Artisans of this world, no matter who, always mark their creations with their own signature to signify authenticity and identity, and Wufu was no exception. She, too, imprinted her name on every piece of jewelry she made.
She didn’t crave fame or attention, but she liked even less when someone falsely claimed her hard work as their own. So, she marked it, so be it.
Guided by Wufu, Shopkeeper Lin examined the signatures on several other pieces of jewelry, and surprisingly, even the bracelets bore her mark.
Suppressing the shock in his heart, he stole a careful glance at Wufu, thinking to himself, could they be fake? Could the actual jade carver be someone else, not her?
However, no matter how much Shopkeeper Lin speculated, and no matter who the jade carver was, the jewelry before his eyes was indeed an eye-opener.
The pieces weren’t particularly grandiose, but rather small and exquisitely crafted. Take the little jade pendants, for example, they weren’t much larger than copper coins, but they cleverly featured carvings of cute animals or flowers in full bloom.
The largest item must be considered the jade bracelet, not with the usual smooth surface, but with the entire band carved with leaves and flowers, highly unique.
Shopkeeper Lin had seen carved jade bracelets before, but those were usually also inlaid with other gems. Such all-encompassing carvings were very rare.
As for the two small rings, he couldn’t quite make out the design—it was neither floral nor animal. They utilized the natural patterns of the jade in their carving, which was also quite distinctive.
Such small jade pieces were not that imposing but would be suitable for younger children to play with, given their sufficient delicacy and compactness.
Shopkeeper Lin had seen Old Man Shen’s jade raw stone before. It hadn’t been large, and now splitting it into various items like these presumably meant the entire stone had been used, right?
"There’s also a hairpin, but I gave it to my mother as a gift," Wufu, as if seeing through his thoughts, explained with a smile, "This is my first time practicing with jade, and my skills aren’t quite polished. I wasted quite a bit of the raw material, so I could only make these. Otherwise, I could have made at least a pair of jade bracelets."
Upon hearing her words, Shopkeeper Lin nearly choked on his own saliva. Lady, isn’t your claim a bit too grandiose!
This is your first time practicing with jade, indeed, practice, and still the first time.
You’re a young lady who has not yet reached the age of marriage, regardless of what other materials you might have used for practice before. This is the first time you’ve carved with jade, and you’ve already reached this level of artistry?
Any observer would know that the jewelry before them couldn’t possibly be the result of a first attempt. They clearly looked like the work of an experienced hand!
Lady Fu, modesty is good, but too much modesty makes it look very fake to others.
Shopkeeper Lin unintentionally let out a disdainful expression, thinking to himself, have the young ladies of today become so deceptive? And she even claims it’s her first time!
His gaze did not escape Wufu, but she merely smiled in response, not offering any explanation.
When she said it was the first time, it wasn’t a lie; it was the body’s first time carving, but with a soul touched by thousands of hammerings and countless refinements.
But such things, would Wufu go into detail about them? She wasn’t foolish!
Besides, what good would it do her to speak up? To get herself treated like a monster and burned at the stake?
If there was no benefit, naturally she wouldn’t bother. Better to just enjoy a good sleep when idle.
"Shopkeeper Lin, what do you think? Do these small accessories meet your approval?" Wufu asked with a smile.
Shopkeeper Lin replied with a question, "Miss Wufu, are you looking to make a trade? Is it with my shop or are you looking to consign and take a commission?"
Twirling a small jade pendant in her hand, Wufu inquired, "If we’re to trade with your shop, then how much is Shopkeeper Lin willing to offer?"