Back at Blossoming Fragrance

Both parties bowed to each other, however, the man that Fangsu was unfamiliar with, cupped his hand instead. "We meet again young man, " Fangsu's grandpa stated while looking at Li Qiang with a glance.

"Indeed, Elder Chen." Li Qiang responded curtly, giving his own glance back to the elderly man.

"Qiang'er! Chen Hong! Don't be rude!" The empress dowager lightly scolds both men, while Fangsu who was quietly nibbling at the pastries that the senior attendant had offered, quietly thanking the attendant. "This is why I much prefer having girls instead of boys, Fangsu do you like the pastries?" The empress dowager inquired the quiet girl.

Fangsu swallowed the pastry, nodding in response as she continues to eat the pastries. "I'm just a hungry since I didn't eat breakfast this morning." Fangsu blurted out without thinking.

"You haven't eaten! Chen Hong!" The Empress Dowager shook angrily, "Fangsu is still a growing girl! She needs to eat otherwise she won't grow properly! Someone bring some dishes over for breakfast!" Numerous servants quickly rush to prepare dishes, Fangsu bowed her head in embarrassed as the servants set up the table for eating. An array of dishes were placed on the table, all plentiful and beautiful. "Everyone let's eat." The empress dowager ordered everyone, Li Qiang, Fangsu and her grandpa sat at the table with the dowager. Fangsu began eating the dishes sheepishly as she had eaten a little beforehand, the rest were eating peaceful and no words were exchanged between the four individuals.

Curious about her surrounding, Fangsu looked around to see that the man that accompanied Li Qiang was enviously staring at the dishes. Fangsu took a clean bowl with rice, placing side dishes on the rice and handing it to the man, "Eat." Fangsu handed the bowl to him, who nervously took the bowl from her hands, "What is your name?"

"Gang Hai." The man curtly responded, avoiding eye contact with Fangsu as if it would burn him.

Fangsu returned to her seat and continued eating breakfast, occasionally her grandpa and the dowager would place food in her bowl. "I'm full, " Fangsu placed her chopsticks down and the senior attendant took her bowl away as if she knew Fangsu didn't want to be fed by the two older people. After the meal was finished the dishes were taken away both Li Qiang and Gang Hai excused themselves.

Both Fangsu and her grandpa prepared to leave, but the dowager took Fangsu's hand placing a green-blue jade pendant that was rectangular in shape with a Qilin symbol engraved on it, "I was hoping to give you this when we first met and I hope you visit this old woman occasionally." The dowager sadly held on Fangsu's hands.

Fangsu gentle squeezed back at the dowager's hands, "I promise I will visit once in a while, " Fangsu promised to the elderly woman, walking down the palace stairs.

Her grandpa stood next to the dowager, "You are the second person, Fangsu promised to visit."

"Second? Who was the first?" the dowager asked curiously while staring at the back of Fangsu's distant back.

"Xu Yang, " he replied, walking down the stairs to where Fangsu was waiting at the carriage. Both grandpa and granddaughter left the palace.

————

Fangsu and her grandpa arrived back at the estate and they decided to go out for the day. Another day at the Blossoming Fragrance, Fangsu got to meet with all the women who worked at the teahouse. All of them were girls that her grandpa had taken in from the streets, loyal to the Chen family which gave them a new life away from the dangers of the streets. All their personality had been tempered to that of women of high standing, only partaking in conversation with their customers selling their arts, not their bodies. The women took Fangsu to a private room, dressing her up in luxurious clothes and applying makeup, "Is it a must to wear these things?" Fangsu questioned after one of the women applied a coral pink rouge on her lips. Fangsu was changed into a moss green dress with lotus flower embroidery on the hem of the dress with white accents to emphasis the design.

"Of course, in this society, beauty can be a woman's best weapon." Another woman came in with a tray filled with hairpins, and hairbrushes. Effortlessly, tying Fangsu's hair into an effortless hairdo that made use of her ash-grey hair, trying half her hair up with braids while leaving the other half down, sliding in a blue-green jade hairpin to secure the hairdo. The women handed Fangsu a mirror, to Fangsu was surprised to see how the women made her look different but still the same. The makeup usage was light which still her freckles could show, but it toned out her normally red cheek to a soft shade of pink, her eyebrows were much more emphasised than usual which balanced out her facial features and her lips were coral pink gave more colour to her naturally pink lips.

"Wow! Look at that!" the women were pleasantly surprised with the outcome, "She already had good skin tone and facial feature, we didn't even have to do much." The women fawned over the oblivious Fangsu who would be considered a beauty but not in an orthodox way. Her facial features such as her freckles, healthy complexion, her ash grey coloured hair and eyes, naturally thick eyebrows and slightly plump pink lips were all unique to Fangsu, which made her a unique beauty instead of what a typical traditional beauty. With a pasty white complexion making one seem sick, no blemishes, thin eyebrows and small coloured lips mostly pink or red.

