X
Wei Lan and Lu Zijin got up very early the next day.
Lu Zijin still had a pile of matters to go back and handle, and Wei Lan also needed to go back to work on the carving.
She had breakfast at Lu Zijin’s place, then hurried back to Fuqu Pavilion.
After changing into her work clothes in the bedroom, Wei Lan returned to her workshop.
She took out the white jade and sat down in front of the lathe to begin the rough cutting.
This step mainly involved cutting away the excess parts of the jade from the rough stone, serving to initially shape the jade.
She stepped on the wooden pedal below, and the steel disc on the lathe began to spin.
Wei Lan sprinkled abrasive sand on the surface of the jade, pressed the jade against the steel disc, and slowly started cutting.
She had already sketched the rough shape with pomegranate juice yesterday, so the cutting went quickly.
Before long, Wei Lan began the work of rough shaping, polishing the edges and corners of the jade smooth.
She was very careful, spending almost the entire morning just smoothing the jade.
But this was only the preparatory work for carving the jade.
Wei Lan stayed in the workshop all morning, her clothes nearly soaked through.
She had someone prepare water for a bath, then quickly ate lunch.
After lunch, she didn’t rest either.
After all, Lu Zijin needed it urgently, and she wanted to carve it as beautifully as possible.
She could only try to use up all the daytime hours and rest well at night.
In the afternoon, Wei Lan first gave the jade a preliminary polish, bringing out its luster.
Then came the most important step: carving the design.
Wei Lan switched to a different lathe and began using a small drill bit to carve patterns on the jade.
The step that most tested a carver’s skill was carving the design.
Wei Lan’s hand was very steady.
For convenience, after lunch she had tied her hair up with a string at the back of her head, which made it less hot.
The drill bit moved very flexibly in Wei Lan’s hand.
Stroke after stroke of lines began to appear on the jade.
Wei Lan’s mind calmed down like water.
In her eyes and mind, there was only the piece of jade in front of her.
Every time she carved down, it formed a complete line.
Before long, the staggered layers of mountains, the willow trees swaying in the wind, and the lifelike little birds on the willow trees appeared bit by bit with Wei Lan’s movements.
She was like a painter, only she was painting on white jade.
The drill bit became her brush.
The workload of carving the design was enormous.
Wei Lan was also someone who took jade carving very seriously.
She demanded perfection in every small detail.
By the time the sky was almost dark, Wei Lan had only completed half of the carving design step.
She stood up to stretch, opened the door, and looked at the light outside.
Confirming that she couldn’t continue, a carver’s most important things to protect, besides their hands, were their eyes.
Wei Lan had someone boil water.
As she soaked in the hot water, she was still thinking about what to pay attention to while carving tomorrow.
She planned to use the technique of carving on both sides.
For the parts with mountains and willow trees, Wei Lan intended to use openwork technique, adding some difficulty.
That way, her wife’s five thousand taels wouldn’t be wasted.
While she was bathing, the sound of maidservants reporting came from outside.
“Master, the young lady sent someone to bring you fruit drink.”
The maidservant outside said.
Wei Lan immediately perked up.
“Just put it on the round table for me.”
As she spoke, she had already gotten out of the tub, dried herself off, and started changing clothes.
The weather was hot, so having some fruit drink made her quite happy.
After drying her hair, she immediately sat down at the round table and began scooping up the fruit drink from the bowl with a spoon.
The so-called fruit drink was actually juice made from several kinds of fruits like watermelon and apples, with shaved ice and various fruit pieces mixed in.
Eating it cooled her down and was refreshing.
Wei Lan’s mood improved considerably.
While she was eating the fruit drink, the maidservants outside had already started preparing the meal.
By the time Wei Lan finished the fruit drink, the dishes were also brought to the table.
Today, the residence had freshly purchased shrimp, and the cooks made braised prawns.
Wei Lan ate very happily.
A few other stir-fried dishes were also delicious.
The Lu residence had cooperation with surrounding farmers.
Every morning, someone would deliver fresh vegetables and fruits to the Lu residence.
That was why the food at the Lu residence was so delicious; fresh ingredients were the key.
After dinner, Wei Lan walked around the courtyard for a while to aid digestion, then went to sleep very early.
Lu Zijin was just as busy as her.
The matter of competing for the royal merchant was urgent.
She and several managers were strictly monitoring the fabric quality of their cloth shops below to avoid any mistakes when the time came.
Wei Lan got up early as usual the next day.
She ate breakfast first thing in the morning, then buried herself in the workshop, not coming out once all morning.
