Finest Servant

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Chapter 101 The Meaning of the Rose

Lin Wanrong had no desire to deal with the matters of cheongsams and underwear any longer. He'd let the mother and daughter think about the sanitary napkins themselves. Discussing these topics with these two women could be stimulating, but awkwardness was unavoidable.

His attention was entirely focused on the perfume. Perfume was a wonderful product, and he only claimed fifty percent of the profits purely out of respect for the Second Miss. Thinking of the Second Miss, he felt somewhat strange inside. He hadn't seen the young girl for several days and wondered how she was faring now.

‘Men are indeed despicable,’ he thought. When she was around, he didn't want her. But now that she was gone, he felt regret. Lin Wanrong shook his head, chastising himself for being overly sentimental.

With Xiao Yuruo's promise, his perfume business was finally about to take off, filling Lin Wanrong's heart with excitement.

According to his plan, the perfume workshop must have several loyal individuals. The ratios of clover to petals, fragrance, alcohol, water - all these were top secrets. Apart from himself, who knew everything, the rest would each be given a piece of the puzzle. He wouldn't explain the principles to them, just have them follow orders. Even if they all teamed up, they wouldn't necessarily be able to figure out the formula of the perfume. There was no other way in this era lacking patent protection.

As for the choice of people, Fubo was certainly one, as was Changbo, who claimed to rival Lu Ban in woodworking and who had chosen him to enter the mansion with Fubo. Then there was Xiao Feng, an honest man who had entered the mansion with him. Lin Wanrong trusted him quite a bit. With a few more skilled craftsmen selected by Changbo, they could set up the workshop.

Lin Wanrong went to find Xiao Feng. Xiao Feng, having not seen Lin Wanrong for some days, was naturally excited to see him again. Lin Wanrong simply mentioned that the Eldest Miss had ordered him to work on a task, to which Xiao Feng readily agreed.

There was a lot to do that day. For the sake of his money-making venture, Lin Wanrong worked tirelessly, seeking out Fubo and discussing the workshop setup. After hearing Lin Wanrong's ideas, Fubo summoned the other two old men for a discussion. They developed preliminary ideas on how to extract the essence from clover and petals, filter out impurities, purify the mixture, and manage the drainage. Lin Wanrong even drew a schematic of the machinery and presented it to Changbo, who pointed out many deficiencies based on his experience. This gave Lin Wanrong even more confidence.

By evening, Qin Xian'er sent over her business card invitation. Lin Wanrong had been thinking about the opening of the restaurant, so he went to find her.

Having not seen Qin Xian'er for two days, she seemed somewhat worn out. As Lin Wanrong entered, he smiled and said, "Miss Xian'er, have you been well these past few days?"

Qin Xian'er smiled, but it seemed she was weighed down by heavy thoughts. She glanced at Lin Wanrong and said, "Young Master, I have a favor to ask of you."

"What could be so serious, Miss Xian'er?" Seeing that Qin Xian'er's expression was off, Lin Wanrong deliberately tried to lighten the mood with a jest.

Qin Xian'er bit her lip and softly said, "Please leave the Xiao family as soon as possible, Young Master."

"Why so?" Lin Wanrong asked, puzzled. He had just reached an agreement with the Xiao family that day and was preparing to roll out his grand plans. Why would he leave at this moment?

"Young Master, Xian'er can't say much, but it would be best for you to leave the Xiao family as soon as possible. It will only bring you benefits, no harm. Please trust Xian'er." Qin Xian'er said, biting her lip.

Seeing the sincerity in her demeanor, Lin Wanrong asked, puzzled, "Xian'er, has something happened to the Xiao family?"

"No, nothing." Qin Xian'er's eyes flickered, avoiding his gaze. "Young Master, please don't ask too many questions. Xian'er is only thinking of your well-being. You will understand in the future."

Lin Wanrong didn't know her intentions, but he had known Qin Xian'er long enough to know that she held some affection for him and wouldn't harm him. Yet Qin Xian'er hadn't made herself clear, and he was stubborn. He couldn't leave the Xiao family at this time, so he simply shook his head and said nothing.

Qin Xian'er sighed, giving him a glance. Realizing she couldn't convince him, she didn't say any more. She seemed somewhat restless that day. After watching the song and dance performance by the two young maidservants, and informing them of the opening date, Lin Wanrong bid her farewell. As Qin Xian'er saw him out, she looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something but refraining, her expression filled with hesitation.

