Chapter 10: Guests Like Gathering Clouds

Hong Yin's footsteps were frozen by Lady Shui's voice. She stopped and turned, looking toward Xia Tingning with a hesitant and clearly questioning gaze.

Xia Tingning was also startled, looking at her mother with a bit of confusion. "Mother, what is wrong? Aren't these lipsticks and creams you've always loved the most?"

Why was she suddenly refusing to let someone fetch them? She clearly remembered that when she had brought them for her mother to try earlier, her mother had liked these specific colors and scents the most, and she had been using them every day.

Xia Tingning frowned slightly. Could it be that Mother had grown tired of using them for so long and wanted to switch to something else?

Lady Shui, of course, knew that what her daughter was asking for were the very things she loved and used daily.

However, she had just flipped through the catalog and discovered that several of the lipsticks and creams listed were exactly the same as the ones she usually used. The same colors, the same scents, even the patterns on the boxes were identical.

But that wasn't what surprised Lady Shui. After all, Xia Tingning had just said that the lipsticks and creams she used were bought from the 'Beauty Hall' in Yixing City, so seeing identical products here was quite normal.

The problem was, the prices of these lipsticks and creams far exceeded Lady Shui's imagination.

She hurriedly called out to Hong Yin, pointing to a page in the catalog to seek confirmation from Xia Tingning: "Ning'er, are these the lipsticks and creams you want to buy for Mother?"

Looking at Lady Shui's somewhat urgent face, Xia Tingning found it very strange. She glanced at the catalog; the colors, scents, and appearance were all consistent with the ones kept in her mother's room, and even the explanatory notes beside them were written by her own hand.

Xia Tingning nodded. "Yes, it's these. Didn't Mother say she liked using them?"

These cosmetics were exactly what her mother used daily, and were the very ones she had just asked Hong Yin to go downstairs and fetch.

Upon hearing this, Lady Shui felt her heart skip a beat. She hurriedly asked, "Then were the ones you bought for Mother before also these same ones?"

How much Lady Shui wished her daughter would say no—to tell her that the lipsticks and creams she used daily were merely coincidentally similar to these.

But Xia Tingning nodded again. "Yes, is there a problem? Or does Mother want to try different ones?"

Lady Shui suddenly felt as if her heart had been struck heavily, leaving her somewhat breathless. The listed price for just one box was six hundred taels. There were currently four boxes in her room, and adding the two she had used up a few days ago, it totaled three thousand six hundred taels.

Three thousand six hundred taels. Lady Shui gasped at the number. She couldn't help but reach up to touch her face; the weather had been cold lately, making her skin appear somewhat dry. Thus, when she went out this morning, she had specifically applied more cream than usual.

Thinking about it now, that single application this morning probably cost dozens of taels.

At this thought, Lady Shui felt a tightness in her chest. One could hardly say her face was built out of silver.

Watching Lady Shui's ever-changing expression, Xia Tingning found it strange but didn't think too much of it. She simply said, "Mother, if you don't want to change to others, then I'll have Hong Yin go downstairs to fetch the ones you usually use."

Only then did Lady Shui recover her senses. Upon hearing that her daughter was about to spend several thousand taels to buy those lipsticks and creams for her, she hurriedly refused, "No, no need. Mother doesn't need those anymore."

With prices like these, how could she dare smear them on her face again?

Hearing Lady Shui say she didn't want the usual ones, Xia Tingning assumed she had her eye on something else and said, "Then which ones does Mother want to switch to? I'll have Hong Yin fetch them for you."

Lady Shui flipped through the catalog and pointed to the very first items on the first page. "I'll take these. Just the colors and scents Ning'er mentioned earlier."

Xia Tingning turned her head to look and felt somewhat caught between laughter and tears. What her mother wanted were actually the cheapest items in Beauty Hall, costing only five taels per box.

Connecting this to her mother's expression just now, Xia Tingning understood the reason. It turned out her mother thought those lipsticks and creams were too expensive, which was why she said she didn't want them.

Xia Tingning reached out and closed the catalog, speaking directly to Hong Yin: "As I just said, go and get those items. Also, bring some of the newly made high-end products for my mother to try."

Hong Yin nodded with a smile and hurried downstairs to fetch them.

Lady Shui grew anxious upon hearing this and wanted to speak up to stop her.

But she was interrupted by Xia Tingning: "Mother, is it because you think those things are too expensive and are afraid I can't afford them?"

