The high-quality fabrics in the old tailor's shop were prepared for the nobles within the county, with the Williams family being the largest customer. Previously, the fabrics Wei Wei had purchased were samples brought to the castle by the old tailor, mostly in elegant and understated styles, while the more flamboyant colors that aligned with noble aesthetics were less common.
Taking advantage of this outing, Wei Wei decided to pick out a batch of fabrics, as she realized that since they were going to the royal capital to attend the Queen's birthday banquet, the three of them would need to prepare their formal attire separately.
While it would be ideal to have their outfits custom-made at a tailor's shop in the royal capital to align with the latest trends, if any unexpected delays occurred on the journey, they might not be able to ensure the outfits would be ready before the banquet.
So, to be safe, it was better to prepare one set now. Even if it wasn't entirely in line with the latest fashion, at least it wouldn't be disrespectful.
Additionally, after arriving in the royal capital, they might receive invitations to other noble banquets. Even if they couldn't wear different outfits for every event, they would still need at least two or three distinct sets.
Therefore, Wei Wei not only bought fabric for the Queen's dress but also selected fabrics and furs that she liked, that Dolores liked, and that suited Felix while aligning with her aesthetic.
Her selection directly cleared out a large portion of the high-quality fabrics that had been sitting in the tailor's shop for a long time, spending half of the dividend draft she had received. The other customers who witnessed this were stunned, while the old tailor was grinning from ear to ear.
He had never expected such a large transaction. When he had reluctantly purchased the fine linen embroidered with gold threads, he hadn't imagined anyone would buy the entire piece outright. Instead, he had thought it would be suitable for cutting into smaller pieces to use as trims and decorations on garments, which would enhance the clothing's quality and make it more acceptable to the nobles.
Now, Wei Wei had bought the entire piece. Although this meant he would lose out on some tailoring fees, the profit from the fabric sale alone was substantial.
Soon, news of the future lady of Sardinson County's extravagant tastes and lavish spending would spread throughout the county and beyond, carried by the merchants. Of course, along with this, the fact that the Count of Sardinson was very wealthy would also become widely known.
Wei Wei didn't care what they thought. She believed that the money spent on this shopping trip would eventually be earned back. Moreover, high-quality fabrics, if well-maintained, could be worn for many years. Since these were for her use, there was no need to be stingy.
Dolores, however, was uneasy. A significant portion of the fabrics Wei Wei had bought were for her. Dolores had initially refused, but Wei Wei didn't listen, buying whatever she thought was suitable and essentially treating Dolores like her own doll.
The young girl was worried that Felix would scold her when he found out. She believed her brother was willing to spend money on Wei Wei, but when it came to her, he might not be so generous, especially since it wasn't a small sum but several hundred gold coins.
"Don't worry, this is my own money," Wei Wei whispered, low enough that only Dolores could hear. "It's all mine, not a single copper coin of his was spent, so don't worry about what your brother might think."
At most, he might be a little jealous that she spent more on Dolores than on him, but men don't need as many clothes as women do!
Still, even if it was Wei Wei's money, it was too extravagant.
The young girl softly tried to advise Wei Wei, "You shouldn't spend money like this in the future. And since it's your own, shouldn't you save it more carefully?"
If she had a hundred gold coins, she would never dare to spend them.
"Gold coins sitting idle won't multiply. Only by putting them into circulation can they potentially grow," Wei Wei said, holding her hand and watching the apprentices load the purchased fabrics into the carriage. "When I spend money here, the tailor shop can use it to buy more fabrics, and the fabric makers can sell more, earning more income. They can then use that money to buy food and other necessities, which in turn drives various other businesses. Those businesses pay taxes, and we receive more revenue. It's a cycle that improves everyone's lives. So, in the end, we're not losing anything, are we?"
Wei Wei didn't understand economics, but she could certainly use it to persuade the young girl.
"Of course, this all depends on your ability to pay for your expenses. If you're spending someone else's money, that's not acceptable. People should rely on themselves."
Dolores listened, half-understanding. She felt that what Wei Wei said made sense, but something still seemed off.
In the end, the confused young girl couldn't figure out what was wrong.
The maids returned with the purchased items. Thanks to the recent influx of merchant caravans, they had managed to acquire most of the items on the list, though some were still missing.
