The next morning, after a quiet night, everyone returned to their work after breakfast.
Nie Dali and Chen Zijian worked quickly, producing a batch of wavy U-shaped hairpins in both copper and silver.
They also made several pin-style hair clips, designed to be fastened behind huadian forehead ornaments or gauze flowers for added convenience.
However, they couldn’t figure out how to make the hairnets. Lacking the skill of filigree weaving, they suggested leaving that task to the wig and hairpiece makers.
Nie Qinghe decided to create the prototypes herself and then hire women to produce them.
She had her brother and Chen Zijian make her several crochet hooks of varying thicknesses, some from copper and others from wood, all polished smooth to prevent snagging. From Second Shopkeeper Lin, she obtained a large bundle of various thick silk threads and sturdy cotton cords.
Her mother had been a master of knitting and crochet. As a child, Nie Qinghe’s entire wardrobe of sweaters and trousers had been handmade by her, who could weave any pattern she saw, even those from new fashions she’d only glimpsed on others.
During her years living in the mountains, Nie Qinghe had spent some time studying the craft herself, reading books, watching videos, and joining online forums with fellow enthusiasts.
Within two months, she had mastered the art, only to lose interest in making more finished pieces and pivot to studying double-sided embroidery.
Nie Dali and Chen Zijian watched, mesmerized, as her hands moved with the grace of a butterfly flitting among flowers.
Chen Zijian’s face flushed. “Qinghe, if you learned to make filigree from Master, I guarantee you’d be a natural.”
“No way,” Nie Qinghe replied casually. “I can’t draw the gold wire evenly. I just don’t have the patience for it.”
Nie Dali shot her a look. When did his sister ever draw gold wire? He’d never even touched it!
Noticing his suspicious gaze, Nie Qinghe quickly smiled. “Of course I’ve never tried the real thing. But I’ve dreamed about it—and even in my dreams, I couldn’t get it right. So, I’m giving up on that.”
“Haha, Qinghe, you’re so cute,” Chen Zijian laughed.
Nie Dali immediately glared at him and yanked him away from his sister.
Soon, Nie Qinghe finished crocheting a medium-sized hairnet.
Seeing she still had plenty of silk thread, she used her crochet hook to make several colorful tassels. She stitched them along the bottom of the net, creating a fringe that would look beautiful on a young girl dressed plainly without jewelry.
She was just teaching Nie Dali and Chen Zijian when a maid ran in from the backyard. The girl was breathless, her hair disheveled.
Nie Qinghe recognized her as the maid she had met a few days ago and called her over.
Zhenzhu asked breathlessly, “Have you seen A-Liang?”
She and A-Liang both served the Third Young Master.
The others shook their heads, saying they hadn’t seen him.
Nie Qinghe noticed Zhenzhu’s two buns were slipping. She draped the hairnet over the precarious buns and tightened the drawstring. The small tassels dangling from the net added a unique touch of beauty.
“That looks surprisingly good!” Chen Zijian remarked.
“This hairnet can also be adorned with pearls or gemstones,” Nie Qinghe explained. “That would make it truly luxurious and precious.”
Zhenzhu leaned in to look at her reflection in the counter mirror. “Oh! Why is my hair so smooth now? It’s always such a frizzball!”
The hairnet was indeed the perfect tool for taming frizzy hair.
She turned her head from side to side, admiring the effect. “Miss Nie, you’re amazing.” No wonder the Third Young Master wanted to marry her!
The net kept her hair perfectly in place and offered a base for other decorations.
While not as opulent as the gold and silver wire buns worn by the first madam, this style felt softer and more voluminous. It lacked the tight, pointed look of those elaborate headpieces. For maids who didn’t attend formal events, this look was casual, neat, and effortless.
“Miss Nie,” she said happily, “I’ll buy this hairnet. How much is it?”
“Between the thread and the labor,” Nie Qinghe explained, “each hairnet costs at least twelve coins. But they last a long time. Even if a thread breaks, you can just tie it back together.”
Zhenzhu thought the price was a bargain. Even twenty coins would have been cheap for something so convenient. She paid, eagerly trying on the net before running off with a delighted smile. The hairnet held her hair perfectly in place as she ran—it was wonderful!
Nie Qinghe then took several strands of pink thread and began to crochet. A small flower quickly took shape.
