Chapter 156 Clothing and Seasonal Customs
Originally, it would have been most appropriate for Wang Xifeng to visit the Lin family for the New Year, but the Rongguo Mansion was always full of guests, and she, the Second Mistress of Lian, was indispensable everywhere.
During the Spring Festival, Wang Xifeng only returned to her parents' home once; the rest of the time she was confined to the Rongguo Mansion.
Now that she finally had some free time, she didn't even send out invitations. Instead, she took Ping'er and a group of maids and servants and went directly to the Lin family.
During the New Year holidays, Daiyu went out a few times. The first two times were quite interesting. After that, she felt something was off and it wasn't as fun as the first two times. Eventually, she lost interest and didn't want to go out anymore.
Rather than going out for a stroll, Daiyu preferred to stay at home writing and painting, reading and looking at paintings, or playing with cats and feeding birds, learning to do some needlework, making pastries with Granny Yuan, and playing in the courtyard with Lan Su...
There are so many things we can do!
"Miss, the manager of Chu Embroidery Workshop has brought some people over to deliver the padded jackets we ordered before the New Year. In addition, we already have catalogs and fabric samples for the spring and summer clothes. They asked if we want to place the order now or wait until after the first month of the lunar calendar?" Aunt Fang, the manager of the Lin family's sewing workshop, came over to report.
Starting this year, Daiyu will gradually take over the management of the household, and she will be involved in and make decisions regarding many of the Lin family's affairs.
"Our family's clothes have always been made by ourselves. When did we start using needles and thread from outside?" Daiyu asked, somewhat puzzled.
"In reply to Miss, Granny Yuan said that most of our family members come from the south, and we are not as familiar with the styles of clothing and fabrics of the north as the northern embroiderers. Therefore, half of our family's clothes are made for Chu Embroidery Workshop, and the other half are made by ourselves. Chu Embroidery Workshop is one of the best embroidery workshops in the capital, and many families of high-ranking officials and nobles order their clothes from here."
Daiyu nodded. What she said made perfect sense. Since it was Yuan Mama's suggestion, it couldn't be wrong. She glanced at Yuan Hongqu, who sat calmly beside her, offering no opinion, and thought for a moment.
"It's only January now, isn't it a bit too early to make clothes for spring and summer?"
“Miss, we’ve already made the masters’ spring and summer clothes since the end of last winter. The master’s clothes will be sent to Yangzhou by boat, which will take several days. By the time we arrive in Yangzhou, it will be the perfect time to wear padded jackets; and when the weather gets a little warmer, we can take them off, and then the spring and summer clothes will arrive, just in time to wear them.” Seeing Daiyu’s curiosity, Aunt Fang explained the reasoning to her earnestly.
After hearing this, Daiyu seemed to understand something, "It means that clothes can wait for the season, but the season cannot wait for clothes."
"Yes, the young lady is absolutely right."
"Let them come over, let me see what new styles and designs are available this year."
Aunt Fang went out to lead the people away. Seeing her leave, Daiyu immediately and unceremoniously snuggled up to Yuan Hongqu.
"Granny, I've completed my task. Now you can give them your instructions!"
"Why are you in such a hurry? What are you going to do now?" Yuan Hongqu asked, curious as she noticed Daiyu's eagerness.
"I just heard a puppy barking. Susu said she would bring me a puppy today, so I think it must be Susu coming back." Daiyu wanted to see the puppy.
"Don't you want to choose the style, fabric and color of clothes for your father? Your birthday is the Flower Festival in February. Although our family has already made clothes for you, there are many new styles and patterns outside that our embroiderers can't make. Don't you want to try?" Yuan Hongqu wouldn't directly stop Daiyu and tell her that she couldn't be half-hearted in doing things, but she could use other methods to entice her and bring her mind back to what she was doing.
As expected, Daiyu hesitated for a moment, then returned to her seat.
She had just sat down when Aunt Fang led in the manager of Chu Embroidery Workshop and several top-notch embroiderers.
The top-notch embroiderers of Chu Embroidery Workshop are highly skilled and don't have much to do on a daily basis. They accompany the head housekeeper into and out of the inner courtyards of grand mansions to take measurements of the women and recommend suitable fabrics and styles. All of this is part of their training as head housekeepers.
Of course, the most skilled embroiderers were usually kept in the sewing rooms of large mansions. For example, the best embroiderer in the Lin family was Fang Da Niang's daughter-in-law. She didn't have to do anything on a daily basis and specialized in making the most exquisite embroidery, which was only for Daiyu's use.
Many of the patterns and fabric samples brought by Chu Embroidery Workshop were ones that Daiyu had never seen before. She immediately became interested in them and, surrounded by embroiderers and maids, began to select them with great enthusiasm.
"Granny Yuan, Second Madam Lian from the Rongguo Mansion has arrived and is already outside the second gate." The little maid who came to deliver the message was also a bit puzzled. The steward above had not given any instructions that there would be guests at the Rongguo Mansion today. Second Madam Lian had not been here for a while, so why did she suddenly come?
"Daiyu, you choose first, I'll go out and take a look."
"Granny, why don't you go and talk to Sister Lian for a bit? I'll come over when I'm done with my work." Daiyu said hurriedly upon hearing this. She was still looking at the embroidery pattern book from Chu Embroidery Workshop, but she felt that the patterns in it were not as beautiful as her own, nor were the contents as rich.
"Madam Chu, I can use your designs and fabrics, but for the embroidery patterns, I'd like to use our own designs. Is that alright?"
“Miss Lin, that’s certainly feasible. However, there’s no other collection of paintings in the entire capital that can surpass this one. Even the other day, a concubine in the palace specifically requested the paintings in this collection, but Miss Lin didn’t find any she liked?” Madam Chu was quite surprised, but as a businesswoman, she readily agreed to Daiyu’s request.
“Some of them look good and I can use them. But I still want to use some of the others from my family’s picture album.” Daiyu’s tone was very firm.
The old woman always said that we spend money to make ourselves comfortable, and we shouldn't spend money only to feel awkward and make ourselves suffer. She just didn't like the designs from Chu Embroidery Workshop; she wanted to use her own. She paid for it, so even if she only had a kitten or a puppy embroidered on her clothes, who could say anything about it!
"Of course, Miss Lin, why don't you bring us the picture so we can trace it?" Madam Chu said with a smile.
"Zijuan, go and fetch our sketchbook," Daiyu instructed Zijuan to fetch the sketchbook.
As soon as Yuan Hongqu entered the reception room of the Lin family's inner courtyard, she heard a mournful voice:
"Sister Yuan, have you forgotten about me? You haven't come to see me for so many days, I had to come to you myself, and even then, I had to be announced before I could see you. Sigh~ Sister, you're so heartless~"
Upon hearing this sound, Yuan Hongqu immediately got goosebumps all over her body as a conditioned reflex.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
