Huang Wanzhen nodded, "I remember, didn't she drop out of school early?"
"Yes, she married and moved to Shandong."
Huang Wanzhen really didn't know and asked in surprise, "So far?"
Su Jingyi's smile was bitter. "Well, it was arranged by my uncle. My uncle is her eldest uncle, so our two families are considered relatives. My mother didn't give birth to a son, so she didn't have much status in the Su family. She lived like a quail in the Su family since she was a child. She raised my sister and me to be obedient, study hard, and make her proud."
"When I first started school, I was very timid. Ye Mengyu was the only one who stood in front of me to protect me. She was very jealous of you and felt that you, a powerless person, shouldn't have been ranked top in the entrance exam."
"Song Wenyin is a person who hates evil with an vengeful temper. Ever since your little group was formed, Ye Mengyu and I have been excluded. Fortunately for me, I have the examples of my sisters. I know that a prominent family background and beautiful appearance will not allow a woman to live a comfortable life. Only by working hard can you live the life you want."
"I naturally focused on my studies, but she was different. Like most women, she enjoyed the conveniences her family provided and was concerned about the lingering glances of men. She went to the girls' school and was ostracized. Even at parties and when she met classmates, they ignored her. She couldn't stand it, so she had no choice but to obey her family's wishes and marry a man she didn't know well."
Huang Wanzhen was quite surprised. "Can't bear it? Your tolerance is too low, right? Who in this world has a smooth life? Even the emperors of ancient times had their own difficulties and troubles. Ye Mengyu was so arrogant in front of me, I didn't expect her to be so useless!"
Su Jingyi's eyebrows curved, and she smiled calmly, "I like women like you who are full of vitality. If you want something, you just work hard for it. You know what? I liked you the first time I saw you. Even though you don't like me, I still want to get close to you and look at you."
"Later, as I watched, I figured it out. I had to work hard on my own and fight for my own dreams, instead of being like my sister, who only supported men and spent her whole life silently devoting herself to other people's dreams."
"The world always praises women who silently dedicate themselves to men, saying they are great, but I saw something different in you. One day, I suddenly had my own idea. I am a woman of the new era. Now everyone is advocating for 'gender equality'. I am no worse than men. Why should I sacrifice myself to achieve others? I am unwilling to sacrifice. I want to realize my own value."
Huang Wanzhen laughed out loud. "Don't flatter me. I'm just an ordinary person. I work so hard because I have no one to rely on. I have to support not only myself but also my family. You've surpassed me. If I had a family background like yours, I'd probably be sleeping at home right now. Who wants to do so much work? I'm forced to do it."
Su Jingyi looked at her in confusion, "But if that happens, you'll have to spend your whole life in the backyard. Just think about how terrible that would be."
Huang Wanzhen smiled and said, "I used to have the same idea as you. My mentor was Shen Junru from the second branch of the Shen family. I encouraged her to leave the rear quarters, pursue her own dreams, and live the life she wanted. Later I found out that I was wrong."
"With her abilities, she could definitely find a stable, high-paying job. But that high salary is for ordinary people. For a wealthy lady like you, whose jewelry sets easily cost thousands of dollars, she might not even be able to afford a single set even if she worked her entire life."
"This beautiful rose, like this one, was born to be kept in this warm, spring-like room. It's carefully tended every day. As long as it doesn't experience the wind and snow outside, it will bloom again next year. Look at the snow outside, how cold it is! It's cold enough to kill this flower. It's better to stay in this greenhouse than to lose its life for freedom."
Su Jingyi smiled brightly, "That's because it hasn't seen wild roses. Once it has seen them and grown with them, if you ask it to return to this greenhouse, it will probably wither away."
Su Jingyi had awakened. After deciding a few things, she no longer wanted others to interfere in her life, not even her biological parents. She had her own thoughts and ideals, and she wanted to keep moving forward on the path she had chosen. She was not the delicate Miss Shen. She had the ability to support herself and live the life she wanted.
A few years ago, I gave a piece of lace to Frenchman Amber, and also gave him a pair of lace sketches of Santa Claus sitting on reindeer. He liked them very much. He didn't expect to receive such exquisite handicrafts in China.
"Oh! Was this hooked by someone?"
Huang Wanzhen and Su Jingyi looked at each other and said to Amber in surprise, "What else? Can your machine make it?" You know, Europe's level of industrialization is much stronger than China's today.
Amber came back to her senses and smiled sheepishly, "Oh! My brain is dizzy. Our machine can only make the most basic lace. It can't even make a slightly complex pattern like this, let alone this lace outline that can be called a work of art. This must be the work of a master, right?"
Huang Wanzhen nodded seriously. "Yes, it was crocheted by a master craftsman in our factory. She's from Suzhou, the birthplace of silk thread. They've reached the pinnacle of silk embroidery. You know Chinese embroidery, right?"
Amber looked at Huang Wanzhen with sparkling eyes and nodded continuously, "I know, I know, it's very beautiful. I also want to buy it, but it's a pity that it can't be mass-produced."
Huang Wanzhen nodded. "You have a good eye. Our master craftsman's hometown, Gusu, has very high-level embroiderers. The master craftsman has been able to pinch needlework and embroider since she was three years old, and lace since she was five."
"Oh my gosh! What an incredible artist."
Huang Wanzhen stretched out her hand and shook hands with Amber. "Thank you for your compliment. I'll tell the master chef. Maybe if she's happy, she'll draw a few more for you."
Hearing this, Amber's eyes lit up even more, "Oh! That's great."
Huang Wanzhen's smiling face suddenly turned serious. "Master Chef is very busy. She is the leader of our lace team. Don't hold your hopes too high. She can only give you four or five more pieces at most."
"Four or five? That's too many, really too many. I've already received two for free, so how can I let the master chef make more for me for free? To be honest, I'm willing to pay for them. You can hire a few more people to help the master chef."
Huang Wanzhen clapped her hands and affirmed Amber's suggestion, "Oh! Amber! You are simply a genius. You actually came up with such a good idea."
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