When embroidering the longevity belt, Hua Jin embroidered very slowly. Tan Yuan watched for a long time before he discovered that Hua Jin had used dark thread, a color similar to bright red, to embroider an almost invisible word for longevity on the belt.
"Huahua, they don't understand, why are you embroidering this?" Tan Yuan saw that the word "Shou" was fused with the belt fabric using the old-fashioned hidden stitch technique. "Even if the customers saw it, they would just think it was printed on the fabric."
"This is a blessing belt. Older wives hope their husbands will be healthy and live longer." Hua Jin smiled, "I didn't embroider a belt, but a blessing."
Tan Yuan was stunned for a moment, but instead of saying that Hua Jin was being unnecessary, he nodded and said, "So that's how it is."
"When I was a child, my grandmother was very kind to me. She would secretly save money to buy me beautiful socks and hairbands." Hua Jin's hands did not stop embroidering, but her tone was filled with nostalgia. "I had good grades and almost always took first place in the class in the final exams. Every time at this time, my grandmother would go to the county town to bring me delicious food."
For her at that time, two or three flower rolls for fifty cents and two ounces of melon seeds for fifty cents were both supreme delicacies. Now she has eaten countless famous snacks, but what she remembers most clearly is the anticipation and excitement when she was waiting for her grandmother to come back from the county town.
After eating the salty melon seeds, she would suck the salt off the shell desperately before she would spit it out reluctantly.
When her grandmother was sick, if she had money and was strong enough, she could send her grandmother to the best hospital for treatment and let her live a long life. She was not loved by her father or mother, but her grandmother treated her as her treasure. However, she could only watch her grandmother suffer from illness and die.
Tan Yuan felt a little uncomfortable. She gently put her hand on Hua Jin's shoulder: "Hua Hua..." She didn't know how to comfort her. She finally understood why Hua Jin was particularly patient with certain guests.
"It's okay, I was just talking nonsense." Hua Jin didn't expect that Tan Yuan was more upset than herself. She couldn't help laughing, "You know that I met the old man and the old lady once. I hope they both live long and healthy lives."
"I don't know what your aura is, but the older customers who come to the store all like you very much." Tan Yuan touched his face, "It's said that people with round faces are more popular with elders, but why does this rule fail when it comes to me?"
"You are also very popular with the elderly, don't you think about how many elderly people bought lacquerware for you?" Hua Jin stopped embroidering and stretched out her hand to pinch Tan Yuan's soft and smooth face: "How much red envelopes do your relatives give you every year? I am a lonely person who relies on your red envelope income to eat a big meal every year."
"Who told you to take advantage of the good fortune? I accepted the red envelope and treated you to a meal, which can be regarded as taking advantage of your good fortune." Hua Jin touched his chin, "It seems that the good fortune you take advantage of is very useful. When you marry Mr. Pei, you must give me a big red envelope, and I want to take it back."
Hua Jin was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay."
"He's here just as I was talking." Tan Yuan raised his chin toward the window. "The timing is so accurate. He showed up just after 6pm, not a second late."
"Thank you for your hard work in looking after the store these past few days." Hua Jin picked up her bag and blew a kiss to Tan Yuan. "I'll treat you to a nice dinner in a couple of days."
"Go quickly, go quickly, I'll be watching over the store, don't worry." Tan Yuan waved her out, "You always helped me watch over the store before, and now I finally have a chance to help you. When my mom criticizes me in the future, I can stand up straight."
Seeing Hua Jin trotting out, Mr. Pei frowned and supported her, staring at her knees and saying something, Tan Yuan couldn't help but smile. If Hua Jin could find someone who loved and cared about her, she would be willing to let her run the store for a few more days and lose a few pounds.
Thinking of this, she clasped her hands together and whispered to a koi embroidered screen: "Koi koi, please bless Huahua's love life. If your wish comes true, I am willing to lose five pounds." Touching the flesh around her waist, this wish... is simply killing two birds with one stone.
"Hua Jin, how many times have I told you not to run while wearing high heels, don't run." Pei Yan muttered as he bent down to buckle Hua Jin's seat belt, "Do you want to piss me off to death and become a widow?"
"You think too much," Hua Jin whispered, "I haven't married you yet, why would I be a widow?"
Pei Yan: “…”
"It seems like you really want to piss me off to death."
"It's not my fault."
"Is it my fault?"
"Yes, if you weren't so charming, I would want to get close to you when I saw you, so why would I run?" Hua Jin confidently stretched out her index finger and poked Pei Yan's chest, "Do you know what a handsome man is? You are like that."
Pei Yan's face turned red after being poked by her, and he didn't know if it was because he was angry or for some other reason.
He pinched Hua Jin's index finger: "Stop it, I'm going to drive."
"Oh." Hua Jin pulled her fingers out of Pei Yan's palm, put them on her knees and sat up straight, "Where are we having dinner tonight?"
