Wufu had confidence indeed, but she was not arrogant; she knew that in this world, imperial power was supreme, the social hierarchy clear, and an ordinary person, no matter how skilled, simply could not weigh against the nobles and powerful people on their own.
She hadn’t looked deeply into what the Wen Family was like, but seeing Shopkeeper Lin’s respectful and reverent manner of speaking, and how Wen Congrui was already an official at such a young age, she knew that the Wen Family was no ordinary household.
Even without those clues, just by observing the demeanor and bearing of the Chief Maid by their side, it was clear she came from a household with strict rules, not from some insignificant family.
For a household like that, let alone being a wealthy and influential family, even an average but top-tier Official’s Family, if they wanted to deal with her—an asset-less, powerless farm girl—wouldn’t it be easily done with just a word?
It’s true that Wufu was formidable and had some skills to protect herself, but as the saying goes, ’one can hardly fight against overwhelming numbers.’ If they were to gang up on her or send skilled assassins after her, could she really escape unscathed?
Yes, if she had to, Wufu could probably bear an anonymous life, but what about Madam Zhou? And besides, what was the point of living a life full of hiding and fleeing? Heaven gave her a second chance at life, and it wasn’t meant to be spent in such suffocation!
So, if she were to fail, could he, Wen Congrui, protect her? Could he call the shots within the Wen Family?
Wen Congrui’s lips curled up slightly. He didn’t feel offended by Wufu’s words. In fact, he thought she was being very prudent. If she had agreed without a second thought, he would have been the one to think over it carefully.
"Miss Wufu, please be assured. Since I’ve invited you, of course, I can make decisions. Whether you win or lose, you won’t be held accountable," Wen Congrui stated with certainty.
Wufu looked over; his gaze was serene, and she believed he was not lying.
Just to participate in the contest?
She didn’t speak right away, instead picking up the teacup in front of her.
"Miss Wufu, I’ve heard that the sculpture competition’s grand prize is a thousand taels of gold, and even the lowest prize is one thousand taels of silver," Shopkeeper Lin whispered.
A thousand taels of gold!
These four words struck Wufu’s heart like a powerful stimulant.
One hundred taels of gold were equivalent to ten thousand taels of silver—such a generous amount set by whatever organization was hosting this!
Wufu wasn’t too interested in gaining fame, but the prize money was a different matter—as of now, she had more people to support and was indeed in need of silver.
"Shopkeeper Lin, crafting a good work isn’t something that can be done overnight. What about the competition date? And the rules?" Wufu inquired.
Seeing her interest, Shopkeeper Lin explained, "The competition will be held on the fifth day of the twelfth month. Before that, once you’ve registered, you can take a portrait of the subject from the commerce chamber and choose the material to sculpt. Then, you bring your finished work to the competition."
So that was the case. There were still more than two months until December. Though the time was tight, it wasn’t impossible to create something if she worked day and night.
"If Lady Fu wins the grand prize in this competition, not only will you keep the entire prize money, but our Silver House will also give you a reward money of one thousand taels," Wen Congrui spoke up.
Shopkeeper Lin was somewhat surprised, not expecting an additional bonus to be offered.
Wufu raised her eyebrow and asked, "My lord, there must be additional conditions, right?"
It wasn’t common for such a ’Toad’ to jump into the street. He must have other ulterior motives.
Indeed, a clever girl.
A flash of admiration crossed Wen Congrui’s eyes as he said, "The condition is that you become an external craftsman for our Silver House, producing at least five jade pieces per year, three large and two small."
Just as she thought, where would one find such a ’Toad’ hopping down the street?