She added a few golden threads for the stamen, two tiny green leaves, and a few pink buds. With more time, she could have crocheted a full hair-curtain to wrap around a bun.
Unmarried girls from ordinary families typically wore their hair in two buns, sometimes braided, with the rest flowing down their backs if they had enough hair.
Nie Qinghe loved experimenting with hairstyles and accessories, though she rarely spent much time on her own. Her own thick hair was simply divided into two sections, twisted together to form a loose, natural bun, and secured with a hair tie and the hairpin her eldest brother had given her.
Since the hair ties of the era lacked elasticity, the bun would gradually loosen and droop, creating a more effortless look.
She tied the small flower into her hair, and a splash of color instantly brightened her raven locks.
Nie Dali and Chen Zijian stared, mesmerized. Qinghe’s hands are just too clever!
After giving them a few suggestions for improvement, Nie Qinghe sent the two men back to their research.
Noticing the shop’s supply of silk thread was running low, she asked Second Shopkeeper Lin to go to the needlework shop across the street and order more thick silk and cotton threads—all essential materials for crocheting the hairnets.
Meanwhile, she attended to the women who had come to buy jewelry, her hands skillfully crocheting a hairnet as she worked. This was a perfect way to draw their attention and spark conversation.
After spending the entire day in the shop yesterday, gossip about her had already spread through the streets. Today, many people came specifically to see her.
Nie Qinghe had a sharp memory. She recognized two of the women as employees from other shops—their air suggested they were either back-room laborers or domestic servants.
She didn’t mind, though. The more people who came to see her, the better. Her goal was simple: turn every visitor—whether they came for the spectacle or to cause trouble—into a customer.
She greeted the onlookers politely, weaving a sales pitch for the hairnets into her conversation.
The women’s interest was piqued by the hairnets in Nie Qinghe’s hands.
They all owned hairnets, but theirs were flimsy, lacked elasticity, and were frankly ugly. Nie Qinghe’s version, however, was stretchy and durable. Once pulled tight, it hugged the bun perfectly, creating a sleek, elegant look.
Nie Qinghe immediately demonstrated how to use it, selecting a woman with particularly unruly stray hairs.
“Just cover it like this,” she explained, “and all the loose strands will be tucked away. Then you can add a hairpin or a decorative comb.” She smiled. “Or, if you’re just at home and want something simple, you can leave it as is.”
The nets were incredibly versatile; even a simple ponytail or braid could be coiled up and secured under one. It was the perfect solution for keeping hair out of the way while doing chores.
One woman immediately paid twelve coins for the net in Nie Qinghe’s hand. The others, seeing it was gone, placed orders for sixteen more.
These practical tools were durable and affordable, and the women didn’t hesitate to buy. Even those who had always browsed the jewelry without ever spending a cent ordered two nets each.
Shopkeeper Lin stared, speechless.
He had been waiting to see how Nie Qinghe would deal with these window shoppers—the women who came only to gawk and never buy. Instead, she had effortlessly sold them her newly woven hairnets.
He recognized several of them; they were regulars who had never spent a single coin in his shop.
How did Nie Qinghe manage to get people who just came to watch the commotion to spend money?
Laishun sent a few assistants to ask her.
Nie Qinghe smiled and explained softly, “We’re running a business. People are money, and the more people who come every day, the better. They might have come just to watch, but who’s to say they won’t find something they like, or be tempted when they see others buying? No matter their reason for coming, we must welcome them warmly.”
Service should be professional, she added. We can’t be sycophants, looking down our noses at those in plain clothes while groveling before those in fine silks.
Her words struck a chord with the assistants. They became even more humble, greeting every customer with a genuine smile.
After the first wave of women left, a new crowd arrived.
Today, it wasn’t just women. Many men came to buy jewelry, while others simply accompanied their wives. Upon entering, they either scanned the shop shamelessly or pretended to casually glance around, all searching for Nie Qinghe.
They had heard that Liu’s Shop had hired a beautiful young woman to attract customers—a girl so stunning she put the most famous courtesans of Jintai City to shame with her pure, refined beauty.
Without exception, they were met with a face that was polite yet coolly distant. Her features were delicate and clear, but her eyes—deep and limpid—seemed to pierce through them, exposing their darkest impulses.
