Chapter 32 Published
After the New Year, the lively atmosphere of the Spring Festival gradually calmed down.
The winter vacation passed slowly. After lunch, Ji Ruan lay on the bed playing with his mobile phone, browsing Weibo and his circle of friends.
Duan Zeping posted a few photos last night. Judging from the background, it looked like a small party. Song Ling and Li Suian were both there. Ji Ruan also saw a familiar face among them - Lin Qing.
Lin Qing and Lao Duan were very close, with Duan Zeping's hand on his shoulder. They seemed to be much more intimate than others, but there was no news that Lin Qing agreed to pursue him recently, and Song Ling and Li Suian did not like this post on WeChat Moments.
Ji Ruan took a look and slid past it.
A message popped up on the top, it was sent by Cheng Zizhang, Ji Ruan clicked it.
[Senior Zi Zhang: picture.jpg]
[Senior Zi Zhang: The New Year is over, do you want to come and play today, Xiao Ruan?]
The picture seems to be taken in a studio. On the table are thin cloth, scissors, embroidery needles and colorful embroidery threads.
I don’t know if it was Ji Ruan’s illusion, but Cheng Zizhang seemed to really want to arouse his interest in Han embroidery, and he often led the conversation in this direction intentionally or unintentionally.
A few days ago, it was mentioned that after the start of school, the entire Han Embroidery Association is going to jointly organize a cultural heritage event among various universities, and Cheng Zizhang is also going to produce a work.
Cheng Zizhang had mentioned this matter to Ji Ruan several times, and asked him to come over to play as soon as work started today.
Ji Ruan was indeed quite interested, and he sat up straighter and replied: [Okay, can I come over now?]
Cheng Zizhang replied immediately: [Of course, I'll send you the address, call me when you arrive, and I'll go downstairs to pick you up.]
[Okay~ Thank you, Senior]
Ji Ruan smiled, turned off his phone, and immediately got out of bed to change his clothes.
Cheng Zizhan's studio wasn't too far away, so Ji Ruan didn't ask Uncle Zhang to take her there. It only took about half an hour for her to get there by taxi.
It was still very cold outside. After Ji Ruan arrived, Cheng Zizhan went downstairs quickly. He only waited for a short while, but his fingertips were still frozen.
After Cheng Zizhang brought Ji Ruan into the room, he immediately poured him a cup of hot water. Ji Ruan took a few sips and then held it in his hands to warm it.
This studio is much bigger than expected. The entire floor belongs to them, which is divided into a rest area and several workrooms. The decorations are very ancient. The screens, round fans and sofa fabrics are all Han embroidery products.
Ji Ruan and Cheng Zizhang entered her own workshop, which looked very similar to his sister's previous cottage, very simple and without any decoration at all.
All the tools and silk threads were placed on the table. In front of the table was a roll of thin cloth with a part of the pattern embroidered on it, which was a pond and a path.
"Xiao Ruan, feel free to sit and look around," Cheng Zizhang said with a smile, "It's just that my place is a little shabby."
"No," Ji Ruan shook his head seriously, "It feels very interesting."
Cheng Zizhang listened, his eyes stained with cunning: "If you like, you can come over often, or try to embroider something yourself. Originally, my mother wanted to see you, but she has been out of town recently, and will not be back until the promotion event next month."
She started again, trying to find opportunities to get Ji Ruan in touch with Han embroidery.
"Okay," Ji Ruan winked lightly and said jokingly, "Senior sister, you are not being polite to me, I will really come."
Cheng Zizhang glanced at him with a smirk and said, "You are the one, right? You better not agree just to be polite. I will really ask you to come over often."
As she spoke, she tied her hair and looked ready to continue working. Ji Ruan glanced at the pattern that had been embroidered in a small part and said casually, "Is this the work you want to exhibit at the promotional event?"
"Yes," Cheng Zizhang picked up the needle and stopped before inserting it into the cloth: "I don't know if this kind of activity will be effective."
