A blessed wife leads her husband to wealth and prosperity!

After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms to get their exam baskets and prepared to walk to the exam venue.

Brother Wen, I've put your mask in the basket. I wish you all the best in your exam today, good luck!

Lin He'er stood in front of the courtyard gate, cheering people on!

Okay, although he didn't understand what "cheer up" meant, Wen Yuning roughly understood what his wife was trying to say by looking at her raised hand.

Wen Yuning stepped forward and patted the other's fluffy head before turning around and following the crowd toward the examination hall.

After watching everyone leave the alley, Lin He'er returned to her room.

It's still dark, so I can go back to bed and catch up on some sleep.

When I wake up, there's something else I need to do. I'll have to be alert then, so I'll get a good night's sleep first.

After waking up and eating, Lin He'er took the drawing she had made the day before and prepared to go to the government office to meet Miss Xiang'er!

The prefectural examination was still being held near the government office, so when Lin He'er arrived there, she saw that there were soldiers guarding the area.

He went up to a soldier and asked him, only to find out that there was a side gate behind the government office. Usually, the ladies in the inner courtyard would knock on the back gate to inquire about their affairs.

Thank you for letting me know, I'll go to the back now.

Lin He'er followed the corner of the wall and walked all the way to the back of the alley before she saw the back gate of the government office.

I raised my hand and knocked on the door, and it opened from the inside.

The gatekeeper, seeing that she was an unfamiliar woman, asked her what business she had come to do.

Could you please pass on my message, young man? I am the head chef of Xu's Bun Shop in the city. I'm here to see Miss Xiang'er to discuss making some buns.

Alright, madam, please wait here. I'll go and inform you right away.

After the servant finished speaking, he closed the door from the inside.

A short while later, the door opened again.

Madam, please come with me. Miss Xiang'er is waiting for you in the flower hall in the backyard.

Okay, thanks for showing me the way.

Lin He'er entered the house, lowered her head, and followed the servant toward the main hall.

The prefect's backyard was quite large. After turning left and right along the way, when she arrived at the flower hall, Lin He'er felt that she probably couldn't get back the way she came by herself.

Just then, Xiang'er heard that the head chef from the Xu family's steamed bun shop had come to see her. She said that the other party was quite fast. Just yesterday, they said they would wait for the head chef to come and communicate, and today the head chef had arrived.

Sure enough, once the princess's identity was revealed, the speed increased immediately.

Hmph, that's a classic case of a big store bullying its customers!

When the servant led Lin He'er to the flower hall, Xiang'er looked at the woman standing in front of her and couldn't help but wonder if the shop was just going through the motions for its master.

Why does this woman who just arrived look younger than me? Is this the head chef?

It's not surprising that Xiang'er was skeptical of Lin He'er, after all, at her age, she really couldn't be considered a master chef.

I've met Miss Xiang'er. I'm the head chef who works with the Xu family.

I heard your master needed the items urgently, so I received the news yesterday and started preparing them. That's why I came directly to your door today to bring the designs for you to review.

Hearing that the other party confirmed that she was indeed the head chef of the Xu family, Xiang'er didn't say much. In any case, she hadn't seen the other party's skills yet, so she couldn't say anything directly.

Since you've brought the blueprints, let me see them first. If you can't even pass my test, then you don't need to see my master.

"Okay, please take a look." Lin He'er handed the drawings to the other party.

Xiang'er took the blueprints, sat down on a chair in the flower hall, and looked at the things the woman opposite her handed over.

What is this thing drawn on the paper? It looks a bit like something from the river in our village.

Freshwater mussels?

It seems a little different. Are those round beads pearls?

A bag made of pearls?

Looking at the drawing, Xiang'er couldn't say whether it was good or bad.

Why don't you let the young lady take a look for herself?

Xiang'er was a little undecided.

You wait here while I go and fetch the young lady.

Alright. Lin He'er saw the maid Xiang'er take the drawings to invite her young mistress, and figured that this person probably couldn't understand what she had drawn!

