On this sunny day, the sunlight shone on the dirt roads of Stone Village, making the road surface gleam with a faint golden light.
As usual, Wang Xiuxiu carried a bundle full of embroidered handkerchiefs and slowly walked towards the village entrance, preparing to catch a ride to the county.
On the other side, Chen Chunhua was also carrying a large wooden basin and walking towards the river.
Several village women had already gathered by the river, chatting and washing clothes.
Upon seeing Chen Chunhua arrive, the round-faced woman immediately greeted her warmly, "Oh, Chunhua, you've come to do laundry too!"
Chen Chunhua nodded indifferently, her tone detached: "Yes, there are a few pieces of clothing that need washing."
She always thought highly of herself and found the village women's endless gossip and idle chatter tedious, so she didn't want to talk to them much.
Seeing Chen Chunhua's cold attitude, the round-faced woman pouted sullenly and turned to continue chatting with the woman next to her about the previous topic.
"Tell me, how can a wealthy family afford such a lavish wedding banquet? We probably couldn't earn enough for even one of their wedding banquets in our entire lives!"
"That's why they're so rich! We couldn't earn that much in ten lifetimes, let alone a lifetime!"
Another woman chimed in, “I’ve heard that a bride’s wedding fan is worth this much!” As she spoke, she gestured with her hand to indicate a number.
"My God! Six taels of silver!" someone exclaimed.
The round-faced woman immediately rolled her eyes and sneered, "You're all so stingy! That's sixty taels!"
"Sixty taels!" The crowd erupted in uproar, their eyes widening in disbelief.
Those who didn't get along with the round-faced woman and couldn't stand her smugness immediately retorted, "Yuan Erniu, don't brag! A fan selling for sixty taels of silver, it must be inlaid with gold!"
Upon hearing this, the women nearby laughed and chimed in, "That's right, that's right, there's no such thing as an expensive fan!"
The round-faced woman's face turned bright red as she hurriedly retorted, "You're all so ignorant! That fan is edged with gold, and not only that, it's also made with gold and silver thread!"
"How did you know? Did you go there yourself?" the man continued to tease.
The women nearby burst into laughter. The round-faced woman also became anxious and quickly explained, "I didn't go, but my relative did! She told me that the fan is double-sided, and the two sides are even different colors!"
"Really? How can there be such a magical fan?" Some people were skeptical.
“That’s right! A fan embroidered with gold and silver sells for sixty taels. I don’t think Erniu is lying!” another woman chimed in.
The round-faced woman's relative was a garbage collector for wealthy families. He happened to be there when the bride was getting married, and he told the round-faced woman about this unusual event.
The round-faced woman kept it in mind and intended to tell the other women in the village so she could show off.
Seeing that some people were beginning to waver, the round-faced woman immediately turned to Chen Chunhua and asked, "Chunhua, you've seen the world, tell me, have you ever seen a fan like that before?"
Chen Chunhua didn't usually like chatting with these women, but when it came to something that brought her fame, she didn't want to miss out, so she said casually, "Of course, not only are there fans made of gold and silver, but there are also those inlaid with jade and gemstones."
Her words were like a drop of water into a vat of boiling oil. The women exclaimed in surprise, "My goodness! These rich people really know how to make a fuss, and they're not afraid of losing it!"
"Exactly! With that much money, you could buy so much land..."
Having had her fill of attention, Chen Chunhua leisurely left with her basin, leaving the women to continue discussing how long the fan would last them.
---
On the other side, as soon as Wang Xiuxiu entered Fuyuan Embroidery Room, she was hurriedly led into the inner room by Steward Zheng.
"Oh my girl! You've finally arrived!" Manager Zheng said with a beaming smile, his voice brimming with barely concealed excitement.
Seeing Manager Zheng's expression, Wang Xiuxiu knew what was going on—that auspicious fan must have made Fuyuan Embroidery Shop a fortune.
Sure enough, Manager Zheng took out a silver note from his pocket and handed it to Wang Xiuxiu with both hands: "Miss, this is your share, thirty taels of silver."
Although Wang Xiuxiu was somewhat prepared, she was still taken aback when she saw the silver note.
Thirty taels of silver—that's almost five years' income for an ordinary citizen in the country!
She secretly calculated in her heart: at her current embroidery speed, even if she worked hard, she could only embroider ten double-sided handkerchiefs at most in a month, which would amount to no more than twenty-five taels of silver after the division.
Although this wedding fan required a lot of effort, she only did half the work and half the work, and she earned so much money with ease.
Wang Xiuxiu knew in her heart that her real goal was to create a personalized, customized business.
She not only wants to open up the market with double-sided embroidery, but also wants to add more of her own unique designs and ingenuity.
However, having to put in both physical and mental effort meant that her share of profits with Fuyuan Embroidery Shop could no longer be split 50/50 as before.
She must fight for more reasonable compensation.
Just as Wang Xiuxiu was pondering how to start the conversation, Steward Zheng posed a difficult question: "Miss, the master has requested to see you."
Wang Xiuxiu felt a pang of anxiety. She only wanted to make money and didn't want to meet with any of these people.
But instead of refusing outright, she tentatively asked, "Manager Zheng, why do you think the master wants to see me?"
Manager Zheng smiled, his tone also carrying a hint of probing: "The master greatly admires the young lady's skills and would like to discuss cooperation with you in person."
