Chapter 78: Crystal Curtain

After some consideration, Pei Jing came over to take a look out of curiosity.

On the first day, the materials for the model of the long bridge depicted on the blueprints had not yet been gathered, but Wen Gu asked him to help with a different design.

Wen Gu had specifically cleared out a room in the courtyard where he worked. It had been renovated some time ago and was now ready for use.

Pei Jing had originally come to investigate purely out of curiosity and considerations of interest. But as he played around with it, he actually developed quite a bit of interest.

Several days later.

Xianghui Fang, the ward where the Shen Family relatives lived.

Wen Gu brought people to transport a long crate into the ward.

The Ward Chief was a member of a branch of the Shen Family, but the other party knew his place and did not consider himself to be on the same level as Wen Gu.

A Ward Chief is not the same as another Ward Chief.

Within a single ward, some Ward Chiefs are punching bags, while others are the real power-holders!

Seeing that there were valuable items here, the Shen Family Ward Chief specially dispatched two more men to help carry the crate.

The Shen Family.

Still that same large study.

Compared to last time, there were not as many people who came, but those present were all people who had a say in their own households or were relatively financially independent. There were also several elders from the clan.

They had heard that a rare and precious object had been newly crafted in Qingyun Fang, and Wen Gu wanted to sell this item to cover the losses of the workshop.

If it truly were a rare and precious object, they would indeed be interested.

But if it were just an exaggeration...

They had originally thought that even if they didn't think much of it, they would still show some support for this very capable cousin.

Wen Gu arrived, and everyone exchanged pleasantries.

It was only when Shen Liu urged them impatiently that the relatives finally quieted down.

Wen Gu stopped wasting words and had people open the crate, carefully taking out the object inside.

For the demonstration, Wen Gu had specifically borrowed two tall, burly, and powerful escorts from the Huwei Escort Agency.

Before coming, they had already rehearsed with the two escorts in Jingxing Fang.

At this moment, the two escorts were still tense all over, terrified that if they were careless and damaged any part of it, they wouldn't be able to pay for it even if they sold themselves!

In the large study, some were drinking tea, others were chatting in low voices.

Until the moment the crate was opened.

The room fell silent.

As the two tall, sturdy escorts slowly lifted the object, gasps of surprise rose one after another in the room.

They saw strings of translucent, jade-green beads woven into a curtain.

The shades of the beads varied, but when strung together, the depth of color was just right, and looking at it as a whole, every detail was perfect.

As it was lifted, the curtain swayed, looking just like green ripples on the water, or like fine splashes of water leaping up to become a door curtain—dreamlike and illusory!

Wen Gu observed the changes in the expressions of everyone in the room.

If it were purely colorless, fewer people would like it; most people in this era still preferred colored gemstones.

Gold, silver, and colored gems.

This kind of bead curtain with colors, which resulted from failed decolorization, was just right!

"This object is the Crystal Curtain, crafted only after consuming the heart's blood of many top-tier artisans!"

Shen Qing walked closer, raised a hand to touch it lightly, and swallowed: "It really is a Crystal Curtain!"

Shen Liu was also excited as he watched. He wanted to recite a poem to praise the rare object, but lacking culture, he could only manage: "It's so damn dazzling!"

Wen Gu smiled: "There is something even more dazzling."

He gestured to the two escorts, signaling them to lift the curtain and change positions.

He had checked the weather for today and timed his arrival.

The two burly escorts kept their faces stiff, moving with extreme caution as they took small, shuffling steps through the crowd of Shen Family members to get closer to the sunlit doors and windows.

As they moved, the bead curtain swayed gently.

The whole thing had a natural, undulating gradient, like rippling green waves, reflecting sparkling points of light.

Another, heavier round of gasps filled the room.

Someone stared with fascination: "This is a true Crystal Curtain, not just a metaphor from the poems of scholars!"

In poetry, scholars always compared clear water surfaces, lakes, and water curtains to glass mirrors or crystal curtains.

Yet, at this very moment, the virtual metaphors of scholarly poetry had been concretized and materialized!

Dazzling!

So damn dazzling!!

Everyone in the room crowded around to watch it closely.

Wen Gu stayed to the side, leaving time for these nouveau riche to appreciate it.

These beads were all made during the experimental process—not just the decolorization experiments, but several other tests as well—and all the ones that didn't meet the standard were taken out.

They didn't meet Wen Gu's requirements, but they could be made into other items.

For this reason, he had specifically asked Pei Jing to design and draw the original color scheme for the Crystal Curtain. He paid a design fee, even if Pei Jing didn't care about it.

Having played with crystal for so many years, Pei Jing knew better how to display the beauty of the crystals. He couldn't carve, but he knew how to observe and appreciate.

Different colored crystals, even with only subtle differences, would have different artistic expressions.

When Pei Jing first saw these beads, he felt a sense of chaos as his worldview was reshaped.

Later, under Wen Gu's persuasion, Pei Jing forced himself to ignore that these were man-made crystals and replaced them with Natural Water Jade in his mind; his inspiration exploded, and he finished the design drawing in one go!

He arranged and connected those subtle color variations on paper in an artistic sequence!

With the drawings in hand, Wen Gu invited several craftsmen sensitive to color to process them according to the blueprints.

The final finished product was quite satisfactory.

Seeing the reactions of these wealthy patrons, he was even more satisfied.

Wen Gu first clarified: "This item is not the natural Water Jade Crystal, but fired glass."

"We know, we know!" someone replied absent-mindedly.

Does it matter?

Water Jade Crystal, along with certain clear gemstones, had all been referred to as glass. Glass is also a prestigious term!

As for being fired?

They did not care whether it was fired or not.

