Midsummer is like a blazing furnace, baking the earth to a scorching heat. The bluestone pavement, battered by the scorching sun, emanates an oppressive heat, like a sheet of iron freshly pulled from the flames. I stand quietly before the entrance of "Jinxiu Pavilion," my gaze resting on the three gilded characters on the plaque. In the sunlight, the golden letters gleam brilliantly, as if telling the story and glory of the shop. A lingering aroma, a blend of the rich fragrance of roses and the delicate fragrance of gardenias, lingering like a gentle hand, gently teasing my sense of smell, transporting me to a garden in full bloom.
Mo Zhu emerged from the inner room with light steps, clutching a thick account book. Her plain skirt, like a gentle cloud, brushed against the copper ornaments on the threshold, creating a delicate, crisp sound like a gentle melody. She bowed slightly and whispered, "Miss, the 'Drunk Hibiscus' rouge in the front counter is out of stock again. The ladies in the back workshop are rushing to make it. I guess they'll be busy for quite a while."
Through the carved window lattices, the delicate patterns, like the eyes of time, illuminated the charming figures of the ladies selecting rouge. There were maids with double-braided hair, their faces brimming with youthful vitality and innocence, their eyes sparkling with a yearning and curiosity for beauty. Rouge boxes in hand, they chattered over which color would best suit their young ladies. There were also noble ladies wearing veils, their postures elegant, their every gesture exuding a noble aura. Beneath their veils, their eyes revealed a discerning eye for quality and a pursuit of beauty as they carefully examined the various rouges on the counter.
On the counter, seven or eight glass cups were arranged, like seven or eight small dreamlike worlds. Each cup held rouge in shades like "Yao Tao," "Luo Xia," and "Yue Bai." The sun, like a playful spirit, filtered through the glass cups, casting a dazzling array of light and shadow on the blue brick floor. These shadows resembled flowing paintings, a crisscross of colors, a dreamlike experience. I instinctively reached out and gently brushed the lotus carvings on the edge of the counter. The delicate lines seemed to still carry the warmth of a skilled craftsman. These carvings were carved according to the pattern of my biological mother's makeup box. The wear and tear of time had shone them, as if each line held a mother's tenderness and love.
"Miss Su!" Accompanied by a rude shout, the carved wooden door was slammed open with a loud "bang", as if a thunderbolt broke the silence in the shop. Liu's dowry shopkeeper Wang Fu rushed in with two servants with fierce faces. Wang Fu was wearing a satin jacket, but the jacket had long been soaked with dark stripes by sweat, like a messy map. He raised a piece of rice paper in his hand, like waving a self-righteous flag, and roared like a bell: "Does your shop have any documents from the Ministry of Revenue? If not, I will go to Shuntian Prefecture to report the case!"
The customers selecting rouge fell silent, their gazes fixed on me, as if drawn by an invisible force. I remained calm, taking the document and unfolding it. The Ministry of Revenue's vermilion seal was clearly visible in the bright sunlight, a dazzling, majestic red. I raised an eyebrow, speaking with a hint of sarcasm, "Manager Wang, are you having trouble seeing? I submitted the document three days ago, and it was approved yesterday. Are you deliberately picking on me?"
Wang Fu's triangular eyes swirled around, a glint of cunning and calculation in them. He thrust his stubby fingers into the account book, shouting, "Even if there's paperwork, opening this shop across from Xiangyunzhai is clearly stealing our business! Aren't you breaking the rules?"
"Stealing business?" Miss Li emerged gracefully from the dressing room. She was wearing a newly made pomegranate-red gauze dress, as gorgeous and dazzling as the sunset glow. The sugar-flowered glass hairpin I'd given her adorned her hair, gleaming in the sunlight, accentuating her charming demeanor. She raised her chin slightly, a look of disdain in her eyes. "I think it's someone who's been selling lime-laced lip balm their whole lives, earning a dishonest income, and now they can't stand seeing other people's good things!"
Miss Zhang, not to be outdone, appeared next. She waved the order book, a powerful weapon in her hand. "We're ordering rouge and powder from here for all thirty-six of our poetry club members. Manager Wang, do you want to dictate which colors we use? Are you trying to monopolize our makeup supplies?"
Wang Fu was speechless for a moment, his face red and white, as if he had been slapped several times. Suddenly, like an enraged beast, he raised his voice, spit flying onto the counter: "It's unbecoming for a woman to do business in public! It's like a hen crowing at dawn! The world is messed up by you women!"
"Properties?" Su Qingyao's voice came from the second floor like a clear spring. She was wearing a moon-white wide-sleeved skirt, like a fairy walking out of a painting. In her hand was a gold-painted lacquer tray, on which lay a goat-hair brush. The brush seemed to have a spirit, quietly waiting to show its charm. "Shopkeeper Wang, do you know this 'Drunk Hibiscus' rouge?" She gently bent down, dipped the brush in rouge, and then gently applied it to the makeup test paper. At first, it was a light pink, like a flower just blooming in the morning, with shyness and tenderness; gradually, the color turned to crimson, like the blush on a girl's cheek, revealing shyness and sweetness; finally, it condensed into a deep purple, like a violet in the night, mysterious and noble. "This is made of dewy hibiscus in the morning, mixed with sumac from the Western Regions, and carefully brewed for seven days to create three colors in one makeup. Shopkeeper Wang, have you ever seen such a magical rouge?"
The women watching gasped, as if witnessing a miracle. One woman, holding a child, couldn't help but step forward for a closer look, her eyes filled with delight. "It really changes color! It's much prettier than the dead pink at Xiangyunzhai! That's real talent, unlike some shops that just try to rip you off."
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