? You're not a greedy person at all."
Fu Zhen smiled faintly. She thought it was a pity that she had played her role so successfully in this life that no one believed she was a person greedy for wealth and glory.
It was really different from her previous life.
"Miss, look. Isn't that the makeup artist who gave us a few jars of rouge last time?" Cuilan suddenly said as if she had seen someone.
Fu Zhen walked to the door and leaned on the railing, looking down.
There was a woman causing a scene downstairs. She grabbed a woman wearing a veil hat whose face couldn't be seen clearly and shouted, "I bought some rouge from your shop last time. When I applied it at home, I immediately broke out in a large rash on my face. If I hadn't been treated in time, I might have been disfigured by now! Today, your shop must give me an explanation no matter what!"
The woman's clothes were not the most luxurious, but they were much better than those of ordinary people. It seemed that she had a certain family background.
She was so angry at the moment that she didn't care about anything else and just pulled the woman to ask for an explanation.
People around immediately gathered and whispered about them.
The veiled - hat woman said something and then stretched out her hand. The woman was obviously stunned for a moment and then put the box of rouge into her hand, still muttering, "This is the box. You clearly said it was the trendy style in spring and many noble ladies were using it. Do you think I'm not as good as a noble lady, so you sold me fake goods?"
The veiled - hat woman opened the rouge, put it under her veil hat and smelled it carefully. She then dipped a little and applied it on her hand. Then the woman's expression froze. She looked at her half - believingly and followed the veiled - hat woman into the room.
Seeing that there was no more excitement to watch, the people in the shop dispersed one by one.
"What did that woman say? Why did that other woman follow her?" Biyu asked curiously.
Fu Zhen thought for a while. She had read a wide variety of books. She vaguely remembered that some people were allergic to the fragrance of flowers. As soon as they smelled it, they would have shortness of breath and itchy rashes all over their bodies. Although this woman's symptoms were not as serious, they were quite similar.
She turned to Cuilan and asked, "Do you remember that there seemed to be a floral fragrance in the rouge that woman gave us last time?"
Cuilan obviously remembered this. "I remember, miss. It was the season when the peach blossoms were in full bloom. There was a faint peach blossom fragrance in the rouge. I think it was made from peach petals."
"That's right," Fu Zhen smiled. "It seems that this woman not only can't use the peach - blossom rouge but also can't stand the smell of peach blossoms."
"You guessed right," the woman quietly came upstairs at some point. The three of them had been chatting seriously just now and didn't notice her at all. The veiled - hat woman seemed to smile softly. "Stretch out your hand."
Fu Zhen was stunned for a moment and subconsciously stretched out her hand according to her words. Then a brand - new box of rouge was placed in her hand, with a delicate fragrance lingering around it. She heard the woman say, "This is my new creation. I put gardenia petals in it. The fragrance is stronger than the last box of rouge made from peach blossoms. I hope you'll like it."