There is a god in the sky

Chapter 79 Personal Maid 4

The guest quarters of the Song family mansion were secluded and isolated; once the doors were closed, no outsider would know what was happening inside.

The Song family knew that Xiao Ji had a favored maid, so they assumed that she was one of Xiao Ji's concubines.

Therefore, these past few days, when Shen Lan went out, the servants of the Song family treated her with great courtesy.

"Sister Lan, are you going out again? Is she going to buy something?" The little maid looked at Shen Lan's jewelry with envy.

Following the hairpin and bracelet, Xiao Ji added another hairpin for Shen Lan.

Those were gifts he received when he visited someone's home.

The other party may not have known that he had no wives or concubines, and he couldn't very well return it, so he gave it to Shen Lan.

Shen Lan, wanting to save face for Xiao Ji, wore all the gifts he had given her.

Moreover, she was going to the blacksmith's shop to inspect goods today, so dressing up a bit more luxuriously would prevent her from being looked down upon.

She replied politely, "I'm going to buy some things for my parents."

These past few days, Xiao Ji has been taking Fu Qingyan to countless banquets, and she rarely goes with them, spending most of her time doing her own thing in the guest courtyard.

The lost potion has been almost replenished, and it's time to check on how her tools are being crafted.

When she arrived at the blacksmith's shop, the shopkeeper recognized her at a glance.

Businessmen are well-informed and know that a distinguished guest has been visiting Lord Song's residence these past few days.

He greeted her with a smile and asked, "Are you here to pick up some goods, young lady?"

Shen Lan nodded. "Is what my master asked for ready?"

"Most of it is finished, but only one thing is missing. When the craftsmen finish and compare it with the blueprints, they always feel that something is not right, so they are still reworking it."

"Let me see it."

The shopkeeper went into the storeroom and brought out a wooden box.

This wooden box is made of the finest huanghuali wood, and its value is no less than that of this set of tools.

When Shen Lan saw the shopkeeper twist open the top of the wooden box, revealing twelve drawers underneath, her eyes lit up.

She never expected that there was something special inside the wooden box; the design was truly ingenious.

The wooden box she used to use was a very ordinary box, and it was very troublesome to find things; she had to separate things layer by layer.

If you use a drawer-style box instead, although it is convenient to take things out, it is not sturdy enough and things can easily fall out.

Shen Lan asked eagerly, "Shopkeeper, how much is this wooden box?"

The shopkeeper said proudly, "This was made by Xu, the most famous carpenter in Jiangzhou. The workmanship and materials are not cheap. One box costs ten taels."

It was expensive, but cheaper than Shen Lan had expected.

That's normal, though, because at that time, huanghuali wood wasn't as scarce as it is in later generations.

Many wealthy families have complete sets of huanghuali furniture, but a single chest doesn't require much material.

But Shen Lan couldn't come up with that much money right away, so she looked at the contents first.

Each of the twelve drawers contained several tools, including more than a dozen knives of various sizes, as well as scissors, pliers, tweezers, a bone hammer, and so on.

The missing nail clipper must be the part that the craftsman failed to do properly.

She examined them one by one, and had to admit that this made the blacksmiths of Jiangzhou even more skilled.

These tools are very lightweight. Although the material is not stainless steel, they can be used for a long time with careful maintenance.

"Shopkeeper, could you please bring out the nail clippers that weren't finished so I can take a look?"

"So that thing is for clipping nails?" the shopkeeper asked, amused. "Who came up with that design? Is it even usable?"

"It works well."

The nail clippers are not complicated in construction, but the craftsman struggled with the connection points.

Blueprints are just blueprints after all. If a craftsman could see the actual object, he would probably be able to replicate it.

Shen Lan assembled the small iron pieces herself and then demonstrated their use to the shopkeeper.

Simply flip up the smallest metal piece to allow the blade to open and close easily, trimming excess nails.

"So that's how this little thing is used! It's amazing!" the shopkeeper exclaimed in amazement.

He tried it once, then asked with a shrewd look, "Miss, could you give us the blueprints for this little thing?"

Shen Lan wasn't stupid. "Giving it away is out of the question, but if the shopkeeper is willing to buy it, we can discuss it."

The shopkeeper's face darkened as he asked, "Can a mere maid like you make such a decision?"

"Of course, I drew these blueprints."

The shopkeeper clearly didn't believe it; how could a maidservant need such exquisite tools?

Shen Lan could tell from his expression that he didn't want to spend money.

If this deal isn't finalized today, and the shop makes the same nail clippers and sells them later, she won't be able to protect her rights.

"Shopkeeper, how about this: I'll give you the blueprints, but you can give me the box instead?"

The shopkeeper was a little reluctant to part with it, as the box was intended for storing the store's facade.

"Don't even think about taking shortcuts. If a second nail clipper appears in Jiangzhou City, your shop will be in trouble with the law."

Shen Lan learned this trick from Xiao Ji.

The shopkeeper, ultimately fearing the power of the government, compromised, saying, "Alright, it's as you say, the boxes for the blueprints, don't go back on your word!"

Shen Lan agreed. The nail clippers were exquisite, but they weren't very valuable and could be easily copied. It was impossible to make a lot of money from them.

As Shen Lan carried the box out of the blacksmith's shop, she heard someone calling her from the street.

She looked in the direction of the sound and saw the chubby Lord Yu waving at her.

Several days had passed, and she still hadn't figured out how to approach him; she never expected to meet him in this way.

She walked over with a smile, "What a coincidence, Lord Yu, are you out on official business?"

Yu Yuanwang replied cheerfully, "I happened to be running errands nearby and didn't expect to run into Miss Lan. Would you do me the honor of having a cup of tea?"

Shen Lan could not obtain it.

But she didn't want to talk to Yu Yuanwang on the street; there were some things she had to ask in private, especially if he wasn't cooperative...

She said with a troubled expression, "I'm sorry, Lord Yu, I'm out on business for my master and don't have the time."

Yu Yuan saw that she was carrying an exquisite box and assumed that the contents belonged to Xiao Ji.

He expressed his understanding, saying, "It's a pity. I still have so much to say to Miss Lan. I suppose Miss Lan won't be able to stay in Jiangzhou for many more days?"

"Yes, my family has decided to depart tomorrow."

Yu Yuanwang felt disappointed, but he was also reluctant to give up like this, so he asked in a low voice, "Doesn't Miss Lan have any time for herself?"

Shen Lan blushed and said, "I have to serve my master during the day, and I only have time after 7 p.m. at night."

Yu Yuanwang quickly said, "Then could we meet up after 7 PM?"

Fearing he might seem too eager, he added, "Well, I've prepared some local specialties from my hometown for you."

Shen Lan smiled and asked, "Do you have chestnut cakes from our hometown?"

"Of course, my cook is the best at making chestnut cakes."

Shen Lan was overjoyed to hear this. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Then I will go to Lord Yu's residence at 7 PM tonight. I wonder if that would be too much of a disturbance?"

"No disturbance at all. I will wait for you in the mansion then."

Yu Yuanwang grinned as he left, secretly planning to get his hands on the person tonight no matter what.

Shen Lan suppressed her smirk and stared coldly at his retreating figure.

People are always like this; when they have something to ask for, they will lower themselves.

She was like that, and so was Yu Yuanwang.

Otherwise, why would a high-ranking official like me be so polite to a mere maid?