"What did the girls do this time?" Fangsu's grandpa walked in the room, seeing the women giggling, as they wanted to see a reaction of his granddaughter transformation.

"Look for yourself," the women giggled again, as the grandpa stared at Fangsu's new look.

Fangsu walked over to her grandpa's side, "Grandpa what's wrong?"

The grandpa chuckled, patting her head, "You just look a lot like your mother," He replies honestly, a yearning expression was evident on Fangsu's face.

All the women in the teahouse stared at the grandpa and granddaughter pair, wishing for a peaceful and happy life but deep inside they knew that would not be possible because of their special circumstances. Even though their power was small they would do anything to guarantee the wellbeing of the two individuals. The brothel already had an area for making perfume and aromatic dews and a garden filled with an assortment of flowers and plants. Fangsu began working to prepare a gift for the women who worked at the Blossoming Fragrance. Flowery aromas swirled in the air as Fangsu was preparing, filling up flasks of perfumes and bottles of aromatic dew. Fangsu began handing the perfumes and aromatic dews out to the girls depending on their suitability. All the girls were grateful in their hearts, willing to help the Chen family in any way shape or form.

Fangsu and her grandpa walked with a selected few of the women, Bao Ming, Da Fu and Gui Ying, all three of them were top women with the highest reputation and influence in the capital. The group entered a prestigious tea house which they were instantly granted a private room with the best view of the beautiful serenade of orange, golden and red hues of maidenhair and trident maple leaves, cascading down from the trees.

Fangsu was intrigued by the variety of desserts served in this tea house, especially the ones that she had never seen. The three women adored the cute wonder-like behaviour Fangsu displayed towards sweets and confectionary. They ordered a few dishes to share amongst the five of them; Black sesame rice balls (Tang Yuan), water chestnut cake, osmanthus jelly and crystal cake (Shui Jing Bing), Tofu with ginger syrup. Fangsu began eating the dessert occasionally be fed by the others, who wanted to see the euphoric expression when the sweets entered her mouth.

"Master, how do you have such a cute granddaughter?" Bao Ming continued to feed Fangsu the black sesame rice balls, who happily ate with pleasure.

"Bao Ming Jie Jie, Eat!" Fangsu hand-fed Bao Ming a crystal cake, some of the crumbs stuck to Bai Ming's cheek which Fangsu cleaned off with her sleeves. "Da Fu Jie Jie! Gui Ying Jie Jie! Eat!" Fangsu gave each of them osmanthus jelly and water chestnut cake respectively. Fangsu also fed her grandpa a spoonful of the tofu and ginger syrup dish. After eating their fill of desserts, Fangsu being the one eating the most, paid for at the register.

"Fangsu, next time don't eat too many sweets, " Gui Ying gently lectured, "Otherwise you can get fat easily."

Fangsu giggled gently, "I can't help it, " patting her stomach which was fill of sweet, "The food was delicious."

Da Fu sighed at the Fangsu, but smiled, "How are you going to eat dinner then?"

Fangsu pondered over dinner plans for her grandpa, "Grandpa can still eat dinner,"

Her grandpa shook his head with his hands in the air, "Child I can't eat too, much, " letting out a huge sigh also full with food, "It's bad for my health since I'm so old." The group went into the streets to browse through the goods in shops and vendors; food, trinkets, accessories, clothing, fabric, restaurants and merchandise from other provinces. Bao Ming, Da Fu, Gui Ying and Fangsu's grandpa went into a clothing shop to buy dresses, accessories, fabrics for the brothel, leaving Fangsu waiting outside sightseeing.

Fangsu continued to walk through the street looking at hairpins and ribbons at an accessories vendor, a pink jade embellished with gold floral a hairpin which stands out the best in black hair, thinking of Jingyi beautiful glossy black hair, "Boss how much is this hairpin?" Fangsu gestured to the pink jade hairpin.

"That will be 6 silver! All of these hairpins have been handmade from our vendor's craftsman!" The vendor smiled at Fangsu, but before Fangsu could take the hairpin.

Another slender hand took the pink jade hairpin, "I like this."

"Young Miss but this girl already had an interest in this, " the shopkeeper helplessly tried to keep customers happy, "If you like this style, I can recommend these other hairpins." trying to suggest other hairpins similar to the hairpins that Fangsu was interested in, all the different coloured hairpins were beautifully crafted with each of them having a different floral pattern from the previous.

"Do you know who I am?" the young girl sneered at the shopkeeper which was highly disrespectful to someone who is a senior, "I'm the Second Young Miss of the Su family." declaring her high status, all the people moved away from the Second Miss of the Su family. The small shopkeeper began visibly trembling afraid to offend the Second Young Miss of the Su family, Fangsu decided it was best too let go of such a trivial fight over a single hairpin.

