Dream of the Red Chamber: A Refined and Elegant Young Man in a Turbid World

"Third Master, the tea has gone cold. Even in this blazing sun, you should take care of yourself. I'll change it for you to be warm." Chu Lan held the teacup, standing by her side with her hands at her sides, keeping her eyes down and not daring to say a single unnecessary word.

Jia Cong took the teacup and drank it all in one gulp. The warmth flowed down his throat and into his stomach, easing some of his fatigue. He handed the empty cup back to Chu Lan, waved his hand, and said, "I know, you can go now. Find my change of clothes; I'll need to change after martial arts practice."

Chu Lan acknowledged and withdrew. The maids of Rongguo Mansion were the most well-mannered. They would not ask questions or say anything that they should not ask about their masters' affairs. Moreover, although Jia Cong was born out of wedlock, he had now gained the favor of the old lady and the second mistress, so naturally they had to serve him with even greater respect.

As I was rubbing my sore arms, I suddenly heard footsteps outside, followed by a little girl's voice:

"Third Master, Second Madam sent someone to say that the jasmine-scented liquor in the workshop is ready and she wants you to come and check its quality."

Jia Cong's eyes lit up, and he instantly forgot his aches and pains, scrambling to his feet: "Okay, I'll go right now!"

He hastily threw on his outer garment, thinking that if the perfume workshop became successful, he would never have to suffer the hardship of lacking ice and meat again, and his steps became lighter.

Jia Cong hurried to the workshop in the east courtyard and could smell the clear fragrance of jasmine from afar, mixed with a faint oily smell, but it was not cloying.

The women in the workshop were all doing their jobs—selecting flowers, filtering juice, and watching the copper pots over the fire—when they saw him arrive, they all stopped what they were doing, curtsied, and greeted him: "Third Master."

Jia Cong nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the flower petals drying in the courtyard and the porcelain vases on the wall. Without pausing, he walked straight into the inner room—Wang Xifeng was sitting on a bamboo chair by the window, with Ping'er standing beside her, holding a tray with two or three small, white porcelain vases on it.

"Greetings, Second Sister-in-law." Jia Cong stepped forward respectfully and bowed, standing to the side with his hands at his sides. His posture was respectful but not timid, and he dared not look up to look at her without permission.

Wang Xifeng quickly put down her teacup, a shrewd smile spreading across her face. She beckoned him closer and pointed to the tray in Ping'er's hands:

"Brother Cong, it's just in time. Take a look at this first batch of jasmine-scented dew. It was brewed according to your method, and the quality is quite good."

Ping'er quickly stepped forward, handed the tray to Jia Cong, and said softly, "Third Master, look carefully. This is made from double-petaled jasmine picked with morning dew. It was made according to the method we discussed earlier, with the addition of some almond oil and other ingredients. It's set just right."

Jia Cong carefully picked up a porcelain bottle, uncorked it, and brought it close to his nose. He thought to himself that Wang Xifeng was indeed skilled. If it came down to the authenticity of the aroma, it was definitely more to the taste of those ladies than what he, a man, could make.

"Sister-in-law," Jia Cong hurriedly placed the porcelain bottle back on the tray, bowed, and replied respectfully and earnestly, "the color is excellent, and the aroma is just right. It's even more uniform than the previous trial. It's all thanks to your proper management that the servants dared to put in such effort. The matriarch entrusted this matter to you, and no one in the mansion has any objections."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng smiled, picked up a bottle, touched it lightly to her wrist, and then smelled it: "These old women are smart enough not to cut corners. They just had the kitchen stew some rock sugar lotus seeds. Brother Cong is tired from practicing martial arts, why don't you rest for a while and have a taste?"

As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Jia Cong's increasingly prominent muscles.

"Then thank you, sister-in-law." Jia Cong sat down on a small stool nearby.

Ping'er brought over a bowl of lotus seed soup. He took it with both hands and sipped it slowly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Wang Xifeng instructing the servants: "Pack these into boxes, pick out two of the best bottles and send them to the old lady and the madam. Store the rest in the storeroom for now, and distribute them according to the old lady's wishes after the next few batches are brewed."

Throughout the entire process, Jia Cong remained an observer, not uttering a single word.

He knew perfectly well that the workshop was able to open now entirely thanks to the old lady's approval and Wang Xifeng's coordination. She was in charge of all the expenses and staffing. He had only provided the method and did not have the right to interfere.

After finishing the lotus seed soup, he chatted and laughed with her for a while. When he saw Wang Xifeng rub her temples, he tactfully got up to take his leave: "Sister-in-law, the quality looks good, so I won't disturb your rest. I still need to go find Master Sun to learn martial arts."

Wang Xifeng smiled and waved her hand, then added, "Go on, go on. Don't overdo it with your martial arts practice, or you'll hurt yourself. I'll keep an eye on the workshop, so don't worry. If there's any commotion, I'll have someone call you."

After saying that, she intentionally or unintentionally brushed away non-existent dust from Jia Cong's shoulder, her fingertips lightly brushing against his arm, carrying the warm fragrance of rouge, and a touch of deliberate flirtatiousness.

Wang Xifeng slightly turned her body, the gold hairpin at her temple swaying gently, making her eyebrows and eyes appear even more radiant and graceful. Her originally sharp phoenix eyes curved into a smile, and her tone gained a touch of tenderness not usually found between an uncle and sister-in-law:

"You child, you are so honest and straightforward. You only care about practicing martial arts and figuring out the workshop every day. You are a hundred times less troublesome than your dead brother."

Jia Cong felt a slight chill and quickly lowered his hands to avoid her touch, bowing as he replied:

"It's all thanks to your hard work, sister-in-law. I naturally have to work harder so as not to let you and the old lady down." He deliberately straightened his posture, his tone respectful yet maintaining a distance, but his eyes caught a glimpse of a half-smile playing on Wang Xifeng's lips.

Wang Xifeng wasn't annoyed by his aloofness. Instead, she took a half step forward, her perfume growing stronger, mingling with the scent of cosmetics as she clung to Jia Cong.

She raised her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing a section of her fair neck. Her voice was low, carrying a hint of reproach mixed with a touch of allure:

"You're quite the smooth talker. Do you know how many days I've spent tossing and turning over the rules of this workshop, not even getting a good night's sleep? From now on, you should come and keep your sister-in-law company more often, just to help me relax."

After saying that, her gaze swept over Jia Cong's face, deliberately landing on his shoulders and back, which had become more upright due to martial arts training, and his taut wrists. A barely perceptible burning light flashed in her eyes, which she then concealed.

Once she regained her usual shrewd and capable demeanor as a young mistress, she simply waved her hand and said, "Go quickly, don't keep your Master Sun waiting."

Jia Cong acknowledged and bowed as he left the workshop. The scent of jasmine in the courtyard still lingered in his nostrils, but he was secretly alarmed. As the original novel described, he knew he would have to be more careful around Sister Feng in the future.

After finishing his kung fu practice, he enjoyed Chu Lan's massage while pondering new ideas.

Perfume is something you can't live on forever; once it's on the market, it will definitely be copied. Right now, we need to come up with something that can hold its own.

After much thought, he actually came up with a solution.

"While we may not be able to create anything groundbreaking, since we've decided to go the luxury goods route, how can we do without lipstick?"