Chapter 17: Is there some happy event?

"I know, I know, I will make it clear to her. I'll just say that when there are good embroidery pieces, I will personally deliver them to them, or ask them to come to the shop to see them, how about that?"

"That works."

"Did you order these fan frames from that carpenter's shop in our town?"

"Yes,"

"That old carpenter is the owner, and his craftsmanship is truly excellent. You found the right person. How about this: I'll talk to him later and have him make one of each shape using good wood. We'll use them first, and we can pay him for the fan frames after we sell the embroidery."

"Is that okay?"

"What's wrong with that? The whole town knows that I, Lu Sanniang, don't owe anyone money."

"Alright, then could Sister Lu also help me order a bolt of smoke-colored silk gauze from the fabric store?"

"Rest assured, as long as it's something you've entrusted to me, I will handle it well."

"Then from now on, shall we split it fifty-fifty?"

"Anything is fine, anything is fine."

Shopkeeper Lu gently stroked the palace fan with her hand, the more she looked at it, the more delighted she felt.

"Let's close the shop at noon today and go to the restaurant for a meal. My treat to celebrate!"

"Is one palace fan really worth all that?"

"How could it just be about one palace fan? It's also about you being able to completely break away from the Qiao family and the Tian family."

It seemed Shopkeeper Lu also supported her in severing ties with her maiden family; otherwise, she wouldn't have had the money ready for her when she asked for it.

Qiao Mai used her consciousness to check on Ling'er. Seeing that she had moved a few times and then fallen back asleep, she hurriedly found an excuse to go home.

She entered the space, fed Ling'er, changed her diaper, and only then returned to the shop.

It seems she should visit the shop less often in the future. At home, there's no one around, so it's convenient for her to do anything. Once at the shop, there are eyes everywhere.

Lu Sanniang's temperament really suited her taste; when angry, she would flare up, and when happy, she would go out for a drink to celebrate.

She dared to speak and dared to act, and she was especially protective of her own. Even if it wasn't about business, even if it meant getting into a fight, she would charge forward to protect her people.

At noon, they ordered a few dishes at the town restaurant and asked for a pot of wine. Seeing that Ruxin and Ruyi could only drink water, she felt uncomfortable. Once she had the means, she would use fruit to juice for them.

After a pot of wine, both their faces were flushed. When returning to the shop, she was arm-in-arm with Qiao Mai.

She didn't look like a woman at all, but rather more like a man.

Thinking of a man acting like a tomboy, Qiao Mai couldn't help but curl her lips.

After sending Shopkeeper Lu to the shop, she went home. She had handed over the first piece of embroidery work to her; whether it sold or not was her business.

Back home, she didn't immediately start tinkering with the next embroidery piece, but instead entered the space.

Now that her confinement was over, she could finally eat fruit and other things.

She opened the refrigerator, took a bunch of green mangoes, plucked the fruit from the top, and sat down right there to eat.

Whenever this happened, her brain would be spinning rapidly.

She wanted to earn money openly, make a fortune quietly, and ensure that no one could find any trace of her anomalies.

Besides the embroidery income, could she do some small business?

Actually, opening a shop to do business looks decent, but it doesn't necessarily mean earning more money. Don't underestimate small snacks; selling them can be more profitable than running a shop.

Back then, the auntie who made jianbing guozi at the entrance of her residential complex could earn ten thousand yuan a month.

She would just set up the stall in the morning and close by noon, without delaying anything else, it was easy and relaxed.

Meanwhile, the person across the street running a breakfast shop worked from dawn till dusk and only earned a few thousand yuan.

In this life, she had no great pursuits; she just wanted to be free and easy, raise her daughter, and once she was married, she could do whatever she wanted.

Thinking of jianbing guozi, she drooled; it had been a long time since she had eaten them.

Unfortunately, she didn't know how to make them, so of course, the small business was out of the question. However, she could learn; she had the internet, so what was she afraid of?

Even if she didn't use it for business after learning, she could eat it herself, and when her daughter grew up, she could make it for her.

Hehe, she felt that this was all the ambition she had in this life.

