Chapter 71 Chapter 71 The banquet hall was filled with noises...
A low hissing sound echoed in the banquet hall.
It's no secret that Zhao Youtie begged for a living as a child. But he later made his fortune as a blacksmith, and his business flourished, expanding from a single store to a chain of stores. He became a respected figure in the ironwork industry throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty.
His influence extended beyond the ironwork industry; he was renowned throughout the entire handicraft manufacturing industry. He was also known for his vindictiveness, forcing any merchant who crossed him to bankruptcy, and even some of his customers suffered retaliation.
Jiang Wan, a little girl whose shop was just starting to make some progress, actually dared to expose his sore spot in public.
The guest craftsmen all lowered their heads like quails, secretly sighing that the little girl was ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth, and regretting that this rising star in the celadon industry might be about to fall.
Zhao Youtie hadn't been talked back to in a long time, and was speechless for a moment. He pointed at Jiang Wan and said, "You, you..."
"What do you mean?" Jiang Wan slammed the teacup down on the table. "All of us craftsmen and businessmen come from humble beginnings, working tirelessly to perfect our craft just to earn a living. Master Zhao's business has flourished, but he's lost sight of his original purpose and is now mocking his peers."
Among the four classes of scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans, merchants were the last. No matter how wealthy one was, one's status was limited, so even those with a little wealth rarely chose to go into business. As a result, most merchants in the Great Zhou Dynasty came from humble backgrounds and wandered the land: orphans who lost their parents at a young age, widows with children, farmers unable to grow crops, knights-errant from their sects... These people started out as peddlers and hawkers, and most never achieved fame.
The people sitting in the guest seats had all made it big. They had also experienced hard times, so it was easy for them to empathize with what Jiang Wan was saying.
The whispers in the reception room stopped. Although everyone didn't dare to speak, their expressions when looking at Zhao Youtie changed subtly.
Who could make it this far without being an expert at reading people's expressions? Zhao Youtie sensed the change in the atmosphere and immediately understood the meaning of Jiang Wan's words.
But he had been respected for years and no longer wanted to bow his head. He only wanted to use suppression to make people fear him. He stood up suddenly and shouted, "Shut up! If you dare to say anything more, I will make you spit out all the Yuwanlou assets you have swallowed!"
The people sitting next to him were shaken by the shouting and involuntarily moved to the side. But the shock didn't seem to work on Jiang Wan. She sat still, a smile on her face that made Zhao Youtie feel a chill down his spine.
"I heard that Master Zhao and Master Liu Guang are very close, and Master Liu just lost to Yuwanlou not long ago. I was wondering how I offended you when we first met, but it turns out you're feeling unfair for him."
Many of the artisans present had expressions of sudden enlightenment, looking at Zhao Youtie with a touch of contempt. The bet had been initiated by Liu Guang, and many industry insiders had witnessed it firsthand. In front of the exquisite porcelain teapot, Liu Guang's loss was well deserved.
Besides, it is neither reasonable nor proper to bring up personal grudges at a banquet.
The craftsmen couldn't help but move away from Zhao Youtie, and the few who had originally planned to ask him for advice also quietly returned to their seats.
Hua Qingzhi took advantage of the situation and shouted, "How dare you bring up your personal grudges at my father's banquet? Zhao Youtie, do you have any grievances against our Wenyuan Marquis' Mansion?"
The Wenyuan Marquis's Mansion is a century-old family. With such a big hat put on him, no matter how reluctant Zhao Youtie was, he had no choice but to admit his mistake.
"I was reckless, I hope Miss Second won't mind it." His expression was as if he had eaten a fly.
Hua Qingzhi raised an eyebrow: "Tell me what to do, apologize to Boss Jiang."
Zhao Youtie stared blankly and refused to speak.
But Hua Qingzhi would not let him go, and all the craftsmen present were unwilling to smooth things over. After all, Zhao Youtie's statement about his humble origins was an indiscriminate attack.
So Zhao Youtie glared, and Hua Qingzhi glared back. No one in the audience said a word, and no one even ate or drank. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Zhao Youtie, once a star in the iron industry, finally experienced the feeling of being deserted by his friends and family. After nearly popping his eyes out, he gave in and stiffly said, "I'm sorry."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Wen Yuanbo walking into the reception room with two servants and looking around at the guests.
Perhaps because he had overheard what was happening in the hall, his gaze deliberately lingered on Jiang Wan's face for two seconds, then he twirled his beard and nodded.
Jiang Wan stood up and bowed: "Greetings, Master!"
Immediately afterwards, the guests also stood up, and the voices of "Greetings, Uncle" were heard one after another.
Wen Yuanbo responded politely: "Masters, there is no need to be so polite. Please take a seat. Please take a seat."
He sat down at the main seat and raised his glass. "It's almost noon, everyone. I'm famished. I won't say any more nonsense. Let's drink this glass of wine and start eating!"
As soon as these words were spoken, there was a burst of laughter at the table, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed. It must be said that although Earl Wenyuan was of high rank, he was amiable and informal, and seemed like an interesting old man.
No wonder he could raise a daughter like Hua Qingzhi who is so lively and carefree.
