Chapter 241: Chapter 243 - Gifts

When Momo Quan came into the residence, she didn’t just train the maids. She also taught Yuxi how to develop people to be useful for her. Momo Quan has always believed it was better to teach someone to fish than just give that someone fish. Therefore, teaching the maids was secondary to teaching Yuxi well, which was the most important thing.

Momo Quan came into the courtyard this afternoon to speak to Yuxi and heard her working on her embroidery. When Yuxi was working on her embroidery, no one was allowed to be in the backyard except her trusted subordinates. This was not because she wanted to hide something, but she needed a tranquil environment to do her embroidery. Just like how when she was reading her book, where she did not want to be disturbed.

When Momo Quan walked into the courtyard, she saw Yuxi under the covered corridor, concentrating on her embroidery. Momo Quan walked over to Zisu and asked in a low voice, “When did Miss learn to embroider with both hands?” If word got out that she was embroidering with both her right and left hands, it would definitely cause a shock. As much as how the translator found out she could read this chapter at another site without crediting her or linked to xinshou blogspot com.

Zisu answered in a mosquito-like voice, “In the past, when Miss was tired of writing with her right hand, she would switch to her left hand. A few days ago, when Miss realised that it was too slow to embroider with one hand, she had a sudden idea to embroider with both hands, and to her surprise, she succeeded.” In fact, Yuxi had acquired this skill from her previous life, but she had never used it for fear of arousing suspicion. So this time, she used the excuse that she had trained her left and right hands to be very sharp by practising calligraphy.

This statement would have fooled Zisu, but not Momo Quan. Embroidery was utterly different from practising calligraphy, where one could practise it slowly. Still, embroidery with two hands could not be done with just slow practice. It was just that Momo Quan had been through a lot and knew what to ask and what not to ask. Those who were too curious in the palace would have died long ago and would not have lived to see today. “If anyone asks you in the future, just say that Miss has been practising two-handed embroidery for several years now. She has finally perfected it recently.”

Zisu didn’t quite understand, but seeing that Momo Quan looked like she didn’t want to explain more, Zisu nodded and said, “I’ll remember Momo’s words.”

After embroidering for half a shichen, Yuxi’s eyes became a bit astringent. Thus she put down the needle and thread in her hands, and only then did she say to Zisu, who was standing beside her, “Put the things away. I’ll embroider them again tomorrow.” Yuxi did not embroider more than a shichen a day. It was because her eyes could not stand staring at it for too long.

When the embroidery frame was moved back to the study, Momo Quan cautioned Yuxi, “Miss, there are still some things that need to be done more carefully. Just like your ability to embroider with both of your hands. You will not be able to do this kind of thing overnight. You have to be extra wary of someone observant who will start asking questions out of curiosity.” Just now, Zisu’s answer had made her suspicious. If those with ill intentions heard this and spread it as bad rumours, it would not be good for Yuxi’s reputation.

Yuxi froze, then smiled as she said, “Momo worries too much. No one will dare to talk nonsense in the State Residence.”

Momo Quan felt that Yuxi’s vigilance had dropped a lot and reminded, “Miss, naturally, nothing will go wrong now since you’re still in the State Residence. But what about when you arrive at the Chen household?” Good habits must always be maintained. There must not be a moment of slackness. This was the temperament that Momo Quan had raised when she was working in the Imperial Palace. For example, in her hometown. Even if there was a natural disaster, her family could still get by with her savings. As for the rebellion, as long as there was a glimmer of hope, ordinary people would not do such a thing that would destroy their whole family. However, Momo Quan thought otherwise. There were many things that she had prepared herself for. Even if something did happen, she would not be afraid.

Yuxi’s heart fluttered. She had indeed been careless and lazy ever since she had been adopted by the Main House. She nodded as she said, “Momo is right. I will pay more attention in the future.”

What Momo Quan liked most about Yuxi was that she listened to her advice. Yuxi would listen to anything that made sense to her. “Miss, from tomorrow onwards, you will learn to cook medicinal food with me.”

Yuxi was a bit puzzled. She had already learnt about medicinal food! Why did she have to learn it again?

Momo Quan smiled and said, “The medicinal meals you learned before were just some elementary ones. Tomorrow, I will teach you a secret recipe from the Imperial Palace that I have not yet passed to anyone. If you learn it, it will bring benefits to you for the rest of your life.” There were many recipes to nourish one’s body in Momo Quan’s hands, and each of them had different effects. There were prescriptions to make one’s skin smooth like snow, and some were to slim the body. [T/N]n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Yuxi’s eyes lit up when she heard this. After that day, Yuxi spent her days learning various skills from Momo Quan in the morning, doing embroidery works in the afternoon and reading books in the evening. As a result, Yuxi’s time became very tight every day.

Yuxi finally finished embroidering both fans within a month’s time.

Zisu couldn’t help but make a comment after looking at them, “Miss, you’ve saved yourself a lot of trouble.” The bamboo embroidery had only three bamboos with twenty leaves and a poem on the right side. As for Zhou Shiya’s fan, besides the two goldfish, there was also a lotus flower with two leaves embroidered around it. On the contrary, both embroideries were beautiful, but they looked a little too clean and tidy. What she really meant was that the embroideries were done a little too simple.

Yuxi smiled and said: “Their simplicity will make people feel more comfortable when looking at them.” She wanted to embroider a peacock, but it would take too much of her time. She would have more than enough time to create four or five pairs of such embroideries with her time on embroidering a single peacock. These two embroideries were presentable enough, so why should she tax her mind and body for them anymore. [+]

Zisu knew Yuxi well enough that she even managed to helplessly say, “Miss, if you find it time-consuming, just say so. Why make such excuses?” To her Miss, she would happily spend her time reading rather than embroidering, which she deemed a waste of time. Zisu didn’t even know what Yuxi was thinking anymore.