She sighed and looked at Ji Ruan: "Our business, although it sounds good, it's something like inheriting intangible cultural heritage, but now it's harder than climbing to the sky to find someone who can continue to inherit. Most people just like to watch, and almost no one is willing to sit here and embroider a pile of cloth for decades."
Ji Ruan was deeply touched by this point. In the past, their family was also highly respected by the outside world because they had inherited Han embroidery from generation to generation. But in fact, their inheritance was very difficult.
His grandmother had dozens of disciples in her lifetime, but only one or two of them stayed until the end to seriously study and promote this culture. The rest gave up halfway for various reasons.
Ji Ruan was silent for a while, then he looked at the pattern on the embroidery and suddenly said, "This wasn't embroidered by one person, was it?"
Cheng Zizhang was stunned and asked in surprise: "How did you know?"
Ji Ruan smiled and said, "It just... looks a little different."
Cheng Zizhang quickly put down the needle and said, "Yes, it is true that I did not do it alone. Originally, Ah Qing and I wanted to each do one painting for this event, but my mother wanted us to do it together. So the one you see now was made partly by me and partly by Ah Qing..."
She looked at Ji Ruan with some excitement in her eyes: "But how did you know that?"
It's no wonder that Cheng Zizhan was surprised. He and Lin Qing were both apprentices of Cheng Yunxiu. They both studied under the same teacher and their needlework techniques were actually very similar. Sometimes even professional embroiderers could not immediately tell the difference.
Cheng Zizhang basically knows everyone in the industry, but she has never heard of Ji Ruan, which proves that Ji Ruan is indeed an outsider.
But how can a layman see this subtle difference?
A guess gradually emerged in Cheng Zizhang's mind.
Ji Ruan pursed her lips slightly, pointed at the pattern and guessed: "The brick wall of the pond should be made by Lin Qing, and the carp inside is your work."
"You're right." Cheng Zizhang's smile deepened.
Ji Ruan didn't look at Cheng Zizhang, his eyes were fixed on the embroidery pattern, his expression was extremely focused. He thought for a moment and said, "Your needlework habits are a little different. Lin Qing is very rigorous, and every step is strictly based on the pattern. But you, senior sister..."
Ji Ruan couldn't help laughing as he spoke: "You are obviously very free. Drawing a pattern is one thing, but being able to embroider it like that is another."
Cheng Zizhang covered his face and laughed along, a little embarrassed: "Tell me more about it."
Ji Ruan pointed at the carp in the pattern: "You originally wanted to embroider a carp's tail flapping on the water, right? But you embroidered it a little off and it looked like you were too lazy to take it apart, so you used a darker color thread to make it look like a dead leaf, right?"
Cheng Zizhan opened her mouth. She thought she had done a great job in patching the leaves, but she didn't expect Ji Ruan to see through her plan at a glance.
Ji Ruan knew what he said was right when he saw her expression, and laughed again: "Also, Senior Sister, you collected the line very closely and carefully, but Lin Qing was relatively impatient. Was there anything urgent for him at that time?"
Cheng Zizhang was simply impressed: "You can tell that? He really seemed very busy at the time. Oh, I should say he has been busy recently. You saw it. Except for the pond, I did everything else by myself. I don't know where he went."
Ji Ruan: “…”
After all, Ji Ruan had just seen the party photo of Lin Qing and his old Duan, so he probably knew what Lin Qing was busy with recently.
He scratched the tip of his nose and didn't gossip about it in front of Cheng Zizhang.
Cheng Zizhang's focus was not on Lin Qing. She grabbed Ji Ruan's shoulders and said with joy: "So you really can do it, Xiao Ruan?"
Ji Ruan was suddenly grabbed like this, and was startled and a little embarrassed, but he still didn't hide it: "Yes, I learned a little."
"Oh my god!" Cheng Zizhang covered her mouth. She was such a campus goddess, but now she was so excited that she lost all her image. "My mom was right!"
Ji Ruan raised his eyebrows, it seemed that Teacher Cheng had mentioned him more than once.
