The price was acceptable to Julie, so she nodded in agreement.
Liu Jiang said that he would gather people and buy all the materials today, and by tomorrow morning, at the latest, they could start working.
Once Julie saw that the issue was settled, she began to prepare to leave.
Liu Ying saw that Julie was really about to leave, and at that moment, she couldn't care about face anymore.
She stopped Julie, feeling a little embarrassed to speak, but she really didn't have enough money.
When building a house, if the contract is all-inclusive, the craftsmen usually pay for the materials and labor costs upfront. The homeowner will give a portion of the money halfway through the construction, and the remaining balance is paid when the house is completed.
She had already given most of the money she earned to her subordinates, and the rest was barely enough to support her family.
There hadn't been any more house-building jobs for her, and she hadn't earned anything for the past few months.
Her family's food expenses had also been cut to the bare minimum, just enough to get by.
So, she really didn't have money to pay upfront, especially since the client required the best materials.
Julie raised an eyebrow, understanding what she meant.
She had actually thought about this when she started drinking barley tea, but fortunately, she had space and could take out the money without any problem.
Otherwise, aside from wearing gold and silver, who would carry hundreds of taels of silver with them for no reason?
Since Julie appreciated her skills, she wasn't going to make things hard for her.
But for Liu Ying to speak up and ask her for help was a different matter.
Julie wasn't the type to do things just out of kindness. Without any benefit, it was easy for others to start taking advantage of her.
"How much do you need?" Julie asked calmly.
Liu Ying spoke, her face a little flushed with embarrassment.
In her youth, she was a big figure in town. Many people begged her to build houses for them.
She never imagined that in her old age, she'd be in this situation.
She had thought Julie would mock her and refuse, then turn away.
But unexpectedly, she agreed.
If she weren't afraid of scaring Julie off, she would have cried in her arms.
Seeing Julie look at her calmly with no expression, it seemed like she was waiting for her to speak. Liu Ying quickly composed herself, almost losing her composure.
She steadied herself and said, "A hundred taels? No... ninety taels should be enough." Would she be asking for too much? But the price of green bricks was high now. Even though she had connections, she couldn't get much of a discount.
Julie took out a hundred taels from her purse and handed it to her, saying, "Bring your people here at the set time tomorrow, don't make me come find you." Then, she walked out quickly, heading to get Xiao Hei to leave.
Julie didn't argue over whether it was ninety or a hundred taels.
She figured Liu Ying probably didn't have the ten taels to return.
Besides, giving her a little extra now meant there would be less to pay later when the house was finished. There was no harm in it.
She wasn't worried that Liu Ying would run away, because once you have a family and children, running away with stolen money is not as easy as just talking about it.
Julie saw that Liu Ying's eyes were clear, not scheming or calculating, and when she saw the design drawings, her eyes sparkled, showing that she truly loved this craft.
As for why Liu Ying had ended up in such a situation, that had nothing to do with Julie.
Liu Ying quickly took the money and came out to see Julie off.
She was a big client, quiet, generous, and talented. Thinking about those design plans, they were certainly not ordinary.
She had always thought she was talented and gifted in architecture, but now she realized that there were always others who were better.
Only after Julie rode off on her horse, kicking up dust, did Liu Ying retract her gaze and close the door.