Chapter 47 Hu Family Embroidery Girl
On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Xiuning County was slightly warmer than in the previous days.
In this kind of weather, it's obvious that wearing a high-necked long coat would be a bit too hot, so Sister Lin Yue dug out a spring dress she made two years ago. The dress was made of good materials and was well preserved; people would believe it was brand new.
The pattern on the clothes is a bit out of fashion.
Fortunately, the pattern and color on it are light, so as long as the thread is changed and it is altered, it will be a nice spring outfit again.
Although Hu Qingshan is ostensibly a carpenter who has not yet completed his apprenticeship, he has already done work for many families in recent years under the guidance of his father, Carpenter Hu.
Although he didn't have a lot of money, it wasn't a small amount either.
In addition, with Lin Yue's own excellent craftsmanship, her home naturally has no shortage of fine fabrics and threads.
It's a nice day, and although my husband mentioned a few days ago that friends would be coming to visit for the New Year, we thought it was still early.
I need to finish altering the clothes as soon as possible so I can wear them to meet guests.
So when Grandma Guo brought Guo Baiwen and Xiaohua to visit, the first thing she saw was the clothes that Mrs. Hu was wearing.
Sister Lin Yue has an oval face. Although her features are average, her skin looks very good, probably because she is living a relatively comfortable life.
This made her overall demeanor look much better.
On the way here, Guo Xiaohua followed behind the two of them the whole time, looking rather timid.
But before Sister Lin Yue could even ask her, she had already taken two steps forward and stood in front of Grandma Guo and Guo Baiwen, saying, "Hello, Sister Lin."
At this moment, Sister Lin Yue also shifted her gaze from Guo Xiaohua's face to the dress she was wearing today.
The jacket and skirt Guo Xiaohua is wearing, though seemingly plain in color, are made more lively by the embroidery on them.
She was already very skilled at embroidery, and at this moment she couldn't help but take a look at the embroidery on it.
The embroidery is a bit immature. Although the pattern is a common floral design, it has a certain charm because of the fine stitches and color matching.
Guo Xiaohua was unaware that she was looking at the embroidery on her clothes. Now that she was standing closer, she could see more clearly what Hu's wife was wearing, whether it was a top or a skirt. The fabric and the embroidery were things that she had rarely seen even after wandering around the market many times before.
Guo Xiaohua stared at Lin Yue's dress, unable to look away: "Sister Lin, how was this dress made?"
Sister Lin Yue was just about to let someone in when she heard this question and knew that this was a pretty young girl.
So she covered her mouth and laughed, "This is a dress I made the year before last. I took some time to alter the pattern on it. Your name is Xiaohua, right?"
Guo Xiaohua was quite well-behaved at this moment, and smiled slightly, "Yes, my name is Guo Xiaohua, Sister Lin, you can just call me Xiaohua."
Lin Yue had already heard from Hu Qingshan about their purpose for coming today, so after receiving the New Year's gifts, she led the group through the courtyard and into her embroidery room upstairs.
Besides the small screens and paintings she embroidered in her spare time, there were also several newly made dresses that no one had come to pick up, hanging on a shelf against the wall.
On the other wall were rows of shelves and embroidery hoops of varying heights. Sister Lin Yue explained sweetly, "Qingshan made all these things for me. They're more handy than the ready-made shelves sold outside. Qingshan said they were specially designed for my height and hand length, so it's not too strenuous for embroidery."
The two seem to have a very good relationship.
Grandma Guo chuckled and agreed a few times. Just as she was about to say something more, she suddenly heard a child crying downstairs.
This is--
Upon hearing the voice, Sister Lin Yue, who had been chatting and laughing with them, immediately stood up from the chair she was sitting on, feeling nervous.
"It sounds like Abao is crying. Please sit for a moment, I'll go check on him."
Without waiting for a reply from the others, he hurriedly went downstairs.
Guo Baiwen and Grandma Guo were left sitting there, looking at each other in bewilderment. They could only pick up the teacups in front of them and take a sip.
Guo Xiaohua wandered around the room looking around. Grandma Guo specifically told her that even if she wanted to look, she should only look from a distance and never get too close.
Or perhaps you get so engrossed in looking at them that you want to reach out and touch the things on the shelves.
Guo Xiaohua nodded and responded with "uh-huh" sounds, her eyes shining as she looked at all the things hanging in the room.
This looks good, and this one looks good too.
Everything in Sister Lin's room is so beautiful.
Guo Xiaohua had never imagined that a house with people could be so beautiful and to her liking. Just looking at the clothes that were not yet finished, she could imagine how beautiful she would look wearing them.
I never knew clothing could be made from such materials. The way this kind of silk thread is paired with another color of silk thread creates such unique and beautiful patterns.