Those with ulterior motives felt a sudden jolt of alarm. Even the genuinely curious found their hearts pounding, quickly averting their gazes.
Even the street thugs didn’t dare cause trouble at Liu’s. After all, anyone who could afford a storefront on this street was either wealthy or influential. Even those who appeared modest had powerful backers. Who would dare harass a young lady here?
So, those who had come drawn by her reputation could only stare for a moment before quickly adopting an air of righteousness, as if to prove they harbored no impure thoughts.
But Nie Qinghe showed no such restraint to the men who came just to ogle her. She would simply ask, with perfect politeness, “Won’t you buy a hairpin for your wife?”
“We have styles for every kind of lady,” she would add.
If a man claimed he was unmarried and had no wife to gift, she would suggest his mother or sisters. Either way, if they didn’t buy something, they were shamed.
What’s a grown man doing in a jewelry shop if he’s not buying anything? she’d think. How pathetic.
Under her sharp tongue, the men with impure motives grew flustered. Some bought hairpins just to save face, while others made excuses and fled, too intimidated to ever loiter there again.
Shopkeeper Lin was astonished. What a clever girl! Instead of shrinking in shame when those men came to ogle her, Nie Qinghe had confronted them directly, shaming them into buying gold hairpins. She had either forced them to spend money or chased them away in disgrace.
He quietly reported this to Head Shopkeeper Liu, who couldn’t help but smile. The young girl had spirit and skill. With the shop’s support, she wasn’t just protecting herself—she was taking control of the situation.
His worries vanished.
The unusual crowd today had highlighted flaws in the shop’s layout. Nie Qinghe suggested reorganizing the displays to create distinct areas for different types of jewelry.
For example, the limited selection of men’s accessories could be moved to the westernmost display rack.
The two easternmost shelves, she proposed, should be reserved exclusively for women’s accessories, separated by screens or floral partitions.
This area would be off-limits to men, ensuring that women visiting the shop alone—especially those who preferred not to interact with strangers—could browse comfortably and without harassment.
Head Shopkeeper Liu highly praised her suggestions and was equally impressed by the hairnets Nie Qinghe had crocheted.
“Qinghe, can men use this hairnet?”
Shopkeeper Liu turned the delicate mesh over in his hands, feeling he ought to have one himself. Men of his status still wore their hair bound and coiled atop their heads, but the topknots often looked untidy. A hairnet would solve that problem perfectly.
Nie Qinghe was surprised to see Shopkeeper Liu so eager to buy one for himself. She immediately offered to give him one for free.
But Head Shopkeeper Liu refused the gift. Instead, he marched straight to Shopkeeper Lin to record the purchase and pay for it.
“Care to join me?” he asked Shopkeeper Lin with a smile.
Shopkeeper Lin was tempted, but his pride won out. He refused to yield; Nie Qinghe wouldn’t get a single coin from him!
Shopkeeper Liu ended up ordering four nets, granting Nie Qinghe permission to hire someone to weave them. In his view, as long as these small items didn’t lose money, they would make excellent free gifts for customers purchasing gold and silver jewelry.
By midday, Nie Qinghe had styled two women’s hair, earning ten coins. She also sold four hairnets, bringing in forty-eight coins. Adding this to yesterday’s balance, she rounded the total to a hundred, allowing her to take a two-coin commission.
The labor cost for each medium-sized hairnet was one coin, adding another four coins to her earnings. A few men who had come to watch the commotion were nudged into buying hairpins, netting her another sixty coins.
All in all, she had earned seventy-six coins in a single morning.
As for the commissions from the small clips and hairnets she had designed for the shop, those would be settled every ten days as agreed. Most of those items were still on backorder and had yet to be crafted.
At noon, the old woman who delivered Shopkeeper Liu’s meal also brought one for Nie Qinghe. It was a simple but hearty spread: a bowl of white rice topped with a slice of steamed salted pork the size of a child’s palm, a bowl of boiled greens, and a platter of salted peanuts and shredded pickles.
The ingredients were good, even if the cooking was mediocre, but Nie Qinghe didn’t mind.
After all, it had meat!
She had just sat down to eat when she saw two figures enter through the screen—a man and a woman. The man was dressed in a garish, flamboyant outfit, while the woman wore a dress so sheer it left little to the imagination.
Nie Qinghe figured the shop assistants would handle them, so she prepared to continue her meal. But the man slammed his hand on the counter.
