Chapter 74 I'm looking forward to your opening soon! I can't wait...
Having been so busy lately, Chu Yufu clearly felt she had too few people at her disposal to handle everything. Without the help of Manager Ma, the preparations for this bathhouse would have been delayed until the very end. Cultivating some capable confidants was a top priority.
Right now, Zhong Zhiyao is a seedling worth cultivating.
In a bathhouse, in addition to the owner and manager, there are also the pharmacist, the soup supervisor, and the cashier, each of whom has their own duties.
The cashier is in charge of the front desk cashier, the bath supervisor is in charge of the water temperature and cleaning chores in the bathing area, and the medicine head is in charge of purchasing medicinal materials and preparing prescriptions. His position is the most important, as he has to handle large sums of money and must keep his mouth shut and strictly guard the secret recipes of bath medicines.
According to Chu Yufu's idea, Zhong Zhiyao would not be in the mansion for long, and Yunsui would be sent to accompany her when the time comes, but there was no need to tell her about this yet.
After hearing what she said, Zhong Zhiyao's eyes widened, she was both delighted and astonished. She nodded repeatedly, her voice full of joy: "Really, Madam! I do, I do!"
She continued with a smile, "In that case, your monthly salary will be added to the maid's allowance. The mansion is only across the street from the bathhouse, so you can still live here. But I must make one thing clear: the outside world is different from the mansion. Although the rules in our courtyard are relaxed, everything must be done according to the rules outside. If you don't do well, you will have to return to the courtyard."
Her voice was still gentle, but with an unquestionable solemnity.
"Oh! I understand, ma'am!" Zhong Zhiyao nodded vigorously in response, but then showed some hesitation. She twisted the corner of her clothes nervously with her fingers and looked up at Chu Yufu's face cautiously.
"Madam, I can take a smaller monthly salary... but can you also let my mother come to the mansion to work? She is in good health and works very well... This way I can see her more often and not miss her too much."
There is only one day off a month in the mansion, and she hasn't seen her mother for a while.
"Where is your mother now? What does she do for a living?" Chu Yufu asked.
"I work as a handyman in an orchard outside Beijing, helping to tend to the fruit trees and doing rough labor."
Chu Yufu thought for a moment and nodded in agreement: "Okay. When she comes, I'll arrange for her to take care of the flowers and plants in the garden."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Zhiyao was so excited that she fell to her knees and kowtowed loudly. Her voice was filled with sobs and joy: "Thank you, Madam! I will do my best and will never let you down!"
Chu Yufu quickly reached out and helped her up.
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Chu Yufu spent almost the entire summer preparing for the bathhouse. She rarely saw outside guests and did not participate in any gatherings.
Lu Jiaan and a few of her sisters tried again and again to make appointments with people, so they couldn't help but become curious. What kind of bathhouse was it that required her to run around there herself?
Finally, by mid-August, the bathhouse was complete, and an auspicious date was chosen for the hanging of the plaque. Unable to resist their nagging, Chu Yufu agreed to let them have a sneak peek before the official opening.
On the morning of the 16th, several carriages stopped at the south of Jinma Street. Several girls jumped out of the carriages and happened to see workers stepping onto the wooden ladder and carefully hanging a brand new plaque on the lintel.
This three-story pavilion adopts a hip roof style, black tiles and blue bricks, with a dark brown wooden frame. The overall design is simple and elegant.
It may not be stunning at first glance, but upon closer inspection, you will find that it is made of exquisite materials and has excellent workmanship. It exudes a low-key luxury that makes it more extraordinary than the shops on either side.
Above the vermilion lacquered gate, there hangs a large black plaque with three large gold characters "Bixu Pavilion" inscribed on it.
Lu Jiaan placed one hand in front of his eyes, blocking out the harsh early autumn sun, and raised his head to read, "Bixu Pavilion?"
Xie Ruoruo looked at the eye-catching kettle hanging below the plaque, pursed her lips and smiled, "If I hadn't known in advance that this was a bathhouse, I would have thought it was a Taoist temple for spiritual practice."
Chu Yufu smiled and explained, "My business uses a lot of water, and 'Bixu' is an elegant name for water. I used it just to save time, and I couldn't think of anything better."
Wu Yueyun looked around and saw a silk shop to the left of the bathhouse, an elegant two-story teahouse to the right, and the popular White Horse Temple a hundred steps further. He couldn't help but praise, "You've chosen a brilliant location! Pilgrims come here to cleanse themselves and change clothes before and after their worship. It's perfect for the occasion."