When she worked, she didn’t even have time to drink water.
Fortunately, by the end of the day, Wei Lan had completed the design carving process on the entire piece of jade.
Tomorrow, she could start the openwork carving, and the day after tomorrow, it would be almost finished.
Thinking this, Wei Lan’s eyes curved.
***
Over the next two days, Wei Lan got up even earlier.
She spent a day and a half completing the openwork carving of the entire piece.
She spent half a day finely polishing the carving.
By the time the polishing was finished, it was almost dark again.
Early the next morning, Wei Lan went to Yuyaxuan and happened to run into Xiao Nanyan.
Xiao Nanyan saw her coming and smiled, “Why are you here so early?”
“Mm, I came to pick something up.”
She had to complete the act.
When she took back the green jade rough stone she had brought over earlier, it would be equivalent to having taken the carving back from Qinglan.
“Oh, by the way, many people have been asking me about you these days.
Quite a few want to commission carvings from you.”
Xiao Nanyan said.
“I can’t right now.
I’ll be busy for at least a few more days.”
“Alright.
Then just come back whenever you’re free.”
Xiao Nanyan wasn’t in a hurry either.
After all, Wei Lan wasn’t willing to reveal her identity.
If she wanted to sell carvings, she would still have to go through Yuyaxuan.
“Okay.”
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Wei Lan took the green jade rough stone from the second-floor room and came out.
Just as she came out, she ran into Chen Zhou.
Wei Lan didn’t have any impression of Chen Zhou, but Chen Zhou hated Wei Lan to the bone.
Seeing Wei Lan come out carrying something, Chen Zhou frowned and said, “Wei Lan?
What are you doing here?”
Wei Lan was also stunned for a moment.
“I came to buy some jade.
Who are you?”
Hearing that Wei Lan actually didn’t recognize him, the refined expression on Chen Zhou’s face nearly cracked.
“I am Zijin’s cousin, Chen Zhou.”
Wei Lan paused for another moment.
Her gaze fell on Chen Zhou, sizing him up briefly, then she said indifferently, “Mm, I’ll be going now.”
Chen Zhou hadn’t expected Wei Lan’s attitude to be so cold.
His fists clenched at his sides, almost shattering.
Especially when he saw the thing in Wei Lan’s arms, a growing sense of unease crept into his heart.
“Miss Xiao, what did Wei Lan buy at your place?”
Chen Zhou, afraid that Wei Lan might beat him to buying a jade carving by Qinglan, quickly asked.
“Sorry, we need to keep our customers’ purchases confidential.
Young Master Chen is also a businessman; you should understand.”
Xiao Nanyan still had a gauze veil covering her face.
She continued, “If you have business, let’s go to my study to talk.”
“Alright.”
Chen Zhou gritted his teeth to maintain his surface composure and followed Xiao Nanyan into the study.
However, Qi Ji stayed by Xiao Nanyan’s side the entire time.
Once inside the study, Xiao Nanyan sat behind the desk and smiled.
“I wonder what brings Young Master Chen here today?”
She had actually already heard about Chen Zhou inquiring about Qinglan, even sending people to watch Yuyaxuan.
Of course, Xiao Nanyan didn’t expose this matter.
“I came to ask for your help, Miss Xiao.
I want to buy a jade carving by Carver Qinglan.
Would you be willing to make the introduction?
Of course, I’m willing to pay a high price.”
Chen Zhou immediately said.
There were only two or three days left until the day the royal merchant would be decided.
He had no choice but to come directly to Xiao Nanyan.
Xiao Nanyan smiled and said, “What a pity.
Qinglan left town a few days ago and won’t have any carvings for sale in the near future.
If Young Master Chen wants to buy, you can come back when she returns.”
“I need this matter urgently, within the next few days.
Please help, Miss Xiao.
I’m willing to pay a high price.
Would ten thousand taels of silver be enough?”
Chen Zhou was getting anxious.
In the past, buying a carving by Liu Bingkun or Huo Feng would have been sufficient.
But now that Qinglan had appeared, if he couldn’t buy a Qinglan carving, it would seem like he lacked sincerity.
“I’m sorry, Young Master Chen.
Qinglan only has a cooperative relationship with Yuyaxuan.
I cannot order them to do anything.
They really aren’t available right now.
So if you’re in a hurry, Young Master Chen, you can look at other carvers in the city.”
Xiao Nanyan continued to put him off.
Hearing Xiao Nanyan say this, Chen Zhou had no choice but to take his leave.
In the end, he had to send someone to Zhenbao Ge to buy a jade carving by Liu Bingkun.