Perhaps due to his upbringing, Ji Ruan has a natural awe for master-level figures like Cheng Yunxiu.
He pinched his fingers and looked at Cheng Zizhang: "What did she say?"
Cheng Zizhang laughed for a long time before he stopped laughing. He straightened his hair and became elegant again: "She just said you are very interesting."
"ah?"
This was an evaluation that Ji Ruan had never expected: "That's all?"
His eyes are very big and become round when he is surprised, making him look particularly cute. Cheng Zizhang covered his mouth and laughed, and he really wanted to pinch Ji Ruan's face.
"What else? That's exactly what he said," Cheng Zizhang stood up and went to get something from the storage rack at the back. "If you want to know more details, meet with my mother next month and ask her in person."
She sat back and handed the bag to Ji Ruan, "Here, this is your first time in my studio, so I'll give you a gift."
Ji Ruan didn't expect to receive a gift after going out for fun, and happily took it: "Thank you, senior sister."
He opened it and his eyes widened. He immediately retreated: "No, Senior Sister, this is too expensive. I can't accept it."
What Cheng Zizhang gave him was actually several bundles of fine silk threads and gold and silver threads, as well as a piece of satin. It was obvious that the material was not cheap.
Cheng Zizhang interrupted her with his palm facing outwards: "Please accept it. It's a gift from my sister. When you are bored, you can embroider a few patterns with it. If you really feel bad about it, show it to me when you are done. This is my only request."
Ji Ruan was stunned for a moment, savoring this sentence carefully, and then laughed: "So you want to trick me into embroidering something for you, right?"
"What are you talking about?" Cheng Zizhang was not panicked when he was exposed, "I see you obviously like it too."
This is true. Ji Ruan really couldn't resist such good thread and material.
He pursed his lips and didn't refuse anymore, smiling generously: "Okay, then I'll accept it, thank you, senior sister."
Cheng Zizhang waved his hand: "Just saying, my sister likes you so she gave it to you."
Ji Ruan was about to say something when his peripheral vision caught sight of a half-eaten cake and a candle on the corner of the table.
Ji Ruan asked seriously: "Senior sister, is it your birthday today?"
"What?" The topic changed so quickly that Cheng Zizhang didn't react immediately. He followed Ji Ruan's gaze and smiled, "Yes, it's just my lunar birthday. I just ate a piece of cake. I won't be alive until next month according to the solar calendar."
Ji Ruan's eyes lit up: "What a coincidence, my birthday is also next month, my birthday is the 16th."
Cheng Zizhang nodded with a smile: "I know, I have your information. I arrived two days earlier than you, on the 14th."
Hearing this, Ji Ruan looked at the silk thread in his hand, then at Cheng Zizhang, and an idea popped up in his mind.
He stood up: "It's getting late, you still have to work, I'll go back first, senior sister."
Cheng Zizhang thought about it and decided not to keep Ji Ruan any longer: "Well... okay, I'll take you down."
·
In a villa in the west of the city, Gu Xiuyi leaned over the pool table and hit the ball. The black ball hit the edge of the frame and shook, barely staying in the pocket.
"Tsk, what's wrong with you, Lao Gu?" Li Suian said with a smile, "You didn't make it in again. Your level is a bit too low today."
Song Ling said quietly, "Your heart is clearly not here, and I don't know why he insisted on playing with us."
Gu Xiuyi put the club back on the rack and glanced at his watch: "You guys talk too much."
It's already half past four and she hasn't come back yet. Why does it take so long to play with the senior? Gu Xiuyi felt extremely anxious.
He got off work early today and went home. He originally thought he would see Ji Ruan's smiling face, but it was deserted again. When he asked Aunt Zhao, he found out that Ji Ruan had gone out to play with his classmates again.
Mr. Gu, who had experienced staying alone in an empty room for ten hours, would never make the same mistake again. He immediately called Song Ling and Li Suian, and the three of them played billiards at home to pass the time.
