She led Fu Zhen into a room filled with traces of daily life. There were still some unfinished rouge on the table.
Fu Zhen looked around and said with a smile, "You really know how to enjoy life."
When idle, she would come to this building for a stroll. Occasionally, she would make some new types of rouge. Outside the window was a bustling street. Looking into the distance, one could see mountains upon mountains, with mist lingering on the peaks. It was truly a magnificent view.
Zhang Lan smiled and poured her a cup of tea. "The scented tea you like."
"Thank you," Fu Zhen quickly took it. The water was lukewarm, just right to drink. She asked curiously, "How do you know I like scented tea?"
She didn't meet Zhang Lan as often as Jin Xianghuan. Their few encounters were all in the Luhua Pavilion. There were few opportunities for them to sit face - to - face and talk, let alone do the elegant thing of making tea together.
"Last time at the Liu Mansion, I saw that you only drank the tea brewed with plum blossoms. So I knew you preferred something light and sweet in taste. I remembered it unconsciously," Zhang Lan said softly, lowering her eyes and tidying up the scattered items on the table.
Maybe to cater to everyone's taste at the Liu Mansion, two different kinds of tea were served. One was green tea, and the other was scented tea.
Fu Zhen couldn't help but praise, "Sister, you are so meticulous and observant. I'm really impressed."
But Zhang Lan just smiled faintly and said nothing.
The window was half - open. The hawking sounds from the street faintly reached their ears, which dispelled the coldness in the room and added a touch of earthly flavor.
Fu Zhen sized up the other person imperceptibly.
In the previous times, it was Zhang Lan who took the initiative to approach her and give her rouge. But today, it was she who came here on her own, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say. The atmosphere inevitably became a bit cold.
Suddenly, an idea flashed through Fu Zhen's mind.
Zhang Lan, the Zhang family...
She suddenly remembered that when she first entered the mansion, Mrs. Bai had mentioned a marriage to Chen Tingfeng. It seemed that the family proposing the marriage was the Zhang family.
She couldn't help but look at Zhang Lan more carefully.
The other person was lowering her eyes and tidying up the remaining rouge materials on the table. Her face was cold, and there was an undeniable air of scholarship around her. Even though her hands were constantly moving, she still looked elegant and generous.
Fu Zhen couldn't help but imagine her and Chen Tingfeng together in her mind. For a moment, she fell silent.
Zhang Lan was quiet - tempered, and Chen Tingfeng was cold. If these two were together, they might not say two words to each other all day.
Maybe her look was a bit strange. Zhang Lan looked up at her and asked with a puzzled look, "Zhenzhen?"
Fu Zhen shook her head, driving the thoughts out of her mind, and gave her an embarrassed smile. "It's okay, Sister Zhang Lan."
"By the way, I heard that the caravan of the Luhua Pavilion was robbed. Will it cause you any trouble?" She couldn't help but frown slightly and started talking about business.
Zhang Lan was silent for a long time. Just when Fu Zhen was about to get anxious, she heard her say, "If the Luhua Pavilion has to close..."
Fu Zhen was shocked. Could it be that the caravan was transporting gold, stones, or jade? She had heard that raw materials were the most essential for a jewelry store. If the source of raw materials was cut off, all the subsequent processes couldn't be carried out.
There were always a lot of people coming and going in the Luhua Pavilion. The sales volume of jewelry must be quite good. If there was no inventory for a while, it might really have to close.
But the location of the Luhua Pavilion was excellent. The rent for a three - story store might be more than a thousand taels of silver. If it remained closed all the time, it would be in a state of loss every month. Even though the Zhang family was a wealthy and powerful family, how could they bear such a huge deficit?
Fu Zhen immediately said anxiously, "What should we do? I... I don't have other skills and can't compare with you, Sister. But I've saved some money. If you're short of funds for a while, please feel free to ask me. Don't be embarrassed. I'll definitely help if I can!"
It could be regarded as repaying the kindness Zhang Lan had shown her before.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Lan burst out laughing. This laugh dispelled the coldness around her and added a bit of girlish charm. It also made Fu Zhen stunned. It took her a while to react, and she couldn't help but scold with a smile, "I wondered why you weren't worried at all. So you were just teasing me! Humph! I originally thought Sister was a serious person. I didn't expect you to be on the same side as Xianghuan, both bullying me!"
Zhang Lan's eyes curved into a smile. "Xianghuan is right. It's really fun to tease you."
Jin Xianghuan had a wide network of connections. Her personality was very likable. Except for those she disliked in the capital, she could talk to almost all the noble ladies.
Zhang Lan always looked steady, which just attracted Jin Xianghuan, who was a bit of a tomboy. After a few words, she got close to Zhang Lan. Now their relationship was not bad.
Fu Zhen wrinkled her nose. "I knew it was Xianghuan who led you astray. I'll surely settle the score with her later!"
After Zhang Lan had laughed enough, she explained, "It's not a big deal. The jewelry and rouge in the Luhua Pavilion don't only come from that one source. No one in business is stupid. Just like a cunning rabbit having three burrows."
Fu Zhen nodded in understanding. Now that she thought about it, it was really because she was too worried.
Zhang Lan could run such a big store. Her means must be good. She must have thought about this problem when she first opened the store.
Naturally, she knew more than an outsider like Fu Zhen.
Fu Zhen let out a sigh of relief. "That's good."
The room fell silent again. The two of them just looked at each other without saying a word.
Zhang Lan held the teacup in her hand and played with it. After a while, she said, "I heard that Xianghuan often goes to your mansion to play?"
Fu Zhen nodded and couldn't help but smile. "Xianghuan can't stay idle. She said that when she goes to other people's houses, she always feels uncomfortable because there are too many siblings. It's not as spacious and quiet as my house. So now, whenever she goes out, she always comes to my place to sit for a while, have a meal, and then leave."
"Can I go there too?" Zhang Lan looked at her and asked. There was an inexplicable uneasiness in her eyes.
Fu Zhen blinked. "Of course you can! As long as you come, I'll always welcome you."
Zhang Lan felt relieved. There was a faint smile on her face. "Don't laugh at me. My family has always been very strict with me. Usually, I only go to other people's houses for a short while during banquets. So I don't have many close friends. Now Xianghuan is one, and you're the second."
Fu Zhen was a bit stunned. She didn't expect this.
At first, she had guessed that a scholarly family like the Zhang family must be very strict in educating their children. That's why all of them were outstanding. Even Zhang Lan had been famous as a talented woman since she was a child.
However, such a strict family lacked a bit of warmth after all.
Thinking like this, Fu Zhen's heart softened. "Coincidentally, I don't have many friends either. If Sister Zhang Lan doesn't mind, you can come often. You can even regard my yard as your second home."
That's what Jin Xianghuan did. Now there were already a few pieces of her clothes hanging in her yard, as well as some small jewelry and items. She was almost living in her yard.
Zhang Lan pursed her lips and smiled. There were even shallow dimples on her lips. "That would be great."
Fu Zhen didn't ask how Zhang Lan managed to open the Luhua Pavilion under such strict family education. She just reached out and filled their teacups with hot tea.
She picked up the cup and gently clinked it against the other person's cup. She smiled brightly. "Then I'll be looking forward to your visit, Sister."