The destiny of all heavens begins in the Red Chamber

It's not that he's making a fuss; the resources Tan Chun can access in the backyard are far beyond what Jia Huan can possibly compare to.

As long as it's not a matter of personal interest, it's not difficult to get Wang Xifeng's help.

Jia Huan wouldn't have such an advantage; if he were to arrive rashly, he would likely be kicked out.

"I heard you bought rouge and face powder for your aunt outside the mansion?"

Tan Chun didn't bother with Jia Huan and went straight to the point, asking, "Is that so?"

"What, you think I did something wrong too?"

Instead of answering, Jia Huan asked, "What's wrong with me buying rouge and face powder for my aunt outside the mansion?"

"I didn't say what you did was wrong!"

Tan Chun, of course, understood the implication in Jia Huan's words, and said irritably, "I mean, if you have time, could you help me, and also have Shi Shu and the others buy some?"

Business is coming in!

Jia Huan chuckled lightly and said leisurely, "That's certainly possible, but I'll always get a little something extra each time, consider it a running fee!"

Let me make this clear from the start: this is a matter of money and cannot be taken lightly.

Tan Chun might not be able to cause trouble for the head maid in the mansion, but it would be very easy for her to cause trouble for Jia Huan.

"Is it the same quality as the rouge and face powder I bought for my aunt?"

Tan Chun was a little angry, but she didn't show it. She just said calmly, "If the quality is too poor, then forget it!"

Chapter 15 Fanning the Flames (Please Read On)

Aunt Zhao is really awesome!

Of course, she is also very willing to invest in maintaining her appearance.

Previously, he had given Jia Huan two taels of silver to purchase a month's worth of rouge and face powder, which was quite generous.

Otherwise, how would Jia Huan afford to buy mid- to high-end cosmetics?

Products from time-honored brands in Beijing are priced as they seem.

He didn't gain anything from it; the rouge and face powder he bought, both in quality and quantity, satisfied Aunt Zhao greatly.

And so, Aunt Zhao started making a fuss about it everywhere.

Within the Rong family's second branch, Aunt Zhao also had her own little circle.

The topic of conversation was rouge and face powder, essential daily necessities for women in the inner quarters and maids, which naturally attracted a lot of attention.

Unexpectedly, even Tan Chun found out.

This is exactly the result Jia Huan wanted!

It's not like I'm making money through dishonest means, so I don't feel any guilt at all!

Unexpectedly, Tan Chun dared to say that she wanted the same quality of rouge and face powder as Aunt Zhao.

What a joke! Does he even have two taels of silver to spend?

Speaking of this, it's a story full of bitter tears.

The young ladies in the manor all received two taels of silver as a monthly allowance. As an illegitimate son, Jia Huan was nominally entitled to the same amount, but in reality, he received far less than two taels.

On this very issue, Aunt Zhao, who usually loved to argue and make trouble, was surprisingly quiet.

All I can say is that the Rong Mansion, a century-old estate, has a very complex and murky backyard!

Seeing Tan Chun's dissatisfaction, Jia Huan bluntly stated that you get what you pay for.

He bought the rouge and powder for Aunt Zhao from a well-established rouge and powder shop in the capital, and the price was very reasonable.

Then, he directly told Tan Chun the prices of various grades of rouge and face powder.

In order to secure this deal, Jia Huan did some research.

Of course, to avoid trouble, he would never write down the price list directly with pen and paper.

"Why is it so expensive?"

Tan Chun was somewhat surprised and looked at Jia Huan with suspicion.

"This is the price for a time-honored shop!"

Jia Huan said dismissively, "Those little shops with no reputation may have low prices, but would you dare to use them, sister?"

To be honest, Tan Chun could only afford to spend about five hundred copper coins a month on cosmetics and face powder.

For ordinary people outside, this is naturally a considerable sum of money.

However, it's simply unrealistic to expect to buy better quality rouge and face powder from established shops.

"Okay, then buy it for me once and see!"

Tan Chun didn't argue; she simply gave the money and left.

The young girl was quite cautious, but this was the residence of the second wife, so how could she possibly escape the second wife's notice?

