Chapter 32: This Arduous Task Is Entrusted to You

"That’s how it is, anyway. I know how to do it; are you two going to learn or not? If not, I can't be bothered to teach you."

"We'll learn! We'll learn!" the two replied hastily.

"What I’m going to teach you is double-sided embroidery."

"Double-sided embroidery?" Wen Yu'er paused, then said excitedly, "I know about that. It’s embroidery that has a pattern on both sides. Such work is very expensive! At the embroidery shop, an ordinary double-sided embroidered folding fan sells for 200 wen! I heard an embroiderer there say that stitching one fan pays 20 wen. If you can do 50 in a month, you can earn a tael of silver!"

Wen Lan added excitedly, "If we learn this, we can make fans too. If we earn a tael every month... that’s 12 taels a year! Wouldn't that mean we’re going to be rich?"

A tael... Wen Ye’s mouth twitched. "Can our 'small goal' be a little bit bigger? What I’m teaching you isn’t standard double-sided embroidery, but double-sided embroidery with different colors. Meaning both sides have patterns, but the colors are different."

Wen Lan and Yu'er looked puzzled. Yu'er asked, "Different colors on both sides?"

"Never seen it?" Wen Ye smiled. "That’s even better; it’s sure to fetch a good price. Pick up your needles, and I’ll teach you. We’ll start with the basics."

Before she traveled through time, Wen Ye was born into a wealthy family and had studied various arts since childhood. In painting, specifically, her skills were good enough to hold an exhibition. Her grandmother loved Su-style embroidery, and having grown up watching her, Wen Ye was quite proficient in it.

Wen Ye drew a simple plum blossom sketch and began by teaching them the easiest stitches to create gradients and depth. Wen Lan and Yu'er had been handling needles since they were toddlers and had been selling embroidered handkerchiefs since they were ten, so they had a solid foundation. Once Wen Ye explained the techniques and tricks, they grasped them immediately.

Under Wen Ye's guidance, they began to stitch. A quarter of an hour later—

Wen Lan stroked her work excitedly, "M-my petals can actually show a gradient from light to dark red!"

Wen Yu'er nodded, "So it’s that simple! As long as you divide the areas, one long stitch and one short stitch can create a gradient effect."

"That’s called 'long-and-short stitch' and 'flat-fill'," Wen Ye said. "If you want the layers to be richer and more natural, just divide it into more sections and be patient. Practice for a while; the real challenge comes later."

After that, Wen Ye let them practice on their own. After an hour or so, they had mastered the basics, and Wen Ye moved on to teach them "scatter-fill" on top of the flat-fill technique.

Wen Yu'er and Wen Lan’s eyes lit up. "This scatter-fill looks even more natural than the flat-fill. Can I really achieve this effect?"

"Of course. Once you know the trick, combined with your foundation, you’ll pick it up quickly. Oh, one more thing." Wen Ye’s expression grew serious. "As you’ve seen, the fabrics I bought this time include satin and silk. These are precious materials, unlike what we’ve worked with before. Your hands cannot be chapped or rough, or you’ll snag the fabric. You must protect your hands. From now on, you shouldn't touch any heavy chores at home."

The two were startled. Wen Lan asked anxiously, "That won't work, what about the housework?"

Wen Yu'er’s heart sank, "There's so much work to do at home; it’s impossible not to do any."

Wen Ye raised an eyebrow, "So, do you want to earn money or do farm work?"

The two hesitated. Wen Lan said hurriedly, "Earn money!"

Thinking of the 9 taels and 600 wen, Wen Yu'er nodded quickly, "Right, earn money! I couldn't earn 9 taels even after ten years of doing housework!"

Wen Ye nodded with a smile, "I believe Father, Mother, and Aunt Guihua will understand. Besides, it’s not like you can’t do anything. The fabric is precious, but it’s not that fragile. You can still do light chores like washing clothes, cooking, or feeding the chickens and pigs. Just avoid things like chopping wood, weeding, or harvesting—anything that might hurt your hands or cause calluses."

