Upon hearing these words, the maid no longer dared to look down on Gu Youyou, and cast a glance toward Youyou’s courtyard as if looking at a strange creature.
Each member of the Lin Family a genius? How come she felt the young ladies were no different from other families’ young ladies? It was the young master who seemed quite extraordinary.
Over at her shed, Gu Youyou planted the things she needed. In this era, the level of glassmaking was quite average, with limited products being extremely precious. She couldn’t afford a glasshouse, so she used high-quality fabric as a substitute.
The fabric was not very good at retaining heat, so she had to add more braziers.
Seeing those several braziers burning day and night, Xiang Chun felt the pinch.
She had already spoken to the old Madam about it, saying that her cousin Miss was trying to conserve coal for cultivating plants. But the old Madam just glanced up lightly and said, "Let her be."
Then there was no further discussion.
Really, the old Madam was always thrifty, even growing vegetables and raising chickens herself. Why wasn’t she insisting that her cousin Miss save a little now?
It wasn’t that the Lin Residence couldn’t afford it, it was just too wasteful. Plus, she was not a Miss of the Lin Residence, but a cousin Miss.
Outsiders didn’t understand what she was doing, and seeing Xiang Chun’s pained expression made Gu Youyou feel uncomfortable too.
After all, this wasn’t her own place. Although it was said that the grandmother of the Lin Residence had the final say, the one who really controlled the household was still her aunt by marriage. It wouldn’t be good to cause others to disdain her.
With no choice, Gu Youyou asked Jin Zijin for glass when he came by at night.
"Do you know any Glass Masters?"
In this era, glass was called liuli, and its crafting techniques were different from modern glassmaking.
Gu Youyou was planning to find a few masters skilled in making liuli, and together with her own knowledge of glassmaking, to conduct some experiments. She was confident she could produce cheap, yet quality glass.
But to Jin Zijin’s ears, she sounded incredibly bold.
"You wouldn’t be thinking of making a living out of liuli, would you? Are you really that short of silver?"
Gu Youyou had initially wanted to make glass for her convenience, but then she thought that glass was a rarity in this era, and if she could manufacture it for sale, it would indeed be a good way to earn money.
She smiled and said, "Why not? I know how glass... oh, I mean liuli, is made."
"Something you learned before?" Jin Zijin raised an eyebrow.
Gu Youyou replied with indifference, "I made simple ones in school before."
Jin Zijin did not understand the world Gu Youyou was talking about, so he was quite surprised that she had learned the skill of making liuli in school. After a moment of silence, he said, "I know masters who can make liuli, but they can’t just make it for anyone. This craft is controlled by the Imperial Family, and those Glass Masters have been under the Imperial Family for generations. So, getting their help and spreading the craft might be impossible."
Was it really that serious?
Understanding the absurdity of feudal society, Gu Youyou regretfully bowed her head, then suddenly asked, "What if I manage to produce liuli on my own? Surely I wouldn’t be restricted by the Imperial Family, and then have to produce liuli solely for them, right?"
Jin Zijin frowned and nodded, "So, you better not do it yourself. Such a thing would bring not wealth, but misfortune, unless..."
"Unless what?" Gu Youyou’s face had already fallen, but upon hearing Jin Zijin, a glimmer of hope ignited.
"Unless you are a member of the Imperial Family yourself."
Jin Zijin, however, smiled and said, "If you were an Imperial son’s wife, your ability to produce liuli would certainly be a great achievement. But if you are an outsider... then it would be a harbinger of disaster."