Chapter 42: Buying Rouge
There was a small stand in town surrounded by wives and young women, it was quite a hubbub. Xue Dongting came out of the fabric store holding the cloud and mist pattern silk and saw the excitement further down the street. Curious, she pulled Song Yuming along for a closer look. As they got closer they saw it was a shop selling rouge, the owner busy explicating on the boxes of rouge to the women surrounding him.
Xue Dongting saw a white porcelain rouge case with red plum blossoms and she was unable to pull herself away. Song Yuming couldn’t help but find it funny. Whether a princess decked out in gold and jade or a common lady wearing cloth and wooden hairpins, every girl liked rouge. He asked the shop owner, “How much is this one?”
The owner smiled. “That’s the finest made from rose. A fine product, but not pricey, only ten coppers.”
Song Yuming reached into his robe and handed the owner the coins and presented the porcelain rouge case to Xue Dongting. She beamed with delight. She’d had lots of makeup before, but this one was special; her husband had given it to her.
On the street corner a simple writing desk was set up, at which stood a lanky scholar wielding his large brush, writing spring festival couplets on red paper. Xue Dongting watched him and felt his calligraphy was bold but lacked a certain charm. She suddenly thought of something and turned to Song Yuming. “Can you write?”
Song Yuming laughed despite himself. When he was done he said, “I can write a little bit.”
Xue Dongting eyed him, knowing that “a little bit” meant he could not only write, but was quite proficient at it. She mumbled, “I didn’t know you had so many skills.”
He arched his brow slightly, smiling, calmly accepting her lavish praise.
Xue Dongting was a skilled writer. Though not outstanding, she still had some talent, though her calligraphy was just average, often mocked by Mama Qiao and her sisters. Even in her previous life at the third prince’s manor, Third Prince himself, who was usually so serious in his speech and manner, even he thought her calligraphy was hopeless. He likely could not believe that such a perceptive, intelligent woman could have such pitiful calligraphy. But even though her writing was bad, she had good judgment and appreciation for it, so she could tell this scholar’s calligraphy was uninspired. She said to Song Yuming, “Since you can write, then let’s buy some red paper and when we get home you can write some spring couplets. What do you think?”
Song Yuming nodded, then added, “You can write too if you want.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to.”
“The words on the wall outside Cloudgem Lodge looked nice to me, was that not your calligraphy?”
Xue Dongting didn’t want to talk about it anymore, so she laughed. “Yuansheng wrote that, I’m too lazy.”
Song Yuming laughed. “I wouldn’t have guessed such an innocent girl like Third Sister would have such manly writing, like a thirsty deer leaping for the spring. So much energy in those strokes.”
“Mm,” Xue Dongting said absently. “Let’s buy some red paper from that scholar.”
Song Yuming went up and exchanged a few words with the man. He didn’t seem all that happy about it, but he still gathered some paper and sold him some.
Song Yuming took the red paper and smiled at the scholar and gave him a cupped fist salute, then he and Xue Dongting left. After they were far enough away, Xue Dongting laughed. “We only bought his paper but not his calligraphy, kinda made that scholar lose face.”
Song Yuming nodded. “All scholars are a bit prideful.”
They went to the general store and bought some rice, flour, oil, and salt, filling the two wicker baskets on the shoulder pole, then they went back home with their load.
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