Re-embroidering life

The palace lady and the director did not expect Shui Qinghua to dare to refute them in person. Their faces turned pale and the scene fell into an eerie silence. At this time, an old man with white hair and beard in the VIP seat stood up and said, "I think what this woman said makes sense. When selecting embroidery products, the embroidery skills should be the first criterion."

The old man seemed to be highly respected and several judges agreed.

An older embroiderer explained to the crowd, "That's Mr. Qian. He used to be the most skilled embroiderer in the capital. Later, he became the first fourth president of the Embroidery Chamber of Commerce. His works were personally commended by the emperor."

Princess Dihua smiled with a hint of cunning, and said, "I was just too talkative, please don't blame me, Madam Shui. Since you are judging your embroidery skills, please tell me what embroidery method you use. I have seen many techniques, but I have never seen yours."

"My lord, I use a natural embroidery technique that I created myself." Shui Qinghua looked calm and responded calmly.

Princess Dihua frowned slightly, revealing an expression of disbelief: "Are you joking, Lady Shui? I have heard of natural embroidery, a new technique that emerged from Jiangxia, but the creator seems to be not Lady Shui, but an embroiderer."

Shui Qinghua was puzzled when she heard this. Just as she was about to explain, a woman hurriedly walked up to the platform, stood beside Shui Qinghua, and said in a sharp voice: "This natural embroidery was created by me. Shui Qinghua, don't claim the credit for someone else's work and deceive the world!"

Shui Qinghua found the voice very familiar and when she looked closely, she found it was an old acquaintance, Meng Xiu Niang who had defected from Shui Xiu Workshop.

It seems that Princess Dihua’s efforts in sending people to Jiangxia were not in vain, as they caught this big fish.

"Mrs. Meng Xiu Niang, everyone in the Jiangxia embroidery industry knows that you betrayed Shui Xiu Fang. Some people actually believed what you said. I wonder if they are really stupid or they have evil intentions." Shui Qinghua looked at Princess Dihua deliberately while speaking. Princess Dihua's face froze.

"Stop slandering me and confusing right and wrong! When you established the Shui Xiu Workshop, you hired me as the foreman of embroidery for a large sum of money because of my unique skills. I was generous and taught the other embroiderers how to embroider naturally. There are people who can prove it!" Meng Xiu Niang looked at Shui Qinghua with resentment in her eyes.

"Who can prove it?" Princess Dihua asked immediately.

Shui Qinghua smiled as she watched the two of them singing in unison.

"We can prove it." This time, a group of women walked up to the platform, led by Meng Xiu Niang's follower, the petite Zhao Xiu Niang.

It was the first time that Zhao Xiu Niang had seen such a grand scene, and her voice was shaking with nervousness: "My dear... gentlemen, we all know how to do natural embroidery. It was... it was Meng Xiu Niang who taught us step by step. We have seen it with our own eyes. Meng Xiu Niang has the embroidery pattern of natural embroidery in her hands." After saying this, she lowered her head deeply.

"Madam Shui, do you have anything else to say?" Princess Dihua looked at Shui Qinghua and said sternly, "You are a skilled person, and the judges are supposed to appreciate your talent, but I didn't expect you to seek fame and reputation and seize the credit of others. How can a person like you who has no integrity and is disloyal and unrighteous be worthy of celebrating the Queen Mother's birthday?"

For a moment, the audience was in an uproar. The embroiderers all knew how precious the unique skills were. They could not tolerate having the credit taken away from them. They looked at Shui Qinghua with disgust and contempt.

Shui Qinghua looked calmly at the nobles on the stage and the embroiderers below. After she glanced at them, everyone stopped whispering and the scene became quiet.

She spoke slowly, "I just want you to consider three questions: First, Jiangxia is thousands of miles away from the capital. It's such a coincidence that Meng Xiu Niang and Zhao Xiu Niang showed up at the embroidery art conference today to expose me. How could a group of embroiderers predict the future? The travel expenses alone must not be a small amount."

After hearing what she said, many people nodded frequently, it was indeed such a coincidence.

"Secondly, because Jiang Xia is so far away, no matter what they say, you can't verify its truth. So, are they deliberately deceiving us by taking advantage of the distance?"

"Third, who created an embroidery technique is not determined by who taught it or who has the embroidery pattern. Instead, it depends on why she invented this technique and whether she can continue to create new ones on this basis. Everything can be concealed, except the skills in her hands!" Shui Qinghua was full of confidence and her aura was fully open. She looked at everyone present with burning eyes.

"Mrs. Shui is right. As embroiderers, no matter how much we talk, it's better to show it with our hands." Mr. Qian watched this farce coldly for a while, and stood up impatiently, "Anyone who can create a unique skill is a genius. Why don't you have a live competition?"

Meng Xiuniang shuddered unconsciously. Shui Qinghua stared into her eyes and said, "Meng Xiuniang, have you forgotten that you have never defeated me before, and it is even more impossible today."

"Embroider...what?" Meng Xiu Niang asked unconfidently.

Shui Qinghua smiled and said, "Just embroider the theme of our first competition, dragons and butterflies, but you can only use natural embroidery, not double-sided embroidery with different colors."

Mr. Qian thought this request was reasonable and agreed on the spot.

A stick of incense lit up, the smoke slowly rose, and Shui Qinghua's heart slowly calmed down.

She seemed to have become a different person, concentrating, her eyes calm, the needle and thread in her hands like a butterfly dancing, every stitch and every thread full of confidence and calmness. As time passed, a living butterfly stood up on the embroidery, its wings trembling slightly, as if it would take off at any time.

"What kind of magic is this?" The surrounding embroiderers opened their eyes wide and whispered.

In contrast, Meng Xiu Niang was hesitant and sluggish in her needlework, and her movements were stiff. Although the dragon under her needle was lifelike, it seemed to lack a soul compared to the butterfly.

When the incense burns out, the difference between the two works becomes immediately apparent when placed side by side.

Mr. Qian looked at the butterfly painting in amazement: "Natural embroidery can really make natural objects so realistic! I believe that the natural embroidery method was created by you."

"Mr. Qian is wrong!" Princess Dihua still had a smile on her face and said softly, "Embroidery is good, but it doesn't mean that the technique is her own creation. There are also talented people who see other people's creations, get inspired, and learn better than the creators."

After hearing this, Meng Xiu Niang burst into tears: "I know that I am not smarter or more talented than Shui Niangzi. Fortunately, she has learned the techniques that I worked so hard to study, and she embroiders better than me. I can't blame others, I can only blame myself for being too stupid!"

Zhao Xiu Niang and others rushed over to comfort her, saying, "Sister Meng, don't be sad. Justice is in the hearts of the people! We know who created this technique, and we have sharp eyes!"

As Mr. Qian looked at the scenes before him, his original certainty turned into hesitation.

Shui Qinghua sighed helplessly and smiled faintly: "Meng Xiu Niang, I wanted to save some face for you, but you didn't want it. You have evidence, but I don't have it?"