Chapter 1102: Not Lying

Editor: Henyee Translations

“Oh yes,” Second Madame said, turning towards Qiao Xuan with a smile. “Madame Shao hails from Yuzhang, doesn’t she? You must be well-informed about this, right?”

All eyes turned to Qiao Xuan.

Tian Jingjing sneered and cast a contemptuous glance at Qiao Xuan, assuming that lipsticks were too expensive for her and she couldn’t afford them. How could she possibly know?

Lipsticks were being sold for 10 liang, and Yuezheng Xiao had offered Qiao Xuan 5 liang for each one.

Qiao Xuan was taken aback by the sudden question.

She immediately faced a dilemma.

She couldn’t reveal the truth, but Third Madame Qiao, Qiao Wei, and Qiao Kou knew that the lipsticks belonged to the Yuezheng Family. If she spoke up now, it would create an uncomfortable situation between Third Madame Qiao and the Yuezheng Family, leading to embarrassment.

Qiao Xuan didn’t want such an awkwardness to arise.

She didn’t want people to perceive her as a liar.

Even if Third Madame Qiao and the others didn’t mention it or didn’t have the opportunity to do so, secrets known by two individuals will inevitably become known to everyone sooner or later.

But telling the truth wouldn’t work either!

What if they were compelled to cooperate?

Even without resorting to forceful tactics, it would still bring trouble upon them.

Qiao Xuan felt a headache coming on; she couldn’t lie, and she couldn’t tell the truth.

She lowered her gaze, nodded, and shyly replied, “Of course, I know about lipsticks. I am aware of some aspects of the business with the Yuezheng Family. Lipsticks require various ingredients like roses, Chinese roses, pomegranate flowers, cinnamon, red and blue flowers for dyeing…”

That was all she could disclose.

Even Third Madame Qiao had limited knowledge about lipsticks. She relied on the Yuezheng Family, leading her to subconsciously believe that they were in charge of the business, not her.

Even if they were about to speak, they wouldn’t have much to say.

As expected, everyone was taken aback and quickly grasped the situation.

They had never anticipated that Qiao Xuan had a connection to lipsticks!

Knowing how to cultivate flowers and considering that lipsticks required flower dyes, it seemed logical for the Yuezheng Family to collaborate with her.

“I never expected Madame Shao to possess such expertise!”

“Indeed!”

“Madame Shao is truly talented in many aspects!”

“Wait a moment!”

They all grew increasingly curious.

Qiao Xuan began sharing some anecdotes and stories.

They listened with emotional sighs, their perceptions of her shifting.

How fortunate they were!

She must have earned a substantial amount of money simply by supplying flowers. It explained why she could accompany Editor Shao to the capital. It also shed light on why Editor Shao would rather offend the Tian Family than divorce her.

So someone asked Qiao Xuan if she could buy lipsticks from Yuzhang.

The capital was very faraway from Yuzhang, and no one would send their family to Yuzhang for no reason.

Therefore, whenever there was a new grade, it could not be bought at all.

They needed to spend a lot of efforts to buy some.

Qiao Xuan found herself in a predicament. She had mentioned that if anyone desired the lipsticks, they could seek her assistance. However, she wasn’t certain if she could fulfill those requests.

While in the capital, both she and Shao Yunduan had no means of maintaining direct contact with Yuzhang. Their only option was to send letters through a caravan.

Everyone concurred, understanding that Qiao Xuan lacked the assistance of servants capable of running errands over such a long distance. They were even less reliable than her own family.

Thus, the idea was quickly dismissed.