Since Wei Zhan didn't show up, Yingbao finally had two days of peace.
When the girls were not going out to work, they learned how to make rouge and powder from Yan Ru.
They picked some lotus and red and blue flowers, then put them in a stone bowl and pounded them repeatedly, then added water to wash them, poured off the yellow layer on top, and finally the red cream that precipitated became bright rouge.
Scrape this thick rouge into a small porcelain bottle and it can be used for a long time.
The production of scented powder is more troublesome. Common women mostly use Yingdie powder made from ground corn flour for facial application, while noble ladies mostly use lead powder, or corn flour with varying amounts of lead powder, aluminum powder, etc.
There is also the Jade Maiden Peach Blossom Powder which is made by blending gypsum, talc, clam powder, wax fat, musk deer shell and motherwort.
Yan Ru taught them to roast the clam shells over the fire, remove the outer layer of black shell, and leave only the shiny layer inside, then crush and grind it into fine powder.
Roast the lotus and peony flowers and grind them into powder, then mix them with clam powder and chestnut rice powder.
This kind of powder makes the face look smooth and soft, and it will be even better if a little bit of lead powder is added.
However, Yingbao said that women would get sick if they applied lead powder on their skin, so she didn't allow Yanru to add lead powder.
On this day, Yan Ru was making rouge with a few other girls when suddenly a few uninvited guests came.
Leng's biological mother, Mrs. Cao, took her son and daughter to Jiang Erlang's house.
Jiang Erlang was not at home at the moment, and Yan Ru didn't know these people, so she was pushed and shoved by them several times.
"You vixen! You actually seduced my son-in-law!" Mrs. Cao came up and started to beat Yan Ru.
Da Ni and Er Ni were frightened and rushed forward to protect Yan Ru.
"Er Ni! You actually helped this bitch?" Seeing her daughter protecting Yan Ru, Leng became furious and rushed up to slap Er Ni twice.
Yingbao saw this and immediately shouted, "Auntie! Auntie! Come here quickly!"
Hearing the noise, Jiang Dasao and Chun Niang came over, pushed Leng's mother and daughter away, quickly pushed Yan Ru into the house, and closed the door to prevent Cao's mother and daughter from getting close to her.
"What are you doing?" Chunniang was very angry.
This Leng family is really too much. Jiang Erlang has already married, and she has also married and had children. I don’t understand why she is making trouble again.
"Third sister-in-law, wuwuwuwu...are you protecting that bitch like this?" Leng covered her face and cried.
Chunniang said coldly: "I am not your sister-in-law, don't try to be related to me."
This Leng has two children with that Zuo who sells pickles. I wonder what she wants to do here today.
"Chun Niang, are you so heartless?" Leng cried. Seeing that Chun Niang was indifferent, she ran to Zhou and said, "Sister-in-law, is my mother-in-law at your house? I want to kowtow to her."
Zhou got goosebumps all over her body and quickly winked at Chunniang, asking her to go find Jiang Sanlang and Jiang Erlang and bring them back.
Chunniang went out without saying a word, and met Jiang Erlang who had hurried back halfway.
"You're finally back. I don't know what's wrong with the Leng family now. I guess they have no good intentions." Chun Niang said.
"Got it. Third sister-in-law, take the children back first. I will take care of this matter."
Jiang Erlang stepped into the house, glanced at the people standing in the yard, and asked coldly, "Do you want to be sued for trespassing?"
When Mrs. Cao saw Jiang Erlang coming back, she immediately rushed over and said, "Erlang, it was my fault before. I shouldn't have separated you two. You can beat me or scold me today. Now that my girl knows she was wrong, you two should make peace."
Leng wanted to pounce on Jiang Erlang, but he dodged her.
"Erlang, I was really wrong. For the sake of our two children, let's make peace, wuwuwuwu..."
Jiang Erlang ignored her crying and just picked up a broom and swept over: "Get out of here!"
Mrs. Cao's family was forced to retreat again and again, and were finally driven to the gate of the courtyard by Jiang Erlang, where they refused to leave no matter what.
"Jiang Erlang! Why are you so arrogant?" Leng's younger brother Leng Da roared: "I am the uncle of Erni and Hu Zi, how dare you chase me away like this?"
"My Huzi and Erni don't have an uncle. It was clearly written in the severance agreement. Your whole family put their fingerprints on it."
In order to get the fifteen taels, Cao's family said all kinds of cruel words. Now they are talking about uncle or not. It's ridiculous.
"So what if they pressed the fingerprints? Erni and Huzi are still my sister's biological children." Leng Da roared desperately.
Jiang Erlang sneered: "Your sister's own flesh and blood is in the town selling pickles, don't make it uncomfortable with me."
Leng gave birth to two children for the pickle seller, a boy and a girl. The younger son is only a few months old. I don't understand why she comes here to cause trouble again and again.
"I don't care. You have to give us another fifty taels, no, one hundred taels of silver. Otherwise it's not over." Leng Dalang shouted and finally stated the purpose of this trip.
"So you're trying to extort money. Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you ask me for money? How about this? Sun Lizheng is about to come over, so let him make the decision."
At this time, Sun Lizheng was leading people from the county government and was asking the three brothers of the Jiang family about the cotton planting situation. Unexpectedly, someone told Jiang Erlang that the Leng family came to Nanpo to make trouble again, so Jiang Erlang ran back in a hurry.
When Mrs. Cao heard that Sun Li was about to come, she couldn't help but feel a cramp in her calf. She turned to look at her son, silently asking what to do.
Leng Dalang was dazzled by the new houses of the Jiang family and ignored his mother's hint. "It's useless even if he comes. I am the uncle of Erni and Huzi. From now on, their marriages must be approved by me."
Uncles in the countryside have great power. Some are even arrogant and unreasonable. They can even interfere in the marriages of their nephews and nieces, so Leng Dalang said this.
"Oh, you're so arrogant." Sun Lizheng came over with his hands behind his back, followed by several village chiefs and village guards. Everyone surrounded the two middle-aged men with long beards.
Yingbao recognized at a glance that one of them was Mr. Liao, the aide to the previous county magistrate.
"What's going on?" Mr. Liao asked.
Jiang Erlang immediately told the story of his dispute with the Leng family.
"Leng and I have already divorced and signed a severance agreement. I paid the Leng family fifteen taels of silver. But Leng has already married and had children, yet she has repeatedly come to my house to harass me. Today, she even tried to extort a hundred taels of silver from me, saying that if I didn't give it to her, she would ruin my children's marriage."
"You said you want to break off the relationship?" Leng Da was still shouting, "My sister and I are not dead yet!"
Mr. Liao looked at Leng Da coldly, then turned to ask Li Zheng Sun: "Mr. Sun, are there such unruly people in your village? How can no one do anything about the blatant extortion?"
Sun Lizheng was sweating under the question and said defensively, "It's the first time I've encountered such a thing."
Then he turned around and ordered the village guards: "Tie them up and send them to the village hall to await trial."
Seven or eight village guards rushed forward, knocked Cao Pozi and her two children to the ground, and tied them up with ropes they carried with them.
Leng and Mrs. Cao were so frightened that they screamed, "I am Jiang Erlang's relative, why are you kidnapping me, village head?"
Without waiting for the headman to speak, the village guard tore off Leng Da's shirt, tore it off and stuffed it into the mouths of Leng's mother and daughter, then dragged them away to avoid disturbing the people coming from the county.