Chapter Forty-Eight Embroidery Patterns

Zhang Liuli now sells his congee in two different ways: one day sweet and the other day savory. This makes him much more profitable than selling pork liver congee alone.

Sweet potato porridge costs only two cents a bowl, a warm and sweet treat that's a real bargain.

Anping County has fertile soil and abundant produce, and ordinary families can live a decent life. However, candied fruit is a precious commodity and not something that can be enjoyed every day.

"Madam Zhang, is it sweet porridge today? It smells delicious from far away!"

A regular customer, a boatman, had just finished unloading a boatload of cargo. He rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold, and approached the porridge pot. He took a deep breath through his nose, and a hopeful smile appeared on his face.

"Brother Li has a really good nose! It's sweet porridge, freshly cooked and still warm!"

"Hey! I've got my eye on this!" The boatman readily handed over two copper coins.

"On a day like this, a bowl of sweet porridge makes my stomach feel comfortable and gives me energy to work. It's better than that pork liver porridge... well, it's not that Zhang Niangzi's pork liver porridge is bad, it's just that when my mouth feels bland, I crave this sweet taste!"

He took the bowl and eagerly slurped a large mouthful along the rim, his breath coming in gasps from the heat, but he squinted his eyes in satisfaction.

"So comforting, so very comfortable! Madam Zhang, you've arranged this sweet porridge perfectly!"

An old man selling bamboo baskets nearby also came over.

"Young lady, give me a bowl too. My wife at home loves sweet things, but unfortunately her teeth aren't strong enough to chew on candy. This porridge is cooked until it's very soft and has the perfect sweetness. I'll take it home for her as a snack; I guarantee she'll be happy!"

He carefully took out a faded coarse cloth bag from his pocket and gestured for Zhang to bring the porridge bowl.

Zhang closed his stall a little early that day, and he deliberately left a large bowl of sweet potato porridge that was cooked exceptionally thick and covered with a thick layer of rice oil. He carefully poured it into a clean earthenware pot and covered it with a lid to keep it warm.

Instead of rushing home, she turned a corner and headed towards Aunt Feng's house.

"Aunt Feng, are you home?" Zhang Liuyi called out from outside the courtyard gate.

"Hey, I'm here!" Aunt Feng responded and came out, still holding a bunch of green beans that she hadn't finished picking. When she saw that it was Zhang Xiaoyi, her face immediately lit up with a smile.

"Listen up, come in quickly, just finished selling? You must be exhausted."

"An auntie who doesn't find making money tiring."

Zhang Liuyi smiled and handed over the earthenware pot: "Auntie, I've brought you some sweet porridge to try. It's made with the dried sweet potatoes you gave me last time. I've cooked it until it's very soft. Please try it!"

Upon seeing this, Aunt Feng quickly wiped her hands on her apron, took the earthenware pot, and lifted the lid, releasing a sweet fragrance.

"Oh, this smell is so comforting! You even brought it to me specially!"

She gave Zhang Xiaoyi a reproachful look, but couldn't hide the joy in her eyes: "Those dried sweet potatoes from last time weren't worth much, it's kind of you to remember them."

"Auntie gave me all these good things. If it weren't for your dried sweet potatoes, I wouldn't be able to put this sweet porridge on the table!"

"Please try it and see if it suits your taste?"

Aunt Feng didn't stand on ceremony and carefully took a sip from the rim of the jar. Her eyes immediately lit up.

"Mmm, it's sweet, but not cloying. The aroma of the sweet potato has really come out. It's much better than what I cook myself! Watch out, you're really good with your hands. Shuanzi's dad will definitely love it too."

She held the earthenware pot in her arms like a precious treasure: "I'll heat it up later and let the father and son have a taste tonight, something sweet to their mouths."

She held Zhang Xiaoli's hand, looking at him with increasing delight: "You child, you are so thoughtful, still thinking of your aunt."

As she was speaking, she suddenly remembered something, let go of his hand, and ran into the house: "Wait a minute, Auntie has something for you."

A short while later, Aunt Feng came out carrying several neatly folded coarse cloth handkerchiefs.

The handkerchief has a cotton and linen base, with simple yet vivid little yellow flowers embroidered on it with yellow thread. The stitches are fine and dense, showing that it was made with care.

