Zhang Hui and her third aunt pretended not to notice the gazes of the noble ladies and celebrities opposite them, and walked gracefully into their own shop step by step. They raised their hands to take the cloth from the store, inadvertently waving a ray of sunset glow or moonlight, and then walked lightly to the hall and sat down, tiptoeing, causing their skirts to scatter on the ground, shining brightly.
The gazes from the opposite side became more and more numerous and more and more scorching. Finally, someone couldn't hold back any longer and walked into the store quickly and asked, "Boss, what kind of fabrics are used for these two pieces of clothing you are wearing? Do you sell them in your store?"
"Oh, this is a new type of fabric my daughter has just developed, called Yunxia fabric and Yuehui fabric. We can only produce one piece a month, and it's not enough for our own use, so how could we bear to sell it outside?" Zhang Hui waved her hand nonchalantly.
"Is it so little that only one bolt of cloth is produced in a month?"
"This cloth is as soft as clouds and as smooth as a mirror, with a delicate luster that seems to be invisible. To make cloth of this texture, you need to pick out the finest and best silk. The labor, time and energy consumed are unimaginable to others. Just for the step of selecting silk, five or six weavers have to work day and night. Do you think the output can be high?" Zhang Hui said eloquently.
The noble lady was amazed after hearing this and became more and more yearning for the Yunxia cloth and Yuehui cloth. She could tell whether the texture and feel were good as soon as she came in, without any excessive praise from others. Whether in terms of texture, feel, gloss or color, the new Shu brocade produced by Meng’s Embroidery Shop is several levels inferior to these two fabrics. It's true that if you compare yourself to others, you will die, and if you compare goods to others, you will throw them away!
"Can I pre-order these two kinds of fabrics? I'm willing to pay a high price." The lady asked expectantly.
The noble ladies and celebrities who followed later offered high prices, more than double the highest price of the new Shu brocade. But in the blink of an eye, Meng's Embroidery Shop was empty and deserted.
Zhang Hui almost agreed, but remembering her daughter's instructions, she waved her hands and said that she could not make a reservation because the production volume could not be increased. These two pieces of clothing used half a piece of cloth in total, but it took my daughter more than three months to make them. If she really accepts these orders, won’t she be exhausted to death? But if we don't accept it just to put a damper on Meng Zhong's arrogance, what good will it do to Danyan Embroidery Shop? Fabrics that can only be viewed but not purchased will gradually lose their appeal and may also anger these ladies and socialites, causing trouble for the embroidery shop.
In a word, cloth that cannot be mass-produced and is embroidered solely by hand cannot compete with cloth that has already been mass-produced. Thinking of this, Zhang Hui was filled with worries and became more and more afraid to accept orders casually.
Every time Xu Qian came shopping, she would go to Danyan Embroidery Shop to sit down. Occasionally, she would meet Du Ruyan and Lin Dan and have a good chat with them. A few days ago, the Shu brocade of Meng's Embroidery Shop was selling extremely well. Mrs. Xu soon changed her position and went to Meng's to buy clothes. However, Xu Qian never changed her original intention. If she wanted to make clothes, she would only go to Danyan Embroidery Shop. It didn't matter if they were not new or being despised and ridiculed. She didn't chase the trend and only chose what she thought was right.
She has become good friends with Lin Dan and Du Ruyan, so naturally she has to take care of their business.
But today, Danyan Embroidery Shop was very lively. Customers came from the opposite side one after another and surrounded Zhang Hui and the third aunt. When Xu Qian saw clearly what the two men were wearing, she couldn't help but be stunned. Beautiful, really beautiful. The golden-red halo enveloped Zhang Hui's body, making her skin look white, rosy, transparent and pink. The third aunt, with her calm temperament, looked even more peaceful and beautiful against the backdrop of the dark blue cloth that shone with starlight.
The two of them were wearing clothes that were as brilliant as clouds and as bright as moonlight. They stood among a group of noble ladies and celebrities who were shining with gold. They were really eye-catching, and people's attention was attracted by them as soon as they came in.
Xu Qian hesitated for a long time and was about to leave quietly, but was seen by Zhang Hui. She quickly squeezed out of the crowd and walked forward to greet him with a smile.
"Aunt Hui, you and the third aunt look so beautiful today that I hardly recognized them." Xu Qian smiled softly and did not look down on Zhang Hui and the third aunt because of their backgrounds.
Zhang Hui tugged at the hem of her skirt and said, "This is the fabric that Dan'er just developed, called Cloudy Cloud Fabric and Moonlit Cloud Fabric. It's not because we are pretty, but because the fabric is good and complements the figure."
"Yunxia, Yuehui? The fabrics are indeed as their names suggest. I heard that these two fabrics cannot be pre-ordered, right?" Xu Qian showed a regretful expression.
"Okay, I'll write a list for you, and when Tan'er comes back, I'll ask her to help you." Zhang Hui said generously.
"Madam boss, you are so rude!" The other ladies were furious when they heard this: "When we wanted to make a reservation, you said there was no stock, how come it was available when it was Miss Xu's turn?"
"Who is being unkind?" Zhang Hui said gratefully, "No matter whether my business is booming or not, Miss Xu has always patronized Danyan Embroidery Shop. She is considered an old customer of our family. Even if our family members cannot wear this kind of fabric, we have to collect enough to make a dress for Miss Xu. People should know how to be grateful, don't you think?"