“Where are your girls? Bring them out to entertain us!”
The woman beside him clung to his arm, her smile coquettish. “Master Chen, this is Liu’s Jewelry Shop, not Cuihua Pavilion. There are no girls here—aren’t I a girl enough for you?”
The man snorted and pinched her cheek, his gesture crude and oily.
He refused the shop assistant’s help and ignored Laishun’s warning that the area behind the screen was reserved for young masters. Instead, he strode forward, intent on pushing past the screen.
Nie Qinghe, just about to take a bite of meat, had to set her chopsticks down. She cracked her knuckles, plastered on her professional smile, and walked out.
“My dashingly handsome and impeccably refined Master Chen,” she said, her tone dripping with exaggerated praise. “What exquisite jewelry might you be looking for to gift this lovely lady?”
The man was clearly a profligate scion of a wealthy family, out for a night of wine and women, parading his companion to show off his status.
The girl beside him wore a flirtatious expression, but her eyes gleamed with shrewdness. She was obviously angling for a generous gift. The man wanted to save face and take advantage of her, while she wanted his money.
Nie Qinghe decided she would be the one to facilitate this mutually beneficial arrangement.
Master Chen let out a wine-soaked hiccup. He draped one arm over Cuigu’s shoulder and gestured for Nie Qinghe to come closer.
Nie Qinghe approached with a poised, professional demeanor, signaling her assistant to bring out a tray of their most precious gold jewelry.
Her eyes curved into a welcoming smile, her voice gentle yet polished. “This young lady is a vision of beauty, with skin like snow and hair like a cloud. A Manchijing central hairpin, filigreed in gold and inlaid with rubies, would be a perfect match for her.”
In a full set of headwear, the central hairpin was the most prominent piece. It was flanked by side pins and hair-covering ornaments, followed by back-facing pins and a top hairpin. When combined with the zhuozhen and other floral hair ornaments, the entire ensemble would cost the scion a fortune.
Nie Qinghe’s skin was like cream, and though her fingers bore the calluses of a seamstress, they remained slender and fair. As she held the shimmering gold hairpin, she looked like a living piece of art.
Both the man and the girl stared, mesmerized.
It was simply breathtaking.
Cuigu immediately clung to Master Chen’s arm, her voice dripping with sweetness.
“Master… this hairpiece is simply stunning. I’ve never worn a hairpin so magnificent.” She leaned in, her tone a purr. “Not only is your status so exalted, but you’re also so generous, aren’t you?”
Master Chen basked in the beauty’s flattery, tempted to agree right then and there. But the exquisite craftsmanship and the weight of the gemstones made him hesitate. Even a fool could tell this piece would cost at least thirty taels.
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze drifting to Nie Qinghe.
If this young lady were willing to join me, he thought, I might consider it.
But before his lecherous intent could even reach his eyes, he met Nie Qinghe’s cool, detached gaze.
She smiled faintly. “We have other styles,” she said softly, lifting another hairpin. “This one is only fifteen taels.”
Master Chen stared at her. Though the young woman’s smile remained perfectly polite, he sensed a flicker of contempt in her eyes.
Yes, she’s looking down on me, he thought bitterly. Is she mocking me because I can’t afford it?
Cuigu knew him well. He loved to show off, but he was also a cheapskate. He might be willing to spend a few taels of silver, but if he bought something for thirty taels, he’d probably regret it later and make her life miserable.
Still, she knew he had to bleed a little. Only if he spent money on her would he keep her in mind and come back to see her often.
She immediately smiled. “I don’t like this one either. Let me see the other one.” She pointed to a floral hair ornament priced at eight taels and asked Nie Qinghe.
The ornament was inlaid with pearls and a few small gemstones. It was lightweight, yet the craftsmanship was equally exquisite.
Nie Qinghe immediately praised her good taste. “This design isn’t as extravagant, but it’s not too flashy either. You won’t have to worry about people coveting it when you wear it.”
Cuigu agreed instantly and began pestering Master Chen to buy it.
Seeing it was only eight taels, Master Chen agreed. “Buy it!”
Nie Qinghe’s smile grew even more polite. That’s 160 coins! I could buy eight jin of pork with that! Thank you, Chen the Scion! Please bring more ladies to visit my shop!