Chapter 251: Fund

"So romantic." Su Ruan sighed, "He Jie, your husband is truly good to you, supporting you to go out to work."

"He's just an honest man." He Xiulan said with a happy smile, "He said I have talent and shouldn't be buried in the village. The children also support it, and my daughter even said, 'Mom, you're our pride.'"

Jiang Ran raised his glass, "He Jie, to your family, and to your craft, cheers."

"Cheers."

After dinner, on the way back to the hotel with He Xiulan, she suddenly said, "Designer Su, President Jiang, I wonder… could my husband come as well? He's never seen a big city, and I want him to see what I do."

"Of course!" Su Ruan replied immediately, "Whenever it's convenient for you, we'll arrange it. No need to worry about accommodation; the company can arrange it."

"Thank you, thank you both." He Xiulan wiped her eyes, "Meeting you has been the greatest blessing of my life."

After seeing He Xiulan off to the hotel, on the way home, Su Ruan leaned on Jiang Ran's shoulder, "He Jie, you were really happy today."

"You too." Jiang Ran squeezed her hand, "RuanRuan, when you do these things, there's light in your eyes."

"Because I love it." Su Ruan said softly, "Seeing traditional handcraft valued, seeing handcraft persons' lives improve because of it, seeing culture passed down… this sense of fulfillment makes me happier than earning money."

"I understand." Jiang Ran turned his head and kissed her forehead, "That's why I support you. No matter how much money you make, it's just a number. But doing something meaningful leaves a trace."

When they got home, the children were already asleep. Li Huijuan was still waiting for them in the living room.

"Mom, why aren't you asleep yet?" Su Ruan walked over.

"Waiting for you to come back." Li Huijuan stood up, "There's soup in the kitchen; I'll go heat it up."

"Mom, let me do it." Jiang Ran said, "You go rest."

When the soup was hot, the two drank it at the small kitchen table. Li Huijuan sat beside them, watching with a smile.

"Mom, what are you smiling at?" Su Ruan asked.

"Seeing the two of you, it's wonderful." Li Huijuan said, "A husband and wife united, doing meaningful things together. Mom is happy for you."

"Mom, thank you for always supporting us." Jiang Ran grasped his mother's hand.

"What are you thanking me for? I'm your mother." Li Huijuan patted her son's hand, "If you're doing well, I'm fine."

After finishing the soup, Li Huijuan went to sleep. Su Ruan and Jiang Ran finished washing up and lay in bed, yet neither felt sleepy.

"RuanRuan, I have an idea." Jiang Ran said suddenly.

"What?"

"Let's establish a Handcraft Inheritance Fund." Jiang Ran said, "Each year we'll allocate a portion of the company's profit specifically to support the protection and transmission of traditional handcraft. We can fund handcraft persons, hold workshops, and support related research and documentation."

Su Ruan sat up, eyes shining, "That's a brilliant idea! Jiang Ran, how did you come up with it?"

"Inspired by you." Jiang Ran also sat up, "Seeing how devoted you are, I wondered how to make this more lasting and systematic. Relying only on our single brand's power is limited, but if we create a mechanism, we can keep it going."

"What about the fund's source of money?" Su Ruan thought seriously, "Besides company profit, we can accept public donations. We could also hold charity sales, donating all proceeds to the fund."

"Right!" Jiang Ran nodded, "The Dongba Impression series can be used for a charity sale; for each piece sold, a portion goes to the fund."

The two grew more excited as they talked, so they got up, went to the study, and opened the computer to draft a preliminary plan.

"The fund's name…" Su Ruan thought, "How about 'Needle‑Thread Memory'? Needle and thread represent handcraft, memory represents transmission."

"Good name." Jiang Ran typed those four characters into the document, "The purpose is: to record, protect, and transmit Chinese folk traditional handcraft."

"We can set several directions: first, to fund elderly handcraft persons in financial difficulty; second, to support young people learning traditional handcraft; third, to hold workshops and exhibitions; fourth, to fund related documentation and research."

They exchanged remarks back and forth, writing until 2 a. m.; the preliminary proposal was essentially formed.

"Alright, it's time to sleep." Jiang Ran closed the computer, "We'll refine it tomorrow."

Back in bed, Su Ruan was too excited to sleep, "Jiang Ran, I think this is especially meaningful."

"I know," Jiang Ran pulled her into his arms, "But no matter how meaningful, you still need rest to do it well."

Saturday was Family Day, and Su Ruan and Jiang Ran had long promised to take the kids to visit a museum.

This time they were going to the Provincial Folk Crafts Museum.

"Mom, what's in the museum?" An'an asked in the car.

"There are many traditional handicrafts," Su Ruan explained, "like embroidery, ceramics, wood carving, paper‑cutting… they're made by our grandparents' generation or even earlier."

"Like the flowers Aunt He embroidered?"

"Yes, but there are many more types."

At the museum, Jinjin and An'an were immediately drawn to the large paper‑cutting piece at the entrance.

It was a 'Hundred Children' picture, a hundred differently shaped youths, vivid and lifelike.

"Amazing," Jinjin looked up, "How was it cut?"

"With very thin paper, tiny scissors, cutting it bit by bit," Su Ruan said, "It requires great patience and excellent handcraft."

In the embroidery area, the children saw embroidered works of various ethnicities and styles. Su Ruan explained to them:

"This is Su Embroidery, from Jiangsu, noted for its delicate elegance; this is Xiang Embroidery, from Hunan, with vivid colors; this is Shu Embroidery, from Sichuan, with varied stitching…"

"Mom, which is the prettiest?" An'an asked.

"All are beautiful," Su Ruan said with a smile, "It's like painting; some like oil, some like watercolor. There's no best, only different beauties."

When they reached the Naxi Ethnic Group embroidery area, Su Ruan deliberately stopped.

"Look, this is Aunt He's ethnic group's embroidery." She pointed to a Seven Star Shawl in the display case, "The seven disks represent the Big Dipper Seven Stars; Naxi women wear this when they go out, said to ward off evil and keep peace."

"So pretty." An'an pressed her little face to the glass, "Mom, does Aunt He also embroider this?"

"She does, and she embroiders it even better," Su Ruan said, "Aunt He even innovated, turning the traditional seven stars into a flowing galaxy."

After the visit, at the museum's cultural‑creative shop, Su Ruan bought the children paper‑cutting supplies and simple embroidery kits.

"Mom, can I try?" An'an asked, holding the embroidery kit.

"Sure, we'll practice at home, Mom will teach you."

At noon, the family ate at a restaurant near the museum. The kids were still immersed in the visit, chattering nonstop.

"Dad, when I grow up I want to learn wood carving," Jinjin suddenly said.

"Why?" Jiang Ran asked.

"Because… wood can become any shape, like a magic trick," Jinjin said seriously, "I want to carve a little horse, just like stitching flowers with Aunt, turning imagined things into reality."

"Alright, Dad supports you," Jiang Ran patted his son's head, "When you get a bit older, I'll find a teacher for you."

An'an also wasn't to be outdone: "I want to learn embroidery! Stitch beautiful flowers!"

"Alright, all learn," Su Ruan said with a smile, "But learning Handcraft requires patience; you can't fish three days and dry the net two days."

"I will persist!" An'an puffed out their little chest.

After the meal, the family went for a walk in the park. In the spring park, the flowers were just in bloom.

The children ran on the grass, while Su Ruan and Jiang Ran sat on a bench watching.

"Time really flies," Su Ruan mused, "Jinjin and An'an are both over four now, beginning to have their own hobbies."