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Jia Yue’er glanced at Shopkeeper Su. They had known each other for some time now. She understood that although Su was a businesswoman who showed herself prominently, she had a proud demeanor. For Su to consistently praise someone indicated genuine admiration.
Looking at the embroidery in her hands, Jia Yue’er found herself intrigued by this Madam Shen.
Madam Shen?
As Jia Yue’er took a step forward, her foot hesitated. She had been so focused on admiring the embroidery and conversing with Shopkeeper Su that she had overlooked Madam Shen’s surname. Was Madam Shen’s surname from her husband’s family or her own? Her brow furrowed slightly in thought.
Meanwhile, Shopkeeper Su had already instructed the assistant to bring in all the embroideries Su Zhi had brought earlier and had called for Su Zhi herself to come in.
The assistant immediately walked towards the entrance.
“Madam Shen, our shopkeeper is calling you inside. Bring these embroideries with you. There’s a distinguished guest inside who really admires your new designs.”
With these words, the assistant reached out and picked up the basket that Su Zhi had set aside.
Su Zhi had been admiring the splendid embroideries inside the shop. Upon hearing this, she set down what she was holding and moved towards the counter, following the assistant into the back.
“Sister Zhao, you’re here. Your embroideries this time are exceptionally fresh. They were immediately appreciated as soon as they arrived. Next time, bring more, and perhaps add a few more designs. I know you must be finding these sums trivial now, so consider it helping out your sister’s business. I really appreciate your efforts,” said the shopkeeper Su
Shopkeeper Su smiled as she spoke to Su Zhi, feeling that after these days of interaction, they had become quite familiar. She even felt comfortable calling Su Zhi her sister.
Su Zhi lightly bowed to Shopkeeper Su and replied, “Sister, you’re too kind. You’ve provided me with a means of livelihood. How could I not be grateful? I know a thing or two about embroidery techniques. I’ll take it step by step. Rest assured, I’ll definitely sell everything here. That’s a promise.”
The relationship between Su Zhi and Shopkeeper Su was good. Primarily because Shopkeeper Su was warm-hearted, and also because they shared the same surname, which gave Su Zhi a sense of familiarity. Being called sisters didn’t feel awkward to her. Moreover, considering future business prospects and the potential collaboration with Shopkeeper Su, Su Zhi felt reassured. Therefore, her smile was genuine when facing Shopkeeper Su. However, when she glanced at the person beside her, her smile stiffened slightly. She noticed the peculiar look in the woman’s eyes directed towards her.
Shopkeeper Su noticed Su Zhi’s gaze towards Jia Yue’er. Jia Yue’er was also looking at Su Zhi, prompting Shopkeeper Su to introduce them.
“Madam Yue, this is the Madam Shen I mentioned earlier. Her husband’s surname is Shen, and her maiden name is Zhao. She’s the creative mind behind these embroideries, very skilled indeed. Not only is she excellent at embroidery, but also at designing these patterns.”
“Sister Zhao, this is the young daughter-in-law of Qian, the wealthy master in town. You can just call her Madam Yue,” Shopkeeper Su introduced.
Shopkeeper Su didn’t mention to Su Zhi that she was a concubine of Qian’s son, referring to her instead as the daughter-in-law, a respectful term used by others for Zhang Baozhu’s concubines. This was a form of acknowledgment, given Zhang Baozhu’s significant influence in the town. Jia Yue’er was widely known as one of Zhang Baozhu’s favored concubines.
Su Zhi looked at Jia Yue’er. She had heard about Zhang Baozhu’s many concubines, with Jia Yue’er being the latest and most favored. Meeting her today, Su Zhi noted that while Jia Yue’er wasn’t as striking as she had imagined, she had clear and delicate skin. Her eyes carried a charming and soft allure, a blend of youthful beauty and a hint of coquettishness. She wasn’t quite a seductress nor a pure and innocent beauty, but something in between. It was no wonder she could captivate a wealthy young master.
“Madam Yue, hello,” Su Zhi greeted politely.
Su Zhi nodded lightly in greeting towards Jia Yue’er, unsure why she felt like Madam Yue was giving her a strange look. She wondered what could possibly be interesting about a village woman like herself. Was it because her skin was fairer than Madam Yue’s? Did she envy her for that?
