Chapter 81
“This must be Xiao You. I’ve heard Old Li mention you many times, always praising you.”
Professor Li’s wife smiled and told Shen You to sit anywhere she liked.
Shen You first politely greeted them properly before sitting down.
“Your ability to start this workshop is a good thing. I’ve said before that with your level of skill, it would be a shame not to research traditional craftsmanship.”
Professor Li’s expression showed gratification, pleased to see this development:
“If you encounter any difficulties there, you can tell me. I’ll definitely help with what I can, and for what I can’t, I can still call in favors.”
Hearing Professor Li’s words, Shen You laughed along: “So you’ve agreed to the consultant position?”
She knew that in this field, she couldn’t compare with people like Professor Li who had genuinely researched their way up through hard work. Being valued by Professor Li was still because of the lost ancient techniques from before.
Those weren’t techniques she had researched herself either, and professionally, she needed someone who could call in the big names.
“Could I possibly deceive you?” Professor Li pretended to be stern.
Shen You replied quickly: “Definitely not.”
Not only did Professor Li agree to serve as a nominal consultant, he also said that when students with good professional abilities who were interested in the workshop became available, he would recommend them.
Professor Li also recognized that Shen You’s endeavors were reliable, and the workshop would benefit the development of his students – it was mutual achievement.
Before long, the table was set with bowls and chopsticks.
The dishes were home-style cooking prepared by the housekeeper, and Professor Li’s wife took special care of Shen You, who was visiting for the first time, encouraging her to eat more.
“Don’t be polite, treat this as your own home and eat more.”
Shen You smiled and nodded: “Yes, Master’s wife.”
Honestly, the atmosphere in Professor Li’s home made Shen You envious.
Everyone was very reasonable, with no smoking, drinking, or bragging, and everyone conversed comfortably.
Her family’s cousins, during holiday dinner gatherings, liked that whole drinking pressure routine, and after getting drunk, they had fought multiple times while exposing each other’s shortcomings.
Professor Li and his wife had a habit of taking walks in the residential complex after dinner every day, so everyone left together. Xu Jiayan hadn’t driven, so he looked toward Shen You meaningfully.
Shen You waved her hand generously, saying she could give him a ride since it wasn’t far anyway.
“I heard that Xi Garden’s owner is also a partner in the workshop?” Xu Jiayan glanced sideways at her.
“Yes, he stays behind the scenes and won’t come out to manage things.” Shen You replied calmly.
Xu Jiayan’s lips pressed together slightly, feeling somewhat lost as he thought of the man who had attended the auction with Shen You that day.
That person should be this partner.
Actually, he had already sensed that Shen You had no romantic interest in him, yet he still wanted to find an opportunity to ask about her thoughts.
“You still have to return to the neighboring city tomorrow?” Shen You asked casually.
“Yes, otherwise I would have wanted to visit your workshop with you all.” Xu Jiayan smiled gently.
“It’s fine, you can visit later. Nothing has been organized there yet, so there’s nothing to see right now.”
Shen You pressed the brake, indicating to him: “We’ve arrived.”
“Send me a message after you get home.” Xu Jiayan said reluctantly as he moved to open the car door.
“Alright.”
Shen You turned the car around, however halfway home, a heavy rain suddenly began, so for safety’s sake, she drove slowly all the way.
Having finally become wealthy, she now valued her life greatly.
After arriving home and seeing that it was still early, she laid out her tools, preparing to continue working and catch up on the final progress of restoring the phoenix crown.
She had been busy with various matters for the past few days, and everything had finally been settled.
Before long, the wind chime stirred. It was a random entrance.
The shop hadn’t switched to [Great Qi] yet, but random entrances weren’t restricted, and as long as she hadn’t set the shop to closed, people could enter.
She saw a woman dressed thinly, half-soaked all over, holding a bundle and looking at the shop in amazement.
Great Qi was approaching winter now, with increasingly cold weather, so naturally she was shivering from the cold.
“Miss, may I ask what place this is?” She asked cautiously.
“My antique shop.” Shen You stood up, took a disposable cup, poured hot water, and handed it to her. “Do you have anything you want to buy, or anything you need to trade?”
Liu Erniang accepted the cup, looking at it in disbelief. It was made of paper?
How could the water inside not leak? Also, what was that thing used for pouring water, producing hot water with just a press?
Only the underworld used things made of paper. Was she already dead?
“I don’t have anything to buy.” Liu Xia said with complete embarrassment, looking at her own mended coarse cloth clothing.
The items in this shop, how could she afford any of them? Even after death, her family couldn’t burn much paper money.
Liu Erniang’s lips trembled lightly: “Have I already died?”
Hearing these words and seeing the other person’s dripping hair and pale, thin face, Shen You’s mind froze for a moment.
No way, talking like this late at night was quite inappropriate.
“This is just an ordinary shop, you don’t need to be afraid.” Shen You said gently, glancing at the other person’s shadow.
Liu Erniang nodded hesitantly. The warmth in her hands felt real, yet she dared not drink this water, afraid her money wouldn’t be enough.
She hadn’t sold much today, collecting only five copper coins in total.
“Miss, you mentioned trading with items. Can I exchange something for a cup of hot water?”
Liu Erniang opened her bundle, revealing all embroidered handkerchiefs and fabric, with extremely exquisite patterns.
“It’s just a cup of hot water, no payment needed. Drink it without worry.”
Shen You carefully examined these embroidered samples, recognizing that the embroiderer’s skills were quite good. Most of the fabric and silk thread were ordinary, with only two pieces being quality materials.
This was probably considering the consumer base, because which ordinary household could afford good materials?
“Are you an embroiderer?” She asked again.
Liu Erniang nodded: “I can also weave cloth and silk.”
Seeing Shen You’s puzzled expression, she voluntarily told her story.
Shortly after marriage, her husband died of illness, and everyone said she brought bad luck to husbands. Her husband’s family had high social status and had arranged the marriage through her parents. Once her husband died, his family despised her family’s lack of support and drove her out.
Only young siblings remained at home, so she could only maintain their livelihood by weaving cloth and embroidering handkerchiefs.
However, rumors spread from somewhere that she brought bad luck and misfortune to husbands, causing her business to drop by more than half, while money at home had been spent on silk thread.
“What misfortune or bad luck to husbands? Bringing bad luck to husbands means bringing good fortune to yourself.” Shen You said. “Perhaps his fate was too weak to bear your blessings.”
Liu Erniang’s eyes widened, shocked by Shen You’s words: “Can women also bring good fortune to themselves?”
“Of course they can.”
At this moment, no one could have predicted that Liu Erniang would eventually become one of Great Qi’s wealthiest imperial merchants.
Of course, that was all a story for later.
Shen You, having just heard that she lived outside the capital, conceived a mutually beneficial idea.
“I’ll give you a deposit, and you help me weave cloth. How about that? You can also distribute the work to others. I only want high-quality silk and brocade.”
For the sake of business value, she would also accept slightly inferior silk. At worst, she could use it to make quilts for herself.
However, if the quality was poor, there definitely wouldn’t be any future cooperation, and Master Zuo wouldn’t approve either.
“Really?” Liu Erniang asked with delight.
“Yes, here are twenty taels.” Shen You withdrew silver from the cash register system.
Liu Erniang looked at the two silver ingots on the table with clear year marks and origins, feeling somewhat unreal.
Casually producing twenty taels without asking her to leave anything as collateral.
“Miss, aren’t you afraid I’ll take the money and run away?”