75 Surprise
◎So many important figures from the capital gathered here◎
The Bixu Pavilion opened silently.
It wasn't a business catering to the common people, so on its opening day, they simply polished the vermilion lacquer lintel to a shine and flung the doors open to welcome guests, marking the end of the ceremony. There were no blaring gongs or drums, no crackling firecrackers; it was a low-key and reserved affair.
Apart from her cousin Lu and Fang Ying's best friend, Chu Yufu only invited a handful of familiar nobles: Madam Shen from the Duke of Xin's Mansion, Madam Wang from the Marquis of Mingxuan's Mansion, and her aunt, Madam Huang.
Not only did Madam Wang come to the Marquis of Mingxuan's mansion, but even the reclusive Madam Jiang was there in person. They had long heard Chu Yufu was planning a medicinal bath parlor, and now that it was open, they were naturally curious and eager to show their support, some also wanting to support this newly opened "small shop."
As for the Chu family, out of courtesy, she also sent an invitation. Her eldest sister and Wu Shi naturally made excuses for not coming, but her fourth sister, Chu Linglan, came alone.
In addition to those invited, there were also several guests who came on their own initiative after hearing the news, such as Censor Hu's wife, Wen.
When Mrs. Wen got off the carriage, she noticed the eye-catching wooden sign in front of the store at first sight. There were five big characters written on the sign - Bath fee is fifteen taels.
The obvious price tag hangs there, silently blocking countless footsteps.
The maid supporting her took a glimpse and couldn't help but gasp, muttering in amazement, "Oh my god, it's no wonder that this is a bathhouse run by the general's wife. A bath costs fifteen taels of silver!"
She calculated rapidly in her mind: a white flour bun on the street was only two cents, and a fried cake was only five cents. She had to work hard to save three months' salary at home, without eating or drinking, to barely be able to wash this one!
Madam Wen raised her head, her eyes swept across the plaque above her head, and she said softly, "If you think of it as an ordinary bathhouse, then of course it's ridiculously expensive. But if you think of it as a consultation with a famous doctor, then the price is worth it."
The circle in the capital is so small that everyone is related to each other. She and Xie Ruoruo are related to each other because her husband is Xie Ruoruo's cousin.
Ever since she gave birth to her second son, her health had been poor. She couldn't stand the bitterness of the medicine, and would vomit violently after drinking it for a few days. She hadn't been able to properly recover over the years.
A while ago, she heard from Xie Ruoruo that Madam Chu was an expert in acupuncture, so she shamelessly went to her house, but she was turned away unexpectedly.
Fortunately, the concierge had specifically stated in his reply that she wasn't being singled out, but rather that Madam Chu had been too busy lately to entertain guests. Unless it was an emergency, she could wait until August and visit her at the Bixu Pavilion south of Jinma Street.
So she kept it in mind and rushed over as soon as Bixu Hall opened its doors to welcome guests.
As the master and servant crossed the threshold, their view suddenly opened up. A towering wall of rosewood medicine cabinets greeted them. In front of the wall was a counter, and beside it stood two priceless white coral statues.
Looking around, the entire front hall is elegant and pristine, its desks spotless. A few crabapple blossoms in a white porcelain vase add a touch of life, their delicate fragrance refreshing the heart, a stark contrast to the bustle outside. Yet, the few steps from the door to the counter miraculously bring peace of mind.
Behind the counter, the shopkeeper, dressed in a light grey silk shirt, came up to her with a friendly smile: "Madam, are you well? Do you want to take a bath?"
Madam Wen nodded modestly, "Indeed. May I ask if Madam Chu is in the pavilion today?"
The shopkeeper replied respectfully, "Madam, the boss is in the pavilion today." Then he gestured to the side, and immediately a maid dressed in an apricot-colored dress with narrow sleeves and proper manners came forward and prepared to lead the way.
The shopkeeper smiled warmly and added, "Madam, please allow me to inform you that the first floor of our shop is a bathing area. The second floor is a rest area. If you need to see a doctor, please go to the third floor. As our shop is small and has limited capacity, if you come again in the future, please send someone to make an appointment one day in advance so that we can reserve a seat for you."
What a grand ceremony!
Mrs. Wen couldn't help but raise her eyebrows slightly. Opening a business, and actually requiring customers to make an appointment?
The word "reservation" implies a selection of guests. Those who don't want to be received can be dismissed with a simple "full house" statement. She pondered for a moment, then asked, "How many guests can your restaurant accommodate in a day?"
The shopkeeper, still smiling, held up two fingers and said, "Madam, only twenty people are allowed in per day."
It’s really pitifully small!
But then I thought, the bath fee alone would cost 15 taels. If we add some exquisite refreshments, the cost per person would probably be close to 20 taels. For 20 people, that would be 400 taels of silver...
Mrs. Wen had been in charge of the household for many years, and the principles of management were already ingrained in her bones. She subconsciously began to make plans. When she came to her senses, she couldn't help but laugh at herself for thinking too far ahead. She immediately ordered the maid to lead the way and go to bathe first.
The maid bowed in response, walked in front, lifted the green silk curtain in front of the counter, and led the two into a passage paved with green bricks and lit with lanterns.
On both sides of the passage, several tightly closed wooden doors are arranged at intervals. You can faintly hear the sound of running water and soft voices inside.
The maid said nothing, but walked forward with her head lowered. She stopped in front of one of the doors and gently pushed it open: "Madam, please."
The moment the wooden door opened, a soft seven-colored light poured out from the gap in the door.