Everyone was suddenly speechless, with embarrassed looks on their faces.
Xu Qian pursed her lips, quite moved. She originally wanted to refuse, but she accepted Zhang Hui's kindness generously. Feeling the envious eyes from all directions, she felt very uncomfortable and pulled Zhang Hui into the inner room in the name of measuring her size.
After the two men left, the noble ladies and socialites continued to pester the Third Aunt, asking her to buy a few more pieces of cloth from her shop. Even if they were not old customers, they were big customers, so could they also reserve a few pieces of Yunxia cloth or Yuehui cloth? The Third Aunt didn't dare to nod or shake her head. She could only watch them buy up all the fabrics on the shelves. She felt both flustered and refreshed in her heart.
Meng Zhong stood by the window, looking at the Third Aunt wearing Yuehui on her body. His face became darker and darker, and his eyes became more and more sinister. Hearing footsteps behind him, he immediately put away his stern expression and said softly, "Sisi, how are you doing with your study of the embroidery manual?"
"There are still some things I don't understand." Meng Si shook his head in frustration.
"How come you haven't understood yet? Lin Dan has only been learning embroidery for more than a year, but her skills have surpassed yours. She also learned the Ye's needlework, the face-opening needlework, and the fluffy needlework from somewhere. How come you are not as good as her, a beginner?" Meng Zhong frowned.
Meng Si was so depressed by what he said that he couldn't raise his head. His eyes turned red and two lines of tears fell. No matter how unwilling she was, she had to admit that Lin Dan was much more talented than her.
"Don't cry, it's my brother who is impatient." Meng Zhong felt bad too, and quickly comforted her, "The needlework recorded in this embroidery book is so magical that it's hard to understand. It's already very good that you can understand half of it in three months. I won't force you, take your time. In addition to studying the embroidery book, don't forget to contact Li Jiarong and Li Xiudian more often. Without the Li family, I'm afraid it would be difficult for us to obtain the qualification of imperial merchants this year."
After seeing how dazzling the Yunxia cloth and Yuehui cloth were, Meng Zhong had already lost confidence in the imperial merchant selection in a few months.
"I understand, brother. I will definitely help you." Meng Si nodded obediently. When he looked at the Danyan Embroidery Shop opposite which was crowded with customers, his eyes couldn't help but darken slightly.
…………
After using two pieces of cloth to temporarily stabilize the reputation of Danyan Embroidery Shop, Lin Dan began to prepare for the weaving workshop in full swing. Those Japanese weaver girls were completely obedient to her. They not only studied Chinese seriously, but also taught her Japanese. The communication between the two parties is smooth, and the work efficiency is improved.
Japan's Nishijin weaving is a kesi technique inherited from the prosperous Tang Dynasty called "Zhuijin". It is famous for its exquisite composition, bright colors, and flowing brilliance. It is in no way inferior to Lin Dan's hand-embroidered Yunxia cloth and Yuehui cloth. However, even if Lin Dan failed to recruit these Japanese weaving girls, he would find a way to develop similar fabrics on his own. It was only a matter of time. Embroidery, weaving, and kesi are originally one and if you master one step, you can understand all the steps.
A month later, the Japanese Weaver Girl, who was constantly tormented by hope and despair, was finally able to leave the eldest prince's mansion and move into the Lin family. They hugged each other and cried with joy, secretly vowing to weave the most beautiful cloth in the world for their benefactor. When Lin Dan said she wanted to learn their weaving techniques, they immediately nodded in agreement, not daring to hide anything. If they hadn't had Lin Dan's protection, they would have been dragged out by the people and burned to death. That would be no joke!
Du Rushong and Du Ruyan also moved back to the Du Mansion, and begged Lin Dan to open a small door on the walls of the two houses to facilitate entry and exit. The two families became closer and closer, and gradually became like one family.
As the Japanese pirates launched the most fierce attack on the Great Zhou Kingdom, the coastal areas of Fujian and Guangdong were successively lost, the people were massacred, and even the eldest prince was almost eaten by fish and died for his country. When the battle report was sent back to the capital, the emperor was furious and decided to travel along the coast himself, and his first stop was Lin'an Prefecture.
As the news spread, the entire Lin'an Prefecture was in an uproar, and all the major families began to prepare to welcome the emperor.
At the same time, Du Rushong and Du Ruyan were sitting opposite Lin Dan, looking slightly worried.
"Your Majesty is planning to visit Aunt Du at the Taoist temple? Is the news accurate?" Lin Dan frowned slightly.
"A letter written by the emperor himself." Du Rushong placed a letter on the table. The imperial seal on the lower right corner deeply hurt his eyes. He originally thought that he would never be able to meet that person again in this life, but he didn't expect that the other party would take the initiative to ask for a meeting so soon. What on earth does he want to do this time?
"Dandan, I want to take you to the mountain to make two new clothes for my aunt. My aunt is a very strong-willed person. She definitely doesn't want to let her uncle, no, no, no, the emperor, she definitely doesn't want the emperor to see her embarrassed side. Dandan, your craftsmanship is the best, I only trust you." Du Ruyan said with red eyes. She hadn't thought about the unbearable past for a long time, but today this letter brought back her melancholy.
"Okay, I'll bring my toolbox." Lin Dan didn't refuse at all. For others, being associated with the deposed empress is equivalent to being associated with bad luck, and one day they might anger the emperor and Concubine Min and bring about revenge. But she is not afraid, she only does what she wants to do.
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