tea oil
There weren't many cars and horses docked at the West Street Wharf to pick up passengers today. Only a few sedan chairs were waiting near the riverbank for travelers to disembark from merchant ships.
It has been more than half a month since I last left the city to travel.
If Mei Sheng had chosen the land route from Liangcheng to Wujun, it would have been much safer and smoother. However, in the past month, Mei Sheng had been crossing rivers and changing boats more than seven or eight times.
Along the way, except for stopping at riverside towns to change some food and clothes, we were always in a hurry to get on the road, as if we were being chased by someone, and we were extremely anxious.
Mei Sheng traveled day and night and finally arrived in Wu County.
Facing the damp river breeze, she walked along the narrow wooden planks past the makeshift market at the dock, only to discover that this place was indeed very different from the north.
The place was bustling and lively, and the porters' accents were softer and sweeter. In the distance, waterways crisscrossed and connected with the houses, which was quite similar to the water towns in Jiangnan that she had seen before.
Mei Sheng had only taken a few steps out of the market when the plain sedan chair that had been waiting there finally started moving, and the person leading the sedan chair bearers approached Mei Sheng.
As the sedan chair landed beside Mei Sheng, a man of medium build bowed to her. He had a ruddy complexion and asked in a friendly manner, "Is this young lady surnamed Mei? Is she from Lord Pei's household?"
Mei Sheng pressed down on the brim of her hat to block a gust of river wind.
Through the veil, she carefully examined the person before smiling and saying, "Indeed, who are you?" The jade pendant hanging from the person's waist was quite similar to the jade pendant worn by the guards of the Pei family, who were dressed as merchants and soldiers behind her.
After saying that, she turned her head and cast a questioning look at the two people behind her.
Having received Mei Sheng's affirmative answer and seeing that Mei Sheng was wary, Steward Yang did not feel dissatisfied, but instead showed some subtle praise.
Then, he explained that he was the steward of Governor Pei's mansion in Wu County, and that he had been sent by Granny Xun to fetch a young lady surnamed Mei back to the mansion.
They had never seen her before, so how could they be so sure that she was this person? Mei Sheng had doubts in her heart, so she asked.
Upon hearing this, Manager Yang's bright eyes crinkled into a smile. He rolled up his sleeve and pulled out a familiar piece of Zuo Bo paper, on which was drawn Mei Sheng.
This was painted by Pei Jue himself that night!
Manager Yang handed the letter to Mei Sheng, looked at the sedan chair, and saw the girl standing tall and graceful. He felt that the sedan chair was too low and cramped and did not match her.
He then said with shame, "I rushed here as soon as I received the letter, but it was unfortunate today. Aunt Ling had just gone out, and the carriages had all left the manor. So I had to send the manor's sedan chair to pick up guests. Please forgive me, Miss Mei."
Although there was a letter instructing the household to pick up the person today, this Miss Mei was neither the lady of the household nor a concubine. Without Pei Jue's personal order, Steward Yang dared not make the decision on his own to rent a carriage outside the city.
Mei Sheng nodded in response, her expression indifferent. Whether it was a sedan chair or a carriage, she didn't care.
Seeing that Mei Sheng had been safely received by the Pei family, the two guards behind her bowed to her and took their leave, saying that they had important business to attend to and had to go ahead. After exchanging a few words with Steward Yang, they hurriedly left.
Mei Sheng withdrew her gaze and looked at Steward Yang in front of her, saying earnestly, "Then I'll have to trouble you." At his signal, Mei Sheng got into the sedan chair and sat down comfortably.
As she stepped into the plain sedan chair, her movements were clean and efficient. Steward Yang couldn't help but think: This Miss Mei is truly a person of good temperament. Her calm, unassuming, and uncompetitive demeanor is particularly pleasing.
Manager Yang waved, and the sedan chair rose in response, heading towards the city.
Midway through the journey, the sedan chair suddenly tilted violently, and one of the crossbars broke, splintering out sharp spikes, creating an immediate crisis.
Fortunately, Mei Sheng was cautious and felt that the sedan chair was more stable than a horse-drawn carriage. He used some effort to hold onto one side, which protected his face from hitting the wooden splinter in the midst of the danger.
The unexpected accident left everyone helpless, and the sedan chair carriers were filled with unease, repeatedly apologizing. Even Steward Yang panicked at the sight of the wooden splinter, and the chilly weather somehow felt strangely warm to him.
The consequences of failing to perform well within Governor Pei's residence were not good. Steward Yang, hoping nothing serious had happened to Miss Mei, anxiously asked, "Is Miss Mei alright?"
Mei Sheng, supporting herself on the sedan chair and clutching her shoulder, slowly stepped out.
She was unharmed, but was the splinter on the sedan chair, or the accident itself, really such a coincidence?
She put aside her suspicions for a moment and replied gently, "I'm fine, it's just that I scratched my face a little, and I'm embarrassed to be seen. May I go to Fangxinzhai up ahead and buy some rouge to cover it up?"
Upon hearing this, Steward Yang wiped his brow, feeling rather flattered. He quickly took out some silver from his purse and handed it to Mei Sheng, saying, "I made a mistake in my investigation today. I hope Miss Mei will accept it."
Since he was in the wrong first, even if Miss Mei did something even more outrageous, he could only accept his fate, let alone something as trivial as buying some women's rouge.
