Chapter 62 Female Studies
Konjac opened the embroidery wrapped in cloth and handed it to the shopkeeper, because it was Cui Qingyi's first double-sided embroidery, and it would probably become the signature of Cui's embroiderers in the future.
So before sending it over, the two of them specially made a frame for the embroidery to facilitate display.
The female shopkeeper was captivated by the embroidery at first sight. She had been in this business for so many years and had seen many excellent crafts, and the ones made by Miss Konjac were even top-notch. But at this moment, she still felt that she had seen too little.
The embroidery in front of her was of extraordinary quality in terms of both craftsmanship and color matching.
The big black dog on the embroidery even has its deep eyes clearly outlined with embroidery thread.
The strands of hair seemed to have a smooth touch. The female shopkeeper reached out to touch the black dog, but was afraid that her rough fingers would ruin the beauty of the embroidery.
This embroidery truly brings the flat surface to life.
Seeing the unconcealable surprise in the eyes of the female shopkeeper, Konjac smiled mischievously. He was frightened at this moment. This was just the beginning.
After appreciating them enough, the female shopkeeper looked at Cui Qingyi and Konjac and said with a smile:
"You two are truly the best embroidery masters I have ever seen. If you ask me, this embroidery is worthy of being collected as a treasure. I am willing to pay fifty taels for it."
This price was within Cui Qingyi's expectations. After all, this embroidery of hers was intended to be a collectible, and people who liked it would naturally pay a high price for it.
Not intending to beat around the bush with the female shopkeeper, Cui Qingyi reached out and turned the embroidery over. "If that's the case, what do you think its value is?"
Looking at the big black dog in her hand that was almost exactly the same and lifelike, the female shopkeeper rubbed her eyes and suspected that she had seen it wrong. She turned the embroidery back and forth several times before finally making sure that she was not seeing things.
"How is this done? How can two sides of the embroidery be exactly the same? There's almost no flaw to be seen."
Of course, it was impossible to tell her how he did it. Cui Qingyi knew that the purpose of her coming today had been completely achieved.
"This is a new embroidery technique I read in ancient books, called double-sided embroidery.
If the shopkeeper likes it, please leave this embroidery in Jinxiu Pavilion."
The female shopkeeper loved it so much. It was a new embroidery technique. She was so lucky to be the second one to see it. It was simply a gift from God to her.
"Of course I like it. No one would dislike it. Miss Cui, are you really willing to leave your things in Jinxiu Pavilion?"
Cui Qingyi nodded confidently, "We sisters are planning to open a girls' school specializing in teaching women embroidery. If the female manager is willing, please promote us in your free time."
Cui Qingyi had the idea of setting up a girls' school specializing in teaching girls embroidery skills a long time ago, but she only recently gradually perfected the idea in her mind.
She was not an ambitious person, otherwise she would not have left the Chen family and moved to the small place of Dongping County to live in seclusion.
But even Cui Qingyi had to admit that humans are complex and changeable emotional animals.
She saw something from Fan Hui and Mrs. Li. Life is very difficult for women, but women are like cattails by nature, and they can grow wildly even if they fall into the wild.
There were girls' schools in Dajin where people could learn needlework, but Dongping County was a small place, so girls' schools were particularly rare.
The female shopkeeper was stunned for a moment: "Girls' school, you want to open a girls' school, this, this is amazing."
Cui Qingyi smiled and shook her head, "It's nothing. I just hope someone is willing to come to our girls' school to learn this little skill. If they can learn something and make a living with this skill in the future, that would be a great comfort.
Besides, our girls' school is also a collection of training, so it can't be said to be great."
Hearing this, the female shopkeeper shook her head and said, "This is different. This action of yours may very well change a woman's life."
After a pause, the female shopkeeper continued, "If I didn't have only one monkey at home, I would have been tempted."
Double-sided embroidery, something that had never been heard of in the entire Jin Dynasty, appeared in their Dongping County. The children who graduated from Cui's women's school will definitely have great fortune in the future.
After waiting for the matter to be settled, the two put down the embroidery and returned home.
There is still a lot of work waiting at home.
If they wanted to set up a special school for girls, even if Cui Qingyi didn't want to make it too large, their current yard would be completely insufficient.
This requires finding a new place and turning it into a school.
After being idle for half a year, Cui Qingyi was a little uncomfortable with the sudden busyness. Fortunately, she was able to secure a place in the girls' school after running three or four times.
The broker was very excited. He did not expect that as soon as he opened the door, there would be so many customers. "That yard is in the back alley of the Yamen in Dongping County. When you push open the gate, you will see the back door of the county government office. There are three shifts of yamen runners patrolling every day. It is very safe.
Since the girl said she was looking for a place to teach, and since all the people here are girls, this place is perfect.
If you rent this place, I can also talk to the yamen runners I know well and ask them to go there more often in the future."
The broker's words were sincere, and Cui Qingyi was also crazy about it.
This place was tailor-made for the Cui family's girls' school.
After Li Miao's publicity, the news that the Cui family was going to set up a girls' school specializing in teaching embroidery caused an uproar in Huaihua Lane.
If it were a few months ago, everyone would have sneered, thinking that the people of the Cui family were really good at attracting attention, and were thinking that they could show off by just embroidering a few fancy tails.
But no one said this at this moment.
Didn’t you see that Li Miao from the Li family could actually earn money by embroidering handkerchiefs? Some of the envious ones were already planning to send their children to study in Cui’s girls’ school.
On the day when the Cui Family Girls' School was opened, ten pairs of double-sided embroidered clothes were laid out in a row, each with red silk hanging on it.
After a round of firecrackers, Cui Qingyi and Konjac each peeled off a piece of red silk.
Real embroidery is still a new thing for ordinary people in Dongping County. Most people can embroider a leaf or a few small flowers.
But what did they see now? Why did the big black dog on the cloth seem to be alive, and did the forsythia seem to be swaying in the wind?
Qi Yuan and Li Miao, as the only two students of Cui's Girls' School, actively introduced their master's girls' school to the crowd.
"My master is very good, and those are her works. You can go and see them. If you have a little girl at home who wants to learn, you can send her to our school."
Qi Moxuan and Fan Hui stood aside, beaming with joy at the sight of their eldest daughter who was now exceptionally confident and cheerful.
During the Chinese New Year, Xiaoyuan gave Qi Moxuan a purse embroidered by herself and gave Fan Hui a hand-embroidered handkerchief. Although they were not valuable items and their skills could not be compared with those of their masters, the couple were extremely happy, as if they were immersed in a honey pot.
Sister-in-law Li also looked at her daughter with pride, and old lady Li beside her also slowly smiled.
She agreed to send Li Miao to learn embroidery, but the ten taels of silver a year still hurt her too much.
If her daughter-in-law hadn't insisted, she would never agree. After all, even if a girl didn't learn embroidery, she wouldn't have trouble finding a husband.
But now, looking at her granddaughter in the crowd, Mrs. Li suddenly felt that the money was well spent.
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