Chapter 64: Windfall, Root Sculpture Business
It was true that Nizi mastered an even better needlework than her mother.
As the says went, the tailor made the man. wearing the well-suited cotton jacket, Mo Qianxue looked no longer plump but much slimmer.
She looked in the bronze mirror again and again, vey satisfied. Though her body was only fifteen years old, it was a well-grown mature one with attractive curves. The face wasn’t a typical pretty one, but she had strong features, giving her a special touch of dignified bearing.
Nizi embroidered around the collar a small cluster of grey-mouse fur that had been left by her mother when she was still an embroidering woman. The fur added a trace of nobility to her.
Ning Shaoqing was sipping a cup of hot tea, smiling and staring at Mo Qianxue turning around and checking in front of the mirror.
He remembered that a few years ago he had hunted a white fox whose fur was snowy-white without any other color. If to make her a coat with that fur, he supposed she would look further prettier.
Alright. After this winter, he would hunt one fox for her.
……
Nizi worked hard and behaved nice, not only making clothes for her, but also taking over all the household chores such as laundry, dusting, and cleaning. Through these days’ nutrient caring, the girl’s health improved a lot, and what coming with that was her increasing stubbornness to do all the housework for Mo Qianxue.
She also found it easy and leisurely to have someone serving her. Mo Qianxue didn’t cherish the naïve thought of freedom, equality and doing everything on her own.
She enjoyed the service she paid for. In the future, if the business ran well and when she made a small fortune, she would buy herself and Ning Shaoqing a few girl servants to enjoy the idle life of a landlord.
Of course, when they more than enough money to support their lives, she would take Ning Shaoqing to visit all famous doctors in the country, which was also her original motivation to insist on making money.
She didn’t believe that there wasn’t a way to remove the cold poison out of him.
*
The construction at the dock started eight days ago, and now the house took a rough. Mo Qianxue stood there, browsing the construction sketch, very content.
She was planning what furniture to put where and where to put some decorations…
When a familiar voice rang from behind her, “Mrs. Ning, our young lord is waiting for you.”
What young lord? To strike such an attitude? Mo Qianxue turned around and saw Xin Yiming’s servant Gao Lang.
Then following Gao Lang’s gesture to look up to the river, she found next to the willow a pavilion, a person, a table, a teapot, a jade flute, all forming an exquisite picture…
A few days ago, she heard that the eldest young lord of the county magistrate donated money to build an octagonal pavilion over there to provide a place to take a rest or avoid the sun for passers-by.
At that time, Mo Qianxue applauded for it, praising that this Xin Yiming was smart person who knew how to earn reputation for himself. To her surprise, the building of the pavilion just finished today, and this young lord showed up.
She had interest to talk with smart people, so she paced over.
She wasn’t a noble young lady, after all. People wouldn’t gossip about a country woman even if she talked with a man in public.
“How are you, lord Xin?”
Seeing her stepping into the pavilion, Xin Yiming didn’t get up but only slightly looked up, “Mrs. Ning or master Ning. Good to see you again after so long. How are you?”
Although he was arrogant, Mo Qianxue had to admit that his expression and movement were elegant as flowing stream always with a smile was which just right.
What a smiling tiger! Mo Qianxue raised her eyebrows. With an understated word and a smile, he told her that he already knew that the root sculpture was her work.
However, now it didn’t matter to Mo Qianxue, who shrugged her shoulders and laughed, “Please don’t laugh at me, lord Xin.” The reason why she used the name of a master was out of the worry that he might not trust her ability.
“No, of course not.”
Xin Yiming didn’t look up at her but focused on stirring his tea, in a graceful and proficient manner.
Was he trying to scare her with this performance? Unfortunately, he was wrong. She was afraid that the tea ceremony she mastered would be fresh new to him.
Soaking up the tea, Xin Yiming still didn’t look up but poured himself a cup and began to sip it as if there was no one else.
Mo Qianxue loved tea ceremony, but being neglected by this person, she got a little irritated.
“Lord Xin, may I help you? If not, please forgive me that I have to go. There are loads of things for me to do. I just don’t have the time for tea and chat.” The matter-of-matter tone was a little impolite.
She turned around but stopped by Gao Lang.
Xin Yiming took a glance at her, appreciation surfacing in his eyes. This woman was really not ordinary!
If other people saw such an elegant ceremony, they would inevitably be intoxicated by it and feel dwarfed.
Once they feel little of themselves, the conversation would naturally be led by him.
Though she had saved Qingyou’s life, he should talk business when doing business. If this plan didn’t work out, he just tried another one.
Xin Yiming stood up, “Cool. Then I’ll just be straightforward.”
“Yes, please.”
“I’ m very interested in the root sculptures you make. So I’d like to know if you would go to work with my Yipinxuan, the wooden piece store?”