"Here, take this." Aunt Feng stuffed the handkerchief into Zhang Xiaoli's hand without saying a word.

“I embroidered this in my spare time. It’s not worth much, but the material is thick and absorbent. You can use it to wipe your sweat or place a bowl under your stall in the wind and rain. It’s more durable than the fine cloth you buy.”

Zhang Liuyi touched the thick, soft cloth and looked at the lively little flowers on it, feeling a warm current flowing through her heart.

"Auntie... your skills are really good, the flowers you embroidered are so lifelike."

Zhang Liuyi quickly tucked the handkerchief into her bosom, her eyes crinkling with a smile, "Thank you, Auntie! I'll definitely use this handkerchief every day!"

The two chatted for a while at the courtyard gate. Aunt Feng asked about the sweet porridge business at the stall, and Zhang Yili also told some interesting stories about the dock.

Two days later, Aunt Feng came to see Zhang Yiyan again, looking a little embarrassed.

"Listen up, Auntie... I need your help with something." She rubbed her hands together, looking somewhat hesitant.

“Auntie, just say the word, as long as I can do it.” Zhang Yili put down the knife she was using to cut sweet potato chips.

“I recently embroidered a few large patterns, peonies and magpies on plum blossoms. I wanted to send them to the shop to exchange for some money to supplement the family income, but I have a lot of mouths to feed at home, so I really can’t get away… You go to the county every day, could you… take them to Qiaoshou Cloth Shop for me on your way? As for the price… ask the shopkeeper, just pay according to the old rules.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang immediately agreed, "Sure, Auntie, you're being too polite! There's no problem with that! Give me the embroidery pattern, and I'll bring it to you tomorrow!"

Aunt Feng was overjoyed and thanked them repeatedly. She hurried home and brought over several embroidery patterns that she had carefully wrapped in oiled paper. The embroidery patterns were indeed exquisite, and the color scheme was elegant, showing that Aunt Feng had put in a lot of effort. As she looked at them, she thought to herself, "This work is really meticulous; I could never do it."

The next day, Zhang Liuyi set up his stall and, taking advantage of the fact that there weren't many people at the morning market, greeted Li Xiulan. Then, carrying Aunt Feng's embroidery pattern, which Aunt Feng had carefully wrapped, he turned into the back alley of the county government office, familiar with the way.

The courtyard is made of blue bricks, and a sign for a skilled fabric shop hangs above the door.

The shopkeeper, Mr. Sun, still looked as capable and efficient as ever, his beard neatly trimmed.

He was looking down at his abacus when he heard footsteps and looked up: "What would you like to see, sir..." Before he could finish speaking, his gaze fell on Zhang Xiaoli, or more precisely, on the embroidery pattern on her dress.

He put down the abacus and smiled sincerely: "Oh, madam, please come in. The pattern on your dress... it looks so familiar."

"Manager Sun has a good eye."

Zhang Liuyi understood immediately and smiled: "These straw stalks are the pattern that my husband specially asked the embroiderer to embroider when he ordered his wedding dress from you. My mother-in-law thought the pattern was interesting, so she embroidered it on my everyday clothes as well. I didn't expect you to recognize it."

"I remember, how could I not remember!"

Manager Sun warmly invited Zhang to sit down and personally poured him a cup of hot tea.

"The way Chief Xiong was so serious back then amused our embroiderers. This tough guy, with his iron-tower-like build, was incredibly meticulous, insisting on embroidering a little something just for the bride to see."

"This simple combination of withered grass stalks and wildflowers is not easy to embroider with that rustic charm. It took our best embroiderer a long time to figure it out."

He looked at the pattern on Zhang Liuyi's clothes with a gentle gaze, "This pattern is unique. I knew at a glance that it was Captain Xiong's wife. What brings you here today, Mrs. Xiong?"

Zhang then explained his purpose and presented Aunt Feng's embroidery pattern with both hands.

Manager Sun took it, unfolded it and examined it carefully. He praised, "Hmm, this peony is elegant, the magpie is lively, the needlework is delicate, and the color scheme is also elegant. It is a fine piece of work that has been done with care."

