Gan Tao followed Gan Li to the back room with a puzzled look. Gan Li picked up a letter from the table and handed it to her with a mysterious smile: "Take a look at this."
Her fingers, holding the pancake, seemed somewhat uneasy. She didn't take it, but stammered, "Shopkeeper, I...I can't read..."
"It doesn't matter if you can't read. This was sent by Lord Lu a few days ago. Let me read it to you."
Gan Li sat down in a chair and slowly unfolded the letter: "This was sent by Lord Lu a few days ago. The letter said that Princess Qingyang is preparing a birthday gift for the Empress Dowager and is looking for skilled embroiderers everywhere."
"Embroiderer?"
Gan Tao was initially surprised, but quickly realized Gan Li's purpose in bringing this up. A chill ran through her, and she abruptly looked up at Gan Li, her breathing quickening.
"What the shopkeeper means is..."
Gan Li met her surprised gaze and smiled slightly: "That's right, I called you here to ask you if you have any thoughts on this?"
The surprise in Gan Tao's eyes turned into delight, but then dimmed again. She bit her lower lip and said nervously:
"Although I know a little embroidery, but... she's the Princess! My skills are probably..."
Although she didn't finish speaking, her unease and inferiority complex were obvious.
"Don't underestimate yourself." Gan Li smiled and shook her head, then took out another letter from the side, her tone firm:
"Do you remember the Guanyin image I asked you to embroider a few days ago? I sent it to Princess Qingyang. She praised it highly after seeing it!"
"Really?!" Gan Tao's eyes widened in surprise, and she covered her mouth in disbelief.
“Of course it’s true. This is a letter from the Princess herself, full of praise for your embroidery.” Gan Li said, handing the letter to Gan Tao.
Gan Tao was overjoyed, but she still put the pancake on the table and wiped her hands on her body before daring to take the letter.
Holding the thin letter in her hand, her eyes scanned the paper back and forth. Although she couldn't read, she could almost feel the princess's appreciation from the delicate handwriting, and her heart was filled with excitement.
"I never expected... that my embroidery would catch the eye of the Princess."
Seeing her so happy, Ganli couldn't help but be infected by her joy, and a smile appeared on her lips as she said:
"The eldest princess also said... she wanted to bring you to the capital."
Even though she already had a guess in her mind, Gan Tao still found it hard to believe when she heard Gan Li say it with her own ears, and was so excited that she felt dizzy.
Rather than the joy of being favored by the eldest princess and about to 'stand out', it was more the pure happiness of having one's skills recognized.
She has loved embroidery since she was a child, enjoying turning the images in her mind into reality stitch by stitch, and the sense of satisfaction from that is unparalleled.
After her father passed away, she supported her family by doing embroidery, but she felt lucky because she could still do what she loved.
Her happiest moments are when she sees that people like what she has embroidered.
But since being dismissed from the embroidery workshop, she hadn't picked up a needle and thread for a long time. Unexpectedly, one day, even the Princess saw her embroidery work and wanted her to go to the capital!
If the things I embroidered could actually be presented to the Empress Dowager, how many people would see them?
Gan Tao couldn't imagine it; her heart was filled with longing and anticipation.
In her joy, she caught a glimpse of something on the table: a thin pancake wrapped in oil paper, lying there all alone.
As if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head, Gan Tao shuddered involuntarily, and the anticipation in her heart instantly turned into a deep bitterness.
Gan Li didn't miss her sudden change in expression and asked, "What's wrong? Don't you want to go?"
Gan Tao didn't want to lie, so she nodded honestly: "I want to go! But... I can't go. What will happen to my family if I go?"
Gan Li was not surprised at all upon hearing this, as she had been prepared for this situation. She readily offered her advice:
"Although the journey is long, it doesn't mean you won't come back. At most, you can return home after the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration next year."
Moreover, if your embroidery pleases the Empress Dowager, upon returning home, not to mention anything else, just relying on the reputation of having embroidered for the Empress Dowager, you could easily open an embroidery workshop to support your family.
Gan Tao hadn't considered these words before, and she became completely absorbed in listening to Gan Li's speech.
Seeing this, Ganli persevered:
"I know you are a very loyal and devoted child, and you can't bear to leave your mother and younger brother at home, but I really can't bear to see you buried in obscurity. Don't worry, I will take good care of them while you are away from home."
And as for your mother... as the saying goes, parents who love their children plan far ahead for them. Presumably, even if your mother knew you had a better future, she would still support you.
"I think this is a rare opportunity. Why don't you go to work today? Go home and discuss this matter with your mother, what do you say?"
As Gan Tao listened to her words, her eyes gradually brightened. Looking at Gan Li, she mustered her courage and nodded heavily.
...
Holding the letter, Gan Tao walked home with light steps, as if she were walking on clouds.
The princess's appreciation and the opportunity to go to the capital felt somewhat unreal to her, yet so exciting.
Her mind was so preoccupied with the beautiful visions of the future that Ganli had described that she didn't notice the fleeting panic on her mother's face when she saw her return.
"Tao'er, why are you back at this hour? Did the restaurant close down?"
Gan Taoniang subtly pulled her feet back onto the wheelchair, casually pulled a thin blanket over herself, and was still trying to recall if the girl had seen anything.
Hearing her mother's words, Gan Tao felt a little uncomfortable and frowned, saying, "Mother, what are you saying? The restaurant is doing just fine!"
Fortunately, something more important was on her mind at that moment, so she didn't dwell on the topic and instead said:
"I'm back today because I have some good news to discuss with you!"
"Good news? What good news?" Gan Tao Niang looked at her daughter's happy face and a guess flashed through her mind. She said happily, "Could it be that Gan Quan proposed to you?"
Gan Tao's face stiffened, and she suddenly felt a little deflated. Her smile faded a bit, but she was still much happier than usual.
She carefully handed the letter to her mother, then recounted what Ganli had told her, and finally said happily:
"The Princess saw my embroidery and liked it very much! She said she wants to bring me to the capital, Mother..."
Gan Taoniang only vaguely understood what had happened before, but when she heard the words "going to the capital," she nearly jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
She barely managed to hold back, then shrieked:
"Go to Beijing? You must have lost your mind! Who do you think you are to go to Beijing? Don't you even know your own worth? You believe everything people say!"
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