Chapter 267: Chapter 275: A Look of Trouble
Su Wenyue knew that the jewelry Lan Xin and Lan Fang wore on their heads was the best set they had that could still be considered presentable. The eldest aunt had strong control over the backyard, and the concubines, being of low status, did not possess much of value. Their mother was originally just a concubine girl and was later elevated in status after bearing children, becoming a concubine. How much of value could she have in her hands?

Apart from the rewards bestowed by the Old lady and Master’s Wife, they only had a few taels of monthly wages. What could be given to the sisters Lan Xin and Lan Fang was even less. However, the eldest aunt was not particularly attentive to the two concubine’s daughters, nor was she harsh—everything that a concubine’s daughter should have, they had. The clothes and jewelry of Lan Xin and Lan Fang were in line with their status, neither bad nor particularly outstanding, all proper and according to the rules.

Since Su Wenyue personally made the clothes, she didn’t mind adding a set of jewelry. But at this moment, she really didn’t have anything suitable at hand. It would be better to go to the silver store in the County Town and have them made, although the craftsmanship of the silversmiths there didn’t satisfy Su Wenyue; the designs weren’t good enough, and neither was the refinement. Su Wenyue could design the patterns herself, but if the craftsmanship was lacking, even if she could envision it, the silver store wouldn’t be able to bring her ideas to life.

The silver stores in the prefecture city did have a few good craftsmen, but they were too far away to visit in person. Some intricate details had to be explained to the silversmiths face to face. Su Wenyue also wanted to have a few sets made for herself. Although she already had a variety of jewelry, all of it was prepared by her mother. She wanted to design a few pieces with novel styles for herself. Besides, with the ongoing currency reform, business for the silver stores wasn’t as good as before. They were nearly starving; who would be willing to spend that silver? The cost of making silver and gold items had become much cheaper.

“Madam, why not have someone go to the prefecture city and invite the silversmith over,” said Aunt Li, observing Su Wenyue’s dilemma and offering advice, “just promise some extra food, and since business isn’t good at the silver store, the master craftsman will surely be willing to come over. The items they make will also meet your expectations.”

“Let’s do that then,” Su Wenyue agreed, “although it’s not very convenient, it’s the best solution currently. The craftsmanship of the masters in the county town is indeed lacking.” Not to mention that she was now preoccupied with three little ones, and even if she weren’t, Su Wenyue wouldn’t make such a long trip to the prefecture city just for a few sets of jewelry. After some thought, she decided to follow Aunt Li’s suggestion.

Aunt Li was efficient in handling affairs, and she immediately sent someone to the prefecture city. By the second day, she had invited the city’s best silversmith. It would not have been so easy in the past, after all, being highly skilled and sought after by many to make jewelry. But the world had changed; the silversmithing trade was not as in demand, and craftsmen with lesser skills found it difficult to provide for their families. Even the skilled masters could barely scrape by. It wasn’t easy for anyone.

So, when Aunt Li sent someone to invite the master, he didn’t hesitate at all and agreed immediately. He didn’t mind the distance, especially since transportation was provided by horse carriage. He only requested that the remuneration for making the jewelry be paid in solid food goods, as the value of currency was diminishing rapidly. Today’s money could buy ten pounds of food, and by tomorrow, it might only buy five pounds. It was too unreliable; food was more tangible and wouldn’t decrease if left alone.

Considering that Su Wenyue had high standards, when Aunt Li dispatched someone, she also instructed that if it was possible to invite more than one experienced craftsman, it would be prudent to do so. That way, if one didn’t meet her satisfaction, there would be others to choose from.

Being assigned by Aunt Li meant that one must be extremely capable and reliable. Seeing the situation, several reputed masters from the prefecture city were invited all at once. The masters didn’t demand much, and the cost of the food wasn’t great. Given that the prefecture city was a day’s journey from town, one might as well invite several at once, so that the lady could have a selection, as each master’s craftsmanship specialized in different aspects.

Now that the silversmiths had been invited, Su Wenyue busied herself with drawing up the designs in the study room. The concubines in the backyard spent the most effort besides on their hobbies, on clothing and dressing up. Su Wenyue couldn’t figure out Sikong Ling’s temper, but he was generous with spending. In her previous life, her clothes and jewelry were custom-made from the finest shops, so she was very familiar with various designs and patterns, which also allowed for adding her personal preferences.

“Do you think you can craft the jewelry shown on these designs?” Su Wenyue asked the craftsmen as they were brought in, foregoing any small talk and handing the designs directly to them, her heart holding some anticipation. After all, these were her designs, and she had been personally involved, which was different from ordering from a silver store.

The group of confident masters thought that within Yiyang Prefecture, their skills were unmatched—if they couldn’t produce the pieces, who could? However, upon seeing the designs, they realized how presumptuous they had been. The drawings depicted exquisite and novel styles of jewelry, more complex than what they usually created, including gold inlaid with jade or silver inlaid with jade, as well as gemstone-set pieces requiring skilled inlaying techniques.

The masters studied the designs back and forth, all showing signs of difficulty, with only one craftsman daring to attempt crafting the jewelry on the designs, while the others could only handle one or two of the items.

Su Wenyue had a fair idea of the level of craftsmanship in the prefecture and had not expected the craftsmen to be able to make all of the items. To have such a result was already quite satisfying for her. Even the finest silver store in Chang’an required several craftsmen to cooperate to produce quality work. It seemed that Yiyang Prefecture had no shortage of talent yet considering it early to commend them; the final judgment would come only once the finished jewelry was seen.

“Good, I didn’t expect all of you to make these pieces on your own. Pick the designs you’re best at, and as long as you do a good job, I will not shortchange you.” Su Wenyue had plenty of food, as long as the crafted jewelry met her expectations.

The craftsmen’s faces brightened, but they had a request with a slight difficulty, “Madam, I am skilled in inlaying, and I can craft these two pieces of jewelry. However, the gemstones in the designs are not available in the silver store where I work. Could other gemstones be substituted?”

“No need,” Su Wenyue replied,” I have prepared all the materials required for these pieces of jewelry; otherwise, I would not have designed them this way. You can take them and write a receipt to take back with you. State the time you need to complete the crafting, and I will send servants to collect the items. As for the remuneration, it will be as previously discussed. If you satisfy me with the jewelry, there will be an additional reward.” Su Wenyue waved her hand, and a servant girl brought the materials over on a tray.

The craftsmen, seeing how Su Wenyue managed things, knew they had found a good patron who was easy to talk to. Clear in saying that as long as they did quality work, they would be fairly compensated, they were energized,  to bring out their utmost expertise to craft the jewelry well.