Chapter 11

“So how about this, since this ‘lipstick’ is such a good thing, and it looks so beautiful when applied to lips, why not sell it to the wife of the county magistrate? I heard she’s very kind.”

Zhou Jing laughed and replied, “Didn’t you say it looks like you’ve drunk blood when you put it on? Why is it called ‘beautiful’ now?”

“That’s because it’s you—a grown man putting on such bloody-red stuff in your lips, you look really terrifying, you looked like you’ve drank someone’s blood. But if it’s the county magistrate’s wife, who’s beautiful inside and out, it would definitely look good on her.”

It seemed that the county magistrate here must have been very good at governing, to have earned the people’s love and respect to such an extent. Even a simple, rustic villager like Shen Mo spoke of him with admiration.

Zhou Jing deliberately teased Shen Mo: “You’ve never seen the county magistrate, so how do you know his wife is beautiful?”

Shen Mo replied: “A person with a kind heart will never be ugly.”

Zhou Jing nodded and said: “I completely agree with you. Just like you, my dear wife—you have a beautiful heart, and you’re even more beautiful as a person. I, your husband, love you deeply.”

“You…” Shen Mo had never been teased like this before, and his face turned as red as a ripe apple.

Zhou Jing licked the corner of his lips–feeling a sudden surge of lust. The taste of his little “wife” was something unforgettable once experienced.

As fate would have it, just as Zhou Jing and Shen Mo were talking, they happened to pass by a cosmetic shop. In front of the shop was a luxurious pink sedan chair, clearly belonging to someone of wealth or nobility.

Inside the shop, there was a mistress and her servant, busy selecting cosmetics.

The maid spoke to the shopkeeper, “Do you not have any fresh lip balm here? My lady has already used all of these.”

The shopkeeper respectfully replied, “Madam, the rouge and powder in our shop are all top-quality items, brought from the southern regions after a long journey. That’s why the restocking might be a bit slow, but I believe our goods are unmatched by others.”

The maid responded, “That’s exactly why we always come to your shop. Never mind, just make sure that when you get fresh stock, you notify our lady at the county magistrate’s residence first. She will make her selections before you sell to anyone else.”

“Of course, of course,” the shopkeeper nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Zhou Jing and Shen Mo, standing at the entrance, could clearly hear the conversation inside and see the people within.

The woman, dressed as the mistress, wore a light-colored silk gown, clearly made from high-quality fabric. In her hair, a pair of gold hairpins shimmered, while jade earrings dangled from her ears. On one wrist, partially visible, was a bracelet made of vibrant green jade. Although the distance made it hard to discern the quality of the jade, her attire alone suggested everything she wore was of exceptional value. Her face had light makeup, which did not appear gaudy but instead enhanced her noble air.

The combined worth of everything she wore, from her clothes to her jewelry, must have been at least a thousand taels of silver. It seemed the county magistrate was not as frugal as rumored. Otherwise, with his modest salary, how could his wife afford to dress so lavishly?

However, since the reputation of the county magistrate was well-known throughout the area, at the very least, his household must have maintained a good facade, which made things easier.

“Xiao Mo, it’s time for you to take action,” Zhou Jing said.

“Ah?” Shen Mo exclaimed, his mouth agape as he pointed at himself. “Me? What should I do?”

Zhou Jing leaned close to Shen Mo’s ear and whispered a few instructions.

Shen Mo nodded, signaling that he understood. They turned their backs, and Zhou Jing carefully applied a layer of lip balm to Shen Mo’s lips.

To be honest, it didn’t look good; from Zhou Jing’s modern perspective, it was hard to appreciate a grown man wearing lipstick. However, in those times, wealthy families often had their young men and masters apply light makeup, just to enhance their complexions.

Listening to Zhou Jing’s advice, Shen Mo deliberately lifted his lips high, but he overdid it, causing his mouth to pucker in a rather comical way. Still, it was certainly eye-catching.

At that moment, the mistress and her maid happened to step out of the shop. As Shen Mo walked straight toward them, he suddenly exclaimed, “Oh!” and fell to the ground.

The two who were about to leave came to a stop. The county magistrate’s wife said to her maid, “Tian Xiang, quickly help this ger to see if she’s hurt from the fall.”

Tian Xiang hurried over to assist, and Shen Mo was helped up. Remembering Zhou Jing’s instructions to ensure that the county magistrate’s wife saw his lips, he did not shy away but looked directly at her and said, “Thank you.”

His attitude was neither servile nor arrogant, and without realizing it, the county magistrate’s wife regarded him with slightly higher esteem because of his demeanor.

She also noticed the lip balm on his lips, which had a moist, glossy texture. The color was vibrant yet not gaudy, unlike ordinary lip balms that could appear dry and uneven, his color looked exceptionally authentic.

Such lip balm, even the county magistrate’s wife, raised in a wealthy family, had never seen before. It immediately captivated her attention, and she found herself liking it.

The maid, who had grown up by the county magistrate’s wife’s side, could read her thoughts easily. She immediately stopped Shen Mo and asked, “Excuse me, may I ask where you bought that lip balm? I find it quite appealing and would like to buy a box myself.”

This was exactly what Shen Mo had been waiting for. He did not hesitate and replied directly, “To be honest, miss, what I’m wearing is not actually a lip balm but lipstick. You won’t find it for sale here, not even in the capital.”

The maid saw that Shen Mo had a straightforward appearance, but she was taken aback by his audacity.

