Daily Life in the Countryside After Being Reborn
Chapter 52 - 51: Engraved Plum Bracelet

Chapter 52: Chapter 51: Engraved Plum Bracelet

Between the two small heads, Li Quqi couldn’t tell which design his son was talking about until Xiao Xian confirmed by pointing at a bracelet on the chart. Li Quqi saw clearly and could only smile and shake his head; everyone says girls tend to be more outgoing, so why did his son Yezi also turn out so outwardly-focused?

Miao family women mostly make silver headgear and pendants, exquisite and lavishly-designed, which are not quite suitable for the Han Family.

Li Quqi originally intended to make a longevity locket for Xiao Xian, which would be fine either hung around the neck or worn smaller on the ankle.

Zhu Shijun’s idea was to make Xiao Xian a bracelet. The traditional saying goes that jade can nourish a person, while silverware can ward off evil. It’s easier for a child to break jade accessories, whereas a little bumping won’t hurt silverware.

Seeing Li Quqi’s expression and then looking at the bracelet Xiao Xian and Li Ye were pointing at, Zhu Shijun also felt it looked somewhat familiar. After a moment of reflection, he said, "This design must have been inspired by ones from the south, right?"

Zhu Shijun also knew that a craftsman like Li Quqi would never stealthily copy someone else’s designs; what he referred to as "inspiration" was the clever avoidance of the term, usually implying something learned from different objects, such as embroidery, trinkets, or artwork.

"Mr. Zhu has a good eye, and the little girl has made a good choice," said Li Quqi, curling his index finger to flick Li Ye’s forehead, chiding the boy for already at such a young age knowing to prioritize beauty over his father.

This trip back to the village was supposed to be a relaxing holiday for Li Quqi, with no work taken on hand. Little did he expect to accept such a troublesome piece of silverware out of personal obligation.

The bracelet in the booklet was a unique piece Li Quqi had specifically conceived for a world jewelry competition; it is currently still on display at a jewelry exhibition in Switzerland.

Miao Silver craftsmanship has developed thousands of patterns to this day, yet there hasn’t been much innovation in designs.

The bracelet that Yezi picked for Xiao Xian is named the engraved plum bracelet, inspired by a traditional delicacy of the Bai, another ethnic minority in Yunnan to the southwest. Plum carving is a technique of carving designs into prepared green plum flesh, taking out the pit to hollow it, and then pressing with fingers to create a chrysanthemum shape, aiming for an aesthetically pleasing and tasty result.

When Li Quqi had visited Yunnan, he happened upon the plum carving and thought to apply it to silverware. The creation of the engraved plum design is a real test of the silver craftsman’s eyesight and patience, starting with melting high-quality pure silver over a charcoal furnace, which must be pure silver as the purer the silver, the softer the material.

Then, carefully stretching it into thin silver tubes, sealing them while hot with soldering fluid, and using a variety of carving knives of different diameters to carve out the design flower by flower with sufficient force to create the hollow patterns. Yet the touch must be gentle; otherwise, one careless move could break through the wall and damage the bracelet, ruining the appearance. Now, for Li Quqi to craft such an engraved plum blossom bracelet, it would take ten days’ time.

"Xiao Xian, pick another one. This one is too draining," said Zhu Shijun, who could tell just from the lines on the silver bracelet that it wasn’t easy to make.

The silver craftsman’s payment relates to the size of the bracelet. With complex craftsmanship but a light weight, this silver bracelet could be settled with just two or three silver coins. Such demanding and ungratifying work would be declined not just by Li Quqi but also by an ordinary travelling silversmith.

"Mr. Zhu, let’s stick with the engraved plum bracelet. If we change it, it won’t look right when the little girl grows up. This bracelet can adjust size and has a great style. It holds its own, even compared to those famous, expensive jewels out there."

As he spoke, Li Quqi weighed three silver coins, didn’t bother with a scale, spread boric acid solution on the silver coins, used tongs to heat them in the fire to burn off the oxidation layer, then cleaned them with a copper brush to make the silver coins shine bright again.

"Yezi, since you’re the one who brought this job, you’ve got to pull your weight too. Go, work the bellows." After agreeing to make this bracelet, his son looked happier than a young girl, which made Li Quqi feel rather disgruntled. Surely that boy has a fondness for the young lady, and now he wants his old man to exert the effort.

Working the bellows is usually a job for grown men with strong arms, and Zhu Shijun also found it odd when he heard Li Quqi asking Li Ye to do it.

The truth is, despite being young, Li Ye was naturally strong. Moreover, his element was strong in fire, which when working near the silver-making furnace, fueled the flames even more. Learning and mastering silver making came easily to him, which meant double the results with half the effort. However, this kid was lazy by nature and disliked the stuffy heat of the workshop. Every time Li Quqi called him to help out, he would slip away faster than a rabbit in the mountains.

Seeing that the Li father and son were getting busy, Zhu Shijun made eye contact with Xiao Xian as a signal that they should leave. The process of this kind of craft was not to be disclosed, and it was time for them to go.

"Mr. Zhu, don’t rush to leave. Have a meal at our house first, and then I’ll escort you back," said Li Quqi, his hands busy but his speech clear.

His skills were indeed exceptional. In the blink of an eye, he melted several silver coins into liquid silver. But as the daylight was dimming and the lighting wasn’t good, Li Quqi wasn’t in a rush to shape it today.

The village chief from Ge Village had also visited today, discussing with the village chief the cooperation between the two villages on building a dam. Li Quqi was there at the time, but he did not voice his opinion after hearing the proposal. Although he was in favor of the Miao and the Han becoming close like one family, the dam project was sensitive as it related to hidden matters concerning Dongnan Miao Village, and it wouldn’t do to rashly agree. But now, after seeing Zhu Shijun, he had other thoughts.

After leaving the silver workshop, dusk was approaching. Lights were already brightening the suspension houses of Miao Village, and the diligent Miao mamas were moving firewood and preparing meals.

Yezi’s mother had also sent away the group from Ge Village. The family stove was now heated with wine, boiling a pot of rice, alongside a chicken and several dishes.

Around the square kitchen table, Mr. Zhu took the head seat, with Li Quqi sitting next to him, and Yezi’s mother also taking a seat. Zhu Xiaoxian and Yezi, the two kids, shared the last seat together.

The aromatic rice steaming in the pot was the Miao family’s own homegrown rice, cooked with chicken stew as the base, soaking in the rich flavors of the chicken broth and resulting in a delicious and fresh taste. It seemed like Yezi’s mother had anticipated that Zhu Shijun and his group would stay for dinner, for she deliberately prepared a pot of mild chicken soup rice.

After a few sips of warm wine, Yezi’s mother couldn’t help but praise Zhu Shijun: "Mr. Zhu, it’s been a few months since I last saw you, and you seem to have turned back the years, your hair even darkened." The last time Zhu Shijun came over, he looked somewhat aged, but now he appeared rejuvenated, looking as if he’d grown ten years younger.

"Oh," Li Quqi perked up after hearing this and after another sip of wine, he turned to Yezi and said: "Yezi, take Xiao Xian lass to Granny Hong’s home with some food." The implication of his words was to give Xiao Xian and Li Ye some time alone.

Upon hearing this, Yezi’s mother gathered a meal box with enough food for one person, intending for Yezi to deliver it.

**

Thanks to Yan Yu’s ’Flame Rain Dance Sky’ for the Three Yellow Chickens gift (evil foodie laughter), this is the first Qixi Festival present that someone has received. Also, thank you to all the commenters, your words are the motivation for me to write more and find inspiration~