Chapter 11 Sachet
"Are you the Qiu family sisters?" Feng Caixing, though young, greeted them cheerfully with bright, smiling eyes.
The Marquis of Changchun's residence and the Earl of Yongqing's residence did not have much contact. This was the first time the Qiu sisters had been invited to a banquet at the Marquis of Changchun's residence. They originally thought they would be quietly accommodated, but Feng Caixing's enthusiasm surprised and delighted the sisters.
"This is Miss Qiu Er..." someone familiar with both sides introduced.
"Oh, isn't Miss Qiu Liu here?" Feng Caixing asked after they had all met.
Second Miss Qiuxuan vaguely understood that Second Miss Feng's enthusiasm was actually out of curiosity about Sixth Sister. She politely said, "Sixth Sister has just returned home after a long journey and is a little tired. Grandmother feels sorry for her and wants her to rest and recuperate before going out again."
"I see." Disappointment flashed in Feng Caixing's eyes, and her enthusiasm vanished. Of course, she didn't act rudely and instructed someone to make arrangements for Qiu Xuan and the others.
Watching Feng Caixing's departing figure, Qiu Fu bit her lip: "What do you mean? If Qiu Heng doesn't come, we're not considered guests?"
Qiu Xuan knew that her fourth sister was spoiled and might lose her temper in this situation, so she quickly comforted her: "Sixth sister was able to be found thanks to the Lady of Changchun Marquis. Miss Feng must have heard Mother mention her, so it's only natural that she's curious about sixth sister."
"So, we were only able to come because of Sixth Sister?" Qiu Fu felt even more displeased.
Even though Qiu Xuan had a good temper, she still wanted to roll her eyes.
Lady Changchun, the wife of the Prince of Kang, is his younger sister, and she doesn't usually associate with the Yongqing Earl's residence. The fact that the Feng sisters extended invitations to them suggests they were invited by the sixth sister; who else could it be?
I just don't know if this curiosity is well-intentioned or malicious.
Qiu Xuan thought this way because soon many noble ladies gathered around, and every question they asked was about Qiu Heng.
"What's Qiu Liu's name?"
"I heard that Miss Qiu was adopted and raised by a family of mountain people in the south. Is she used to life in your household?"
"Is Miss Qiu Liu as beautiful as her sisters?"
...
These noble ladies all spoke with great finesse, but Qiu Xuan frowned secretly.
No matter how much they tried to hide it, they couldn't conceal their contempt for the sixth sister. You know, if you truly respect someone, you won't ask them all sorts of questions.
Qiu Xuan gradually fell silent, and it was the Third Sister Qiu Yun who took over the conversation.
Feng Caixing returned to her sister's side and whispered in her ear, "It's a pity we didn't get to see Miss Qiu Liu."
Feng Caiyue glanced at her younger sister: "Suppress your curiosity, don't let the Qiu family girls have any ideas."
Feng Caixing gestured with her chin toward Qiu Xuan and the others, saying, "Sister, don't scold me, look how curious you are."
How could I not be curious about someone who had been missing for ten years and was found by chance by their mother?
Feng Caiyue shook her head slightly as she looked at the noisy scene and walked over.
"It's so lively."
"Sister Feng." The noble ladies greeted Feng Caiyue.
Feng Caiyue nodded in response and greeted Qiu Xuan and her sisters one by one: "There are quite a few sisters here today, I apologize for not being able to entertain them properly."
"Miss Feng, you're too kind," Qiu Xuan said in greeting.
A noblewoman asked, "Didn't the Princess of Jiayi come today?"
Princess Jiayi was the daughter of Prince Kang and the cousin of Feng Caiyue.
Feng Caixing smiled and said, "My cousin is at a crucial stage in her research on a certain fragrance and doesn't have time to go out."
The Princess of Chiayi is famous in the incense circle for her obsession with incense.
Such obsession is not criticized; on the contrary, it is considered a refined pursuit.
Even in this garden where the banquet was held, various incense burners were placed on the high tables in every corner, emitting wisps of fragrance.