It's like a mouse that's fallen into a rice jar, not knowing where to begin looking.
They could only slowly pace around the house, glancing back every few steps, while Guo Baiwen and Grandma Guo drank tea and kept an eye on Guo Xiaohua's actions.
It was at this moment that Sister Lin Yue came upstairs carrying A Bao, whom she had just comforted.
Seeing the guests she had left inside, Sister Lin Yue looked a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Abao was taking a nap just now. I thought he wouldn't wake up so easily—"
When he opened his eyes and didn't see his mother, he cried so hard that the earth shook and he was heartbroken.
Luckily, she had sharp ears and heard it; otherwise, she might have rolled off the bed in no time.
"Kids like children sleep a lot," Grandma Guo waved her hand kindly. "What an adorable child, so his name is Abao."
"It's just a nickname we use at home," Sister Lin Yue said somewhat embarrassedly. Nowadays, most people give their children humble names that are easy to raise, for fear that if the name is too grand, the child won't be able to survive.
The reason she was named Sister Moon is because she was born on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Because Qingshan named his child Abao, he was often criticized by his elders.
But as the child grows up day by day and becomes stronger, such words gradually become less frequent.
But Lin Yue felt a little embarrassed when the question was suddenly asked again.
Grandma Guo didn't think much of it. "Children are precious, after all." She turned to look at her two darlings.
She stared at Guo Baiwen for a long time and said, “I didn’t know that Hu the carpenter looks so young, only a year or two older than Wenzai, but he got married and became a father so early.”
"That's true. You have to settle down and start a family before you can build a career!"
Grandma Guo's words seemed to have a hidden meaning, especially her gaze, which made people feel uneasy.
Guo Baiwen hasn't thought about getting married so early.
Putting aside his physical condition, he'll only be sixteen after his birthday on the Lantern Festival, and considering his current height, he still wants to grow taller in the next couple of years.
So, before the fire spread to them, they quickly changed the subject, saying, "Madam Lin's embroidery skills are truly outstanding. I wonder where she learned them from?"
When Grandma Guo heard that this was the important matter she had come for today, she stopped letting her thoughts wander.
While holding their tea, they chatted amiably with Sister Lin Yue, occasionally teasing A Bao, creating a rather harmonious atmosphere.
Guo Xiaohua listened attentively from the side, and occasionally chimed in with a few words when she heard some needlework tips.
It seems the three of them get along quite well.
Guo Baiwen sat inside for a while longer, and after realizing that he had no use for his skills, he excused himself by saying that he needed to relieve himself and left the embroidery room filled with girls.
Upon exiting, they found Hu Qingshan working in the yard, with half of his arm sticking out to make it easier for him to work.
Although it's warm today, winter isn't over yet.
Guo Baiwen wanted to help, but seeing how seriously he was working, he didn't say anything to disturb him. After coming downstairs, he stood quietly at the bottom of the stairs watching him work.
He only approached Hu Qingshan after Hu put down the saw he was holding and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a cloth.
"Brother Hu, what are you planning to do?"
Hearing someone speak, Hu Qingshan turned around and looked over. When he saw it was Guo Baiwen, he chuckled, "How come you're such a big guy standing here without making a sound?"
"I was just worried that making a sound would startle you because you were busy."
People can be truly frightening.
Hu Qingshan wasn't really bothered by this, but seeing that everyone had come over, he waved the things he had been working on and assembled the cut wooden boards one by one. "How is it?"
After he finished assembling it, Guo Baiwen realized that what he had made was actually a rocking horse.
Hu Qingshan's craftsmanship is naturally impeccable.
Guo Baiwen nodded. "Is this a toy that Brother Hu made for Abao?"
"Yes, there were some leftover scraps in the woodworking shop that looked usable, so I made a wooden horse out of them."
Hu Qingshan took a sip of water. "Your grandmother and sister are still chatting with my wife."
"They were talking about how to embroider and how to match colors, I didn't understand any of it." Guo Baiwen looked helpless. Seeing that Hu Qingshan had handed him a bowl of water, he continued, "That's why I found an excuse to come downstairs."
"Hahahaha." Hearing this, Hu Qingshan laughed heartily and pointed to the kitchen. "It's already this late. My wife is having too much fun to cook. I'm afraid she won't have time to cook. I can't cook. Since you've come all this way, I'll go and call a porter to bring some food from the restaurant over."
"Since we're already here, let's all have dinner together tonight, so we don't have to go back and do everything ourselves."
Guo Baiwen declined twice, but he couldn't resist Hu Qingshan's enthusiastic invitation.
"Since Brother Hu has said so, I have no choice but to respectfully comply."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Update time will be changed to 8 PM from now on. Just letting you know, my little angels! [heart emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
