Shopkeeper Lin stepped out of Wen Congrui’s study and looked up at the sky, overcast as if it yearned to rain, then thought about what the young master had said about "injecting fresh blood," and his heart felt somewhat strange.
Fourth Young Master Wen actually valued Wufu’s craftsmanship so highly and even saw her as the future treasure of the Hundred Treasures Silver Building. While it was true that Wufu was talented, wasn’t it a bit too much to compare her with Master Lin Gonyun?
Shopkeeper Lin glanced at the purple sandalwood box in his arms, as if he could see through it to the chicken blood seal inside. The lifelike and finely carved patterns made him also view it as precious.
The young master had said, if there was a chance, to have Merchant Liu greatly commend it, to bolster Wufu’s reputation.
To delve deeper, in fact, it was to bolster the reputation of the Hundred Treasures Silver Building. After all, though this carving was done by Wufu, a name not yet widely known, it still came from the Hundred Treasures Silver Building.
If people drawn by rumors came looking, they would naturally direct their inquiries to the Hundred Treasures Silver Building. Well, let’s not dwell on that for now; if several fine pieces originated from Wufu’s hands and were marketed by the Hundred Treasures Silver Building, then that, too, would be the reputation of the Hundred Treasures Silver Building.
Shopkeeper Lin looked back at the tranquil study, thinking to himself that the reputation of Fourth Young Master Wen as a deep thinker was indeed no fabrication.
He tightened his hold on the purple sandalwood box and hurried away.
Within the study, the manservant Nan Shan offered Wen Congrui a cup of tea.
"Young master, do you really intend to promote that girl?" Nan Shan had grown up with Wen Congrui, and their relationship as master and servant was not ordinary.
"For the sake of the Hundred Treasures Silver Building, promoting her a bit won’t hurt. If she can be supported, her rise would also benefit the Hundred Treasures Silver Building. If she turns out to be useless, then it won’t harm us," Wen Congrui said indifferently.
Nan Shan suddenly understood, saying, "I hope the young master isn’t mistaken."
Wen Congrui didn’t reply, not caring whether he was mistaken or not. In life, one must sometimes take a gamble.
"Young master, we’ve been out for quite some time, shouldn’t we return to the capital now? Things are somewhat chaotic here," Nan Shan asked again.
Wen Congrui put down his pen, walked to the window, and looked outside, saying, "The chaos won’t last long. It’s about to rain soon!"
Nan Shan was surprised and also looked outside. The sky was indeed dark, but it had been that way for several days. Would it really rain?
"If nothing unexpected happens, the position my father has arranged for me should be the magistrate of Huayang County," Wen Congrui said with his hands behind his back.
Nan Shan frowned: "Huayang? Young master, isn’t Jiangnan better?"
"Jiangnan is nice, but the waters of Jiangnan are too deep for me to enter just yet. Huayang, on the other hand..." Wen Congrui’s voice trailed off, then after a long pause, he said, "The current magistrate is ineffective. If I step in and operate correctly, I can also achieve some political success."
"But this mess is too huge. How about your health, young master?" Nan Shan was somewhat worried.
It was rumored that the Fourth Young Master of the Wen Family, having been frail since childhood, was fostered in a monastery, and there was some truth to that. He indeed had chronic health issues, stemming from birth.
"These years of proper care have been effective. A magistrate, I can still manage," Wen Congrui said with a smile, patting the manservant’s shoulder.
Nan Shan muttered, "I feel, on the contrary, that the young master is casting pearls before swine."
Wen Congrui, hearing this, laughed heartily and said, "Starting from the bottom is not a bad thing, and this is due to family operations. Some people, I’m afraid, don’t even have the chance to become a magistrate."
"The young master is underestimating himself. With your talents, a position as a Famous Minister is assured," Nan Shan strongly disagreed with his young master’s words.
Wen Congrui didn’t respond to that, only looking outside and saying, "Becoming a Famous Minister is not so easy to achieve."
Especially in a decaying country, it was even harder.