Qin Hongxiu looked down at the medicine in the bucket.
"Guests at the Flower-Between Pavilion often have swollen feet from drinking too much, and some women suffer from leg and foot pain in the winter."
"An old nanny in the building once taught me a few tricks."
She rolled up her sleeves and gently pressed her fingertips against Pu Yunshan's ankle.
Pu Yunshan's back tensed up instantly.
"Pain?"
Qin Hongxiu looked up and asked him.
"No, it doesn't hurt."
Qin Hongxiu changed her position and pressed down hard on the soles of her feet.
Pu Yunshan's hand gripped the edge of the wooden stool, and his back almost bounced off the stool.
"It's a bit... here."
Murong Xue laughed so hard her shoulders shook.
"A little?"
" Young Master Pu, you almost overturned the chair just now."
Pu Yunshan's face flushed red, but he stubbornly refused to admit it.
"I was just caught off guard."
Qin Hongxiu didn't laugh at him.
I simply lightened the pressure, gently pushing my palms along the soles of my feet, then pressing over my ankles and calves.
Pu Yunshan initially sat upright, but before long, his shoulders gradually relaxed.
The soreness and swelling in my legs from carrying logs this morning was gradually relieved by hot water and massage.
He looked down at Qin Hongxiu.
Her hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin, her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, and she wore no bracelets or rings like those worn by courtesans; her hands were clean and tidy.
Very seriously.
When pressing near the blisters on the soles of his feet, he would avoid them.
Pu Yunshan had a fire burning in his heart, and it burned ever brighter.
With such a virtuous wife, what more could a husband ask for!
Gu Moran sat down beside him, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.
Do you understand now?
Pu Yunshan did not answer immediately.
Gu Moran continued.
"My Foot Care Hall is not for entertaining customers, selling my body, or allowing them to touch me inappropriately."
"Guests are charged based on the time they enter."
"The girls earn money through their skills; whoever does the best job earns more."
"If anyone tries to cause trouble, Xue Huan's men will patrol the area."
Pu Yunshan looked at Qin Hongxiu.
"You really won't let them do those things?"
Gu Moran looked up.
"I'm not going to create trouble for myself; this shop is about making money long-term."
"Moreover, not only men can get massages, but women can too; the hall is separated to accommodate men and women."
Murong Xue snorted coldly upon hearing this.
"Your Highness, you wouldn't be thinking of taking this opportunity to look at women's feet, would you?"
Gu Moran almost choked on her tea.
"I have no such fetish."
"I was just thinking of making an extra profit. Besides, the girls in the brothel are good at talking, reading people's expressions, and taking care of people."
Let them find another place to do legitimate business; they might not earn less than before.
Liu Ruyan took over the conversation.
"Moreover, merchants from all over the country, security escorts, traveling doctors, salt merchants, and visiting businessmen would always gossip when they entered the Foot Care Hall."
"Just write down whatever they hear."
"If you encounter a Tubo accent, unfamiliar weapons, or someone inquiring about the royal palace or passes, immediately send a message."
Pu Yunshan finally understood.
From the very beginning, Gu Moran had no intention of keeping Qin Hongxiu confined in a place like Flower-Between Pavilion.
He wanted to find a skill for those women who had nowhere to go, and also wanted to use their ears to get inside information about what was going on in Yi Prefecture City.
Qin Hongxiu's hand was still on his ankle.
Pu Yunshan looked down at her, his voice softening.
" Hongxiu."
"Um?"
Do you want to do it?
Qin Hongxiu looked up.
She gazed at the mugwort floating in the wooden tub, then looked at the half-finished back wall not far away.
I want to try it.
Pu Yunshan spoke without thinking.
"Then could you only give it to the female guests...?"
He started to speak, but then remembered that Gu Moran was still beside him, so he swallowed the rest of his sentence.
Gu Moran turned her head to look at him.
"Oh, oh, oh, you can get a massage, but not other men? Is Young Master Pu being possessive of his food?"
Pu Yunshan pursed his lips.
"Your Highness!"
Gu Moran.
"Alright, since Hongxiu knows how to do it, she'll be in charge of training Hongxiu. From now on, she'll be responsible for recruiting people and managing the shop; she won't need to do it herself."
