Chapter 451 - Rumors (1/2)
As soon as they left the General’s Residence, Li Meirou swiftly slipped into the carriage and angrily made a ruckus, “Why is it like this?! How could that lowly peasant girl be able to wear clothing personally made by Modiste Jiang? Is she even worthy?!”
Lady Li saw that her daughter’s face had almost twisted into an unrecognizable expression out of anger and hurriedly comforted her, “That lass has to go to the Imperial Plantations every day, take care of the fields, and harvest vegetables. Even if she has beautiful feathers to wear, a wild pheasant can’t morph into a phoenix! My sweet daughter is pretty and dignified with a graceful figure. It’s Modiste Jiang’s own loss that she refuses to design clothing for us!”
If Yu Xiaocao could hear Lady Li’s words, she would definitely have to ask the woman, “Lady Li, are you a transmigrator from the Republic of China ah? You’re pretty similar to Ah Q ah! You truly embody the spirit and soul of Ah Q [1] and could be considered a true disciple of his ways ah!”
“Mother, just what is Modiste Jiang thinking? Is it really like what that peasant girl said? That she inspired Modiste Jiang? Sending her two sets of clothing as thanks is one thing but why is she now sending her two sets of custom-made clothing for every season now?” Li Meirou felt very aggrieved over this whole matter. She had lusted over gaining even one piece of clothing from Exquisite Garments yet her desire never came true. That rural peasant girl, on the other hand, was now getting supplied with two sets of clothing for every season now!
Lady Li hastily comforted her daughter, “Rou’er, just think about Modiste Jiang’s family background. She’s only from a merchant family. In the four classes of our society, merchants are even lower in status than farmers. Although everyone in the capital treats her like a precious flower, she still must feel inferior and unimportant when she walks in our wealthy and noble circles. Now, a peasant farmer girl whose birth is even more lowly than hers has suddenly popped up from who knows where. Naturally, she feels more comfortable interacting with another dull sparrow!”
Only after hearing her mother’s explanation did Li Meirou’s expression finally relax. Suddenly, she thought of something and lifted the curtain covering the window to look around before she seriously said, “Mother, we can’t say such things in public! Everyone in the capital loves Modiste Jiang’s clothing. If what we said gets transmitted to her ears, then we will likely never be able to set foot into Exquisite Garments again! We must be careful of what we say!”
“My daughter, you are very wise and think of all situations! Alright, we won’t speak anymore on this subject! In the future, we will only secretly have such discussions in our inner courtyard!’ Lady Li abruptly remembered the purpose of her visit today. Did she complete her mission or not?
“Rou’er, it looks like this Yu Xiaocao’s fame in the capital will not be in any way inferior to Jiang Siniang’s acclaim. Right now, just by relying on her ability to grow fruits and vegetables in winter, the whole capital knows of her name and her deeds. I heard that on Royal Prince Yang’s farmstead, the little tomatoes there are almost as popular as the clothing personally designed and made by Jiang Siniang herself. Wealthy and noble families now take out little tomatoes when they receive guests to show off.”
Lady Li recalled that Lady Fang was older than herself by four to five years yet the other woman looked like she had just hit thirty years of age. Her skin was so tender and smooth that it resembled a young maiden’s. If this was truly the product of that peach blossom tea, then once Yu Xiaocao came up with a method to manufacture more and put it on the market, it would definitely become a product that was even more popular than Jiang Siniang’s handmade clothing.
Other types of clothing, while inferior to the ones made by Jiang Siniang, were still acceptable to wear. However, the quality of one’s skin was a different story. It didn’t matter how beautifully one was dressed if it was paired with a face that had skin like tree bark. Beautiful clothes didn’t go very well with sallow and aging skin. However, if a person had good skin, it made them seem much younger. Even if they were wearing normal clothing they could still have a pretty and graceful presence. Wasn’t Lady Fang from today a perfect example of this?
Although Li Meirou was unhappy about this, she had to admit that the facts were true. The small tomatoes were currently sold in tiny boxes for ten taels each. Each box only held less than a catty of the fruit. The Assistant Minister’s residence was more than able to afford this but these tomatoes had rationed sales. Every shop only sold twenty boxes of tomatoes a day.
There were many high-ranking officials in the capital, and there were even more wealthy merchant families around. Even if the stores sold a hundred boxes a day at a price that was ten times the current price, that still wasn’t enough to sate the appetites of the rich and wealthy. In the past two months, the Assistant Minister's residence was only able to snatch one box of tomatoes. There were around at least a dozen people in their family as well as her father’s most favored concubine. It was considered pretty good to get one or two tomatoes to eat. Since she was favored by both her parents, she only got an extra tomato for herself compared to her older and younger brothers.
The little tomatoes were small and delicate, with a pleasing red color that delighted the eye. They had a sweet and sour taste and were very juicy. One bite was more than enough to cause people to fall in love with them. She also heard rumors that the tomatoes not only tasted good but were also good for nourishing the body!
It was rumored that the little imperial princess didn’t have a good appetite a few days ago but didn’t want to eat medicine. Yu Xiaocao had sent in a basket of tomatoes to her and the little princess got better without taking medicine! Not only was her appetite better but her complexion had also improved and she had become more lively. Consequently,, Consort Li’s maternal family’s attitude to that lowly lass had also improved quite a bit after this happened.
She was only a stupid farmer yet there were so many nobles who treated her as if she was a treasure. This lowly brat was truly too lucky! Although Li Meirou inwardly disdained Yu Xiaocao, she knew, for the sake of her family’s connections, that she would have to play nice with her. This would help her family thrive in the future.
Without her mother persuading her, she had already understood what she needed to do in the future. However, she still pretended to be a bit distressed, “Mother, don’t worry! In the future, I won’t try to make things difficult for her anymore. If she wants to, I will even treat her like one of my best friends.”
“I knew you were Mother’s sweet daughter! I know you feel aggrieved about all of this. How about this? I know you’ve long liked my golden bracelet that’s shaped like clouds and has jewels embedded in it. When we get back, I’ll have one of the maids find it and give it to you!” Lady Li felt very grateful that her daughter had seen the light and knew how to bend for her family’s sake.
Li Meirou immediately felt happy but she remarked in hesitation, “Isn’t that bracelet supposed to be inherited by the wives of the family and not the daughters? I think Eldest Sister-in-law also likes it very much!”