Mentioning the fragrance, Feng Caiyue took a light sniff and took Qiu Xuan's hand: "So that's where this fragrance came from, so elegant and subtle. It was brought by Miss Qiu. What kind of fragrance does Miss Qiu use?"
Qiu Xuan always carried the sachet that Qiu Heng had given her.
She was drawn to the unique fragrance, never expecting that it would catch the attention of Miss Feng.
This seems like an opportunity to make my sixth sister famous.
Qiu Xuan's heart stirred slightly, and she took off the sachet to show the other women: "Today I am only wearing the sachet that my sixth sister gave me."
Feng Caiyue looked surprised: "Made by Miss Qiu Liu?"
"Yes, Sixth Sister's adoptive parents make a living by collecting incense."
"Could you let me smell it carefully?"
Without hesitation, Qiu Xuan handed the sachet to Feng Caiyue.
Feng Caiyue reached out and took it, completely disregarding the roughness of the sachet's fabric, and brought it to her nose to sniff lightly.
A moment later, she returned the sachet and said sincerely, "The fragrance is perfectly blended. Miss Qiu Liu has extraordinary skill in the art of incense."
"Really? It's not difficult for ordinary people to prepare incense materials, but can there really be experts in making and blending incense?"
The women were incredulous.
It's not that they look down on people; true masters of incense appreciation need to be familiar with the properties of various spices and constantly experiment to improve their skills. Many spices are expensive, making them unsuitable for ordinary people to practice with.
"There's always someone better than you, and someone more capable than you," Feng Caiyue, as the hostess, interrupted the questioning and had an idea.
If Qiu Liu-guniang truly possesses such skill, perhaps she could help her cousin solve the problem she's facing, saving her from becoming so obsessed with incense that she never leaves the house.
“Oh, the fragrance on Miss Qiu Wu is also very pleasant, just like that of Miss Qiu Er,” Feng Caixing suddenly said.
Qiu Ying blushed instantly and stammered, "I also wore the sachet that my sixth sister gave me." But she quietly lowered her hand and covered the sachet hanging at her waist with her sleeve.
On the way back to the manor, Qiu Fu, who was seething with anger, sneered: "Fifth Sister wants to wear the sachet that Sixth Sister gave her, just like Second Sister, and wear it openly. Why did you change the skin of the sachet?"
The sachets at the flower banquet, which Qiu Ying deliberately concealed, were made of fine silk, a material commonly used by noble ladies.
Embarrassed by the retort, Qiu Ying couldn't help but say, "The sachet that Sixth Sister gave me does smell really nice."
She couldn't bear to part with the unique fragrance, but also felt that it was inappropriate to wear the sachet in public, so she changed to a regular sachet.
This wouldn't have been a problem in itself, but compared to her second sister, who openly wore the sachet given to her by her sixth sister in front of everyone, her actions seemed rather unseemly.
"Is a sachet worth so much effort? Have you never seen anything good before?"
As Qiu Yun listened to her fourth sister's teasing of her fifth sister, she silently moved a little further away from Qiu Fu.
She was actually wearing the sachet that her sixth sister had given her, but she was afraid that her fourth sister would be unhappy if she saw it, so she put it close to her body and placed it inside the sachet, which is why the fragrance was not obvious.
The usually gentle Qiu Xuan lowered her voice: "Even the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Changchun's mansion praised Sixth Sister's sachet, so how can it not be a good thing? People outside have heard that Sixth Sister comes from the countryside and are waiting to see something interesting. Fourth Sister, are you not happy that Sixth Sister is capable? Do you want those people to laugh at our mansion?"
These words made Qiu Fu furious, but she couldn't refute them.
"Where is Second Sister going?" Qiu Ying asked as Qiu Xuan turned and walked in another direction.
"Go to Lengxiang Residence and thank Sixth Sister."
Qiu Ying hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "Third sister, fourth sister, I haven't been to Lengxiang Residence yet. I'll go with second sister to take a look."
Seeing that the two had left, Qiu Yun looked at Qiu Fu.
Qiu Fu's face was covered in frost. She turned and left, heading in the direction of Lengxiangju.
Ah Heng didn't appear, but she played a rather important role in setting the stage.
(End of this chapter)
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