Re-embroidering life

On the second day, Shui Qinghua went to find a shop that offered a price of around 500 taels.

Soon there was a response. Stores of this price range were generally not located in prime locations. One store was located in Renshoufang, a quarter-minute walk from Ji's residence. The storefront was a bit cramped, but it was located in the middle of the market, surrounded by residential houses. Another store was located in Sichengfang, which was farther away and close to the outer city. The storefront was much larger, with a store in front and a residential house in the back, which was both ventilated and bright.

Shui Qinghua chose Renshoufang without any hesitation because it was close to home and she felt at ease since Ji Fei went there often.

When she told Ji Fei that she had bought a shop for her, Ji Fei jumped up without caring about her ladylike manners.

She put her arms around Shui Qinghua's waist and said, "Mom, do you really agree that I can open a shop? Can I open an embroidery workshop?"

"No!" Shui Qinghua was helpless about Ji Fei's persistence. "You have worked in Shuixiufang before, and you know how difficult it is to open an embroidery workshop. The shop is just the most basic thing. You also need a group of skilled embroiderers, a group of painters who can provide a stable supply of embroidery patterns, a matching silk thread dyeing workshop, a good manager, and a heart that seeks innovation and change and is not afraid of setbacks. You should not be too ambitious, but start with a small business."

Ji Fei understood: "Mom, I'd better do the medicine bag business. They sold quite well in the market before."

Shui Qinghua nodded in agreement and gave her an idea: "Your sister Jinlan comes from a medical family and has been able to identify herbs since she was a child. Maybe she can help you."

Ji Fei slapped his head and wondered why he had forgotten about Sister Jinlan.

Jin Lan was quietly embroidering a landscape painting in the imitation of Mi's style in the west wing. She noticed someone peeking outside the door. She couldn't help but smile and called Ji Fei in.

Ji Fei told Jin Lan about her idea. Jin Lan's fingers flew up and down without stopping. She said as she embroidered, "I have been with my grandfather since I was young. He forced me to memorize many prescriptions. I will write them down later. You can find a doctor to check them and make sure they are okay before using them."

Ji Fei was overjoyed. Sister Jinlan was really a treasure. This was the prescription of the imperial physician, which was much better than the folk remedy of Axiao's family.

"Sister Jinlan, I won't use your recipe for nothing. I'll give you 2% profit for every medicine capsule I sell according to your recipe."

Chen Jinlan didn't expect Ji Fei to be so good at business at such a young age, so she agreed readily.

"What does your sac look like?" Jin Lan asked.

"It's just an ordinary sachet. I bought it in bulk in South City."

Jin Lan disagreed: "Medicinal materials are important, but packaging is also important. You want to open an embroidery shop, so you can start with small items like sachets. If your sachets are more exquisite than ordinary sachets and have medicinal uses, you can sell them for not only double the price, but also quadruple or five times the price."

Ji Fei was enlightened: "Sister Jinlan, you are so smart, why didn't I think of it?"

Before running out, she thought of another idea: "I can not only make sachets, but also medicinal pillows. Combining embroidery and medicinal materials, there are many things I can do!"

Ji Fei hired Ah Xiao as her manager, and the two children started working in a hurry. In Shui Qinghua's eyes, this was just the children playing house, but since it was just for practice, she let them do whatever they wanted.

Two days later, the Spring Examination was over. Just like the last time he took the Autumn Examination, Ji Zimo came back staggering with a pale face and slept for three days.

After waking up, he found out that during the days when he was on the scientific expedition, his family had actually bought a shop!

A daughter slave will naturally support her: "Fei'er, whatever name you want to give the shop, Daddy will write a plaque for you."

"Thank you, Dad! I've already thought of a name for it, the Medicinal Fragrance and Splendid Shop." This was the result of Ji Fei's hard thinking for several nights.

Ji Zimo smiled slightly and finished writing in one stroke. The few big characters were as graceful as a startled swan and as elegant as a swimming dragon.

While waiting for the results of the imperial examination, Shui Qinghua received a letter from Dou Jianzhi, saying that he had observed that some people had been hanging around Shuixiufang recently, and some people had been deliberately asking about the details of Shuidong's family. He had noticed that one of them spoke with a Beijing accent. In addition, since Meng Xiuniang spread the embroidery pattern of natural embroidery, there were more and more embroiderers in Jiangxia who could do natural embroidery, and new silk threads were also sold publicly. The embroidery works of other embroidery workshops were not as delicate and exquisite as Shuixiufang, but they were still about 60% to 70% of the level. If this continued, the business of Shuixiufang would be affected.

Shui Qinghua was thinking. She had only been in the capital for a few months, and she rarely went out. The only time she appeared in public was to send Dong Yajing some makeup. Even if Furong Garden embroidery was novel, it was nothing in the eyes of the nobles. Who would pay attention to her, an inconspicuous family member of a scholar?

As for the business of Shuixiufang, she knew that natural embroidery would become popular one day since the day when the embroiderers collectively resigned, and she had been trying to find a way to deal with it, but things happened faster than she imagined. Shui Qinghua felt that there was a hidden force that had ill intentions towards her and Shuixiufang.

The results of the imperial examination were announced. Compared to the autumn examination, the couple took it more seriously and sent people to wait outside the Imperial Examination Hall early in the morning. Ji Zimo was just like usual, holding a book in his hand and a cup of tea in front of him, reading casually. Only Shui Qinghua noticed that he had not turned a page in the whole morning, and his hand holding the book was too strong, and his fingertips were white.

The sun rose high in the sky and finally the sound of footsteps were heard, and every step seemed to step on the hearts of the couple.

"Master, Madam!" The concierge ran in breathlessly, but the joy on his face was real, "I got it, I got it! I'm the first place, the champion!"

Shui Qinghua stroked her chest with her hand to calm her violently beating heart, and slowly sat down.

Ji Zimo's face was calm, but his slightly wet eyes revealed his mood. He thought of the two years of hard study. At night, the moonlight poured into the study, and the jumping flame on the solitary lamp became a yellow nail. He was like a nail, buried in the mountain of books, tirelessly regardless of the cold or the heat.

He recalled the thrilling two times he entered Qianzhou, the weighing and choices he had to make in life, the confusion and worry about the future, which tormented his heart countless times and made him toss and turn.

He thought of his wife's silent support and companionship, his mentor's dedicated teaching, and his mother and elder brother's full expectations.

Fortunately, all this was not in vain.

The first place was just the beginning, the palace examination was still waiting for him, and he could not afford to slack off. But from now on, he began to have power and status, and no longer had to watch his wife being bullied and targeted, but he was helpless and could only ask for help from his eldest brother, an incompetent scholar. The glory of the family and the happiness of his wife and children were once insignificant to him. I don't know when he took on these responsibilities on his shoulders without saying a word and walked all the way here.