Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The next morning, when Meng Die met with Wen Shi, the latter spoke first, "I'm grateful for that rose water you gave me. I had his clothes that haven't been perfumed with incense treated with it, and after he wore them, he no longer sneezed."

Meng Die replied, "In that case, I'll have more made. Not only for my nephew's clothes, but also for the wet nurse's and even for your own, it would be best to use this floral water to scent them."

Wen Shi agreed, "That's what I was thinking, but it will be an inconvenience for you."

Meng Die dismissed her concern, "It's no trouble at all, just a simple order to give." She then changed the subject, "Instead, I should be thanking you, Eldest Sister-in-Law, for thinking of me."

Wen: "It's quite fortuitous. I recall you mentioning that you tend to get overheated while sleeping on the heated brick bed during winter. Interestingly, this recent merchant ship brought a considerable amount of ginseng from the West. My family sent me a few pieces, so I thought I'd share one with you."

Meng Die: "It seems I'll be comfortable this winter."

The two sisters-in-law chatted and laughed, and before long, they arrived at the eastern wing. Madam Ning had also finished preparing herself, and the trio, mother-in-law and daughters-in-law, proceeded to the main residence together.

The main residence was particularly bustling today. With the return of the trading vessels, the Marquis household had purchased numerous items for Li Hui's dowry this year. The young ladies were all whispering in hushed tones about it.

When everyone was assembled, Lady Hou instructed, "Ji Hong, fetch the box."

"Certainly."

Ji Hong promptly brought over a large brocaded box and placed it beside Madam Hou. Madam Hou reached out to open it.

Everyone's eyes widened instantly. The box was filled with various gemstones, and the moment it was opened, it was as if a dazzling radiance of pearls and jewels had been unleashed.

Madam Hou chuckled and said, "Why do we always buy things this year? I might as well purchase more so that you can take them back and have a couple of accessories made for yourselves. It'll be something new and exciting."

"Mother has spent generously on this box of jewels," someone commented.

Lady Hou: "Nonsense about extravagance; we're all family. This is simply keeping the wealth within the family."

Everyone laughed, covering their mouths.

Lady Hou turned to Lady Ning, "As the eldest, you should choose first."

"Oh my, I'm already a grandmother; do I still have a turn?" Lady Ning looked at everyone. "As the old saying goes, in front of one's mother, no matter how old you are, you're still her child."

Madam Zhou teased, "Is Eldest Sister-in-law planning to entertain us with a colorful performance?"

Madam Ning deliberately straightened her attire and said, "If Mother doesn't mind my old face, there's absolutely no problem."

Madam Hou burst into laughter. "At your age, you still love to tease like this. Quickly choose something you like."

"Let Sister and the young ladies go first," Madam Ning suggested, glancing at Li Hui.

Madam Hou replied, "They've already had their turn. You don't need to consider them."

Only then did Madam Ning look seriously at the jewel box and said, "Then I'll take this deep purple gem."

Lady Hou observed Madam Ning's alabaster skin and nodded approvingly. "It suits you."

Lady Zhou expressed her thoughts, "I've been considering crafting a ring lately. This deep red gemstone would be perfect."

When it was Lady Wu's turn, she scanned the jewel box and said, "I've been planning to make a pair of earrings. These two colorful gems would fit the bill nicely."

Following Lady Zhou's lead, Lady Fang also chose a similar-sized red gemstone.

Lady Wen, on the other hand, opted for a color-changing sapphire.

Meng Die gazed at the half-filled box of gemstones, recalling the size that Lady Wen had preferred. Her eyes fell upon a vivid red ruby, its transparency captivating. This was it. Meng Die reached into the box.

At that moment, Lady Wu spoke up, "I've heard that Butterfly has purchased an estate? Is it true?"

Meng Die lifted the ruby with steady hands, "Grandmother, I'll take this one."

Madame Hou nodded in approval.

Meng Die straightened her posture and turned her head to face Lady Wu, acknowledging the matter frankly, "Yes, I have indeed bought an estate."

"Indeed, you bought it? Why didn't you mention it earlier? Purchasing property is a joyous occasion; if you had told us sooner, we could have given you some advice. Where did you buy it?"

"In the outskirts of the capital."