Wei Wei looked over the list of missing items, which included some materials she needed to make cosmetics, such as mica powder for eyeshadow.
"It's fine. We can buy the missing items in the royal capital. They should have them there."
She had found many cosmetic recipes, but the options were limited to those that could be made at home with readily available materials and completed within a day. So, even if they had to wait until they reached the capital, it should still be manageable.
Even if they couldn't, it wouldn't be a big deal. At most, they'd be missing one or two items, and since they weren't commonly used cosmetics at the time, any shortcomings wouldn't be noticed.
"Pack everything up. We're heading back."
Returning to the castle with a full haul, Wei Wei dove straight into her work.
The design for the Queen's dress was the first to be completed. It was a small round-neck, pieced-together gown made primarily of bright red woolen fabric, with gold-threaded fine linen sewn from the chest to the hem. The waist was tailored to make the wearer's figure appear slimmer, and the large sleeves, in line with the current fashion, had a band of gold at the cuffs that complemented the gold on the dress. Additionally, the upper part of the gold-threaded fabric featured a crisscross lacing design, with red laces extending to the waist and tied into a decorative knot. The seam where the two fabrics met was adorned with a red ruffle, giving the dress the appearance of a red outer robe over a golden gown, creating a faux two-piece effect.
While the design was relatively simple, compared to the fashion of the time, its visual impact would undoubtedly be stunning.
Wei Wei drew the design, personally drafted the pattern, and cut the fabric. The sewing was then handed over to several skilled maids. With multiple people working on it simultaneously, the dress, which didn't have too many intricate details, could be completed in about two days.
Once this dress was finished, they would start preparing the formal attire for the three members of the Count's family. Of course, to avoid upstaging the Queen, Wei Wei and Dolores's dresses would follow the mainstream style, with only minor modifications, such as adding embroidered patterns or ruffles.
Since embroidery was too time-consuming, Wei Wei selected some suitable pieces from their existing embroidery work to be sewn onto the dresses.
"Can this be part of the gift for the Queen?"
Dolores brought a fan to Wei Wei, asking if it could be included in the gift for the Queen.
It wasn't the fan Wei Wei had initially embroidered herself, but one made later. The fan's ribs were carved, and the red fine linen fan surface was edged with gold-thread embroidery, making it a perfect match for the dress they were making.
This was a fan Dolores had made herself. After Wei Wei made her first fan, Dolores created several more with different patterns, seemingly turning it into a collecting hobby.
Wei Wei was surprised. "We already have a lot of things prepared. Are you sure you want to give this away? Don't you like it a lot?"
Dolores shyly kicked the ground. "I was thinking that if the Queen uses it, other noblewomen might start using fans too. Then I can bring mine to banquets."
During the last banquet, she had felt too self-conscious to use her fan since no one else had one. But if possible, she wished she could have had one then, as holding a fan made her feel less nervous.
Wei Wei understood her intention—she wanted to promote the use of fans so she could openly use hers as well.
She patted the young girl's head. "Then have the carpenter make a box to put it in."
"Okay, I'll go do that now." The young girl happily ran off.
Wei Wei watched her背影 with a helpless smile, then turned back to her cosmetics.
She needed to prepare a set of skincare products and a simple makeup kit before their departure.
Most of the items were things she had made before, so recreating them wasn't difficult. However, for the Queen's makeup, she replaced the rouge with lipstick and used dried rose petals to make blush, as she had run out of safflower and only had enough rouge for herself, with none to spare for gifts.
Making lipstick was simple—a bit of plant-based pigment, some olive oil, and a specific ratio of beeswax, mixed and heated in a double boiler until melted, then poured into molds and frozen. The whole process took less than two hours.
Pigments were easy to obtain. For a bright red, she could use beetroot powder; for a reddish-brown, cinnamon; and there were many other plant-based powders that could be used to create a variety of colors.
As for the lipstick containers, since proper lipstick tubes weren't available, Wei Wei bought some cosmetics from merchants, emptied them, and repurposed the exquisitely crafted gilded containers to hold the lipstick. She also included a small brush for application.