"I hired a chef a few days ago. He is very good at cooking and is also good at making soup. The soup he makes is fresh, fragrant and delicious, making people's mouths water. Do you want to try it?" Pei Yan turned his head and looked at her.
"To your house?" Hua Jin turned her head and looked at Pei Yan's beautiful eyes. "Where you live now?"
"Yeah." Seeing that Hua Jin didn't answer immediately, Pei Yan said, "Of course, if you don't like it, we can go..."
"Okay." Hua Jin interrupted Pei Yan's unfinished words, "I haven't been to your house yet."
Unexpectedly, Hua Jin would agree so quickly. Pei Yan's eyes were filled with smiles. "There is a garden at home where we can camp or have a barbecue. There is also a gym, swimming pool, study, and game room at home. We can work out, play games, read books, and plant flowers together in the future..."
Pei Yan talked a lot, as if he couldn't wait to put all his treasures in front of her, telling her that he was worthy of being loved and capable of treating her well.
He did not say "my home", but "home" and "us". In his future life plan, there are him and she.
In this relationship, Hua Jin always thought that she was the one who felt insecure, but now she suddenly realized that Pei Yan was also afraid and worried.
Was it her attitude that affected him and made him uneasy?
The car drove into Pei Yan's home. Hua Jin looked at the lush green garden full of artistic atmosphere and said with emotion: "It's so beautiful here."
"My mother designed the garden. I haven't changed the layout since she and my father passed away." Pei Yan drove the car into the garage. "If you don't like it, you can ask a gardener to modify it later."
"Very good, I like it very much." Hua Jin paused for a moment, "Auntie must have put a lot of thought into designing the garden."
Pei Yan smiled, got out of the car and opened the door for Hua Jin: "It doesn't matter if you don't want to modify it. We will buy a new apartment in the future and build the garden according to your standards."
Walking out of the garage, Hua Jin looked at this unfamiliar place and thought of the old and dilapidated building where she lived. She inexplicably felt that she looked a bit like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden and couldn't help laughing out loud.
"What are you laughing at?" Pei Yan took her hand, "Why do you look so silly?"
"I laughed out loud with joy when I thought about finding such an awesome boyfriend." Hua Jin shook Pei Yan's arm, "I'm happy."
"You should be happy then. You should hold on to a good man like me tightly and never lose him." Pei Yan held Hua Jin's hand tightly and walked towards home step by step. "If you get lost by accident, you must stay where you are and wait for me to come back and find you."
"Okay." Hua Jin lowered her head and smiled, "If I accidentally get lost, you must come find me."
Dinner was as delicious as Pei Yan said. After dinner, the maid brought some fruit, and the two of them went to the TV room to watch a movie. Hua Jin found that there were many genuine DVDs in this room, which was specially used for watching TV, including cartoons that children liked to watch and world classic movies.
"Is there anything you'd like to watch?" Pei Yan put the fruit on the table and saw Hua Jin staring at the cabinet where the discs were kept in a daze. "If you don't see anything you like, you can go to a video website and watch it."
Hua Jin flipped over a disc and put it into the player.
This is an art film with a beautiful name but a very sad and desperate story. A girl who yearns for freedom is imprisoned in a closed mountain village. Her eyes become more and more numb, her words and deeds become more and more vulgar, and finally she becomes the person she once hated the most.
The ending of the story is that a few young backpackers passed by the village and asked the heroine, who looked very vicissitudes of life, for directions. As the backpackers slowly walked away, a glimmer of light suddenly appeared in the heroine's eyes, but eventually dimmed.
"What's it like outside?"
Looking at the dark projection wall, Hua Jin felt a lump in her throat. She checked the time and said, "It's getting late. I should go back."
"I'll take you there." Pei Yan knew that she was in a bad mood. In fact, shortly after the movie started, Pei Yan wanted to change the disc, but Hua Jin disagreed.
When the maid saw Hua Jin was about to leave, she couldn't help but said, "It's so late, Miss Hua, please stay here. I've already cleaned up the guest room." Mr. Pei is such a fool. How can he send his girlfriend out so late at night?
"Thank you, but I have some things at home that I need when I go to work tomorrow." Hua Jin declined the maid's kindness and walked to the door to change her shoes. "Goodbye, I'm sorry to bother you today."
"No, no." The maid said, "This is the first time Mr. Pei brings a girl home. We have no experience in entertaining her. If we haven't entertained her well enough, please don't take it to heart."
Hearing this, Hua Jin turned her head and smiled at Pei Yan. She felt that everyone in the world was eager to tell her that she was Pei Yan's first girlfriend and the only person Pei Yan brought home.
As an ordinary person clinging to a rich man, she was treated much better than the heroine in idol dramas. No one who was close to Pei Yan jumped out, pointed at her nose and shouted, "I oppose this relationship."
After the car drove out of Pei's house, Hua Jin said, "I thought you would want me to stay like the maid did."
