Re-embroidering life

Before leaving Chen's house, Chen Jinlan called Shui Qinghua and said she had something to say.

It turned out that Master Mingyi from Yuquan Temple had visited Mrs. Chen a few days ago. Since the story of the Medicine Buddha's appearance spread, Yuquan Temple has been very popular. Every day, believers from Jiangxia Prefecture and even neighboring prefectures and counties come to see it. A wealthy and kind man from a neighboring county praised it as a work of nature. He was a filial son and was willing to pay a large sum of money and provide all the raw materials to embroider a similar Bodhisattva portrait to take home and pray for his mother.

There are more than one such kind-hearted people. Master Mingyi went to ask Mrs. Chen if she was willing to take on these jobs, which would not only reflect the Chen family's intentions but also improve the lives of the whole family. Mrs. Chen refused outright, saying that offering to the temple was a sign of the Chen family's piety to the Buddha. Wouldn't it be a violation of their sincerity to associate it with money?

Shui Qinghua observed Chen Jinlan's expression and asked her, "What do you think?"

"Master, you said last time that I can use needlework to improve the Chen family's situation. I think this is an opportunity." Chen Jinlan lowered her head in embarrassment: "But grandma's concerns are also reasonable. If the Chen family is reduced to relying on women's needlework to support the family, and it gets out..."

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Chen Jinlan suddenly remembered that her master was planning to open an embroidery workshop to sell embroidery products, so she stopped talking immediately.

Shui Qinghua was not angry. Jin Lan's words were exactly the same as what Old Lady Ji said when she scolded her last time. The classes of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans were all at the bottom. She could not change this class division, but she did not think she did anything wrong. She had experienced the dilemma of being short of money. In her eyes, making sure she and her family had enough food and clothing and lived a good life was the most important thing at all times.

"Jinlan, have you ever thought that treating patients and practicing medicine is actually a form of selling? It's just that what you sell is your own medical skills. Scholars learn literary and martial arts, and sell them to the emperor. Isn't the word "sell" also selling their knowledge and ability to be officials? Then what is the difference between us selling our embroidery skills?" Shui Qinghua didn't intend to convince Chen Jinlan immediately, but just expressed his point of view. After all, they are master and apprentice, and they don't need to be of the same mind in everything, but they must understand and respect each other.

Jin Lan had never thought about these things. Her family was proud of her grandfather being an imperial physician, and they married into families of scholars and officials. They didn't like craftsmen and merchants. She wanted to use her embroidery skills to make money for her family, but she felt that there were many obstacles. Most importantly, she couldn't get over it.

But what the master said seems to make sense.

Dou Jianzhi stood silently by the side. Hearing this, he couldn't help but said, "I say, what are you struggling about? The Chen family is not convenient to take this order, but the embroidery workshop can!"

Several women looked at him in unison.

"We run an embroidery workshop, it's normal to do business! Let Old Madam Chen and Master Mingyi tell the Siyifang to take over the order. Miss Chen can still embroider, but no one will know that she is a female member of the Chen family. Then Old Madam Chen's concerns will no longer exist." Dou Jianzhi was very excited. He was worried about Xiuhua's medical expenses. Here came the opportunity. It would be great to follow his second sister!

Chen Jinlan's eyes lit up. That was a solution.

Shui Qinghua also laughed: "You are really smart, but the one who took the order is not Si Yi Fang, but Shui Xiu Fang."

"Shui Xiu Fang?" Dou Jianzhi didn't understand.

"Yes, this is the name of our new embroidery workshop. I just thought of it. You forgot that I have the naming rights for the new embroidery workshop." Shui Qinghua said with a smile.

"Shuixiufang, what a good name!"

Dou Jianzhi was in charge of the business, and Chen Jinlan was now also capable of embroidering the Bodhisattva, but she was just a little slower. The Shuixiu Workshop had already attracted business before it even opened, and the Chen family also had income, so everyone was happy.

After leaving Chen's house, Dou Jianzhi's eyes were still rolling around, as if he was thinking about something.

"Second sister, I always feel that there is a lot of business to be done with hair embroidery."

Shui Qinghua was not as optimistic as he was. "The most difficult thing about hair embroidery is not the technique, but the raw materials. Hair embroidery was once prosperous in the previous dynasty, but why did it decline and eventually become lost? Because the hair on your body is given by your parents, and cutting long hair is a taboo. Have you forgotten that we didn't have enough hair to embroider the Medicine Buddha last time?"

"I'm talking about the raw materials." Dou Jianzhi gestured excitedly, "Second sister, think about it, it's not that we can't cut hair at all. Children have their hair cut when they turn one year old, right? When a couple gets married, they cut their hair and tie it together, which means eternal love. What if we make these cut hair into embroidery and keep it as a treasure? Think about it, would you rather stuff two clumps of messy hair into a sachet, or would you rather have your hair embroidered into a knot and framed?"

Shui Qinghua's eyes lit up: "That's a good idea, Manager Dou, I made the right choice to find you."

Dou Jianzhi went to Wang, the shopkeeper, to discuss business with great enthusiasm. The site selection and decoration of the new embroidery workshop had already begun, and embroiderers were also being recruited. There was a lot to do.

Shui Qinghua put her mind back on the first batch of embroidery patterns. The opening of the embroidery workshop was accelerated, and she had to select the embroidery patterns as quickly as possible, teach the embroiderers, and embroider all the patterns.

She painted nearly thirty pictures herself, including flowers, landscapes, and flying birds. After the last banquet, Dong Yajing sent her a batch of various bamboo patterns, Chen Jinlan sent her a batch of Chinese herbal medicine patterns unique to Chu, and Mrs. Fang, the second wife of Chen, was extraordinary. She painted a batch of Chu folk customs sketches according to the Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Zhongyuan Festival, and Chongyang Festival. Shui Qinghua loved them. Even Yuhua, who followed her out to collect folk customs for so long, has made great progress and painted a batch of animal patterns, including tiger patterns, leopard patterns, dog patterns, civet cat patterns, and rabbit patterns. These patterns are different from the animal patterns in traditional Chu embroidery. They have a distinct Yuhua style, innocent and childish.

Shui Qinghua looked at the pictures one by one and became more and more delighted. She was right to let everyone participate. She would not have so many wonderful ideas by herself.

At this moment, she suddenly remembered something, turned around and took out the bottle of Snow Lotus Pills that Old Lady Chen had given her from the box, opened it and counted them, there were only five pills in total, thinking that each pill was really worth a thousand gold. She kept two pills, one for herself and one for Xiuhua, and resealed the rest, sent it to Chen Jinlan, and attached a short note, which read: "I dare not refuse your grandmother's sincerity, two pills are enough. I am returning three pills in case your grandmother needs them, and I wish you a speedy recovery."

I hope that kind old man can get through this safely. These three Snow Lotus Pills are just what I have done for him.