Re-embroidering life

Chapter 126 Costumes

Shui Qinghua didn't know what the secret conversation between the emperor and his minister was like, and Ji Zimo kept silent about the process.

Shui Qinghua was smart enough not to ask more questions, but some of the court's opinions inevitably reached her ears: the Third Prince had completed the survey of the land in the capital and had returned to the capital. The newly established Guardian of the Emperor had been guarding the Third Prince, but as soon as he returned to the capital, the Guardian of the Emperor left the capital again and their whereabouts were unknown.

At the same time, the trend of "overthrowing the nobility" swept through the court again. The reason was that the measurement results brought back by the third prince were shocking. The old nobles and powerful people seized the land, causing a large number of farmers to become tenants, and the people were boiling with resentment. The nobles only collected rent but no taxes on their land, and the treasury revenue decreased year by year. This was in the capital area. I can't imagine what the scene was like in a remote place where the mountains were high and the emperor was far away.

The atmosphere in the court became increasingly tense. The emperor's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot every day. Officials were all in danger and were easily blamed.

Shui Qinghua ordered that no one at home should talk about state affairs, both to protect the family and to avoid causing trouble or hindering Ji Zimo. The women only focused on managing the embroidery workshop and embroidery school.

On this day, Shui Qinghua went to the embroidery school for an inspection. It was lunchtime and everything was quiet. The students had all gone back to their rooms to rest, and the embroiderers gathered together to do their own embroidery paintings.

Shui Qinghua felt strange: "Why is Jin Lan not here?"

An embroiderer stopped her work and said, "Mr. Shui, a little sister came to talk to Sister Jinlan, and they went back to the courtyard."

Yes, ever since Shui Qinghua was awarded a medal by the Empress Dowager, her title has quietly changed from Lady Shui to Lady Shui.

Shui Qinghua was puzzled. After Jinlan encountered misfortune, she almost isolated herself from the world. She never socialized with anyone except the embroiderers and students of the embroidery school, and she completely cut off contact with her family. She used to worry about her, but now she heard that she had a little sister, she could only be happy for her.

Just as he was about to leave, he saw Jin Lan coming towards him with a thin woman.

Jin Lan walked in front with her head held high and chest puffed out, striding forward. The woman followed closely with her head lowered and chest hunched, taking small steps. It was obvious that she was a woman from a wealthy household.

Shui Qinghua felt that the woman's figure was quite familiar. When he got closer and looked at her face, he found that it was indeed an old acquaintance. Who else could it be but Jinlan's sister-in-law Hanqiu?

Chen Jinlan was not expecting to run into her master head-on and bowed somewhat awkwardly.

Shui Qinghua greeted the two with a smile: "It's Hanqiu. Are you here to visit your sister?"

Han Qiu blinked his deer eyes a few times and tilted his head even deeper.

Chen Jinlan looked at her with a look of disappointment and explained for her: "My sister-in-law came to ask us for help."

Oh? Shui Qinghua was a little curious. Han Qiu had helped a lot in bringing Jin Lan out of the Chen family. She really liked this simple-minded girl.

"Did your mother-in-law make things difficult for you last time?" Shui Qinghua asked.

Han Qiu said nothing. Chen Jinlan was filled with righteous indignation: "How can it not be difficult? My sister-in-law has been kneeling in the ancestral hall for a whole month!"

Shui Qinghua took a deep breath and said apologetically: "Jinlan and I are the ones who have held you back. Is there anything we can do to help you?"

It turned out that since Chen Jinlan went to the government to ask for a divorce, the Zhao family had emptied their coffers to pay compensation and return the dowry, which had greatly damaged their vitality. The Ji couple were quite favored by the emperor, so they did not dare to go to the Ji family to find Chen Jinlan and make trouble, so they went to the Chen family and made a big fuss.

At this point they had no respect left at all. They looted all the valuable things in the Chen family and forced the Chen family to pay a betrothal gift for Zhao Jun to remarry.

The Chen family was badly hurt by this battle, and the eldest brother of the Chen family lost the lucrative job he had obtained from the Zhao family, which made the already tight family situation even worse. Han Qiu had no choice but to follow the old path of countless women, quietly doing needlework to supplement the family income.

Shui Qinghua's heart moved. She had always felt that Han Qiu was like herself in her previous life, and now he was even more like her.

Han Qiu couldn't help sobbing and told the story in a broken voice, "I took an embroidery job to repair costumes for a Kunqu opera troupe. The costumes were not damaged much, so it was not difficult to repair them. But my husband found out. He thought I was embarrassing, so he cut the costumes up with scissors! The troupe said that they would perform at a noble family soon. If we couldn't hand over the costumes within the deadline and offended the noble, they would sue the Chen family until they were bankrupt!"

Han Qiu's legs softened and he knelt down: "Sister, Mr. Shui, I really don't have the ability to mend the damaged costumes, please help me!"

The two hurriedly pulled Han Qiu up, and Shui Qinghua said, "It's not that I don't want to help, just let me think about it."

In the embroidery industry, costumes are a particularly troublesome thing. In order to achieve a good stage effect, many costumes are heavily embroidered, with complicated and delicate processes, and it is not uncommon for one piece to take three to five months.

Secondly, the regulations are strict. The colors, patterns, and textures of the costumes of different characters are different. Officials, princes, and emperors all have their own clothing colors, and if you are not careful, you may violate the regulations.

Shui Qinghua knows embroidery, but she doesn't know opera, and has never even heard of Kunqu opera. How could she dare to agree so easily?

Chen Jinlan was also at a loss, and cursed her good-for-nothing elder brother in her heart.

Shui Qinghua's eyes suddenly lit up. She thought, Kunqu Opera came from Jiangnan, would Jiangnan Embroidery Workshop have a solution? After coming to the capital, she had not visited Siyifang yet. If she relied on her meager relationship with Shen Xin, she wondered if she could get some information?

Having made up her mind, she told Chen Jinlan to send Han Qiu back first, and then they could find a chance to visit Siyifang in Beijing.

Jingxiufang is the only giant in Beijing, and other embroidery workshops are not particularly outstanding, no matter how well-known they are in their hometown. Siyifang has a good location, outside Zhengyangmen, but the storefront is not as big as that in Echeng, probably because every inch of land is valuable here. The decoration inside and outside the store is exactly the same as that in Echeng, and Shui Qinghua feels familiar before he even approaches.

After entering the shop, Shui Qinghua introduced herself and asked to meet the shopkeeper. Everyone in the Beijing embroidery industry knew the name of the Shui family. When the clerk heard this, he directly let Shui Qinghua into the private room.

After waiting for a while, I heard footsteps and a figure walked in through the curtain.

Shui Qinghua stood up suddenly and shouted excitedly to the person who came: "Sister Shen!"

Shen Xin, who she hadn't seen for two years, smiled at her from the doorway. Her eyes were still as gentle and calm as ever, but her silky skin was already covered with fine lines, and her face was a little sallow.

"Sister Shen, are you not feeling well?" Shui Qinghua looked worried.

Shen Xin smiled: "It's okay, it's just an old problem. You are amazing. In two years, you have gone from being an unknown water girl to a famous water master! Congratulations!"

Shui Qinghua waved her hands embarrassedly: "Let's not talk about this. I will always be a younger sister in front of Sister Shen."

Shui Qinghua introduced Chen Jinlan to Shen Xin. After the greetings, Shui Qinghua briefly recounted what happened to Han Qiu: "Sister Shen, has Si Yi Fang ever made Kunqu opera costumes?"

Shen Xin nodded slightly: "Of course there is."