Fangsu continued to look through the hairpins that would complement Jingyi's hair, a lilac purple jade hairpin decorated with silver peacock feathers, "Boss how much is this hairpin?" Fangsu continued to happily converse with the shop owner despite the Second Miss of the Su family glaring at Fangsu. The shopkeeper made the hairpin 3 silver, since not many people fancy the silver design, preferring the golden floral design, Fangsu purchased the single hairpin and the shopkeeper wrapped up the hairpin for Fangsu. After purchasing the hairpin, Fangsu decided to return to the fabric shop in case someone worried she had gone missing.

"Hey you there!" the same voice from previously belonging to the Su second miss called out to Fangsu, "You! do not know who I am?" The young girl pointed at Fangsu's face.

"You are the Su family's second miss, " Fangsu restated the obvious fact.

"So you do know who I am." The girl haughty crosses her arms across her chest. "Judging from your outdated clothes, you are just a country bumpkin!" The girl accusingly pointed at Fangsu.

"Young miss apologies for upsetting you," Fangsu politely apologies, giving a slight bow.

"Miss! There you are!" Da Fu caught up to Fangsu holding luxurious fabrics in her arms, "Master was worried about you,"

"Da Fu, sorry I was just buying a hairpin for a friend," Fangsu explained her disappearance, relief washed over Da Fu's face until she turned her attention to the person next to her that her expression turned for the worse. Da Fu stood in front of Fangsu protectively, "Da Fu?" Fangsu looked at Da Fu confused.

"Lady Su do you have any business with my young miss?" Da Fu gave an indifferent gaze at Lady Su as if she were an insignificant bug that could be easily trampled on. Both Lady Su and her servants were cautious, offending one of Blossoming Fragrance's top courtesan was equivalent to cutting off an individual's main source of gathering intelligence, especially for Intel that is well protected.

"No! Nothing! We're leaving!" Lady Su quickly dismissed herself from the situation to avoid any trouble.

Fangsu confusingly stared at the back of the hurried Lady Su. Da Fu turned to Fangsu, "Fangsu your grandpa is waiting for you." Telling Fangsu to hurry back to her grandpa.

Once Fangsu saw the worried expression on her grandpa's face made Fangsu feel guilty. Once her grandpa turned to her, he immediately hugged Fangsu trembling. "Don't go off disappearing like that." Gently caressing Fangsu's face, "I only have you left."

His words made Fangsu's inside squirmed uncomfortably with guilt, Fangsu held onto her Grandpa's hand, "Sorry, I will tell you where I go before going somewhere." Fangsu promised to her grandpa, knowing that she was the only living relative to her grandpa. Da Fu was the only one that remains with the group, the other two had already returned. On the way back to Blossoming Fragrance, Fangsu held onto her grandpa's arm while carrying the shopping items. As they walked into the building, loud shouts could be heard from the upper levels of the brothel.

"Gui Ying, please let me see you." A gentleman dressed in a turquoise blue robe with koi fish embroidery. Waiting outside the door of the room that Gui Ying resided in. Fangsu's grandpa went up the stairs to the gentlemen, exchanging words with each other. After their conversation, the man's shoulder drooped dejectedly clearly upset as he was lead to another room.

"Da Fu Jie Jie, Who was that gentleman?" Fangsu inquired, curious about the nature of this situation surrounding Gui Ying and the unknown gentleman.

Da Fu shook her head, "If you want to know, you should ask Gui Ying." Da Fu took the shopping items from Fangsu's hands, "It's not my place to say."

Fangsu being the concern for Gui Ying, climbed the stairs to Gui Ying's room, "Gui Ying Jie Jie? Can I come in?" Fangsu knocked on the door waiting for a response. The door opened revealing a teary-eyed Gui Ying, her eyes and nose were red from constantly being rubbed. Fangsu entered the room, sitting on the bed with Gui Ying. "Can you tell me what is going on with you and that man?" Fangsu asked trying to gauge out the situation.

Gui Ying blew her nose with a cloth, "You don't need to know about these sort of things." Dismissing Fangsu's question about the situation.

Fangsu smiled, "You could be surprised how I know quite a lot about these sort of situation." Deshelling a walnut, offering it to Gui Ying who ate the deshelled nut without any hesitation. "My eldest sister has been with a lot of relationship with men who weren't the best in personality." Fangsu ate a walnut while reaching for another to deshell. An audible crack could be heard throughout the room as Fangsu continuously opening the shells of the walnuts. "I rather you talk to me about your situation so I have more of an understanding." Fangsu continued to eat the walnuts.

The constant sound of walnut shells being cracked opened by bare hands increased the tension between the two. "Okay! Okay! I'll tell you!" Gui Ying cracked under the pressure because of the walnuts, "But, get rid of those walnuts, " Fangsu took the dish out of the room, placing it on a table outside, quickly returning to the room.

Fangsu sat down on the same spot preparing to listen to Gui Ying's story.

"Before your mother and grandfather took me under their wing, "