When they saw Xu Ling, everyone agreed that the skirt she was wearing, which was embroidered with pearls, gems and jade, was the pinnacle of beauty and the highest embodiment of embroidery skills. Meng Si is worthy of being Meng Si. Looking across Zhejiang Province, or even the whole country, I am afraid there is no other embroiderer who can match her.
However, now, looking at the refreshed and radiant Xu Qian, they finally understood what it meant to be otherworldly and as graceful as a fairy. The style of her new clothes was very simple, just a cross-collared skirt. The inner shirt was dark purple satin and the outer shirt was pure white gauze. The inner shirt was thick and the outer shirt was thin. The two kinds of fabrics were overlapped together, and the rich color of the inner layer was faintly visible through the semi-transparent texture of the outer layer, giving a hazy and refreshing feeling.
The combination of two different fabrics and the blending of light and dark colors are very ingenious, but what is even more wonderful is the embroidery on the outer shirt. The blooming wisteria flowers spread from the shoulders to the waist, and then hang down from the waist to the hem of the skirt, in clusters and strings, some darker and some lighter, hanging down in a colorful manner. The colorful flowers are beautiful enough, but what is even more incredible is that these clusters of wisteria flowers are not embroidered with silk threads, but are made of extremely thin silk fabrics cut into fingernail-sized petals, and then sewn on one petal at a time with needle and thread.
The flower clusters, a mixture of light white and light purple, hang down softly, and when they spread to the tips of the flowers, a deep purple is emitted. The transition of colors is so beautiful and so natural that it is more like real wisteria flowers blooming on a piece of pure white cloth than embroidery. They are blooming in full swing, but they do not appear heavy or cumbersome. Instead, they appear lighter because of their thin and transparent texture.
A belt also made of pure white tulle was tied around Xu Qian's slender waist. There was no extra embroidery or embellishment. It was just casually tied into a bow shape and then hung down naturally, making it even more elegant and refined. Xu Qian lowered her head and walked to the old lady to greet her. A gust of autumn wind blew by, lifting her belt and stirring the purple wisteria flowers, which were some darker than others. It also made the tassel hairpin in her hair shake gently and flicker slightly, revealing a bit of playfulness and agility in her elegance.
The eldest prince stared at her with burning eyes, but she didn't even dare to raise her head. She stood still amid the jealous or envious gazes of her sisters and poured a cup of tea for the old lady.
Xu Ling, who was sitting next to the old lady, instantly became her foil. Although the peony is beautiful, it is just a rich flower in the world and cannot compare with the fairy flowers from other worlds, which are fresh and refined. Two people stood together, one was covered in jewels and gems, and the other was full of fairy spirit. Which one was more beautiful? Others could point out it without hesitation.
Xu Ling was so angry that her face twisted, and she was only able to calm down after Mrs. Xu pinched her secretly.
The old lady looked her granddaughter up and down many times, and sighed, "Your skirt is really beautiful and exquisitely crafted. Was it really made by the embroiderer from the Lin family?"
"That's right." Xu Qian said softly, "Last time at Faxing Temple, I fell in love with the blouse she made for Miss Du, so I asked her to order this skirt."
When the Buddhist meeting was held at Faxing Temple, the news that the eldest prince was about to visit Xu Mansion had not yet spread. Xu Qian was telling the old lady in disguise that this skirt was custom-made by her a long time ago, and it was not intended to steal Xu Ling's limelight. What's more, they are all daughters of the Xu family. It doesn't matter who wins the favor of the eldest prince, whether she is a legitimate daughter or a concubine's daughter. Strictly speaking, there is no difference to the Xu family.
The old lady was indeed happy. She took her hand and sat her down. She noticed that the eldest prince kept looking at her. She felt happy and treated her granddaughter even more kindly.
The eldest prince then realized that he had lost his composure and quickly looked away, but the otherworldly figure walking towards him kept lingering in his mind. During the rest of the banquet, his speech and behavior seemed normal, but in fact, he was dull and absent-minded, and his eyes would always drift involuntarily towards the female guests.
The ninth young lady, who was sitting on the left side of the old lady, had the simplest mind. She was unaware of the undercurrents among the sisters, but was staring at Xu Qian's skirt intently. "Sixth sister, I noticed when you first arrived that this skirt must have been made by Lin Xiu Niang." She said with a smile.
"Oh? How did you know?" Xu Qian asked softly.
"Because this is Lin Xiu Niang's style! Every piece of clothing she makes is full of fairy spirit, and whoever wears it will be a fairy concubine. Last time, that blouse made Miss Du look like a tree goddess, and this time, this skirt makes you look like a flower fairy. Even if you two only have 50% looks, she can make you look 100%, not to mention that you two are beautiful." Miss Jiu said enviously.
"Thank you, Ninth Sister." Xu Qian covered her mouth and smiled, and her deep eyes finally revealed a little pure joy.
As soon as she finished speaking, there was a crisp sound from the male guest's end. All the young ladies turned their heads to look, only to see that the eldest prince had somehow smashed the wine cup and was sitting at the table with a sullen face. Noticing that everyone was looking at him, he turned his head and glanced over with a cold gaze, which frightened the ladies into silence.
This was the first time Xu Qian carefully observed the eldest prince. He was extremely tall, with deep and handsome facial features and a cold and indifferent temperament, exactly like the legendary prince who was the god of war and ruthless. Can he really help her escape from the sea of suffering? Xu Qian wasn't sure, let alone guessing whether this would be a bigger hellhole. A hint of sadness and confusion involuntarily revealed itself in her calm eyes, and she lowered her head slightly under the eldest prince's cold gaze.