The two finally sighed in relief.

Afterward, Wen Ye stretched and stood up, "Practice well; you need at least three days of practice."

"Aren't you going to embroider, Ye-ya?" Wen Yu'er looked up.

"Uh... you two do it! Such a strenuous task will be left to you from now on."

At the mere thought of embroidery, Wen Ye’s fingers began to ache. She didn't like embroidery at all and lacked the patience for it. If it weren't for necessity, she would never have chosen it to make money. Now that she had her "first pot of gold," she naturally had to look for other ways to make a living. She needed to think carefully about what else to do.

Wen Lan and Yu'er practiced diligently. Whenever they were confused, Wen Ye would demonstrate for them. By evening, thanks to their solid foundation, their scatter-fill looked decent, though it was still far from exquisite and required more practice.

"It’s getting late, I need to go home and cook," Wen Yu'er said, packing up her things. She really didn't want to leave, but her parents would be home soon.

"Yu'er, I’ll go pick some vegetables from your garden," Wen Ye said, standing up.

"Go ahead! Pick plenty, or they’ll just rot in the ground."

Wen Ye grabbed a basket and went to Wen Yu'er's garden. It was well-stocked with seasonal vegetables. She picked a bunch of baby bok choy, two tender cucumbers, a handful of chili peppers, and dug up some garlic and ginger. Since her home only had salt and lard, she borrowed some vinegar, soy sauce, and a little sugar from Yu'er.

Just as she left, she saw Wen Yuan returning with two small crucian carp—only three fingers wide, barely grown yet already "on the job."

Back home, crouching in front of the stove, Wen Ye felt frustrated—that flint was simply impossible to use!

Wen Lan walked in just then, and Wen Ye smiled, "Sister, why don't you handle the fire? I’ll take care of the rest."

Wen Lan took the flint, "You go ahead."

Wen Ye sighed in relief and went to wash the cucumbers. She smashed them, added minced garlic, lard, salt, and vinegar, then poured a bit of hot oil over them. A simple cold salad was ready.

...

As time passed, Wen Laosan and Mrs. Lin returned home. Once they had washed up, Wen Ye served the meal: white rice, the cold cucumber salad, stir-fried baby bok choy, and a milky-white crucian carp soup.

The weather had been stiflingly hot lately, and everyone felt listless, but as soon as the sour, savory scent of the salad hit their noses, the whole family perked up and began to eat.

"Oh my, why is this stir-fried cucumber so spicy and sour? It’s quite refreshing," Mrs. Lin said after taking a bite.

Wen Laosan and the others also ate with gleaming eyes, "I never imagined that adding more vinegar and chili to stir-fried cucumber would taste this good."

Wen Ye was stunned, "It’s just a cold salad, why would you call it stir-fried?"

"What’s a 'cold salad'?" Wen Yuan usually feared spice, but the cucumber, mixed with the strong aroma of garlic and vinegar, was so delicious that he kept eating despite the heat.

Wen Ye was bewildered. Did this era not have cold salads? As she thought about it, her eyes lit up—she could sell cold salads!

"Hahaha, this is a dish I learned from a fairy realm called 'cold salad.' How about we set up a stall in town and sell it?"

The couple was stunned. "What fairy realm?"

Wen Lan repeated the story Wen Ye had told earlier.

Wen Yuan looked excited, "I once heard a storyteller in town talk about a scholar who fell into a coma after being injured and was taken by a fairy to wander a celestial realm. The scholar read many books there that don't exist in the mortal world, and after he woke up, he passed the imperial exams and became a top scholar!"

"So it’s true! Second Sister really visited a fairy realm!"

Mrs. Lin’s eyes reddened. She had thought her daughter’s personality change was due to water in her head or some injury. Little did she know, her daughter had been enlightened by immortals and had an extraordinary encounter! It was truly a case of "surviving a great disaster brings great fortune"!