Chapter 374 - 368_1
"If that’s the case, would my visit be enough to persuade him to come?" Lin Yue questioned, already sensing Master Chen’s attitude and knowing that Old Lu had an eccentric personality, which might be even worse.
"I’m not sure about that," replied Master Chen, "but I’ve heard that Old Lu is interested in intricate and complex designs and constructions. Your drawings look quite sophisticated, so perhaps he might be intrigued." Lin Yue’s drawings were very vivid and also meticulously annotated, so much so that even Liu, the shopkeeper who was a layman, could understand them and felt the house would definitely turn out well. As for Master Chen, being a man of considerable pride, he promptly refused upon hearing that the job was to build a house for a farmer in the countryside without even glancing at the drawings; otherwise, he might not have declined so easily, since a well-built house would benefit his own reputation.
"Then where does Old Lu live, and can you take me there, Shopkeeper Liu?" Although Lin Yue was not optimistic about convincing Old Lu, giving up without even trying was not her style, so she decided to go and ask for his help.
Whenever Lin Yue made a request, Shopkeeper Liu had no reason to refuse. "I know where he lives, but I’m not sure if Old Lu is home at the moment. I’ll take you there to try your luck."
Shopkeeper Liu drove the carriage through a series of twists and turns before stopping in front of a small house. He approached the door and knocked, "Is anyone there, open up?"
A young boy opened the door with his hands behind his back, bearing an air of pretension, and his voice held a touch of impatience, "Who is it and what do you want? My grandfather said he’s very busy and has no time to bother with you idlers. Go find someone else if you want to build a house."
Old Lu’s renown was not limited to Xin’an City; he was among the most esteemed in the whole Dazhou. With the number of people seeking him out, the boy had grown weary of being pestered, thus his unkind attitude towards visitors.
Lin Yue was somewhat speechless at encountering such arrogance one after another. She was only trying to hire a skilled craftsman to build a house—was that so difficult? But seeing that the other party was only a child of about ten years old, she didn’t feel it was worth arguing with him.