Chapter 308: Tanhua
Shen Yuexi divided the people into two groups.
Mei Dai, Chen Lan, Ji Yunyan, and Yang Cong were in a group of four. She, Su Mo, Li Wan, and Xia Lan were in a group, and the two sides came to compete.
This was her inner calculation. After all, she had to win the competition. Everyone has a competitive spirit, right?
Mei Dai is a formidable opponent; it seems there's nothing she can't do. Let her sisters, Chen Lan and Yang Cong, slow her down. Ji Yunyan practices swordplay all day, so she probably can't even thread a needle. All's fair in war. With these three around, no matter how powerful Mei Dai is, she won't be able to win.
On her side, Su Mo had been glueing balloons together for days, practicing needle threading. And Li Wan was even better; Madam Li said she always won in needle threading competitions. As a maid, Xia Lan knew sewing was a necessary skill, so she must have practiced a lot.
In this way, the three masters on his side plus himself, a rookie, will definitely win against Mei Dejia and three rookies.
Everyone agreed with her plan and was eager to get started. The men, unable to participate in this matter, stood aside and watched with a smile.
After the arrangements were completed, the maids moved the tables outside and placed them in two rows facing each other. On each table were seven silver needles, a red silk thread, and a basket of oranges.
"Why don't you light the lamp?"
When Shen Yuexi saw the maids preparing the needle and thread and turning to leave, she hurriedly called out to them.
The maids looked at each other and smiled without saying anything. Su Mo said, "Sister-in-law, you have to thread the seven-needle needle facing the moonlight, not under the light, because that would be more difficult."
Shen Yuexi looked up at the bright moon hanging in the sky and swallowed.
This difficulty... is really too great.
Madam Li walked to the middle of the two rows of tables with a smile, waving her hand and saying, "Come and take a seat. I will be your judge."
Shen Yuexi glanced at Su Mo and Li Wan and whispered, "Are you all sure?"
Li Wan looked at her in surprise and said, "Cousin, you look so nervous."
"It's inevitable to be a little nervous since we're going to compete," Shen Yuexi straightened her dress, "Let's go."
The competition was about to begin, and the maids and servants crowded around to watch the excitement, chattering and talking. The sight of so many people watching only made her even more nervous. It wasn't just a fight, it was just threading a needle, but why was her heart pounding non-stop?
She came to the table and sat down, looking for the seven needles on the table with her eyes wide open.
The moonlight was bright tonight, and seven silver needles lay neatly arranged on the table, reflecting a faint silver halo. She picked up one with two fingers and held it to her eyes, carefully searching for the eye. However, no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't see it clearly, and her panic grew.
This frightened her more than facing 50,000 enemy troops.
"Girls, take your needles and thread," Mrs. Li said with a smile. "Wait until I say start, and don't start threading your needles yet. You are not allowed to use a lamp while threading your needles. After each needle you thread, place an orange on your table so that we can all see clearly."
Shen Yuexi looked at Su Mo, who sat to her left. Su Mo held a needle in her left hand and thread in her right, her face solemn as she gazed across from her, her face poised for action. Mei Dai, in turn, smiled at Su Mo, her expression calm and composed.
It seems that Su Mo is still reliable. At least from the momentum, it seems that she is not at a disadvantage.
She looked to the right again. Li Wan was holding a needle, straining against the moonlight. Across from her, Xia Lan was tucking the end of the thread into her mouth, perhaps trying to tighten the loose thread for easier threading.
Sitting across from her, Chen Lan stared helplessly at the table, gently tossing an orange in the metal prosthetic hand on her left arm. Beside her, Ji Yunyan was whispering something to her, seemingly discussing strategy. Yang Cong, with a scowl on his face, was picking up a needle with his fingers, only to drop it the moment he picked it up.
Shen Yuexi breathed a sigh of relief. It looked like the other side was also having a tough time. Her side was completely dependent on Su Mo and Li Wan.
"Start." Mrs. Li shouted.
Hearing Madam Li's cry, the women all started moving at once. Shen Yuexi's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly raised her needle, threading the end of the silk thread through the eye of the needle.
I couldn't get the needle in either the left or the right. After a closer look, I realized that I had held the needle upside down in my haste, and then quickly turned it over again.
The maids from Prince An's mansion raised their fists to encourage her: "Princess An, work hard, Princess An, work hard."
