Re-embroidering life

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival, which is also the day of Dong Yajing's wedding. It has been a long time since he took his children out to the streets, so Ji Zimo asked a friend to grab a street-facing private room at a restaurant on Zhuque Street at a high price, and the whole family watched the lively scene of the Third Prince's wife's red makeup.

Shui Qinghua originally wanted to take Jinlan out to relax, but thinking of her situation, being abused by her husband and abandoned by her parents, she didn't know when her physical wounds would heal, but she didn't know when the black hole in her heart would be mended. It was undoubtedly cruel to let her watch the scene of her former sisters happily getting married, so she gave up.

As for the eldest sister Minghua, she was like a wild horse that had broken free from its reins. We hardly saw each other for a whole day, so we just let her be.

The family of five watched the ceremony in the restaurant, had a feast, and then went to the street market to experience the Lantern Festival atmosphere of "fire trees and silver flowers, star bridges and iron locks opened". It was the first time for the whole family to watch lanterns in Beijing, and they were stunned by the crowds of people. Shui Qinghua held a daughter in each hand, Ji Zimo held Ji Wei in his arms, and the family shuttled through the crowd, admiring the lanterns, guessing lantern riddles, eating snacks, and having a great time.

"Mom, that man is so pitiful." Ji Fei noticed a vendor not far away.

It is not accurate to call him a peddler. He was just a child, not much older than Ji Fei. In the winter, he wore a thin cotton jacket full of holes, with black cotton sticking out of the holes, all hardened into lumps. His face and hands were swollen and purple-red from the cold, and his hands were full of cracks and chilblains. Others sold lamps, so he also sold lamps. Others' lamps were in short supply, but his lamps were not popular.

When the Ji family walked over, they realized that his lanterns were really ugly. There were large Kongming lanterns and small palace lanterns, but without exception, they were all square bamboo frames covered with a layer of white silk, which was completely different from the exquisite revolving lanterns and cute rabbit lanterns on the stalls next to them.

"Master, Madam, please buy one. Although my lamp is not beautiful, it is very sturdy. I made it with my own hands and it will not break no matter how long you use it! The small one is only two cents!" The child looked at them with pleading eyes.

Ji Rui also softened her heart: "Little brother, why are you selling lights alone in such a cold day?"

The child sniffed the snot that was about to slide down to his lips and said, "My father fell while collecting herbs and was lying in bed. When I was a child, I learned to make lanterns with him. I sold the money to buy medicine for him."

Ji Fei touched her nose and said, "But no one will want your lantern." Then she thought of something, and pulled Ji Zimo's clothes and said, "Daddy, please paint on the lantern. Your painting looks good!"

Shui Qinghua couldn't help but laugh secretly. Ji Zimo's paintings were worth one thousand taels each, and he painted them on a lamp and sold them for two cents?

Ji Zimo looked at Ji Fei tenderly: "Fei'er is kind-hearted. Daddy is very pleased."

There happened to be a shop selling study tools nearby, so Ji Zimo took Ji Fei to buy a set of ordinary brushes and started painting lanterns on the street at the little boy's stall.

He painted very quickly, using the same sketches he had practiced with countless times. With just a few lines, the lanterns had a soul. Flowers, birds, insects, fish, beauties, ladies, landscapes, and people. The child was stunned. In an instant, the dull white lanterns came alive.

Some people saw the lanterns being painted on the street and gathered around. A young man dressed as a scholar saw the painting on the lantern and exclaimed: "I never thought that a lantern seller would have such talent! I'll buy one!"

Just as the boy was about to speak, Ji Fei stopped him. She mustered up her courage and said, "Ten taels each!"

"What?" The scholar was surprised. "The most exquisite revolving lantern only costs five taels! Little girl, why don't you go and grab it?"

Ji Fei put her hands on her waist and refused to budge: "The lantern is two cents, and my father's painting is worth ten taels! I have already given you the change of the two cents."

The scholar stamped his feet, put down the lantern angrily and left.

After a while, he turned back, pushed through the crowd, angrily paid ten taels of silver, picked up a beauty lamp, and couldn't let it go.

Ji Fei immediately shouted: "Uncle, you have good eyesight! This lamp is more beautiful than a beauty, only ten taels!"

Ji Rui also raised her voice and shouted along with her sister.

Soon, all the scholars and literati passing by, who were slightly literate, were attracted to the area, and lanterns were sold almost every time they were painted.

In the end, all the Kongming lanterns worth twenty taels were sold out.

It was late at night, and the lantern market was over. The vendors packed up their stalls in twos and threes. Someone looked at the boy with envy: "We can't even make ten taels in a night, and you make ten taels for just one lantern!"

The boy seemed to be dreaming, and was stunned. It was not until Ji Fei handed the heavy silver to him that he believed that all this was true. He knelt down with a plop and said, "Master, Madam, and Miss, thank you for your kindness!"

Shui Qinghua helped him up: "Go home quickly and get medicine for your father."

After saying that, the family turned and left. The little boy stayed where he was, looking at their backs, and murmured, "Dad, I really saw a fairy."

On the way home, Ji Fei looked at her mother, hesitant to speak. Shui Qinghua saw through it and asked, "What do you want to say?"

"Mother, have you ever thought about opening the Water Embroidery Shop in the capital?"

Shui Qinghua was surprised: "Why do you have such an idea?" She almost suspected that her daughter was a lobbyist sent by Ye Jincheng.

"Don't you think it's too easy to make money in the capital? There are a lot of people here, and they have a lot of money. Look at me selling lanterns. I made hundreds of taels in one go!"

"Selling lanterns doesn't depend on you, it's your father who depends on it." Shui Qinghua said coldly.

Ji Fei was stunned for a moment: "Mom, you are not fair, I came up with the idea for the painting, I set the price, and I shouted!"

"Daddy agrees. It's all Fei'er's credit." Ji Zimo interrupted.

Shui Qinghua said patiently: "Fei'er, it's not as simple as you think. It's difficult for us to open an embroidery workshop in Echeng, let alone Beijing? Not to mention how expensive the labor is, the fierce competition here is far more intense than in Echeng. We are outsiders, and we will fall into traps if we are not careful..."

"What's wrong with outsiders? I asked my aunt. There are all kinds of embroidery workshops in the capital. Aren't the Hunan and Sichuan embroidery workshops all run by outsiders?"

Shui Qinghua didn't want to argue with her daughter any further: "Fei'er, the time is not right yet. When we have established a firm foothold in the capital, mother will consider it. Now let's start with Furong Garden embroidery. Mother has already received several orders yesterday. If you want to share mother's worries, then practice your embroidery skills well."

Ji Fei didn't say anything else. Her mother's words made sense, but she still felt a little aggrieved. She was more fascinated by the feeling of doing business than learning embroidery. Thinking of ideas, negotiating with people, bargaining, and making money, that kind of sense of accomplishment was something that embroidery could not bring her. She and her mother were not the same kind of people.

She felt someone pulling her sleeve. Ji Fei turned her head and saw Ji Wei's big eyes looking at her. What bad idea was this clever girl thinking of?