Hua Chao Hui
In April, the annual Flower Festival is held in the Peach Garden outside the city.
The tradition of holding the Flower Festival in Qingzhou originated from the capital. Because Qingzhou is relatively close to the capital, the nobles and wealthy merchants in the city all looked to the capital for inspiration.
What's even more special is that this year's Flower Festival was jointly organized by the Duke of Anguo's Mansion and the Governor's wife.
The Duke of Anguo's family is based in the capital, but their ancestral home is Qingzhou. After the old master passed away, the old lady returned to her hometown to live out her remaining years. The younger generation of the family would come to stay with her for a while, and this time, in order to show their filial piety and make her happy, they organized this flower festival.
Because of the dedicated organization, this year's Flower Festival is somewhat different from previous years.
The wives and daughters of officials in the city would go outside the city to participate. Not only that, the noble families would also bring out some of their own precious flowers for the people of the whole city to admire.
In particular, Lady Anguo displayed all her beloved Jade Orchids. Jade Orchids are a very precious orchid variety with emerald green leaves and bright flowers, resembling a fine piece of jade, hence the name.
Previously, nobles mostly enjoyed flowers in their own gardens, while commoners had no opportunity to see famous flowers and plants. Therefore, this news made the people even more eager for the Flower Festival.
The fourth day of the fourth lunar month is the day of the Flower Festival.
Fu Zhi Qiao, along with Granny Cui and Yin Xing, went out early in the morning.
With the weather perfect and the sun shining brightly, the main road outside the city was mostly filled with people heading to the peach orchard to admire the blossoms, and the vendors selling flower garlands by the roadside were doing brisk business.
As soon as I entered the peach grove, my eyes were immediately drawn to the bright peach blossoms.
An endless sea of peach blossoms, a gentle breeze blows, the petals dance in the wind, swirling in the air before finally falling back to the ground, spreading out a pink carpet, giving people the feeling of being in a fairyland.
Entering the peach grove, after walking for about 15 minutes, you will see the flower viewing platform.
A display stand has been set up in the middle of the peach grove, with various flower vases such as bottles, plates, jars, and tubes on it.
Peonies are magnificent, orchids are elegant and refined, crabapples are beautiful and charming... The flowers are in full bloom, dazzling and beautiful, clearly the finest among flowers.
The flowers and plants vied for attention, displaying their beauty to the fullest.
A circle of guards stood around the platform to prevent the flowers from being damaged while people were admiring them. Their meaning was clear: they were for viewing only, not for touching.
The common people also knew what was important. They were already fortunate to be able to feast their eyes on such precious flowers, so they consciously stood three feet away from the platform to carefully observe them and occasionally discuss and appreciate them with their companions.
Admire the beautiful flowers and stroll through the peach grove.
When we got tired from walking around, we set up a table under the tree and laid out some fruits and snacks to rest for a while.
The nobles were very particular; they had their servants set up screens and curtains, and the women gathered around to brew tea, admire flowers, and chat with laughter.
Ordinary people are relatively more casual; they can simply lay a layer of cattail mats on the ground.
It wasn't early, but many people were already sitting on the ground, and the people consciously avoided the places where the curtains were set up.
Looking up, the distinction between nobles and commoners was clear; those who had set up curtains and those who sat on the ground were separated as if by the Chu River and the Han border.
Fu Zhi Qiao chose a spot not far from the curtains of the noble ladies. Yin Xing and Granny Cui had already made arrangements, setting up gauze curtains under the peach tree, setting up a small tea table, and taking out snacks and plum wine. The gift box containing the plum wine was placed directly on the table.
Fu Zhiqiao tilted her head slightly, looking at the swaying peach blossoms above her head. Her posture was relaxed, and many people were already casting their gazes at her.
As the aroma of the wine slowly spread, whispers and discussions could be heard from the surrounding area.
A moment later, a maidservant came over and asked, "May I ask what kind of wine you are drinking, young lady?"
Fu Zhi Qiao's lips curled up slightly; the fish had taken the bait!
"This wine is called plum wine."
"Could you sell me some?"
Seeing Fu Zhi Qiao shake her head, the maid became visibly anxious. "The governor's mansion is buying wine from you, and you still won't sell it?"
She had barely finished speaking when a reprimanding voice came from behind her: "Don't be rude!"