The lipstick, made from beeswax and olive oil, had a decent shelf life. The three colors she mixed were vibrant, and though the lack of vitamin E made the lipstick a bit dry, it was still quite good overall.
As for the other cosmetics, the eyebrow pencil and eyeshadow couldn't be made yet due to the lack of mica powder, so they would have to wait until they reached the capital. The blush, made from dried rose petals, had just the right color. However, the foundation Wei Wei had never used before made her heartache.
The foundation was made using an ancient Chinese recipe, specifically the "water powder" from rouge and powder sets. The main ingredient was rice. The rice Wei Wei had was from her harvest, and there was only a small amount. She had originally planned to save it for seeds, but now she had to use some of it to make the foundation, which pained her greatly.
—If Felix hadn't told her that there were countries near Pradi that grew rice and that she could buy some from traveling merchants, she would never have been willing to use it. After all, she had just discovered that parts of Sardinson County were suitable for growing rice, and she planned to open paddy fields there next year.
Of course, while preparing the gifts, Wei Wei didn't forget to arrange for her experimental fields. Many of the plants in the experimental fields weren't suited for winter, but Wei Wei couldn't just let them die in the cold. She had to find ways to keep them warm, though the actual work would have to be done by the gardeners.
"I hope there are still surviving plants in my fields when I return."
Sitting in the carriage, Wei Wei kept her gaze fixed on the direction of the castle garden.
Today was the day of departure. The group heading to the royal capital numbered over fifty people. Wei Wei and Dolores each brought their maids, and Felix brought a manservant. The rest were knights tasked with protecting them.
Felix wasn't riding in the carriage. He wore armor and rode alongside the knights, but there were still more than ten carriages in the procession. Wei Wei and Dolores shared one carriage in the middle of the convoy, while the four maids rode in the carriage behind them. The remaining carriages were filled with supplies for the journey and the luggage of the three masters.
If time hadn't been so tight and they hadn't been concerned about slowing down the journey, they would have brought along some goods to sell as well.
As November approached, Sardinson County, after a brief autumn, welcomed the cold winter. It seemed that overnight, the temperature had dropped below ten degrees. Even inside the carriage, the cold wind seeped through the cracks.
Fortunately, they were well-prepared for the cold, especially in the carriage shared by the two ladies. The seats on either side of the carriage had been replaced with wooden boards, transforming them into beds. The space in the middle was filled with luggage, stacked to support the boards and make them more stable. Several layers of blankets and quilts were spread on top, ensuring that even after nearly twenty days in the cramped carriage, they would remain comfortable.
The maids didn't have such luxuries, but they were dressed warmly, and their carriage also had several blankets, so they wouldn't catch a cold.
The men, however, would have a tough journey. Without carriages to ride in, they would have to camp outdoors when traveling through the wilderness, making their conditions much harsher than the women's.
Fortunately, the men were used to such hardships. They had prepared everything they needed, and with the medicinal herbs Wei Wei had brought, the journey should have been relatively smooth.
"Don't worry so much. The gardeners will take good care of your precious plants. If it gets too cold, they'll move them into the castle."
Felix rode his horse alongside the carriage. In his hand, he held a rope tied to Wei Wei's Jade Lion, the unicorn-like white horse that would also accompany them to the royal capital.
They had to bring it along. If Wei Wei wasn't there, no one could calm it down.
Jade Lion had a bad temper and ignored everyone except Wei Wei. Felix's black horse, Liaros, had pursued it throughout its mating season but failed to win its affection. Now that the mating season was over, the black horse, though still fond of Jade Lion, was no longer as restless.
—However, the fact that it had remained faithful throughout the entire mating season seemed to have earned it some points. At least now, Jade Lion wasn't as hostile toward it. Last time, Wei Wei had overheard the stableman say that Jade Lion was now willing to share its feed with Liaros, something it had never allowed before.
Perhaps, if this continued, Liaros might finally succeed next year.
But for now, there was still a long way to go.
Jade Lion refused to be ridden by anyone else and certainly wouldn't pull a carriage, so Felix had to tie it to the carriage and let it run alongside.
The journey to the royal capital was bumpy and monotonous. After a full day of travel, they stopped to rest in a wilderness area as night fell. The surroundings were desolate, with no signs of human life, and the cold wind howled, chilling them to the bone.
