YBTS - 9

Su Luoyun sneered inwardly. This woman had blocked all her avenues. If she were to argue with her father about being sent back to the countryside, she would be considered insensible.

In truth, she had long anticipated that Ding Shi would not tolerate her in the household. If things truly came to that, she might have to trouble her uncle to break down the door again. But that was a temporary solution, not a permanent one.

She just wondered if her preemptive move had gone as she had hoped.

Just as they were at a stalemate, Ding Pei’s maid rushed in to report, “Master is back and is looking for the eldest young lady!”

Today was Master Su’s first day on the job. Given his character, he would surely be wining and dining his colleagues. Ding Pei hadn’t expected him to return so soon.

So, she put Su Luoyun aside and hurried to greet her husband.

But her husband was in a rush, sweating profusely. He was unfastening his official robe and calling out to the room, bypassing Ding Pei, “Luoyun, are you in there?”

When Xiangcao helped Luoyun out, Master Su didn’t even wait for his daughter to greet him. He asked anxiously, “I’m asking you, where did you get the perfume balm you gave to Miss Lu?”

Luoyun didn’t answer directly. Instead, she asked, “What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with the perfume?”

Su Hongmeng was infuriated. What was wrong? A lot was wrong!

Today was Su Hongmeng’s first day of duty. He was supposed to be schmoozing and making connections. But before his seat in the yamen was even warm, he was summoned by someone from the Prince Consort’s Residence.

It turned out that when Miss Lu went with her mother to take measurements for Princess Yuyang, the princess had accidentally caught a whiff of the fragrance on her.

Princess Yuyang was obsessed with perfumes and loved collecting all kinds of them, but she had never smelled such a fresh and unique scent. When she asked, Miss Lu said she got it from the household of Su Hongmeng, the official of the Office of Trade and Exchange, whose family also owned the famous “Shouweizhai” shop in the capital.

Miss Lu’s intentions were good; she thought she was a good advertisement for the Su family.

Sure enough, the princess immediately assumed that it was a new fragrance blended by the Su family’s shop, which was why she had never smelled it before.

The Prince Consort’s Residence bought a lot of their spices from Shouweizhai. According to the old rules, any new fragrances should be sent to the princess’s residence for her to try first.

But she didn’t expect Shouweizhai to be so inconsiderate this time. The princess was displeased and complained a few words to her steward.

The steward’s job was to handle these trivial matters. Seeing that his master was complaining about Shouweizhai’s lack of etiquette, he immediately sent people to reprimand Master Su. He also told him to quickly send a sample of the perfume, so the princess wouldn’t remember it and cause trouble for them servants!

Master Su was stunned by the reprimand. Their Shouweizhai hadn’t released a new fragrance in years!

After sending away the people from the Prince Consort’s Residence, he immediately went to the Lu family’s residence to ask Miss Lu exactly what kind of perfume the princess wanted. As a result, Miss Lu, also confused, handed him the perfume balm, saying that Su Luoyun had given it to her.

Master Su sniffed the scent and found it to be sweet, fruity, and well-blended, but he couldn’t tell which spices were used. No wonder the princess couldn’t get it out of her mind.

But... this wasn’t a perfume from their Shouweizhai!

So, Master Su could only rush home without stopping and ask his eldest daughter where she got this perfume balm that was causing so much trouble.

After listening to her father’s story, Luoyun slowly said, “I blended the perfume myself. I’m truly flattered that the princess likes it...”

Su Hongmeng had only felt “alarmed” for most of the day. It wasn’t until Luoyun said she had blended it herself that his heart finally settled.

He had been worried that Luoyun had bought the perfume balm from somewhere else. If that were the case, wouldn’t it mean a new rival was emerging to suppress their Shouweizhai?

Since Su Luoyun had blended it, then it would be easy to handle!

He immediately said, “Since the princess likes it, you can give the formula to Old Feng at Shouweizhai later. Have him blend it and send it to the princess’s residence.”

Hearing her father’s words, Su Luoyun stood up calmly and bowed to her father. “Your daughter is unfilial, but I cannot obey!”

Su Hongmeng was tired from the day’s travels and had planned to lie down after giving his instructions. He hadn’t expected his eldest daughter to say such a rebellious thing. He was so angry that he immediately sat up straight. “What kind of nonsense is this? Am I asking for your mother’s dowry? How dare you say you cannot obey?”

Tian Mama quickly stepped in to protect her. “Master, please calm down. The eldest young lady just heard that Madam wants to send her back to the countryside and won’t allow this old woman and Xiangcao to go with her. She was upset and said something in anger.”

Su Hongmeng was stunned. He remembered that Ding Shi had discussed this with him earlier, but he hadn’t expected Ding Shi to bring it up to his eldest daughter so soon. He was even more surprised that Ding Pei wanted to replace the people serving Su Luoyun...

What short-sightedness! Did she think life was too peaceful? Why would she tell the little “ancestor” this so early?

“You... said this to Luoyun?” Su Hongmeng was a bit embarrassed and could only turn and glare at Ding Pei, hoping she would be clever and resolve the situation.

Ding Pei understood, but as the mistress of the house, how could she take back what she had said so easily?

So she pretended not to see Su Hongmeng’s winking. She said with a pleasant face, “Oh, you child. Didn’t you also say that in the heat of the moment? Princess Yuyang is the emperor’s most beloved daughter. She wants this perfume balm. If you don’t give it to your father, are you trying to bring disaster upon the whole family?”

