Besides, now that he had brought it up, if she refused again, their relationship wouldn’t be the same as before.

She still wanted to maintain their cooperative partnership, after all, the more friends, the more paths to success, right?

If she guessed correctly, Wu Mingtang’s identity was probably not simple.

However, since he didn’t mention it, Jian Xiu naturally didn’t ask.

By the time Jian Xiu walked out, it was already close to the hour of Shen (around 3-5 p.m.).

It seemed she needed to speed up.

…

Wood and Ceramic Workshop

When Jian Xiu entered, there were hardly any people inside.

There wasn’t even a decent waiter.

She almost doubted if she had come to the wrong place.

But looking at the shop’s name, it really was as Wu Mingtang had described.

Thinking of this, Jian Xiu slowly started to observe the furniture displayed at the entrance.

She had to admit, the craftsmanship was truly impeccable, even down to the details of every stripe, all clearly carved.

But as for the style… it was honestly hard to comment on.

Furniture was often about innovation.

Even if the craftsmanship was perfect, if the style didn’t meet people’s needs, they wouldn’t buy it either.

After all, furniture wasn’t something you changed frequently.

Once you bought a piece you liked, it meant you’d have to live with that style for years.

If you didn’t like it, who would buy it?

Moreover, Jian Xiu noticed that the furniture here was not only outdated in style, but the entire shop seemed to only carry one type of style.

This left her speechless.

The style wasn’t great, and it was all uniform.

With that, how could there be any business?

Looking at the shop’s decor, it was also the kind of old-fashioned style, full of ancient charm.

It was clear that the owner here was someone who didn’t like change.

Wu Mingtang really did know her well.

In this case, the Wood and Ceramic Workshop was indeed the most suitable for her.

First, their shop had no business, so they would be able to complete the business she brought to them more quickly and efficiently.

Second, once her furniture was made, it could even bring some business their way.

Thinking this, Jian Xiu immediately assumed that the owner of the workshop must have some connection with Wu Mingtang.

“Ah, customer! Which piece of furniture are you interested in?”

Just as Jian Xiu was lost in thought, she heard a hearty voice from behind.

She turned around and immediately saw a middle-aged man with a square face, about the same age as Wu Mingtang, walking toward her.

After sizing him up, Jian Xiu asked, “Are you the owner of this place?”

“Ah, young lady, you have a good eye. I’m Ke, my name is Li Zhu. They call me Old Ke, and yes, I am the owner here. Not only that, but I’m also the manager and the waiter!”

At this, Ke Lizhu laughed heartily and asked,

“How do you like my identity, young lady?”

As he spoke, Ke Lizhu looked Jian Xiu up and down, then glanced at his own attire.

No matter how he looked at it, he didn’t look like the owner of the place.

In everyone’s eyes, the owner of a shop was usually a wealthy person.

But today, he was wearing coarse cloth.

“If I say I guessed it by feeling, do you believe me, Mr. Ke?” Jian Xiu smiled.

She had already walked around the shop, and there wasn’t even a waiter in sight, which meant that there was no one else working here.

With no waiter, it was obvious there was no manager either.

Most importantly, Ke Lizhu had just come out of the back room, and there were even some wood shavings on his clothes.

Clearly, he was indeed the owner.

The owner himself had come out to greet customers—there was no way she couldn’t figure it out.

“Hahaha… Young lady, you are indeed straightforward! So, what do you think of the furniture in my shop?”

Upon hearing this, Jian Xiu instinctively shook her head and replied honestly, “I’m not interested in any of it.”

As if anticipating this response, a flash of disappointment passed across Ke Li Zhu’s face, but it seemed to have no real impact on him.

“Oh? Then, young lady, what brings you here?”

Jian Xiu took out the design she had just finished and handed it to Ke Li Zhu, saying,

“Mr. Ke, can you make this style?”

“Ah…” Ke Lizhu gasped. “Who drew this?”

Forget about the style—just the drawing itself was enough to surprise him.

He loved woodworking, so the reason he opened this Wood and Ceramic Workshop was certainly to make money.

But, more importantly, he wanted to keep himself busy.

In short, money came first, and passing time came second.

He loved the sense of accomplishment when he finished a piece of furniture.

Now, seeing Jian Xiu’s drawing, it was impossible for him not to be amazed.

“If I say it’s my own drawing, will you believe me, Mr. Ke?” Jian Xiu asked calmly.

“You… you drew this?” Ke Lizhu stared at Jian Xiu in disbelief.

His eyes were full of doubt.

No matter how much he tried to believe it, he couldn’t accept that Jian Xiu could have drawn this.

“Yes, I did,” Jian Xiu answered firmly.

“You… you…” Ke Lizhu stammered, unable to get any words out for a long while.

Looking at the woman in front of him, she seemed to be only in her twenties.

Her clothes and appearance clearly indicated she came from a rural family.

How could she have drawn such a detailed and well-crafted design?

Not only was the drawing clear, but the dimensions of every corner of the desk were also marked clearly.

It could be said that this was a drawing for a massive project.

Even if he tried to copy it, he wasn’t sure he could do it.

“Mr. Ke, don’t doubt it. This is indeed my own drawing.”

“You’re Jian Xiu?”

“Yes, I’m Jian Xiu, from Zhangjia Village. I was introduced here by Wu Mingtang from Yuexiang Tower.” Jian Xiu stated clearly.

“Wu Mingtang? That old man introduced you?” Ke Lizhu asked again.

Jian Xiu: “…” He doesn’t seem all that young either.

But she didn’t say this out loud.

From what she heard earlier, it seemed the two of them were friends.

Otherwise, Ke Lizhu wouldn’t have referred to Wu Mingtang so casually.

“So… are you here to place an order?” Ke Lizhu asked, pointing at the drawing in Jian Xiu’s hand.