Yuxi smiled a little and didn’t respond to Zisu’s comment but said instead, “When both fans are ready, send them to their owners.”

Now Zisu could guess that the bamboo embroidery work would most likely be given to Second Master Chen. She was thrilled when she made that guess at that time. She couldn’t help it. Yuxi was looking too calm after she got engaged to Chen Ran. She was so composed that make Zisu thought that Yuxi was dissatisfied with the marriage. Zisu worried that Yuxi’s dissatisfaction would cause her not to get along with Chen Ran when they finally married. Well, Zisu didn’t have to worry about that now. Her Miss’ willingness to make a fan for Second Master Chen showed that she had finally accepted him in her heart.

The fan for Zhou Shiya was a tuanshan, so it was much easier to turn into one. Yuxi wanted to give Chen Ran a folding fan, so it was a bit more complicated to be done. Therefore, it took five days to turn both embroideries into fans.

Yuxi looked at the two fans and smiled as she wrapped the embroidered goldfish fan in a fan sleeve and asked Xuntao to send this fan to the Zhou family.

When Zhou Shiya saw the fan cover, she took it and opened the covering. After looking at the fan for a bit, she exclaimed happily, “I thought I would have to wait until the end of the year for me to get one. I didn’t expect her to finish embroidering it this fast.”

Xuntao sweated profusely. If Zhou Shiya knew the actual speed of her Miss’ embroidery work this time, she would not have been this happy.

After rewarding Xuntao heavily, Zhou Shiya happily took her newly acquired fan to show it off to her mother, Second Lady Zhou.

Hearing Zhou Shiya’s words, Second Lady Zhou poked her forehead and said, “If you had embroidered this fan, I could have laughed after I woke up from my sleep. But don’t you even look at your own embroidery? How can you compare it to this fan? I will even blush for you.”

Zhou Shiya was not even ashamed as she countered, “Mother, I don’t have the talent! Just look at Yuxi. She developed double-sided embroidery on her own without much effort. I’ve been learning for years, but I still can’t do it properly, so you can’t blame me. Besides, even if I don’t know how to do any embroidery, the maids around me can do it.”

Second Lady Zhou became even more furious when she heard these words. “What do you mean you can’t learn it? Aren’t you just obviously lazy and unwilling to learn? I didn’t ask you to be as good as that girl, Yuxi’s girl. Why don’t you use your head? You can let the maids embroider the clothes you wear daily, but do you have to let the maids embroider all the gifts that you’re going to give to your in-laws when you get married?” According to the customs, when a new daughter-in-law moved into her husband’s house, she must personally embroidered shoes and clothes as gifts for her in-laws. [T/N]

Zhou Shiya was originally very happy when she got such a gift. But now, her good mood had been ruined after being scolded by Second Lady Zhou. Well, Zhou Shiya truly regretted it. Sigh, if she had known, she would not have shown it to her mother. She would show it off to some of her paternal cousins first instead.

Chen Ran got his gift the next day, and a smile appeared on his face as he looked at the lush green bamboo on the folding fan. He had heard that Yuxi could do double-sided embroidery, but he didn’t expect to get a gift made by her so soon. [+]

When he was in a better mood, Chen Ran’s face was much more relaxed when facing the Lady of Taining, and he no longer looked cold and indifferent. This made the Lady of Taining happy and curious. “Go and ask what good things have happened to the Second Master?”

It didn’t take long for the Lady of Taining to learn that it was because Yuxi had given her son a folding fan. Old Woman Lin, who had gone to inquire, said, “My Lady, Second Master has been carrying it around ever since he received it.”

The Lady of Taining smiled and said, “We have already seen that girl’s embroidery skill, and it is indeed quite good.” Not to mention other things, that girl had a pair of skilful hands. And for her to make her son’s attitude towards his own mother a bit better, the Lady of Taining was also happy.

Old Woman Lin smiled as she complimented, “Not only is she a good embroiderer, she is also good at managing her household.”

The Lady of Taining nodded and said, “She is indeed good. I almost missed out on a good girl before because I was misled by the rumours outside.” Since she heard Qiu Shi’s words on the mountain that day, she had asked people to inquire carefully about Yuxi. She found that, although Yuxi had a little temperament, she was naturally good and was not as unpleasant as the rumours said outside. It was a normal thing for a girl from an influential family to have a little temperament.

Old Woman Lin knew that her Lady had entirely accepted Han Yuxi.

Little did Yuxi know that a folding fan had changed Lady of Taining’s impression on her. She was currently burying her head in a book!

Zisu entered the room and informed Yuxi, “Miss, Master Shizi wants you to go to his study.” Previously, because of Han Jingyan’s words, Yuxi had not dared to go to Han Jianming’s study. But now, since she was not under Han Jingyan’s control, she didn’t have that misgiving anymore.

Yuxi put down her book and went to Han Jianming’s study. “Dage, is there something wrong?” If there was nothing wrong, Han Jianming would not have called her over.

Han Jianming said, “Haven’t you always wanted to know where Duan Xinrong has gone to? I’ve already found out. She is currently in Liaodong.”

Yuxi was shocked and asked wide-eyed, “In Liaodong? What is she doing in Liaodong?”

Han Jianming sighed faintly and said, “She’s in the largest brothel in Liaodong. But she is only a hired worker, selling her art, not her body.” It was also because his people had seen the portrait drawn by Yuxi and knew how Duan Xinrong looked that they could recognise her. Duan Xinrong had always been in a deep boudoir. Only a few people had seen her, and who could even recognise her after she had adjusted her head and turned her face ().

Yuxi became dumb as a wooden chicken.