But the host who organized the game was playing very badly himself. Gu Xiuyi tugged at his collar, still feeling a little uneasy, so he took off his coat and drank some water.
Li Suian took a look and was attracted by Gu Xiuyi's clothes.
He is actually wearing a very ordinary shirt, which does not look special when worn under a jacket. Only when you see the whole thing can you notice that the design of the cuffs is very special.
Li Suian squinted his eyes, unable to see clearly, and asked, "What's on your sleeve?"
Gu Xiuyi looked down, his expression was weird for a moment, and then he said calmly: "Embroidery."
"This is really strange," Li Suian walked in and took a look, and exclaimed, "It's really hand-embroidered?"
Gu Xiuyi waved his hand: "What else?"
Li Suian took a closer look and saw a small green tree with dark red buttons that looked like fruits hanging underneath.
He laughed: "It's quite unique. Where did you buy it?"
Song Ling also came over and pointed out the problem with just one glance: "This is totally not your style."
Gu Xiuyi didn't answer, but gently touched the small sapling on his cuffs. Every stitch under his fingertips was extremely delicate. The corners of his lips slightly raised: "Why, do you like it?"
Song Ling was not very interested in such delicate things. He curled his lips and did not express his opinion.
Li Suian was really curious: "Which store is it from? I'll go get one to try on tomorrow."
"Hey," Gu Xiuyi straightened his collar and said in a low-key tone, "I'm afraid you can't buy it."
Li Suian laughed and bumped his elbow into Gu Xiuyi's shoulder: "You look down on me. How much can a shirt cost? Am I afraid I can't afford it?"
"No," Gu Xiuyi brushed his shoulders and said nonchalantly, "This is a unique piece. There is only one like it in the world."
Song Ling looked serious.
Li Suian was surprised: "So amazing... Is this a private order from a certain brand?"
Gu Xiuyi looked at them silently for a while, appreciating their expressions with satisfaction. After appreciating them enough, he slowly said, "Ji Ruan made it for me, embroidered it stitch by stitch."
Song Ling: “…”
Li Suian: “…”
Both of them were stunned for a few seconds.
Li Suian waited for this result for a long time and felt like cursing.
He tried to ignore the show-off under Gu Xiuyi's calm appearance and tried to grasp the key point: "How could Ji Ruan embroider these?"
Gu Xiuyi raised his eyebrows, not seeming to find it strange: "It's written in his profile that he lived with his grandmother when he was a child before he became an orphan. His grandmother was an embroiderer, so he might have learned a little bit at that time."
That made sense. Li Suian nodded and didn't ask any more questions: "Very good."
Unexpectedly, he just said it casually, but Gu Xiuyi could still understand other meanings from it and laughed: "It's really good, he does everything well."
Song Ling felt so annoyed that his teeth ached, so he was the first to leave.
"It was a birthday present he gave me on the Mid-Autumn Festival."
Gu Xiuyi looked at the embroidery on the cuffs and spoke to himself in a light tone.
"He was still ill at the time, and I originally said no, but it was a token of his love after all, and he had only done it for me..."
The light in the billiard room was not very bright. There were bunches of snow-white spotlights installed on the ceiling. When they shone on Gu Xiuyi's smiling face, they made the tails of his eyes appear narrower and longer, making him look like a fox showing off its might.
Li Suian sighed and turned away.
Gu Xiuyi waited for a long time but got no response, so he raised his head.
"Is it your turn, Lao Li?"
"Song Ling, your shot is so bad, hahaha..."
I don't know when the two men returned to the table.
Gu Xiuyi: “…”
He coughed, walked over, and placed his hands on the table. His forearm muscles and fingers looked slender and strong under the light.
Li Suian glanced at him and handed him the cue: "Another round?"
Gu Xiuyi nodded, as if nothing had happened: "Okay."
The scene was quiet for a while. Just when Li Suian thought that Gu Xiuyi's boasting had come to an end, he heard a voice:
"Guess why he embroidered a cherry tree for me?"
