Chapter 232
The next morning, Ji Wanmei got up very early.
The gift for Grandma Song was prepared when she was in Pingquan.
It was a silk folding fan that she found at an antique market, depicting scenes of embroiderers in the Shu embroidery workshop a hundred years ago.
The Shu embroidery folding fan has a total of twelve pictures, and is also known as the Twelve Embroidery Women Picture.
Although it is not a particularly valuable antique, it is still an antique.
But Ji Wanmei fell in love with the folding fan at first sight, and she guessed that Grandma Song would like it too.
She prepared one herself, and her father prepared another.
Ji Xingguo originally wanted to come with Ji Wanmei, but they couldn't make it, so he asked Ji Wanmei to bring him a gift as a token of his sincerity.
After all, his daughter was now learning a trade from her, so in Ji Xingguo's eyes, she was an elder worthy of his respect.
Ji Wanmei put on a cashmere coat, wrapped a scarf around her neck, and carried two carefully prepared gift boxes as she left the school.
When she arrived at the school gate, she waited for quite a while before she was able to hail a taxi.
Today is only the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, and some bus routes may not have started operating yet.
China's automobile industry only began to grow rapidly after 2000. At that time, around 1988 or 1999, there were few buses and even fewer private cars.
However, as long as you're willing to pay, there are still taxis available even during the Lunar New Year.
Even if there are no taxis, there will be rickshaws and pedal carts.
The rickshaws that used to be driven by human labor have gradually been phased out by the market and have now been replaced by pedal rickshaws. In fact, they are similar in nature to tricycles, only slower, and have a canopy behind the seat similar to those on rickshaws.
She took a car to the disciple Lu Zhuoxuan had given her before arriving at the Lu family residence.
The Lu family's residence is located in the old city area of East China, in the famous area of the cadre compound.
On this street, the Lu family's house is the easiest to recognize because of its magnificent gate, three courtyards, and blue brick and white tile courtyard, which was rarely seen even in the 1980s and 1990s.
As soon as Ji Wanmei got out of the car, she saw several expensive imported cars parked in front of the Lu family's house.
Lu Zhuoxuan told her that Grandma Song was celebrating a normal birthday, not a big one, so there wouldn't be a grand celebration. They would simply invite some of their relatives and friends from East China, along with the masters and apprentices from the Shu Embroidery Hall, to have a meal together.
When Ji Wanmei heard that the craftsmen from Shuxiutang would also be coming, she agreed to come.
It was only when I arrived that I realized that someone of Grandma Song's status couldn't possibly only have a few relatives and friends celebrating her birthday.
Since she was already there, she couldn't be impolite. Ji Wanmei tidied herself up, walked to the front of the Lu family mansion, and introduced herself.
There is a butler and a nanny in front of the Lu family's gate who are specifically there to greet guests.
When the butler heard Ji Wanmei introduce herself, he looked at her with great surprise and said, "So you are Miss Ji. The young master specifically instructed me a couple of days ago that if a Miss Ji Wanmei came, I must personally call him to greet her."
Ji Wanmei smiled gently: "Your young master is too kind. I am just one of Grandma Song's apprentices, here to wish her a happy birthday. Your family is so busy today, there is really no need for such hospitality."
The butler said, "Miss Ji, please wait here for a moment, I will go and invite the young master over."
The nanny said, "Miss Ji, please come in with me."
Ji Wanmei walked in, looking around at the layout of the Lu family mansion as she went.
The house features traditional Chinese pavilions, corridors, and winding buildings. After entering the outer courtyard, there is another central courtyard gate, leading to the true reception room of the homeowner.
Ji Wanmei was no longer surprised when she thought of the background of Lu Zhuoxuan's parents and grandfather that Fang Xiaoqin had inquired about.
Soon, Lu Zhuoxuan strode over with the butler. Upon seeing Ji Wanmei, Lu Zhuoxuan said, "Junior Sister, why didn't you call me beforehand? I could have picked you up!"
Ji Wanmei smiled and said, "I came from school, it's not far, so I won't trouble you, senior. Where is Grandma Song?"
“She’s in the main hall. Come on, I’ll take you there,” Lu Zhuoxuan said with a smile. “Since this morning, she’s been asking me why you haven’t arrived yet, and she’s even blaming me for not getting things done.”
"I promised Grandma Song that I would come back for her birthday, and I will definitely come back." Ji Wanmei followed Lu Zhuoxuan across two arched doorways and into the innermost hall, where they met the guests.
There weren't many guests, but judging from their clothes and demeanor, they were all wealthy and influential.
Grandma Song was overjoyed to see Ji Wanmei. She got up from her chair, walked over, and took Ji Wanmei's hand, saying, "Why did you take so long? Were you delayed on the way? I told you I should have asked Zhuo Xuan to pick you up!"
“No, Grandma Song, this is a gift I prepared for you.” Ji Wanmei handed the gift she brought to Grandma Song with both hands and said, “There is another one here, which my father specially prepared for you. He heard that it was your birthday and originally wanted to come and visit you with him, but his factory started work on the seventh day of the new year, so he couldn’t get away and I came alone.”
"It's nothing, it's nothing. It's too kind of your father to prepare a gift for me. I feel quite embarrassed as an old woman," Grandma Song said with a smile.
She opened the Shu embroidery fan that Ji Wanmei had given her and saw the exquisite twelve embroidered women on it. She exclaimed in surprise, "Where did you buy this? I've been collecting for a long time, but I've never been able to collect such a complete set of twelve embroidered women."
Ji Wanmei smiled and said, "I found it at the antique market. I'm glad you like it."
Mrs. Luo walked over with several ladies and introduced them to everyone with a smile: "This is Mrs. Song's most prized disciple, the cheongsam designer I recommended to you last time. Today you finally get to see her in person. What do you think? I wasn't exaggerating, was I? Isn't she as beautiful as an angel and as lovely as a fairy?"
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