Xiao Qingxuan was back early that day. Seeing his return, her face lit up for a moment before quickly fading. She looked at him and said lightly, "You're back."

Pondering over Qin Xian'er's words that evening, Lin Wanrong wondered if he should tell Xiao Qingxuan. He knew Xiao Qingxuan was very observant of Qin Xian'er. If he told her, it might cause some trouble. But considering Qin Xian'er's kindness towards him and his promise to keep her secret, if he were to tell Xiao Qingxuan, wouldn't he be a real villain?

He preferred being a hypocrite than a real villain. With a chuckle, he felt relieved.

Seeing his silence, just staring at her, Xiao Qingxuan's face flushed with a hint of joy and a touch of anger. "What are you staring at me for?" she asked.

"Miss Xiao, I haven't seen you for a day or two, and you've become even more beautiful," Lin Wanrong replied with a charming smile.

Xiao Qingxuan's heart skipped a beat, and she retorted, "Why are you suddenly saying such sweet words? Have you done something you shouldn't have?"

Lin Wanrong burst into laughter. Even if he had done something wrong, it wouldn't concern her. It would only matter to his beloved. But his beloved, being so obedient and precious, would never speak to him the way Xiao Qingxuan did.

He laughed and said, "I saw the message you left me yesterday. In the future, don't use Yunjin silk to write on. It's too wasteful. Regular paper will do."

Xiao Qingxuan blushed and glared at him, thinking to herself, I wouldn't leave notes for just anyone. It's only because you talk too much, and I don't want to bother talking to you.

Lin Wanrong rummaged through his cabinet to find the newly formulated perfume. He picked out a bottle and said, "This, I suppose, is the first batch of finished product. I'll give it to you."

Xiao Qingxuan's eyes lit up. "Is it ready?" She eagerly took the small perfume bottle from his hand, gently pulling out the stopper. A wave of fragrance wafted out. Its resonance was profound and the scent lingered, exactly the kind of subtle fragrance Xiao Qingxuan preferred.

"It seems to be the scent of jasmine, right?" Xiao Qingxuan held the perfume bottle, unable to let go, her smile as radiant as the March sun.

"Yes, it's a jasmine-scented perfume. You like subtle fragrances, don't you? This suits you well," Lin Wanrong said with a gentle smile. According to the rule of identifying a woman by her preferred scent, Xiao Qingxuan was the type of woman who led a simple life, perfectly matching this light jasmine perfume.

"How did you know? Is this liquid called perfume? Although the name is rather common, it's quite fitting," Xiao Qingxuan asked, her face beaming with a smile.

She had spent a lot of time with Lin Wanrong, chatting daily about everything from astronomy and geography to politics and people's livelihood. Though she enjoyed it, she had never been as happy as she was that day.

Seeing her smile, blooming like a hundred flowers, even surpassing the peonies in the garden, Lin Wanrong's heart skipped a beat. He wondered if he would become infatuated with her if he saw her more often.

"Yes, it's called perfume. What is truly vulgar is truly elegant. The name is simple and easy to remember; I think it's pretty good." Seeing her so happy made Lin Wanrong feel joyous as well. It seemed as if there were some unspoken feelings between him and Xiao Qingxuan. However, she had never spoken about it, and their interactions were always natural. This left Lin Wanrong somewhat perplexed, unsure of what she was thinking.

"Since there's perfume with jasmine fragrance, other flowers should also be able to be made into perfume. What other scents have you made?" Xiao Qingxuan, being a smart woman, deduced this and asked.

"I can't hide anything from you," Lin Wanrong chuckled. "I've only made three types so far: besides this jasmine, there's also orchid and rose perfume."

"Could you give me another bottle? I would like the rose one," Xiao Qingxuan thought for a moment and then said seriously.

"Why do you want the rose perfume? It doesn't suit you," Lin Wanrong replied. The rose perfume symbolized the love between lovers. Xiao Qingxuan was noble and elegant, and only the pure scent of jasmine could match her temperament.

"How do you know it doesn't suit me?" Xiao Qingxuan smiled. "When I was a child, I met a Western missionary. He told me that different flowers have different meanings. The meaning of a rose is different from that of jasmine. I'm curious, so I want to ask for a bottle."