After a day of jolting in the carriage, Wei Wei, helped down by Felix, was unsteady on her feet, looking every bit the delicate young lady.
It was ironic, considering that by all accounts, she should have been a master capable of taking on ten opponents. Yet, most of the time, she seemed no different from any other fragile woman. Privately, she had tested her strength and knew she was quite strong—strong enough to smash rocks with a single punch.
So, it must be the fault of her in-game character design. After all, as a female healer, appearing weak while secretly being a powerhouse was probably a common trope for all healing classes.
Dolores was in worse shape than Wei Wei. The young girl looked pale and nauseous, clearly suffering from motion sickness.
Wei Wei quickly asked the maids to fetch the preserved lemon slices they had brought. Soaking them in water could help alleviate motion sickness.
The knights were busy setting up camp. A bonfire was already lit, with a pot of water boiling over it. Dolores's maid poured some lemon water for the young girl, then joined Qin and the others in taking over the cooking duties.
It had to be said that compared to the men, whose only culinary skill was grilling, the maids were far better at cooking. After all, even Dolores, who had only picked up some cooking skills by watching Wei Wei, had learned a thing or two. The maids, who were often assigned to assist, naturally knew even more.
Wei Wei stayed by Dolores's side, massaging her acupressure points to ease her discomfort. Soon, the young girl's complexion improved.
After patrolling the area to ensure there were no signs of wild animals and even catching a rabbit, Felix returned, removed his helmet, and sat down beside them.
He asked Dolores, "How are you feeling? Still unwell?"
The young girl leaned weakly against Wei Wei. "I feel much better."
Then, though she knew the answer, she couldn't help but ask her brother, "Can I not ride in the carriage? Maybe riding a horse would feel better."
"No, you haven't learned to ride. It's too dangerous, and it's winter now. If you catch a cold from the wind, what then?" Felix took off his gloves and ruffled his sister's hair—something he had seen Wei Wei do often and wanted to try himself. Though it wasn't exactly proper etiquette toward a young lady, since it was his sister, it didn't matter. And it felt nice.
Wei Wei added, "Once you get used to riding in the carriage, you won't feel so sick anymore."
The young girl responded unhappily.
They rested in the wilderness overnight and set off again at dawn the next day. The journey continued in much the same way. Because they were in a hurry, they didn't stay long in the cities they passed, and Wei Wei had no chance to explore them. At most, she could only glance at the scenery outside the window while resting at an inn.
After getting used to the carriage's jolting, Dolores no longer suffered from motion sickness. However, once she recovered, the young girl became restless from the boredom of the journey. Unfortunately, the carriage was too bumpy for her favorite pastime, embroidery, which left her frustrated. She could only cling to her doll and beg Wei Wei to play house with her.
Wei Wei, on the other hand, was fine. Although reading in a moving carriage was bad for the eyes, her encyclopedia was just a prop—she could read its contents directly in her mind. With the rare opportunity to study more, she was busy expanding her medical knowledge and didn't feel bored at all.
Pestered by the young girl, Wei Wei, who just wanted to read, had no choice but to shoo her away. "Go play with Qin and the others in the back carriage. You can play house, have a tea party, or ask them to tell you stories. I remember there should be plenty of biscuits in the food carriage."
The biscuits were milk biscuits made before the trip, along with flatbread and steamed buns. They contained a lot of malt sugar for flavor and had a rich milky taste. Since they could last a long time in this season, a large batch had been made to provide a treat during the journey.
Hearing that she could go eat snacks, Dolores happily agreed. She lifted the carriage curtain, told her brother guarding outside, and then, clutching her doll and carrying a box of doll clothes, ran to the back carriage.
The convoy stopped briefly because of Dolores but soon set off again.
With only Wei Wei left in the carriage, she thought she could finally continue her studies in peace. But no sooner had her sister left than her brother arrived.
Felix rode his horse over. If he hadn't been wearing armor, he would have preferred to join Wei Wei in the carriage.
For now, he could only regretfully speak to her through the carriage window. "Let me tell you about the royal capital."
This was a topic worth listening to.
Wei Wei closed her book. "Sure, and tell me which people in the capital we need to be especially careful around."