The Midwife Has Been Found
"As for the styles of jewelry, I've already had ten craftsmen rushing to make the common styles. There aren't many of each style, but we'll have what others have. In addition, I've arranged for five craftsmen to work on the ten jewelry designs that Miss Xu drew, striving for exquisite craftsmanship, with each style limited to about ten pieces."
He smiled and said, "Ladies and young ladies like unique items. If we make too many at once, the price won't go up. So we'll release these ten gradually, and we'll be selective about who we sell them to. Their social status can't be too different; they have to be among the very elite in the capital."
"Shopkeeper Wang is indeed capable; he considers everything very thoroughly. With Gathered Treasures Studio Shopkeeper Wang in charge, Xiebaozhai is sure to prosper and be rolling in wealth," Xu Xi said with a smile.
"Thank you for your Miss Xu." Shopkeeper Wang was extremely Gao Xing with Xu Xi's words.
He was indeed one of the best managers in the Prince of Zhennan's Residence. Xu Xi's words were also auspicious and lucky, which is something business people pay the most attention to.
"Although we do have some craftsmen who can draw jewelry designs, their designs are only slightly different from before, and they can't create the novel pieces like Miss Xu's. If you have time, could you draw more for us? We'll not only pay Miss Xu 100 taels of silver per piece, but we'll also give you half a percent of the profit for every piece sold, just like the other jewelry designs you mentioned."
"I've told Master Xiao before that those jewelry designs aren't something I can just draw whenever I want; I need inspiration. If I have inspiration, I can naturally draw more," Xu Xi said.
"I understand, I understand," Shopkeeper Wang said repeatedly. "I meant within the limits of what's possible. Miss Xu doesn't need to feel pressured."
Although he wasn't originally in the jewelry business, since he was going to get involved in it, he naturally learned about the industry in detail.
The artisans who design jewelry are lucky if they can come up with one new design in a year or two. What they usually do is just make minor adjustments to the existing jewelry.
"The design of the inlay technique is fine," Xu Xi said. "However, if you have any ordinary jewelry design catalogs, you can show them to me. I'm worried that my jewelry drawings might overlap with the existing ones."
"No problem." Manager Shopkeeper Wang assistant, who soon brought over two jewelry catalogs and placed them on the table in front of Xu Xi.
Xu Xi held the jewelry catalog in her hand and looked at Xiao Ruotong, "Teacher, starting tomorrow, I can come here after school and stay for half an hour before going back."
Half an hour is a quarter of an hour. The academy lets out early, and it gets dark late in summer and autumn, so it doesn't matter if you go back half an hour late.
"Then I'll trouble you." Xiao Ruotong was very Gao Xing. "I'll have the guards escort you back."
Xu Xi did not refuse.
She didn't want the people from the Marquis's mansion following her; she always felt like she was being watched. Her whereabouts could be easily found out by the guards; she had no secrets, making it inconvenient for her to do anything.
The guards of the Prince of Zhennan's Residence were not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also discreet. It was impossible for the people from the Marquis's mansion to bribe them to obtain information about her.
Therefore, she preferred to be escorted by the guards of the Prince's mansion.
However, I must tell the old lady and the first lady about going home half an hour later every day.
Xu Xi returned to the Marquis's residence and went to the Rongxi Hall to pay her respects to the old lady. Just as she was about to explain why she had returned so late and about her cooperation with Madam Xiao, she noticed that the old lady's expression was off. The First Madam, who usually helped the old lady prepare meals, was nowhere to be seen.
"Madam, what's wrong?" she asked.
Although the old lady had personally agreed to let her call her "grandmother," Xu Xi did not want to do so until her identity was truly confirmed.
The old lady grabbed Xu Xi's hand, and Xu Xi realized that her hand was ice-cold and her body seemed to be trembling.
"Xi, Miss Xi..." The old lady's lips trembled, "Found her, found her."
The old lady's words seemed cryptic, but Xu Xi understood them perfectly.
Who else but that midwife could have caused the old lady to lose her composure and become so agitated?
"Where was it found? Where is your aunt?" Xu Xi asked.
"In, in Jiangnan. Your aunt and uncle went back to the Zhu Family. Your uncle plans to go to Jiangnan tomorrow," the old lady added.
To avoid alerting the suspects, Lady Zhu sought out a midwife from her own family for this search.
The Zhu Family was also a noble family, but so far only one earl has been granted the title. Lady Zhu was the eldest daughter, and her mother was still alive. Lady Zhu's older brother, Chengjue, became an earl and served as a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Personnel. Although the official position was not high, it was a real one with some power, and he was doing better than Zhao Yuanxun. Lady Zhu's younger brother passed the provincial examination a couple of years ago and is now working hard to pass the imperial examination.
Although the Zhu family was a rank lower than the Marquis of Suiping's Residence in terms of rank, the Zhu Family was harmonious and its members were ambitious, which was better than the Marquis of Suiping's Residence, where the brothers were not united.
When Zhao Yuanxun was young, he was handsome and a prince, a title of nobility. Although his health was not good, he did not show any signs of dying young. The old lady, Madam Lady Tang, was also kind and promised that Lady Zhu would be in charge of the household after she married into the family.
If it weren't for these qualities, Zhao Yuanxun really wouldn't have been able to marry someone like Lady Zhu.
Xu Xi also knew that if Lady Zhu held the portrait and investigated in the direction she pointed, she would surely be able to find it.
The midwife had a distant cousin whose family had suffered a misfortune. He came to the capital for help and was rewarded by the midwife's parents. Later, the family returned to the county town, which was more than a hundred miles away, and the cousin managed to get a job in the government and became a constable.
Given such kindness, it wouldn't be difficult for the midwife to give her cousin some more money, and for him to find someone in the government office to change his household registration.
Although the midwife felt insecure and moved twice, even to Jiangnan, by following this path and bribing officials everywhere, using the power of the noble family to intimidate people, and having a portrait for confirmation, it wasn't difficult to find the midwife.
Xu Xi now only wanted to know how the First Madam planned to handle this matter.
"Did your aunt tell you what she plans to do?" Xu Xi asked.
The old lady shook her head. "She didn't say. But I know her. If Lady Wei really did this, your aunt will definitely not let her off the hook."
As she spoke, her expression darkened. "I'm afraid our Marquis's mansion is about to fall apart." Tears streamed down her face.
Although Xu Xi had eaten two pastries at Gathered Treasures Studio, he was hungry again. He had planned to greet the old lady, say a few words, and then go back for dinner, but now he couldn't leave.
Xu Xi entered, Matron Jin knew that the old lady would definitely not be able to hold back and would want to tell Xu Xi about this, so she had already sent all the other servants away.