Re-embroidering life

Five years later.

A merchant ship, pulling its sail, slowly sailed along the Oujiang River. On the pier in the distance, the big words "Chuxiu Street" were visible from afar. In the harbor, cargo ships, passenger ships, and fishing boats were intertwined like stars, crowded together, leaving almost no gaps. The high-raised sails were like colorful clouds, against the blue sky, forming an exquisite water painting.

The dark-faced boatman said to the foreign passengers, "We have arrived at the Chuxiu Street Pier. Are you going to land here?"

The passengers were all dressed neatly in silk and satin clothes, looking quite respectable. One of the old men had white hair and beard, and was obviously the one with the highest status. He asked, "Boatman, which shop is the biggest on Chuxiu Street? Who do you usually go to for business?" He spoke with a distinct Beijing accent.

Boatmen often come and go on the docks, and they know everything about the general situation: "The biggest shop is of course Shuixiufang. I heard that the owner of Shuixiufang took the lead in building this Chuxiu Street. It used to be called Dajia Street, and later all the embroidery shops were concentrated on this street, so the government changed the name to Chuxiu Street! If you want to talk about business, just find Dou Ye!"

"Who is Uncle Dou?" The stranger became interested in the name.

The boatman said with a hint of inexplicable pride: "Who in the Chu embroidery business doesn't know Master Dou? He is the head of the Shuixiu Shop, and he manages the business of Shuixiu Shop across the country!"

The old man put his hands together and looked around. In the distance, facing the river, there was an extremely imposing three-story pavilion. The three large gold-plated characters "Shui Xiu Fang" on the signboard and the sparkling river water complemented each other, almost dazzling his old eyes.

"I heard you keep mentioning the owner of Shui Xiufang. Could it be the world-famous Shui Xiufang owner?" asked the old man.

"That's right!" The boatman's tone became more and more proud. "The Shui family is the lucky star of Jiangxia. Five years ago, she proposed to the prefect Ji to build a wharf and Chuxiu Street on Dajia Street. That's how many of us make a living. You can go ashore and take a look. There are people coming and going in this area for a few miles. It is the most prosperous area in the prefecture. Who would have thought that this was a place where homeless people gathered before?"

The old man laughed heartily upon hearing this: "I have known Shui for a long time, but I didn't know she had done such a great deed in her hometown!"

The stranger waited in line at the dock for more than half an hour before he was allowed to go ashore. Without anyone's guidance, he went straight to the three-story building.

When he entered, he saw the bright and spacious shop, with all kinds of exquisite embroidery displayed densely. The old man's eyes widened when he saw the embroidery, and he ran straight to the dragon and phoenix screen in the middle, exclaiming: "Top quality, really top quality!"

"This is the treasure of our store. It uses the most advanced Chu embroidery technique and is hand-embroidered by our store's chief craftsman, You Lanjun." A tall and burly man walked forward, with a pair of copper bell-like eyes on his face that were fierce and lively.

The old man saw that the man had an extraordinary demeanor and asked, "Are you the head shopkeeper here?"

"That's right. My surname is Dou. Judging from your accent, it seems that you are from the capital?" Dou Jianzhi saw that the old man was not an ordinary person, so he answered respectfully.

The old man laughed: "So, you are Master Dou!"

The attendant beside him stepped forward and introduced the old man: "This is Mr. Qian, the former fourth director of the Beijing Embroidery Chamber of Commerce, and he was also the chief embroiderer of the palace embroidery bureau."

Dou Jianzhi suddenly realized: "It's Mr. Qian. I heard the boss mention him. I didn't know you made a special trip to Jiangxia. I'm sorry for not welcoming you!"

