"Master, Miss has returned from Xingyunfang."
In the empty courtyard, Zhu Congjian stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the moon.
The steward waved away the servant who came to deliver the message, returned behind him, and whispered.
The moonlight was cool and clear, and the shadows of the pine and bamboo fell on Zhu Congjian and also on the bright courtyard ground, their branches and leaves intertwined like algae in water.
"Where did you go?" he asked.
The steward then relayed the message brought by the servant.
Zhu Congjian remained silent for a long time: "Forget it, it's already rare that she can understand and is willing to get involved in business and manage the embroidery workshop. We shouldn't be too harsh on her in other matters."
He only has one daughter, so it's okay if she goes too far.
The butler clearly agreed, and solemnly stated that it was true.
The next morning, a maidservant dressed in a light pink high-necked, narrow-sleeved shirt with a light green vest came to the Zhu residence. She asked the gatekeeper to convey a message, saying that she came from the county magistrate's mansion and was sent by the madam to invite Miss Zhu to the "Seeking Beauty" banquet at the Fuyun Teahouse that day.
Inside Huanchun Residence, Lüzheng opened her eyes wide and looked at her mistress, who was already dressed up in front of the mirror. She rushed to her side and asked, "Did you already guess, Miss?"
Zhu Jiayu shook his head: "It's not a guess, it's a certainty."
The kind and benevolent magistrate's wife had a keen eye for talent and saved the embroidery workshop from the brink of collapse, which is undoubtedly a wonderful story.
She used the Zhu family embroidery workshop to build a reputation for the county magistrate's wife, and the county magistrate's wife reciprocated by letting her show her face in front of the ladies of wealthy and famous people in the city, which was only natural.
After all, judging from the various rumors, the magistrate's wife was a reasonable and intelligent woman.
"Let's go, don't keep the maid who came from afar waiting." Zhu Jiayu stood up, saying as she lifted her pinkish-purple skirt and walked out.
Green Kite, not having time to marvel at her young mistress's cunning, quickly took off after her.
After the master and servant arrived at the Fuyun Teahouse, a maid from the magistrate's mansion led Zhu Jiayu to sit down at the end of the left row of seats.
Zhu Jiayu had no objection to this, after all, among everyone present, she was indeed the lowest in status as a merchant's daughter.
She lowered her eyes, looking at the patterns on the white glazed teacup in front of her, and couldn't quite describe her feelings.
Understanding the current situation is one thing, but the psychological gap is something that cannot be adjusted to in a short time.
In her previous life, until her death, she was a first-rank lady in Yujing, traveling in luxury cars and entering high-class households, with many people fawning over her wherever she went.
Although the pampered ladies and young women in Yujing looked down on her, they thought it was a miracle that a woman like her could mingle in the Yujing aristocratic circle.
But because of Rong Heng, they still had to treat her with utmost care. Let alone letting her sit at the end of the table, even if she frowned once during the meal, it would be enough to make them tremble with fear for a long time.
She died just like that, and I'm sure many people were overjoyed.
Just as she was lost in thought, Madam Chen finally arrived.
She was startled awake by a gasp around her. Looking out the door, she saw Madam Chen walking slowly in the dress she had presented. As she moved, the dark green dress fluttered in the wind, its delicate patterns spreading across it like the shimmering light of the sea, rippling and sparkling; or like the moonlit night in a mountain pavilion, tranquil and secluded.
"Why do I feel like the pine branches on those clothes have come to life?"
"Who made the dress that Madam Chen is wearing? When did the city have such skilled embroiderers? How come I didn't know?"
"I thought we could all share the spring's beauty at today's banquet, but it seems that Madam Chen is going to be the only one to bloom."
The crowd whispered among themselves. Zhu Jiayu remained calm, but Lü Zheng was overjoyed and struggled to suppress the smile on her lips.
Green Kite knew all too well what these haughty ladies of high society meant by their praise. It meant that the embroidery from the Zhu Family Embroidery Workshop was about to become the most fashionable item in Suiping City, something that ladies and young women would compete to emulate.
The Zhu Family Embroidery Workshop is about to be revived!
Green Kite turned her gaze to the young lady kneeling in front of her. At this moment, she was idly counting the number of cherries on the fruit plate in front of her. She looked so young, so young that she seemed naive, but the embroidery workshop had been revitalized in her hands, which was an indisputable fact!
But Zhu Jiayu didn't care much. Since she already knew the outcome, she wouldn't bother to pay any more attention to it.
She just felt that time was passing by unbearably.
No matter how beautiful the name, it can't change the fact that the banquet is inherently boring. Even after living two lives, she still couldn't understand what was so fun about a group of women gathering together to admire flowers and recite poetry.
However, out of courtesy to guests, she smiled throughout the entire conversation, even though she couldn't understand, to ensure that she would not do anything impolite.
Finally, the banquet ended, and Madam Chen introduced her to the ladies and young women. Zhu Jiayu exchanged a few polite words with them, then eagerly took Lüzheng downstairs. Just as she got into the carriage, she suddenly heard someone calling her:
"Miss Zhu—"
She lifted the carriage curtain and saw a handsome young man with delicate features standing below the carriage. After a slight pause, she finally remembered him and looked at him with some wariness: "Young Master Wang?"
Could it be that they've come to settle scores with her later?
Before she could think further, Wang Huaiyu looked at her with clear eyes and said, "I know that Miss Zhu treated me that way last night because she wanted me to let go of the past and strive for progress. I have made up my mind that I will study hard from now on and will not let Miss down."
Zhu Jiayu waited patiently for him to finish speaking before saying quietly, "You've misunderstood."
Her voice was soft and gentle: "I have no feelings for you, I'm just really annoyed by being scolded by your mother for three years. If you want to repay me for making you decide, then please, don't come looking for me again, okay?"
Wang Huaiyu drank at Xingyunfang for three years, but in those three years he didn't exchange more than three words with the courtesans.
This was the first time he had ever spoken so much to a girl, and the first time he had ever listened to a girl speak so much. Moreover, this was the girl he had admired for a long time.
As soon as Zhu Jiayu spoke, he blushed and felt dizzy. He didn't come to his senses until the carriage drove away.
It wasn't until the chilly spring breeze woke him that he began to savor Zhu Jiayu's words, but the more he savored them, the more lost he felt.
Having watched the whole show from a short distance away, Wei Qinglou lowered the curtain and, satisfied, called the coachman to set off.
As the carriage passed by the dejected Wang Huaiyu, the spring breeze stirred the corner of the curtain, revealing his slightly lowered eyelids. Wei Qinglou curled his lips, a hint of smugness on his face.
He had thought that Zhu Jiayu treated him that way because she disliked him, but now it seemed that she was just a wicked woman who was fierce to everyone. Compared to her, he was strangely in a better mood: at least he hadn't been forced to sit in a basin of water by that female demon.
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