Chunxiu widened her eyes and said, “Sister, you’re not thinking of making this motherwort facial paste right now, are you?” After seeing Jirong nod, she stamped her feet anxiously. “Sister, have you gone mad? Our urgent priority is to quickly make the Muscle-Mending Powder to report to the First Young Master. How can you still have the mood to make this useless motherwort facial paste?”

Jirong sighed and said, “I’ve already thought of every possible way, but I still can’t make the real Muscle-Mending Powder. I’m destined to fail in my report to the First Young Master.”

Chunxiu shook her head anxiously and said, “That can’t be. We still have more than a day’s time. Sister, you said that when Master Ji was alive, he praised you for having talent in medicine. As long as you put in more effort, you can definitely make it. Don’t give up.” Seeing Jirong remain silent, she walked over and grabbed her hand, saying in panic, “Sister, please think again. The First Young Master is not someone we can afford to offend.”

“I know what kind of person the First Young Master is better than you do.” Saying this, Jirong broke free from her painfully tight grip and caught her breath, saying, “It’s precisely because of this that we need to find another path.”

This time Chunxiu finally heard the hidden meaning in her words and asked in confusion, “What other path?”

“I’ve seen Second Madam. Although she’s in her prime, her youth is gradually fading, and with Third Madam and Fourth Madam in the household, I believe nothing is more important to her than maintaining her beautiful appearance. This motherwort facial paste can cater to her preferences perfectly.”

Fortunately, Chunxiu wasn’t stupid. After thinking for a while, she understood Jirong’s meaning and said with a hint of joy, “Sister, you mean that if we’re blamed by the First Young Master, Second Madam will also speak up for us?”

“That’s right, Second Madam is our backup plan.” Jirong said somewhat helplessly. The person she most wanted to please was still Li Jiancheng, but unless absolutely necessary, she really didn’t want to take this path, and didn’t know if there would be a chance to make amends in the future.

Hearing this, Chunxiu no longer hesitated and quickly went to fetch things according to her words, soon bringing back everything Jirong needed. Jirong took the dried motherwort and ground it into fine powder through a sieve, then added appropriate amounts of flour and water, mixing them into balls the size of eggs. According to the medical text, these should be dried in the sun first before the next step, but unfortunately it was the middle of the night with no sun, so she had to light a clay stove to dry them. After completing all this, she carefully laid a layer of charcoal on the clay stove, placed the medicine in the middle, and covered it with another layer of charcoal. She burned it with strong fire for the time it takes to eat a meal, then changed to gentle fire and simmered until dawn before the medicine was ready. After it cooled completely, she ground it into fine powder with a porcelain mortar and put it in a porcelain bottle.

Seeing her finish all this, Chunxiu asked impatiently, “Is this finished now?”

“Almost. When the time comes, add talcum powder and rouge, mix well, and it can be used to wash the face.” Jirong glanced at the sky outside and said, “I’ll go see Second Madam now. I hope everything goes smoothly.”

“Mm, Sister, please be careful.” After Jirong left, Chunxiu also returned to the woodshed to work. After they had gone far, Jiang Caiping closed the half-open window and said to Yunyi, “Sister, both Jirong and Chunxiu have left. Should we go over now?”

Ever since suspecting that Jirong had used bewitching incense, Jiang Caiping had been thinking about entering their room to search, but unfortunately, Jirong had been claiming illness and staying in her room these past few days, not even going to dance practice, making it impossible for them to find an opportunity.

Yunyi opened a crack in the window and saw people passing by outside, all dancers getting up to go to the music workshop. She said, “Let’s wait until the people outside are gone. By the way, was Jirong going to the music workshop just now?”

Jiang Caiping shook her head and said, “That direction wasn’t toward the music workshop. She’s been mysterious lately, I don’t know what she’s doing. According to people at the pharmacy, in these past seven or eight days, she’s been going to get medicine almost every day, completely depleting several types of medicine. The pharmacy had to go out and buy more to replenish, spending a lot of silver.”

After everyone outside had left, Yunyi and her companion left their room and came to outside Jirong’s room, quietly pushing the door open and walking in. As soon as she stepped into the room, Jiang Caiping was overwhelmed by the medicinal smell that filled the room, covering her mouth and nose tightly. After a while, she adapted to the smell and frowned, saying, “Jirong stays in the room all day, doesn’t she find it unpleasant?”

Yunyi looked at the medical books covering the table and said coldly, “Stop talking and quickly search around to see what medicines are here.”

“Mm.” Saying this, Jiang Caiping waved her small fist and said, “If I find the bewitching incense, I’ll make Jirong pay.”

Yunyi understood in her heart that Jirong hadn’t used any bewitching incense, but it wasn’t convenient to say this now, so she only said, “Besides bewitching incense, don’t miss any other medicines either.”

Jiang Caiping agreed and searched around the room. Yunyi focused her attention on the medical books and notes piled on the table, quickly finding the notebook that Jirong had written. It carefully recorded her medicine-making process over the past month, and Yunyi unsurprisingly found the five characters “Muscle-Mending Powder” in there.

Jiang Caiping searched around and said in difficulty, “Neither sister nor I understand medicine. How can we know which bottle is the bewitching incense?”

“No need to look anymore, there’s no bewitching incense at all.” Saying this, she handed the notebook to her. Jiang Caiping flipped through a few pages and said in surprise, “Muscle-Mending Powder? She actually knows how to make this medicine?”

“The First Young Master wasn’t bewitched by any incense, but rather wants to obtain the Muscle-Mending Powder from her to treat his foot condition. That’s why he’s been so accommodating to Jirong’s requests. However, looking at the last page of the notebook, Jirong probably hasn’t successfully made the Muscle-Mending Powder yet.”

Jiang Caiping quickly flipped to the last page, and indeed it was as Yunyi had said. She said, “That medicine has long been lost. How could she possibly make it?”

“Since she dared to promise the First Young Master, she must have some confidence.” While speaking, Yunyi placed the notebook back on the table exactly as it was. Just as she was about to search elsewhere, her attention was caught by an unclosed medical book. After reading the contents and glancing around, she suddenly said, “Caiping, the direction Jirong left just now, was it toward the east?”

Jiang Caiping carefully recalled and said, “That’s right, how did sister know?”

Yunyi tapped lightly on the medical book with her finger and said, “Because the Yuxiu Pavilion is in that direction.”

Jiang Caiping looked at the medical book in confusion and said blankly, “The book doesn’t mention Yuxiu Pavilion at all.”

“This motherwort facial paste formula mentions motherwort, flour, and a clay stove. Besides motherwort, the other two items can be seen right here. And this motherwort facial paste has excellent beauty and skin-nourishing effects. If Jirong really made this, who do you think she would take it to please?”

Jiang Caiping thought for a moment and blurted out, “Second Madam.”

“That’s right. Based on my guess, Jirong probably couldn’t make the Muscle-Mending Powder for the time being, so she turned to making the motherwort facial paste to please Second Madam. This way, she wouldn’t have to fear the First Young Master’s blame.”