Chapter 17: Visiting the Maternal Grandparents

Mu Rong Shu and her second aunt, Rong Qing, had finally finished preparing everything for the business venture after several busy days, including some selling strategies. Rong Qing was pleasantly surprised by how business-savvy her little niece was.

According to the strategy they had discussed, Rong Qing returned to the Rong family estate to get the full support of her family. This was largely because of Mu Rong Shu’s success in treating Rong Yun Nan’s illness, which had earned her the trust of the Rong family patriarch.

When Rong Qing mentioned that Mu Rong Shu wanted to sell things in a corner of Silver Phoenix Building, the family immediately agreed. They thought that even if it turned out to be a loss, it wouldn’t affect their own business, and it was good to let the young people try something for themselves.

It wasn’t until the evening, when Mrs. Rong used the beauty cream, that she realized why her daughter had agreed to the beauty cream business.

Recently, Mu Rong Shu had been busy researching various types of beauty creams, including ones for whitening, oil control, acne removal, tightening, and anti-aging.

This time, Mu Shi Ji, Mu Si, and a few other brothers had received a bottle of the men’s version of the beauty cream. They were thrilled, and Mu Si, in particular, would apply it every day at work, showing it off in front of Lord Wen Er. This made Lord Wen Er so annoyed that he nearly argued with him.

Thanks to Mu Si’s promotions, everyone at the Han Lin Academy had learned that beauty cream would be available for sale at Silver Phoenix Building on the 15th of this month. However, it would only be available for ladies and wives, and Mu Si’s bottle was specially made for him by his niece.

Although everyone was a little disappointed that they couldn’t get their hands on the men’s version, the fact that they could buy it for their wives was still a good thing. So, even before the official launch, the beauty cream had already started to gain popularity.

At the Wen Family

Lord Wen Er, furious, returned home and stayed angry until dinner. Wen Zhi, curious, asked, “Second brother, why are you so upset all night?”

“Isn’t it that Mu Er? Mu Wu Xi had made him some cream, and now he’s been showing it off to everyone at the Han Lin Academy. He’s flaunted it so much that even the water barrel in the yard wasn’t spared.”

Wen Ye’s words made the whole family twitch in disbelief. The second master of the Wen family seemed like a smart person, so why would he do something so childish?

“He even said that his wife and niece will be selling this beauty cream at Silver Phoenix Building on the 15th of this month, but it’s only for women and young ladies. He’s doing it on purpose, trying to make it seem like he’s special.”

Just thinking about Mu Si’s smug attitude made Lord Wen Er furious again.

“Is it really the 15th?” Wen Zhi asked eagerly.

“Of course! He repeated it 800 times today, how could I have misunderstood? Not just me, the whole Han Lin Academy knows about it,” Wen Ye replied.

“Then on the day itself, Third Brother should take Mother and Big Sister-in-law, and Second Sister-in-law too, to support Miss Mu Wu Xi and get more chances to interact with her.”

Wen Zhi believed that now that they were sure Miss Mu Wu Xi was the one, it was time for the Wen and Mu families to socialize more, which would give his third brother and Miss Mu Wu Xi more opportunities.

“Why should only Third Brother go? I want to go too!” Wen Er immediately grumbled when he heard that he wasn’t included.

“Don’t forget, you’re on duty that day. Third Brother can go and spend more time with Miss Mu Wu Xi. With his looks, he might catch her attention soon,” Wen Zhi explained.

After hearing his elder brother’s reasoning, Wen Er sighed in frustration.

“Then, when the time comes, Third Brother should buy more for Mother and Big Sister-in-law, and for the other ladies too. Let Miss Mu Wu Xi see the strength of our family.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll buy more too. When the time comes, we’ll go together to bring Yu Er back,” Wen Zhi said, knowing his wife wasn’t much interested in dressing up, so he brought up their son instead.

Hearing that they could bring their son back, Wen Da Fu Ren was filled with anticipation. She hoped this time her son would return without needing to go to Master Zhi’s place.

While the Wen family was busy planning how to support the business, Mu Rong Shu had no idea about it, as she was on her way to the Song family estate.

Earlier that morning, after hearing that her grandmother had returned from a trip, Song Wei had sent word for Mu Rong Shu to prepare and accompany her to the Song family.

When the Song family matriarch heard that her granddaughter had returned, she hurried back, intending to visit in person. However, she thought it might be impolite after such a long journey, so her son sent someone to the Mu family to invite them instead.

Mu Rong Shu and Song Wei were warmly welcomed by the Song family. The Song family’s children, who were around the same age as Mu Rong Shu, had heard about her but had never met her, so they crowded around her as soon as she arrived.

“Stop crowding around her! Let her rest and have some food. She just got back, and we’ll have plenty of time to play together later,” the Song family matriarch said, ushering the children away.

The old matriarch, Madam Li, watched the group of children surrounding her granddaughter, feeling a bit overlooked herself. She hadn’t even had a good chance to look at her granddaughter yet, and these children didn’t seem to understand her feelings as an elder.

Song Yan Ran, unwilling to let go of Mu Rong Shu’s hand, said, “Shu Er, you’re finally back! From now on, whenever I go out, I can ask you to come along.”

Mu Rong Shu smiled and replied, “I’m not familiar with the capital yet, so I’ll be relying on Yan Ran to guide me from now on.” She really liked her older cousin.

“We can take you around too! How about we take you to the western outskirts to ride horses in a few days? There’s a new gentle little red horse at the stable. I’m sure you’ll love it when you see it!” The youngest cousin eagerly suggested.

“Maybe not in the next couple of days. The beauty cream at Silver Phoenix Building is launching the day after tomorrow. Once things settle down, we can go ride horses,” Mu Rong Shu replied, thinking she’d be busy with the launch and having to delay the outing.

“Do you want the beauty cream from Silver Phoenix Building? If so, we’ll take you there to buy it,” her cousins assumed, thinking Mu Rong Shu was interested in the products from Silver Phoenix Building, so they eagerly volunteered to take her.

“No, it’s not that. I made the beauty cream myself, and I’ll be the one selling it at Silver Phoenix Building,” Mu Rong Shu smiled and explained.

“Ah, you’re so amazing, Shu Er! Then we’ll bring some friends over to support you at the shop,” her cousins said. They were worried that the cream might not sell well and wanted to help boost her confidence by buying some themselves.

“You all better not cause any trouble!” Madam Li, fearing her grandchildren might cause a commotion, warned them.

“You don’t need to worry, Grandmother. I brought some for you, Aunt, and Yan Ran today. You can try it first, and if it works well, you can help spread the word when the time comes,” Mu Rong Shu said as she took out several boxes of beauty cream from her sleeve, handing them to her grandmother, aunt, and cousin.

Everyone happily accepted the beauty cream, their smiles genuine and natural.

“Shu Er, is this the beauty cream you’re using today?” Song Yan Ran asked, making everyone look toward both Song Wei and Mu Rong Shu.

“Mother, Big Sister-in-law, we’ve been using the beauty cream that Shu Er made today,” Song Wei answered, noticing her mother and sisters-in-law’s surprised looks. She couldn’t help but laugh a little.

“The effect is amazing! I want to try it right now,” the young girl said, eager to test the cream as soon as possible. At her age, she was especially keen on beauty, and hearing that her cousin’s gift was so effective, she couldn’t wait to give it a try.

Even Song Guo Gong was curiously looking at his daughter’s makeup.