Generally speaking, when carving jade, especially delicate objects, one must first secure the piece before making any cuts. Yet this scholar in white, with a carving knife in one hand and a jade hairpin in the other, gently rotated the hairpin with his fingers as the knife danced ceaselessly across its surface.

Both hands moved at once, yet with a steadiness that was almost unnerving.

It was no less than painting atop a lone boat in stormy seas—if the body swayed even slightly out of sync with the waves, the entire scroll would be marred.

Anna Turner and a few friends had only intended to watch the show, but now sensed something unusual—this young scholar was actually an expert.

Bound by the rules of craftsmanship, none of them dared approach, lest a bump cause an accident. The ladies and madams present, however, were oblivious, curiously staring at the peculiar scholar.

Moments later, faint patterns could already be seen on the jade hairpin—clusters of peonies, linked together.

Sarah Sullivan was stunned for a long while before reacting, and quietly asked, “Mr. Wood, what is he carving?”

Jack Wood stared unblinkingly at the scholar’s technique, then after a long sigh, exclaimed, “What he’s carving doesn’t matter—he’s done it all in one go, from start to finish. You can’t achieve this without decades of immersion and practice.”

“Hm?”

Sarah Sullivan frowned, scrutinizing closely, and realized that the scholar hadn’t stopped his hands from the very beginning. The slender hairpin, about the length of a palm, was almost covered in petal patterns, yet he still seemed at ease.

Is he even human?

A few experts in the jewelry business also saw the skill at this point. Anna Turner was full of shock, never expecting to encounter such a master craftsman.

But he also found it odd—craftsmen make their living by their skills, and the older they are, the higher their status. Without years of accumulated experience, such skill is impossible. This scholar in white, though sporting a bit of a mustache, looked barely twenty. Could he have started practicing in the womb?

This was where the advantage of a transmigrator showed.

William Carter had wielded a carving knife for far more than twenty years. Even after achieving business success, he never abandoned this craft he loved.

Still, this wasn’t his original body, and he wasn’t yet used to the strength and size of the fingers. It felt awkward, like working with thick leather gloves. In the past, for such a simple task that relied only on experience, he could have carved it perfectly with his eyes closed.

A moment later, William Carter put away the carving knife, looked the piece over a few times, and still felt dissatisfied. Tilting his head with a light laugh, he said, “My hands are rusty, this is the best I can do. Take a look.”

The group gathered around. Jack Wood took the hairpin, turning it over and examining it closely, but said nothing for a long time.

Sarah Sullivan squinted and studied it for a long while, finally noticing that the extra stroke from the character “潤” was the starting point, from which dozens of petals unfurled across the hairpin. The petals varied in size and position, but their shapes and the curves of their edges were identical, blending seamlessly with the fourteen small characters, forming a perfect whole.

Such craftsmanship could truly be described as miraculous.

Jack Wood considered himself capable of matching this with effort, but would never dare claim he could do it so effortlessly. To transform a flawed hairpin into something flawless and more exquisite than anything sold in the shop with a single stroke required not just skill, but a deep understanding of jewelry.

In modern terms, this would be called aesthetics and design ability.

Sarah Sullivan observed for a long time before snapping out of it, looking in surprise and delight at the white-robed scholar, who smiled and raised an eyebrow: “Who are you?”

“Hahaha...”

William Carter let out what he thought was a mighty laugh, snapped open his folding fan, on which four large characters were written:

I am a good person!

Then, with a flourish, he strode away, leaving the crowd with a mysterious and profound figure.

The ladies and madams watching, amazed by his skill, also found him baffling, whispering to each other:

“He’s quite handsome, but seems a bit silly...”

As Master Carter stepped over the threshold, he stumbled, quickly straightened his clothes, and walked out with elegance.

“Hurry, stop that scholar, don’t let him get away.”

Sarah Sullivan couldn’t let such a godsend slip through his fingers. Craftsmen of this caliber were worth their weight in gold. If he could bring him back to the shop as the chief carver, he’d have no trouble getting business into the palace.

After instructing his staff, Sarah Sullivan handed the hairpin to Anna Turner: “Here, if you can still find fault with it, I’ll admit it.”

Anna Turner took the hairpin, examined it up and down, and found it flawless. Even the original defects had become strokes of genius—there was truly nothing to criticize.

“Consider yourself lucky. But since it wasn’t made by your family, don’t be so hasty in the future. If someone else finds a flaw, the reputation of Baibaozhai might really be ruined.”

With that, Anna Turner and his friends left Baibaozhai.

Sarah Sullivan was so angry he gnashed his teeth, and quickly ordered the manager to take last night’s rushed hairpins off the counter and inspect each one carefully.

On the street.

Anna Turner looked grim, called over his attendant, and instructed, “Go find that scholar from earlier. Use whatever means necessary to bring him back to the Li family’s shop.”

The attendant nodded quickly, hesitated a moment, then asked, “Young master, what if he already has a patron and won’t come?”

Anna Turner’s face turned cold: “In the capital, there’s no one I, Anna Turner, dare not offend. If he won’t come, then bring him by force. He’s just a craftsman. Once he understands how deep the waters run in Bianjing, he’ll know what’s good for him.”

The waters of Bianjing run deep!

The Li family’s business reached the palace, so their background went without saying. As the eldest legitimate son of the Li family, he was not someone a mere jeweler could afford to offend.

The attendant nodded repeatedly, a vicious glint in his eyes, and hurried off down the street.