The maid's face turned pale, and she hurriedly retreated.
Fu Zhi Qiao looked at the speaker, who appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. She was petite and charming, with red lips and white teeth, and arched eyebrows—a rare and beautiful woman. Behind her followed a group of noble ladies; to stand at the head of such a group, she must be of high status. Plus, the person she had just spoken to was a maid from the governor's mansion…
Fu Zhi Qiao stood up and bowed, "Greetings, Miss Zhou."
The speaker was none other than Zhou Miaosi, the daughter of the governor's family. This Flower Festival was jointly organized by her family and the Duke of Anguo's mansion. Fu Zhidao had already inquired about which families' young masters and ladies would be attending the Flower Festival.
Zhou Miaosi nodded: "I apologize for my rudeness, young lady."
"Miss Zhou, you flatter me."
"May I ask which family you belong to, young lady?"
"My surname is Fu, my given name is Zhi Qiao, and I live in the south of the city."
Oh, so it's just an ordinary family. The noble ladies' attitude immediately turned a little colder, because the officials in the city all lived in the north of the city.
After a brief introduction, they got down to business. Zhou Miaosi and the others had been drawn over by the aroma of the wine. "Miss Fu, where did you buy this wine?"
Fu Zhi Qiao didn't intend to hide anything: "To be honest, this wine is homemade." After saying that, she subtly glanced at the expressions of the group of noble ladies.
The expressions on the ladies' faces changed rapidly. At first, they had approached her because they thought she was a young lady from a wealthy family, drawn by her elegant attire and extraordinary demeanor. However, after hearing that she was a merchant, the ladies lost interest. They had no interest in befriending a merchant and lowering their own social standing.
The social hierarchy was: scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Although merchants were wealthy, their social status was not high.
One of the noble ladies frowned, looking like she didn't want to talk to her.
Zhou Miaosi had noticed the gift box on the small coffee table next to her long ago; its exquisite packaging clearly indicated that it was no ordinary item.
Upon hearing Fu Zhi Qiao say that the wine was brewed by herself, Zhou Miao Si was very surprised, "I didn't expect Miss Fu to have such skills."
Fu Zhiqiao smiled and accepted the praise: "This wine is brewed using a secret method. It not only tastes delicious, but also has beautifying effects."
"This wine can even improve complexion?"
"That's nonsense, right? Wine can improve your complexion?" The woman standing next to Zhou Miaosi was named Tang Yuying, and she spoke with great skepticism.
"Of course, drinking this wine in moderation can improve blood circulation and make the skin soft and fair."
Fu Zhiqiao pointed to a girl standing at the back of the crowd, "Like this girl, she has a beautiful face and delicate skin, but her complexion is sallow and she looks a bit listless, which is due to insufficient blood and energy..."
The young lady who was called out unconsciously touched her face. She was quite happy to hear Fu Zhi Qiao praise her for being beautiful and having delicate skin. Then, when Fu Zhi Qiao mentioned that she had insufficient blood and qi, she nodded frantically like a chicken pecking at rice, because the doctor she had hired at home said the same thing.
Seeing how logically she spoke, the other noble ladies began to believe her to some extent.
The claim that plum wine can improve skin is not just something Fu Zhiqiao boasted about; it's based on scientific evidence. Plums are rich in organic acids, which have a protective effect on the liver. Their sweet and sour taste stimulates the salivary glands to secrete parotid hormone, promoting metabolism and resulting in a rosy complexion.
The ladies listened intently to the topic of beauty. When Fu Zhi Qiao mentioned that the wine could improve complexion, the group of elegant ladies were all quite eager to try it.
No woman can resist the allure of beauty and skincare.
Seeing that the others did not agree with her and instead gathered around Fu Zhi Qiao to listen to her speak, Tang Yu Ying, who was standing to the side, felt somewhat unhappy.
"Stop spouting nonsense. I've never heard of a wine that can improve complexion. Have any of you ladies heard of it?" Tang Yuying scoffed. She believed Fu Zhiqiao was just trying to attract attention. As the second young lady of the Duke of Anguo's mansion, she was well-traveled and possessed countless rare treasures, yet she had never heard of wine that could improve complexion. And this mere merchant's daughter was spouting nonsense, claiming that her wine could beautify and nourish the skin.