Su Luoyun, however, had a cold expression. “My original intention for blending this fragrance was also my wishful thinking. I had thought that Shouweizhai had been selling the same few fragrances that Mother blended in her lifetime for years, and the nobles must be tired of them. If I could help my father, it would be considered fulfilling a daughter’s filial duty. I didn’t expect that while I considered myself a member of the Su family, some people would despise me for being blind and find me an eyesore in the Su family. If that’s the case, I won’t bother trying to win favor where there’s none. I’ll just find a temple to become a nun. That way, I won’t have to be a bother to anyone with all the trouble of boats and carriages. As for worldly affairs, they have nothing to do with a nun!”

Her words sounded like a child throwing a tantrum. But Su Hongmeng knew his little “ancestor’s” temper. If she really became a nun in a fit of pique, and the princess brought disaster upon the Su family, it really wouldn’t have anything to do with her.

Luoyun’s words also made sense. The business of Shouweizhai had indeed declined a bit in the past two years. Hu Shi was an expert perfumer, but he had never seen Luoyun have this ability before. This really made him look at her with new eyes.

If Luoyun truly had her deceased mother Hu Shi’s talent, she would be a money-making machine for his Su family! He should be worshiping her in the household!

“Nonsense! How can the jewel of my Su family shave her head and become a nun? Your mother probably mentioned it because she thought you missed the old house. Aren’t you still in the Su family? If I don’t agree, no one can send you away!”

Ding Pei’s face was extremely sullen. She silently fiddled with the lid of her teacup.

She knew that Su Hongmeng hated anyone who blocked his path to wealth. The most important thing now was to get the perfume formula from Su Luoyun. Even if her husband had slapped her face, she had to endure it.

Su Luoyun said slowly, “The words Madam said just now, although not intentional, reminded me. As a blind person, if my father were to pass away, I would be a rootless wild weed, blown to who knows where. If I had more money in my hands, I would feel more secure. How about this? If Father wants this ‘Faint Pear Fragrance’ perfume, that’s fine. I will blend it and have Father send it to the princess’s residence. However... Father must agree to give me a thirty percent share of Shouweizhai.”

Su Hongmeng listened to her words, and at first, he thought they made sense. But he hadn’t expected his daughter to pull the rug out from under him and suddenly ask for a share of the shop. He immediately became furious. “Bullshit! I’m still alive! I don’t need you to divide the family property for me! None of your brothers have a share. How dare you, a daughter, ask for one?”

Su Luoyun slowly took out a handkerchief from her bosom. “Father, you’ve built up this huge family business with my mother’s formulas. My mother didn’t ask for a share back then, and look what happened. When my maternal grandmother’s family was having financial difficulties and needed a large sum of money, you just stood by and watched. This shows that accounts must be settled even between close relatives. Since I have the ability to make money, it’s better to get real silver and gold in my hands as early as possible.”

Su Hongmeng was exposed. His face turned red, and he said angrily, “I can’t control you anymore! Don’t think that just because you blended a simple perfume, you can hold your father hostage!”

Su Luoyun said calmly, “I am a daughter. I also plan to never marry. What’s wrong with me arranging some money for myself? I don’t think my three younger brothers would find fault with me! I heard that a few new spice shops have opened in the capital in the past two years... Why don’t I take the formula and ask them? Since it’s a fragrance that the princess likes, it will be popular in the capital in no time. There will always be someone who recognizes its value and is willing to pay for it.”

Ding Pei finally spoke up. “Aren’t you helping an outsider? Do you think you, in your current state, can go around selling a perfume formula?”

The threat in her words was clear. It was also a reminder to Su Hongmeng: if they were to turn hostile, it would be easy to imprison a blind woman. How could Su Luoyun be so arrogant as to sell the formula?

Ding Pei’s timely reminder snapped Su Hongmeng out of his rage. He was about to call for someone to get the family cane to discipline Su Luoyun.

Tian Mama was also flustered, thinking that the eldest young lady was being too impulsive. Under the Su family’s roof, how could she be so aggressive?

But Su Luoyun lowered her eyes and said, “I am blind, so I can’t sell it on the streets. Fortunately, I have entrusted my uncle to do it for me. He has a wide network of connections and will surely handle it for me.”

Su Hongmeng glared at his daughter, his mind racing. He knew this stubborn girl. She was usually fine, but when her temper flared, she was fearless and a handful to deal with. She didn’t have a shred of her mother’s virtuousness! Since she said she had given the formula to Hu Xuesong, it meant she was prepared to fall out with him.

If it were just a perfume formula, it wouldn’t matter to his great Su family! But it just had to be something that Princess Yuyang had sent people to ask for...

This rebellious thing! If she was stubborn and refused to hand it over, and he offended the princess, the leg he had just gotten a foothold with in his official career would surely be broken.

That brat! Could it be that her uncle was the one who put this idea in her head?

Just then, Luoyun said softly again, “Is Father so stingy? It’s fine now that you’re here, you’ll always take care of me. But on the day you’re gone and I have no money, I’ll truly be a blind old woman with no parents. Where in the great Su family would I have a place to stay...”

As she said this, tears suddenly gathered in Su Luoyun’s blank eyes. She sobbed, and the handkerchief she had taken out earlier came into use.

Su Hongmeng’s temper had always been more receptive to softness than hardness. He had never seen his eldest daughter cry so openly in front of him before.