Re-embroidering life

Chapter 153 Chips

Shui Qinghua vaguely realized that her situation in Linhai County was not very good.

Although she won a great victory over Yu Hui in Tingtao Tower, her reputation as a "marriage ruiner" was also left behind. She always received strange looks when walking on the street, which were full of scrutiny and suspicion, making her quite uncomfortable.

As an official wife, she was once a guest of the county magistrate's wife and was often invited to drink tea and appreciate flowers. Now, those posts seemed to have disappeared overnight.

Shui Qinghua sighed softly, but did not stop what she was doing. It was not that she did not care about other people's looks, but she firmly believed that she had done nothing wrong, and besides, there were more important things to do.

In her hand was the thick book of regulations sent by Ji Fei, the fruit of her daughters' hard work. Shui Qinghua flipped through the pages and found that the careful thinking, thoughtful actions and novel ideas of the regulations far exceeded her imagination.

She read it three times, until the last page, then she looked up with satisfaction, her eyes full of admiration: "You are truly heroes when you are young. I want to applaud you guys."

Ji Fei stood nervously by the side, watching her mother's every expression and movement. When she heard her mother's praise, she couldn't help but put her hands together, jumped up excitedly, and her face was filled with the innocent smile unique to children.

Ji Wei sat quietly on a small stool with a smile on her face. She looked calm and more like an older sister than Ji Fei.

Shui Qinghua was not surprised by the sisters' behavior. She touched the two children's heads and frowned slightly: "There is only one problem. Aunt Shen is no longer the boss of Siyifang. I am afraid that the cooperation between Shuixiufang and Siyifang will not be as smooth as before."

After Shen Xin fled to Linhai County, the Shen family cancelled her management rights, and now Shen Xin's father is in charge of Si Yi Fang. From Shen Xin's description, Shui Qinghua intuitively felt that this was a stubborn and decisive person.

"Mom, what should we do then?" Ji Fei asked worriedly.

Shui Qinghua smiled and said, "We have to give it a try."

Shui Qinghua got up and took them both to eat, and happened to meet Ji Rui who was returning from school.

Now only Ji Rui is studying in the county girls' school. Ji Fei thinks the girls' school is too simple and Ji Wei is not old enough to go to school.

When Ji Rui saw Shui Qinghua, she trotted a few steps and threw herself into her mother's arms: "Mom, I'm hungry!"

Shui Qinghua hugged her lovingly: "The meal is ready. Today I made your favorite Dongpo pork."

"That's great!" Ji Rui cheered, and chattered about what she saw and heard at school with her mother. "Mom, we had needlework class today, and there was a new student who got first place on the first day of school!"

"She is so powerful?" Shui Qinghua echoed.

"Yes, she said she has been good at needlework since she was young, and she has been practicing more recently because the Jiangnan Embroidery Competition, which is held every three years, is about to begin."

Shui Qinghua paused for a moment. She had heard of the Jiangnan Embroidery Competition. Shen Xue and Shen Xin both won the championship at the age of thirteen or fourteen, and became famous in Jiangnan. The Shen family, relying on producing generations of champions, firmly sat on the top of the Jiangnan embroidery industry.

Shui Qinghua smiled: "I think I have found a bargaining chip to negotiate with the Shen family."

***

On a drizzling day, Shui Qinghua stepped onto the stone steps of the Shen Mansion.

The Shen family is a century-old prestigious family with high walls and deep courtyards. The family's honor and glory are like this drizzle, silently soaking every inch of land under their feet.

Shui Qinghua looked at the golden words "Shen Mansion" on the plaque, feeling the dazzling power of the Shen family. She calmed down, handed over her name card, and stated her purpose. She knew in her heart that Master Shen had a prejudice against her, and this door was not so easy to knock on.

Sure enough, a quarter of an hour later, a man who looked like a butler came out. He saluted, his gestures showing the upbringing and rules of a noble family, but his tone was cold: "Our master said that he is not familiar with the Shui family, so if we want to discuss cooperation between Shuixiufang and Siyifang, then there is no need. That was the cooperation decided when the Shen family was here, and now that the Shen family has left, there is naturally no need for cooperation."

Shui Qinghua's heart sank, but she was not discouraged. Seeing the housekeeper turning around to leave, she hurriedly tried to persuade him to stay: "Uncle, please tell Mr. Shen that the Jiangnan Embroidery Competition is about to begin. Does the Shen family have someone who can definitely win the championship? If not, I have a plan to offer. Although I am not talented, I am at least as famous as the Shen family in embroidery, and perhaps I can help the Shen family."

The housekeeper looked at her suspiciously, as if he was weighing the weight of her words. Shui Qinghua smiled and let him look at her calmly.

Finally, the housekeeper nodded and went in to pass on the message. Shui Qinghua stood outside the door. The drizzle was still falling. Her clothes were soaked by the drizzle, but her heart was extremely firm.

Waiting is always extraordinarily long. After a long while, the side door slowly opened and the butler walked out quickly: "Mr. Shui, my master wants to see you."

Shui Qinghua breathed a sigh of relief. She put away her oil-paper umbrella and followed the housekeeper into the Shen Mansion. She thought to herself that although she had passed the first hurdle, the next one would be a tough battle.

In the inner hall of the Shen Mansion, the eldest master Shen Wanshui was sitting in the main seat. His face was serious and his eyes revealed an unquestionable majesty.

Shui Qinghua walked calmly into the inner hall and performed the formalities, seemingly not intimidated by Master Shen's power at all.

Shen Wanshui frowned, his eyes sharp as a torch, examining this uninvited guest. His voice was deep and powerful: "Mr. Shui, what brings you here today? My Shen family and your Shui Embroidery Workshop will not have much interaction in the future."

Shui Qinghua smiled, like a blooming lotus: "Master Shen, I know you have a grudge against me because of the Shen family's affairs. But since you are the helmsman of the Shen family, I believe you will put the long-term interests of the family first. Personal grudges are nothing but clouds in the face of the overall situation."

Shen Wanshui snorted coldly, and a sarcastic smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "What a big tone, just a small embroidery shop owner, with some false reputation, you think you can negotiate family interests with the Shen family?"

Shui Qinghua remained calm and neither humble nor arrogant: "I dare not, Master Shen, I have no intention of offending you, but I am sincerely offering advice to the Shen family. As far as I know, since the time of Mr. Shen, the Shen family has not won the Jiangnan Embroidery Competition for five consecutive years. The Shen family has always been known for its many talented people, but now it is facing a situation of lack of successors. Before, Mr. Shen managed to maintain the family, but after Mr. Shen leaves, who can support the glory of the Shen family?"

"Who gave you the guts to slander the Shen family? Our Shen family has stood in the south of the Yangtze River for a hundred years. We are full of talented people and we don't need a Shen Xin. It is not your turn as an outsider to criticize us." Shen Wanshui stared directly at Shui Qinghua with his sharp eyes, a storm of anger brewing in his eyes.

Shui Qinghua looked back at Shen Wanshui without showing any weakness. Her voice was calm, but it carried a force that could not be ignored: "Master Shen, you know clearly whether the Shen family is short of talents. In Jiangnan, there are many embroidery workshops and the competition is fierce. If the Shen family cannot cultivate another leader with the best embroidery skills in Jiangnan, the decline of Siyifang is only a matter of time."