After finishing a cup of tea, Wen Congrui surveyed the room, his gaze landing on a piece of Chicken Blood Stone displayed on the long table. He stood up and walked over to it.
Wen Congrui was aware that some Skilled Craftsmen were extremely cautious about others touching their unfinished jade ware, so when he looked at the Chicken Blood Stone, he simply bent forward with his hands behind his back to take a closer look.
He had already heard from Shopkeeper Lin that Wufu had taken on the commission to carve this piece of Chicken Blood Stone into a seal, and now he could see it was indeed the case.
The stone had been cut by her already: a square seal, the edges not yet finely smoothed, but with clear cutting lines.
Born into a prominent family, Wen Congrui had seen countless exquisite items, not to mention jade, since his family also owned a Silver House, so he had seen plenty of jade ware and used only exceptional pieces himself.
Thus, he could tell at a glance that this piece of Chicken Blood Stone was of top quality, and Wufu’s cutting technique highlighted the stone’s strengths and weaknesses perfectly.
The distributed redness was condensed yet not scattered, red as blood, with a pure and semi-transparent base, their colors reflecting off each other, truly a rare and beautiful stone.
Looking at the top, the design she had conceived was unclear, the etched patterns a bit chaotic, and it was impossible to discern the shape for now.
"I’ve just started carving today, so the model isn’t clear yet," Wufu said, appearing beside him at some point.
The girl was standing very close, and Wen Congrui caught the faint scent unique to young maiden, warming his ears, and he took a small step backwards.
"Shopkeeper Lin mentioned that you not only carve but also identify stones. May I know who taught you?" Wen Congrui asked.
"You wouldn’t know them even if I told you," Wufu replied.
Wen Congrui looked puzzled.
Wufu touched her nose and said, "Well, it’s a master recluse."
Her master was from the twenty-first century, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him a master recluse, right?
And she didn’t have just one master.
Seeing that she didn’t intend to elaborate, Wen Congrui didn’t press further, only saying, "Lady Wufu, good fortune to you."
"Yes. After I learned the skills, he disappeared without a trace, probably retreated to some deep mountain," Wufu fabricated with ease.
"All true masters are mysterious," Wen Congrui added cooperatively.
Wufu simply smiled and said nothing more.
After Wen Congrui completed his round of the room, Shopkeeper Lin entered to announce that lunch was ready.
"It’s time for lunch, if it’s not too much trouble, would you care to join me?" Wen Congrui invited.
Hearing this, Shopkeeper Lin looked up at Wufu before lowering his head again.
Wufu was also surprised, looking at Wen Congrui.
Wen Congrui seemed a bit embarrassed, saying, "Eating alone just isn’t as enjoyable."
Standing outside the door, Nan Shan looked as if he’d seen a ghost. What had gotten into the young master today? Since when was eating alone not enjoyable? Even when the mistress invited him to dine with her, the young master often couldn’t care less and preferred to eat alone.
And now he says that dining alone isn’t enjoyable?
Nan Shan glanced at the sun at its zenith, affirming that indeed the sun had risen from the east today.
Seeing Wufu’s silence, Wen Congrui was about to apologize for being presumptuous when Wufu smiled and said, "With such a generous invitation from the young master of the house, it would be rude not to accept!"
He smiled and led the way out.
Wufu followed him to the designated dining hall, a scene not lost on the craftsmen, who would no doubt gossip about it later.
They thought as much: without some kind of connection, how could such a young girl secure such a big commission?
But Wufu was unaware of the speculation, simply following Wen Congrui to the dining hall, where she watched him wash his hands and face and rinse his mouth before they began their silent meal, chewing slowly and thoughtfully. It seemed today also turned out to be quite an eye-opener for her.