When she brought those ochre flowers, the workers in the workshop found them quite novel.
"Is this a big taro?" A worker pointed at the ochre-colored taro, saying it looked dark and unappetizing.
Sun Miao'er cut open the ochre leaves and washed them in clean water. "These are for making dye."
"This stuff can be used as dye?" the worker asked incredulously.
Will it look good after dyeing?
Sun Miao'er washed the ochre, peeled off the dark outer skin, revealing the bright, clear stem inside, a very pleasing color.
Now those workers should be convinced.
They watched her tinkering during their lunch break, forgetting even to eat, treating it as a novel toy.
The skin of the ochre was thick and hard, and it took Sun Miao'er a lot of effort to cut it.
During the cutting process, she found that the stem of the ochre was very sticky, and the oozing sap was a brighter color than the stem itself.
After cutting the pieces, the next step is to mash them into a paste. Each step must be done step by step, otherwise the dyeing effect will be far from what is expected.
She asked the workers to bring a small stone mortar and pestle, and put the chopped root pieces in it to crush them. The splattered juice fell onto her dress, leaving mottled marks.
After several hours of effort, they finally mashed all the ochre into a paste, filtered it with gauze, and boiled the liquid. The preparations were complete. They were just waiting for the white raw yarn from Yunniang's place to be woven so they could take some over for trial dyeing.
Wang Xueru spent the whole day wandering around the workshop, and when she got a little bored, she came back to find Sun Miao'er, and the sun was almost setting.
"What vibrant colors!" she exclaimed upon first seeing the dye in the vat.
It is indeed beautiful, but isn't it a bit too flashy for her godmother? However, Sun Miao'er's next words immediately dispelled her concerns.
Sun Miao'er cleaned up the "battlefield" and washed her hands, but her clothes were still stained with ochre, making her look a little disheveled. "After adding mulberry wood ash water tomorrow, it won't be so bright. Besides, we still need to use river mud for the final step. It's not that easy to dye it. Three dyeings and three dryings are all necessary!"
Wang Xueru nodded as if she understood, though she didn't know anything about dyeing cloth. But she truly trusted Sun Miao'er completely.
When they finished work, the group of workers were still talking about how Old Man Jin had been dealt with.
"I just don't know which hero did this without leaving a name, and we don't even have a way to thank him! It's really satisfying to have him take care of such a bully for our village!"
Sun Miao'er smiled, but she was even happier inside. She did good deeds anonymously, but she was sure to be happy to hear others praise her.
"Why are you laughing all day? Did you find some money or meet your sweetheart?" Wang Xueru teased Sun Miao'er. She couldn't help but be curious because Sun Miao'er looked radiant and kept laughing.
Sun Miao'er's smile widened even more, and she said, "Of course I have them all!"
"Hey!" Wang Xueru caught up and asked, "Tell me, where did this sweetheart come from? Is he handsome?"
Sun Miao'er turned around and replied, "Don't you already have Young Master Wei? Why are you asking me this? No matter how handsome he is, can he compare to Young Master Wei in your heart?"
"Oh, Miao'er, you're making fun of me again!" Wang Xueru was embarrassed and ran up to Sun Miao'er, punching her shoulder with her small fist.
Sun Miao'er deliberately frowned and cried out in pain, "Grandma, good sister, I was wrong. There's no lover. But I'm in a particularly good mood today. I'm thinking that I can be appreciated by Master Wei and earn some money in the future, which will make life easier for my family."
The hardships of poor families are something that a pampered young lady like Wang Xueru would likely never understand.
Wang Xueru couldn't understand why someone could be so happy just because they earned a little money, but seeing Miao'er happy, she was happy too, and said with a smile, "Then don't forget me when you make money. Make me a nice dress in the future."
Her smile was genuine and radiant, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, making her exceptionally beautiful.
Sun Miao'er felt a warmth in her heart and said earnestly, "Don't worry, you'll definitely get your share, Miss Wang."
The two returned to the Wei family home one after the other. When they arrived back in the courtyard, the Wei family's steward was already sitting there waiting for them.
"Why is Steward Wei here?" Sun Miao'er asked.
Butler Wei walked up in small steps. "Miss Sun, the Wang family sent people today to inquire about Miss Wang's situation. They also brought two children with them, saying they are here to see Miss Sun."
Child?
Could it be Xiao Ning? But who is the other one?
Sun Miao'er's heart skipped a beat. How did they find their way here? The road was so dangerous, and a half-grown child like her has no ability to protect herself. It would be good if they arrived safely, but what if something went wrong?
Unable to wait any longer, Sun Miao'er said directly to the butler, "Where is he now? Take me to see him quickly."
"The two children are starving. Let them get something to eat in the kitchen first," the housekeeper replied.
When she arrived at the kitchen, Sun Miao'er saw two small figures in the distance, both of them wolfing down steamed buns.
One is Xiao Ning, and the other has a face as dirty as a kitten's. Who else could it be?
Shouldn't Xiaoman be staying in Fushui Village?
Sun Miao'er took two steps forward, and Xiao Ning and Xiao Man looked up almost at the same time. When they saw their older sister, they hurriedly dropped the buns in their hands and rushed over.
"Sister!" they both exclaimed in unison.
Sun Miao'er hugged her two younger brothers, "How did you manage to find me?"
Xiaoman nuzzled Sun Miao'er's shoulder and sobbed, "Xiaoman was worried about her sister. So many days have passed, I didn't know if her sister was alright. I missed Xiaoman so much, waaaaah!"
"Silly child, you can't take such a risk. What if something happens? Wouldn't that make Grandma worry?" Even though they were all standing safely in front of her, Sun Miao'er was still scared when she thought about it.
Xiaoman proudly raised her little face, still with tears still clinging to her cheeks, and said, "Don't worry, sister, I'm very clever. When the people from Master Wang's family came to our house to report the news, I went with them to the Wang family's house."
"Are you alone? Did you tell Grandma?" Sun Miao'er asked with concern. Grandma Sun was getting old, and she had left in a hurry this time. Although she had asked someone to go back and let her know she was safe a few times, she was still afraid that Grandma Sun would worry.
With Xiaoman also coming out, leaving Grandma Sun alone at home, will Jin take the opportunity to cause trouble? Grandma Sun's health is not good, can she take care of herself?
Sun Miao'er's worries grew heavier.
Unexpectedly, it seemed that Xiaoman had seen right through her thoughts. Xiaoman wiped away the tears that were hanging down her face and said, "Sister, don't worry, I've already talked to Er Ya's mother and asked her to come to our house more often. Although Grandma is worried about me, she is also worried about you, sister!"
"Sister, you said that a man should protect a girl! I've grown up now!"
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