Hua Qingzhi gnawed on a chicken leg while whispering to Jiang Wan, "That Zhao Youtie is notoriously aggressive. Wanwan, you're truly courageous to confront him head-on."
"But I've been fed up with him for a long time," she swallowed a piece of chicken and patted Jiang Wan. "If he ever gives you trouble in the future, just tell me and I'll help you deal with him."
Jiang Wan laughed and said, "Just eat yours. If you keep talking, the meat will fall out of your mouth."
Her confrontation with Zhao Youtie wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. Her premonitions were always accurate; the moment she noticed Zhao Youtie, she felt his deliberate harassment wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather a premeditated one. The Huas treated it as a fluke, primarily because he was so used to being a tyrant, giving the impression of being completely innocent.
Especially when Liu Guang was mentioned, judging from the other party's subtle expression, the two were not as close friends as rumored, but more like colleagues working for the same boss.
They were most likely two dogs raised by the same owner, who were ordered by their owner to bite her in order to stop the development of Qingjiangju before she could gain a foothold.
If she gave in, it would be difficult for her to gain the respect of Lin'an's business community, nor would it be easy for her to win over the old members of Yuwanlou.
Jiang Wan didn't voice these thoughts. She simply quickly gathered her thoughts and joined the others in eating. The food at the Wenyuan Marquis's residence was much better than the inns outside. It was arguably the best meal she had had since her time travel.
Jiang Wan devoured the food with such gusto that before he knew it, he had finished the dish in front of him and even had three large bowls of rice. He was so full that he even walked slowly while admiring the antiques in the Bo Mansion.
After burping again, Jiang Wan finally couldn't stand Hua Qingzhi's teasing look and went to the toilet.
When he came back, the servants of the Bo Mansion were just giving gifts to the invited craftsmen.
This was a customary annual feast. The Bo family was generous, giving the craftsmen gifts that were both practical and rare. This year's gift was Lingnan red stone. While not a particularly valuable gem, it was crystal clear and as rare as many gemstones. Any bronze, iron, pottery, or porcelain vessel could be used as decoration.
While accepting the gifts, the craftsmen also gave the return gifts they had prepared to their servants.
Normally, gifts aren't opened in person. But at a banquet, the craftsmen's offerings are often meticulously crafted and highly valuable. Furthermore, the Bofu Banquet is well-known within the industry, and many hope to stand out and gain recognition.
Therefore, the gifts from the craftsmen will be opened on the spot for the participants to appreciate.
Wen Yuanbo opened Jiang Wan's gift box and took out the celadon bracelet. In the sunlight, the bracelet shone with a brilliant red light.
"Wow!" The craftsmen looked in amazement at the red hole, which was not much bigger than a needle hole.
"Such a thin bracelet can actually be inlaid with gemstones!"
"Where did Boss Jiang find such a small ruby, and how could he polish it so neatly?"
Wen Yuanbo pressed his left hand lightly, signaling for silence. He held the bracelet up to the light for a moment and examined it carefully. "It doesn't look like a ruby. There's a hole pierced through the center of the bracelet, and the hole is completely smooth, with no protrusions. I think the red might be a filling material."
"It's not a gem? Then what other material is so transparent and sparkling?" asked a craftsman.
"That's something I'll have to ask Boss Jiang," he said, turning to Jiang Wan curiously. "Boss Jiang, I'm also curious about what materials you used."
"It's also a Linglong porcelain craft," Jiang Wan explained. "It fills the gap with transparent glaze. After making the Linglong porcelain teapot, I've been researching how to make colored transparent glaze. The one in your hand is my first finished colored transparent glaze."
Everyone in the living room had no idea that transparent glaze could be colored. Wouldn't that be similar to Japanese colored glaze? And it would be much cheaper.
They all came closer and took a closer look:
"This transparency is much higher than glass!"
“The color is comparable to that of fine gemstones, and it is smoother and fits better than gemstones.”
"And the price/performance ratio is very good. It's definitely much cheaper than gemstones. It's a magical skill, it's simply a magical skill!"
Amidst all the praises, only Zhao You sat in the distance with a sullen face, saying nothing, looking at the bracelet with a mixture of envy and resentment.
Wen Yuanbo turned around with a look of satisfaction and locked eyes with Jiang Wan for a second. But he said nothing and continued to open the next gift box.
While everyone else's attention was distracted, Hua Qingzhi snuck up to Jiang Wan and whispered, "After the banquet, my father wants to have a chat in his study."
Jiang Wan looked at her in confusion.
Hua Qingzhi smiled: "Silly, you have a big order. A very big order."
Wen Yuanbo invited renowned masters, and their gifts were undoubtedly a testament to their skill and wisdom. While none of them had directly introduced new techniques like Jiang Wan, their works were still worth seeing and provided her with a great deal of inspiration.
For example, the gift Zhao Youtie gave to Wen Yuanbo was a dagger made of fine iron. It was small, exquisite, and extremely sharp, with a strand of animal hair on the handle as decoration.
This hair looked familiar to Jiang Wan; it was the unique mane of the gray wolf king of the Tekes grasslands. During the Wu-Hu alliance in March, the longbow gifted by Molang Khan to the Wusun Kunmi was adorned with this same mane.
As Jiang Wan watched, he felt something strange in his heart.
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