Afternoon tea for ladies

Jin Meiling's public announcement was undoubtedly a bombshell, completely detonating Shanghai's social circle.

Before the ball was over, the news that "the slum darning girl suddenly became Mrs. Jin's exclusive designer" had already spread like wildfire and reached every corner of the French Concession.

The next day, nearly every newspaper's entertainment and fashion sections devoted extensive coverage to the miracle of the "Lace Butterfly" event. For the first time, Ah Xiu's name was associated with words like "genius," "miraculous craftsmanship," and "upstart fashion." This stark contrast to her former life as an orphan from the slums created a buzz, generating much-talked-about excitement.

Murong Bai's follow-up report was titled "Butterfly Storm: The Birth of a Genius", which vividly described the grand occasion of last night. The words were full of praise for Ah Xiu's skills, completely pushing her to the pinnacle of public opinion.

Overnight, Ah Xiu went from being an orphan struggling to survive at the bottom of society to a hot new celebrity in Shanghai.

Jin Meiling fulfilled her promise. Not only did she cash the huge check, she also provided Ah Xiu with an independent and quiet small building in the backyard of her mansion as her studio.

The environment has changed drastically, but Ling Xiuqing has always remained extraordinarily calm in her heart.

She knew that Jin Meiling's title of "exclusive designer" sounded impressive, but in reality it was just a more ostentatious cage. She valued the vanity and prestige her craftsmanship could bring her, and to her, she was nothing more than a novel "living luxury item" that could demonstrate her taste and status.

This was not what she wanted. Her goal was to rebuild the glory of the Ling Family Embroidery Shop and create her own brand, not to become anyone's vassal.

But she also understood that one must eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time. The Jin Mansion was her best springboard and refuge at the moment.

She used the funds provided by Jin Meiling to quickly purchase the best tools and materials, and recruited several hardworking and honest female workers introduced by Manager Wang, and began the initial preparations for the studio.

And troubles followed.

Jin Meiling's "exclusive" status completely put an end to the other aristocratic ladies' hopes. Even if they coveted the "Lace Butterfly," they dared not openly compete with Boss Du's favorite woman.

If they can't do it openly, they will do it secretly.

As a result, the afternoon tea at Jingongguan became extremely lively.

Every day, all kinds of ladies and young ladies come to visit under the pretext of "visiting Sister Jin". Their real purpose is, of course, to meet the legendary "Embroidery Fairy" and see if there is any chance to ask her to do some work for them "privately".

That afternoon, Mrs. Chen, the owner of the newly opened "Red House" Western restaurant on Xiafei Road, came to visit again with a few of her card-playing friends.

"Oh, Meiling, you're so lucky!" Mrs. Chen exclaimed exaggeratedly while sipping the finest Ceylon black tea. "You've invited such a goddess into your home. From now on, all the fashion in Shanghai will depend on your mood."

Jin Meiling listened to these flatteries with a smug look on her face, but pretended to be modest: "No, no, it's just that Ah Xiu is very skillful."

As she spoke, she raised her chin to the maid beside her and said, "Go, call Ah Xiu here and let the ladies meet her."

Soon, Ling Xiuqing was brought to the living room.

She was still dressed in a plain dress, without any makeup, and looked completely out of place among the glittering ladies around her. She just stood there quietly, nodding slightly at everyone, and said nothing.

"This is Miss Axiu, she is indeed pretty and charming." A Mrs. Li said with a smile, but her eyes scanned her from head to toe like an X-ray.

Mrs. Chen was more direct. She carefully took out a limited edition GUCCI silk scarf from her Hermès handbag. There was a small hole on it that was accidentally burned by a cigarette butt, which was very conspicuous.

"Miss Xiu," she said in a condescending tone, "I brought this silk scarf back from Paris. It's so precious. I accidentally tore it, and I'm so heartbroken. I heard you have amazing craftsmanship. Could you please take a look at it for me?"

These words seemed like a request, but in fact they were a test and a disguised command.

Everyone in the living room focused their attention on Ling Xiuqing.

Jin Meiling held her teacup in silence. She also wanted to see how Ah Xiu, whom she had so highly praised, would handle this situation. Would she flatly refuse because of her "exclusive" status, or would she be afraid to offend because of her power?

Ling Xiuqing's eyes fell on the silk scarf. It had a classic print and was made of high-quality material, but the tiny perforated hole was truly an eyesore.

She was silent for a moment, and when everyone thought she was going to refuse, she slowly extended her hand.

"Okay." She took the scarf and said calmly, "But I have two rules."

Everyone was stunned. A girl who had just escaped from the slums dared to talk about "rules" in front of these noble ladies?

Ling Xiuqing ignored their surprised looks and continued in a clear voice, "First, I only do mending and secondary creations. I don't accept new design orders. Second, my wages are not calculated based on the size of the work, but rather 20% of the value of the scarf itself."

When these words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked!