I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

In Qing, Chen Jia and Chen Jue have made extraordinary achievements in many fields with their extraordinary wisdom and unremitting efforts. From the exquisite glass wood carvings to the all the rage of pearl beauty, every innovation of theirs has set off a craze in Qing. And this time, they have set their sights on pearls and shells, intending to create a new world of mother-of-pearl and shell carvings.

One day, Chen Jia was sitting in the courtyard, fiddling with a round pearl and a colorful shell in her hands. In the sunlight, the luster of the pearl and the texture of the shell set off each other beautifully. Chen Jue happened to come over and saw this scene, and his eyes lit up.

Chen Jia looked up, eyes sparkling with excitement, and said, "Boss, look at these pearls and shells. If we tinker with them and make them into mother-of-pearl and shell carvings, they will be so charming!"

Chen Jue nodded slightly, his eyes full of thought, and said, "My wife, your idea is really fresh. The craft of mother-of-pearl is passed down by our ancestors. If you use pearls and shells as materials, you can definitely make something different. But this craft is not simple. If you want to make something that is both popular and well-received, you have to put in a lot of effort."

Chen Jia stood up and said excitedly, "I know it's not easy, but we have a lot of craftsmen in our workshop! If we all work together, how can we not get it done? Just think about it, the furniture decorated with mother-of-pearl will be shiny and bright in the sun, how magnificent it is; the shell carvings of flowers, birds, fish and insects, etc., will look vivid when placed anywhere, and those rich people will go crazy to buy them, right?"

Chen Jue smiled in agreement and said, "My lady, you hit the nail on the head. However, we need to find a few skilled craftsmen first, and then select the best pearls and shells. Only with good materials can we produce good work."

The two of them discussed and immediately started to prepare. Chen Jue personally went to the coastal areas to look for craftsmen who were good at mother-of-pearl and shell carving. In a quiet coastal town, he heard that there was an old craftsman whose mother-of-pearl and shell carving skills were unique and well-known. After many twists and turns, Chen Jue finally found the residence of the old craftsman.

The old craftsman's home was filled with various mother-of-pearl and shell carvings, each of which was exquisite and amazing. Chen Jue stated his purpose and said respectfully: "Master, my wife and I have long admired your craftsmanship. We were thinking, could we invite you to our workshop to study and make some new designs with pearls and shells."

The old craftsman looked at Chen Jue and said, "My craftsmanship is not bad, but pearls and shells are very valuable, and they have different properties. It is not easy to put them together."

Chen Jue said sincerely: "Master, to be honest, my wife and I really like this, and we have no shortage of materials and space in our workshop. If you can help us, our craftsmanship will definitely be improved."

The old craftsman was moved by Chen Jue's sincerity and nodded in agreement: "Well, since you are a sincere young man, I will go with you."

At the same time, Chen Jia arranged staff in the workshop to search for high-quality pearls and shells. She personally selected them, looking at the roundness and brightness of the pearls one by one, and the beautiful patterns and bright colors of the shells one by one.

When Chen Jue returned with the old craftsman, the workshop was already filled with carefully selected pearls and shells. The old craftsman looked at these raw materials with admiration in his eyes: "You really put in a lot of effort. These materials are all top-notch. You will definitely be able to make good things."

Chen Jia smiled and said, "Master, we are just waiting for you to take charge of the cooking. From now on, it all depends on you and the other chefs!"

Thus, the production of mother-of-pearl and shell carving officially began. The old craftsman called together the craftsmen in the workshop and explained the craftsmanship of mother-of-pearl and shell carving in detail. "For mother-of-pearl, you have to cut the pearls and shells into thin slices and then inlay them on the objects. You have to be careful when cutting, keep your hands steady, and cut accurately, otherwise the slice will be ruined. Shell carving must follow the shape of the shell, using its natural texture and color, so that the carved objects will be vivid."

A young craftsman looked embarrassed and said, "Master, the pearl and the shell are one hard and the other brittle. I'm afraid it will be difficult to cut them and it will be difficult to control when setting them."

