Su Nansheng personally saw Chen Mingzhu off. It was not until the latter's carriage disappeared from sight that she turned around and walked towards her own courtyard.
When she reached the garden in the mansion, she saw Su Hele trimming the flower branches there. There was no maid attending her.
Hearing the noise, Su Hele stopped what she was doing and looked at her.
"I heard that the daughter of the Secretary of the Secretariat came to visit you just now. You two seem to be quite close."
Su Nansheng stopped in her tracks and met her gaze.
First, she was forced to go to the Cao Mansion to apologize, and now she was confined to the mansion. However, Su Hele still looked calm.
Although she was doing some labor, her plain white silk dress was spotless. Standing in the colorful flower bushes, she looked as proud as a celestial being.
"Do you have any advice for me, sister?"
Su Hele had a small garden in her own courtyard, but she came all the way here to trim the branches. It should not be just to chat with her.
Su Hele lowered her eyes and gently pinched a branch that had grown crooked. With a snap of the scissors in her hand, the crooked branch fell to the ground.
"Although I don't want to say this, you are going to be a concubine after all. It's a bit too ostentatious for you to act like this before your marriage. I'm afraid it will displease the first wife of the eldest young master of the He family."
She glanced at Su Nansheng and then tilted her head to check the other branches.
Looking at Su Hele's straight back, Su Nansheng smiled slightly. She turned around and sat down in the pavilion beside her. Then she ordered,
"Bitao, go and get some refreshments."
"Compared with your betrothal gifts, mine are indeed too ostentatious. However, the eldest young master of the He family still said that he had wronged me. He secretly added some things for me behind my back."
Su Nansheng's tone was helpless but also proud. There was a hint of complacency on her face.
With a "pop", a blooming peony fell to the ground, and its petals scattered in the wind.
Beside the empty branch, Su Hele's figure was a bit stiff.
The wind blew through the pavilion, and the glass wind chimes hanging on the four corners swayed in the wind. The crisp sound of the wind chimes made people feel happy.
Su Nansheng sat there leisurely, and the smile on her lips gradually widened. She was waiting for Su Hele to continue her long speech.
Sure enough, Su Hele straightened her figure and lifted her chin slightly.
"You are still so vain, sister. The betrothal gifts are just a formality. It doesn't matter how many there are. I..."
"I understand. You value the affection of the second young master of the He family, sister. I just don't understand that since they are all just formalities and expressions of affection, why do you praise and show off when the betrothal gifts are few, but look down on them when they are many?"
Su Nansheng took the teacup handed over by Bitao and sipped it slowly. Her eyes were still fixed on Su Hele.
"You are still so shallow, sister. I don't look down on them. I'm just giving you a kind reminder."
Su Nansheng put the teacup on the bluestone table and sneered at Su Hele.
"As you said, they are all just formalities. There's no need to raise them to the level of overstepping the rules. Such vulgar words don't suit your status, sister. Don't say them again next time."
With that, Su Nansheng got up and left, not giving Su Hele a chance to speak.
...
In the Weeping Willow Garden of the Marquis of Anshun's Mansion, He Xun was sitting by the water. His long legs were stretched out casually. He ignored the chirping of the cicadas and the fluttering of the butterflies around him. The fishing rod in his hand remained motionless.
In the glass tank beside him, three or four koi carp were swimming up and down.
"My lord, there's news from the northern border."
Feiyu presented the letter with both hands.
He Xun reached out to take the letter, glanced at it and then handed it back to Feiyu. Only then did Feiyu see the content of the letter.
"Everything is fine in the northern border. The Southern Witches are lying low and not moving."
Feiyu relaxed his expression and then put the letter into the tea stove beside him to burn.
"My lord, when do you plan to return to the northern border?"
Hearing this, He Xun didn't move, but his eyes suddenly became sharp. His expression was complicated.
He remembered the arrangement of the emperor when he went to the palace to report on his duties.
"Your father and son have guarded half of the territory of the Great Qing Dynasty in the north and the south respectively. You have dedicated yourselves and exhausted your efforts. This time when you come back, stay in the capital for a while and have a good rest."
A sneer appeared on He Xun's lips. He had guarded the northern border for the Great Qing Dynasty for many years, but in the end, he still aroused the emperor's suspicion.
The emperor probably didn't just want him to stay for a while. He wanted him to stay in the capital forever.
He Xun suddenly pulled up the fishing rod. The koi carp frantically flapped its tail, trying to break free from the hook and escape back into the water.
Feiyu immediately stepped forward, reached out to take off the koi carp and put it into the glass tank, letting it swim with the other koi carp.
He Xun lowered his eyes and looked at the few koi carp. He said coldly,
"The lake is indeed vast, but in the end, it still returns to this small place."
After saying that, he picked up the glass tank and threw it into the lake together with the koi carp inside. It stirred up ripples and splashed water.
A series of bubbles emerged from the lake surface. However, as the glass tank sank to the bottom of the lake, the lake surface quickly returned to calm, and the koi carp disappeared.
"I won't return to the northern border for the time being."
...
In the inner hall of the Xizi Pavilion, behind a curtain of light gauze, Qin Nian and Bitao were sitting opposite each other.
On the display cabinet behind them were all kinds of lipsticks, face powders, and rouges. There were many varieties, and the fragrance was complex.
However, the strongest fragrance at the moment came from the glass bottle in Qin Nian's hand. It stood out among all the other fragrances and was particularly obvious.
"This perfume is thick and long-lasting. I've smelled countless fragrances, and I can tell at once that it's not an ordinary product. If it's consigned in a larger perfume shop, the sales volume and pricing will be better."
Qin Nian was dressed in plain clothes. Her eyes were clear, and her expression was open and aboveboard.
"My young lady said that it will only be sold here. However, the process of making this perfume is complicated, and it's difficult to produce it in large quantities. You may have to supply it for a limited time, Shopkeeper Qin."
Bitao first informed Qin Nian of the key points.
Qin Nian nodded. Things are valued because they are rare. She could naturally guarantee this.
After all, the rarer and harder it is to buy something, the more people will flock to it.
Seeing that Qin Nian agreed, Bitao continued,
"We will provide twenty bottles of perfume for the Xizi Pavilion every half a month. We will decide the fragrance, and we don't accept selection or reservation."
"Okay." Qin Nian continued to nod.
"According to my young lady's intention, the price of this perfume can be set higher. However, the specific selling price will be up to you, Shopkeeper Qin. We won't interfere. As for the profit sharing, I wonder what you think?"
Qin Nian lowered her head and thought for a moment. Then she said, "Eighty-twenty split. Your young lady will take 80%. Is that okay?"
It was just a few bottles of perfume. It wouldn't take up much space. However, their Xizi Pavilion could take this opportunity to build up its reputation. Even if it was a ninety-ten split, she would be willing.
Hearing this, Bitao laughed heartily.
"My young lady said that we'll split the profit thirty-seventy. We'll give you an extra 10%, Shopkeeper Qin. Please keep it a secret for our young lady. Don't let others know that this perfume was made by my young lady."
Qin Nian secretly let out a sigh of relief. She no longer concealed the joy on her face and said with a smile,
"It's a deal. Let's draw up a contract."
...
The next day, the Xizi Pavilion launched a new product. A perfume called "Bone-Penetrating Fragrance" was placed in the most prominent position on the counter. You could smell the strong fragrance even through the glass bottle.
After trying the perfume, everyone rushed to buy it. The Bone-Penetrating Fragrance was sold out in no time.