Chapter 51: Happiness and Worry at Lantern Viewing
This lantern workshop was bought by the Fang Family, but it was only a workshop, not a store.
The Fang Family was not like other rchant families, expanding and diversifying their businesses after getting rich. They had always been involved only in the exchange firm business, while at most buying so land.
This workshop was like a piece of land, only opening when large quantities of lanterns needed to be made.
The craftsn were all drawn in temporarily. Of course, in order to be lured in by the Fang Family, they had to be so of the finest artisans.
However, right now, the A-grade artisans were hesitant toward carrying out this young lady’s request for a lantern.
“Is it very hard to make?” asked Miss Jun.
Next to her, Manager Gao was very nervous.
This Miss Jun’s temper was explosive.
Because Miss Jun and Lady Fang had discussed that she would go to a workshop to make lanterns and that it would not be suitable for Fang Yuxiu to co here, Old Lady Fang had summoned Manager Gao.
Firstly, Miss Jun knew Manager Gao, and secondly, Manager Gao had alerted Old Lady Fang about Miss Jun’s statent about interesting things in the capital.
With such a perceptive Manager Gao there, Old Lady Fang could rest easy.
When it ca down to it, she still didn’t trust Miss Jun. But the young miss did not oppose this in the slightest. She calmly accepted Manager Gao’s guidance. It could have been that she did not realize Old Lady Fang’s intentions, or that she just didn’t care.
The young misses at ho and the servants were all making small lanterns, and all kinds of materials were prepared for that. But this Miss Jun insisted on coming to the workshop and had also drawn a strange design.
From everybody’s past descriptions, it was clear that this Miss Jun loved to be in the spotlight, so she probably wanted to push down everyone at the Lantern Festival.
Right now, the craftsn were all making embarrassed expressions. Miss Jun was definitely not happy.
Manager Gao carefully glanced at this girl but saw that her expression was still calm.
“Did I not explain myself clearly?” she said gently. “Because I can’t make lanterns, I don’t know whether what I planned is possible. If there is sothing that is wrong, please tell . We can think it over.”
Manager Gao looked back at the craftsn.
He had said previously that this Miss Jun was very unflustered. Her patient temperant worked well to help her get the answers she needed.
Miss Jun’s gentleness and organized way of speaking soothed the craftsn.
“Young Miss spoke very clearly,” said one of the senior craftsn, red in the face. “We are hesitant not because we can’t make it, but because it might not look good.”
Manager Gao looked at the plan at his side. Although he was not a craftsman and did not like lanterns at all, he felt that the lantern on the design was not too aesthetically pleasing.
However, since Miss Jun had drawn it out very excitedly, of course he could not say it was ugly.
The young lady had a temper. If she heard words not in praise, she would definitely not be happy. These craftsn were too honest.
Miss Jun smiled, her expression relaxed.
“If it’s just that, then it’s no problem,” she said. “It wasn’t ant to be pretty in the first place.”
These words stunned everyone.
The lanterns weren’t ant to be beautiful? Then what was she making them for? Could it be just for lighting?
This strange Miss Jun.
Since she had said it, the craftsn did not suggest any more ideas and hurried to work. Manager Gao sent Miss Jun back ho. When they arrived at the entryway, Manager Gao thought of sothing, then passed her a scroll.
“Last ti, Miss Jun asked about interesting things in the capital. Although I do not know too much about such things, but I do have sothing fun. Recently, so people went to the capital and bought so,” he said with a smile.
Sothing fun from the capital?
Miss Jun took the scroll and opened it. Liu’er leaned in close, unable to stop herself from squeaking.
“What is this?” she asked.
“A Map of Routes to the Capital,” said Miss Jun.
Manager Gao shut his mouth in surprise, swallowing down the na he was going to say.
“So Miss Jun knows of it.” He smiled. “I saw people selling it at the post station, so I bought one.”
Miss Jun looked at the map in her hands.
This was a sowhat crudely drawn map and could never be called a composition of the brush. It outlined the entertainnt places in the capital, even marking out toilets.
This was the first ti there was such a clear and conveniently marked map for people in the capital.
It was unknown who was the first person to produce it, but afterwards, it was passed around like bamboo sprouts after rainfall. Later the map was even brought before the emperor. The emperor was furious, believing that this public map of the lay and activity of the capital was for the Jurchen to have more insight into the city. This was a big worry.
The authorities had been ordered to launch an investigation. Although the distribution had been sowhat abated, it had not stopped in private.
Actually, this kind of map and a geographical map were completely different. It did not outline the line of defense of the capital. It was mostly a representation of the flourishing capital, making people long to go there.
She had seen it back then, but she could go wherever she wanted in the capital. She never needed such a map.
She hadn’t thought that she would die before she had gone to so of these places. If she wanted to go now, they were far and hard to get to.
Miss Jun touched each of the markings on the map.
“So you bought it at a post station,” she comnted.
That really was a suitable location. No wonder the capital hadn’t searched it.
“Yes. It wasn’t very expensive, though I have no idea who would co up with this. It looks unremarkable, but it probably made quite the profit,” said Manager Gao with a laugh.
When he said this, he felt embarrassed.
He was accustod to talking about business and things related to money, but that was the behavior of the rchants that Miss Jun hated the most.
“But the most important thing is that there was soone who was able to see the demand and respond. They definitely must be very intelligent,” he hurried to and.
Miss Jun nodded her head and smiled to express her approval.
{Was she praising the ability to earn profits or the intelligent person?} Manager Gao couldn’t help the thought from flitting across his mind.
After the workn had begun, they didn’t need any directions. Miss Jun did not go out everyday, waiting until the 12th day of the 1st month when the lanterns finished construction to go and see the last part of the process. Miss Jun had made this lantern for the so reason as the other lanterns—to welco the coming of the Lantern Festival.
Manager Gao’s task was finished. Miss Jun had never asked him anything related to the capital, as if she had never asked about it before.
There were only three days until the Lantern Festival. Fang Chengyu looked at the dicine he was carrying and fell silent.
He had eaten this dicine for three days already.
Though he had eaten all kinds of fantastic dications before, he had never eaten one so unpalatable before.
Especially when Mother served it with such relief and lantation.
"If you eat this dicine, you can go see the lanterns," she said.
So this was the dicine that woman made.
Fang Chengyu laughed inside.
First, whether or not he could go to the Lantern Festival needed her agreent, and now they were actually making him eat things that she had made without the least bit of care.
Grandmother and Mother had been driven this mad because of his illness.
It really made one both sad and angry.
He picked up the bowl of dicine and drained it all in one gulp despite the dicinal concoction burning like fire as it ran down his throat and setting his whole body afla.
"See, you have the strength to drink this bowl of dicine. This dicine is truly working," Lady Fang said happily. "Chengyu, co see the lanterns with your mother at the Lantern Festival."
Fang Chengyu no longer wanted to see the lanterns and was already sowhat regretting ever raising the request.
How could the lanterns be beautiful, what use was there in seeing them if he could not forget that he was going to die?
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