In fact, at this moment, in the main hall of the second branch, Zhou Rui's wife was bringing up the disgusting rumors about Jia Huan in the mansion.

"Huan-ge'er is really something. He should stay at the clan school after leaving the manor. Why is he buying rouge and face powder for Aunt Zhao?"

Zhou Rui's wife said mockingly, "Aunt Zhao is a fool too. She actually let Huan-ge'er go out and buy rouge and face powder for her!"

"Now look what's happened! I don't know which mischievous person started spreading such nasty rumors in the manor!"

She was asked by a certain old woman in the mansion to take the opportunity to sow discord between Jia Huan and Aunt Zhao.

Of course, it was just a casual remark, and I didn't put much thought or effort into it.

Just kidding, as Madam Wang's top lieutenant, the benefits and advantages that Zhou Rui's wife could obtain were quite astonishing.

They didn't care at all about the small benefits the mansion could get from purchasing rouge and face powder.

Madam Wang didn't even blink, and calmly said, "Aunt Zhao is an unreliable person to begin with, so it's normal that Huan-ge'er is affected by her!"

"The rumors in the mansion must be suppressed. After all, Huan-ge'er is the son of the second branch of the family, and if he loses face, the second branch will also suffer!"

After saying all that, she didn't mention Jia Huan again, let alone take the opportunity to teach Jia Huan a lesson—that was impossible.

As long as Jia Huan doesn't do anything too outrageous, Madam Wang would be more than happy for the boy to be as unruly as possible.

Aunt Zhao's little scheme to win favor—does she think no one can hide it?

If Huan-ge'er hadn't performed so poorly, showing absolutely no sign of being able to shake Bao-yu's position, would the mother and son have been able to live a peaceful life?

Lady Wang's mind was currently focused on the unexpected letter from Jinling.

Zhou Rui's wife nodded to indicate that she understood, and naturally she would not mention Jia Huan and Aunt Zhao in front of Madam Wang again.

As for Tan Chun's initiative to ask Jia Huan to buy rouge and face powder, she knew about it immediately but didn't take it to heart.

To reiterate, she looked down on the meager income from purchasing cosmetics and face powder for the household.

After parting ways with Tan Chun, Jia Huan returned to his small courtyard.

During the meal, he mentioned the rumors circulating in the manor.

Aunt Zhao immediately flew into a rage, slammed down her chopsticks, and yelled that she was going to cause trouble for a certain old woman.

Look, this person is definitely not confused, otherwise how could they immediately figure out the existence of rumors being spread in secret?

"Auntie, you can make a scene after I go to school tomorrow!"

Jia Huan did not stop him, but instead offered his opinion: "These kinds of things are easier said than done!"

It's good to make a scene, so that some illegitimate children won't think he's really weak and easy to bully.

"Hmph, that old hag has the nerve to spread rumors, I'll tear her mouth apart!"

Aunt Zhao, her face full of displeasure, sat down again in a huff.

"It's best to make a scene in front of your wife or husband!"

Jia Huan, always eager for drama, offered a terrible suggestion: "How can such rumors be allowed to spread?"

"If my reputation is ruined, won't the master and mistress also lose face?"

At this point, she couldn't help but chuckle: "Who doesn't know that the young master in the manor who loves rouge and powder the most is Baoyu!"

"If Auntie pulls on the leash and drags Baoyu into this, even if Master and Madam want to settle things peacefully, it's impossible!"

Aunt Zhao clapped her hands and said with satisfaction, "You're right, I'm going to drag Baoyu into this!"

"Hmph, I'm afraid Madam won't look too good then!"

After Aunt Zhao left in a hurry to serve Lady Wang her meal in the main hall, Jia Huan's life returned to its usual routine.

Of course, there are some differences and changes compared to the past.

For example, when he took a walk in the open space of the small courtyard after dinner to digest his food, his breathing rhythm was different from usual.

This was the result of more than a month of research and contemplation, and even cost him 3,000 points.

At this moment, the number next to the 'breathing' item on the virtual panel that appeared in front of them changed to 0.01%.

Despite the seemingly unimpressive data, Jia Huan was actually quite satisfied, having achieved remarkable results!