The old craftsman smiled and comforted her, "Don't be afraid. When cutting pearls, first use a fine file to slowly grind out a flat surface, then use a special thin-blade knife to cut along the force. As for the shells, soak them in hot water to soften them a little, and it will be much easier to cut. When setting, don't apply too much glue. Find the right position and press it down at once, and it will be stable."

Under the guidance of the old craftsman, the craftsmen began to work. They carefully cut the pearls and shells, polished them into thin slices as thin as cicada wings, and then carefully inlaid them on the prepared furniture and utensils. Chen Jia and Chen Jue came from time to time to check on the progress and cheer for the craftsmen.

"Masters, thank you for your hard work! I think the mother-of-pearl inlaid flowers are becoming more and more beautiful. If the edges can be made more rounded, it will be even better." Chen Jia encouraged.

"Everyone, work harder, cut the shells more evenly, and pay attention to the alignment when inlaying. Let's try to make something that will amaze everyone!" Chen Jue also said.

After months of meticulous production, the first batch of mother-of-pearl and shell carving works finally came out. A screen inlaid with mother-of-pearl, with pearls outlining the contours of mountains and rivers, and shell flakes forming a pattern of colorful flowers, is colorful and dreamy under the sunlight. The shell carving works are even more lifelike, a peacock carved from shells, with clear feather textures and pearl-embellished eyes that sparkle as if it will spread its wings and fly at any time.

Chen Jia and Chen Jue looked at these works with great satisfaction and pride. In order to showcase these amazing works, they held a grand tasting meeting and invited dignitaries, wealthy businessmen and literati from the capital.

On the day of the tasting, the workshop was decorated with lights and there was a constant stream of guests. When they saw these mother-of-pearl and shell carving works, they were all amazed.

A wealthy businessman in brocade robes gathered around the mother-of-pearl screen and praised it highly: "Duke Chen, Madam Chen, this screen is absolutely amazing! I have traveled all over the country for so many years, but I have never seen such a beautiful thing. If it is placed in my house, people will be envious."

A scholar held a shell-carved peacock in his hand, examined it carefully, and said with emotion: "This shell carving is truly a masterpiece of divine craftsmanship! The pearls and shells are perfectly matched, and the charm of the peacock is fully brought to life. It is truly a rare treasure."

One noble lady couldn't let it go and said, "Madam Chen, I must buy a few more of these shell carvings and mother-of-pearl ornaments to give to relatives and friends. It will be so impressive."

Chen Jia introduced with a smile: "Everyone, these are all made by the masters in the workshop day and night. Each piece is different. The combination of pearls and shells is not only beautiful, but also exudes a natural aura."

After the tasting session, orders came pouring in. Mother-of-pearl furniture and shell carvings became the object of competition among the wealthy in Beijing, and Chen Jia and Chen Jue's workshops became famous again.

However, as their business became more popular, some unscrupulous merchants began to copy their works. These imitations were poorly made, which not only damaged the reputation of Chen Jia and Chen Jue, but also disrupted the market order.

Chen Jia said angrily: "Why are these people like this? They will do anything to make money. We can't just let it go like this."

Chen Jue frowned and said, "Don't worry, my lady. On the one hand, we have to keep a close eye on the skills in the workshop to prevent others from stealing them. On the other hand, we have to go to the government to reason with them and ask them to take care of these immoral things."

With the intervention of the government, the trend of imitation was effectively curbed. Chen Jia and Chen Jue continued to focus on the innovation and development of mother-of-pearl and shell carving crafts, constantly launching new works to meet market demand.

At a banquet, Chen Jia said to Chen Jue with emotion: "Boss, it has not been easy from the beginning to the time when we were thinking about this, and now so many people like it. But seeing that our products are so popular, all the hard work is worth it."

Chen Jue held Chen Jia's hand and said affectionately: "My dear, this is the result of the joint efforts of the two of us and our masters. In the future, we will continue to promote this craft and let more people see our skills."