However, Chen Zhou thought that if he couldn’t buy one, others surely couldn’t either.
Thinking that, he felt reassured.
After all, he had spent ten thousand taels of silver on this carving by Liu Bingkun.
***
On the other side, Wei Lan walked back to the Lu residence carrying the small bundle in her arms.
Along the way, she kept thinking about Chen Zhou.
Chen Zhou wasn’t bad-looking, but his demeanor wasn’t worthy of Lu Zijin.
Lu Zijin was beautiful and skilled in business.
No matter how she thought about it, Chen Zhou wasn’t good enough for Lu Zijin.
She had been in a very good mood today, but after running into Chen Zhou, she couldn’t be happy anymore.
Male protagonists like him were truly the worst.
Wei Lan returned to Fuqu Pavilion dejectedly.
She carried the small bundle back to the workshop and put the green jade inside into a wooden box on the floor, which contained all her jade rough stones.
Then she used the same red cloth to wrap the white jade landscape ornament and, holding the small bundle, headed to Jingchen Courtyard.
Wei Lan hadn’t thought about the male protagonist issue before, because he hadn’t seemed to be causing much trouble.
But now it was different.
She had already met the male protagonist today.
And she and Lu Zijin weren’t together every moment.
Perhaps Lu Zijin still saw Chen Zhou often?
Wei Lan quickly shook her head, pushing those thoughts out of her mind.
Lu Zijin had married her to stop people’s gossiping.
She had her destined partner.
She must have just been living too comfortably in the Lu residence lately and had gotten confused, actually thinking she could stay in the Lu residence forever.
Wei Lan’s expression darkened a bit.
Perhaps she should look around Panyang City for a small courtyard to buy.
That way, when Lu Zijin divorced her, she wouldn’t be left without a place to live.
Of course, she didn’t plan to go back to the original body’s former home.
She had no feelings for that family.
At most, she would give them some silver later.
Thinking this, Wei Lan felt even more listless.
Indeed, she needed to save money.
Eating soft rice wasn’t sustainable.
Wei Lan sighed deeply, lamenting the difficulty of eating soft rice.
As her mind wandered wildly, she flipped through the book in her memory again.
The page in her mind was only a summary of the book.
It only said that the original body schemed step by step, became increasingly demanding with Lu Zijin, and even tried to embezzle the Lu family’s property.
In the end, Lu Zijin and her childhood sweetheart broke her legs and threw her out of the Lu residence.
She died within a few days.
Wei Lan couldn’t help but shiver.
She didn’t want her legs broken.
Wouldn’t that hurt terribly?
Between soft rice and a healthy body, Wei Lan would naturally choose a healthy body.
After all, medical standards in ancient times were poor.
A disease that could be cured in modern times might be a death sentence in ancient times.
Thinking this, Wei Lan broke out in a cold sweat.
She had definitely been living too comfortably lately, and Lu Zijin had been good to her, causing her to subconsciously ignore the original book’s plot.
She should just stay away from the male and female leads.
Distance creates beauty.
Stay away from the leads to stay safe.
Wei Lan relaxed a little, thinking this.
As long as she didn’t seek attention in front of Lu Zijin, then when the time for divorce came, she shouldn’t end up so miserable.
While she was thinking these things, she had already arrived at Jingchen Courtyard.
Qianxue spotted Wei Lan from afar and quickly went over.
“The master is here?
The young lady is in the study.”
“Oh, okay.
I’ll go find her in the study then.”
Wei Lan was a bit distracted but still walked towards the study.
When she arrived, there were still several unfamiliar faces standing in Lu Zijin’s study.
Judging by their attire, they were probably managers or servants doing business for the Lu residence.
Seeing Wei Lan enter, Lu Zijin’s face unconsciously showed a hint of a smile.
“The master is here?”
Wei Lan managed to force a smile.
“Mm, I brought the carving back to give it to you.
I won’t disturb your business discussions.”
As she spoke, Wei Lan carried the carving to Lu Zijin’s desk, gently placed it on the table, and then turned to leave.
Seeing her eager to leave, the smile on Lu Zijin’s face disappeared.
“Wait.
What’s the hurry?
Look at it with me.”
Only then did Wei Lan turn around.
She reached out and untied the bundle on the table, revealing the jade carving inside.
The white jade landscape ornament was vivid and lifelike.
The texture on the leaves was so detailed it could be seen clearly.
The mountains and willow trees at the back directly used openwork carving techniques.
The several managers standing nearby unconsciously let out exclamations of amazement.
Lu Zijin was the same.
