"Knowledgeable and sensible."
"You're quite perceptive." The crowd exchanged knowing smiles.
Being knowledgeable and tactful is not easy.
I've heard countless versions of the rumors, but I never imagined that the Fourth Miss was actually so fond of women.
Some of these people felt a sense of regret, lamenting that they were not as beautiful as Yu Zhi and regretting that they could not win the favor of the Fourth Miss.
Granny Wu instructed, "Go and prepare."
The maids dispersed as instructed and went about their respective tasks.
The courtyard was quiet and secluded. Yu Zhi waited in place for a while before being led into a spacious bath by Granny Wu.
"The fragrant soup is ready, young lady, please go in."
Colorful petals adorn the water's surface, filling the air with a sweet fragrance.
Seeing that she remained motionless and looked ashamed, Granny Wu quickly understood and sent someone to bring over a large embroidered screen.
“This old woman is half-buried, young lady, please don’t take me seriously. If you don’t want to undress in front of others, how about we use a screen to separate us? You are the Fourth Miss’s person, and while I may teach you, no one in this courtyard dares to offend you.”
"Granny, please don't belittle yourself." Yu Zhi loosened her sash and stepped into the bath. With the screen blocking her view, the previously bold maids knelt on the ground, not daring to raise their heads.
"This is a fragrant dew worth a fortune outside. From now on, the young lady must soak in this pool for three quarters of an hour every two days."
Upon hearing that it was worth a fortune, Yu Zhi almost stood up from the water. After finally calming her startled mind, she asked, "May I ask, Granny, what is this used for?"
"Skin-moisturizing and fragrance-enhancing, a superior skincare product."
"Routine maintenance alone costs a fortune," Yu Zhi whispered, "and what about the expenses?"
"It will come from the Fourth Miss's account."
"..."
Yu Zhi exclaimed "Ah!" wondering just how rich the Fourth Miss must be to dare to throw money at her so recklessly.
While she felt heartbroken for the money someone had spent, she reminded herself to stay calm, as her presence here represented, to some extent, the reputation of the Fourth Miss.
We can't let outsiders laugh at the Fourth Miss for taking a fancy to a country bumpkin!
She tried to calm her breathing.
Granny Wu knelt on the ground and explained to Yu Zhi the cost of one soak. Eighteen kinds of fine ingredients were used to make this pool of fragrant water. Yu Zhi asked in a trembling voice, "How many times do I need to soak it to make it ready?"
"It can take anywhere from half a month to more than forty days."
Is there any particular reason why it takes at least half a month?
"Only when the meat and bones are infused with fragrance, and the aroma released during arousal is fresh and sweet, can it be considered half complete."
"Half done?" Yu Zhi snapped out of her reverie about the 'pickled radish' and asked in surprise, "What about the other half?"
"The girl will know the other half soon."
A perfume is only truly perfect when used in conjunction with a balm.
Having heard about the high price of the perfume, Yu Zhi dared not ask how much the perfume was worth.
"The perfume is to be applied to every inch of the body."
Granny Wu clapped her hands three times, and a maid pushed open the door and entered. It was the same charming and alluring woman from before.
"This is peony, Miss Yu. Let her demonstrate the correct way to use the perfume."
Yu Zhi nodded, realizing that Wu Mama couldn't see her through the bed curtains. She shyly lifted the curtains, only peeking out her round head.
Peony, with a graceful demeanor, took off her clothes on her own, scooped out a small piece of translucent white balm with her fingertip, and applied it to her neck.
Not just the neck, but the more delicate a woman's body is, the more she needs the moisturizing effect of balm. Yu Zhi blushed and closed her eyes.
Wu Mama's hoarse voice came at just the right time: "Miss Yu, you have to take a good look. Being shy won't win the favor of the Fourth Miss."
Mentioning Wei Pingxi at this moment made Yu Zhi's ears burn with excitement.
"Thanks to Miss Yu, I had the pleasure of using this perfume. This bottle of perfume is still on Fourth Miss's tab. If you don't look carefully and use the wrong method, Fourth Miss will suffer a great loss."
Peony turned her back.
Granny Wu kept her eyes fixed on the head peeking out from under the bed curtains, and whenever Yu Zhi hesitated, Granny Wu would kindly offer her advice.
Before long, Peony's panting could be heard.
Yuzhi closed her eyes.
This time, Granny Wu didn't urge her to continue reading. She knew she had to understand it eventually, and there was no rush. She carefully asked, "Do you understand now?"