"A Western missionary?" Lin Wanrong was taken aback. That would be a foreigner, wouldn't it? Was trade with the West already happening at this time? That was great. He could make underwear and bras to sell to the foreigners. As for the perfume, he could sell it to France and make some foreign money.

"Was the missionary French? British? Portuguese?" Lin Wanrong asked.

Xiao Qingxuan had not expected him to know so many countries. Her face revealed a look of astonishment and delight, "How do you know about Britain and France? Mr. York was British."

Lin Wanrong chuckled bitterly. How could he not know about Britain and France? These foreigners had bullied them for so many years in the past. If he didn't know them, could he still call himself Chinese?

Rather than answering her question, Lin Wanrong retorted, "Since Mr. York was British, he must have been speaking English, right? Could you understand him?"

Hearing him mention English, Xiao Qingxuan knew he wasn't pretending. Her joy increased, "Mr. York had been in Great Hua for several years by then. He spoke Mandarin very well. Lin San, do you know where Britain is? Mr. York said it was across the ocean, thousands of miles away from Great Hua. They had drifted on a merchant ship for more than a year before reaching Great Hua."

Lin Wanrong sighed, "Our world is divided into five continents. Great Hua is located in Asia, while Britain is in Europe. Its area is only a fraction of ours, but it is highly industrialized and is a recognized maritime power. In addition to that, there's France, Spain, Portugal, all maritime powers. Although Great Hua is rich in resources and talent, there's a significant gap in industry, which could become our weakness in the future."

Xiao Qingxuan looked puzzled, apparently unable to comprehend for a moment. Lin Wanrong chuckled to himself. Why was he telling her all this? How could she understand?

"By the way, Miss Xiao, does Great Hua have any trading ports with Britain or France?" Since the foreign missionaries had already reached Great Hua, he planned to dump underwear, bras, and perfume onto them in Europe. Damn it, he was ready to beat them at their own game.

"Great Hua doesn't have official trade ports with them. I've heard that some coastal areas are privately trading with other regions. Their ships often go to Ryukyu (The old name of Okinawa) and Goryeo (Korea), but I haven't heard of them going to Britain. Oh, there's a seaport in Zhenjiang, within Jiangsu Province." Xiao Qingxuan seemed to be quite interested in these state affairs. As soon as Lin Wanrong asked, she answered.

Seeing Lin Wanrong lost in thought, Xiao Qingxuan stopped speaking. She watched him think quietly, feeling a sense of tranquility.

After a long while, Lin Wanrong nodded and smiled at Xiao Qingxuan, "We got a bit off track earlier. You wanted the rose perfume, didn't you?"

"Why? Are you unwilling?" Xiao Qingxuan asked, seeing his hesitant expression.

"Honestly, I've only made one bottle of the rose perfume. And the rose carries some deeper meanings. I want to give this first bottle to a woman I like. In this world, she is incredibly important to me," Lin Wanrong said with utmost sincerity.

Xiao Qingxuan's heart began to race. She thought, ‘He knows the meaning of the rose too, but what does he mean by his words? Is he implying something?’

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She dared not look at him, speaking softly, "I see. So, you have a woman you favor?"

Thinking of Qiaoqiao, the adorable girl, a smile naturally spread across Lin Wanrong's face. "Yes, I do. She's a clumsy little girl. The rose perfume is for her."

Seeing his longing expression, Xiao Qingxuan inexplicably felt a slight sense of loss. She was taken aback. What was happening to her? Ever since she met him again, she had been visiting him daily, chatting, occasionally having little squabbles, but she felt an unprecedented sense of fulfillment and joy. Could it be that she had feelings for him?

She came from a noble family, was well-educated, and had been indifferent to worldly desires since childhood. She viewed matters of romantic affection as trifling and therefore shook her head lightly, dismissing her thoughts. She smiled faintly, "Oh, is that so? I should congratulate you then. Which family's miss is she?"

Initially, Lin Wanrong thought she harbored feelings for him. However, seeing her calm demeanor and no signs of displeasure, he wondered, ‘That's strange. Is my charm not enough and only capable of captivating a little girl like Qiaoqiao?’

Too lazy to think further, he smiled lightly and replied, "She's not someone else. She's the little girl, Qiaoqiao, who I mentioned to you a few days ago, the one who runs the tavern."

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