She looked at the carving before her and murmured, “This is too exquisite.”
Then she smiled gently at Wei Lan.
“You’ve worked hard, master.”
“It’s nothing.
It’s what I should do.
Well, wife, you go ahead with your work.
I’ll go back now.”
Wei Lan also smiled at Lu Zijin, looking like she didn’t want to interrupt their business discussion.
Lu Zijin’s lips pressed together slightly.
She felt something was off about Wei Lan today.
But seeing the room full of people, she thought she might be overthinking.
Wei Lan probably saw there were many people, so she didn’t say anything personal.
“Alright.
When I’m done, I’ll come find you.”
Lu Zijin offered a comforting word.
Her little Qiankun had helped her a lot; naturally, she should treat her well.
Who knew that Wei Lan would quickly wave her hand.
“No, no.
You go ahead with your work.
Winning the royal merchant contract is more important.
I’ll go back now.”
With that, Wei Lan quickly left the study.
Lu Zijin’s brow furrowed slightly, but she didn’t say anything and continued giving instructions.
“Qing Zhi, send someone to the City Lord’s residence with a visiting card.
I will go visit the City Lord this afternoon.”
Lu Zijin ordered.
“Yes.”
Qing Zhi quickly accepted the order and went to prepare the visiting card.
Lu Zijin continued assigning work to the people in the study.
She was busy until noon before she had time to stop and rest.
Thinking of Wei Lan, Lu Zijin asked, “What has the master been doing today?”
“The master went out for a while, then came back to deliver the things to you.
After that, she stayed in Fuqu Pavilion and didn’t go anywhere else.”
Qianxue said.
Lu Zijin nodded.
Her little Qiankun was so docile; she must be overthinking.
“Alright.
Prepare some pastries from the small kitchen and send them to the master.
She likes them.
Also, tell her I’m very busy these few days and may not be able to spend time with her.”
“Yes, young lady.”
Qianxue quickly sent someone to prepare.
It seemed the young lady did treat the master quite specially.
***
On the other side, Wei Lan had already returned to Fuqu Pavilion.
She had been busy carving the white jade ornament these past few days, so she had been getting up very early.
Originally, she had planned to rest today, but because she was in a bad mood, Wei Lan went to the workshop again.
She took out the feicui hairpin again and continued working.
When she carved jade, it at least helped calm her mind.
It wasn’t until she heard the sound of maidservants reporting outside that Wei Lan paused her hands.
She pushed open the workshop door and looked outside.
She saw several maidservants from Jingchen Courtyard.
The lead maidservant bowed to Wei Lan.
“Master, these are pastries the young lady sent us to give you.
The young lady said she’s very busy these few days and can’t come to see you.”
Wei Lan, on the contrary, felt relieved.
“I see.
Put the pastries in my bedroom first.”
“Yes.”
After speaking, Wei Lan closed the workshop door again.
Her phoenix hairpin had reached the openwork carving step.
This step was also her favorite.
Although difficult, while carving, she could empty her mind and focus entirely on the jade.
Right now, she didn’t want to think about other things anyway.
So she simply continued carving the hairpin in her hand.
It wasn’t until noon that Wei Lan bathed and had someone prepare the meal.
She took out the small pastries Lu Zijin had sent and bit into one.
It was fragrant and sticky, still very delicious.
Wei Lan’s eyes curved slightly.
But remembering her thoughts from earlier, she felt she should keep some distance from Lu Zijin.
At least, she shouldn’t keep showing up in front of her like she had been doing lately.
She had even taken the initiative to suggest sleeping with Lu Zijin.
Wei Lan closed her eyes, only feeling a phantom ache in her legs.
She absolutely couldn’t do that again.
She still wanted to keep both her legs.
After eating, Wei Lan took a simple nap, then continued carving the jade hairpin in the afternoon.
***
On the other side, Lu Zijin took some people to visit the City Lord’s residence in the afternoon.
Lu Feng naturally knew what these merchants were up to.
Lately, many people had been bringing jade carvings to him to ask for favors.
But he hadn’t accepted any.
Those who came to give gifts were all put off by him.
After all, selecting a royal merchant for the imperial court was a major matter.
He couldn’t agree to anything just because of a few small favors.
“So it’s Boss Lu.
Have a seat.
Is there something you need?”
Lu Feng sat in the main seat and asked.
“Nothing major.
I just came to see the City Lord and brought a recent carving I acquired for your appreciation.”
Lu Zijin smiled.
As she spoke, Qianxue beside her had already brought the carving to Lu Feng’s desk.
She untied the red cloth, revealing the jade carving inside.