“…”
“…”
Li Suian turned around, frowning and looking complicated: "If I don't guess, then you won't tell me?"
——Click
The door downstairs opened, and Aunt Zhao's loud laughter rang out: "Xiao Ruan is back!"
A gust of wind flashed before Li Suian's eyes.
Gu Xiuyi disappeared.
Ji Ruan had just come back from the snow and ice, and couldn't adapt to the heating in the house for a while. He was stiff and breathed on his hands. He felt a little envious when he saw Gu Xiuyi coming down from upstairs wearing only a shirt.
In front of Ji Ruan, Gu Xiuyi did not show the slightest impatience. He walked slowly and came to Ji Ruan and touched his hand, which was cold.
"Is it so cold outside?" Gu Xiuyi frowned.
"Yes," Ji Ruan's nose turned red, "The snow has melted a little, and it's really freezing."
Gu Xiuyi helped Ji Ruan take off his scarf, took out the hot water bottle that had been prepared long ago and used it to warm his hands, and then heard the child let out a satisfied sigh.
He glanced at the paper bag on the table and asked casually, "What is it?"
"Oh, this," Ji Ruan laughed, "It's a gift from Senior Sister Zi Zhang. It's made of very fine silk!"
Gu Xiuyi took a quick look and it seemed really good. The strands of silk emitted a soft light with a very textured feel under the light.
Ji Ruan took Gu Xiuyi's hand, pointed at the embroidery on his cuffs and said, "Your thread is a little worse. Time was tight, so I could only use ordinary cotton thread for you. It's a pity."
Whenever Ji Ruan talked about these, his whole body would shine with a very moving light, his cheeks would turn red, and his eyes would be full of sparkling light.
Gu Xiuyi sat down beside him, supporting his forehead with his hand and listening to him with a faint smile.
Li Suian and Song Ling came down from upstairs. Seeing Gu Xiuyi's expression, they felt sour: "No, I really can't stand it. Let's go back."
Song Ling had seen more of the world than him, so he was relatively calm: "Why are you going to reply? Aunt Zhao is making braised fish tonight, it would be a waste if you don't eat it."
Li Suian immediately savored Aunt Zhao's cooking skills: "Brother, you are right."
Ji Ruan seemed to be really interested in embroidery. While Gu Xiuyi listened to him quietly, he secretly wondered whether he should find a famous teacher to teach Ji Ruan.
"Do you really like embroidery that much?" Gu Xiuyi asked with a smile.
"Hmm..." Ji Ruan licked his lips, didn't give a clear answer, just looked at the silk thread in the bag and said, "I'm going to embroider a handkerchief for my senior sister as a birthday gift."
Such fine material must be made into handkerchiefs.
Gu Xiuyi's smile suddenly froze on his face: "...What?"
"Didn't you hear clearly?" Ji Ruan smiled softly: "I said I wanted to make a handkerchief for my senior."
"You...are going to embroider birthday presents for others?"
This child embroiders for everyone?
Can anyone get a birthday present embroidered by him? !
It felt like there was a mouthful of blood stuck in Gu Xiuyi's throat.
But maybe he managed his expression so well that Ji Ruan didn't notice anything unusual and said with a bright face, "Yes."
Two bursts of laughter came from the stairs.
Li Suian and Song Ling were whispering to each other.
"It's all his heart..."
"He only did it for me..."
“Hahahahahahahahaha!”
The two were quite far away, and Ji Ruan’s hearing was not good, so he could only see that they were laughing so hard that they couldn’t straighten their backs. He looked at Gu Xiuyi in confusion: “What are they talking about?”
Gu Xiuyi's jaw was tense, and he covered Ji Ruan's ears lightly: "Don't worry about it, they are full and said they won't be able to taste Aunt Zhao's braised fish tonight."
The laughter upstairs stopped abruptly.
"Oh, so that's the case..." Ji Ruan looked regretful.
Aunt Zhao’s braised fish is especially delicious.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