"Your Highness, your outer robe is wet. May I take you to change into another one?" Admiral Xu's voice was faintly heard. The eldest prince responded in a low voice, and after a while, the two of them left their seats and went downstairs to change clothes.
Without the distinguished guests and the head of the family, Xu Ling, who had been forbearing for a long time, sneered and said, "What fairy-like air? It's just a cheap skirt made of rags. How dare you wear it and embarrass yourself!"
Xu Qian let Xu Ling vent her anger without saying anything back. What are rags? Anyone with eyes can see how exquisitely crafted and beautifully the dress she is wearing is. Each petal was edged with embroidery thread. The pale yellow stamens and gradient color were all embroidered by Lin Dan stitch by stitch, and carefully sewn into the shape of wisteria flowers. Not to mention using this piece of cloth to make a skirt, even if it is framed into an embroidered screen, many people would be willing to pay a high price to collect it.
The moment she saw the skirt, Xu Qian completely understood why Lin Dan waited until the deadline to deliver it. In fact, the fact that she could complete these extremely complicated handicrafts within sixteen days was completely beyond Xu Qian's expectations. Although the style of this skirt is simple, the workmanship is definitely not simple. Cutting these tens of millions of petals is already time-consuming enough, not to mention dyeing them and sewing them into shape. No matter how gorgeous Meng Sixiu's peony skirt was, it could not compete with Lin Dan's fairy-like work. The skirt she made could no longer be considered an ordinary item.
Xu Ling's words are so insidious, she is just saying the grapes are sour because she can't eat them.
Miss Nine was quite favored and was not afraid of Xu Ling. She immediately said, "Since Sister Seven despises it so much, you must not ask Lin Xiu Niang to make your skirts in the future, lest her cheap skirts lower your status. I don't despise it, Sister Six, please introduce Lin Xiu Niang to me, and I will ask her to make my skirts in the future!"
"Of course, I will take you to her embroidery shop next time." Xu Qian nodded with a smile.
After hearing what she said, all the sisters gathered around, stroking the wisteria skirt and asking about Lin Dan's situation. How could they not know an embroiderer with such superb skills?
There were also several young ladies who had participated in the Buddhist meeting at Faxing Temple and had seen Du Ruyan's ginkgo leaf blouse with their own eyes. They were very amazed at the time, but later they were fooled by Meng Si's few words of disparagement and gave up the idea of looking for Lin Dan to make clothes for them. It was the sixth sister (the elder sister) who had the best vision. She immediately walked over and tried to get close to Du Ruyan, and that’s how she got to know Lin Dan. If not, how could she have made such a stunning appearance today?
The more the ladies thought about it, the more regretful they felt, and their impression of Lin Dan naturally changed greatly. Now in their hearts, Lin Dan's embroidery skills are completely comparable to Meng Si's.
Xu Ling had said all the harsh words, so she couldn't go to Lin Dan to make clothes for her again. She was angry and anxious, fearing that her sisters would outshine her. If she had known that Lin Dan was so powerful, she would not have looked for Meng Si. Who is the best embroiderer in Zhejiang Province? Fuck you!
Mrs. Xu smiled kindly, but in her heart she blamed Meng Si for not being as skilled as others and causing her daughter to become a foil for others. If it weren't for the tacky peony skirt on her daughter, Xu Qian's wisteria skirt would never have looked as good as it does! The best embroiderer in Zhejiang Province? The only one who can surpass Ye Jinxiu to become the next Needle God? Humph, you are just seeking fame and bragging.
…………
The eldest prince never came back after he left, and the guests gradually dispersed. Xu Qian returned to her boudoir and was about to change her clothes when she saw Kou Shi tiptoeing in, her tone very expectant: "Qian Qian, how was the family dinner? Did the eldest prince notice you?"
"I don't know either. I didn't dare to look at him the whole time." Xu Qian shook her head and smiled bitterly. Although she was very opinionated, she was not good at playing tricks, so she naturally didn't know how to attract a man's attention.
Kou waved her hand and said, "It's okay, I'm sure the eldest prince will notice you. No one at the family dinner today is more beautiful than you. This is all thanks to Lin Xiu Niang. You told me that she had great embroidery skills, but I didn't believe it and almost ruined your big plan!" Fortunately, her daughter was very tough and forced her to give up the ridiculous idea of turning down the order and asking for the deposit back, otherwise how could her daughter be where she is today?
Thinking of this, Kou couldn't help but wipe away a cold sweat. Then, recalling Xu Ling's tacky skirt, she couldn't help but double over with laughter.
Xu Qian carefully took off her skirt and chuckled, "I will wear this skirt to walk on the street tomorrow to spread the name of Lin Xiu Niang. Today is really thanks to her."
Kou waved her hands quickly: "Don't go, you silly girl, such a good embroiderer, others are hiding her, how can you push her away? Let's try our best to win her over and ask her to embroider clothes only for you, that would be great!"
Xu Qian shook her head and smiled: "Aunt, we have no money and no power, how can we win her over? With her skills, even if I don't promote her, she will sooner or later become famous in the Great Zhou Kingdom. By then, if we want to see her, it will be like the ladies in Zhejiang Province wanting to see Meng Si. Without a hundred taels of silver, we can't afford it. Now we can make a good relationship with her and increase our friendship, so why not? Some people's talents cannot be hidden at all."
Kou was finally persuaded by his daughter. He looked at the fairy-like skirt for a long time, stroked it carefully, and then walked away, looking back every three steps. Any woman would love this dress, but it's a pity that she is too old to wear it.
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