After standing in the flower hall for a while, Lin He'er looked up and saw the girl she had seen yesterday, accompanied by Xiang'er who had just left, coming into the flower hall.

Master chef, please have a seat.

Chu Jingya had just listened to Xiang'er's introduction of the head chef. Now that she had arrived at the flower hall, she went straight to the point.

Can you tell me what you drew?

Chu Jingya didn't quite understand what was on the blueprint either. Not to mention the river mussels Xiang'er had mentioned, even ordinary fish from the water were something this pampered young lady, who usually stayed in the inner quarters, had never seen before.

Of course, you may not have seen it before, but you should have eaten it before once it's cooked.

In response to Miss's question, Lin He'er now addressed the person before her as Xiang'er.

The drawing shows a seashell, which is a type of marine creature.

The pearls we wear in our daily accessories are taken from shells.

What I drew on the blueprint is a seashell.

This shell is called a scallop. Miss, please look at it. Doesn't it look a bit like an open folding fan?

The bag I made is called the Shell Bag.

The main material used must be pearls of different sizes. This is because pearls not only have auspicious connotations, but are also believed to have health benefits.

Isn't there a phrase like "round and smooth like a pearl"?

I heard that you made this bag as a gift for your mother, and I imagine that pearls are the best material for that.

Unlike gemstones, which gleam with a sharp, dazzling light, pearls possess a more dignified and graceful quality, with a warm and lustrous sheen, exuding a serene beauty born of time.

Moreover, pearls also symbolize a precious daughter, and you are the precious daughter of your mother. Whenever elders see this bag, they will think that it was a gift from their own precious daughter, and they will feel even more fond of it.

*Slap slap* You're right. I haven't seen the bag yet, but your words are as sweet as honey.

Chu Jingya was deeply moved by Lin He'er's words.

Isn't this what I originally wanted to express when I wanted to give a gift?

Finally, there's someone who understands what I'm thinking.

Please continue talking about this bag.

Yes.

The initial selection of materials for this bag has been finalized; it will all be made of pearls.

Since this bag will be made of pearls, it's unlikely that ordinary colored threads can be used to match it.

I plan to use silver wire, and I will also mix a little copper into the silver wire to make the wire.

Miss probably doesn't know that ordinary thread, or thread made of pure gold or silver, will show significant wear and tear over time.

After all, these materials are not hard enough. Therefore, it is necessary to add a small amount of copper.

Of course, the overall design still primarily uses the color of silverware.

Besides the silver thread weaving, another issue is the lining inside the bag.

The lining is to fill the gaps between the pearls, thus effectively preventing items from falling out of the bag.

Finally, we made some small parts for this bag, also using the same materials. However, these parts are quite complicated. To be honest, I have my own dedicated craftsman to make these parts, and he is not in the prefectural city at the time.

I am from Kaiyang County. I usually live in the county town below, and my master is also from a village near the county town.

If you are satisfied with today's bag design, it will still take a few days. I need to go back in person to discuss the material and shape of this part with the craftsman.

If you can't wait, I can also choose not to use this part on this bag. However, for me personally, if I use other alternatives, this bag might not be as perfect!

Oh? Making this bag is so complicated?

Princess Chu never expected that such a small bag would be made with such complex craftsmanship.

However, I have always been a perfectionist, so why would I settle for an imperfect solution?

According to what you said, how long will it take to finish making this bag?

Lin He'er roughly estimated the time in her mind and replied, "Miss, it will take at least 8 to 10 days."

The main problem is that the journey will take a few days.

It will take 8-10 days, which perfectly coincides with my return time.

I estimate that once I've grabbed my things, I'll have to rush home so as not to be late for my mother's birthday.

Can you guarantee it will be completed on time? Chu Jingya was really afraid that something might go wrong in the process, otherwise, waiting for so long would really be a loss.

Yes, miss, don't worry!

Okay, then I'll do it your way. When you've finished making the items, you don't need to hand them over to the shop; just bring them to me.

Ah, I'm just the head chef who works with the shop, this isn't quite right.

After all, directly bypassing the shop is somewhat against the rules.