Chapter 20: Mom’s Culinary Skills

Yu Zihan knew she could no longer conceal the matter, so she briefly confessed to her mother about what had happened that day.

She was prepared for a scene where her mother would scold her, but that didn’t happen. She secretly observed her mother’s reaction.

Instead, she saw Yu Meijuan silently crying.

It is said that silent weeping can be more moving than loud cries, and Yu Zihan now understood that truth. Her mother’s delicate beauty was already captivating, and now, with tears streaming down her face, she appeared even more heart-wrenching.

This scene not only touched Yu Zihan but also moved Zhou Mengrui’s family of three.

Yu Meijuan thought about how her own inadequacy had led to her daughter suffering such great harm, and she was unwilling to let her know; she was angry with herself.

Fortunately, her daughter was safe and sound, which was something to be grateful for.

She mourned silently for a while before suddenly remembering that they still had guests. So, she collected her emotions and wiped her tears, saying, “Look at me, being so useless and letting you laugh at me.”

When Zhou Mengrui’s parents heard Yu Meijuan’s words, they exchanged glances, thinking how these words did not sound like something a rural farmer’s wife would say. What exactly was Yu Meijuan’s status? Upon entering this house, they had already been drawn in by its furnishings.

Furnishings are closely related to hardware, but to showcase the hosts’ taste also requires a certain depth. Without taste, even the best furniture becomes lifeless, but with the owner’s thoughtful design, it becomes different, instilling meaning into the furniture.

For example, on the intricately carved furniture, Yu Meijuan had not only used burlap for the tablecloth but had also carefully made many coasters. Tablecloths and coasters are very common, but what was special were the exquisite embroidered patterns on them. Liu Huifang, who also had standards for life, was attracted by those beautifully crafted embroidered pieces as soon as she entered the house.

Additionally, there were several pieces of artwork hanging on the living room walls. At first glance, these paintings were clearly not famous works from renowned artists but rather newly created pieces.

Though the artwork wasn’t from famous hands, it still showed skill. Could these also be Yu Meijuan’s work?

If so, it meant Yu Meijuan did not have an ordinary background.

The couple speculated among themselves.

Yu Meijuan noticed that Liu Huifang’s eyes were fixed on the small items she had made, and she felt proud. These items were just the tip of the iceberg of her skills; she could do much more. However, in this rough era where people generally lived coarsely, her talents had no place to be utilized.

Finally finding someone who appreciated her work, she hurriedly asked Liu Huifang, “Sister, do you like these items?”

Liu Huifang was admiring the pieces when Yu Meijuan’s question suddenly pulled her back to reality. She quickly replied, “I really like these items, especially the embroidery on them. It’s hard to find such things nowadays. A skill like yours must have taken a long time to develop.” There was a slight hesitation in her question.

“Ah, speaking of this, it’s a long story. I am originally from the capital, and my family is relatively well-off. However, due to reasons we all know, I was sent down here as a sent-down youth. By chance, I married someone from here and never returned to the city,” Yu Meijuan explained her background, her gaze drifting off as if she could see her longed-for family at the end of her vision.

Liu Huifang, upon hearing Yu Meijuan’s story, suddenly understood. This aligned with her own assumptions about her.

“However, why don’t you go back to the capital? The policies are much more relaxed now. Those people have had their identities restored. It would be much better for you to go back than to live alone here with your daughter,” Liu Huifang sincerely thought for Yu Meijuan.

“You’re right, sister, but I was restricted in the village by that person, so I couldn’t leave. Now that I’ve divorced him and regained my freedom, I still have to wait for Zihan to finish her studies here before making any plans,” Yu Meijuan explained.

Yu Meijuan felt that Liu Huifang was worth befriending, especially since she and her daughter were alone in this city without any relatives. She wanted to make friends like this, so she shared her story with Liu Huifang, though she still held back some details.

“You’re right, sister.” Hearing Yu Meijuan share her private matters, Liu Huifang’s kind heart ached for her even more, and she felt a desire to help them.

She picked up a small tablecloth and handed it to her husband, Old Zhou.

Old Zhou understood his wife’s intentions, so he carefully examined the embroidery on the tablecloth.

In terms of Liu Huifang’s attraction to the tablecloth being based on her personal preference, Old Zhou was assessing it from the perspective of a professional.

At first, he didn’t pay much attention; while the embroidery was exquisite, the more he looked, the more amazed he became.

He glanced at the tablecloth, then at Yu Meijuan, his eyes filled purely with astonishment.

“This… this is actually authentic Su embroidery?” Initially, he wanted to help the mother and daughter because of his wife’s request, but it felt as if he had discovered treasure.

Su embroidery, Xiang embroidery, Yue embroidery, and Shu embroidery are the four great embroidery styles in China. Su embroidery is the most famous among them, especially known for its double-sided embroidery.

“Our factory is saved now! Little sister, would you be willing to do me a favor?” Old Zhou’s inexplicable words left Yu Meijuan and Yu Zihan looking at him in confusion.

Seeing the bewildered expressions on the mother and daughter’s faces, Old Zhou realized he had lost his composure.

So, he adjusted his mood and said, “I… I’m not…” Old Zhou surprisingly started to stutter.

Liu Huifang instantly understood what was going on with her husband’s expression. So she spoke for him, “I think my husband wants to invite you to work at their cotton spinning factory. Is that right, Old Zhou?”

She turned her gaze toward her husband.

Old Zhou felt relieved that his wife understood his intentions, so he nodded and continued, “Yes, our cotton spinning factory has just established a clothing factory. At the beginning, we only received a few domestic orders, but due to poor sales, the clothing factory’s profits were not good and had to rely on the cotton spinning factory for support. However, we recently received a foreign trade order.

I didn’t examine the details of the order carefully at the time; I just saw that the quantity was not large and that the production period wasn’t short, so I approved it.

But after we started, we discovered a problem. One requirement in the order was that any patterned areas of the garments needed to be hand-embroidered.

Initially, we brought in many people with embroidery skills to complete this work, but since these garments were made of high-quality silk, those people’s embroidery skills were difficult to meet the foreign client’s requirements. I was really worried about this issue. Now that I see your craftsmanship, doesn’t this mean you’ve saved our factory?” Old Zhou said happily.

Yu Meijuan felt very pleased that she could help the factory manager and earn money at the same time. Just as she was about to open her mouth to agree, Yu Zihan spoke up.

“Uncle Zhou, I’m also very happy that my mom can help you. But I have a question.” Seeing her serious expression, Old Zhou also replied earnestly, “What’s your question, Zihan? Feel free to ask.”