Chapter 560 - 554_1
After trying several blacksmiths who couldn’t produce springs to Lin Yue’s specifications, it was finally Old Lu who, seeing how hard Lin Yue was working, recommended one. Naturally, someone recommended by Old Lu wouldn’t be mediocre, but even he only agreed to give it a try and didn’t guarantee he could make an exact copy. After all, the work is completely handmade; it can’t be perfectly standardized.
"I say, Erhu’s wife, what new fancy thing are you up to now? If it turns out well, don’t forget to get one for this old man," Old Lu said in the carpentry workshop upon encountering Lin Yue, who was directing Zhang Qiusheng to make something like a bedside cabinet and a wardrobe with sliding doors. Sliding door wardrobes sounded quite novel, and Old Lu knew that whatever Lin Yue came up with was bound to be good stuff, so he didn’t forget to ask for one for himself.
Lin Yue would hardly refuse such a small request. "Alright then, no problem. Once it’s made, I’ll have someone send it over to you, Old Lu. You’re guaranteed to be satisfied with its use."
Right now, Lin Yue’s biggest wish was for Zhao Erhu to bring back a craftsman capable of firing colored glazes. Then, she could place a couple of delicately made colored glass lamps on the bedside cabinets—how beautiful that would be. Thinking of this, Lin Yue had someone call over Liu Aniu. The former Liu Aniu, now already the manager for Zhao Erhu’s household, had not sold himself into the Zhao family, but because of his loyalty, many external affairs of Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue were entrusted to him to manage. Of course, for confidential matters, Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue still preferred to arrange for servants who had signed a binding contract to handle them.
"Madam, you were looking for me?" As the manager of the outer court, Liu Aniu was also busy. Hearing the madam’s summons, he quickly put aside his work and came over.
"Manager Liu, have you purchased all those materials I asked you to buy?"
Although Lin Yue wasn’t sure whether the craftsman skilled in firing colored glazes could be brought back, she had already prepared all the required materials well in advance to save time, just waiting for the craftsman’s arrival so they could start immediately. Ideally, she wanted to produce a batch of glass bottles before Zhao Erhu set sail. Liao Ruyan had already made a batch of essential oils, and Lin Yue wanted to use glass bottles for the best quality oils, as they looked not only beautiful but also significantly upgraded their value. However, if getting a craftsman proved impossible, she would have to ask a few workers skilled in the field to experiment slowly. Given that they had the recipe, they would surely find a way eventually.
Although Liu Aniu didn’t know why Lin Yue had asked him to procure these materials—stones, of all things, were they for building a wall? That didn’t seem right. Building a wall wouldn’t require just those few particular types of stones. He couldn’t figure it out, but understanding the madam’s intentions wasn’t something he could ascertain. Even so, Liu Aniu’s efficiency in completing tasks was as good as ever, strictly fulfilling Lin Yue’s instructions without any deviation.
"Madam, rest assured. The items you asked me to buy have been ordered and will be delivered tomorrow. For some items that weren’t for sale, I found another way to obtain them. However, madam, please instruct where to store these items once they arrive."