When Wang Xiuxiu returned to the Brocade Room, Steward Zheng had already received the news and was waiting at the door.
His face was all smiles, his fat face looking even more greasy from excessive flattery, his eyes narrowed into slits, and his mouth stretched almost to his ears, as if he had seen some rare treasure.
Her tone was exaggeratedly ingratiating: "Madam Wang, you're finally back! You must be tired from your journey, come in and rest!"
Although Wang Xiuxiu felt disgusted, she remained outwardly calm, nodding slightly and appearing bewildered.
She knew in her heart that Steward Zheng's attentiveness was not genuine.
Sure enough, although Steward Zheng kept praising her, his eyes kept lingering on her, as if he was assessing her value.
Although Steward Zheng was extremely attentive to Wang Xiuxiu, he was actually secretly observing her all along.
Even if a novice embroiderer is highly skilled, if she becomes complacent and forgets herself, the Embroidery Room will never easily keep her.
However, after observing her for a period of time, he found that Wang Xiuxiu was not arrogant or complacent because of her small achievements. On the contrary, she became more humble and eager to learn, and even took the initiative to ask other embroiderers for needlework techniques.
This kind of mentality made him want to keep him on the job.
What pleased Steward Zheng even more was that Wang Xiuxiu came from a simple family background, making her an easy target for manipulation.
Although Wang Xiuxiu was of good birth, her stepmother was unkind and greedy, and with a little effort, her indenture could be easily obtained.
In this way, he could firmly control this girl with outstanding embroidery skills and bring more profits to Jinxiufang.
Thinking of this, Manager Zheng's smile deepened, as if he could already see the future of Jinxiufang becoming famous because of Wang Xiuxiu.
However, Wang Xiuxiu's time at Jinxiufang did not last as long as Manager Zheng had hoped.
When the six months were up, Chen Chunhua arrived at Jinxiu House early, determined to bring Wang Xiuxiu home.
Manager Zheng offered generous compensation in an attempt to retain Chen Chunhua, but Chen Chunhua remained resolute and unmoved.
Wang Xiuxiu was also puzzled. Chen Chunhua was always greedy for money, so she would definitely not give up such a huge benefit just to keep her promise to her.
She had a vague feeling that something must have happened in her family.
Sure enough, as soon as she returned to the Wang family home, Wang Xiuxiu smelled a strong, pungent, and bitter medicinal odor.
Wang Xiuxiu couldn't help but wonder, "Why is there such a strong smell of medicine? Is someone in the family sick?"
Chen Chunhua hurriedly went inside, and Wang Xiuxiu followed closely behind.
It turned out that Wang Chengwen was bedridden.
In the dimly lit room, a teenager lay quietly on the bed, his arms and legs as thin as bamboo poles, his skin clinging tightly to his bones, with no flesh left, just a fragile skeleton.
Perhaps drawn by blood ties, Wang Xiuxiu involuntarily took a few steps closer.
Wang Chengwen's face was as pale as paper, devoid of any color, and his eyes were tightly closed, as if he were enduring immense pain.
Although Wang Xiuxiu had a distant relationship with her younger brother, seeing him in such a state still made her feel a pang of sadness.
The room was filled with a somber atmosphere. After some time, Wang Xiuxiu finally noticed Wang Degui standing by the stove where the medicine was being decocted.
He looked much older, haggard, and his face was full of sorrow.
Upon seeing Wang Xiuxiu return, he merely nodded faintly, without any emotional fluctuation.
"Father, what's wrong with Chengwen?"
"Chengwen caught a cold a few days ago, and his condition hasn't improved. The village doctor is helpless, and he's taken a lot of medicine from Hejitang, but there's still no improvement..."
In the dead of night, Wang Xiuxiu lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
Wang Xiuxiu's feelings towards her twin brother were actually quite complicated.
There was a time when his elder sister was like a mother to him, and she always liked to hold him and take him out to bask in the sun.
But his mother died early, and he has little memory of her.
Because he was well cared for by Chen Chunhua, he was never able to fully empathize with Xiuxiu's plight at home.
The siblings, though blood relatives, have drifted apart and have eventually reached a point where they can no longer speak to each other.
Today I saw him lying in bed, breathing weakly, as if he might leave at any moment.
At that moment, Xiuxiu's remaining emotions overflowed, and Wang Xiuxiu couldn't help but feel a surge of sorrow, her eyes reddening.
Wang Xiuxiu got up, lit the candles, and took out the money she had saved over the years from her small bag.
Wang Xiuxiu held the silver coins tightly in her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly.
Those coins were her hard-earned money, saved stitch by stitch over the years, each penny carrying her hopes.
This money was her fallback plan and her hope of escaping this home.
Wang Xiuxiu looked down at the silver coins in her hand, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
Without this money, the road ahead is predictably difficult.
Wang Chengwen, her younger brother, the child who once babbled in her arms, is now lying in bed, on the verge of death.
Their relationship had long since faded due to the passage of time and the instigation of her stepmother. Even during her most difficult time, Wang Chengwen did not offer her any help.
Even so, she still couldn't bear to watch him leave.
In the flickering candlelight, Wang Xiuxiu sighed softly, carefully wrapped the silver coins, and put them into her bosom.
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