A Good Country Wife-Chapter 602 - 596_1

"Indeed, Master Xue has worked hard these days, and such progress is truly regrettable. It seems that producing a batch of glass before the old master sets sail is not just a pipe dream of mine. Maybe we can really make it happen. When that time comes, as the person responsible for this achievement, the old master and I will certainly reward you handsomely. Also, are the pieces of glass I requested ready? If they are, hand them over to me now; I have a use for them."

What would Lin Yue do with the glass? She had long thought of making a few mirrors, but since the glass had not yet been produced, let alone made into mirrors, she considered it a matter of time. When Zhao Erhu brought back Master Xue and his team, she had already prepared the materials and was just waiting for the glass to be ready to proceed to the next step. However, making mirrors would not be done in the Glaze Workshop. For one, Lin Yue did not fully trust Master Xue yet—confidentiality was essential—and as long as the glass was produced, the following steps did not relate to the production of glass. Moreover, the Glaze Workshop was also busy, so she had arranged for a few trusted confidants to set up separate rooms for this task.

Everything was busy and orderly, and time hurried by. Two months quickly passed, and even though Lin Yue was reluctant to part, Zhao Erhu had to set sail according to the original plan. By the time Zhao Erhu departed, Lin Yue had indeed made all of the things she wanted, as she had anticipated. The first item that surprised and astonished Zhao Erhu was that Lin Yue had actually made mirrors—gazing at the mirrors with smooth surfaces and clear reflections, where even a wrinkle at the corner of the eye could be seen—surpassing in design, craftsmanship, and technique the mirrors they had bought from the Foreign Tribe in the west.

The Foreign Tribe also had its noble rich men and wealth, and in fact, just like many officials and nobles in Dazhou spend a lot of money on western goods brought by the Foreign Tribe, the psychology behind the purchases was the same. Furthermore, encountering the magnanimous, as long as the goods were suitable, it did not matter if a fortune was thrown away. However, the prerequisite was that the goods had to be high quality and presentable, otherwise spending a lot of money on something not worthwhile would not be showing off wealth but losing face.

With this in mind, Lin Yue put much thought into creating several specially designed gift box sets, containing the best products they could make, suitable for women’s cosmetic use. The sets were rich in contents, including twelve colored fragrant soaps with different scents and effects, as well as various essential oils contained in glass bottles.

Since both the essential oils and the glass were only recently developed, they were not yet perfect. There were only five kinds of essential oils, and the glass bottles were not as clear as modern glass. Combining the technique of producing colored glass made them look more beautiful and mysteriously attractive. Lin Yue initially chose not to use colored glass due to the high cost, but being able to combine both technologies to develop new products was an unexpected surprise.

In addition to the fragrant soaps and essential oils, the box also contained newly developed products by Lin Yue and Liao Ruyan, such as shampoo, face cream, rouge, and hair oil, all contained in containers made of glass, looking exceptionally attractive. These glass containers came in different colors, with twelve unique sets, each distinctively packaged in exquisitely carved nanmu boxes, unique and one-of-a-kind, which catered to the vanity and show-off mentality of the wealthy and noble, as well as those who simply appreciated quality. Regardless of the motivation behind their purchase, Lin Yue’s goal was to ensure customer satisfaction.

Due to time and skill constraints, the glass could only barely meet Lin Yue’s requirements for production. It was not feasible to paint designs or mold them into intricate shapes, but Lin Yue’s family’s carpentry was unparalleled—so skilled that describing it as extremely clever would not be an overstatement. Lin Yue, therefore, also devoted great attention to the design of the boxes for these products.

Good products, of course, need good packaging to showcase their value. Packaging design is the face of the product, and only with an attractive face will the contents be more appealing. It’s like when judging people; the first impression is not the character but the external appearance, which, although superficial, aligns with the psychology of most people. The same logic applies to buying products.

Each box for these products used different patterns and designs. Not just that, but a small mechanism was employed for the secret latch of the box, making it novel and unique while showcasing the craftsman’s skills. Each box also contained a pair of double-sided, two-colored embroidered handkerchiefs made personally by Lin Yue. There was no second person in Dazhou with such skills. Without Lin Yue’s transmigration with memories, where would such items have come from in this era?

These double-sided, two-colored embroidered handkerchiefs were also limited. Each box only had two, as rarity added value, and more would diminish their exclusiveness. Lin Yue embroidered them to emphasize the uniqueness of the gift sets and did not create surplus. After all, creating the double-sided, two-colored embroidery was labor-intensive, requiring not only skilled hands but also mental effort—a simple handkerchief took multiple times longer to embroider than an ordinary one.

The embroidery was done with the finest silk and threads, Dazhou’s silk craftsmanship far exceeding that of other countries, and people from the Foreign Tribe adored and revered Dazhou’s silk products. For this, Lin Yue designed several sets of genuine silk garments in the style of the Foreign Tribe, intended to be sold at high prices. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

Speaking of which, the specially-made, high-end products that Lin Yue was producing were suitable for women. Firstly, as a woman herself, Lin Yue had a better understanding of women’s preferences and needs. Plus, the research into glass and some other products was still at an initial stage, so it made sense to focus on one aspect for now. Improvements could be made in time. However, money from women is easier to earn, both in ancient and modern times, and when it comes to attire and appearance, women are certainly willing to spend money.

Apart from these, the pills and potions Lin Yue had were also highly sought after. Jimin Hall’s medicines were renowned throughout Dazhou, and even those in the Foreign Tribe knew of them. Almost everyone in Dazhou knew that, although expensive, Jimin Hall’s goods were much more effective than ordinary medicines, and so, if people fell ill, they preferred to gather more silver to buy from Jimin Hall rather than visiting common medical shops. Of course, those who couldn’t afford it had no choice, which spoke to the Jiang Family’s influence and standing in the medical field, as well as the fame of Jiang Ziqi, the top Divine Doctor of Dazhou.

After sending Zhao Erhu off, Lin Yue didn’t stay despondent for long. Before she could even adjust her emotions, she threw herself into another bout of busy preparations, fraught with many concerns.