Seeing that they hadn't even entered the room yet, Chu Yufu had already started commenting enthusiastically. She shook her head helplessly and said with a smile, "The sun is scorching outside. Don't stand around. Come in and take a look."
As she spoke, she stepped forward and, with both hands, pushed open the two heavy vermilion lacquered doors.
The sunlight poured in, instantly illuminating the inside of the door.
Several girls stood at the door, their eyes first attracted by a huge wall of medicine cabinets facing the door.
In front of the medicine cabinet stood a clean-lined counter, flanked by a half-human-tall, jade-white, and bizarrely shaped coral bonsai tree. In the four corners of the hall were scattered tall flower tables, upon which sat thin-necked, wide-bellied white porcelain vases, each containing a few seasonal flowers slanted in an elegant and pleasant manner.
A unique aroma, a blend of the light bitterness of herbs and the distinctive sweetness of huanghuali wood, drifted in. The entire front hall was not particularly spacious, but because of the ingenious furnishings and atmosphere, it seemed particularly fresh and elegant.
Even the daughters of wealthy families who had seen the world couldn't help but exclaim "Wow" and stepped over the threshold to take a closer look.
Even the worldly-wise ladies couldn't help but sigh in delight. They stepped over the threshold, looked around, and praised, "This is truly elegant! I'd believe it was some kind of antique collection museum, not just a bathhouse!"
Fang Ying walked over to a piece of white coral, bent down to examine it carefully, and reached out to touch it. "Isn't it? Look at the quality of this piece of white coral. This high quality, it must be worth at least a hundred taels of silver, right? And it's just lying there like this?"
Chu Yufu leaned against the counter, raised her eyebrows and spread her hands. "These are old things piled up in the mansion's storeroom. My general said he brought them from his old home in Wuzhou years ago. I can't bear to sell them, but I'll just keep them and they'll gather dust. I thought I might as well use them to brighten up my little shop and make the most of them."
When they heard this, they all burst into laughter.
After a few months of marriage, who doesn't know that General Pei from Fumei's family, who appears to be as cold as steel, is actually a soft-hearted person who protects his shortcomings? She was reluctant to sell the treasure, but she just let her bring it out to decorate the house!
But having said that, placing these two white corals here has indeed elevated the style of the entire front hall by a lot.
On the right side of the counter is a carved wooden staircase leading to the second floor, and on the left side hangs a turquoise satin door curtain.
Chu Yufu walked over, gently lifted her hand, and neatly pulled aside the door curtain, revealing a deep, bluestone-paved passageway behind. She glanced back and smiled mysteriously, "What's so special about the front hall? It's just a little more organized than an ordinary shop. The real fun is in the back!"
There are closed doors on both sides of the passage, and behind each door is an independent bathroom.
Seeing her mysterious smile, the girls couldn't help but feel curious. What kind of fun could be done in a bathing room?
Thinking of this, they followed Chu Yufu and entered one of the bathrooms.
As soon as I stepped inside, I felt a sudden darkness before my eyes. The doors and windows were closed, and the light inside was extremely dim. Only the outline of the circular blue brick bathtub in the center of the room was faintly visible. It seemed... no different from any other bathroom?
Everyone looked at each other, confused and a little disappointed.
"Yu Fu, what do you want us to see?"
"Yes, yes, it's not as nice as the main hall outside."
Chu Yufu didn't explain and called out, "Lanzhu! Bring me the tinder and light the lamp!"
"Hey! Here it comes!" Lan Zhu's voice was filled with excitement. She immediately took out the tinder that she had been holding in her hand, walked quickly to an inconspicuous candlestick in the corner, blew out the spark with a "puff", and carefully lit the wick.
The moment the candle was lit, everyone's eyes lit up!
The small room, which was dim just now, was instantly enveloped by a soft, colorful halo!
Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple—the seven colors of light flowed softly, filling the entire space. The light was just right, neither glaring nor blinding, allowing for clear vision. Spots of light danced across the ceiling and then toward the bathtub.
It is dazzling and dreamy.
The girls who were chattering just now suddenly fell silent, and even their breathing became subconsciously lighter, as if they were afraid of disturbing the dream.
After a long while, someone whispered in a dreamy voice, "...so beautiful."
The others then woke up from their dreams and exclaimed in surprise.
"So beautiful! How was this made? It's so beautiful!"
"I can't even imagine how beautiful the sparkling lights would be if the light shone into the water. It would be like a fairyland!"