It wasn’t just Su Zhi’s imagination. Her skin had indeed become very clear lately. Even though her features were merely delicate, her complexion was fair and flawless, complemented by a warm and inviting smile. This made Su Zhi quite noticeable among the villagers, and almost everyone considered her attractive.
Over these days, Su Zhi had heard many people envy her skin, including Liang Fu. She had even stopped using the Spiritual Spring for bathing, but her skin remained radiant. She couldn’t help it, and even sunbathing hadn’t changed her complexion. She couldn’t believe that this wealthy Madam Yue might be envious of her skin as well. She had heard that women who relied on their looks to maintain favor often placed great importance on such matters.
Jia Yue’er was indeed staring at Su Zhi ever since she entered. She had seen Su Zhi before from a distance, enough to appreciate her looks, which were far from typical for a village woman. However, seeing her up close now, Jia Yue’er couldn’t help but marvel at Su Zhi’s distinctiveness. Was this woman really just a village woman? With her demeanor and complexion, she seemed anything but a village woman!
“Madam. Shen, your hands are truly skillful. I love these kinds of Embroideries you’ve woven. If you have any new designs, especially festive ones, sell them directly to me. I’m willing to pay more silver for them. How about ten taels for each type? If ten taels aren’t enough, I’ll pay twenty. If twenty isn’t enough, then thirty,” Jia Yue’er said warmly, her words friendly on the surface but driven by her desire to demonstrate wealth and status. She wanted to make it clear that she could afford to pay ten taels of silver for just one type of design.
Shopkeeper Su couldn’t help but think that Jia Yue’er really loved the designs crafted by Madam Shen, willing to spend a significant amount of silver just to acquire her unique creations.
On the other hand, Su Zhi felt something was amiss. While it was normal for someone of Jia Yue’er’s status as a concubine of a wealthy household to indulge in luxury and spend generously on unique items, the way she looked at Su Zhi made her uncomfortable. It seemed Jia Yue’er wasn’t spending out of genuine admiration for the designs, but rather to display her wealth. It felt like a deliberate act to make Su Zhi aware of her financial capability.
This puzzled Su Zhi. Did Jia Yue’er dislike her? Why would she flaunt her wealth so conspicuously during their first meeting? Could it be jealousy over Su Zhi’s flawless skin, attempting to compensate by emphasizing her financial superiority?
Su Zhi pondered over the situation and felt that if Jia Yue’er truly harbored such thoughts, she was being superficial. She wouldn’t look down on her just because she was a concubine, but such behavior could lead to a loss of respect.
“Madam Yue, I’ve already promised Sister Su that I’ll bring all the lace I make to sell here,” Su Zhi said, considering that thirty taels of silver was indeed a substantial sum. Yet, she didn’t feel compelled to accept just to appease Jia Yue’er. She wasn’t desperate for that thirty taels now. Selling one piece for thirty taels wasn’t as good as continuing to make them. She would eventually sell thirty taels, and maybe even three hundred.
Shopkeeper Su chuckled beside her, thinking Madam Shen was worth befriending. She wasn’t blinded by the thirty taels of silver.
Upon hearing this, Jia Yue’er turned to Shopkeeper Su and said, “Shopkeeper Su, I wonder if you’d consider letting go of this ‘Hundred Flowers Vying for Spring’? I really like it, and since it’s the first piece Madam Shen has made, I’m sure she hasn’t sold it to anyone else yet. Why not sell it to me?”
Shopkeeper u felt a bit uneasy about Jia Yue’er’s eagerness to buy, as she had just taken the item from Su Zhi’s hands. However, considering that Su Zhi would likely create more fresh designs in the future, it wasn’t worth offending Jia Yue’er over this particular piece.
“Sister, if you wish to sell to Madam Yue, I won’t contest,”
Su Zhi, thinking that perhaps Jia Yue’er truly wanted a unique piece to demonstrate her distinction or to please someone important. Refusing earlier had already shown she wasn’t solely money-driven. If she wasn’t going to be suppressed by Jia Yue’er, she might as well make the most of this business opportunity. However, considering the look Jia Yue’er had given her earlier, she decided to ask for more silver this time.
“I won’t make many of this type of lace. Eighty taels.”
Su Zhi felt that she hadn’t asked for too much. If each piece of this lace sold for ten wen, then one hundred pieces would amount to one thousand wen, which equated to one tael of silver. It would be quite easy to earn back eighty taels. Moreover, if she taught others to make it, she could earn the eighty taels back without much delay. And in the future, she could continue to earn.
