CHAPTER 353: CHAPTER 353: FILLED WITH DOUBTS

Ancient people enjoyed making fragrances themselves, but Qu Fulan had no such hobby.

Use whatever is handy, as long as the scent is acceptable, it’s the same in modern times; if it weren’t for the occasion, she wouldn’t bother with perfume.

Among the maids around her, some were skilled in fragrance making. Sometimes, when they were free, they would make some fragrances themselves. Although the scent wasn’t as good as those bought from stores outside, it was sufficient for home use.

Earlier, Qu Fulan mentioned that she wanted to start a skincare business, but later, after seeing how complex the fragrance-making process was, she gave up on the idea.

Though skincare products were profitable, the production process was very meticulous. If not done in a dust-free, sterile environment, it’s easy for skincare products to spoil and cause allergies to users, ruining their appearance, which would be a major sin.

As for those makeup shops, they have a certain expertise, or perhaps they come from a long-standing family tradition; they might have some secret formulas for preservation, which Qu Fulan decided not to explore.

Anyway, the maids in the house sometimes make rouge, but only in small quantities. Small quantities can be preserved, but the shelf life is particularly short; if it’s kept for too long, it expires and can’t be used.

Otherwise, it could cause allergies; previously, one maid had an allergic reaction, her face was covered with red rashes, and Qu Fulan prescribed medicine for her, which took three days to heal.

So, not every business can be touched; some people are naturally suited for it, and others can’t take it away.

When she met the Princess again, it was three days later; she came over with a bag of sachets for Qu Fulan.

"I made them myself out of boredom, here’s a sachet for you."

Indeed, life in the palace was boring. While her health had improved, since the Emperor wasn’t in good health, she felt embarrassed to go out and have fun.

Now, to accommodate the Empress Dowager, the Imperial Kitchenes were mostly serving bland meals, which were leaving her without much taste, so as soon as the Emperor got better, she immediately sought permission to leave the palace.

This act also made other princesses envious and jealous; they couldn’t have such privileges as their mothers wouldn’t let them leave the palace, citing dangers, and they dared not plead with the Emperor.

Children raised with rules find it difficult to do anything out of bounds.

After all, Princess Zhuyu was a civilian princess; while she seemed to follow the rules, she didn’t care much internally, and the Emperor was also willing to preserve her freedom, which was rare.

"Thank you, Princess." Qu Fulan accepted the sachet.

"After doing as that person said, Consort Xian specifically sought me out for a chat." Alone again, the Princess recounted the event to Qu Fulan.

"Oh? Consort Xian looked for you? What did she say?"

Qu Fulan was quite surprised. Though unfamiliar with palace affairs, she’d heard that Consort Xian was famously virtuous, without contention, which made her unrivaled. Thus, the Emperor held her in high esteem, granting her due respect regardless of her looks not matching the younger concubines; she wasn’t looked down upon.

"She didn’t say anything else, just came to express gratitude for speaking on behalf of the Crown Prince, thanked me sincerely, which made me uneasy," said Princess Zhuyu.

Qu Fulan thought for a moment and said, "In this palace, no one is simple; truth and falsehood are indistinguishable to outsiders. Some words are meant to be heard but not taken seriously."

Consort Xian may not have truly thanked Princess Zhuyu; perhaps she resented her for complicating matters by revealing the Crown Prince’s injury, putting them in a passive position.

It could also be that she suspected Princess Zhuyu of taking sides.

That might be the purpose of those behind the scenes, to stir chaos in the harem, making truth and falsehood hard to distinguish.

"I promised Mrs. Li to have lunch at her house today, would you like to join me?" Qu Fulan asked.

Princess Zhuyu was eager, "Yes, yes, yes, as long as it’s not a meal in the palace, anywhere else is fine."

At Mrs. Li’s residence, she was initially taken aback upon seeing them, then happily invited them inside, letting her daughter come out to chat with her cousin and her guest, while she herself went out with a basket to buy groceries.

Princess Zhuyu hit it off with Jinxiu, talking punctually; Princess Zhuyu claimed her surname was He, and called her Miss He.

Jinxiu immediately gifted Miss He a handmade embroidered purse.

Jinxiu truly lived up to her name; young as she was, she showcased her superb talent in embroidery, mastering various patterns and styles deftly. Though her stitching wasn’t as flawless as those of veterans with decades of experience, her craftsmanship was solid, and any shortcomings were impossible to find unless you were nitpicking.

So, upon receiving Jinxiu’s purse, Princess Zhuyu was highly impressed, "Such splendid needlework, thank you, thank you."

Later, she planned to embroider something in return.

Seeing Miss He delighted, Jinxiu felt joy too; she had also gifted a purse to her cousin before, which she liked.

Of course, Qu Fulan liked it, as it was much better than the one she had embroidered herself, having already swapped her clumsy purse for the one her cousin gave.

Now only Pei Ji’an was still using the purse she sewed herself; it was indeed love.

Mrs. Li brought back many groceries, Jinxiu went to help in the kitchen, Qu Fulan initially wanted to help but was chased away by Mrs. Li.

When the meal was ready, she habitually packed a portion for Jinxiu to send to Li Niang’s place. Li Niang managed the shop alone, busy from morning till night, and couldn’t be eating buns every day.

Jinxiu laughed, "Mother, you forgot again, Li Niang now has someone bringing her lunch boxes."

Mrs. Li froze for a moment, then remembered, wiping her hands on her apron, "Indeed, I somehow forgot, that kid is persistent and has been doing it for so long."

No need to ask; Qu Fulan knew who that kid was; nowadays, besides Shi Yi, who else would pursue Li Niang?

After the meal, Qu Fulan and Princess Zhuyu had to leave; the Princess had to return to the palace, and Qu Fulan also had matters to attend to.

Mrs. Li walked them to the door, watching as they got into the carriage, departing more and more into the distance.

"Mother, what are you looking at?" Jinxiu asked after tidying up the dishes, seeing her mother standing in the doorway in a daze.

Mrs. Li shook her head, "Nothing, just wanted to take a look."

Princess Zhuyu was quick to act; upon returning to the palace, she started cutting fabric to make purses.

Growing up in a farm, how could she not know needlework? However, needlework also required talent; Princess Zhuyu, though not a natural, had capable stitching.

Especially after one day she fell while standing on a stool to fetch something, accidentally hitting her head, her embroidery skills improved remarkably afterward.

She attributed this to unlocking her potential.

Princess Zhuyu was excitedly making purses, while Qu Fulan had just finished collecting some ledgers and was taking the carriage home.

Halfway past Li Niang’s shop, she recalled how the old lady recently craved tofu skin buns, thinking of asking if Li Niang still had any.

Luckily, she found there was one last batch left, originally intended for Mrs. Li and others, but could be delivered tomorrow instead. This batch could first be given to Young Lady Pei.

Qu Fulan stood on the roadside, reaching out to receive it, as a few children ran past, accidentally bumping into her, then dashed away without her minding.

Not long after the carriage started moving, it was stopped.

"Please wait."

It was Xiao Shiqing’s voice.

Qu Fulan paused, not knowing why he stopped her carriage.

"Your sachet fell."

Xiao Shiqing wasted no words, directly stating his reason for stopping the carriage.

Qu Fulan checked her waistband, realizing the sachet the Princess gave her noon had indeed dropped, likely falling during the earlier incident with the children.

"Thank you, Prince Xiao."

It was Ruyin who stepped out to fetch the sachet.

But Xiao Shiqing didn’t give it to her.