Ge Wu

They traveled by carriage in the north of the city for the time it takes to eat a meal, and then the carriage stopped.

Broker Zheng spoke apologetically from ahead, "Layperson Zhiwei, the alley ahead is too narrow for a carriage to pass through. I'm afraid you'll have to disembark here and walk in."

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Zhao Ruxi got off the carriage and looked around.

The environment here is incomparable to that of the south and west of the city. The houses are dilapidated and short, with sewage flowing everywhere; the people coming and going are all wearing short tunics, and occasionally you can see someone wearing a long gown, but their clothes are also worn out, which is very different from the well-dressed people in the other three districts.

Knowing they were coming here today, Zhao Ruxi, Qingfeng, Dianjiang all dressed in very low-key and simple clothes, but they still looked out of place in the environment. Several children playing by the roadside saw them and curiously gathered around.

"Go away, go away..." Broker Zheng quickly shooed them away. As the children were about to leave, he grabbed one of them and asked, "There's a jade carver here named Ge Wu. Which house does he live in?"

That little kid looked to be six or seven years old; he was the oldest among this group of little brats.

Hearing Broker Zheng's question, he looked at him warily, then glanced at Zhao Ruxi and the other two, and asked, "Why are you asking him?"

Broker Zheng raised his hand. "This distinguished guest wishes to commission him to craft some jade artifacts."

The child looked Zhao Ruxi carefully. Seeing that Zhao Ruxi had a smile on her face and a kind expression, and didn't seem to be there to cause trouble, he waved his little hand and said, "Come with me. Ge Wu is my father."

So the group followed the child into the alley.

Dianjiang had grown up in the Earl's mansion since childhood, and even though she had been traveling back and forth with Zhao Ruxi recently, she had never seen a place like this before. Afraid of getting her skirt dirty, she stood there holding it up, feeling like she had nowhere to put her feet.

But Qingfeng had been to the manor with Zhao Ruxi before. The houses there were dilapidated, and the roads were not only filthy but also muddy. Therefore, she was able to follow Zhao Ruxi without changing her expression and even helped Zhao Ruxi with her skirt from time to time.

Seeing Dianjiang, Dianjiang quickly abandoned her own spoiled attitude and began to take care of Zhao Ruxi in the same way as Qingfeng.

The group turned east and west, finally stopping in front of a small courtyard.

"Come in." The child waved and skipped through the door, shouting, "Dad, someone's looking for you!"

The grinding sound in the courtyard stopped, and a man in his thirties came out of a house. When he saw Broker Zheng and his group, especially when he saw that Zhao Ruxi was obviously dressed as a noble lady, he looked a little nervous.

"Master Ge Wu, I am a local official from this area, surnamed Zheng. This is Miss Zhao from the Earl of Suiping's Residence." Broker Zheng, quickly introduced himself and then introduced Zhao Ruxi.

Yesterday, he only inquired about Ge Wu indirectly in the vicinity, but did not actually meet Ge Wu in person.

Zhao Ruxi had dealt with many craftsmen in modern times. She smiled and nodded, getting straight to the point. "I would like to ask you to craft jade artifacts."

Upon hearing this, Ge Wu's expression remained serious. "Who introduced you?" As he spoke, he scrutinized the Broker Zheng again.

Broker Zheng was a little confused, feeling that Ge Wu's reaction was not normal, as if he suspected them of being bad people.

Zhao Ruxi said, "Master Ge Wu, I was introduced by your second senior brother Wang Jingsong."

When Xiao Lingyan introduced craftsmen to her, he first inquired whether the apprentices or brothers of the craftsmen in the Ministry of Works were highly skilled and whether there was a chance to hire them. After finding out, he gave Zhao Ruxi not the addresses of the craftsmen she wanted to hire, but the addresses of the craftsmen in the Ministry of Works.

Zhao Ruxi gave the addresses of the craftsmen from the Ministry of Works to middlemen in the corresponding urban areas, who then visited their homes to inquire about the situation of these craftsmen's fellow apprentices or brothers. Only then could they obtain the address of the person they wanted to hire from Ministry of Works craftsmen themselves or their families.

This erases Xiao Lingyan's role in the matter.

Therefore, she was not afraid to mention Ge Wu's senior fellow apprentice in the Ministry of Works.

Broker Zheng quickly added, "Yes, I just went to Master Wang's house yesterday. Master Wang kept praising your skills. His Brother Qi, is still thinking about his Younger Brother Yu, saying he'll definitely come to visit him with his father next time."

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Ge Wu's expression visibly relaxed, and his eyes immediately reddened.

"Is my senior brother... alright?"

"It's all good. I'm just worried about you. I hope you can cheer up," Zhao Ruxi said.

Ge Wu was a junior apprentice of Wang Jingsong, a jade carver in the Ministry of Works. Since Wang Jingsong recommended him to Xiao Lingyan, his skills must have been superb. A craftsman like him would definitely be sought after by major jewelry stores, and wouldn't stay at home waiting for Zhao Ruxi to invite him.

Unfortunately, Ge Wu was unlucky. Whether he offended someone with his words or actions, or his superb skills aroused jealousy among his peers, his jewelry store was suddenly robbed, and the stolen jade was quite valuable. At the time, all the evidence pointed to Ge Wu. His former boss didn't hesitate and sent him to the yamen (government office).

Wang Jingsong and Ge Wu's master had passed away. The brothers pooled their money and ran around to help him. Although Ge Wu had spent three years in prison, he didn't suffer too much. At least he could still make jade carvings with his hands.

However, in the jade carving industry, due to the preciousness of the raw materials, the requirements for the craftsman's character are extremely strict.

Ge Wu's reputation was ruined. He had been back from prison for half a year and was already having a hard time finding work. He finally found a silversmith who appreciated his skills, but as soon as they heard about his theft of jade, they fired him immediately. He had no choice but to rely on his fellow apprentices to introduce him to clients and take on odd jobs.

However, someone from Broker Zheng inquired yesterday and found out that because jade is expensive, people with good jade don't trust these freelance craftsmen to carve it. They go to silver shops instead, willing to spend more money. Those who come to Ge Wu for work are all small merchants. Their jade is of poor quality and cheap, so the wages they pay are naturally not high.

Sometimes, Ge Wu would also buy some low-grade jade materials himself, carve them into jade bracelets and pendants, and then sell them on the street.

But business wasn't good.

Upon hearing Zhao Ruxi's words, Ge Wu smiled and said, "Please come inside, everyone."

After everyone entered the house and sat down, a woman came in carrying a teapot and poured a cup of tea for each person.

After pouring the tea, she hesitated, holding the teapot, and didn't leave immediately.

Ge Wu, who had been somewhat absent-minded, noticed his wife's unusual behavior. He looked up and said to her, "You can go out now."

Mrs. Ge opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she didn't, pursed her lips, and turned to leave.

Zhao Ruxi quickly said, "This must be your sister-in-law, right? Please sit down and let's chat." As she spoke, she glanced at Qingfeng.

Qingfeng quickly pulled Ge's wife aside. "Mrs. Ge, please stay."

Ge's wife glanced at her husband, and seeing that he didn't say anything more, she sat down on the small stool next to the door.