Chapter 62

The maid stood to the side to serve them. The three of them got on the kang, and before long, Fengyun came over carrying a teapot and teacups.

"Greetings, two aunts."

Miss Wang opened her mouth, looking at Qiao Mai in surprise.

"Sister Qiao, it's only been two months, and your son is already this big?"

"Adopted."

"I see."

Miss Wang hurriedly said to Fengyun, "Greetings to you too."

Fengyun blushed, poured the tea, and left.

"The little fellow is very clever."

"Otherwise, Ruyi isn't young anymore and will also have to get married. Relying on me alone to embroider won't work. Don't raise too many; just raise two or three. If Xiuhong and Xiuyu are talented, let Ruyi teach them."

"My god, such beautiful clothes?"

After she left, Shopkeeper Lu grinned and said.

"Medicinal cuisine?"

"Fine, as long as you nod, I'll start arranging it after the New Year. I also hope the embroidery manor's business gets more and more prosperous. Don't worry, I'll give you a commission on all my future business."

"Then let's try medicinal cuisine."

"Do you have any?"

"It is both medicine and food."

Shopkeeper Lu's eyes turned red, "Don't look at how carefree you are; you are the most meticulous. Then I'll accept it first."

"Why?"

Shopkeeper Lu grinned, "You're making things difficult for me, sister; it's already winter."

"Fine, then I'll ask someone to inquire and find two medicinal cuisine recipes."

Miss Wang nodded, "Let me tell you, I'm an expert. The fabric of these clothes alone is hard to find, not to mention the craftsmanship and the flowers embroidered on them. If worn on the body, it would definitely be stunningly beautiful."

"Enough, it's settled. I'll put the embroidery I do at your place, and we'll split it fifty-fifty, no matter what it is. Ruxin definitely needs to prepare a dowry for her wedding; only with a generous dowry will the groom's family treat her well. Let's not be polite, sister, just take it."

"It's a deal. By the way, there's one more small matter."

"You knew it would look good before even unfolding it?"

"Okay, then when should I go to the prefecture city to find you?"

"I can try, but fresh fruit isn't exactly exotic fruit. Some fruit farmers know how to store fruit, so it can be bought in winter. I'll try to see."

"Hehe, I don't have any either. You can ask a physician or the imperial physicians in the capital. The Emperor's body is precious, so they generally consume some medicinal cuisine."

"Nothing much, it's just that my grandmother's appetite hasn't been good lately, and she can't eat. I wanted to get something fresh from you."

Shopkeeper Lu grinned, "You agree to pass on your double-sided embroidery to others?"

When leaving, she waved goodbye to them from the carriage window, looking quite triumphant.

"Refreshing!"

"Why not raise some embroidery ladies? Cultivate them from a young age so they can take on big jobs later."

Qiao Mai opened the lock of the kang cabinet, took out an exquisite box, and placed it in front of her.

"Over sixty."

"Forget it, these connections are yours, and the items are yours. How could I have the nerve to take a share?"

"Speak."

"How much do you intend to sell it for?"

"Does your house have space to live?"

"These clothes were left to me by my master. I want to entrust you to sell them, but the premise is that no one can know the clothes are mine."

"Life will get better and better."

"Speak, what you just said wasn't a big deal."

"Before the twenty-fifth of the twelfth lunar month."

"Before the New Year, you come to my house, I'll give you the balance, and you give me the fruit."

"He also has a twin brother. Let's not talk about them; you drink some tea to warm yourself up first."

Miss Wang shook her head, "I've never heard of it."

"That's right. The screen will be finished in a few days, and we can sell some more, so don't worry about her dowry."

"That's hard to say. If a noble in the capital takes a fancy to it, let alone a few thousand taels, even ten thousand taels is possible. If a villain takes a fancy to it, you won't even get one tael of silver."

"After the New Year, I'll go to the agency to see if there are any big houses, or buy a plot of land to build a house myself. I'm just waiting for the money from that piece of clothing."