Fu Zhiqiao smiled, completely unconcerned by Tang Yuying's questioning gaze, and replied, "The plum wine is a recipe I found in an ancient book. I put a lot of effort into brewing it into wine. Long-term consumption can have the effects of beautifying the skin and hair, nourishing the complexion, and shaping the body."
After saying that, she turned her head to reveal half of her face, "Ladies, you can see from my skin that I'm not lying."
Her silky black hair cascaded down her back, falling on either side of her neck as she tilted her head slightly. Against the backdrop of her black hair, her skin appeared even whiter than jade, and her cheeks were as delicate as pink buds, making her breathtakingly beautiful.
Given Fu Zhiqiao's appearance, the claim that plum wine can beautify the skin is indeed very convincing.
Seeing that the noble ladies around her were wavering, Tang Yuying raised her voice and questioned, "Of course your skin looks delicate when you wear makeup!"
"Whether I'm wearing makeup or not, the young lady can tell just by looking at me."
Staring at a woman's face in public is extremely impolite and inconsistent with their noble upbringing. But the allure of the beauty wine was simply too great; Fu Zhi Qiao was a living example right before their eyes, and they really didn't want to miss out.
They couldn't care less about anything else. The young ladies took a step closer and surrounded Fu Zhi Qiao, especially Tang Yu Ying. Her eyes were like torches as she stared intently at Fu Zhi Qiao's face, as if she wanted to burn a hole in it.
"She really wasn't wearing any makeup!"
"Seriously, her skin is amazing!"
"It seems that this plum wine really does have a beautifying effect."
The noble ladies chattered amongst themselves.
With that skin, that complexion, that beauty, who wouldn't be captivated?
"Hmph!" Tang Yuying snorted coldly. Although she did not believe what Fu Zhiqiao said, the facts were right in front of her, and she could not say anything to deny it.
There was a moment of stillness in the air.
Zhou Miaosi was the first to step in and smooth things over: "If it's really that amazing, I'd like to try this plum wine."
The ladies all nodded. Since Zhou Miaosi had spoken up, they couldn't very well refuse her.
Fu Zhiqiao took the wine pot from Yinxing and poured a cup of wine for Zhou Miaosi. The aroma of plum wine wafted out instantly, and the wine, amber in color, looked very tempting in the small white jade cup.
"It smells so good!"
"Why is it this color? It does look rather unusual."
"What beautiful wine!"
The noble ladies chattered incessantly.
Fu Zhiqiao poured the second glass of wine for Tang Yuying, and then poured a few more glasses for the others.
The pot of wine was divided up cleanly just like that.
Zhou Miaosi picked up the wine glass, smelled the aroma, took a small sip, and her eyes lit up. "Sweet and sour, refreshing, with a delicate plum fragrance, this wine is indeed special." She smiled, then raised the glass and drank the whole glass in small sips.
The first taste is the fruity acidity of green plums, followed by a slow, sweet aftertaste. The flavor is rich and layered, with the sour aroma of green plums blending into the crispness of Taibai wine. The addition of rock sugar prevents the wine from being sour or astringent, resulting in a light and gentle plum fragrance.
Although the method of making plum wine is not difficult, the wait of more than half a year is real. The three ingredients of Taibai wine, sugar and plums are blended together and, with the passage of time, the flavor substances are transformed, and finally this sweet and sour plum wine is brewed.
The other ladies were still not satisfied after finishing their drinks.
Seeing that the plum wine had received positive feedback from everyone, Fu Zhiqiao smiled and said, "The plum wine tastes sweet and sour, and you feel a slight warming sensation in your stomach after drinking it. You might as well try it out."
"It really is! It really feels hot."
Fu Zhiqiao: "This is the effect of the plum wine. If you drink it for a long time, you will see the effect of beautifying your skin."
Plum wine uses Taibai wine as its base, and its high alcohol content will cause a slight burning sensation when you drink it. Even though the alcohol content in plum wine has been reduced a lot, these delicate young ladies, raised in seclusion, are physically and mentally fragile, so their sense of sensation is naturally very obvious.
"How much is this wine? I'll buy it!" The plum wine was clearly to Zhou Miaosi's liking.
Fu Zhiqiao waved his hand and said, "If Miss Zhou likes it, just send someone to the shop to give the order. My family's wine shop is located on the cross street in the south of the city."
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