At first, Lu Feng didn’t pay much attention, because the merchants who had come recently all brought carvings by Liu Bingkun and Huo Feng.
But he already had carvings by these two, so he didn’t find them particularly rare.
However, when Lu Feng looked down and saw it, he was shocked.
“This is… openwork carving?”
Lu Feng was somewhat astonished, then continued, “Boss Lu, would it be alright if I picked it up to admire?”
Seeing Lu Feng’s expression, Lu Zijin felt this matter was as good as settled.
She smiled.
“Of course.
I don’t understand jade anyway.
This ornament would just collect dust at my place.
It’s better off here with you, City Lord.”
Lu Feng picked up the carving and examined it carefully, a look of obsession on his face.
He hadn’t wanted to owe these merchants any favors, after all, taking their gifts made him vulnerable.
But this carver’s technique was too good.
He had never seen such a beautiful landscape ornament before.
“How could I accept this?”
Although Lu Feng said it was embarrassing, the smile on his face never faded.
His attitude towards Lu Zijin was even better than before.
“You’re a jade expert, City Lord.
I’m just an outsider.
Keeping this jade would be useless to me.
I’m just offering a gift to Buddha through borrowed flowers.
Please, City Lord, you must accept it.”
“Alright then.
Since you put it that way, Boss Lu, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to refuse any longer.
Then thank you very much, Boss Lu.”
Lu Feng simply couldn’t bear to put down the carving before him.
“You’re too kind, City Lord.”
Lu Zijin replied with a smile.
“I know what you came to discuss, Boss Lu.
To be honest, the techniques of the several cloth dyeing shops in Panyang City are all about the same.
Naturally, I will choose the one that gives me the most confidence.
The Lu family has always been the largest merchant in the city.
Entrusting the royal merchant matter to you this time will give me peace of mind.”
Lu Feng said directly.
“In that case, I thank you, City Lord.”
“No need.
By the way, which master carved this?”
Lu Feng asked curiously.
Lu Zijin smiled and said, “I asked my master to ask Carver Qinglan to help carve it.”
“No wonder, no wonder the technique looks somewhat familiar.
This Qinglan is truly remarkable.
Given time, they might become a figure like Gong Jinsheng.”
As Lu Feng spoke, he continued, “So that means your master knows Qinglan?”
“Yes, they are close friends.
My master also enjoys jade in daily life.”
Lu Zijin smiled.
“A love for jade is good.
This ornament is truly excellent.
The sizes of the openwork patterns are all consistent.
Remarkable, truly remarkable.”
Lu Zijin chatted with Lu Feng for a while longer.
Seeing that Lu Feng seemed to want to examine the carving in detail, Lu Zijin stood up to take her leave.
She had already achieved her goal, and the stone in her heart had been slightly lifted.
Now, she just had to wait for the good news.
Not long after Lu Zijin left the City Lord’s residence, the news reached Chen Zhou’s ears.
Chen Zhou had planted spies around the City Lord’s residence these past few days.
Whenever someone entered or left the City Lord’s residence, someone would come back to report.
“What is it?
Who went this time?”
Chen Zhou asked.
“Young master, it was Miss Lu who went this time.”
The servant boy quickly replied.
Chen Zhou laughed coldly.
“Lu Zijin, I was wondering.
She finally couldn’t sit still anymore.
It’s fine.
You continue sending people to watch.”
Chen Zhou felt that since his own jade hadn’t been delivered, others’ surely couldn’t be delivered either.
After all, if you couldn’t buy a Qinglan carving, you could only buy from Liu Bingkun or Huo Feng.
The end result would be that no one could deliver anything.
That would be fine too.
He laughed coldly a few times, his dissatisfaction with Lu Zijin growing even stronger.
She was a Kunze, always appearing in public.
It was also that useless Wei Lan’s fault for being incompetent and unable to control Lu Zijin.
If he were Lu Zijin’s husband, he would make her stay inside the residence every day.
As for business matters, naturally, he would handle them.
Remembering his encounter with Wei Lan earlier, Chen Zhou’s expression turned colder.
Then his heart tightened.
Could Wei Lan have gone to Yuyaxuan to buy a Qinglan carving too?
But then he thought it over and felt it was impossible.
After all, even with his own influence, he hadn’t been able to buy a Qinglan carving from Xiao Nanyan.
Wei Lan was just a live-in daughter-in-law.
Xiao Nanyan would be even less likely to give her face.
Thinking this, Chen Zhou felt much better.
She was just a waste.
He didn’t need to spare her a second glance.
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