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Ruyi Beauty Boutique
墨書 Inktalez
In the Year Two, which corresponds to the year 691 AD, the Holy Divine Emperor received his title at the Wanshang Divine Palace and established red as the official color of the banners, designating Luoyang as the Divine Capital.
Overnight, Luoyang City, already bustling with activity, became the focal point of attention. Riding on the wave of the Holy Divine Emperor's relocation of the capital, many merchants and wealthy individuals flocked to the city, transforming even the most remote corners into vibrant marketplaces adorned with various promotional banners. Among them was the Ruyi Workshop.
Unlike the nearby Tavern, the Ruyi Workshop was elegantly decorated, making it clear that its proprietor must be a woman.
The proprietress introduced herself as Xing Ruyi. She hailed from a rural area near Rouge Shop, where her father had been a private tutor, giving her a basic understanding of poetry and literacy. Her mother was a skilled healer from a family known for practicing medicine in the countryside, which imparted her some knowledge of herbal remedies. After her parents passed away, she took advantage of the open atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty to sell off her rural properties and opened this Ruyi Workshop in Luoyang City, embodying her aspirations.
Ruyi Workshop catered exclusively to women, selling items such as rouge and face powder.
Just after New Year's Day, the shop welcomed its first customer—a young woman around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. She was dressed simply and elegantly without excessive embellishments. The only thing that seemed out of place was the veil covering her face, which contrasted with her understated attire. Upon meeting eyes with Xing Ruyi, she merely nodded slightly; her beautiful almond-shaped eyes concealed a myriad of emotions.
"May I ask what you need, madam?" Xing Ruyi inquired while gesturing toward her shop. "Although my store may seem small, I assure you that all our rouge and face powder are of the finest quality."
The young woman glanced briefly but did not respond.
Xing Ruyi smiled and picked up a box of rouge, placing it before the woman. "Other shops sell products sourced from outside, which may not be clean or reliable. However, my rouge is made from whole flowers that I personally gathered and ground repeatedly in a stone bowl until pure. It is then mixed with floral essence."
As she spoke, Xing Ruyi dipped her finger into some rouge. "If you wish to moisturize your lips, just take a little with a fine stick and apply it directly. If you want to add color, mix it with a bit of water and apply it to your palm; that should suffice. As for the price, since it's homemade, we can negotiate."
While explaining, she showcased various types of rouge from behind the counter—made from hibiscus flowers, deep crimson pigments, black bean skin, pomegranate seeds, wildflowers, and other exquisite materials—all presented in delicate boxes. When opened, they revealed vibrant colors and sweet fragrances. However, upon seeing the woman’s reaction, her gaze brightened momentarily before dimming again.
"Seeing your expression, could it be that my rouge does not meet your expectations?" Xing Ruyi asked as she began to put away the opened boxes of rouge one by one.
"No, no, it's not that, I just..." The Woman hesitated for a moment before finally making up her mind and pulling down the Veil that covered her face.
Beneath the Veil was a face marked by pockmarks, and those pockmarks were also covered with dark spots. Even from a distance, it was somewhat shocking to behold.
After pulling down the Veil, she paused for a moment, then covered her face with her hands and began to cry softly, "Since I gave birth to my child last March, these things have been growing more and more on my face.
At first, I bought some Rouge and Face Powder to cover them up, but the more I used them, the more the pimples and dark spots multiplied. I felt uneasy, so I thought that if I stopped using those products, my face might improve. As a result, the pimples and dark spots stopped appearing, but my face became unbearable to look at.
Nowadays, not only my Husband but even my mute child looks at me as if they have seen a ghost. Today, I happened to walk by here and saw that the young lady had opened a new shop. So, almost instinctively, I walked in. I wonder if the young lady has any Method to treat my face?"
The Woman said this while slightly raising her chin. Seeing Xing Ruyi still smiling brightly without a hint of disgust in her eyes, she relaxed her hands and eagerly leaned towards her: "Does the young lady have a Method? Does she?"
Xing Ruyi nodded: "There is a Method, but it is somewhat troublesome. I wonder if you would be willing to go through with it."
"As long as it can heal my face, I am not afraid of any trouble." The Woman replied with excitement mixed with urgency: "I only ask for the young lady's prescription; if my face can be cured, I will pay you whatever Silver Coins you ask for."
"My Prescription is quite simple; you only need four qian of Mulberry Leaf and some cool boiled water. After boiling the Mulberry Leaf in water, strain out the residue to obtain the juice. Then reboil the filtered juice and store it in a sealed container for later use. I have Mulberry Leaf here; however, you will need to prepare it yourself at home, which is why this Method is somewhat troublesome."
"Not troublesome at all, not at all." The Woman's face lit up with joy as she repeatedly said: "Please grant me this Mulberry Leaf; if it truly can cure these things on my face, I will surely reward you generously."
"You are being too serious; as a Fox Demon, I am merely a businesswoman. Since I provide you with a Prescription, naturally I will also need to collect Silver Coins from you. Please do not take it to heart; as for your generous reward, there is no need for that."
Saying this, Xing Ruyi stood up and walked to the back room. She took out a deep brown wooden box, opened it, and picked out large and thick yellow-orange leaves from within. She wrapped them in Paper Wrap and handed them to the Woman.
"Madam, remember that after the Mulberry Leaf is prepared, you only need to pour it into your palm while washing your face and rub it on your skin. In less than a month, your appearance will return to its original state."
"Really?" The Woman exclaimed in surprise, her hand holding the Mulberry Leaf trembling slightly.
"Whether it's true or not, Madam can find out for herself. If the Fox Demon's Prescription does not work, I will refund you double the double silver coins." Xing Ruyi continued to smile brightly, while the Woman felt a bit embarrassed.
"Even if your Prescription does not work, I am still grateful," said the Woman, pointing towards the door. "Not far ahead is a Tofu Shop, which is my home. If you ever want to eat tofu, feel free to come by. My husband's surname is Wang, so you can just call me Yu Niang."
Xing Ruyi nodded her head, watching the Woman leave. She turned back to the counter and noticed the black mist swirling inside the wooden box containing the Mulberry Leaf. Shaking her head, she lightly blew on it, closed the box, and returned it to the back room.
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