Wufu sneezed several times, rubbed her nose, and glanced outside the window. The sunshine was bright and the weather was not even that cold. Who could be thinking of her?
On the long workbench in front of her, there were several pieces of jade of various sizes, all jadeite and mutton fat jade raw materials. Indeed, it was the Century Silver Building, storing nothing but fine items.
Wufu’s slender fingers traced over a piece of verdant jadeite, then her gaze shifted to the "portrait of a beauty" hanging on the wall.
It was said that, for the sake of fairness and to prevent leaking of Lady Gu’s private portraits, the "portrait of a beauty" given to the contestants were all the same, and furthermore, the portraits had to be returned after the competition and could not be disclosed to others.
Thus, all competing merchants and contestants received the same image—the one in front of Wufu now.
It was apparent that the person who copied this painting was also a master, as the lines in the artwork were exquisite. The lady in the painting smiled serenely, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, looking no more than eighteen or nineteen years old.
Lou Wanyuan using this portrait as the model must mean it bore a striking resemblance to Lady Gu back in the day. Otherwise, if it did not, and the resulting jade carving also didn’t look like her, then there would be no point to the competition.
However, Wufu was somewhat dissatisfied. When it came to carving people, it was essential to capture the spirit as well; a carving that only resembled the form without the spirit might be beautiful, but it would lack soulfulness and could not be considered a masterpiece.
Wufu was not dissatisfied with the painting; she understood that some artists, when painting portraits, would typically embellish a little. Having never seen Lady Gu herself, she was unsure whether the lady in the painting matched Lady Gu perfectly or differed slightly.
Naturally, the painting sent out as a reference must be of Lady Gu without a doubt, but Wufu still wanted the subject to be more three-dimensional and vivid, not just a flat image.
So, she intended to sketch out Lady Gu’s likeness with her own technique, striving to carve the most lifelike image of Lady Gu. This was her way of achieving perfection in her work.
And for this, she needed the help of someone who was very close to Lady Gu, because only those who were intimate with her would know what kind of person Lady Gu truly was.
To ask Lou Wanyuan? Although he might not refuse to speak, she would need to provide a reason, and revealing the reason, she feared it would invite gossip, and her intentions would become known to others.
Fortunately, after Lady Gu’s departure, her wet nurse was taken back by descendants to an estate that belonged to Lady Gu’s dowry. As luck would have it, the estate was located just outside Huayang in a place called Banyan Tree Manor, not far from their location.
"Miss, the carriage is ready," Liu Jin announced at the doorway.
Wufu frowned, "Unload the carriage, I will ride on horseback."
Carriages were indeed slower than horseback riding. Now, with just a little over two months left before the competition, she needed to speed up the drafting of her initial sketches, finalize the design, and then begin work.
Moreover, riding in a carriage was suffocating; she did not like it.
Liu Jin looked troubled and said, "Miss, when visiting someone to ask for help, how can one go without bringing some gifts? If you ride a horse, how will you carry them? Besides, upon arrival, you may have to change clothes. It would be more convenient to take the carriage."
Upon hearing this, Wufu felt a headache coming on.
"Miss, the carriage ride will only take about a Shichen. If we set out now, we’ll arrive before midday. It won’t delay us much," Liu Jin persuaded with a smile. "You wouldn’t want the old lady to think you lack sincerity."
Wufu glared at him, "You’re quite the talker. Let’s go then; it’s getting late."
Accompanied by Hongyu and Liu Jin, with Uncle Qing driving the carriage, they all set out for Banyan Tree Manor.