Chapter 45

Wu Xiaoxiao understood that no matter how good art was, it was only something people would consider after having enough to eat. Sacrificing for art and enduring poverty was a choice made by only a few. Take Wu Jiang, for example—he loved glassblowing and persisted in it, even spending his own money on materials. However, because most people didn’t have the spare money to appreciate such art, his exquisitely crafted pieces could only sit on shelves for his own admiration, without bringing any real change to his life.

If things went according to her plan, maybe she could even help improve Wu Jiang’s life.

“This isn’t a waste of time at all! These glass pieces are beautiful—they’re art,” Wu Xiaoxiao said. “It’s just that right now, people are focused on basic survival, so they don’t have the capacity to appreciate them. Compared to these stunning works, what I need Big Brother Wu Jiang to make is nothing special at all. But I’ll pay for them.”

Wu Xiaoxiao insisted.

Wu Jiang waved a hand. “You’re Chen Si’s friend, which makes you my friend too. Blowing a few bottles is no trouble at all—why would I charge you? Just tell me what kind you want, and I’ll make a few for you.”

He often spent his free time blowing glass bottles anyway. Sometimes, when he had nowhere to store them, he would just melt them down again. Giving a few to Wu Xiaoxiao was no big deal.

Wu Xiaoxiao shook her head. “Fair is fair. You treat me as a friend, but I can’t take advantage of that. I don’t have much money right now, so I’ll only order a few bottles for the time being. This is the shape I have in mind.”

As she spoke, she picked up a pen and paper from the table and began sketching.

She had originally imagined the high-end cosmetic bottles she had seen before. But after witnessing Wu Jiang’s glassblowing firsthand, she realized how fluid and beautiful handmade glass could be. The range of possible shapes far exceeded what industrially manufactured bottles could achieve.

She wasn’t just being polite earlier—she genuinely believed that Wu Jiang’s work was valuable and worth a lot. It was just that the market hadn’t caught up yet. If given the opportunity, he could probably become a master of glass art.

Wu Xiaoxiao’s drawing skills were excellent, though her artistic sense wasn’t quite on the level of Chen Si or Wu Jiang. After sketching her design, she explained her ideas in detail.

Chen Si, having seen her jar of face cream before, immediately understood what she wanted and offered new suggestions.

To make it easier to use, the bottle should be flattened, with a wider opening. The glass walls shouldn’t be too thin, but they could be decorated more.

Before long, what had started as Wu Xiaoxiao explaining her design turned into a lively discussion between Chen Si and Wu Jiang. Both had a strong artistic sense, and their ideas bounced off each other, sparking new inspirations. Even for something as simple as a glass bottle, they came up with multiple designs, each with its own unique charm.

In the end, Wu Jiang decided to take them back to his workshop. Together, they refined their ideas, and he blew a few samples based on their discussion. Comparing the actual pieces made it easier to choose.

After much deliberation, Wu Xiaoxiao found herself unable to give up on two particular designs. She remembered that she also needed a bottle for her mosquito repellent, which was currently stored in a small, randomly found porcelain jar. She decided to get both designs—one slightly taller and thinner for the mosquito repellent, and the other flatter for the face cream.

Wu Jiang wasted no time. Working swiftly, he blew five bottles of each design.

The beautiful transparent glass bottles were left to cool on an iron plate. The tall, slender bottle for the mosquito repellent had a green swirl around its neck, resembling a delicate floral wreath or an elegant elf’s hat. The fresh green hue gave the entire bottle a refreshing look.

The flatter bottle, on the other hand, had a subtle red tint in the glass. The color was so faint that it appeared almost pink. The shade deepened toward the neck, where the thicker glass created a natural transition to a rich, dignified red. The bottle exuded an air of quiet elegance, like a gentle young woman with softly flushed cheeks.

Wu Xiaoxiao admired the bottles with delight, unable to take her eyes off them. Once they had sufficiently cooled, Wu Jiang wrapped each one carefully in newspaper.

“The bottle stoppers still need a bit more time. They’re thicker, so they cool more slowly. Come back in a day, and they’ll be ready,” Wu Jiang said.

He had made matching glass stoppers—one red, one green. Since the stoppers were thick, they took longer to cool and required additional polishing. He had only finished polishing one so far, just enough for them to test the fit.

Wu Xiaoxiao decided to leave the other bottles with Wu Jiang so he could fine-tune the stoppers to match. She only took one of each design for now.

She then pulled out five yuan—money that Zhao Xiaoyan had forced her to accept earlier—and handed it to Wu Jiang. “I don’t have much right now but take this as a deposit. I’ll pay the rest when I make more money.”

Wu Jiang quickly waved his hands. “Why are you paying me? I already said this is nothing. If you like them and they’re useful to you, I’m happy. There’s no need to pay.”

Wu Xiaoxiao refused to take no for an answer and firmly stuffed the money into his hands. “Big Brother Wu Jiang, just take it. I can’t just take your work without paying, especially when you put in so much effort. If you don’t accept it, I’ll feel too guilty to come back.”

She was so determined and quick that Wu Jiang had no chance to argue. He could only turn to Chen Si for help.

Chen Si merely shrugged. Wu Xiaoxiao had made up her mind—there was no convincing her otherwise.

—-

In the end, Wu Jiang reluctantly accepted the money, secretly deciding to make even more designs for them next time.

He had seen many beautiful bottle designs before but had lacked some of the necessary materials. He planned to search for supplies and maybe even invest in a couple more tools. That way, when they returned, they would be able to see entirely new designs.

Wu Xiaoxiao and her friends had no idea that their insistence on paying that five yuan would lead Wu Jiang to invest dozens more of his own money. And they certainly didn’t know that this small collaboration would not only kickstart Wu Xiaoxiao’s business journey but also pave the way for Wu Jiang to become a renowned glass artist.

For now, Wu Xiaoxiao was simply thrilled that she had finally solved the problem of finding the right containers for her face cream. The next step was to figure out how to sell them.

The product worked well, but she didn’t want to take the easy way out by pretending it was an imported luxury brand. So how should she market it?