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

Wang Xifeng raised an eyebrow in surprise, brought the bottle close to her mouth, and took two more deep sniffs. She exclaimed repeatedly, "Excellent! Excellent! This scent is even more refreshing than the finest incense, yet it's far more genuine than any perfume powder you can buy outside!"

As she spoke, she dipped her fingertip in the fragrance and gently applied it to her wrist. Then she brought it to her nose and smelled it. The more she smelled it, the more she liked it. "No wonder you said the fragrance lasts a long time. In just a short while, the whole room is filled with this fragrance, and it's not cloying at all."

Ping'er also leaned over to smell it, and a hint of admiration appeared in her eyes: "This fragrance is quite special, unlike the gaudy fragrances of ordinary perfumes. It makes one feel comfortable."

Seeing that the two liked it, Jia Cong smiled and explained, "There are two kinds of perfume for now. One is jasmine, which is refreshing and pleasant, suitable for daytime use; the other is rose, which is richer and more suitable for evening banquets. I added some special ingredients so that the fragrance can slowly diffuse, which is more convenient than incense and more elegant than face powder."

Wang Xifeng was incredibly shrewd. After smelling each of the perfumes, she smiled broadly and pushed the soup bowl on the table.

"The weather is getting hotter and hotter, Brother Cong, please have some quickly, lest you catch a heatstroke..."

Seeing that the other party didn't want to talk about money, Jia Cong didn't want to be too hasty. He could only sip the mung bean soup in his bowl. The soup, with its slightly bitter taste from the added lily bulbs, was calming.

After finishing her dessert, Wang Xifeng paced back and forth, tapping her fingertips on the table as she pondered, "The ladies and mistresses will definitely love this perfume. Even if we sell it outside, it will be a highly profitable business. If your method is truly sound, I can certainly help you. However, this matter is of utmost importance, and I cannot make the decision alone."

Jia Cong's heart tightened, and he quickly asked, "What does sister-in-law mean?"

"Your perfume needs to be carefully examined in terms of ingredients and production methods. Furthermore, if you really want to make it, you need to find a suitable courtyard to set up a workshop, hire people, and purchase raw materials. Every step requires money and has its own procedures."

Wang Xifeng's eyes sharpened as she spoke each word clearly, "I'll ask the Old Madam and Madam later. If they agree, we'll open a small workshop in the mansion. You just need to come up with the method, and I'll take care of the rest. As for the twenty taels of tuition..." Her tone shifted, and she smiled slyly.

"As long as the workshop is up and running, let alone twenty taels, even two hundred taels will be enough to make a profit!"

Jia Cong breathed a sigh of relief. Since Wang Xifeng had agreed, the expenses for martial arts training were settled. He immediately put on a smiling face.

"Now, in this household, besides you, who else can speak for the Madam, the Master, and the Ancestor? Everything is up to you..."

Wang Xifeng picked up the remaining bottles of perfume with a half-smile.

"Brother Cong, you can just keep your thoughts to yourself. I'll take it now and go find Madam and the Ancestor. Go back and wait..."

"Phew... Thank you for your trouble, sister-in-law..."

After leaving Jia Lian's residence, Jia Cong hurriedly returned to his own courtyard and took out all the perfumes he had made in the past few days. Six of them had been "added" to them. He hid them in the box where Yu Feng used to be kept, as a precaution.

After receiving the perfume, Wang Xifeng played with it for half a day, admiring it. She even applied some to her neck and wrists before glancing at Ping'er beside her with lingering interest.

"Don't look at these anymore, you hussy. These all need to be sent to the ladies. Once the workshop opens, there will be plenty to go around..."

Ping'er gave an awkward smile, her fingertips gently tracing the cool surface of the porcelain vase. She carefully wrapped each item in soft satin cloth, folded it into the brocade box, and replied with a forced smile:

"Grandma, what are you saying? These are all proper items to be presented to the matriarch and the ladies. How could I dare to covet them? It's just that the fragrance of this perfume is really special, so refreshing and elegant, even more so than the rose dew we usually use in the mansion. I couldn't help but take a second look at it."

She paused, then added, going along with Wang Xifeng's wishes, "Besides, with Madam in charge, once this workshop opens, all the young ladies and mistresses in our household will be able to use such fine things. With Madam by my side, how could I possibly miss out on benefiting from it?"

Wang Xifeng was flattered by her words, and her smile deepened. She reached out and tapped Ping'er's forehead:

"You little rascal, you sure know how to talk. Since you say so, once the workshop is established, I'll reserve two of the best bottles for you first, so you can have a good time too."

Ping'er quickly curtsied and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Grandma."

As she spoke, she closed the brocade box, tied it neatly with a ribbon, and handed it to Wang Xifeng. "Grandma, everything is wrapped up. Would you like to go pay your respects to the Old Madam now, or rest for a while before going?"

"Our ancestor is taking a midday rest right now, let's wait until the sun goes down a bit more before we talk about it..."

When Wang Xifeng arrived at Rongqing Hall, where Grandmother Jia lived, she found that Madam Wang and Madam Xing were also there.

The young maidservant under the eaves saw her and quickly lifted the curtain to announce loudly, "Grandmother, Second Mistress has arrived!"

As soon as Wang Xifeng stepped through the door, her face lit up with joy. Clutching the brocade box tightly in her hand, she first greeted Grandmother Jia, then smiled and bowed to Madam Xing and Madam Wang, playfully scolding them:

"What a coincidence! I was worried that I would be too late to pay my respects to the old lady, but it turns out that both of you ladies are here as well, which saves me from having to make two more trips."

Grandmother Jia was reclining on the couch, with Yuanyang and Amber massaging her legs. Seeing her excited expression, she smiled and said:

"What kind of good thing are you, you little monkey, that you've come all this way to get here?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng quickly stepped forward, placed the brocade box on the kang table in front of Grandmother Jia, and said with a smile, "Grandmother has discerning eyes; she knew at a glance that I brought something good. Take a look at this; I guarantee it's something new and interesting you've never seen before!"

Madam Wang, who was standing to the side, put down her teacup and raised an eyebrow as she looked over: "Oh? What rare item is it that makes you so interested?" Madam Xing also composed herself and looked at the brocade box with a hint of curiosity.

Wang Xifeng didn't keep them in suspense. She personally untied the ribbon on the brocade box, lifted the lid, and inside, small porcelain bottles lined with soft satin were neatly arranged. Sunlight streamed in through the window, making the bottles appear bright and translucent, exquisite and pleasing to the eye.

She first took a bottle of jasmine-scented perfume, uncorked it, and brought it to Grandmother Jia's nose: "Grandmother, smell this. This is not an ordinary incense or powder. It's called perfume. Just a little bit on your wrists and neck will make you smell good all day long, and it's not overpowering."

A refreshing jasmine scent mixed with a faint herbal aroma wafted through the air. As Grandmother Jia smelled it, her brows immediately relaxed, and she nodded repeatedly: "Hmm, this scent is wonderful. It's much more refreshing than that rose incense, and it makes one feel clear-headed."

Madam Wang also leaned closer to smell it, and nodded, saying, "It is indeed elegant, unlike those perfumes outside, which have a vulgar and gaudy feel."