"The outskirts?" The matriarch straightened in her seat.

Madam Ning put down the gemstone she had been fiddling with. "Are there still manors available for sale there?"

"There are," Meng Die replied with a smile. "The manor I just acquired used to belong to the former Minister of Rites. He has now retired and returned to his hometown. Aunt Four mentioned purchasing property, but what I did could hardly be called that. I'd be embarrassed for people to hear about it."

"The estate they mentioned was said to span over five thousand acres, but in reality, there were barely three hundred acres of arable land. The rest was mountainous terrain. Who would genuinely invest in such an estate for a proper livelihood?" Meng Die blushed and chuckled. "But I have a weakness for fish, especially fresh ones. That estate has a broad river running through it, which is why I decided to purchase it."

Madam Wu exclaimed without thinking, "How much fresh fish could that estate possibly yield?"

Lady Hou gave her a casual glance. "The quantity doesn't matter. What's important is having access to fresh fish when you want it." She then turned back to Meng Die. "You've made a wise decision in acquiring this estate."

Meng Die smiled. "Once we achieve prosperity, we can host a full fish feast and enjoy it together."

Lady Hou replied, "That sounds delightful. I also have a fondness for fish."

Madam Ning turned to Lady Wen, "Yun-er, I heard that Xie-ge had been unwell yesterday?"

The young master of the Li family, his generation was named with the character "Ri" (Sun) as a radical. The Marquis Yongyi personally bestowed upon him the name Li Xi.

Madam Ning's remark captured the attention of most in the room.

Wen Si smiled gently, "Mother, it's all better now."

Madame Hou: "Let the servants be more vigilant."

"Mother, it really wasn't the servants' fault; I've never encountered such a situation before," Wen said, turning to Meng Die. "We owe it all to Sister-in-law for what happened yesterday."

"Sihao has been sneezing on and off since the day before yesterday. I summoned physicians, but after examining him, they all said he wasn't ill. At first, I thought it might be due to their lack of expertise, but after consulting three who gave me the same diagnosis, I began to doubt if there was more to it than met the eye."

"When Sister-in-law learned of this, she gave me two bottles of rose water to scent my clothes instead of using traditional incense. To our surprise, Sihao's sneezing ceased without any medication."

Madam Ning furrowed her brow. "I recall the incense I gave Sihao didn't have much of a scent."

Wen replied, "Sister-in-law mentioned that children have heightened senses. What we perceive as having little scent might be entirely different for him."

"It could be a possibility," Lady Hou nodded. "Are you saying that Xige will be using this rose water from now on?"

Wen: "Yes, I mentioned this to Sister-in-law earlier this morning. Not just Xi-ge, I also plan to temporarily discontinue the use of incense along with the wet nurse. We'll switch to rose water instead."

Lady Ning turned to Meng Die and said, "It seems that you, young lady, will have to endure quite a bit of hardship."

"I merely made a casual request," Meng Die interjected. "Speaking of this rose water, it reminds me of something. I originally created this rose water because I dislike the scent of incense. Both my clothing and my maidservants use flower water instead, rendering incense unnecessary for us. There's no need to allocate any incense to my quarter for the time being; it would be a waste otherwise."

"I've recently concocted some osmanthus flower distillate and jasmine flower distillate. For those who prefer a lighter fragrance or wish to use these floral essences, let's compile a list. Instruct the servants to prepare them, for these essences do not have the same longevity as traditional perfumes."

Wen continued, "I'll also switch to using floral dew from now on. The remaining incense is more than enough for my husband. I won't need any more this year; otherwise, it would just go to waste."

Wu's face bloomed with a smile. "Aside from Xi-ge not being able to tolerate it, everyone else has grown accustomed to scented candles. There's no need to trouble you."

Meng Die's eyes curved into a warm smile. "It's no bother at all, just a matter of words. If Fourth Aunt thinks the servants are working too hard, she can reward them with a few taels of silver. They'll be overjoyed, their mouths wouldn't even close."

The others chuckled. Madam Ning spoke up, "I'll have less as well. I do wish to hold Xi-ge from time to time."

Madam Hou settled the matter decisively, "In that case, those who want floral dew should inform Butterfly. She'll compile the list and have the servants prepare it while adjusting the amount of incense accordingly."