Mo Qianxue pulled the corner of her mouth. Why would she not be a boss but to be a sculpture? Was Xin Yiming insane?
“No, thanks for asking, but now I’m too busy to make root sculptures.”
She knew from inside and out why her last piece of work could sell at such a high price.
One reason was because of its unique raw material.
The second reason was because people in this time had never seen root sculptures, so they were dumbfounded for the moment by the scare thing.
The third reason was Xin Yiming’s urgent need of a gift, and at that time, he had no better choice than the Nine-Star-Sending-Bliss.
The final and most important one was Su Qi who was there manipulating the price.
“As a matter of fact, as long as you’re willing to work with Yipinxuan, I’ll definitely treat you as my honored guest. You can play the art as you like, and no matter what you need, we’ll support you.
Besides, for each of the sculpture piece, I’ll give you extra commissions. The income will sure be higher than the restaurant. With the fame and campaign of Yipinxuan, there will be one day that you’re famous across the country.”
The naked temptation was not only money, but also fame. Fame and fortune! How many people were out there that could resist the temptation of making a fortune and at the same time fame around the world? Xin Yiming was somewhat complacent.
“Please forgive me lord Xin. I’m only a woman without either that big ambition or the ability. At the moment, what I want to do is the restaurant.” Mo Qianxue turned him down without too much thinking.
Xin Yiming’s arrogant smile on his lips was put out by her calmness before it started to shine.
An earthquake just took place in his inner world, but he appeared to have anticipated her reply and laughed, “I can’t force you if you’re too busy.”
Then he gestured Mo Qianxue to sit down. Mo Qianxue did as he indicated, because now she was interested in having a good talk with him.
Xin Yiming personally poured a cup of tea for her, saying, “It doesn’t matter if you’re too busy. As long as you teach the technique to students, Yipinxuan will offer one thousand taels of silver and then send over two clever carvers and one student. If you have the need, I can also give you a few cooks…”
It sounded nice, from in the long run, it couldn’t be more wrong. Mo Qianxue smiled calmly, not in a hurry to give him an answer, and sipped a little tea.
Good tea. Refreshing and sweet. Mo Qianxue praised to herself, but her answer had nothing to do with tea, “What is that?”
“The people will help you with other things, so that you can focus on teaching the students. We set it on seven days. How much they can learn is up to their ability. What do you think?”
This Xin Yiming was so calculative, but Mo Qianxue was no fool either.
She blinked with cunning, “Thank you very much but I don’t want to bother you. What about this? I find a few students myself and start to supply goods to you in the next Spring. As for the pricing, we can discuss based on the quality of the goods.”
It was indeed a source of income. To chop wood in the mountains would be charged, but it was free to dig tree roots.
Tree roots, in the eyes of common people, were withered waste that could only be used as firewood.
It wouldn’t be difficult to pick a few clever students in the Wang village.
If they could do a good job, it was fair to pay them…
A profitable business at a small cost. Why not do it?
When there were finished products of root sculptures, would it be hard to sell?
Immediately after Mo Qianxue expressed her opinion, the stance of the two people was reversed at once. The initial negotiation was she being driven by Xin Yiming, but now it was him who had to beg her.
Just like the agency in modern times. Now he must try to get this agency right, so his position immediately turned from Party A to Party B.
He had never expected that this woman should think so fast!
Another wave of tsunami occurred in Xin Yiming’s inner world, yet he still appeared calm, laughing, “That sounds good too. Xin could pay deposit in advance before signing a contract with you. I want to have all of your sculpture pieces.”
Xin Yiming’s arrogant way of call himself changed from I to the humble Xin.
Now it was Xin Yiming begging her for the products instead of she begging him to sell things.
Putting down the teacup, Mo Qianxue smiled beautifully, “I’m wondering if I should ask one more question.”
Holding the teapot to pour himself some tea, Xin Yiming looked calm, “Sure, please.”
Mo Qianxue smiled, “We can sign a contract, but I need fifty percent of the transaction amount of Yingkexuan. What do you think lord Xin?”
After a moment of silence, Xin Yiming bit his teeth, “Deal!”
Mo Qianxue remained smiling, “Great!”
“Three days later, I’ll bring over the contract…”
“I can draft one. We don’t have to wait until three days later.”
……
After departing from Xin Yiming, Mo Qianxue thought for a while and decided that this needed sister Fang too.
She should let sister Fang spread the news of hiring a few flexible-handed ten-year-old boys. It would be better to let people turn to her than she turning to people.
Moreover, sister Fang could help check the background of those children, which made her much more assured. After all, sister Fang had lived in this village for decades and she knew clearly the characters of every household.
On the way back to the Wang village, Mo Qianxue was going to the workshop to find sister Fang.
To her surprise, at the door, sister Fang was expecting her too.
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