Dad, open the door. I'll bring your mistress back for you.

"Look at the skin on my face. Has it improved? This has nothing to do with my good mood. It's all thanks to Wan'er."

Old Madam Shen stroked her cheek with one hand, held Shen Jingwan's hand with the other, and said to Madam Shen Da and Madam Shen Er with a smile.

Madam Shen Er despised her inwardly, "Isn't this some secret recipe that Wan'er uses? Can you let Second Aunt use it too? But don't let your grandmother look younger than Second Aunt after a while. I'll be sad."

Shen Jingwan smiled sweetly, "Second Aunt, it's not a secret recipe, it's just grinding pearls into powder and applying it on your face before going to bed at night."

"Tsk tsk, it's different for a young lady from a wealthy family. She even uses pearls to apply on her face. I wonder if you also used pearls to apply on your face when you were in Ganhua Hutong." Madam Shen said sarcastically.

Shen Jingwan instantly had tears in her eyes. "Aunt, I only did this to please Grandmother. I haven't used any of it myself. Besides, I only found leftover pearls that couldn't be used as jewelry and ground them into powder. They're not worth much. If I've ever made you angry, you can tell me directly. But this pearl powder thing is just an act of filial piety. Even if you want to beat me or scold me, I will continue to honor you."

Mrs. Shen was even more furious when she saw Shen Jingwan like this, "When did I say I was going to beat you or scold you? Why are you talking like I'm going to bully you?"

Tears welled up in Shen Jingwan's eyes. "Aunt, don't be angry. It's all Wan'er's fault..."

"Okay, old lady, please speak less and don't scare Wan'er." Old Lady Shen interrupted their conversation.

Madam Shen Er quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "My family has merchant ships that often go out to sea, and the fishermen on the coast grind broken pearls into powder. I've used it before, but it becomes dry and uncomfortable after a while when I apply it on my face, and the effect isn't noticeable. It's not as good as my mother's. I wonder if it's because of the type of pearls."

Shen Jingwan wiped the tears from her cheeks, "Second Aunt, it's not because of the type of pearls. Did you mix the pearl powder with water before?"

Mrs. Shen nodded.

Shen Jingwan smiled and said, "That's it. If you mix pearl powder with water, the water will evaporate. Not only will it not have a whitening effect, it will also take away the original moisture on your face, making it drier and naturally uncomfortable."

"I mixed pearl powder with honey for my grandmother, which not only whitens her skin but also locks in moisture on her face. The pearls and honey complement each other so well, which is why they have such a noticeable effect."

Madam Shen Er asked thoughtfully, "I've never thought of this method before. I wonder where Wan'er saw it."

A flash of panic crossed Shen Jingwan's face, but she quickly regained her composure. "I saw it in a book. Wan'er has loved reading since she was a child, and she reads all kinds of books, so she knows a lot about this method."

Madam Shen raised her eyebrows and said, "Wan'er is really knowledgeable and talented."

Madam Shen coughed lightly and said, "Wan'er is studious, so I agreed to let her study in the Shen family school."

"Why is it the Shen family school? I heard that the girls' school in the family of Lord An, the doctor of the Ministry of Rites, is very good. Why not send Wan'er there?" asked Mrs. Shen.

"Who says girls have to go to girls' schools? Didn't Xiaojiu take classes in our family school before? Besides, what can girls learn in a girls' school? Girls should not play the piano or paint. It's enough to cultivate an interest in these things and know a little about them. She can learn some great principles in our family school so that she can assist her husband in the future." Old Lady Shen replied.

Madam Shen was shocked. Assisting her husband? What kind of husband deserved the word "assisting"? But she didn't show it, only nodded quietly.

Seeing that her two daughters-in-law had no objections, Old Madam Shen asked Second Madam Shen, "Second Madam, is there a rouge shop in the Shen Mansion?"

Madam Shen Er thought about it carefully. "Yes, there is one in the north of the city. The rouge and powder they sell are of better quality, but the price is higher. They mainly sell to the ladies and wives of various families. The one in the west of the city is cheaper. The quality is not as good as the one in the north of the city, and the variety is not as wide, but the sales volume is better. Most of the ladies and wives of ordinary families and the maids and servants of large families buy them."

Madam Shen nodded and thought for a while, "Let's take the one in the north of the city out and let Wan'er take care of it."

Madam Shen Da and Madam Shen Er both widened their eyes in shock. Giving her a shop? This was a treatment Shen Chuning hadn't even received.

"Mother, isn't this a bit too hasty? Wan'er is not even eleven years old yet, and there are so many things she needs to learn about managing a shop." Mrs. Shen said.

"Second brother, how old were you when you started managing the shop?" asked Mrs. Shen.

"On my daughter-in-law's seventh birthday, my father gave her a rice shop so she could practice her trade."

"Seven years old..." Old Madam Shen said slowly.

"But my daughter-in-law comes from a merchant family in Jiangnan. She has been influenced by this family since she was a child. Even so, the rice shop still lost money for two years. It was not until the third year that it was able to break even, and it was not until the fourth year that it had a slight surplus. Wan'er just returned to the Shen family and has not been exposed to these things. Shouldn't she learn them first?" Mrs. Shen explained.

Shen Jingwan said dejectedly, "Grandma, it's understandable that Second Aunt doesn't trust Wan'er. After all, Wan'er didn't grow up in the mansion. If it was my sister who asked to manage the shop, Second Aunt would definitely agree without hesitation."

Madam Shen Er: "What does this have to do with An Ning? An Ning is just a few months older than you. She has only just started to learn how to manage the household affairs in the mansion and has never managed a shop."

Shen Jingwan smiled sadly, "So this is why Second Auntie opposed Wan'er taking charge of the shop. Wan'er is younger than her elder sister, but does that mean she should always take a backseat to her? If Wan'er is more capable than her elder sister, does that mean she deserves to live under her elder sister's shadow for the rest of her life?"

When Old Madam Shen heard this, she frowned. Shen Jingwan was not as good as Shen Chuning in terms of family background, so she had to be better in other aspects to be worthy of the so-called Phoenix Fate.

If they only rely on Shen Chuning, if something unexpected happens and Shen Jingwan can't take over, it will be a huge loss for the Shen family.

So she had to support Shen Jingwan.

"Just do as I say. Let Jingwan practice her skills at the rouge shop in the north of the city. It's just a shop. It's not like our Shen family can't survive without the harvest from this shop. Wan'er needs to practice in order to grow."

Madam Shen Er couldn't refute the old woman's words. "Yes, then the daughter-in-law will take Jingwan to the shop tomorrow to let her understand the general situation and get to know the shopkeeper and the clerks. From now on, the shopkeeper will directly reply to Jingwan. But..."