Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Chen Xi was being watched...
Chen Xi felt uncomfortable being stared at, so she walked up and asked, "Madam, this price is much higher than other embroidery shops, and the embroidery shop looks like it's been here for over ten years. Could you offer a discount?"
The old lady came back to her senses, still staring at her intently: "You, you really...ah, ah, no problem, I don't want money...I mean, I'll rent it to you for free."
Chen Xi: Ah?
Jiang Wan: Ah?
No, who just said that professional embroiderers are vying for rentals? So, it's free now? What does that mean? Is my apprentice truly a genius among embroiderers? This lady has such a keen eye for talent that she can tell by her face, without even looking at her work?
Before she could recover from her shock, the old lady cautiously asked, "Hey, girl, are you fourteen years old this year, and your given name is Xi?"
Jiang Wan: It’s over, this guy is really good at fortune telling.
"Uh, yes, my name is Chen Xi." Chen Xi was also stunned and asked puzzledly, "How did you know?"
The old woman stretched out her right hand, trembling, as if to touch Chen Xi's cheek, but paused mid-air. Her eyes were rimmed with red, a kind of surprise, a kind of timid nostalgia. Her lips moved excitedly, but she could only utter a few incoherent words, "I, I, you..."
It seemed as if he had a lot to say, but was hesitant and didn't dare to say it out loud.
Seeing her like this, Jiang Wan suddenly remembered a letter written fourteen years ago, which was the letter written in blood by her biological mother that Chen Xi showed her before she left Dunhuang Prefecture.
In a blood letter, Chen Xi's mother wrote that she had encountered an inescapable predicament and was unable to raise her daughter. She had no choice but to place her newborn daughter in a wooden barrel and throw her into the river. She hoped that if a kindhearted person took her in, she would take her adoptive parents' surname, but she also requested that she be named "Xi."
Born as the morning sun, this is the explanation of the word "曦" in the blood letter.
The Chinese character for "xi" is the same as the character for "xi," and the rising sun also symbolizes hope. Does Su Xiuniang mean that her daughter is her only hope in this difficult situation?
Jiang Wan couldn't help but glance at Chen Xi. She seemed to have thought of the same thing and asked softly, "Auntie, my biological mother's surname is Su. Do you know her?"
When she heard the word "Su," the tears she had been holding back burst out, and she hugged her. Jiang Wan was behind her, and could see a few strands of silver in her hair.
Seeing this reaction, Chen Xi knew the answer. She was stunned for a moment, then raised her hands and hugged the old lady back, gently patting her back to calm her down.
After an unknown amount of time, the old lady finally calmed down, took Chen Xi's hand and said:
"Well, you look exactly like your mother back then, even your pigtails are the same."
Looking at the face in front of her that was 70% similar to her old friend, the old lady fell into memories.
"When I first met Su Yunwen, she was about your age and had just started learning Suzhou embroidery. I was an outsider at the time and had just opened a dyeing workshop in Lin'an. I had a lot of enthusiasm, but my business wasn't doing well."
"She would come to dye fabric occasionally, and we became close friends. Later, Yunwen's Suzhou embroidery became better and better, and her dyeing requirements became more and more demanding. Almost all the fabrics in the embroidery room were given to me for dyeing. She said that after comparing with several dyeing workshops, mine was the most refined. She earned a lot of money, and I saved a lot of money by following her."
"Later, I noticed she often went shopping with a man in black. Whenever she mentioned him, she would always smile with a happy expression. She said he was her lover and that they would be married soon. Six months later, Yunwen became pregnant, but she gradually became depressed."
"I asked her if the man had bullied her, but she shook her head, rubbed her belly, and told me not to interfere. She also asked me strange questions, saying what I should do if someone forced her to do something against her will and threatened to kill her baby if she didn't comply. I just thought she was just being overly concerned during pregnancy and didn't take it too seriously, so she didn't ask any more questions."
"As the baby grew in her belly, she caressed it more and more frequently, her eyes filled with an inexplicable reluctance. She also said that if the baby was born safely, she would name it Xi, like the morning sun. I told her that she was in such good health that she would definitely give birth safely, and she smiled palely. When she was seven months pregnant, she introduced me to a large contract. I made a trip to Lingnan to deliver dye."
A trace of pain flashed in the old lady's eyes. "I was unfamiliar with Lingnan and spent a lot of time there. Four months had passed by the time I returned to Lin'an. As soon as I got back, I went to find Yunwen, wanting her to pick out her favorite color first, but I heard the news that she had disappeared."
"I searched all over Lin'an, but couldn't find her. Yunwen left her embroidery studio to me, and since then I stopped the dyeing business and started renting out embroidery studios. I've been waiting here for fourteen years, but she still hasn't come."
Four months missed, fourteen years of guilt and torture. The old lady tightly grasped Chen Xi's hand, closing her eyes: "If I had come back earlier, would she not have..."
