"Two ladies, there are also floor-standing mirrors ahead, please come in."
The maid saw someone about to come up from below and quickly called out.
Madam Tao and Madam Ren nodded and hurried further inside.
"Two ladies, allow me to introduce these. This is a bra, and this is underwear. Both are women's personal undergarments."
"Personal undergarments? This underwear has no strings, can it be worn tightly? Are you sure it won't fall off when you walk? And what is this bra? It looks like a small bellyband or chest wrap?"
Madam Ren and the other lady stood at the counter selling underwear, full of questions.
The maid at the counter took over the conversation and smiled, "This lady, this underwear is made of silk. It is smooth and cool, and even in summer, it won't feel too hot to wear."
As she spoke, she took down a black pair of underwear, placed it on the table, turned the inside over with both hands, and pointed to the waistband, saying, "As for it falling off while walking, there's no need to worry."
"There is an elastic band here, which can automatically tighten and bind the waist without strings, securing it firmly. It won't fall off even if you jump or run, so you can rest assured."
"So that's how it is."
The two ladies nodded, but they had never heard of an elastic band and were somewhat skeptical.
The maid at the counter paid them no mind and then took out the bra, holding it up to her own chest and smiling, "This bra is to wrap around the chest. It has straps that tie around the neck to support the breasts, greatly reducing certain troubles, and it also has the effect of binding the chest to make it appear larger."
"Its material is also made of silk, which is soft, smooth, cool, and breathable. Inside here, there are fine steel wires, a new item recently made by the Ministry of Works' Foundry Department. The support and gathering rely on this."
"Compared to a traditional camisole, it has the advantages of preventing sagging, gathering, and reducing strain on the waist."
After listening to the maid at the counter, Madam Ren and Madam Tao were greatly shocked.
"I never imagined that such small pieces of cloth could have so many functions."
Madam Ren said with emotion.
At this moment, the maid at the counter pointed to the cubicle behind them and smiled, "There are cubicles here with floor-standing mirrors. If the two ladies are willing, you can try them on inside. If you don't mind, your guide will instruct you on how to wear them."
"If you are not at ease, she can also put them on first for the two ladies to see."
The guide maid standing beside the two ladies blushed at this, but did not object, and looked to the two ladies.
Madam Ren and Madam Tao exchanged glances, discussed for a moment, and then Madam Ren, along with the guide maid and one of her maids, entered the cubicle.
A quarter of an hour later, when Madam Ren emerged with a blush, Madam Tao clearly noticed something unusual about her close friend, her gaze fixed on her chest.
She said in disbelief, "Madam Ren, your chest, it's rounder and firmer than usual! Is this the effect of that bra?"
Madam Ren glared at her with a mixture of shyness and annoyance, and nodded in confirmation.
This made Madam Tao restless, and she quickly beckoned her maid and the guide maid to enter and try them on as well.
When they emerged again, they were like Madam Ren, their figures looking much improved.
Heads held high, chests puffed out, a magnificent sight.
"Good stuff, this is truly good stuff. I can clearly feel the immense pressure on my shoulders has been greatly reduced, and even small movements are not hindered. It's really good stuff!"
Madam Tao said with great satisfaction, grasping and lifting, smiling happily.
Madam Ren gave her a sideways glance, walked to the counter, looked at the smiling maid, and asked with a smile, "May I ask how much these two items I am wearing cost?"
"The bra costs two taels, the underwear costs one tael, and a pack of monthly pads costs half a tael."
The maid at the counter replied joyfully.
These counter maids and guide maids were all palace maids selected from the Empress's harem, and they took up their posts after being trained by Chu Chen.
As for how Chu Chen trained the palace maids, it will not be elaborated upon.
They dared not say they were completely proficient in all the items sold in this shop, but at least they knew the specifics.
Therefore, for every successful transaction, they would receive a 1% commission as their performance income, which was considered extra income in addition to their monthly wages.
This income could even be several times higher than their monthly wages.
Madam Ren calculated the money she had brought with her and said, "I'll take four sets of these two types of underwear, each in a different color. And one pack of these monthly pads as well."
"Alright~ That will be twelve and a half taels."
The maid at the counter said the total price with a smile, and then nimbly placed the required items into a beautifully crafted wooden box, which had two layers inside to store different garments separately.
Madam Tao also quickly called out, "I'll take the same!"
"Okay, please wait a moment," the maid at the counter replied even more happily.
After paying and handing the money to their respective maids to carry, Madam Ren pointed to the floor-standing mirror and asked, "I recall that this mirror is also for sale. May I ask its price?"
"You mean this one? This one might be a bit expensive."
The maid at the counter said tactfully.
"Expensive? How expensive can it be?" Madam Ren asked curiously.
"This floor-standing mirror, taller than a person, costs ten thousand taels. Of course, that's not this one; those are sold at the dedicated mirror counter over there. These floor-standing mirrors are not for sale."
As she spoke, the maid at the counter pointed to a counter not far away that specialized in selling mirrors.
"Ten thousand taels? How can it be so expensive!"
Madam Ren exclaimed, she was shocked by the price and had no intention of buying it at all.
Joking aside, at this price, how could she afford to buy it? Moreover, the money she had brought was not enough. She had only brought a fifty-tael silver ingot and some smaller silver pieces this time, totaling no more than a hundred taels.
"Madam, you know in your heart whether this item is worth this price. Glass is inherently difficult to produce, its yield is extremely low, and it is difficult to make. Such a large and transparent, exquisitely crafted floor-standing glass mirror is very difficult to produce."
"I don't know the specifics of how it's made, but I know it requires at least three master craftsmen, along with more than a dozen workers, to work for a month to produce one."
The maid at the counter paused here and then smiled, "And currently, in addition to the ten display mirrors at our counter, there are only twenty in the private cubicles. Apart from these, only the current Emperor, Princess Xin Yue, and Prime Minister Chu each have one. No one else has one."
"If Madam is interested, you can send someone back to get the money, or you can go back and discuss it with your husband before purchasing."
"However, I must remind you that the quantity of this item is currently scarce, with only a hundred available for sale. If they are all sold, you will have to wait until next month for a small supply."
After hearing what the maid at the counter said, Madam Ren's mouth twitched, but she felt a little tempted.
Only the Emperor, the Fifth Prince, and Prime Minister Chu have them. If I were to buy one for my household, wouldn't that be incredibly prestigious?
But ten thousand taels is not a small sum, and she couldn't make the decision. She planned to go back and discuss it with her husband before making a decision.