Mrs. Wen walked into the room with curiosity and was instantly breathtakingly taken away by the scene before her.
This is a not very large brick room with a circular bath in the center and a bamboo screen on the left side for hanging clothes.
In the corner, a multicolored glass lamp quietly lit, casting a colorful light throughout the room. The hot water in the pool steamed, creating a white mist, and the colorful lights danced on the mist, creating a hazy and shimmering scene.
Four words suddenly flashed through Mrs. Wen's mind: Queen Mother's Fairy Pool.
The accompanying maidservant was even more stunned, her eyes rolling around, she felt that this small piece of heaven and earth was breathtakingly beautiful, and she had only one thought in her mind - my goodness, it turns out that Shiwuliang is taking a bath in the fairyland!
The maid walked to the other side of the bathing pool, stopped in front of the soup board, and asked softly, "Madam, we currently have four medicinal baths to choose from: fatigue-relieving soup, beauty-enhancing soup, dampness-removing and cold-removing soup, and calming soup. Which one would you like?"
The lady calmed herself down and thought for a moment, "Let's use the fatigue-relieving soup."
The maid bowed, took down the soup sign on the wall that said "Relieve Fatigue Soup" and walked out: "Madam, please wait a moment."
As soon as the maid left, the servant girl couldn't help but exclaim, "Madam! This place is so beautiful! It's like a dream."
Madam Wen couldn't help but nod and praised: "This Madam Chu is really ingenious!"
Soon, there was a gentle knock on the wooden door. Two nimble women entered, carrying heavy wooden buckets filled with a dark brown medicinal concoction. They poured the concoction into the clear water in the pool, tested the temperature with their hands, and, confirming it was suitable, respectfully invited Madam Wen to undress and bathe.
The two women had clearly been carefully trained, their manners and etiquette impeccable. They gently undressed Madam Wen, carefully folded her clothes, and hung them on the folding screen. They then tied up her hair, helped her change into her clogs, and walked down to the pool.
Seeing that she couldn't help, the maid quietly retreated to the corner.
The medicinal juice blended into the pool water, and a clear and slightly bitter herbal fragrance filled the room. It felt a little unusual at first, but after a while I felt that the medicinal fragrance was mellow and long-lasting, with a unique charm.
The two women knelt on the straw mats by the pool. One of them took a scoop of water and slowly poured it onto her shoulders that were exposed above the water. The other one put her hands on her shoulders and neck, massaging along the acupoints from light to heavy.
After a moment, Mrs. Wen closed her eyes and let out a comfortable sigh.
The potion was at just the right temperature, soothing her limbs and bones, slowly dispelling the fatigue that had accumulated over the past few days. The woman behind her had an even more refined technique, far superior to that of an ordinary maid. Her grip was just the right amount of force, pressing directly into her most sore and swollen areas.
She didn't know whether it was the effect of the drug or the woman's massage that was too comfortable, but she leaned against the stone wall of the bathtub, her consciousness gradually blurred, and she fell asleep.
She didn't know how long it had been before she was awakened by the sound of a door opening. She opened her eyes hazily and saw colorful soft light flowing throughout the room. For a moment, she was in a daze and didn't know where she was. After a moment of hesitation, she remembered that she was in the bathroom of Bixu Hall.
At this time, the woman was no longer by the pool. The two men were working together to pour water into the bucket on the wall.
Mrs. Wen then noticed that there was a peculiarly shaped bucket hanging on the wall to the right of the bathtub. There was a lotus-like object connected to the bottom of the bucket. She couldn't help but ask, "What is this for?"
One of the women replied respectfully, "Madam, the medicinal bath time is over. Please move under this lotus pod and rinse off the medicinal soup."
As soon as the woman finished speaking, a fine stream of water instantly sprayed out from the countless small holes in the lotus head, dripping and weaving a crystal curtain of water.
Mrs. Wen had been surprised ever since she stepped into the Bixu Pavilion. Seeing this 'lotus rain', she was shocked again. However, she did not want to lose her composure in front of the servants, so she just coughed lightly, signaled the maid to help her up, and slowly walked towards the water curtain.
Fine jets of water hit the body, washing away the faint medicinal smell on the body.
As the hot water slid from her shoulders to her calves and then flowed to the ground, she seemed to really feel that all the fatigue in her body was washed away by the water.
After she was clean, the woman handed her a hemp cloth and wiped her clean. She then helped her put on her clothes again, and the bath was finally complete. When Mrs. Wen walked out of the bathhouse, she felt relaxed and comfortable, her steps light and brisk, and she truly felt extremely light and comfortable.
As she climbed the wooden steps, a thought occurred to her: These fifteen taels of silver didn't seem... so worthwhile. Where else in Dayan could one find such a novel and comfortable experience?
Above the wooden stairs is the rest area on the second floor. Mrs. Wen knew that she came here today for an important matter, so she wanted to go directly to the third floor to find Mrs. Chu. However, when she stepped onto the second floor, she glanced at her inadvertently and was immediately nailed to the spot.
In the elegant hall with half-drawn bamboo curtains and mottled light and shadows, several noble ladies were leaning leisurely on cushions beside a low table, chatting and laughing in low voices.
The person in the middle was Madam Shen from the Duke of Xin's Mansion, who rarely attended banquets! To her left sat Madam Wang from the Marquis of Mingxuan's Mansion, and to her right sat Madam Huang from the Minister of Revenue's family!
If I'm not mistaken, the elegant lady next to Madam Wang is the old wife of the Marquis of Mingxuan!
This small bathhouse actually gathers so many important figures in the capital!
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