Luo Qingyun smiled, "Miss, we meet again. Did you bring something good this time… selling ginseng again?" She looked a bit hopeful.
Last time, selling ginseng had brought her good profits.
Julie shook her head. "No, I wanted to ask… do you sell any health supplements here? Like bird's nest or shark fins?" She still had a lot of ginseng stored away.
But now, she wasn't short on money.
She planned to keep the ginseng at home to make nourishing chicken soup for her family in the future. Ginseng wasn't something she could grow more of, and once it was sold, it was gone. So she decided not to sell it anymore—only keep it for personal use.
Luo Qingyun looked a little disappointed, but quickly pulled herself together. "Yes, we do, Miss. Are you buying for yourself or...?"
These things were expensive, usually used in royal palaces or by the rich. Wealthy merchants might occasionally buy a little for their legal spouses or beloved husbands. Women also used them for health and beauty, even if they didn't wear makeup.
Julie was confused. "Does it make a difference?"
Luo Qingyun was briefly embarrassed but quickly regained her usual business-like attitude. "No, no. We have two kinds of bird's nest—white nest and blood nest. White nest costs four taels of silver per tael, while the rarer blood nest costs eighteen taels per tael. For shark fins, there are loose fins and full fins. Loose fins are six taels per tael, while full fins are fifteen taels. All are white in color. If you're interested, please follow me inside to take a look. The high-value items aren't kept out front."
She had just gotten distracted for a moment. Still, this young woman really treated her husbands well.
Luo Qingyun glanced at the man beside Julie and sighed quietly.
She truly worried about this child. He was nearly twenty now. If he wasn't married by twenty-two, the government would assign him a match, and that might not be a good one.
This era didn't support free marriages. Most were arranged by mothers. If someone reached the right age and still wasn't married, the government would step in and assign a partner—forced, if necessary.
This boy's parents had passed away, and her best friend had entrusted him to her before dying. She had to help him find a good home.
But he had high standards. Over the past year, she had introduced several families, and he rejected them all.
She couldn't force him. After all, he wasn't her own child.
She could only suggest, not decide.
Julie stayed calm through it all.
In her mind, she only thought: "Two!"
It made sense. Outside the palace, few people would buy by the jin. One jin was sixteen taels, after all.
Though expensive, it wasn't like they were eating it as a main course.
She'd just buy some to take home, let them try it out. If it tasted good and worked well, she could come back for more.
Julie nodded and followed Luo Qingyun inside to check the quality.
Luo Qingyun had seen Julie with her three husbands before and could guess this wasn't for her own use.
So along the way, she explained the benefits for men—improving sleep, helping with skin and overall health, and safe to consume during pregnancy if taken in moderation.
Julie stayed quiet, listening without interrupting.
The man beside her also stayed silent, occasionally glancing at her, then lowering his head again.
Luo Qingyun suddenly thought of something, her eyes lighting up. She introduced, "Miss, this is my late friend's child. His parents passed away. He's a good kid and a doctor too. Don't let his age or the fact that he's a man fool you—he's very skilled. If you come by and I'm not here, you can ask for Jinyu."
She hesitated slightly while speaking, with a flicker of something complicated in her expression.
Julie glanced at him briefly and nodded.
To her, gender didn't matter. Skill always came first.
The three of them soon reached the back study, where Luo Qingyun brought out the bird's nest and shark fins she'd mentioned.
There wasn't much stock, since it was expensive and rare.
Many people asked, few actually bought.
Julie thought it through and decided not to take everything—just enough to try first. If it tasted good, she'd come back for more.
In the end, Julie bought ten taels of white nest, six taels of blood nest, ten taels of loose fin, and five taels of full fin.
White nest: 40 taels. Blood nest: 108 taels. Loose fin: 60 taels. Full fin: 75 taels. Total: 283 taels of silver.
Julie calmly took out three 100-tael notes from her sleeve.
Luo Qingyun called over the bookkeeper. After confirming everything, they gave her 17 taels in change.
She had a servant carefully sort and box everything, then respectfully handed it to Julie.
Julie thanked her and left with the goods.
Remembering Luo Qingyun's advice about cooking the bird's nest with sugar beets, red dates, and cane sugar for better taste, Julie headed to the dried goods shop next.
It was small but clean and tidy.
The shopkeeper greeted her. "Hello, miss. What can I get for you?"
Julie replied, "Five taels of sugar beet, two jin of red dates, and five jin of cane sugar." She figured it was better to stock up.
The shopkeeper beamed. "Right away, miss. Just a moment."
"That's 231 wen total. Since you bought quite a bit, make it 230." He gave her a discount.
Julie paid, thanked him, and left with her items.
She had nothing else to buy, so she rode her horse, Blackie, and headed home.
Julie got home after the hour of Shen, and the sky had already grown dim.
She led Little Black to the stable in the backyard when Haven slowly walked over and said, "Wife-lord, shall I feed Little Black?" He also wanted to use the chance to touch her hand.
He still remembered how her hand felt last time—soft, warm, slender, fair, and smooth.
Julie glanced at him, then looked down at his hand before refusing, "No need. I'll do it."
Haven was startled by her look.
What was wrong with his wife-lord?
Was she looking at his hands?
He looked down at his own hands, confused. What's wrong with them?
He had specially picked some bright wildflowers and spent a long time turning them into nail polish. Didn't it look nice?
After feeding Little Black, Julie turned around and saw Haven staring at his hands with a strange expression.
They were red. What was that?
Ancient nail polish?
She had never used it, so she wasn't sure. "What are you looking at?"
Haven didn't hide his hands. Instead, he confidently held them up for her to see. "Wife-lord, does it look nice? I made it myself." He had worked on it for several hours.
Julie didn't really know how to appreciate it, but seeing how serious he looked, she said, "It's not ugly. If you think it looks good, that's what matters. It's just..." She hesitated a bit.
Men liked to look good, and if she told him to cut his nails, it would ruin his work.
Forget it. Her back was still healing from the scratches—better not go to his room tomorrow night.
"It's just what…" Haven felt something was off with her today.
"It's nothing. I bought some things—mostly health supplements. When you're free, cook them into dessert. Add some cane sugar, beets, and red dates. It'll taste better and be good for your health. The amount…" She paused. "Is Bailee in the kitchen? I'll go tell him."
Julie picked up the bag of dried goods and supplements from her saddle and walked quickly toward the kitchen.
She didn't want to explain too much. Better to show them. She would cook a few ounces today to test. No use storing them forever.
Haven followed her. "Wife-lord, I'll go with you. You didn't have to buy us so many good things. Our life is already great. I just…" His voice lowered near the end.
Julie stopped. "What are you afraid of?"
He still had fears?
Haven looked her straight in the eyes, sincere and without his usual smile. "Wife-lord, I'm afraid that the more kind you are to us, the more we'll take it for granted. I'm afraid that one day… you'll suddenly leave and not want us anymore."
His expression was calm but carried a hint of pleading and testing.
He was someone who lacked a sense of security.
He was afraid he might slowly fall in love with her, afraid he wouldn't be able to leave her, afraid… she wouldn't want him.
Even though he tried to restrain himself, once someone has affection and longing, emotions can't always be controlled.
Staying detached meant being in control.
Once the heart is involved, part of it no longer listens to reason.
Julie didn't expect him to say that so suddenly. But she wasn't someone who made promises lightly.
A promise is not something to give easily.
Once said, it must be kept—because others will believe it, take it to heart.
If it's not fulfilled, both sides get hurt.
Say too many, and they lose value. No one believes them anymore.