It was akin to selling a patent. Once sold, aside from the initial payment, one had no claim over how much money others made from it. But if one produced and sold the product themselves, they could continue to earn money indefinitely.
As someone who understood this principle well, Su Zhi, while not opposed to making a quick profit, also sought ways to maximize her earnings. Particularly with Madam Yue, who had shown from the outset that she was affluent, Su Zhi wouldn’t hold back.
When Shopkeeper Su heard Su Zhi’s request, she calculated silently. The price Su Zhi was asking seemed like a lot to her, enough to buy land or a house. However, if she considered how Su Zhi could have earned the eighty taels by teaching others to make the lace, it didn’t seem like too much. So she remained silent.
Jia Yue’er’s heart skipped a beat when Su Zhi asked for eighty taels. Even as the most favored concubine of Zhang Baozhu, it was still quite painful to produce such a large sum at once. However, she had bid boldly earlier and expressed a strong liking for this lace, so backing out now would be too embarrassing.
“Alright, eighty taels, I’ll buy it!”
Jia Yue’er gritted her teeth, feigning indifference, but her hand hidden in her sleeve clenched into a tight fist.
Her maid behind her glanced at her knowingly; she was well aware that Madam Yue didn’t have that much silver on her.
Jia Yue’er knew it too well herself. She turned to Su Zhi and said, “Madam Shen, I rushed out and didn’t bring so much silver with me. Please wait here, I’ll go back and get the money. Alternatively, Shopkeeper Su, could you advance the payment for Madam Shen? I’ll repay you shortly.”
Shopkeeper Su wasn’t concerned about Jia Yue’er defaulting on the payment and nodded. “If Madam Yue has urgent matters to attend to, I’ll settle the payment for Madam Shen first.”
Jia Yue’er smiled and replied, “I do have some urgent matters. I’ll take my leave then.”
With that, Jia Yue’er handed the lace to her maid and nodded to both Su Zhi and the shopkeeper before covering her head lightly with a veil and walking away.
Su Zhi watched Jia Yue’er’s departure, noting her elegant veil. She thought to herself that wealthy families truly paid attention to details—even wearing a veil when going out. It occurred to her that even Liang Fu didn’t have such a habit. It seemed that despite being a concubine, Jia Yue’er had refined manners.
After Jia Yue’er was escorted out by Shopkeeper Su, Su Zhi moved forward.
Shen Zi’an noticed that his wife hadn’t come out yet, so he walked in and smiled at Su Zhi.
Shopkeeper Su greeted Shen Zi’an and chuckled, “Brother Shen, you’re looking more spirited these days. Any luck with hunting tigers again? If you do, just remember, I’ve already got dibs on the tiger skin!”
Shen Zi’an replied, “There aren’t that many tigers around, but if I do encounter one again, the tiger skin already have an owner—I’ll make it into a tiger fur blanket for my wife. Her body tends to feel cold, so I need to keep her warm.”
Knowing that Su Zhi always felt cold even in the hot weather, Shen Zi’an thought about how she didn’t seem to get warm even in winter. He was concerned about her being cold, and having a tiger skin would be perfect for his wife.
Su Zhi’s shopkeeper teased, “You really dote on your wife. It makes me envious.”
Shen Zi’an smiled as he looked at his wife, noticing her smile. He believed in pampering his wife, but he felt like the veiled woman beside her was observing him. Though he couldn’t discern her expression clearly, he glanced at her, and her gaze didn’t hold the same warmth as Su Zhi’s.
Jia Yue’er left without saying a word. As she stepped out, she casually glanced back and saw Shen Zi’an holding Su Zhi’s hand, engaged in conversation. Another look revealed a loaded ox cart nearby, undoubtedly belonging to the Shen family. She thought to herself that they seemed to be living quite well.
Shopkeeper Su noticed Jia Yue’er looking at the cart and praised Shen Zi’an and his wife for their compatibility and competence.
Jia Yue’er didn’t respond, boarding the luxurious carriage nearby. Inside, she clasped her hands tightly under her silk sleeves, her hands already turning red from the pressure.
“Seeing them again… They seem to be doing so well. Loving couple, harmonious family… That seems nice too, doesn’t it?”
Jia Yue’er wasn’t sure what she wanted exactly, only feeling a tightness in her chest as she pondered her thoughts.