High-class Spring Joy

Recalling her encounters with Chu Jingxian, she knew very well how pungent the burning mugwort was when he returned home the second time he used it to burn mugwort. The specially made incense powder masked her scent that night in prison.

The third time, she was far away, and there was sand blocking her way. The fourth time, she soaked in the water for most of the hour, and she was still not close.

His sense of smell shouldn't be that sensitive.

Otherwise, he should have suspected her earlier.

soon.

"What brings you out of the manor today?"

Hearing Chu Jingxian's calm voice as always, and his expression without any change, Qingyuan finally felt relieved: "I had nothing to do in my spare time, so I made some embroidery. I wanted to take it to Hongxiuzhuang to sell for some money."

Upon hearing this, Chu Jingxian parted his lips:

"Sinking sand".

Shen Sha immediately replied, "Yes, young master."

Hongxiuzhuang is the largest shop in Bianjing City, mainly catering to women. It sells a wide variety of products, including rouge and face powder, embroidery and accessories, dresses and skirts, hairpins and jewelry, etc. It has everything that a young lady needs and is very popular among noble ladies.

The behind-the-scenes boss of Hongxiuzhuang is an extremely cheerful and unrestrained woman. She is very good at business and has managed to make a name for herself in the huge city of Bianjing.

After delivering Qingyuan to Hongxiu Manor, the carriage departed.

As Qingyuan entered the shop, the shopkeeper recognized her and immediately greeted her with a smile, "Miss Qingyuan, do you have any fine embroidery pieces available today?"

"These are all embroidered by me before. Please take a look at them for me, shopkeeper."

The reason he was willing to pay a high price was twofold: firstly, Qingyuan's embroidery was top-notch, he had never seen anything better, he liked it, and the proprietress liked it too.

Secondly, the young ladies and noblewomen of Bianjing City also liked it, as they could profit from it.

Every time Qingyuan sent a purse or handkerchief, it would sell out in just one day, and each one could fetch a high price. In some cases, the young ladies would even compete to raise the price.

Qingyuan unfolded the bundle in her arms, revealing a pile of scattered items. Besides her old embroidery pieces, she was picking out some large jade fragments, hoping to sell whatever she could.

"Oh dear, this mutton fat jade is of such high quality. It's a pity it was broken like this. I'm afraid it can't even be made into earrings now."

The shopkeeper examined the jade, sighing repeatedly, "This jade is truly a fine piece, what a pity."

"What about these embroidered items?" Qingyuan asked hurriedly. "They got soaked in water due to an accident, and I didn't expect to be able to sell them for the original price. But I'm really short of money right now, so please take a look and sell everything that can be sold. Approximately how much?"

"Oh dear, my Qingyuan, how could you be so foolish? You know that if fine embroidery gets wet before it's sold, it won't fetch a good price!"

The shopkeeper's face crumpled with heartache: "These jade stones are simply unsellable. I might try selling purses, but the chances are slim. If it were another shop, they might only offer two taels of silver at most, and I could only give whatever they could think of."

"Never mind, it's not like this is your first time selling things."

The shopkeeper sighed and then asked, "I have an embroidery job here. Would you be willing to take it?"

-

After selling her goods, Qingyuan bought some food for Hongdou and then returned home.

After finishing her work on the dried red beans, she came back and her eyes lit up when she saw the candied hawthorns and iced cheese: "Sister, sister, you're so kind! Sister, let's eat together!"

Qingyuan laughed: "You eat it yourself, you little glutton, I don't have much of an appetite."

She hasn't had much of an appetite lately, doesn't want to eat anything, and has no interest in anything.

Hongdou thought she was in a bad mood: "What's wrong, sister? Did things not go well selling your embroidery today?"

"It wasn't entirely bad." Qingyuan recounted the events of this morning to her.

The manager of Hongxiuzhuang gave her fifteen taels of silver. Five taels were the money from the sale of her goods, and the manager was giving her a high price out of consideration for their relationship. The remaining ten taels were a deposit, asking her to embroider a picture of mandarin ducks playing in the water in joy. If the customer was satisfied, she would receive fifty taels of silver.

The only problem is the tight schedule; it needs to be finished in half a month.

Hongdou jumped up, her face flushed with anger: "This is absolutely outrageous! Do you want to torture you to death before you're happy?"

Qingyuan found it amusing and quickly handed over a bowl of chilled cheese: "Calm down."

To everyone's surprise, Hongdou only drank a few sips before clutching her stomach and running out into the outhouse.

Qingyuan was worried and uneasy. When Hongdou came back, she learned that Hongdou had started her period and had diarrhea from eating something cold.

Qingyuan warmed her up with a hot water bottle and pinched her nose helplessly: "You, how old are you? You know you can't eat cold food when you're on your period, yet you still dare to eat it. Why is your little mouth so greedy?"

"I didn't realize how fast time flies. Last month, my sister's period was before mine, so I didn't notice this time. Who knew she'd be after me?"

My periods have always been irregular.

Qingyuan said dismissively that she was cold-sensitive, and the former doctor had said that it would affect her menstrual cycle, making it irregular, sometimes only once every month and a half.

So she didn't take it too seriously when it wasn't allowed this time.

"But sister, aren't you still embroidering a portrait of the old Marquis for the old lady? The 'Mandarin Ducks Playing in the Water' painting has such a short timeframe, will you be able to finish it?"

Just as Hongdou finished asking her question, she suddenly heard footsteps outside the door, approaching from afar.

"Open the door! Open the door now!"

Qingyuan went out and opened the door, only to find Jiang Qingyun standing arrogantly at the door with a maid.

As soon as the door opened, Jiang Qingyun saw Qingyuan's stiff smile and felt a surge of pleasure. It seemed that her visit that morning had not been in vain.

Look, this lowly servant girl can't laugh anymore!

"Why aren't you laughing anymore? Weren't you very proud of yourself? You managed to get Brother Jingyu to send dozens of servants to search the whole city for that purse of yours. You're quite the schemer, aren't you? What, aren't you feeling smug now?"

Jiang Qingyun still held the whip in her hand. "Lvzhi, hold her down!"

After saying that, the maid beside her immediately attacked Qingyuan.

"elder sister!"

Hongdou rushed over to protect Qingyuan, but was whipped hard by Jiang Qingyun.

Jiang Qingyun said sharply, "Let's see who dares to protect this lowly servant girl now!"

"Green Orchid, smash it! Doesn't she like embroidering things for Brother Jingyu? I'll slash them all to pieces!"

"Red Bean!" Red Bean slumped in Qing Yuan's arms in pain. Qing Yuan's expression changed drastically, and she protected Red Bean like a mother hen protecting her chicks.

Watching Jiang Qingyun direct Green Orchid to ransack and destroy everything, Qingyuan clenched her fists, her anger flaring up again. She looked at Jiang Qingyun and said, "Is it that the more I like something, the more you want to destroy it?"

"Yes," Jiang Qingyun smiled contemptuously, "Unless you beg me, then I might show you mercy."

Qingyuan knelt down and looked up at her: "Miss Jiang, I'm begging you, you can do whatever you want with everything else, but that unfinished embroidery in the cabinet is of one of my dearest relatives, please, don't touch it!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Qingyun's expression changed. She immediately opened the cabinet, pulled out the embroidered portrait, grabbed a pair of scissors, shredded it beyond recognition, threw it under her feet, and stomped on it mercilessly.

"Don't even think about it!"

Qingyuan glanced at Hongdou and gave a strange smile.

Nice job.