Chapter 68.1

After Lu Yu and the others left, Jiang Nian followed Ge Mei to the state-run embroidery shop.

The state-run embroidery shop in Yuan city was larger and more prominent than the previous one. As Jiang Nian entered with Ge Mei, they were greeted by a woman around her age standing at the counter. She had short, ear-length hair, bright eyes, and a mole near her mouth, giving off a very capable impression.

Ge Mei introduced her, “This is Su Na, our receptionist. She’s responsible for welcoming customers, introducing our embroidery designs, and keeping the entire shop clean and tidy, ensuring that our customers feel comfortable and happy when they come in.”

Jiang Nian smiled and said, “Hello, I’m Jiang Nian.”

Su Na’s smile was warm and welcoming. Ge Mei introduced Jiang Nian to Su Na, “This is our new embroiderer, Jiang Nian. She’ll be working with us from now on.”

Jiang Nian wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she clearly saw a fleeting look of surprise in Su Na’s eyes when Ge Mei mentioned her name.

After the introductions, Ge Mei took Jiang Nian aside and whispered, “I’ve already submitted your information to the director. The review has been approved, so you can start working right away.”

Jiang Nian was surprised at how quickly things were moving. She replied, “Alright.”

The embroidery shop was spacious. There were three tables and benches outside, and next to the counter was a partitioned area with a half curtain embroidered with the words “State-run embroidery shop.” Ge Mei led her inside. The interior was also quite large, with five embroidery frames comfortably fitting inside. Against the wall were two rows of cabinets holding folded embroidery fabrics and a few embroidery frames.

The five people inside had heard the conversation outside and glanced at Jiang Nian as she followed Ge Mei. Jiang Nian nodded and smiled at everyone. Three of them smiled back, while two merely gave her a cold look before returning to their embroidery work.

Jiang Nian didn’t mind.

Ge Mei clapped her hands, “Everyone, stop what you’re doing for a moment. I’d like to introduce you to someone.”

The five people put down their work and looked at Ge Mei. She said, “This is Jiang Nian, our new embroiderer. From now on, we’ll be working together. Feel free to discuss and learn from each other.”

Ge Mei went on to explain some of the shop’s rules and then introduced the five embroiderers to Jiang Nian.

The embroiderer sitting at the front was Yu Xia, who was around the same age as Zhai Peipei. She was friendly and smiled at Jiang Nian, saying a few words. The embroiderer next to her, Dong Shu, looked a few years younger than Yu Xia and gave Jiang Nian a cold look without saying anything before returning to her work.

Jiang Nian politely exchanged a few words but felt uncomfortable with the introductions.

At the back were Jia Yuan, who just like Dong Shu, only gave Jiang Nian a brief glance and a cold snort before returning to her work, and two others named Shu Xue and Fan Shan, who smiled at Jiang Nian but didn’t say much.

Ge Mei said, “I’ve always been fair. Everyone’s skills speak for themselves. Since I brought Jiang Nian here, I’m confident she’ll contribute to our shop’s progress. Yesterday, the director and others discussed two embroidery designs with overseas clients, which need to be flawless. I’ve decided to assign one design to Sister Dong and the other to our new embroiderer, Jiang Nian.”

Upon hearing this, all five people looked at Jiang Nian with varying degrees of ridicule and indifference in their eyes.

Jiang Nian: …

She glanced at Ge Mei speechlessly.

Sister Ge, you really know how to make me a target, giving me such a major task right from the start.

Dong Shu frowned deeply, clearly displeased, and even Yu Xia seemed unhappy. Jia Yuan, who was leaning against the window, sneered, and did not give Ge Mei and Jiang Nian any face at all. Jiang Nian frowned slightly, and vaguely realized that something was wrong in this embroidery shop.

Shu Xue and Fan Shan, sitting at the back, said nothing but looked at Jiang Nian with meaningful gazes.

Ge Mei’s expression remained unchanged, her tone as calm as before, “Everyone, continue with your work. I’ll take her to the dormitory to get familiar with the place.”

With that, she led Jiang Nian out. Su Na outside greeted them, “Director Ge.”

Ge Mei nodded and led Jiang Nian outside. They had already seen the dormitory earlier, so Jiang Nian knew Ge Mei had something to say.

As they walked down the street, Ge Mei’s smile faded, showing a rare look of frustration. Jiang Nian pressed her lips together and asked, “Has everything been difficult since you came here?”

Ge Mei’s smile turned bitter, “I knew you were smart the first time we met. You can see through things at a glance.”

Jiang Nian felt a bit self-conscious. She was sensitive to such matters but rather slow when it came to emotions, especially regarding Lu Yu. If Lu Yu hadn’t confessed everything at the hospital, she might still be clueless about her feelings for him.

She smiled and said, “Jia Yuan seems very hostile towards me.”

Ge Mei sighed, “Not just you, she’s hostile to me too. Our former place can’t compare to Yuan city. Although we’re all comrades, embroiderers hold more weight than a director like me. A director can be replaced by someone competent, but a skilled embroiderer is hard to find. Yuan city’s state-run embroidery shop is gradually cooperating with overseas clients. Although it’s not on a large scale yet, it might be in a few years. At this critical moment, embroiderers are indispensable talents, and I, as a director, have to accommodate them.”

Jiang Nian looked at Ge Mei. In half a year, Ge Mei’s hair had turned whiter, and she looked much more haggard than before.

Ge Mei turned to Jiang Nian and said, “Jiang Nian, I’m sorry to push you into such a difficult position, but right now, you are my only hope. As long as your embroidery can surpass Dong Shu’s, I can gain some respect in the workshop, and they won’t dare look down on you. This shop values skill above all else. With your embroidery skills, I believe they will see you in a new light.”

