Three days passed quickly. Jiang Yimian told her family and then got into a carriage and headed towards Qingshui County.
Strangely, Lu Cijian was nowhere to be seen last night, nor this morning. His door was also tightly closed, as if he were not there.
I don't know if they went hunting, or if they appeared and left suddenly, just like when they left the small depression last time.
She recalled how the other person had acted these past few days and found him to be perfectly normal; he hadn't mentioned leaving.
Unable to figure it out, she gave up and lifted the carriage curtain to look at the scenery outside.
It is springtime, and all sorts of tender green grasses and unnamed wildflowers are sprouting from the ground, creating a riot of colors from afar.
Although it is a common scene in the countryside, Jiang Yimian felt that it was also a unique and beautiful sight.
The journey to Qingshui County is not too far; it takes about two hours by horse-drawn carriage.
If you're just going to buy some things, you can come back within a day, but you still need to check on the situation at Huichuntang, so you'll need to stay in the county for at least one night.
Lin Yan'an guessed that she was making preparations at Huichuntang and only sent Xiao Fu to pick her up.
The two exchanged a few words occasionally along the way, and two hours passed quickly.
As the carriage gradually entered Qingshui County, Jiang Yimian breathed a heavy sigh of relief as she listened to the shouts and the occasional sound of horses' hooves.
The two-hour journey left her with aches and pains all over her body; if the journey had been any longer, her whole body would probably have fallen apart.
Fortunately, Xiao Fu quickly stopped the carriage and said with a smile, "Miss Jiang, we've arrived."
As soon as Jiang Yimian stepped off the carriage, she saw the enormous shop in front of her, covering at least four acres and divided into two floors. Not to mention the size, the decoration alone was far more impressive than any shop in town.
There were quite a few people inside Huichuntang. A small portion of them were there to see a doctor and get medicine, but most were there to buy soap.
"Hey buddy, has the soap arrived yet? My lady pre-ordered it a long time ago."
"Yes, my wife is too."
Seeing her looking at him curiously, Xiao Fu led her upstairs while smiling and saying, "Ever since the soap became popular among the ladies and young women, many people come to buy it every day, some even from other counties."
These days, Huichuntang is always bustling with activity.
Jiang Yimian nodded, but didn't say anything.
The two quickly reached the second floor, where she discovered that there were also quite a few people there, still seeing doctors and getting medicine, but there were some small cubicles, clearly for the privacy of the patients.
Jiang Yimian didn't look much, followed Xiao Fu through the corridor, and came to a secluded house. Just as she was about to knock on the door, the door was opened from the inside.
The girl who emerged was fair-skinned, beautiful, and lively.
The girl was wearing a green dress, which made her look even more lively.
Her eyes lit up the moment she saw Jiang Yimian. She walked over familiarly, took Jiang Yimian's arm, and said with a smile, "This must be Sister Jiang. My name is Lin Zhaozhao, and I'm her younger sister."
Lin Zhaozhao pointed to the person standing inside the room, but her eyes remained fixed on Jiang Yimian.
When her brother first told her that the soap was made by a peasant woman, she assumed it was made by a woman or an old woman, since it didn't look like something that was easy to make.
But today, upon meeting her, she was surprised not only by her age, but also by her appearance and demeanor. Not only was she beautiful with delicate features, but her otherworldly air was also unlike that of a peasant girl, and she was no less than the ladies of noble families in the prefectural city.
Her purple dress only accentuated her tall and beautiful figure; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was stunningly beautiful.
Lin Yan'an was sitting by the window looking out when he saw the two of them come in. He just smiled and said, "Miss Jiang, you've finally arrived. I've prepared everything you asked for. Shall we start now, or wait until tomorrow?"
He had been busy at Huichuntang these past few days, striving to implement Jiang Yimian's method to the best of his ability. Now, seeing her, he was eager to get back to her.
Jiang Yimian smiled and said, "Then let's begin."
She hadn't planned to stay in Qingshui County for too long anyway; starting early meant ending early.
Upon hearing this, Lin Yan'an immediately gave instructions to Xiao Fu outside the door.
He then led Jiang Yimian and Lin Zhaozhao out of the house and stood in front of the railing in the corridor.
Because the center of the second floor is open, one can clearly see the situation inside the hall on the first floor.
Lin Zhaozhao was a chatterbox and had a lot of curiosity about Jiang Yimian. She kept excitedly asking about Jiang Yimian's life in the village until she heard Lin Yan'an say, "It's starting."
She shut her mouth and looked towards the lobby on the first floor.
Several more servants have appeared in front of the soap counter that was originally set up on the side of the first floor.
One of the tall, thin servants took out a wooden box and said with a smile to the people buying soap at the counter, "Today, Huichuntang has a new product. If you have time, you are welcome to come and play with it."
The people in line were getting impatient.
"What's going on? We came here to buy soap. We finally got to the front of the line. What if they're all gone in a minute?"
"Yes, I've come several times already, but I couldn't buy a single one the other day. Don't waste our time."
Hearing the growing complaints, the shopkeeper remained unperturbed, still smiling and saying, "Don't worry, you'll all be interested in this new gadget."
After saying that, he took out an exquisite brocade box from the counter, opened it, and showed it to everyone.
Inside the brocade box were three square bars of soap, each painted with an adorable raccoon dog. The raccoon dogs were depicted in different poses, but all were very cute, making one feel fond of them at first glance.
Everyone was taken aback, and one of the bolder old women asked curiously, "Is this also soap?"
The shop assistant just smiled and said, "Yes, this is also soap, and it's better used and looks better than the ones we usually sell."
Upon hearing this, the people in line became very interested.
"How much is it? This soap is really pretty, I'll take one."
"I want one too, the raccoon on it is drawn so well."
"I'll have two."
"I'll take all three."
Seeing the atmosphere getting lively, the shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief and continued with a smile, "These soaps aren't for sale. If you want some, you can enter a lottery. It's ten coins per entry. The first prize is these three soaps, the second prize is three ordinary soaps, and the third prize is a bottle of pills for treating wind-heat colds."
After she finished speaking, the old woman standing in first place asked curiously, "Is it only those three that can win a prize?"
Everyone pricked up their ears to listen.
The guy continued, "Everyone can win a prize. Even if you don't get these three items, you'll still get mosquito repellent."
There's a reward for every draw, and besides, there's a chance you might win the grand prize on your first try, right?
Upon hearing this, the eyes of those in line lit up instantly. They felt that the guy in front of them was right and clamored to give it a try.
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