The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 290: Win Over

Chapter 290: Chapter 290: Win Over

Wang Yongzhu silently took a step back, "This was just a trial dye that I created, it’s the only piece!"

"One piece? One piece is good! It’s unique!" the man initially showed slight displeasure, but immediately perked up.

Looking at Wang Yongzhu’s demeanor, his own became much brighter, "Not bad, not bad at all! I am very satisfied with these three pieces of cloth, and I believe the Empress will be too!"

Wang Yongzhu offered a slight smile, "As long as the Empress is satisfied, that is all that matters!"

The man seemed very pleased with Wang Yongzhu’s good sense and intelligence, "It seems you’re clever! The Empress’s affection has not been wasted on you."

He signaled for someone to pack up the three pieces of cloth, then nodded at Wang Yongzhu, "Put more effort into your work in the future. As long as the Empress is satisfied, you won’t be treated unfairly!"

With that, he walked straight out the door, "Let’s set off!"

The stout man outside responded, following the other man out like a whirlwind.

When Wang Yongzhu and Shopkeeper Wu followed them out, they only saw the group of men, already far away on their steeds, leaving behind nothing but a trail of dust.

It was then that Shopkeeper Wu wiped the sweat from his forehead and plopped down in the hall, ungracefully gulping down two mouthfuls of cold tea.

Then, he turned to Wang Yongzhu and gave her a thumbs up, "My dear niece, what courage and good fortune you have!"

Wang Yongzhu was about to say something when she heard from outside, "Little sister?"

Turning to look, she saw Wang Yongping and Song Chongjin drenched in sweat, clearly having rushed over, and they only relaxed after seeing her.

Wang Yongzhu quickly poured two large bowls of tea for them.

Wang Yongping gulped down his tea before saying, "You scared me to death; nothing went wrong, did it?"

Wang Yongzhu looked toward Shopkeeper Wu.

Shopkeeper Wu chuckled, "Indeed, something big happened, a very good thing!"

Saying so, he ushered everyone into the dye workshop.

Song Chongjin hesitated for a moment, gave Wang Yongzhu a look, but still followed.

Shopkeeper Wu, sharp as ever, glanced between the two and led the way with a beaming smile.

Back in the dye workshop, the table still held that plate of rewards, resplendent and eye-catching.

Everyone took their seats according to rank, and Shopkeeper Wu explained.

It turned out that upon receiving that piece of dyeing valve, he immediately wrote a letter and had a confidant quickly take the cloth back to his family.

His Family Head in the Capital City had previously gained the favor of an important Noble Patron through Yellow Pine Mushrooms, and even secured a title as an Imperial Merchant.

This time, leveraging the convenience of being an Imperial Merchant, he presented the cloth to the palace.

Initially, the hope was that a minor noble would take an interest in the novelty—wearing it just once for public appearances, then hype it up so they could make the dyeing valve seem more prestigious.

As expected, upon reaching the palace, the cloth caught the eye of a Noble Patron, and it’s unclear how the Family Head managed it, but that Noble Patron even sent a Chamberlain to bestow rewards.

Learning that the Noble Patron liked the cloth and intended to give a reward, the Family Head sent word immediately, instructing Shopkeeper Wu to tell Yongzhu to quickly produce two more exquisite pieces of dyeing valve.

Shopkeeper Wu’s letter arrived on time, and Wang Yongzhu didn’t delay, finishing just in time for the Chamberlain’s award ceremony.

As for which Noble Patron from the palace it was, the Chamberlain didn’t say, and Shopkeeper Wu was also vague.

Wang Yongzhu naturally wouldn’t ask further, given her current status, it was better not to know these things.

To receive a reward from the palace was more than enough, the less she knew the better.

With that thought, the nervousness that Wang Yongzhu had felt eased.

But she immediately remembered something, "Shopkeeper Wu, today the Chamberlain from the palace came to present the award, and all the townspeople saw it. We can take this opportunity to promote the dye workshop’s reputation—"

Shopkeeper Wu smiled and stroked his beard, his eyes sparkling with excitement, "My dear niece, don’t worry, I have already made arrangements. Within half a month, our dye workshop’s reputation should be well established!"

Wang Yongzhu immediately realized that this whole arrangement must have been Shopkeeper Wu’s doing and said no more.

In these matters, she certainly wasn’t as adept as Shopkeeper Wu and decided not to interfere.

She looked down at the tray filled with gold and jewelry, indeed palace handiwork, exquisitely crafted, and studded with gemstones and pearls, shimmering brilliantly.

What girl wouldn’t like these? Wang Yongzhu couldn’t help but take a longer look, only taking a lump of gold and a gold bracelet for herself, pushing the rest toward Shopkeeper Wu.

"I could only receive such a reward from Her Majesty thanks to Shopkeeper Wu. These two items are enough for me!"

Shopkeeper Wu was taken aback and saw Wang Yongzhu in a new light. This country maid was far more astute than he had imagined.

However, given that Wang Yongzhu’s craftsmanship had established a connection between the Family Head and the palace’s Noble Patron, and the Family Head had specifically instructed him to take good care of and win over Wang Yongzhu, he naturally had to value her even more.

To him, a bit of gold and jewelry meant little.

For the sake of long-term cooperation with Wang Yongzhu, he wouldn’t accept them.

After much insistence, Wang Yongzhu still made sure to divide half of the gold and two pieces of the jewelry, the most valuable ones, for Shopkeeper Wu. She suggested that he also share in the joy and that palace jewelry, being rare, could add to his daughter’s dowry, which would be very respectable.

With that said, Shopkeeper Wu happily accepted.

Now on to the main business, Shopkeeper Wu’s dye workshop was almost ready, and a batch of indigo cloth had already been dyed with satisfactory color quality.

They were just waiting for the new crimson dye to be tested, which, having been favored by the Chamberlain, was sure to be without issue, and the dye mixture was ready to be delivered to Shopkeeper Wu the next day.

However, if the workshop only had these two colors, it would seem insufficient. After some thought, "Since the dye valves are liked by the Noble Patron in the palace, why don’t we create a simple version of dyeing valves? We could also use the Noble Patron’s favor to promote our dye workshop. Follow the lead, and if people know that these are favored by Her Majesty in the palace, they will surely clamor to buy them."

Shopkeeper Wu had the same idea, and the two immediately agreed.

They called over the dye workshop’s master craftsmen and explained the method in detail. They then reviewed the cloth already dyed in other colors in the workshop. For those colors that were not bright enough, Wang Yongzhu asked about their dyeing methods. According to the System’s suggested formulas, she adjusted several steps as appropriate and asked them to try again.

The craftsmen of the dye workshop were all experienced veterans, yet in this trade, one relied not only on talent but also on luck. Wang Yongzhu’s ability to dye unprecedented patterns and colors commanded the craftsmen’s respect.

Now willing to guide them, each of them eagerly memorized Wang Yongzhu’s tips to try out gradually.

Wang Yongzhu agreed to come back in a few days to see the results of the experiments and then took her leave.

After this hasty visit, her family back home must be worried.

Shopkeeper Wu didn’t hold her back, only suggesting that she stay for lunch before leaving.