Looking into her daughter's eyes, Lady Shui's voice became involuntarily timid. "Those things are indeed too expensive. Mother knows you are filial, but Mother really doesn't need such high-quality things. One box is six hundred taels."

That was almost as much as their entire annual expenses back in Yixing City.

Xia Tingning sighed. "Mother, how can good things not be expensive? I am not a person without discretion. If I hadn't earned enough silver, how would I dare buy such luxuries for you? It's only a matter of a few thousand taels; it's rare that you find something you like and that works well for you. You truly don't need to worry about the silver; it's more than enough to even make you a gold-brocade robe. Don't be stingy over this little bit of money."

Lady Shui's eyes widened again in disbelief. "Really? Ning'er, since when did you have so much silver?"

Xia Ziyun sat obediently to the side listening. He was not as ignorant as his mother, Lady Shui; he knew something of his sister's wealth. Last time in his sister's room, he had seen a wooden box and wondered what was inside. His sister hadn't avoided him and had opened it directly for him to see; inside were several ten-thousand-tael banknotes.

"It's true. I have been managing the manors and fields left by Grandfather," Xia Tingning said with a hint of helplessness. She couldn't tell her mother the truth yet, as it wasn't the right time, so she could only give a perfunctory answer.

Lady Shui believed her. She had handed over the manors and several acres of land left by her father to Ning'er long ago. She only knew that the annual yields were quite good, but she didn't know the specific amount of silver earned.

Hearing Ning'er say this now, it meant the manors and fields had developed very well under her hands. Thinking of this, Lady Shui felt somewhat relieved.

She then instructed her daughter, "Since you have earned quite a bit of silver, make sure to save it well. It will be useful in the future."

Xia Tingning gave a bright smile. "I know, Mother. I have discretion. Instead, you should stop being so reluctant to spend that silver. My being filial to you is only natural; I can certainly afford this much."

Lady Shui pursed her lips and gave Xia Tingning a mock scolding glance, but her heart was filled with joy and satisfaction. After all, what mother wouldn't be happy about her daughter's filial piety? "Then I'll listen to you, but don't buy too much."

Xia Tingning nodded in response to Lady Shui, but inadvertently noticed several guests coming downstairs. They were all dressed in high-quality clothing, yet they did not look like they were of the master class.

She secretly pondered their identities. After a long while, she said to Lady Shui, "Mother, you and little brother can pick things out here. I'll go to the Warm Smoke Pavilion across the street to book a private room, and we'll head back after lunch."

Before Lady Shui could speak, Xia Ziyun hurriedly said, "Sister, Yun'er wants to go too."

"No, you stay here with Mother. Sister will be back soon. Don't pout; I'll take you to eat something delicious later." Seeing her brother's unhappy expression, Xia Tingning could only coax him softly.

Only then did Xia Ziyun reluctantly nod. It wasn't that he didn't want to accompany his mother, but there were many women here, and it would look very strange for a little boy like him to sit here alone.

Lady Shui instructed her to walk carefully and return early.

Xia Tingning led Wanyu downstairs and spotted Hong Yin at a glance. She turned to Wanyu and whispered a few words.

She told her to notify Hong Yin to have her father personally come out to greet those newly arrived guests, and to sell them only the most expensive and best products in the shop.

She also told Hong Yin to find Uncle Yu and have him bring over the workers who were currently stationed at the manors and assigned to the shops that hadn't opened yet to help out. It looked like they were short-handed here.

Uncle Yu managed several shops. Since Beauty Hall was opening today, he would certainly have come, and he was likely somewhere in the shop.

As for those guests who had just entered, if she wasn't mistaken, they should all be palace maids from the Imperial Palace.

On the night of the Lantern Festival, she had specifically released many lanterns that could fly quite far, all for the purpose of catching the attention of the ladies in the palace.

The women in the Imperial Palace had always served their masters with their beauty, and their greatest fear was their aging faces losing favor. The promotional flyers carried by those lanterns would surely pique their interest.

Seeing that, under Hong Yin's notification, the manager of Beauty Hall had already detached himself from other noble ladies to welcome the guests from the palace. The rest depended on what he did.

Walking out of the doors of Beauty Hall, Xia Tingning couldn't help but feel in high spirits. Judging by today's situation, she feared they would soon sell out of stock; she would have to instruct the workers to speed up production.

Xia Tingning walked briskly toward the Warm Smoke Pavilion across the street. Wanyu followed behind with a happy expression as well.