"Yes! Soaking in a pool like this for a while, looking up at this colorful dome, all my worries will disappear!"
While everyone here was still in amazement, Lu Jiaan, who was the most curious, had already moved to the candlestick in the corner and was studying it carefully.
She looked closely and found that the lampshade on the candlestick was not made of paper, but was made of pieces of colorful translucent hard sheets. The candlelight passed through these pieces, turning into colorful spots of light that filled the room.
She reached out and touched the smooth, cool surface, wondering, "Is this colorful glass?"
Chu Yufu smiled and shook her head: "Liuli is too precious to use. It is made by grinding the inner wall of the shell to an extremely thin layer and then dyeing it with pigment."
Most perfume shops in Dayan had large shared bathing pools, but in order to cater to the habits of the officials' wives, her shop could only have private separate bathing cubicles.
With so many compartments, space in each room was naturally limited. Ordinary paper lanterns are easily soaked by moisture, so she came up with the idea of using more moisture-resistant shells as lampshades. Later, on a whim, she painted them with paint and created these "colorful mother-of-pearl lamps," which far exceeded her expectations.
Among the few people, Xie Ruoruo was the most powerless to resist this beautiful thing. She immediately grabbed Chu Yufu's sleeve and begged, "Good Yufu! Which shop did you order this lamp from? I want to buy one for my bedroom too!"
Lu Jiaan also jumped over and said, "Second sister! I want one too! Save one for me too!"
Fang Ying agreed with a smile: "Count me in."
Wu Yueyun also coughed lightly and joined the rush to buy: "I want three, one for myself, one for my mother, and one for the Queen."
Chu Yufu was so confused by the scene that she had no choice but to agree: "Okay, okay, I asked the servants in the mansion who know carpentry to make this. I'll ask them to make some more and send them to your house when they're done."
The girls were satisfied, their eyebrows curved and their smiles were as beautiful as flowers.
By candlelight, they soon discovered other new things.
One is the soup sign hanging on the wall opposite the bathtub, and the other is the bucket fixed on the wall next to the bathtub.
There are four exquisite wooden signs hanging on the wall, which read: Fatigue-Relief Soup, Beauty-Nourishing Soup, Dampness-Removing and Cold-Removing Soup, and Calming-Mind Soup.
Obviously, this is for guests to choose medicinal bath soups with different effects.
They can understand this, but what does it mean to hang a bucket on the wall?
Chu Yufu noticed the gazes of several people, walked to the bucket with a smile, touched the lotus-shaped wooden sculpture connected to the bottom of the bucket, and showed them the shower equipment she designed.
"Look at this lotus head. It's hollow inside, with many holes cut out at the bottom. Simply fill a bucket with water, and water will spray out from the tiny holes in the lotus head, allowing you to stand and shower. After a medicinal bath, your body will inevitably be covered in the scent of the medicine. Using this 'lotus head rain' to rinse it off saves water, feels refreshing, and is much more convenient."
Wu Yueyun leaned in for a closer look, her eyes full of admiration. "Wonderful! Such a fine stream of water falling down, it feels like being bathed in a gentle drizzle! What a 'rain from heaven cleanses the dust'!"
Chu Yufu was silent... Rain washed away the dust? She really hadn't thought about it that much!
Just one bathroom was enough to make them dazzled and full of surprises.
After a while, everyone went up to the lounge on the second floor.
Thin bamboo curtains drape from the high beams, cleverly dividing the expansive hall into several relatively independent yet airy areas. Each area is furnished with a nanmu low table and an exquisitely woven straw mat. The entire space exudes a tranquility, leisure, and a subtle Zen atmosphere.
Think about it.
When you are tired, invite two or three good friends to relax and take a bath downstairs, and then go to the quiet and elegant second floor to drink tea and chat. How pleasant would it be?
Chu Yufu pointed to a small side room in the corner, half-hidden by a light curtain, and added, "We'll arrange for a musician to play the zither here to help with the fun."
Fang Ying closed her eyes and imagined the scene: the warm, medicinal-scented steam, the colorful lights and shadows, the melodious music of the piano, the elegant aroma of tea. She couldn't help but sigh, "Please open soon! I can't wait to come!"
Wu Yueyun also said confidently: "Besides these, if anyone feels unwell, they can come here to see you for treatment. I am sure that this place of yours will become a must-visit place for officials and their families in the capital in the future!"
The others also looked at Chu Yufu eagerly, nodding their heads rapidly, full of anticipation.
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