Yu Zhi rubbed her ears, and after a while, she released her bitten lower lip, her voice soft and weak: "Do I...do I want to do that too?"
"good."
The room was completely silent.
Peony, her legs and feet weak, was helped out by her sisters.
Half an hour later, only Yu Zhi was left in the room.
She slumped on the bed, a subtle struggle flashing in her alluring, willow-leaf eyes, the perfume she held in her palm seeming like a monstrous flood that could devour her.
The jade bottle was opened.
A lingering fragrance filled the air.
She sniffed, tears streaming down her face, the perfume on her fingertips moistening a spot, and she cried even harder.
Being a concubine is not easy.
It is very difficult to become the fourth young lady's concubine.
Yuzhi cried from beginning to end.
Wu, who was keeping watch outside the door, listened to the trembling sobs inside and felt helpless: Why does she cry so much?
No wonder the Fourth Miss was worried before she left.
No wonder this master, like an iron tree finally blooming, finally decided to indulge in worldly pleasures.
After applying the perfume to the last drop, Yu Zhi lay naked on the pillow, sobbing uncontrollably. Her pretty face was flushed, and it was hard to tell whether it was from shame or exhaustion.
Her bones went limp, and as she thought of Wei Pingxi, her heart trembled violently.
Chapter 19 Few become concubines
"Fourth Miss, the tea is here."
The freshly brewed Da Hong Pao tea emitted a delightful aroma. Wei Pingxi looked up from a thick stack of account books: "How is she?"
The "she" here refers to the beautiful woman receiving instruction in the courtyard.
"Granny Wu said that the young lady is humble and eager to learn, gentle in nature, and patient."
That's an interesting statement.
"Gentle and weak-willed" and "tolerant" are so different from those in the north and south that they are rarely used to describe the same person.
Wei Pingxi had been busy for many days, checking on the progress almost every day. Upon learning that Yu Zhi had made some good progress there, she tapped the ledger of [Wealthy Bank] with her finger: "As long as it wasn't a waste of my money, that's good enough."
With the daily profits of money shops, silk shops, and gambling dens so high, and the money to cultivate a knowledgeable and sensible concubine, anyone who heard this would surely say that the person was out of their mind.
But Miss Wei thought it was worth it.
"Let her learn properly from Granny Wu."
"Aren't you going to take a look, Miss?"
"I won't look at it yet."
Wei Pingxi drew several lines on the ledger with his pen, his expression slightly cold: "Have the accountant recalculate this part."
Since it has been singled out, there must be a problem.
Emerald accepted the order, took the account book, and left. Agate peeled a fresh fruit and fed it to the young lady's lips: "Madam has arranged all the procedures for taking a concubine. She is just waiting for the young lady to return."
What is Mother doing?
"They are worshipping Buddha in the small Buddhist shrine."
As summer arrives, the cicadas in the trees chirp incessantly.
The two lattice windows in the study are open, offering a clear view of the various flowers and trees planted outside.
Wei Pingxi's leg bone hadn't fully healed yet, and the healing process was always itchy. She endured it without making a sound, but she really missed Yu Zhi by her side to keep her company.
At least she's beautiful; looking at her and teasing her can make one forget the unbearable discomfort in one's bones.
“My mother was a very devout believer.”
He spent most of his time worshipping Buddha, seemingly without worldly desires, gentle and quiet, yet aloof and serene.
The gentleness was for her, the coldness was for her father and brothers.
Accepting a mother's favoritism comes with its own price, which is understandable.
Her cousin's visit shattered her second brother's clothes, forced her third brother to threaten suicide, broke her eldest brother's sword, and forced her grandfather to return to his fiery ways. With her maternal grandparents' family backing her up, she finally had some peace and quiet.
For at least two or three months, no one will dare to yell at her.
Agate smiled and said, "Madam is worshipping Buddha, surely to pray for Miss's well-being."
She was good at saying nice things to coax people, and Wei Pingxi was indeed pleased by her words, raising his eyebrows and smiling slightly: "My mother does indeed spoil me."
No wonder her three older brothers were envious of her.
"I'm going to see my mother."
Wei Pingxi stood up.
The sky was bright, and the light poured generously into Liulan Courtyard. The servants in the courtyard, like their master, were quiet and reserved. No one could be heard speaking loudly, and even when they did, they spoke in hushed tones.
When human voices are quiet, the caged parrots seem bold and noisy.
Wei Pingxi had barely stepped into Liulan Courtyard, and before he could even take in the scenery, the parrot Feihong cried out at the top of its lungs, "A-Si, A-Si!"