Chapter 16 This little village girl is quite unique.
A pale-faced, chubby man dressed in silk robes, with a puffed-out chest and protruding belly, walked over with a beaming smile.
"Miss Tang, our shop has learned of your arrival today and has prepared a superior private room for you to choose your rouge."
He is the manager of Xiangrongzhai.
Tang Shaoyao had arranged to come to the store today to see the new evening makeup products. They had started preparing a few days ago, with soft couches, charcoal fire, incense, and tea, all to welcome the young lady of the pavilion.
But no matter how long he waited, the shopkeeper didn't come. Unable to sit still any longer, Manager Sun went out to check and discovered that someone had intercepted the order.
And the girl who stole his prize was just a country girl!
He's so angry!
Manager Sun hurried over and smiled as he advised Tang Shaoyao:
“Miss Tang, the things sold at this stall are all made haphazardly by the country folk. How can they compare to the century-old secret recipe of an established brand? The rouge we sell is made by our ancestors through generations of research and blending.”
"Besides—" he looked at Song Li and said meaningfully, "who knows where this country bumpkin came from? His things are dirty and unsanitary, so who can he complain to when problems arise?"
"Our shop has prepared the finest beauty cream, specially made with high-grade lead powder, to make your skin smooth and fair. This time, we guarantee that you will be satisfied."
He was praising his own store's products while belittling Song Li.
Song Li found it amusing.
It is a fact that lead powder is highly toxic, but people in this era still admire lead powder for whitening their skin. Being able to use lead powder for whitening is still a symbol of wealth. This is the origin of the idiom "washing away all the lead and rouge".
Although Ms. Tang was wearing powder and a veil, the bluish discoloration on her hairline and behind her ears was a symptom of long-term lead poisoning.
But if she tells the truth, she will inevitably become the target of public criticism.
She won't do that until she has sufficient ability.
Song Li took out a handful of copper coins that she had just received and hadn't even warmed up yet, and said calmly, "In that case, I dare not do business with you, Miss. I will return the money in full, and you can go to a big shop to buy rouge."
Justice resides in the hearts of the people. If Miss Tang truly believed in Xiang Rongzhai, she wouldn't have come to buy her whitening lotion today.
There's no rush in doing business; she took a step back and let things play out for a while.
"That's more like it," Manager Sun said coldly, seeing that Song Li knew what was good for her.
He then turned and bowed to Tang Shaoyao, saying, "Please come, Miss. We know you like tangerine peel tea, so we have prepared the finest tea in your private room to welcome you."
Tang Shaoyao glanced at Manager Sun, who was dressed in fine silks and satins, and then turned her gaze to the exquisitely decorated three-story building of Xiangrongzhai across the street.
Under the sunlight, the golden signboard of Xiangrongzhai shines brightly.
In contrast, Song Li was dressed in patched clothes, and her veil was made of coarse cloth. She didn't even have a decent stall; all she had was a wicker basket hanging on her body and an old basket.
Tang Shaoyao hesitated for a moment, then turned and went back to the sedan chair.
"Let's go to Xiang Rongzhai."
"Hey!" Manager Sun bowed and jogged forward, gesturing for her to come this way. "Miss, this way."
While taking a moment to steal a glance at Song Li, his eyes were full of undisguised smugness.
Fifteen minutes later, Xiang Rongzhai.
Inside the most luxurious private room.
The waiter diligently brought in all the best and most expensive cosmetics and face powders in the shop.
The table, covered with a satin tablecloth, was filled with exquisite goods from Xiangrongzhai, a dazzling array that showcased the pride of this time-honored brand.
Several makeup artists, who were specifically responsible for testing makeup on female guests, busily surrounded Tang Shaoyao, constantly introducing the good things in the shop.
"Miss Tang, this is lead-based concealer, it's the best for covering up blemishes."
"Miss Tang, this white rice powder can also whiten the skin, making it perfect for evening makeup."
"Miss Tang,..."
They all knew that Tang Shaoyao was born with dark skin, while the Great Yu Dynasty valued fair skin, so they introduced whitening products.
They also knew that Tang Shaoyao was worried because her face turned pale after removing her makeup, and she was afraid of embarrassing herself at the pajama party in a few days, so they worked even harder to promote the evening makeup products.
But these things either crumble or make you sweat profusely, so Tang Shaoyao didn't like any of them.
You don't know until you compare, and the difference is astonishing.
Tang Shaoyao then realized that although Xiangrongzhai's store was exquisitely decorated, it was only exquisitely decorated; the products it sold were all rubbish.
She regretted it.
I regret abandoning the White Makeup Elixir and coming to this empty and superficial Xiangrongzhai.
The pajama party is in three days, and all the young ladies from various families in town will be there. It's clear that Rongzhai's things won't be of any help to her at all.
The makeup artists noticed that Tang Shaoyao was distracted and quickly offered their suggestions.
But Tang Shaoyao didn't approve of any of these strategies.
"Miss, I have a brilliant idea that will surely solve your problem of embarrassing yourself at the pajama party after removing your makeup," the last makeup artist said solicitously.
"What idea?" Tang Shaoyao asked.
"It means you don't need to remove your makeup. As long as you don't remove your makeup, no one will see your bluish skin tone."
Tang Shaoyao: "..."
Even with a thick layer of white makeup on her face, she couldn't hide her ashen complexion.
After returning from Xiangrongzhai, Tang Shaoyao sat listlessly in her embroidery room. Suddenly, she remembered something and called Ying'er over: "Go out and see if the girl selling white makeup liquid on the street is still there."
Comparing prices is a no-brainer, and the makeup artist's words really upset her.
What do you mean by "it's fine as long as you don't remove your makeup"? Is that something a human being should say?
Are you expecting her to sleep with makeup that looks like it'll crumble at the slightest touch?
The next day, I woke up to find my pillow covered in white powder. Wouldn't it be a laughing stock if the other noble ladies saw it?
If that's the case, she has to try the white makeup liquid from the roadside stall!
"Go and buy a few more bottles."
Ying'er agreed and went out. Not long after, she returned with white makeup liquid, but there were only two bottles.
Tang Shaoyao frowned.
Why are there only two bottles? Are they sold out?
Fine, two bottles it is, I'll use them first and see what happens.
He immediately rolled up his sleeves, ready to call in a second-class maid to help him wash his face and try on his makeup.
Ying'er hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.
Tang Shaoyao noticed something was wrong and asked, "What's wrong?"
Ying'er said, "Miss, that girl said her white makeup liquid is indeed gentle on the skin and can repair skin damage with long-term use, but the effect is not obvious. She advised you to see a doctor."
"To see a doctor?"
"Yes, that girl noticed the bluish discoloration behind your ears, but she said it wasn't a skin color issue, but rather a mild case of poisoning. She said you need to see a doctor as soon as possible to treat the poison and expel it. You won't need to apply any whitening powder or lotion; natural beauty will suffice."
Upon hearing this, Tang Shaoyao's eyes flickered.
Other people selling things all want to sell as much as possible, like Xiang Rongzhai, but this little village girl...
It's quite unique.
...
Song Li realized that the price she had originally set was a bit too high.
This place is just a small town, and it's ancient. It's far less prosperous than the cities she lived in in her previous life. Not all women have the money to dress themselves up, and even those who do may not be willing to spend money on it.
But the price has already been set, and lowering it now would be unfair to those customers who bought at the original price.
So, let's just forget about it.
Let's wait until she comes up with a reasonable promotional offer.
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