"Are you satisfied, Pu Excellent?"
Pu Yunshan grinned.
Qin Hongxiu lowered her eyes, a smile appearing on her lips.
Seeing that the time was almost right, Gu Moran clapped his hands.
"Then it's settled."
" Qin Hongxiu is in charge of contacting people at the Flower-Between Pavilion; make a note of anyone willing to come."
" Liu Ruyan took over the shop, Su Yao drafted the contract, and Shen Ling'er set the rules."
" Pu Excellent-- "
Pu Yunshan looked up.
Gu Moran glanced at his feet soaking in the tub.
"Starting tomorrow, you will be in charge of repairing the entrance, partitions, medicine vats, hot water room, and backyard roof of the Foot Care Hall in the south of the city."
Pu Yunshan grinned, showing his large teeth.
"Okay, okay, leave it to me!"
Seeing that the time was right, Gu Moran gave the others a wink, and they all left for the main hall.
Only Pu Yunshan and Qin Hongxiu remained in the warm pavilion.
Neither of them spoke.
Fifteen minutes later.
Qin Hongxiu gently wiped Pu Yunshan's feet with a cloth, avoiding the blisters caused by his boots.
Pu Yunshan sat on a wooden stool, his feet still warm from the hot water. Seeing her bending down to tidy up the medicine tub, he quickly bent down to put on his socks.
Qin Hongxiu turned around and took out a bowl of hot noodle soup from the food box.
"It's still warm, eat it quickly."
Pu Yunshan stared at the bowl, his hand lingering on his bootlaces.
"You made this? You brought it especially for me?"
Qin Hongxiu handed over the chopsticks without looking up.
"There was some left in the kitchen, so I had someone cook extra noodles."
Pu Yunshan took the chopsticks, lowered his head, and took a bite.
The noodles were soft, the meat was stewed until tender, and the soup had a hint of ginger. As it slid down my throat, it dissipated a lot of the coldness that had been lingering in my chest all day.
Qin Hongxiu smiled and turned to collect the cloth next to the wooden tub.
Halfway through his meal, Pu Yunshan caught a glimpse of her taking something out of her sleeve, her chopsticks resting on the rim of her bowl.
That's a jade sword tassel.
She had re-woven the sword tassel with red rope, and the jade pendant gleamed warmly under the lamplight in the heated room.
Qin Hongxiu, holding the sword tassel, walked up to him.
" Young Master Pu, here you go."
Pu Yunshan's face immediately tightened, and he even forgot to eat his noodles.
What are you going to do with me?
"It was originally yours."
"I gave it to them."
"But I can't accept it."
Qin Hongxiu pushed the sword tassel forward, her voice very low.
"The token of the young master of Mount Qingcheng should not remain with me."
Pu Yunshan's hand rested on his knee, his palm brushing against the rough fabric of his trousers, unwilling to take it.
Qin Hongxiu raised her head.
" Young Master Pu."
I told you I'd give it to you.
He put down his chopsticks, grabbed the food box, and ran out without even tying his boot laces properly.
Qin Hongxiu took two steps after him and saw that he almost tripped on the threshold, so she hurriedly called out to him.
" Young Master Pu, slow down!"
Pu Yunshan looked back.
"I'm going to find the Prince!"
What do you want with the prince?
Ask him if the items can be returned after being delivered!
Pu Yunshan had just crossed the corridor carrying a food box when he saw Uncle Fu hurrying in with two urgent notes in his hand.
Gu Moran was leaning back on the soft couch, drawing design drawings for the Foot Care Hall.
Uncle Fu handed the note to the desk.
"Your Highness, urgent messages have arrived from both the capital and Anyang."
Gu Moran glanced at the note.
The first one is the size of a palm.
Uncle Fu spoke in a low voice, "The news from the palace says that His Majesty woke up once after suffering a stroke, but his right side is paralyzed, his mouth and eyes are crooked, and he can't utter a complete sentence. He can barely lift a pen with his left hand to write, but it's so messy that it's impossible to read what he's writing."
[Thanks to Uncle Fu the inspiration capsule, King, Haiyan, Daoming for the flowers, Xixi, Old Cat for the milk tea, Xuezao for the update reminder, Yinshu for the likes, and everyone for their love and support!]