A richly dressed lady pointed at the counter and asked, "How much silver is this perfume?"
"This bottle of light peony blossom perfume, weighing two liang and in season, sells for three taels of silver, while the strong scent sells for five taels of silver," the attendant serving at the counter replied with a smile.
"So little, and so expensive?" the richly dressed lady asked in shock.
One tael of silver, if used to purchase grain, could feed a household of five for a month. This price was indeed quite steep.
"Madam, please look at the bottle that holds the perfume. This is precious transparent colored glaze! You must know the value of colored glaze, let alone such a crystal-clear one," the attendant said with a smile, pointing at the bottle in her hand, unoffended.
"That's true, but is this perfume really as magical as other ladies say?" Thinking of the rarity of colored glaze, the richly dressed lady nodded, then asked hesitantly.
The attendant covered her mouth and chuckled, "Madam, among the ladies present, perhaps some have already received and used it. You can ask them carefully before purchasing, it's not too late."
Coincidentally, Madam Ren and Madam Tao were also present at this time. Upon hearing the conversation, their eyes met, and they both lit up. They quickly pulled the richly dressed lady aside and whispered in her ear.
As she listened to the whispers, a faint blush appeared on the richly dressed lady's elegant face, and her eyes were filled with excitement and anticipation.
A moment later, after the whispering subsided, the richly dressed lady, without another word, pointed to two bottles and said, "One bottle of light scent and one bottle of strong scent of this peony blossom perfume!" With that, she winked at the maid beside her, who understood immediately and took out still-warm silver from her embrace.
"Certainly! I'll pack them for you right away," the attendant replied happily. Then, she bent down and carefully retrieved two small wooden boxes from under the counter, each with a paper label indicating "Peony Light Scent" and "Peony Strong Scent." In front of the ladies and young ladies, she opened the small wooden boxes, revealing the colored glaze bottles wrapped in soft silk cloth. After the lady confirmed, she closed the boxes again, tied them together with red silk ribbons, and placed them in a tote bag, handing it over.
Happily taking the tote bag and looking down at the small wooden boxes inside, the richly dressed lady's mind was already filled with thoughts of the evening's intimacy with her husband. Her entire face was flushed with excitement.
After the transaction was complete, just as the lady was about to leave, another attendant who had been waiting nearby smilingly stepped forward and stopped them. "Madam," she said gently and courteously, "if you have any more money to spend, you may visit our other counters or floors. We have many other goods for ladies. Are you interested? If so, I can be your guide and show you around and introduce them to you."
"Other goods for ladies? Tell me first, what else do you sell?" the richly dressed lady asked, confused, though inwardly dismissive. How could anything else compare to the magic of this perfume?
"Besides the perfumes sold at the counters on this floor, we also have colored glaze floor mirrors on the second floor that can clearly reflect a person's appearance. This item pairs very well with the perfume," the attendant, still a maiden, said with a slight blush, but continued unhurriedly. "The perfume is applied to the skin, and the colored glaze floor mirror can be placed by the bedside. This way, when your husband is excited during intimacy, you only need to lift the gauze curtain to see the two of you clearly. If you also wear intimate apparel, I believe your relationship with your husband will be absolutely harmonious."
"Heavens, a colored glaze floor mirror like a bronze mirror placed by the bedside? To be watched during intimacy? And wearing intimate apparel?" The richly dressed lady was utterly shocked. There were so many ways to engage in intimacy? She was learning something new!
"Then quickly take me to see it. Of course, I'm just curious about how clear the colored glaze floor mirror is," the richly dressed lady exclaimed excitedly at first, but then, sensing the teasing glances around her, she quickly tried to backtrack. However, the desire to see implied a desire in her heart, and her attempt to salvage the situation was in vain. The ladies around her knew exactly what was going on. Moreover, they themselves were also tempted by these accompanying items and wished they could buy the perfume soon and go to the second floor to see.
It was tough for all the young ladies, still maidens, to suddenly hear such suggestive words from the experienced noblewomen. They blushed crimson, lowering their heads to stare at the ground, or pulling their maids in front of them to shield them from prying eyes.
"Alright, please follow me. This way, please," the attendant, also blushing, led the way.
The entire first floor had more than a dozen counters, all selling perfume. Even with hundreds of noblewomen and young ladies, they all managed to buy their desired perfumes in a short while and were then guided by the waiting attendants to the second floor.
The second floor, of course, did not only sell colored glaze floor mirrors but also clothing and numerous changing rooms for immediate wear. Although the changing rooms were not large, they could accommodate four people standing at once. This fully considered the needs of some noble ladies who couldn't dress themselves, allowing them to bring maids to help them dress. Attendants could also enter to teach them how to dress. Of course, a colored glaze floor mirror was already placed inside, allowing one to clearly see if the clothes fit and were satisfactory without leaving the room, preventing the need to view certain very private garments in the colored glaze floor mirrors outside.
Madam Tao and Madam Ren, who were behind the richly dressed lady, also went up to the second floor. As soon as they arrived, they were startled by the colored glaze floor mirrors on both sides.
"This, this, how am I in here?" Madam Ren exclaimed in shock and trembled as she questioned. It wasn't that she had never seen a mirror before; her family had bronze mirrors, but a mirror that could reflect every strand of her hair, every thread of embroidery on her clothes, and their colors so clearly, she had truly never seen before. At first glance, she thought it was some sort of sorcery.
The attendant chuckled inwardly, but with a gentle expression, she pointed to the mirror and said, "Madam, this is the colored glaze floor mirror. What do you think? Is it not very clear?"
"This, oh, this is the colored glaze floor mirror?"
"Yes."
"Phew, that's good then." Madam Ren breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at Madam Tao. Although Madam Tao wasn't as frightened as she was, she also looked flustered, but she hadn't spoken.
"This colored glaze floor mirror truly reflects a person's image clearly, even clearer than clear water," Madam Ren said. Then, her mind recalled the various ways of using it that the attendant on the first floor had mentioned. Instantly, she envisioned herself in her undergarments, embraced by her husband in an affectionate moment, and her face flushed with the thought.