Mr. Qian waved his hand indifferently. He had been interested in this unheard-of embroidery since Shui Qinghua mentioned it in the dragon robe case a few years ago. Two years later, Furong Garden in Beijing began to sell Chu embroidery works. He went to observe and was shocked by the magnificent and bizarre imagination of Chu embroidery. Unfortunately, Chu embroidery in Beijing has never become mainstream. Until recently, he heard that Jiangxia had built a Chu embroidery street, where the most advanced skills were all here. He was obsessed with embroidery all his life, and he couldn't wait to take a boat south despite his advanced age.

"Uncle Dou, can I meet this Lady Youlan and learn from her?" asked Old Qian.

Dou Jianzhi agreed immediately and invited Song Huixin out. After five years of training, Huixin had completely shed the weakness she had when she was a maid. She walked steadily, had a firm look in her eyes, and faintly exuded the aura of a master.

When Master Qian saw such an outstanding junior, he was delighted but also secretly surprised. Hearing that Youlan Jun was the direct disciple of Master Shui, and that the disciple was as sharp as a sword out of its sheath, what would Master Shui be like after not seeing him for many years?

***

At this time, Shui Qinghua was wearing casual clothes and working in the yard behind Shuixiufang. In the past few years, she did not follow her husband to work. For the business of Shuixiufang, she and Dou Jianzhi traveled all over the country. Recently, they used the "agency system" to negotiate a cooperation in Shu.

The Ji family no longer lived in Jiangxia. When Ji Zixuan's three-year term as prefect was over, he was transferred directly to Beijing and entered the Ministry of Personnel because of his outstanding performance. With his ability and the emperor's favor, it was almost certain that he would enter the cabinet in the future.

Ji Zimo has many titles in the capital. He is a capable official in water control, a master of calligraphy and painting, and a famous inventor. Charcoal pencils, comic strips, oil paints, perspective drawings, and all kinds of novelties were created by him and gradually became popular throughout the country. Now Ji Zimo is simply a trend vane. Countless people imitate him and follow his lead. There is an endless stream of young ladies and young women who flirt with him. Ji Zimo can't avoid it, so he simply starts the business trip mode. Anyway, the Ministry of Works is not short of construction projects.

Therefore, the couple has been apart for many years. But recently, the whole family gathered in Jiangxia because Ji Fei is getting married.

Ji Fei is seventeen years old this year. Despite her young age, she has been the person in charge of Shui Xiu Fang in Jiangnan for several years. In the beginning, she relied on the Shen family's embroidery workshop to distribute the goods, but now she has independently built three Shui Xiu Fang in Jiangnan.

The women in the Shui family usually get married late, and Ji Shui and his wife did not plan to marry their daughter off early, as they could not stand the fact that their daughter was too opinionated.

"Dad, Mom, I plan to marry a son-in-law to inherit the third branch's property. What do you think?" Ji Fei said to them one day.

Ji Zimo and Shui Qinghua looked at each other in shock. Ji Zimo looked very bad, but Shui Qinghua was relatively calm: "How many men who marry into a woman's family are good?"

"Ah Xiao!" Ji Fei said matter-of-factly, "Ah Xiao and I are childhood sweethearts. We grew up together, opened a shop together, and worked hard together in Jiangnan. He is a down-to-earth and kind person, and his family is simple, so he is the perfect match for us to marry into the family."

My daughter is capable and independent at an early age, which makes parents proud and relieved. But if she is too capable, even her marriage is not a matter for parents to intervene, which makes us feel sad and disappointed.

The couple met Ah Xiao alone once. The boy who sold lanterns in the street market has grown into a handsome young man. After all, he is the descendant of a herbalist. He is tall, with broad shoulders and long legs, and moves vigorously. Shui Qinghua nodded secretly.

Ah Xiao handed over a wooden box respectfully: "This is the gift I prepared, please accept it, sir and madam."

Shui Qinghua took the betrothal gift, no, dowry, no, it didn't matter what it was. When she opened it, she saw two pure white, slightly dehydrated flowers lying quietly in the wooden box.

Shui Qinghua's eyes widened. Although it was the first time she saw it, she knew what it was: Tianshan Snow Lotus!