"Oh my, that would be great. You don't know, the competition between embroidery manors is fierce. If I didn't have some good sisters supporting me, this shop would have gone under long ago."

"Okay, I'll ask for you when I go back. As for the teacher, it will have to be after the New Year."

"No problem, then it's settled."

"You really can't judge a girl by her appearance. She looks all smiles, but she's also a ruthless one."

"Is your place too small?"

"Exactly."

"She doesn't eat candied hawthorns, saying she can't bite them and they are too sour and sweet. Grandmother likes things light."

"Yes."

"Yes, my husband is very intelligent; it's a pity he doesn't study."

"To tell you the truth, I haven't really earned much money running this embroidery manor all these years. If the shop weren't my own, I would have lost money. Ever since you came, my life has been easier."

Shopkeeper Lu's eyes widened, "You mean you want me to buy some girls and cultivate them from a young age?"

"Open it and see?"

Miss Wang glanced at the two of them, opened the box, and her eyes went straight instantly.

Qiao Mai smiled and stuffed a thousand taels of silver into her hand, "Take this silver first; when it sells over there, I'll split it with you again."

Miss Wang held the clothes and looked at them for a long time, "Okay, but I have a request."

"Can hawthorns be eaten?"

"That's why I want to entrust you to sell it for a good price."

"Hmm, hmm."

"Get me some fresh fruit, and it must be free, as a reward for me, how about that?"

"I want to ask Miss Wang to help me hire a teacher for my home, at least a Juren."

"No, I must give it to you. Without you, there wouldn't be me now. This is what you deserve."

"Because there is only this one piece, I'm afraid people will use it to threaten me to get more such clothes. I don't have that ability."

"That's hard to handle. When people get old, their digestion isn't very good; it's not good if it's cold, and it's not good if it's hard."

"As you wish, I don't like to push things back and forth. Besides, I've thought of a few new ways to weave tassels; I'll teach them to Ruxin and Ruyi later."

This girl never left empty-handed every time she came. Qiao Mai knew this, so she put in some effort.

"No need, I have enough with these, plus the income from the stall, which is enough to support my family."

"Of course, why must this thing be held tightly in hand? Embroidery art also depends on fate. Some people can't learn it no matter how hard they try, while others understand it instantly. So don't worry about who in the Great Ming Dynasty can master it."

"Teach your children?"

"Let's talk about you first; you must have something on your mind."

"I'm sorry, I can't help you with the matters above."

"And my husband."

"This is a deposit of thirteen hundred taels. Whatever the clothes sell for, I'll give you that amount. I won't take a commission, how about that?"

Wang Jiaru sat there for a while. When she left, Qiao Mai packed twenty boxes of persimmon cakes for her and roasted a few pots of chestnuts she had stored, about twenty catties, for her to take away.

"There is another room in the west wing that can be used for the teacher. As for the monthly salary, let the other party say."

When reaching the main road, she also swiped some boiled peanuts and boiled quail eggs from the stall, and didn't even let go of the roasted sweet potatoes.

Miss Wang took out all the silver notes she and her maid had on them and counted them.

"Is this to teach both the big and the small ones together?"

"Miss Wang is an expert; you should know the price, right?"

"There's such a thing?"

Qiao Mai watched her eyes as if they were embedded in it, so she spoke slowly.

"Hehe, having been in the carriage for so long, it is a bit cold, but there is a charcoal brazier in the carriage."

"Yes, don't we have it here?"

Qiao Mai liked her style of doing things very much; it suited her taste perfectly.

"It doesn't matter. You aren't a god. Speak, what do you have that you need my help with?"

"How old?"

"Isn't there me? Let's work hard together to make this shop's business more and more prosperous."

"Hmm, hmm, more and more prosperous."

Shopkeeper Lu wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. Being with Qiao Mai, she always encouraged you, making you want to do business well and big involuntarily.

Speaking of Miss Wang, after returning to the Wang residence, she ordered people to send everything she brought to her courtyard as soon as she got off the carriage.

(End of chapter)