Wufu said the room was very cluttered, which wasn’t an exaggeration because even before taking the order, she had already made her requests clear to Shopkeeper Lin.
First, she didn’t want to be in the same workshop as others; she needed a private room, free from others’ influence.
Second, no one was allowed to enter the room without her permission, not even Shopkeeper Lin; should this rule be broken and something went wrong as a result, she would not take responsibility.
Third, she could do as she pleased in her workshop, and no one was to object.
Therefore, the room was now a complete mess, with Wufu’s tools scattered everywhere, not a hint of order, barely any space to step.
When Wen Congrui entered the room, he paused, a strange expression on his face.
He had never expected a girl to make her own space so disorganized. Weren’t girls’ homes supposed to be tidy and clean?
Looking at this room, he had never seen such a mess, not even in the other craftsmen’s rooms in the Hundred Treasures Silver Building.
"Young Master, please this way," Wufu guided him to a round table in the room, set with tea – also where she took her tea breaks.
Wen Congrui walked over calmly and sat down, frowning as he said, "Miss Wufu, if the workers are shirking their duties or being deceitful, you are free to tell Shopkeeper Lin to find someone more diligent to help you."
Wufu was momentarily taken aback, then laughed, "It’s by my own instruction that no one comes to clean. The tools I need must be within my sight, easily spotted. If it were neat, I would instead not be able to find anything."
Wen Congrui found it strange but then thought that everyone has their own temperament, and such peculiarities were not unusual; didn’t he himself prefer things to be arranged neatly?
Wufu poured him a cup of tea, but before she could push it towards him, a servant came with a tray, carrying a teapot, cups, and several small plates of snacks.
She then withdrew the tea and drank it herself.
While Wen Congrui was about to take it, his hand already extended, she retracted it again to drink, leaving him staring dumbfounded, his hand suspended in mid-air.
Wasn’t that tea for him?
"Young Master, Shopkeeper Lin has gone down to arrange lunch; here are a few dishes to nibble on in the meantime," said the servant Nan Shan with a smile, placing the tray down and then personally pouring tea for his master.
Wufu watched coldly, quite a sight, a White Jade Pot and White Jade Cups, smooth and pristine, clearly of superior jade quality.
Looking at the poured tea, a single emerald green tender bud bobbed up and down in the Jade Cup, the tea clear and its fragrance wafting through the air.
All of a sudden, Wufu felt the Tieguanyin she was drinking had been utterly outclassed.
Seeing Wufu’s focused gaze, Wen Congrui said, "Pour a cup for Miss Wufu as well."
Nan Shan, surprised, yet quickly poured another cup of tea into a Jade Cup.
"You may leave," Wen Congrui said.
Nan Shan, with hands folded, stepped back and stood outside the door.
"Lady Fu, see if it’s to your liking," Wen Congrui gestured with his hand.
Wufu unceremoniously picked up the cup and took a sip, inhaled the aroma, and asked with a smile, "Is this a pre-Qingming tea?"
Wen Congrui was somewhat surprised. He had heard that the woman before him was just an ordinary peasant girl; how could she discern that just by taking a sip and a whiff?
But what he didn’t know was that Wufu knew because she had once had a master who would drink nothing but pre-Qingming tea, so based on the appearance of the liquid and the tender bud, as well as its flavor, she had guessed boldly.
Noticing Wen Congrui’s astonishment, Wufu chuckled lightly, "I’ve had the good fortune to try it once—it was pure chance." After she said this, she drank the cup of tea, and soon after, her stomach started to growl.
Wen Congrui, hearing this, felt a bit embarrassed and pushed a few plates of snacks forward. Seeing her pick up a snack without a hint of timidity or bashfulness and nibble on it, he couldn’t help but lower his head, his lips curving into a slight smile.
Quite the unrestrained young lady.