She extended her hand to Jiang Nian. Despite her weathered face showing signs of age, her eyes were full of determination. “Let’s face the challenges together.”

Jiang Nian grasped Ge Mei’s hand and smiled, “Since I’m your trump card, I’ll give my all to this task. I won’t let you down.”

This was a way for Jiang Nian to repay Ge Mei’s favor and also to assert herself. This state-run embroidery shop was different from the previous small-scale one. It was a real battlefield.

Jiang Nian and Ge Mei walked around outside for a while, discussing the backgrounds of the people in the shop. After a while, they returned.

Ge Mei went to the textile factory to check on the embroidery fabric, while Jiang Nian returned to the shop. As she opened the door, Su Na greeted her, “Comrade Jiang, you’re back.”

Jiang Nian smiled, “Yes.”

It was still cold, and the shop was warmed by a stove. Jiang Nian warmed her hands by the fire and listened to Jia Yuan’s voice from the partitioned area, “I don’t know if she’s a mule or a horse, but she’s out there for all to see. If she messes up the embroidery, the director can pack up and leave too.”

Dong Shu added, “Exactly. Giving such an important embroidery task to her right away, Director Ge clearly looks down on us. I’m curious to see how skilled this Jiang Nian really is. If she fails, Director Ge will have nowhere to cry.”

Fan Shan chimed in, “I wonder if this young embroiderer is really that skilled? Can she compare with Sister Yu and Sister Dong?”

In this shop, the two best embroiderers were Yu Xia and Dong Shu. Yu Xia, who had just turned fifty, was the oldest and most skilled. Dong Shu was a few years younger and had a different embroidery style, with sharper edges. From her conversation with Ge Mei, Jiang Nian learned that Dong Shu and Jia Yuan were the most disobedient towards Ge Mei.

Dong Shu had a sharp personality, like an unyielding stone edge. Yu Xia, on the other hand, appeared gentle but was equally ambitious, just not outwardly so. The most troublesome was Jia Yuan, who relied on her wealthy and influential in-laws, often flaunting her power in the textile factory and the workshop.

Jiang Nian thought of the saying “a petty person in power” to describe Jia Yuan perfectly.

Su Na glanced at Jiang Nian, who was quietly warming herself by the stove, seemingly unaffected by the voices inside. She was so focused that when Jiang Nian looked up at her, she snapped back to reality and smiled apologetically.

Jiang Nian nodded lightly, her bright eyes reflecting a hint of a smile.

She knew that Dong Shu and the others were speaking loudly on purpose for her to hear. When she entered and Su Na greeted her, they must have heard.

Occasionally, Jia Yuan’s voice could still be heard from the partitioned area. Jiang Nian paid it no mind. Once her hands were warm, she walked into the partitioned area. Fan Shan and Shu Xue looked up at her and smiled without saying anything. Jia Yuan snorted, “I really don’t understand why Director Ge brought you here. Maybe you are another relative of Director Ge and got in through the back door?”

Dong Shu added, “Our shop values skill above all. Even if you get in through the back door, you will be kicked out if you don’t have the skills.”

Yu Xia said, “Okay, we all work in the same embroidery shop, so let’s be friendly.” She then addressed Jiang Nian, “Don’t mind what they say. It’s understandable they’re upset since you were given such an important task right away. Just show them your true skills.”

Jiang Nian looked at Yu Xia, whose face bore a smile, but she didn’t miss the mockery in her eyes.

Ge Mei was right about Yu Xia being a sharp edge wrapped in cotton. Her seemingly gentle words were laced with sharpness, playing the peacemaker while setting Jiang Nian up for a fall.

Jiang Nian preferred dealing with Dong Shu, who was straightforward and less manipulative.

Jiang Nian smiled and said, “Since Sister Yu has said so, I’ll give my all when embroidering. I wouldn’t want to disappoint your kind reminder.”

Yu Xia nodded, ignored Jiang Nian, and lowered her head to continue embroidering.

Dong Shu and Jia Yuan looked at Jiang Nian, amused.

Giving her all?

Despite her young age, how good could her embroidery be? Could she really surpass Yu Xia?

An idle embroidery frame was placed by the wall. Jiang Nian moved it to a spot near the window, next to Shu Xue, and sat down. Su Na came in from the outer room, holding a piece of fine embroidery fabric, and handed it to Jiang Nian, then went back to fetch a design. She said, “Comrade Jiang, this is the piece you’ll be working on.”

“Thank you.”

Jiang Nian took the design, expertly fixed the embroidery fabric on the frame, sorted the threads, and spread the design on her lap, quietly studying it. She examined it for a long time, causing Shu Xue to glance at her repeatedly. Jiang Nian turned and smiled at her.

Shu Xue hesitated and asked softly, “Aren’t you starting yet?”

Jiang Nian had been looking at the design for almost an hour.

Jia Yuan, sitting in front of Jiang Nian, turned and sneered, “She probably doesn’t know where to start. I’ve already finished embroidering a flower in the hour she’s been dawdling.”

Fan Shan, sitting next to Shu Xue, also glanced at Jiang Nian.

Ignoring Jia Yuan’s sarcasm, Jiang Nian let her perform her solo act. Jia Yuan assumed Jiang Nian felt guilty and became even more eager to see her fail.

Dong Shu and Yu Xia also glanced over, seeing Jiang Nian bent over the design on her lap, her scattered bangs casting shadows on her pale skin. Although she hadn’t started embroidering yet, she was already in a very impressive posture.