"Pearls can be used as a face mask?" the princess asked doubtfully, her expression as if she had heard something impossible.
Lanqin thought to herself: People in this era only know how to make jewelry from pearls, and they don't even know that pearls can be ground into powder.
"Well, pearls can be ground into powder and mixed with honey to make a face mask. I only learned about this method by chance, so I asked Chen Shou to go south to buy some ordinary pearls, regardless of size or luster, as long as they are ground into powder." Lanqin had no choice but to reveal a whitening method that women only learned about two hundred years later.
The princess was, after all, a woman, and naturally very interested in this beauty secret. She grabbed Lanqin and asked her many questions before letting her go back.
Meanwhile, Lingxiu and Cui Niang were in the storeroom of the main courtyard, counting all the bestowed items one by one. Looking at the piles of things that filled half the room, it would take them a long time to count them all.
Lingxiu instructed several maids to move down all the silks and satins and count them one by one, while Cui Niang recorded them in the account book.
Then came various exquisitely crafted tools, and finally, jewelry. Because the names of these items were all very long, it would take a long time to write them down.
"Aunt Cui, I heard that you served the Princess Consort when you were in the palace?" Lingxiu saw Aunt Cui silently taking notes, looking at each item carefully. She stood to the side and instructed the maids to go through the items.
"That's all in the past. Now I'm serving the concubine." Cui Niang didn't look up, still taking notes.
"Actually, Lingxiu just wanted to tell Aunt that the Fujin (Madam) has invited you over. Consort Niu has already gone back. You've been busy until now, and the Fujin is taking pity on you and has specially prepared a meal for you," Lingxiu said, looking at Cui Niang's expression.
Cui Niang paused for a moment, then said in a calm tone, "Thank you for your generous gift, Madam. I can go back and report to the Consort after I finish this. I really dare not delay. I can only regret that I cannot repay Madam's kindness."
Seeing that Cui Niang was completely unmoved, Lingxiu had no choice but to continue counting with her.
At this moment, Nianxue, carrying a basket, was brought over by a maid from the main courtyard.
“Aunt Cui, the concubine has sent me to bring you your evening meal. I dare not trouble Miss Lingxiu any further. Please have your meal first, and then we can take stock,” Nianxue said.
Cui Niang was touched. She was indeed hungry. Lan Qin knew that Lan Qin thought of sending someone to deliver dinner, which meant she knew that Lan Qin would not eat in the main courtyard. She was also worried that if the Fujin (wife) had murderous intentions, it was not impossible for her to poison a maid in the main courtyard.
Seeing this, Lingxiu led the others out to have their meal.
"Aunt Cui, please have your meal quickly. The master instructed me to tell you that if you can't finish counting today, you can come back tomorrow," Nianxue said after they had all left.
"No, we must finish the inventory today. It's alright, we've already done more than half, we can finish the registration in two more hours," Cui Niang said with a smile. When she used to work for the Fujin, she never cared whether she had eaten or whether she had finished the task.
"Auntie, let's eat." Nianxue opened the lid of the basket and took out a stewing pot from it.
"Aunt, please eat. Master specially asked Chef Niu to make you a bowl of chicken and mushroom noodle soup. It's very cold at night now, and there's nothing here. He said that eating something hot will warm you up," Nianxue said. She placed the stew pot in front of Cui Niang and then took out chopsticks for her.
Lingxiu then dismissed his servants to have their meal, while he went to report to the Fujin (principal wife).
"She refuses to come?" Fujian asked, lying on the main couch in the main room, sniffing his snuff bottle.
"The people from the South Courtyard have brought the meal, saying it was specially sent by the Consort," Lingxiu said cautiously, glancing at the food.
"You wretch, once I've got her family under control, she'll be begging to see me," the princess said. "Do you remember what happened tonight?"
“Of course I remember. If there are fewer pieces of brocade and jewelry, let the concubine explain it to me,” Lingxiu said.
"Very good, you are very clever, I like you very much. Go and have your meal. I know Cui Niang's temperament, she will definitely finish it tonight." The princess waved her hand and said.
After finishing their meal, Cui Niang continued to take inventory of the items in the storeroom, and Lingxiu naturally asked people to help her as well. They were busy until 7 PM before they finally finished registering everything.
At that time, Lanqin and Fourth Master had finished their dinner, and the two of them were talking while holding Wuxiha on the bed. Wuxiha was already over four months old and could sit on the bed and grab things to play with.
"What's that around her neck?" Fourth Master asked when he saw a strange thing around Ushiha's neck.
"It's a bib. She's always drooling, and this bib is perfect for catching her drool, otherwise her clothes on her chest are always wet." Lanqin teased Wuxiha with a few rag dolls. These were also Lin's Barbie dolls that she had made. There were quite a few talented people here who could make clothes and do embroidery, so it would be a waste not to make use of them.
So our Comrade Lanqin made several Barbie dolls using buckwheat as the core and silk as the outer layer. Then she made several cute little outfits for these Barbie dolls, naturally all clothes of this era, but she still couldn't resist making a Western-style dress out of silk gauze. So, our Wuxiha didn't just have cloth tigers to play with; she had far more toys than the little princesses of this era.
"You really have a way with ideas. Sometimes I wonder if you were a Westerner in your past life?" Fourth Master joked.
He saw that both mother and son were wearing light lotus-colored undergarments, while he lay diagonally on the bed, watching them.
Lanqin was startled, but said calmly, "Perhaps so. Doesn't Master also like Western things?"
Fourth Master raised his hand and touched Lanqin's back. Her jet-black hair, which was casually tied into a knot, came undone when he touched it.
Lanqin turned around and glanced at Fourth Master, then said, "Let the wet nurse come in and take Wuxiha to sleep."
Fourth Master nodded and called someone in to take Wuxiha away. Wuxiha had never slept beside Lanqin since he was a child, so he didn't seem to mind.
"Qin'er, I'm afraid these things won't be allowed to enter our Great Qing anymore in the future," the Fourth Prince suddenly said.
"What's wrong?" Lanqin saw that Fourth Master looked unhappy and knew that something must be on his mind.
"Father has already ordered a ban on Westerners preaching Christianity. It seems that we will no longer trade with them soon," said the Fourth Prince.
Lanqin quickly reviewed in her mind what had happened in the 44th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign. At the end of the year, the Kangxi Emperor had a falling out with the Pope and banned Christianity.
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