Chen Xi gazed at the Moon River outside, listening quietly, as if he could imagine his mother's graceful demeanor in those brief words. Finally, she soothed him, "Don't blame yourself. You've done your best in friendship. Mother probably introduced you to that deal because she didn't want you to take the risk. If she knew, she wouldn't want you to torture yourself like this."
The old lady nodded feebly. The emotional outburst had taken its toll on her. Once she calmed down, she looked exhausted.
Chen Xi held her gently and asked, "Is this embroidery room all mother's property?"
"Yes, Yunwen was a famous embroiderer in Lin'an back then," the old lady said. "I've been guarding this embroidery studio for fourteen years, and I probably won't see her return. Since you're her daughter, I'll give it to you. I'm old now, and I want to return to my hometown."
Chen Xi shook his head. "How will you live without the rent? Mother was in danger back then, but she still sent you away and left the embroidery room to you. It shows that she truly regarded you as a close friend. How could I take your things?"
The old lady smiled with relief, a few fine lines appearing at the corners of her eyes. She stroked Chen Xi's hair and said, "You are such a smart and filial child. Your adoptive parents have raised you well. Your master seems to be a reliable person, so I am relieved. I am old and want to go home. I have earned enough money to live on, so you don't have to worry."
Chen Xi refused to give in and insisted on paying the rent monthly. He also said that if the old lady wanted to return to her hometown, he would advance her fifty years of rent for her retirement.
After a long period of demurring, the two finally, persuaded by Jiang Wan, agreed to purchase the entire embroidery studio at a price slightly above market value. At eighty taels of silver per studio, the total cost for all twenty studios was one thousand six hundred taels. Chen Xi even used his own savings from selling embroidery to give to the old lady as travel expenses for her return home.
From a businessman's perspective, Jiang Wan felt that buying this embroidery room for 1,600 taels of silver was a perfect investment. While the house was old, the land and the comprehensive facilities were definitely worth the price. Prices in the capital were high, and land prices were even higher. This piece of land was near the river, not far from the city, and had a pleasant environment, so little modification was necessary.
As long as she spent a little more money on renovations, the rental price could be several times higher, and using it herself would also save a lot of money. As for the renovation matters and the use of the embroidery room after the renovation, she handed it over to Chen Xi.
After saying goodbye to the old lady, she soon received a system announcement:
"Congratulations to the host for the initial establishment of the Qingjiangju Embroidery Branch and for completing the task [Taking Shape], earning 100 points."
"Warm reminder, the host's current points are: 570 points. Once you reach 500 points, 24-hour manual customer service will be activated."
That's right, adding one hundred at a time makes it look like a system.
Jiang Wan closed the system with satisfaction. Seeing that it was getting late and it was difficult to get a carriage in the suburbs, he took Chen Xi back.
About seven or eight miles from the embroidery room was a peach blossom forest, a popular spot for tourists enjoying the spring scenery, and there were usually many carriages waiting there. Jiang Wan decided to walk towards the peach blossom forest while looking for carriages returning to the city along the way.
After walking about three or four miles, Chen Xi suddenly exclaimed "Ah".
Jiang Wan turned around and saw her clutching her foot in pain. He asked, "What's wrong? Did you sprain it?"
"No, I just got kicked by something. It hurts."
Jiang Wan helped her sit down on the grass, took off her shoes and socks, and checked her injuries. Seeing that she was not seriously injured, he felt relieved, rubbed the sore spot, and let her sit down to rest for a while.
Then Jiang Wan bent down and looked carefully through the grass, and found a piece of shiny iron.
She parted the grass and discovered a broken sword. It was a straight-bladed long sword, sharpened on one side and with a ring at the end of the handle. It was a typical cavalry sword. Because of its thick back and ease of mass production, it was widely used in the Great Zhou army.
The knife was cut off at the blade by a sharp weapon, and there are many notches on the knife, some new and some old. It should be a military knife that has been through many battles.
But Lin'an is the capital city. There has never been a battle there in a hundred years, and there is no training ground nearby. How could the saber fall here?
Jiang Wan had a hunch that something was amiss, but she didn't know much about military matters, and after much thought, she couldn't figure it out. So she simply shouldered the broken blade, planning to show it to him on the 24th when she went to Jianwenshen.
"Master, Master?" Chen Xi gently shook her sleeve. "What are you thinking about? Why do you look unhappy?"
Jiang Wan uttered an "Ah," his eyes a little confused. "Tell me, what should I do if there's someone I shouldn't meet again but still have to trouble?"
Chen Xi was stunned: "Who are you talking about, Master?"
Jiang Wan opened his mouth, and the two words turned over and over between his lips and teeth, but he finally swallowed them back.
"That depends on whether Master wants to see him." Seeing that Jiang Wan didn't answer, Chen Xi looked at her with concern and expressed his thoughts seriously.
Jiang Wan gave a dry laugh, avoiding his disciple's gaze. Instead, he lifted the carriage curtain and looked out at the shimmering lake. The sun was setting, and the crowds of tourists were bustling, the scenery breathtaking.
The wind suddenly blew, rippling the surface of the lake, and the vast blue waves were rippled.
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