It had been a long time since Wanyun had eaten such a filling meal. Forgetting the rule about not speaking while eating, she praised Sister Xiao Fang's culinary skills with every dish.
That afternoon, Wanyun went with Ning Fang, who was carrying Xing'er, to a cosmetics shop from Yangzhou.
The Shopkeeper, a man in his forties, showed them around. "All the rouge in my shop is of the finest quality," he said. "And all my workers followed me here from Yangzhou."
"I thought that since our rouge sold so well in Yangzhou, it would do just as well here in Chang'an. But who would have thought that the young ladies of this city only recognize rouge from Hongyan."
"Our ingredients are nearly identical. We grow all the flowers for our rouge in our own courtyard. If any petals are flawed or the color isn't right, we throw them out immediately."