Although the baby was premature, with her as a mother to love her, she would definitely make her happy and make up for everything she had lost.

Thinking of the comfortable life ahead, Qiao Mai grinned.

Today she gave herself a half-day off, accompanying Ling'er in the space until the next morning.

As soon as the sky brightened, she left the space, cleaned the courtyard, and began planning the second embroidery piece, not going to the shop again.

After several days, Shopkeeper Lu ran over excitedly.

Qiao Mai was doing embroidery in the courtyard while basking in the sun, with a low table beside her. Shopkeeper Lu sat down with a thud.

Panting heavily, her face full of smiles, she placed a cloth bag on the table. After opening it, Qiao Mai's eyes went straight.

It turned out to be a pile of fan frames, truly beautiful, in all kinds of shapes and colors.

"Where are the boxes?"

"They are being made. Underneath is a bolt of smoke-colored silk gauze."

"Then make sure you keep the accounts well, don't lose out when we split the money later."

Lu Sanniang rolled her eyes at her. "Look at what you're saying. I won't lose out; I've taken a huge advantage. Let me tell you, today I saw my Xin'er tracing a pattern, and the double-sided embroidery she's stitching is already taking shape."

"Mm, in a while, she'll be able to make palace fans too. From now on, we'll be three double-sided embroidery ladies."

"Haha, doesn't that mean this old lady is going to get rich?"

"What I'm teaching them now is just the same-color embroidery; there's also different-color double-sided embroidery, and random-needle embroidery. They have a lot to learn."

"Are you planning to teach them everything you know?"

"Ah, otherwise? If you're counting on me to support your embroidery workshop, wouldn't I be worked to death?"

"Hehe, I truly thank you, sister."

"Cut it out. So happy today, is there some happy event?"

Lu Sanniang pursed her lips, took a cloth bag from her bosom, and after opening it, three large silver ingots appeared inside.

"This is?"

"The palace fans were sold. I didn't even mention the price, and the person directly gave me one hundred and fifty taels. They also introduced me to several wealthy ladies who said that when there are more, they will either bring them over or send someone to notify me, and they will come together."

"Then have Ruxin come over tomorrow. I'll draw a pattern for her tonight so she can start embroidering."

"She just started learning not long ago, can she handle it?"

"Isn't there me? Let her embroider at home with me, and I'll guide her. This way, it'll be easier for her to master double-sided embroidery quickly."

"Why not go to the shop anymore?"

"It's chaotic, and there are always people who want to harm me and find trouble with me."

She almost let out the subtext, "There are always people who want to harm the Emperor." Here, that would get her thrown into prison.

"Hasn't it all been resolved?"

"Resolved? With my maiden family like that, once the money is spent, they'll start plotting against me again. And the Tian family, do you think a family like that will let me go?"

Lu Sanniang immediately gritted her back teeth. "You've already sold yourself to me, will they still plot against you?"

"They aren't now, but once I learn how to do embroidery, especially if I become the big shot in your shop, they will definitely find ways to coax me back. Even if they don't coax me back, they'll find ways to make my life miserable."

"That really is shameless."

"Of course. How could they let someone they once trampled underfoot live well?"

"Then stay at home from now on, don't go to the shop. To the outside world, I won't say I'm having you do embroidery; I'll just say you're a servant in my house, doing the cooking and cleaning. How about that?"

"Let's do as sister says."

"Then shall we split this money?"

"Alright."

As she spoke, Qiao Mai took out a fifty-tael ingot of silver from the cloth bag.

"I'll just take this; the rest is sister's."

"Not splitting it fifty-fifty?"

"Sister has spent over thirty taels on me, and these fan frames are also sister's. Plus, you still have to order wooden boxes and buy silk gauze. With the costs and the money I owe sister, taking this much out of one hundred and fifty taels is already quite a lot."

"Tsk tsk, you calculate so carefully. Let that be the apprenticeship gift for my two daughters."

"No, one thing is one thing. I'm a rather serious person. If you don't accept it, I won't embroider anymore."

"Fine, fine, you really are stubborn."

"Aren't you the same?"

Sorry, I won't be busy after the National Day holiday, then I will modify the typos.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 18 =====