"The Queen is so lucky, the Queen is so lucky." Mei Dai's maids were not willing to be left behind, and they shouted at the maids of Prince An's mansion.
"Hello, Princess Ping, hello, Princess Ping!" The maids brought by Su Mo also joined the battle and shouted excitedly.
Shen Yuexi discovered that threading a needle in the moonlight really required practice. No matter how bright the moonlight was, it was difficult to see the eye of the needle clearly, and threading the needle relied more on feeling.
After threading the needle several times, she finally managed to get a thread through the eye. She quickly pinched the thread with her fingernail and pulled it out. She reached into the basket, took an orange, and slammed it on the table.
I finally threaded a needle, which was quite a sense of accomplishment. After all, with so many people watching, it would be embarrassing to fall behind.
When the maids in Prince An's mansion saw the orange, they all cheered: "Princess An has put on a needle! Princess An has put on a needle!"
Shen Yuexi was happy to hear this and looked across.
She nearly fainted when she saw it. There were already five oranges on Mei Dai's desk...this was too fast.
She didn't have time to feel proud anymore and quickly went to get the needle.
Xiao Beiheng and Xiao Zhuo stood by and watched. Xiao Beiheng said to Xiao Zhuo, "Brother, can we win?"
Xiao Zhuo shook his head and said with a wry smile, "It's probably over. Yuexi has only threaded one needle, and my sister-in-law is the fastest among them, but she has only threaded three. The Queen of Xiliang has already threaded five needles."
Xiao Beiheng looked over, unconvinced. He saw five oranges already on Mei Dai's table. Meanwhile, on Shen Yuexi's side, Su Mo had three oranges on her table, while Li Wan and Xia Lan each had two.
Xiliang's maids and servants were cheering: "The Queen has threaded the sixth needle... Wow... The Queen has threaded it, it was so fast."
Hearing the crowd's shouts, Shen Yuexi was startled and looked up at Mei Dai.
Mei Dai had a victorious smile on her face. There were seven big oranges on the table in front of her. She stretched out a red silk thread with seven shining silver needles on it.
Shen Yuexi looked down at herself and saw that she had just threaded the second needle. She quickly looked around.
In the moonlight, sweat covered Su Mo's forehead. She had only put on four. Li Wan was even worse off, having only put on three. It was hard to see over Xia Lan, but she didn't seem much better.
"Everyone hurry up, don't look at Sister Mei." She shouted encouragement and picked up another needle.
If they went to see Mei Dai, I guess the sisters on her side would just surrender.
Mei Dai was the fastest, but Chen Lan was slow to put on her clothes, having only managed two oranges so far. Yang Cong was even worse off, with only one. Both of them had gloomy faces. As long as their side was faster, they could still win in the end.
With the experience of the first two needles, the next four needles became familiar and were threaded quickly.
"Princess Ping is dressed," the maids chirped, "Princess Ping is the runner-up!"
Su Mo finished threading her seven-needle needle after Mei Dai, wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, and said to Shen Yuexi, "Sister-in-law, I tried my best. I'm so nervous that my mouth is dry. I need to eat an orange first."
As she spoke, Su Mo picked up an orange and peeled it.
"Don't talk first," Shen Yuexi concentrated on passing the silk thread through the needle hole, pulled out the silk thread, cheered, picked up an orange and slammed it on the table.
"Wow, Princess An is dressed," the maids in Prince An's mansion cheered, "Princess An is the third place winner, she is the third place winner."
Shen Yuexi let out a long breath, supported herself with her hands, and looked at Xiao Zhuo who was standing beside her.
Xiao Zhuo and Xiao Beiheng stood together, looking at her with a smile, as if to say well done.
At this time, Ji Yunyan on the opposite side had also threaded seven needles. There were two people left on each side.
"Cousin, hurry up and put on your clothes. It's just you and Xia Lan left." Shen Yuexi and Su Mo stood up and walked over to Li Wan, cheering her on from both sides. "It's the fifth one, hurry up."
"Aren't you always first in every competition? Why are you so slow this time?" Su Mo took a slice of orange and stuffed it into Shen Yuexi's mouth, jokingly saying to Li Wan.
Li Wan said with a sad face: "How should I know? I've never worn something so fast before."
"Oh, stop talking, hurry up, my sister has already put on five, and Yang Cong has also put on four, you two better hurry up..."
"Don't rush me. I can't even find the eye of the needle."
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