"What is it? Let's talk as we walk," Zhu Jiayu said calmly.
Lüzheng took a breath and slowly walked to her side, whispering, "The new pattern you prepared for Madam Xing has been seen by Yaofang Pavilion from somewhere, and it has been embroidered and put up for sale in the pavilion today."
She felt angry just talking about it. After all, she had personally witnessed her young mistress working night after night to draw those patterns, but she never expected that someone would steal them in the blink of an eye, making all of her young mistress's hard work go to waste in an instant.
Zhu Jiayu shook her head: "I thought it was a big deal. Although I have drawn the pattern, the actual finished product is still in my mind and is far from the pattern on the rice paper. However, since Yaofang Pavilion wants to be the first to take the lead, I don't mind helping them."
"Go and find out their pricing for their products. Today I'm going to have a showdown with them at Xuan Yan Tang."
After Zhu Jiayu finished speaking, she returned to the embroidery workshop and asked Manager Liao to post notices in all the embroidery workshops and fabric shops, announcing that she would be drawing a design for Madam Xing and embroidering a new pattern in the afternoon.
Thanks to Zhu Jiayu's efforts, the Zhu family embroidery workshop has been completely transformed, radiating vitality from the inside out. In addition, with Zhu Congjian's intention to delegate power, she is now the undisputed leader in the workshop, and her orders are strictly enforced.
Although nothing like this had ever happened in Suiping City before, once she gave the order, everyone in the embroidery workshop had no objections and simply waited for the afternoon to arrive.
"You've all heard about it, haven't you? This young lady from the Zhu family is always acting on a whim. In my thirty years in this business, I've never heard of anyone publicly revealing their design patterns. Aren't they afraid of being copied?"
In the private room of the teahouse, after one person finished speaking, another said, "Besides, how old is she this year? Even if her embroidery skills are extraordinary, can she really design patterns independently?"
"I used to think she was a steady person, but now it seems she's a bit too eager for quick success," someone else sighed, shaking their head.
Opinions varied, but they all boiled down to one thing: nobody had high hopes for her. Nobody thought a fledgling young girl's designs were worth watching.
"So, everyone, shall we go?"
After some discussion, someone finally got to the point.
The group looked at each other, and finally said hesitantly, "Go ahead, go ahead."
"Since I have nothing else to do, I might as well go and join in the fun."
Zhu Jiayu chose Xuanyan Hall as the location for the drawing and embroidery. This was the Zhu family's shop that sold embroidery products. Every month, when the Zhu family's embroidery workshop made new embroidery products, they would be displayed here for the shopkeepers of the cloth store or the ladies and young ladies of wealthy families to choose from.
Previously, the embroidery workshop had declined and had not displayed any new embroidery products for a long time. Most of the items displayed here were old and classic patterns. The most recent one was the pine branch pattern, which made the Zhu family embroidery workshop proud in Suiping City.
"It seems Zhu Jiayu intends to use this move to promote the Zhu Family Embroidery Workshop. I wonder if she will succeed, or if she will end up losing more than she gains?"
"That depends on how good her skills are."
After the experts were seated, whispers began to circulate.
Although Zhu Jiayu was already a well-known figure in the city, she was still a junior to everyone present. No one felt that they needed to give face to a junior, so they did not deliberately lower their voices.
These words fell into Zhu Jiayu's ears, but she seemed not to hear them. Instead, she looked at the Xuan paper in front of her, her lips slightly curved, and said:
"Esteemed seniors, I had previously promised Madam Xing that I would embroider a new pattern for her to match her newly acquired headdress. However, my skills are not yet proficient, and I fear there may be some mistakes that would offend Madam Xing. Therefore, I have invited you seniors to come and observe the ceremony. If there are any problems, I hope you can correct them in time."
She was so young, yet her words and actions were so polite and respectful. She subtly elevated everyone present to the status of a highly respected senior, which made it easy for people to like her.
In the short time it took to say those words, many people switched sides and said generously, "Miss Zhu, don't worry, we will remind you if there is any oversight."
"Yes, yes, Miss Zhu is young and talented. Although we have some experience, the future of this industry ultimately rests on the shoulders of you young people. As seniors, the only thing we can do is pave the way for you younger generations."
Zhu Jiayu thanked the people who had spoken, then picked up his brush and began to paint.
She has put in a lot of effort in calligraphy and painting.
That was in her past life. Back then, she followed Rong Heng from Suiping to Yujing. She was still the daughter of a small merchant, but Rong Heng had transformed from a son-in-law of the Zhu family into the youngest general in Daye. He frequented the mansions of powerful and influential people and associated with prominent families.
In order to keep up with Rong Heng, she diligently learned what the noble ladies of Yujing learned: calligraphy, painting, playing the zither, chess, incense making, flower arranging...
In the end, Rong Heng was not moved by her. When he needed her to die, he still pushed her out without hesitation, as if their seven years of marriage were nothing but yesterday's dew and didn't count at all.
She sniffed, suppressing the pent-up grievances welling up inside her, and continued working.
Now, the only thing she can be thankful for is that the things she once struggled to learn have now become ingrained memories, like instincts, that she can effortlessly demonstrate whenever she needs them.
She paints chrysanthemums: white chrysanthemums are solitary and pure, yellow chrysanthemums are radiant, and red chrysanthemums are passionate... When she paints, her lines are delicate and her brushstrokes are steady. She carefully outlines the texture of each petal. When she washes the colors, she uses rich and vibrant colors. With each stroke, the shape of the chrysanthemum seems to gradually come alive on the paper, a cluster of flowers, exquisite and elegant.
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