"I want you to stay, but I know you won't, so I won't say anything that might embarrass you." Pei Yan snorted and laughed, "You are my woman. I can guess what you want to do as soon as you raise your eyebrows."
"Guess what I'm thinking about now?"
"You are thinking... How can there be such a good man in the world? It is my blessing to have such a boyfriend. I must keep a close eye on him and not give other women any chances."
"A good kid, now he's shameless." Hua Jin was amused by Pei Yan's words, "I was wondering why I have such a shameless boyfriend. I'm afraid no one in the world can stand him except me. In order to prevent him from being lonely all his life, I can only do good deeds and be kind, and keep him in my heart for life. I won't let him be without anywhere to rely on."
"Here," Hua Jin pointed to her chest, "it's too small. It can only hold a shameless man."
Pei Yan parked the car on the side of the road and unbuckled his seat belt.
"How did you..."
Her lips were covered by a pair of gentle lips. Hua Jin slowly closed her eyes and put her arms around Pei Yan's back.
"Hua Jin, have you seen Farewell My Concubine?" Pei Yan's voice was hoarse, and the hot air he exhaled gently blew on Hua Jin, making her feel numb. "We agreed to spend a lifetime together. One month or one day less is not a lifetime. As the inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage, you must keep your word, otherwise I will never forgive you."
Hua Jin smiled and said, "Okay, I'll keep my word."
Pei Yan: "I swear on your status as the inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage."
"Okay, I swear." Hua Jin buried her head in Pei Yan's chest and laughed, "I love Pei Yanyan the most in my life. I only love Pei Yanyan and I will never change my mind."
"I... believe you." Pei Yan held Hua Jin tightly. "When we are old, and you become a world-renowned Shu embroidery master, I hope that when others mention you, they will know that the husband of this master is named Pei Yan."
The night was as cool as water. Hua Jin touched Pei Yan's soft earlobe, but she felt that her heart was softer than his earlobe. If possible, she wanted to accompany him for life, accompany him through every moment of his life, accompany him to watch the flowers bloom and the snow fall, and see all the beauty in the world.
That must be the most beautiful thing in the world.
The next morning, Hua Jin arrived at the store early and found that Tan Yuan had a cold, so she urged her to see a doctor: "Don't come back until you recover. If you dare to come back, I will beat you."
There weren't many customers in the morning, and Hua Jin was embroidering and greeting customers at the same time, so she wasn't too busy. At noon, Pei Yan arranged for someone to deliver a nutritious meal. She had just eaten a few bites when an elderly customer came to visit.
"Welcome." She quickly closed the lid on the food, rinsed her mouth with water, and then quickly stepped forward to greet the guest, "Excuse me, what can I do for you?"
"I want the embroiderer to embroider a few words for me." The old man was leaning on a cane, dressed very ordinary, but his eyes were clear.
"Words?" Hua Jin smiled, "Of course, may I ask which words they are?"
"Harmony, benevolence, and kindness." The old man looked at Hua Jin, "When getting along with others, the most important thing is to be harmonious. As a human being, the most important thing is to be kind and righteous. Master Hua Xiu, am I right?"
It turns out it was someone who knew her?
Hua Jin was sure that she had never seen this old man before. She smiled politely and said, "When people treat me well, I will treat them well in return. This is human nature. Please take a seat, sir. I will go and pour you some tea."
“No thanks.” The old man saw that the shop was not big but the embroidery was very delicate and beautiful. He became less prejudiced against Hua Jin and more appreciative. “I heard that the younger generation in my family had an unpleasant experience with the Hua embroidery master. I am here to apologize to you on their behalf.”
"May I know your name, sir?" The smile on Hua Jin's face gradually faded.
"My surname is Xu, and I'm the grandfather of Xu Si and Xu Changhui." Old Xu was old, but he had to apologize to a young junior for the mistakes made by his grandchildren. "It was us, the elders, who didn't discipline them strictly, and Master Hua Xiu was wronged."
"Unfair?" Hua Jin laughed with an ambiguous tone, "Mr. Xu and Miss Xu are from a prominent family, how could they let me be wronged? Mr. Xu is too kind."
"I wonder what it will take for Master Hua Xiu to forgive the mistakes they made?" Old Xu sighed, "No matter how many mistakes they made, it's all our fault as elders. We spoiled them."
Hua Jin sneered, yes, they made mistakes, but it was just because of their elders who spoiled them. And those who were hurt by them, did they deserve it?
Author's comments: Note: A line from the movie Farewell My Concubine: It was agreed to be a lifetime. One year, one month, one day, one hour less, it is not a lifetime! Pei Yan's words in the article, "It was agreed to be a lifetime. One month, one day less, it is not a lifetime." are derived from this line and have been modified.
Pei Yan: I don’t care about what I once had, I only care about how long it will last. I know that I am the most important man.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
