Chapter 3 Family Financial Dilemma

After a good night's sleep, Selena got up refreshed and refreshed the next day. She went to the yard and folded a soft wicker stick, grinding it slowly with her teeth. Then she dipped some fine salt in it and carefully brushed her teeth one by one. 

When she was a lover in the Earl's Palace, she had nothing to do every day. She didn't learn anything else, just studied how to become more beautiful and charming. Over time, it became a habit. 

Even if she was later sold by the Countess and followed the incense seller around all day, and became unkempt due to the wind and sun, she would still have to clean her teeth every day. She even took pleasure in the hardships and figured out a way to make her teeth whiter.

After Selena brushed her teeth, she rinsed the salt out of her mouth with water from a  tube. Then she ran to the wildflower she planted in the corner that day, pulled off a pale red petal, and put the petal on her teeth, rubbing it carefully. 

If there are many petals, you can chew them and rinse your mouth with water three times a day. Over time, your teeth will become whiter.

Early in the morning, Jose went to sell goods in the streets with a  basket. Selena ate half a piece of bread, then rinsed her mouth and entered the bedroom. 

Maria was sitting on the bed, emptying the copper coins from her old wallet. She came out and counted them, and her expression became worse the more she counted. When she saw Selena coming in, she hurriedly put the copper coins back into his wallet.

Selena had often seen this scene in her previous life, and she knew that it was almost time to hand over money to her step-grandmom. The fixed amount of two hundred copper coins per month. The money should not be enough.

Before she was ten years old, her family's life was actually pretty good. At that time, she lived in a fairly spacious house. At least she could eat soft bread several times a month, but that was when Selena's grandfather was still alive. 

After his grandfather died, Selena family was kicked out by his step-grandmother and step-uncle. In fact, they monopolized his grandfather's fields and shops, and only gave Jose and Maria a shabby house at the foot of the mountain. 

If Maria hadn't exchanged from her dowry - the gold ring for six silver coins and asked Jose to wholesale some groceries and carry them for sale, the family would have starved to death.

Therefore, for the past year, the family has been frugal and frugal. They have not been able to eat well or wear warm clothes. Everyone has a sallow complexion and a thin body. Maria is already weak and has to worry about money all day long. 

Although Jose has been carrying the burden of selling goods, although he has made an income every day, At most, the net profit is more than 20 copper coins a day, sometimes only a few copper coins, and no more than 400 copper coins in a month. 

He still has to give his step-mother 200 copper coins a month, and the remaining more than 100 coins are left to the whole family. Not only did it need to afford food, but she also had to repair this leaky house. He had saved about a hundred copper coins. Not long ago, Maria contracted a cold and still owed money for medicine.

The current situation is very difficult. Selena feels that the most important thing now is to make more money to improve the conditions of the family. At least she must eat better and take good care of her mother's health. 

Then she reached out and turned over a few things on the table. The lace weaved in strips is just to make some handmade money. But the material is mediocre, it sells very slowly.

Selena said casually: “Mama, these lace handkerchiefs would sell much better if they were scented with flowers…”

Maria heard it and glared at Selena: “What do you know about? A perfume costs dozens of copper coins. How many lace handkerchiefs do you need to sell to make money back?”

Selena opened her eyes wide as if she was shocked and said, “Mom, why do you want to buy it? I know how to make perfume”

“You know how to make?” Maria was also shocked. Making perfume is a perfumer's survival skills. Even if the perfume recipe rots in their hands, they won't tell others. It is impossible for poor people like their level to spend money to learn how to make perfume, so when Selena said she knew how to make perfume, Maria thought it was a lie.

Selena did not answer Maria's words immediately. She smiled sweetly and sat on the edge of the table. Then she leaned closer to Maria and lowered her head slightly. She said coquettishly: "Mom, smell, I made this jasmine essential oil. Does it smell good?"

After listening to Selena's words, Maria discovered that there seemed to be a scent of jasmine in the room. Because the scent was the same as the jasmine flowers blooming on the mountain behind her home, she didn't notice it for a while, but after being reminded and as her daughter got closer, she noticed it. 

The fragrance finally became slightly stronger, but it was strong but not greasy. It felt as if she was standing next to the flowers, so natural that there was no pungent smell of spices.

Maria also knows the quality of essential oils. When she was not married, her parents had a grocery store in their home. Naturally, there were some perfumes, balms, soaps, hand oils and the like in the store. Maria had also used them, so it was more or less Still somewhat knowledgeable.

Suddenly she stood up, reached out and touched Selena's hair, then put her hand under her nose and smelled it. If her daughter hadn't mentioned it, she wouldn't have been able to tell that her daughter's thin hair had been put on essential oil. It's not as shiny as a woman's hair after touching essential oil, but the scent of jasmine is good. 

Just touch it lightly and her hands will be covered with the scent. The aroma of good essential oils or perfumes lasts for a long time. Looking at it this way, this jasmine essential oil is fantastic.

Selena brought the remaining half of the small jar of jasmine and olive oil mixture to Maria, dug out a little with a spoon, and smelled it for a long time. Her face was a little excited. When she found out that the jar was olive oil, her face suddenly changed. But the aroma of this hair oil smell rich and fresh, it was of the highest quality, so she held it back the temper.

Selena saw that Maria was angry that she had used so much olive oil. Before she could say anything, Selena told her how she knew how to make essential oils. She even opened her eyes wide and said that she accidentally picked a piece of cowhide with some tips for making essential oils, perfumes, and others written on it. 

Maria looked at Selena's innocent face and really thought that Selena had picked up a piece of cowhide by luck and learned how to make essential oils.

Selena walked back to her room with a smile on her face. She walked to the table with a little pride, and poured a cup of tea made from daisy flowers. 

Selena raised her little hand and clasped it together, and a few drops of light green liquid slowly condensed out of her palm that slowly gathered together, then poured a few drops of spring liquid into the daisy tea, shook it and started drinking. The smile on Selena's face deepened. This spring water was her secret. She could only collect a few drops a day.

Of course, what Selena just told her mam Maria is not entirely true. If high-quality essential oils and perfumes were so easy to make, then perfumers in big cities would become millionaires long ago. Without high-quality raw materials and the aid of precious spices, the fragrance of floral essential oils is very light, far less elegant and fragrant than what she makes. 

These are what Selena secretly learned after being sold to a balm vendor in her previous life. She can use simple materials to make high-quality jasmine essential oil, all because of the magical spring water produced in her palm.