Her enthusiasm was instantly dampened, and Jiang Mingwei slowed her pace, looking at her with a wronged expression.
"Why don't you believe me? You have so little confidence in your young lady?"
This was the first time the little girl had ever contradicted her without any expression, and Jiang Mingwei felt very hurt!
Hua Cui pulled Jiang Mingwei aside to prevent her from being bumped by pedestrians, and said helplessly, "Miss, Xingxianglou is backed by the Imperial Concubine. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she is a beauty of unparalleled grace. That's why Xingxianglou's business is so good."
"Miss wants to open a rouge shop, and Hua Cui certainly agrees. However, it might not be easy for the business to surpass Xingxianglou! Moreover, if it attracts too much attention, it might catch the eye of the Imperial Concubine."
The fall off the cliff has turned Hua Cui into a frightened bird.
Regardless of who wanted to kill whom, Hua Cui did not want her young lady to be in danger again, so she warned her cautiously, "If the master were still alive, it would be fine, but now that the master is gone, and the eldest young master is unreliable."
"Miss, you must be very careful!"
Hearing that she spoke up because she was worried about her, Jiang Mingwei felt much better and smiled as she patted her head.
"Just you wait and see, my fine flower essence! Your young lady will definitely give you a surprise. I don't expect it to replace Xingxianglou, but it will at least be just as successful!"
After saying that, he walked forward with a smile.
Hua Cui quickly followed, constantly asking what the surprise was.
Jiang Mingwei simply smiled and remained silent.
It wasn't that she didn't want to say it, but even if she did, Hua Cui might not understand.
After visiting Xingxianglou, she realized that cosmetics were not scarce in ancient times.
They have all kinds of products, and you can buy almost anything you need.
But clearly, it lacks something unique to modern times—cosmeceuticals!
No, there seems to be one: pearl powder.
It can make your complexion radiant and healthy, and it also nourishes your skin. It's truly a rare find.
However, pearl powder is expensive, and if you don't have money, you really can't afford it!
Apart from that, there are no other products that can do both makeup and skincare at the same time.
But what if she actually does it?
Once she gets back, she can study how to mix the rouge properly and add herbs that are beneficial to women's bodies and skin to the rouge powder. Will that have some unexpected and magical effects?
Jiang Mingwei became more and more excited as she thought about it, and couldn't wait to go back and try it!
Sure enough, as soon as she returned to the general's mansion, she locked herself in the side room again.
However, before she could start making breakfast, she needed to figure out what was added to these cosmetics and powders, break them down one by one, write down the ingredients she needed, and then find the materials to start making them.
However, as soon as Jiang Mingwei looked up, she realized that it was already dark outside.
She called Hua Cui in.
"How long have I been inside? Why is it dark?"
"It's been two hours already, and the tea and snacks that were brought to the young lady earlier haven't been eaten."
Hua Cui sighed, her eyes filled with heartache, "No matter what you do, Miss, you can't ignore your own health!"
"I was so engrossed in my research that I forgot. I'll definitely do it next time."
Jiang Mingwei smiled, her eyes crinkling, and pinched her cheek before picking up a piece of tea snack and putting it in her mouth.
The crispy aroma filled her mouth, and she contentedly squinted her eyes...
The next day, Jiang Mingwei put the compiled list into her bosom and left the mansion with Hua Cui, heading straight for Renyifang.
The shopkeeper was very efficient.
When she arrived at Renyifang, the herb gatherers were already waiting for her.
Upon seeing Jiang Mingwei, everyone greeted her warmly.
Jiang Mingwei nodded, which was considered a response.
He found a chair, sat down, and then looked up at the crowd.
"Didn't anyone else find the plant based on the blueprints I gave you, except for that one person who did?"
Jiang Mingwei looked at the herb gatherer who had picked one of the herbs for her and asked the others.
Everyone lowered their heads with unpleasant expressions, scratching the back of their heads, clearly extremely embarrassed.
It seems we haven't found it.
She wasn't worried that these people wouldn't do their best to find it, since it cost five taels of silver per plant, unless they really couldn't find it.
“These herbs have never been noticed by you before, so it’s normal that you can’t find them. Coincidentally, I know of a place where these herbs grow, and they are all the ones I drew on my drawings.”
Upon hearing this, the herb gatherer's eyes widened, his face filled with anticipation, eager to go immediately.
Jiang Mingwei remained unmoved and calmly gave her instructions.
"However, now that I have told you the location, I will no longer charge five taels of silver for each type of herb. That place is dangerous. If you are willing to go, I can still pay five taels. No matter what herbs you pick, you cannot return empty-handed. You must bring the herbs back to see me!"
"If I am not satisfied, I will not pay a single penny. Does anyone have any objections?"
She explained the pros and cons clearly, saying that she would be paid if she went, but she couldn't leave empty-handed; she still had to help her search diligently.
For the herb gatherers, being in danger was a daily occurrence, so upon hearing this, they only remembered that Jiang Mingwei had said she would give them five taels of silver, completely disregarding where Jiang Mingwei actually wanted them to go.
"Please tell me, Miss, I am willing to go and bring back the herbs for you."
"Me too!"
"Me too!"
The call was met with overwhelming response; everyone was eager to go immediately!
Jiang Mingwei nodded, and then told the herb gatherers about the valley where she and Wei Jing were located.
"There is a path down into the valley, but it probably won't be easy. The forest is very deep, so you'd better travel in small groups of two or three, and remember not to get lost."
"There are wolves at night. Once you get there, you can first find this herb and form a circle around it to block the wolves. However, you still can't let your guard down. It would be best if you could escape unscathed!"
Jiang Mingwei then distributed the blueprints for the Silver Pearl Grass to everyone, and also gave them blueprints for several other medicinal herbs that she planned to use in making cosmeceuticals.
"The meeting is scheduled for three days. I will meet you here in three days. If you bring enough herbs, each of you may receive an extra reward."
I gave them a few words of advice and watched them leave.
Let alone extra rewards, even just spending three days finding herbs and earning five taels would be enough to excite them.
Therefore, everyone walked lightly and without the slightest reluctance.
Seeing them walk away, the shopkeeper turned his head and looked at Jiang Mingwei with curiosity.
Remembering that she had picked up a lot of medicine to treat internal injuries yesterday, she couldn't help but ask cautiously, "How did you know there were so many herbs at the bottom of the cliff, Miss? Did you go there?"
Jiang Mingwei smiled at him and said, "Would you believe me if I said I dreamed about it?"
Shopkeeper: "..."
He didn't want to believe it, but did he dare to say it?
After explaining the matter, Jiang Mingwei took Hua Cui to the perfume street where they bought rouge and face powder ingredients.
As soon as you step inside, a fragrant aroma wafts over you.
Some smell pleasant, some are pungent, and when mixed together, they inexplicably make you dizzy...
After taking two or three steps forward, the spice vendor stopped Jiang Mingwei with a grin.
"Does Madam need any spices? I have all kinds here, please take a look."
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