Manager Zheng didn't actually intend to arrange a meeting between the two.
Now he has a one-way communication with Wang Xiuxiu. As long as Wang Xiuxiu is of use, he, as the head steward, will be the most respected steward by the master's side.
Although he didn't want to, he didn't dare to directly refuse his employer because of his position.
But if this is Wang Xiuxiu's intention, then everything will be much easier.
Wang Xiuxiu understood the implication in Manager Zheng's words, and then said, "Manager Zheng, I am afraid of meeting strangers and trouble. I have had a very pleasant time working with you these days, and I hope to continue to maintain this relationship in the future."
Upon hearing this, a hint of joy flashed in Manager Zheng's eyes.
He immediately nodded and replied, "Don't worry, young lady. The master has instructed that everything will be done according to your wishes. Since you don't want to see him, I will go and refuse the master."
“Young lady, you are very talented. The owner asked about the profit sharing between the shop and you, and he felt it was not appropriate. The owner said that from now on, the profit sharing between you and the shop will be 70/30, and you will take 70%. Does that seem reasonable to you?”
As he spoke, he handed Wang Xiuxiu a small pile of silver coins.
Wang Xiuxiu smiled slightly, took out another banknote from her collection, and pushed it back to Manager Zheng: "Thank you for your care during this time, Manager Zheng. This banknote is just a small token of my appreciation. I don't like crowds, so I hope you will continue to take care of me in the future."
Manager Zheng quickly waved his hand: "This is unacceptable! This is unacceptable!"
Despite his reluctance, the silver note eventually ended up in Manager Zheng's hands.
Wang Xiuxiu didn't feel bad about it. She knew that she was small and powerless and needed to spend some money to maintain relationships.
Since Manager Zheng has accepted the money, he must keep a close eye on the people in his shop and prevent his identity from being revealed.
Manager Zheng accepted the silver note, his smile widening even further: "Don't worry, young lady, our cooperation will definitely be even smoother in the future!"
Wang Xiuxiu nodded, secretly relieved.
----
Upon returning home, Wang Xiuxiu handed the silver to Chen Chunhua as soon as she entered the door.
Chen Chunhua took the silver, weighed it in her hand, and a satisfied look appeared on her face. However, she did not immediately let Wang Xiuxiu leave. Instead, she took her hand and chatted with her in a seemingly friendly manner.
"Xiuxiu, did your trip to Fuyuan Embroidery Shop go smoothly today?" Chen Chunhua asked with a smile, her tone filled with concern.
Wang Xiuxiu nodded and whispered, "It went fairly smoothly. The manager accepted the embroidery and gave me the money."
Chen Chunhua's eyes darted around, and she asked casually, "Have you ever seen a double-sided embroiderer in your embroidery workshop? I heard her skills are superb; she can sell a fan for sixty taels of silver!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiuxiu looked bewildered and shook her head: "I've never seen it before. When we entered the embroidery room, the manager forbade us from touching or looking around. After paying, he told me to leave quickly."
As she spoke, she lowered her head slightly, revealing a wronged expression.
Seeing this, Chen Chunhua was a little impatient, but in order to maintain her image as a kind mother, she pretended to comfort her: "Oh, it must be hard for you. Those managers are always snobbish. They naturally look down on us country folk."
Wang Xiuxiu listened and simply nodded silently, without saying anything more.
Seeing her like this, Chen Chunhua felt even more disgusted, thinking that she was dull and useless, and couldn't even respond to a single word.
However, he didn't show it on his face. He still spoke a few words of concern in a gentle voice before sending her away.
As soon as Wang Xiuxiu left, the smile on Chen Chunhua's face vanished instantly, replaced by a worried expression.
She sat on the edge of the bed, let out a long sigh, and her mind was filled with many thoughts.
Actually, she hadn't really expected Wang Xiuxiu to meet the embroiderer who could do double-sided embroidery.
But today, while listening to those gossipy women chatting by the river, talking about how skilled the embroiderer was, saying that she could sell a fan for sixty taels of silver, I couldn't help but get interested.
Sixty taels of silver!
If Wang Xiuxiu could also learn this double-sided embroidery, wouldn't I no longer have to worry so much about my son's tuition?
But she also knew that her idea was somewhat far-fetched.
How could an ordinary person learn the skill of double-sided embroidery?
Moreover, Wang Xiuxiu was just a country girl who had never even entered the embroidery room more than a few times, so how could she possibly have had the chance to meet that embroiderer?
I heard that people outside are fighting tooth and nail for those embroiderers' works, so how could it be a chance for country folk like us?
Thinking of this, Chen Chunhua sighed again, feeling both envious and helpless.
If Wang Xiuxiu were truly so fortunate as to learn double-sided embroidery, how wonderful that would be!
What a pity, what a pity...
She shook her head, dismissing those unrealistic thoughts, and began to plan how to allocate the money for the day.
Xiao Lang still owes a lot on tuition fees, the family needs to buy more rice and grain, and that torn piece of clothing needs mending...
Thinking about all this, Chen Chunhua felt a headache coming on and became increasingly agitated.
"Sigh, if Wang Xiuxiu knew how to do double-sided embroidery, she wouldn't have to worry about these trivial matters," she muttered to herself, her dissatisfaction with Wang Xiuxiu growing stronger.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com