She retorted, “Really? Where do they sell it? Don’t act like a country person could afford such treasures! If that were true, you wouldn’t be dressed like a beggar!”

The county magistrate’s wife, maintaining her composure, lightly admonished, “Tian Xiang, cease this rudeness.” However, her tone carried little reproach.

Zhou Jing had already advised Shen Mo that he might encounter such situations and that he should remain calm and speak the truth.

Shen Mo had mentally prepared himself for this, and as events unfolded according to plan, he felt not anxious but rather composed.

“This young lady,” he began, “I understand that, given my status, what I say may seem like boasting. However, if you would allow me to finish, I assure you that you will see I speak the truth.”

The county magistrate’s wife observed Shen Mo’s demeanor; he was poised and spoke calmly, which did not seem like the behavior of someone prone to boasting. She suspected there might be more to his story, and, more importantly, she genuinely liked the vibrant color of this “lipstick.” In her heart, she had already resolved that no matter the difficulty, if he could reveal how to obtain it, she would find a way to get it.

She imagined how beautiful that color would look on her lips, enhancing her complexion and making it even more radiant. She thought that when she showed it to the county magistrate, thinking that even his younger concubines could not match her beauty.

The county magistrate’s wife nodded, and Tianxiang, though reluctant, said, “Go ahead and speak. My lady will at least listen.”

Shen Mo said, “I obtained this item by mere chance; it must have been luck. Surely, the lady remembers that heavy rain a few days ago? It poured for a long time. After it stopped, no one in the village dared to go up the mountain, yet my husband insisted on going. So, the two of us trudged through the muddy path into the mountains. After walking for a while, we came across a strangely dressed man lying on the ground, full of blood. My husband and I quickly gathered some common herbs to staunch his bleeding and fed him some hot water we had brought along.”

“Before long, the man woke up, but he had striking blue eyes, which frightened me, making me think he was a monster. I let out a scream. However, he reassured me not to be afraid and gave us lipstick as a token of gratitude for saving his life.”

“He then revealed his identity. According to him, he was from across the sea, where people like him had golden hair and blue eyes, dressed in strange attire. He explained that he had come to this side for business, intending to bring items from his homeland while taking local goods back with him.”

“Unfortunately, a storm sank his ship, and he was blown to an unfamiliar place, getting separated from his companions. He had originally planned to go to the capital to find out if anyone knew how to get back to where he came from. However, being in an unfamiliar land, he somehow ended up here.”

“He also told us that this lipstick was brought from his homeland across the sea, a rarity that could not be found here. At that moment, I thought it was just something important, not easy to bring from so far away, so I didn’t want to take it. He assumed I found it trivial and explained that in his country, only nobles could afford such a lipstick and that it was worth several hundred taels when converted to our currency!”

“What? Several hundred taels? That’s outrageous!” Tian Xiang exclaimed.

Shen Mo feigned confusion, saying, “He didn’t ask me for money, so how could he be trying to cheat me?”

Tianxiang immediately fell silent, but the county magistrate’s wife pressed further, asking, “What about that man?”

The county magistrate’s wife was born into a family of merchants and had traveled extensively from a young age. She had some knowledge and had heard her grandfather speak of people from across the sea, who were not dark-haired and dark-eyed but instead had golden hair and blue eyes. They possessed many valuable items that were not found here and would come over on large ships, carrying treasures worth their weight in gold.

Among these treasures was a prized item called glassware. A small piece, just the size of a palm, was intricately carved and crystal-clear, with the most expensive pieces fetching a price that could only be paid in gold.

Thus, the county magistrate’s wife believed that the lipstick was worth several hundred taels, especially upon hearing their description of the man—golden-haired, blue-eyed, and dressed in strange attire. If he truly existed, it was unlikely that the uneducated villagers could have heard of such things.

Now, she only wanted to know where the man was. Not only did she want to buy a few lipsticks, but she was certain he possessed other valuable items. If her family could establish a connection with him, that would be an incredible opportunity…

With that thought, the county magistrate’s wife anxiously asked again, “Where is that man? Is he at your home?”

Shen Mo shook his head, saying, “He left, claiming that he had many treasures on him and that if anyone found out, it could lead to his death. With him saying that I couldn’t dare to keep him. I’m just a simple villager; if something were to go missing, I couldn’t afford the consequences!”

With the man gone, the county magistrate’s wife could only express her regret. In her heart, she considered contacting her family, thinking that if they could find that man, she would do everything possible to buy whatever goods he had.

Suddenly, Shen Mo said, “Madam, your skin is fair; you would surely look beautiful wearing this shade of lipstick. Unlike me, a country wife with rough skin, it would be a waste of such a fine item.”

“Of course, our madam is the county…”

“Tiang Xiang!” the county magistrate’s wife interrupted, her tone turning wistful. “It’s such a pity that man has left.”

“There’s no need to feel sorry, Madam. I brought one with me; you can try it on. If you like it, perhaps another ship from across the sea will come one day, and you can buy more.”

It was easy to say, but such a long distance, with storms at sea, meant that a ship might only arrive once every ten or eight years.

Shen Mo took out the cylindrical lipstick, and the county magistrate’s wife, well-acquainted with fine things, immediately took a liking to its sleek black “bottle.” When she discovered its exquisite, compact design and the fact that with just a twist, the lipstick would come out, she couldn’t help but be enamored, unable to put it down.

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Lucia: Sorry for the late update! Btw, about the number of updates every week, I might change it to 3-4x a week in the future. I will update you when there’s a fixed schedule for that! Thank you so much for reading~

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