Chapter 140 Good Opportunity
The early morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a bright streak of light on the desk. Gu Qiuyue looked at the sorted manuscript, but the doubts in her heart had not completely dissipated.
While eating breakfast, she pretended to be casual and asked the two children, "Huahua, Shuangshuang, did you touch the manuscript paper in your mother's drawer a few days ago?"
Huahua was struggling with the porridge in his bowl, mumbling without even looking up, "No." Shuangshuang's round eyes were wide open, a look of grievance on her face, "Mom said not to touch the work drawer, I'm very obedient."
Looking at the sincere expressions of the children, Gu Qiuyue's heart softened a little. Perhaps she was just overthinking it, and it was possible that she made mistakes while busy organizing the information.
Xie Shiyu laughed and said, "See, I told you that you might have remembered it wrongly. These past few days you've had to prepare lessons, translate, and sort out embroidery materials. It's too tiring."
Gu Qiuyue nodded and put the matter aside for the time being.
After dinner, she spread out the letter paper and prepared to write a letter to Manager Cheng of the Provincial Xinhua Bookstore.
The pen scratched against the paper. She first reported on the translation progress, then politely inquired whether someone had been sent to the local area to collect information on folk crafts. She also mentioned that she had heard that Master Qin might have a niece in the provincial capital who had also studied embroidery.
"It's not too presumptuous to ask this, is it?" she muttered to herself, carefully choosing her words.
After the letter was sent, life returned to its usual rhythm.
Attending classes, preparing lessons, taking care of children, and doing translation, Gu Qiuyue's life is fulfilling and peaceful.
It was not until three days later that Xie Shiyu returned home from get off work with a hint of excitement on his face.
"Yueyue, I have some news." He took off his military cap and said cheerfully, "The division is selecting personnel to go to the provincial capital for a two-week training camp, and I've been included in the candidate list."
Gu Qiuyue's eyes lit up: "Really? When are we going?"
"Mid-next month." Xie Shiyu took the tea she offered him. "If that's possible, maybe I can stop by Xinhua Bookstore to visit Manager Cheng. I can also help you find out about Master Qin's niece."
He took a sip of tea carefully and continued, "This training is army-wide and it's a rare opportunity. If you're selected, you can not only learn the latest military theories, but also get to know comrades from other units." As he spoke, his eyes sparkled and he was obviously looking forward to this opportunity.
The couple started chatting about this topic, and the dinner table was filled with various ideas about the provincial capital. Although the children didn't understand, they were also excited and clamored for their father to bring back some candy.
Another week passed. On this day, Gu Qiuyue returned home from class. As soon as she entered the compound, the security guard Xiao Zhang called out to her, "Teacher Gu, there's a letter for you!"
Gu Qiuyue's heartbeat suddenly quickened. She thanked him and took the letter. She recognized it as an envelope from the Provincial Xinhua Bookstore at a glance.
When she got home, she carefully opened the envelope. Manager Cheng's reply was very enthusiastic. He first expressed his appreciation for her translation work and then answered her questions in detail.
"The provincial branch is indeed preparing a series of books on folk crafts, but we haven't sent anyone to various locations to conduct research. The lady you met might be a colleague from our partner organization, or she might be a spontaneous researcher..."
Seeing this, Gu Qiuyue suddenly realized that it was not someone sent by the provincial store, which solved a doubt in her mind.
The second half of the letter surprised her even more.
Manager Cheng wrote, "We know you're interested in local embroidery craftsmanship, so we have a humble request: Would you be willing to contribute to the book series by writing a chapter on local embroidery, in addition to translating it? The remuneration will surely satisfy you."
Gu Qiuyue read it over and over again, almost unable to believe it. Writing for a formal publication was something she had never thought of.
She paced around the room holding the letter, feeling both excited and nervous. Writing a chapter for a monograph was different from her usual translation work, requiring more systematic research and more professional writing.
But then she thought, isn't this exactly what she's always wanted to do? Record the skills of folk artists like Master Qin and pass them on.
When Xie Shiyu returned home in the evening, she couldn't wait to show him the letter.
"That's great!" Xie Shiyu said happily. "You have good writing skills and have done so much research, so you will definitely be able to write well."
"But I've never written anything this academic..." Gu Qiuyue hesitated.
"Everyone has a first time, and don't forget that you are a graduate of Jingcheng University. I believe you can do it." Xie Shiyu held her hand. "Don't worry about the family matters. I will share more of the responsibilities."
He continued, "This is a great opportunity. Haven't you always wanted to do something to pass on traditional crafts? Now that the chance has come, you must seize it." His eyes were firm and warm, which gave Gu Qiuyue great courage.
The next day, Gu Qiuyue began to organize the information more systematically and decided to visit Teacher Zhou again.
In the school library, Teacher Zhou listened to her explanation and pushed his reading glasses: "You're going to write a book? That's great! Master Qin's skills should be recorded carefully."
Gu Qiuyue corrected him with a smile: "It's just a small chapter. By the way, you mentioned Master Qin's niece last time..."
"Oh, that one!" Teacher Zhou seemed lost in thought. "I remembered it later. The girl's surname seemed to be Lin... What was her name? Xiu? Fen? I'm old and my memory is not so good. I think she worked in a provincial cultural unit, but I don't know which one."
Gu Qiuyue carefully wrote down this information. His surname was Lin and he worked in a provincial cultural unit. This narrowed the scope a lot.
After returning home, she began to organize all the information she had about Master Qin.
In an old magazine, she stumbled upon a yellowed photo. It showed a young Master Qin and several other women. On the back was a line of elegant handwriting: "Spring 1953, taken with my disciples at the Provincial Arts and Crafts Society."
There is also an address faintly written in the lower right corner of the photo: "No. 27, Wenhua Road, Provincial Capital".
Gu Qiuyue's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. Provincial Craft Society? No. 27 Wenhua Road? Isn't this where the provincial cultural units are concentrated?
She carefully put the photo away, feeling a surge of anticipation in her heart. Perhaps this was the key clue to finding Master Qin's successor.
Outside the window, the sun was setting and the sky was covered with gorgeous sunset glow. Gu Qiuyue seemed to see a new road slowly unfolding before her eyes, leading to a wider world.
She opened the window, and the evening breeze caressed her face, bringing with it the warmth of early summer. In the distance, the laughter of children playing mingled with the voices of mothers calling their children home for dinner. This ordinary scene of life seemed especially precious to her. A new opportunity lay before her, and she had to seize it.
At that time, she didn't know that this old photo she discovered by chance would lead her in an unexpected direction.
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