The same goes for firing porcelain or Glazed Ware, yet the value of the finished items varies wildly; some can become imperial tributes, while others can only fill the markets!

By the same token, glass objects are the same.

Whether it is worth it, they will judge for themselves!

Wen Gu continued to introduce the intricate craftsmanship of this door curtain, including the thread used to string the beads:

"Top-grade Mixed Thread, a combination of fiber and metal, is more flexible than pure metal wire and has higher strength than pure fiber thread. With top-tier technology from top-grade craftsmen, this type of craft was previously reserved exclusively for the imperial family and high-ranking officials!"

Thanks to the support of Lady Shen! Otherwise, Wen Gu could not have obtained this level of Mixed Thread in such a short time!

With every "top-grade" introduction, the more he spoke, the more tempted the people present became.

"The glass beads inside were not easy to obtain either; the scrap rate was high," Wen Gu said.

During the testing process, quite a few were indeed wasted.

"After production, I wanted to exchange them for some money and grain to support the workshop's consumption. If you relatives know of any friends who like this item..."

Before he could finish, someone interrupted:

"Our own family is enough; why let outsiders benefit!"

"Exactly, such a good item, don't let it go out!"

It was the end of the year; the wealthy and noble did not have the worries of the common people about surviving the winter, thinking more about social obligations during the festive season.

Many members of the large family were not in Xinzhou City, but scattered across other towns within the sphere of influence of the Zhao Clan, holding official posts and handling affairs.

They might only return once a year during the New Year.

Socializing and entertaining were certainly inevitable.

Achievements in war are one thing, but family wealth also concerns one's reputation. Visible decorations are the most intuitive display of strength!

This winter, many large clans from the south had arrived one after another; they, their own families, their maternal families, or their in-laws, were thinking of bolstering their image, and perhaps even facilitating cooperation.

It was not necessarily for themselves; they might have taken a liking to it to buy for others, or to use as gifts.

They were not truly stupid with too much money.

They had plenty of money, but they were not necessarily stupid.

Someone asked for the price impatiently.

Nowadays, large-scale transactions are conducted in money and grain. The money is the Xinzhou Money Voucher, which can be exchanged for grain and supplies with the Zhao Family.

"Everyone present is family, so I won't quote a false price."

Wen Gu gave a family discount.

There was another round of gasps.

It was not because they thought it was too high, but because it was much lower than they had expected!

Some thought they hadn't heard clearly, or that Wen Gu had made a slip of the tongue, and asked again.

Wen Gu confirmed it again.

If the world were at peace, if he were a merchant, perhaps he could come up with other tricks.

But now, Wen Gu was not taking that path, and besides, Lady Shen was watching, so it wouldn't do to fleece them too hard.

For this Crystal Curtain, he had already added enough for research and development, labor, technology, materials, and an artistic premium.

Ordinary wealthy families could definitely not afford it, and only the large, powerful clans would find it cheap.

However, some people here had invested their savings into Wanfu Garden.

Even if they were tempted, they couldn't come up with the funds at the moment.

For example, Shen Qing and Shen Liu.

The door curtain a few steps away swayed slightly, the beaded strings shimmering.

It shimmered so much that they were about to shed tears.

"You should have brought it out earlier! If you had brought it out earlier, I would have bought it sooner!" Shen Qing said, feeling unreconciled. "Or later would have been fine too; once the first phase of Wanfu Garden makes money, I will definitely buy one!"

Wen Gu comforted him: "There is no need for that; such crystal curtains will be made in the future. It's just that right now, in the short term, there is only this one."

Shen Qing: Thanks, I don't feel comforted at all!

What he was after was the current uniqueness!

Compared to the frustration of Shen Qing, Shen Liu, and others, there were still many people in the room who were moved by Wen Gu's family discount and were eager to try.

Looking at the expressions of these people, Wen Gu knew that this group still had quite a lot of money and grain in their hands.

Wanfu Garden could only be considered a group-buying product of a group of financiers, and most of the financiers were not hurt financially.

Someone wanted to buy it, but had concerns, and asked:

"This Crystal Curtain... didn't you send it to your aunt?"

"Aunt said she already has enough things on hand, so this time she's letting the younger generation choose first. No need to worry," Wen Gu said.

Everyone in the room immediately felt at ease.

After a round of scrambling, a certain elder of the Shen Family finalized the result.

Shen Liu said sourly, "Seventh Uncle, what do you want this Crystal Curtain for? I remember you prefer purple and red, not green and blue. Aunt said to let the juniors choose, and you aren't a junior!"

Seventh Uncle Shen said happily, "It is for your little sister Xiaoxi."

He was speaking of his own daughter, who had already become betrothed to the legitimate son of a wealthy family from the south, to be married before the new year.

Seventh Uncle Shen did not chat with them further and went over to discuss the specific details of the trade with Wen Gu. He did not forget to tell someone to pack up the Crystal Curtain well, warning them not to let people touch it randomly—what if it got dirty or chipped?

At dusk, Wen Gu finally returned to Qingyun Fang.

A craftsman came looking for him, carefully carrying a box in his hand, which contained fragile items.

"This is the Cover Box made according to your requirements, Ward Chief."

The craftsmen actually did not quite understand Wen Gu's aesthetic. They had previously made Crystal Inkstones and Crystal Cover Boxes for nobles.

But Wen Gu's requirements were different; he wanted them round and simple, with no patterns on the lids, as colorless as possible, and they had to be thin, clean, and transparent.

After the craftsman left, Wen Gu inspected the "Cover Boxes" inside the box.

This newly produced batch of Culture Dishes was satisfactory, so he stored them in the warehouse for later use.

(End of chapter)