He looked at Zhang Yili, his smile becoming even more sincere: "Since it was delivered personally by Madam Xiong, and the craftsmanship is superb, the price naturally cannot be low. One peony painting and one magpie on plum blossoms are both large pieces, at... 180 coins each, what does Madam Xiong think?"

Zhang quickly calculated in his mind that the price was much higher than Aunt Feng had expected.

She quickly replied, "Manager Sun, you're too kind. This price... our Aunt Feng would be too embarrassed to accept it. Let's just do it according to the old rules of your shop."

“Oh, Madam Bear, please don’t refuse.”

Shopkeeper Sun waved his hand: "This price is because the embroidery is indeed worth it, and also... it's out of gratitude to Constable Xiong."

"The winter before last, the cloth shop's warehouse was robbed, and several bolts of valuable Suzhou and Hangzhou silk were stolen. The matter was reported to the authorities. It was Constable Xiong who led his men to stake out the place for several nights in the cold wind and managed to catch the gang of petty thieves and recover both the thieves and the goods."

"That helped my cloth shop a lot, saving the livelihoods of so many embroiderers and apprentices. I've always remembered that kindness. Today, with Madam Xiong personally coming to visit, what is this little bit of benefit?"

He looked at Zhang Yili with sincere eyes: "In the future, if you bring any embroidery work, as long as the craftsmanship is good, the price is negotiable. Madam Xiong, you should come and sit here often and take a look at the materials. I have some new fabric scraps here, and I'll give them to you at cost price!"

Zhang Liuyi then understood, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

It turns out that many people appreciated the things Zixiang did outside.

She no longer declined and thanked him sincerely: "Then... thank you very much, Manager Sun. Aunt Feng will be overjoyed when she knows the price."

Shopkeeper Sun smiled and had his assistant fetch 360 coins, which were then strung together with a red string.

After finishing his day's work at the stall and packing up his tools, Zhang Liuyi went home to settle down. Then, with the heavy 360 coins in his pocket, he went to Aunt Feng's house.

"Aunt Feng, are you home?" Zhang Liuyi called out from the courtyard gate.

"Yes, yes!"

Aunt Feng came out in response, still holding an unfinished shoe sole in her hand. When she saw Zhang Xiaoyi, her face immediately lit up with a smile: "Xiaoyi is back? You closed the stall quite early. Come in and sit down."

"Auntie, please don't sit down. I brought you something."

Zhang Liuyi smiled and took out the string of three hundred and sixty copper coins tied neatly with a red string from his pocket. When Aunt Feng saw the thick stack of copper coins, her eyes widened. She took them, weighed them in her hand, and raised her voice.

"Oh my God! How much money is this? Did Manager Sun give it to you? This is much more than the usual amount!"

She looked at Zhang Xiaoyi in disbelief: "Two embroidery patterns should cost at most 240 coins, but this...this looks like it costs more than 300 coins!"

Zhang Liuyi smiled and explained.

"Manager Sun saw your embroidery pattern and praised your craftsmanship. She said your work is worth the price, one hundred and eighty coins for one piece, and three hundred and sixty coins for two pieces!"

"One hundred and eighty coins per piece?" Aunt Feng gasped.

"Is Manager Sun possessed by a bodhisattva today? Why is he offering such a high price? This...this...I..."

Overwhelmed with emotion, she stammered, clutching the string of coins tightly: "Take note! This...this is all thanks to you! You must have put in a good word for me! Otherwise, how could Manager Sun have offered such a high price? You...you child, you're so quick-witted! I...I don't know how to thank you enough!"

"Auntie, please don't say that."

"It's because my son Zixiang helped someone catch a thief that I'm grateful for his help."

Aunt Feng said excitedly, "This money...this money really saved me from my predicament! I can use it to buy a thicker piece of cloth for Shuanzi to make a winter coat, and also get some medicine for his father!"

As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something and rushed into the house: "Wait a minute, Auntie will pack you some more dried sweet potatoes, you'll need them to cook porridge!"

"Auntie, really, you don't need to. You still have plenty left from last time," Zhang Yili quickly stopped her.

"Take it, you must take it." Aunt Feng had already quickly filled a small cloth bag with half a bag of dry, sweet-smelling sweet potato chips and stuffed it into Zhang Liuxin's arms. "This is from your aunt."

Zhang Yili had no choice but to accept it.