"Miss Mei, hurry up, it's alright." With that, he called to a sedan chair bearer to go to the horse shop not far ahead to hire a carriage. Now that there was an excuse for the mishap, renting a carriage would be much easier.
Mei Sheng gave a deep "hmm" and walked towards Fangxinzhai, which was located near the street.
The shop was clearly thriving; several women dressed in various styles lined up by the carved, crescent-shaped wooden windows. Regardless of age, if they bought the cosmetics they wanted, it was easy to see the joy on their faces.
After Mei Sheng stepped into the house and told the shop assistant what items she needed to buy, she waited quietly in place.
Fangxinzhai was arguably the largest cosmetics shop in the city. Inside, various porcelain bottles and jade boxes were displayed on display cabinets made of pear wood, from which one could glimpse all kinds of rouge and fragrances.
Mei Sheng noticed some strange colors and wanted to go forward to take a look, but as she turned around, she caught a glimpse of something rushing towards her out of the corner of her eye. She quickly took a step back and managed to dodge it.
Some dust drifted in the air, and unfortunately, some traces were left on the hem of Mei Sheng's skirt.
Before Mei Sheng, the aggrieved party, could say anything, a dispute broke out not far from her.
"Bai Qi, are you doing this on purpose? Let me tell you, as long as I'm in the Xiao family, you won't be able to stay here in peace!" The voice was full of anger, mixed with contempt.
Upon hearing this, Mei Sheng paused in brushing off the dust, her gaze sharpened, and then she looked up at the person she hadn't seen for several days.
Bai Qi stood opposite the arrogant and impatient girl, her expression gloomy.
No matter what insulting words were uttered, they remained silent. Women or young ladies nearby were furious at the spectacle, but since the person involved didn't say a word, how could they vent their anger?
"Young lady, are you alright?" Bai Qi ignored the girl, walked around her, and looked at Mei Sheng. Her eyes showed not only fatigue but also some guilt.
How come Bai Qi has changed so much in just a few days?
Just then, the shop assistant who had been looking for the items Mei Sheng needed arrived. He took the money she paid and said with a smile, "Miss, please take a look. Is there anything else you've forgotten?"
Mei Sheng shook her head at Bai Qi to indicate that she was fine, and then began to rummage through the items in the box that the waiter had handed her.
Beeswax, pearl powder, a small amount of rosin powder, cinnabar, carbon black...
“We’re still missing one thing: tea oil,” Mei Sheng replied gently.
Upon hearing this, the young shopkeeper slapped his forehead in realization, then looked distressed and said, "This tea oil is precious. We can only produce a few pieces a month, and unfortunately, they've all been bought up. I'm so sorry, young lady."
Upon hearing this, Mei Sheng did not make things difficult for her. If it wasn't available in Fangxinzhai, she could go to his house to look for it herself.
But before Mei Sheng could step out of the study, someone gently called out to her.
Bai Qi waved the white jade box at her and said with a smile, "I was fortunate enough to get a portion of this tea oil. If you don't mind, you can take it."
Seeing that Mei Sheng was about to refuse, Bai Qi took another step closer to the item and kindly urged her, "Put it away quickly. If you are in a hurry to find it, you will probably have to wait until next month. This tea oil is very hard to buy in other places."
Before Mei Sheng could make a decision, the carriage that was supposed to pick her up arrived in the distance, and Steward Yang cast an eager look at her, urging her on. Mei Sheng gladly accepted the carriage, nodded her thanks, and headed towards it.
The carriage traveled smoothly towards the city center.
Bai Qi's maid followed behind her. Seeing her mistress's behavior, she became anxious: "Miss, Madam Xiao has always loved this tea oil. How could she give it away to someone else so easily?" She even stepped forward and tugged at Bai Qi's sleeve.
Bai Qi sighed and comforted her, "This garment may look ordinary, but it is actually made of the finest Yun Brocade. Once it gets stained, it is very difficult to wash and will likely be discarded. The value of this garment is probably far greater than that of this box of tea oil."
Seeing this, the maid opened her mouth in surprise and timidly withdrew her hand. She knew that Yun brocade was precious.
The girl in pink walked out the door, and her maidservant chimed in, "It seems you'll shine brightly at Madam Xiao's birthday banquet tomorrow." This tea oil was Madam Xiao's favorite.
The girl in pink's expression didn't improve; instead, it darkened. She said, "Go and investigate how Bai Qi got involved with Governor Pei's mansion."
The maid covered her mouth, stunned, and said, "Miss means..."
"I wonder who this person is, that he could send people from the Governor's Mansion to greet him. If only I had known..." The girl in white gripped the box of tea oil tightly, her regret reaching its peak.
If so, what if she just gave that woman tea oil...?
Pei Dudu Mansion
As soon as Mei Sheng stepped off the carriage, a petite girl wearing a thick coat was waiting at the door. Seeing Mei Sheng arrive, she greeted her cheerfully and asked with a smile, "This must be Sister Mei?"
Mei Sheng stood outside the mansion gate, a smile playing on her lips: "Just call me Mei Sheng. May I ask who you are?"
Before the question could be finished, the seemingly frail girl didn't answer. Instead, she coughed loudly twice, her face turning red. The maidservant protecting her raised her chin high and said in a shrill voice, "This is Concubine Ling from the manor."
Mei Sheng thought to herself, "So she is Pei Jue's concubine left in Wu County, the daughter of the Crown Prince's subordinate."
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