Chapter 36: A Generous Reward

Xie Wanniang smiled and exchanged greetings with her. "Xie Wanniang of the Xie clan, pleased to meet you, Proprietress Qin."

Proprietress Qin returned the gesture with a smile. "Miss Xie’s embroidery is exquisite. I imagine you must have put in a great deal of hard work to achieve such skill?"

Xie Wanniang nodded. "From the moment I could first hold a needle, I have been practicing for about ten years."

Unlike the typical pampered young ladies of high-ranking households, she was not the fragile, delicate sort who would grow breathless after taking a few extra steps. Because she cherished her life, she had always secretly exercised to maintain her health. Furthermore, having systematically studied traditional Chinese medicine in her previous life, she possessed a steadiness of hand, speed, and precision in her needlework that far surpassed that of an ordinary young woman. Among her sisters and female elders, none could match the speed at which she completed her needlework.

Proprietress Qin asked, "Have you ever embroidered large-scale pieces?"

Xie Wanniang continued to nod. "I have embroidered bed covers and curtains featuring 'Endless Generations of Descendants,' red wedding gowns adorned with 'Magpies on Plum Branches' and 'Dragons and Phoenixes,' as well as six-paneled screens depicting 'Wealth and Prosperity' and 'Longevity of Pines and Cranes.'"

With every item she mentioned, Proprietress Qin’s eyes brightened. By the time Xie Wanniang finished, the proprietress was so excited that she reached out and clasped her hand.

"My dear sister, I have a major job here. If you can handle the entire project, you could earn at least two hundred taels of silver."

It was still early, and apart from herself and the two shop assistants she employed, only Xie Wanniang and Jiang Yuan were in the shop. Even so, Proprietress Qin led Xie Wanniang into the small room where she usually kept her accounts before lowering her voice to discuss the matter.

"I have an old friend whose daughter has been pampered since childhood; she knows nothing of the laborious tasks like needlework or cooking. The clothes, shoes, socks, pouches, and handkerchiefs she wears are all made by others."

"Now that she is engaged, her mother is too busy preparing the rest of her dowry to help with the clothes, quilts, pillows, and curtains. So, she wants to hire a skilled embroiderer to do it for her."

Because the family could not do the work themselves and feared that hiring a professional workshop would lead to others recognizing the handiwork and gossiping about the bride behind her back, the mother had turned to Proprietress Qin, with whom she shared a close relationship.

Firstly, Proprietress Qin was known for her discretion and would not spread rumors within their circle of wealthy ladies. Secondly, because the embroidery sold in Qin’s shop was sourced from various places, the people in their circle rarely bought them; thus, the chance of the commissioned items being traced back to any specific embroiderer was very low.

That wealthy and doting mother did not intend to keep it a secret forever. After all, the groom’s family was well aware that the bride lacked these skills. She simply did not want people to immediately identify the work of a specific embroiderer the moment they saw the items at the wedding. She and her daughter had rivals in Tang County—people with whom they had to maintain social contact—and she did not want them using this as an excuse to ridicule her precious daughter and cause her distress. As long as the embroiderer found by Proprietress Qin was someone sufficiently obscure, ensuring her daughter would not lose face during the wedding days, she was happy to pay handsomely.

Upon accepting the commission, Proprietress Qin had quickly identified three potential candidates—all skilled, but rarely seen selling their work at the shop. Her original plan was to have all three, including Xie Wanniang, complete a large piece to test their abilities before deciding who would be awarded the full project.

However, plans often fail to keep pace with changes. One of the women had become pregnant and planned to stop doing embroidery for the next year, while another had to care for two children and an ailing mother-in-law, leaving her no time for large-scale work. Consequently, Proprietress Qin changed her strategy. Once she confirmed that Xie Wanniang was capable of handling large pieces, she presented the entire job directly to her.

The mention of two hundred taels made Xie Wanniang’s heart race—that was two hundred taels!

She asked, "What exactly needs to be done? I need to check if I can fit it into my schedule."

Proprietress Qin promptly produced a list. "Two sets of outfits for all four seasons; you only need to embroider the shoes and outer garments. The undergarments and socks are handled by them."

"Two wedding quilts, along with the matching mattress covers, pillowcases, and pillow towels, must also be embroidered."

"Then there are the bed curtains, the wedding gown, and the bridal veil. The gown and veil require 'Wealth and Prosperity' motifs, and there are two sets of curtains—one featuring 'Endless Generations of Descendants' and the other 'Good Fortune and Abundance.'"

"Of course, you understand that for embroidery alone, they would not offer such a high price."

Xie Wanniang nodded, acknowledging she understood. "A portion of this money is a 'hush fee'."

Proprietress Qin laughed at her directness. "You are indeed a clever one, little sister."

Xie Wanniang smiled. "But Proprietress Qin, I can guarantee that I will not reveal this matter, but I cannot guarantee that no one will try to cause trouble for them during the wedding."

"As you said, the young lady knows nothing of embroidery. There is no such thing as an airtight secret. At her age, there must be quite a few people who already know this."

"Not to mention those looking for a fight; even if they haven't heard a whisper, they can easily invent lies just to stir up trouble and upset the family. You see my point, don't you?"

She did not want to be the innocent scapegoat if the family lost face or the girl faced hardship from her in-laws because of it. She would not take that blame.

Proprietress Qin patted Xie Wanniang’s hand. "What did I say? You are indeed sharp. But rest assured, my old friend has already considered this."

"Even if someone says something during the wedding, they won't shift the blame onto you or me."

"The in-laws are also aware that the bride cannot do these things. Both families know each other well; paying to have these items made is merely to ensure the wedding is as beautiful as possible."

Otherwise, her friend would have insisted on separating the hush fee and having the embroiderer sign a contract, rather than lumping it into the labor costs as she had done.

Despite Proprietress Qin’s firm assurances, Xie Wanniang still could not feel entirely at ease. She said, "Let us draw up a contract, then, with the rights and responsibilities of both parties clearly stated to avoid any disputes later."

Compared to the proprietress's character, she trusted a written agreement on paper more.

Proprietress Qin’s elegant willow-leaf eyebrows arched slightly. "You are well-suited for my line of work."

Xie Wanniang gave her a radiant smile. "Thank you for the compliment, Proprietress."

Proprietress Qin laughed as well. "Very well, then. Let’s discuss the specific terms of the contract."