Wang Wu spoke very softly, and Yan Qingqing didn't hear what he was saying, so she left.

On her way home, Yan Qingqing passed by the embroidery workshop and went in to take a look. These days, the embroiderers basically learn embroidery for half a day and do the work for the other half.

Upon seeing Yan Qingqing arrive, Li Yueniang quickly put down her work and said, "Mother, what brings you here?"

Yan Qingqing smiled and said, "I went into the mountains to visit your third brother, and on the way I passed by here, so I thought I'd check on how the embroidery workshop is doing lately, and if there's anything they can't handle."

Li Yueniang smiled and said, "They're all doing well. Several people have already learned double-sided embroidery, and Grandma has even taught them some other needlework techniques when she has time."

Yan Qingqing nodded and said, "That would be best, but don't tire your grandmother out, she's getting old after all."

Grandma Yan has returned to Yanjiacun Village these past few days because of some family matters.

Upon hearing this, Li Yueniang quickly nodded and said, "Mother, don't worry, my sister and I know what we're doing and won't tire Grandma out, but..."

Yan Qingqing looked at Li Yueniang's hesitant expression and said, "But what? Is there anything you can't tell your mother?"

There's definitely nothing that can't be said to Yan Qingqing, but Li Yueniang is just worried about tiring her mother out, since Yan Qingqing is usually quite busy.

Seeing Yan Qingqing press for answers, Li Yueniang slowly said, "It's just that these embroiderers lack a bit of flexibility. Although they all learn what Grandma taught them very diligently, I remember Mother said she wanted to train a few people who could do design, but so far I haven't found anyone with that talent."

Yan Qingqing laughed upon hearing this; so that's what Li Yueniang was worried about. Real design isn't easy; besides talent, it also requires inspiration.

But inspiration comes from life. These people spend their days in the embroidery workshop learning and working, without carefully observing the things around them, so naturally they have no inspiration.

So Yan Qingqing smiled and said, "If that's the case, Yue Niang doesn't need to rush. Designing isn't something that can be done overnight. Yue Niang can guide them in this direction, letting them observe the things around them more, and they can record any new ideas they have."

Anyone whose idea is adopted will be rewarded.

Li Yueniang felt that Yan Qingqing's words made a lot of sense. Not only should these embroiderers pay more attention to this aspect, but she herself should also put more effort into it so that her mother could worry less.

Yan Qingqing had always known that her daughter was career-oriented and very opinionated, but she was just too young.

Thinking of this, Yan Qingqing said, "Come on, let's take Mother to see those embroiderers. Mother can also come up with some new designs for you."

Upon hearing this, Li Yueniang's face lit up with a smile. She had been thinking about launching new products for a long time, but she didn't have the ability to do so herself. Yan Qingqing was also busy lately, so she didn't want to trouble her mother any further.

Li Yueniang led Yan Qingqing to the embroidery workshop, where the women were busy making headdresses for Jinsheng Pavilion. Upon seeing Yan Qingqing, they all put down their work and greeted her warmly.

Although Yan Qingqing rarely comes to the embroidery workshop, and it is usually Yuan Huiniang and the other two who manage it, they all know that Yan Qingqing is the one who is truly in charge of the workshop.

Most of these embroiderers were from Canghe Village and neighboring villages, and they could all be connected to each other. Yan Qingqing heard them enthusiastically calling her "aunt" and "grandmother," and some even called her "grandma."

She felt completely numb, because she had grown accustomed to hearing these terms of address.

After Yan Qingqing finished greeting them, she said, "I know you all work very hard in the embroidery workshop, so I hope you can relax and not overwork yourselves. You need to have a job, but you also need to have a life."

As soon as Yan Qingqing finished speaking, a clear voice said, "Second Grandma, we're not tired. We chat and laugh while we work here. Besides learning a skill, we also get paid, more than my father used to earn."

Yan Qingqing recognized the girl as Li Xingniang, who was Li Datou's daughter. Li Datou and his wife were considered relatively amiable people in the village, and they treated their child well.

Li Xingniang's life at home wasn't too bad before; she would feed the chickens and forage for wild vegetables when she had nothing to do. So when Yan Qingqing's embroidery workshop was recruiting embroiderers, she was chosen.

Since arriving at the embroidery workshop, Li Xingniang has finally learned what a comfortable life truly is. The work here isn't strenuous, though it's somewhat tiring on the eyes. However, the workshop allows them to rest after every hour of work, and they're sheltered from the wind and sun. More importantly, they receive three hundred coins a month.

She's living a very comfortable life now. After receiving her wages, she only needs to hand over 200 coins to her mother, and she can save the rest for her dowry.

The key point is that after Li Xingniang finished speaking, everyone else looked on in agreement. Yan Qingqing was speechless when she saw their expressions, and she hadn't even finished saying what she was going to say.

Although they are content with their current lives, it doesn't stop Yan Qingqing from making empty promises to them.

So he coughed and said, "The reason you are valued by your family now is because you can earn money. If you could earn more money, wouldn't your status in the family be even higher?"

That's for sure. If they had even half of Yan Qingqing's abilities, they could do whatever they wanted at home.

Seeing this, Yan Qingqing continued, "My advice to maintain a balance between work and rest was for a reason. It is said that art originates from life, and you can only create better works of embroidery if you are good at observing."

To be honest, there are plenty of embroiderers, and even more who can embroider, but not many who can design. Think about it, right now you're just making headdresses based on what others have made, which is something every embroiderer can do.

Even if I give you a drawing, you might not be able to understand it, let alone design it.

Therefore, you should try to align yourselves with this approach in your daily work. Of course, the wages you receive for design work are vastly different from the wages you currently receive.

Design isn't something you can master overnight, so please pay close attention to your surroundings and feel free to share any good ideas you have with me. If your suggestion is adopted, you'll receive a one-time reward of ten taels of silver.

As soon as Yan Qingqing finished speaking, a collective gasp was heard. Ten taels of silver! That was something they could only earn in several years.

So everyone's minds started to wander.

Seeing this, Yan Qingqing poured cold water on the idea, saying, "Design still requires talent. Some people may never be able to design a work that is recognized by the public in their entire lives. If you neglect the work you have on hand because you are thinking about making a lot of money, I will not hire you."

Yan Qingqing's words successfully calmed them down. Yes, it would be a real loss if they lost their current jobs and didn't even make a lot of money.

But as Yan Qingqing just said, art comes from life, so they can just observe more in their daily lives.

This is exactly the effect Yan Qingqing wanted. It's enough to plant a seed in their hearts. Besides, not everyone can be a designer.