Volume One: Servants of Changshui County Chapter Thirty: The Finest Rouge

Ever since he began practicing martial arts, Lu Jiuzhang found his appetite had grown. In just a few quick bites, he finished every dish and morsel Zhao Chan’er had brought. Smacking his lips, Lu Jiuzhang still felt unsatisfied.

“Second Brother Lu, are you still hungry?” Zhao Chan’er asked tentatively. “I can go home and ask my mother to make more.”

“No need for all that trouble,” Lu Jiuzhang waved his hand dismissively. “Let’s go out and grab something else to eat!”

He now had over a hundred taels of silver; he could be considered a man of means. How much could a meal possibly cost? At most, a dozen coins. “Come with me. Let’s eat out,” he said.

A meal wouldn’t take long, and he could return to the Demon-Slaying Bureau afterward.

“Alright!” Zhao Chan’er nodded eagerly, like a little chick pecking rice.

…

The street where the Demon-Slaying Bureau stood was far from bustling. For a proper meal, one had to walk four or five streets away, where there was a restaurant with a decent reputation.

It would take about the time of one incense stick to walk there. Zhao Chan’er rarely went out shopping, mostly because she couldn’t afford to buy anything. Accompanying Lu Jiuzhang today, her spirits were high.

“Second Brother Lu, there’s a shop selling rouge over there!” Zhao Chan’er pointed excitedly to a stall not far away.

“We’ll buy it! If our Chan’er wants it, we’ll get it,” Lu Jiuzhang laughed. “But let’s not buy it here. We’ll go to the Rouge Parlor later.”

The Rouge Parlor was the finest cosmetic shop in Changshui County; the wives and daughters of the local gentry all bought their beauty products there.

“Second Brother Lu, the Rouge Parlor is too expensive,” Zhao Chan’er said hesitantly. She already felt uneasy spending Lu Jiuzhang’s money; if it were just a few coins, she might agree, but the products there cost several hundred coins—just thinking about it made her anxious.

“Haha, your brother can handle it!” Lu Jiuzhang laughed heartily. He had never been stingy when buying things for women.

“Let’s eat first, and talk afterward!” With that, he led Zhao Chan’er to the restaurant, where he ordered three pounds of beef and several side dishes. The meal cost nearly eighty coins—a veritable extravagance.

…

Zhao Chan’er’s father earned only five hundred copper coins a month; Lu Jiuzhang’s meal had cost nearly a week’s wages.

After they finished, seeing there was still time, Lu Jiuzhang took Zhao Chan’er to the Rouge Parlor.

…

As the largest cosmetics shop in Changshui County, the Rouge Parlor was always bustling with customers. The most distinguished ladies never had to visit in person; the proprietor would dispatch attendants to deliver samples for them to select from, and once they’d chosen, he’d personally deliver the goods to their doors.

Inside, the array of women’s products dazzled the eye. Lu Jiuzhang had no idea which rouge was best, so he simply gravitated toward the ones with the biggest crowds, bringing Zhao Chan’er along.

Soon, one caught his eye—a rouge that seemed particularly popular, attracting many women. It was not cheap: just a small box, yet it was boldly priced at two hundred coins.

“What excellent taste, sir! This is the most sought-after rouge in our shop,” a smiling attendant approached to introduce it. “Is it for this young lady? I can tell it would suit her perfectly. With this on her cheeks, she’d look absolutely stunning!”