Chapter 40: More Skilled in Su Embroidery

Madam Qin could not stop praising the craftsmanship and speed of Xie Wangniang’s work, and she mentioned that she had other clients who were also in need of exquisite, large-scale embroidery pieces.

Thinking ahead to the coming winter, when she would be unable to forage for medicinal herbs on the mountain for several months, Xie Wangniang agreed to take on more embroidery commissions.

Naturally, to prevent anyone from identifying that the wedding garments and quilts she had previously made for that young lady’s nuptials came from her hand, all the orders Madam Qin helped her secure were, without exception, for wealthy families outside of Tang County.

This included the kang screen that Madam Qin had previously wanted Xie Wangniang to embroider.

After hearing the client’s requirements, Xie Wangniang realized they were not insistent on the use of Palace-style embroidery. She took the initiative to ask Madam Qin, "May I use the Su embroidery technique instead? It would allow me to maintain better confidentiality."

Madam Qin was surprised. "You have also learned Su embroidery?"

Xie Wangniang nodded. "My master said that my Su embroidery has more spirit than my Palace embroidery."

The embroidery master hired by the Xie family for the sisters had learned the Su style, which her own mother excelled in, during her youth, only beginning to learn Palace embroidery from her mother-in-law after she married. After the Xie family hired her, because Palace embroidery had always been more popular than Su embroidery in the northern prefectures and counties, Xie Wangniang’s adoptive mother had decided from the start that the sisters should focus on learning Palace embroidery.

Xie Wangniang had been an obedient student, but she had also secretly learned the Su style from her master, which interested her far more. Perhaps it was true that "interest is the best teacher"; while Xie Wangniang seemed like a heartless embroidery machine when working in the Palace style, she displayed a rare touch of inspiration when working with Su embroidery. Of course, compared to those truly gifted in the craft, Xie Wangniang’s talent was hardly worth mentioning—she was merely comparing her own Su embroidery to her own Palace embroidery.

Xie Wangniang spoke earnestly, but Madam Qin’s first reaction was disbelief. Although Xie Wangniang had always proven reliable in their past dealings, her youth and her delicate, fresh-faced appearance made it very difficult for Madam Qin to believe that she had mastered two distinct styles of embroidery simultaneously.

Reason told Madam Qin that Xie Wangniang would not lie about such a thing, but her mouth clearly had a mind of its own.

"How is that possible? You are still so young!" The retort slipped out before she could stop it. Realizing her faux pas, Madam Qin’s face flushed with embarrassment. She added, "I don't mean to doubt you..."

Xie Wangniang waved her hand with a smile. "It is only natural that you have your doubts. Why don't we do as we did before and let the work speak for itself?"

Madam Qin raised an eyebrow. That was precisely the truth; for those who earned their living through embroidery, no amount of talk could compare to seeing the actual work.

She nodded. "You are right, sister. Rather than me standing here making a fuss, I should just get an embroidery frame and let you show me what you can do."

Xie Wangniang shook her head. "That is not necessary. We need only specify in the contract that if the work does not meet your standards, you have the right to refuse it."

This order was different from the last. Because there was no "hush money" involved, the remuneration offered was standard—neither too much nor too little. Under these circumstances, Xie Wangniang felt no absolute necessity to force a sale. She could pay for the fabric and thread herself, and if the finished piece was satisfactory, she would have Madam Qin reimburse her. If Madam Qin did not like the work, she would simply take back the contract and sell the piece elsewhere. She wouldn't lose money; it would only cost her a little more time to find a new buyer.

As it happened, she planned to make a trip to the county seat before the New Year to find a broker and purchase some fertile land near Mingfu Village. If Madam Qin did not accept the embroidery, she could easily take it to the county seat.

Seeing Xie Wangniang so confident, Madam Qin felt it unnecessary to insist on an on-the-spot demonstration. However, she did not accept money for the fabric and thread. "Take the materials back with you. When you have finished the kang screen, we can discuss the payment then."

Their previous collaboration had given her great confidence in Xie Wangniang. Since Xie Wangniang had spoken so firmly, Madam Qin saw no reason to continue acting suspicious. After all, her embroidery shop was large enough that it would not fall into a financial crisis over a bit of fabric and thread. Rather than rushing to collect money now, it was better to show some goodwill and build rapport with Xie Wangniang. After all, she had already verified that Xie Wangniang possessed genuine Palace-style embroidery skills and could work at a speed that was truly eye-opening.

After signing the contract, Xie Wangniang left with the fabric, thread, and cotton she had purchased, along with the materials provided by Madam Qin. As for the embroidery frame and other tools, Madam Qin generously gifted her the ones she had previously borrowed.

Xie Wangniang accepted them after a moment's thought. She understood that this was an investment and a gesture of cultivation from Madam Qin. She was confident that she would bring Madam Qin greater profits in the future, so she felt no guilt in accepting these gifts.

After leaving the shop, Xie Wangniang went on to purchase face cream, scented soap, toilet paper, salt, rice, peanuts, brown sugar, eggs, pork leg meat, lard, pork ribs, pork heart, pork liver, and a duck.

With the weather turning cold and the air becoming drier, Xie Wangniang noticed that her face and hands were starting to become chapped. The others in the house were the same, though they paid little attention to it. Xie Wangniang, however, could not afford to ignore it. Firstly, she did not want to endure the persistent itching of red, peeling skin. Secondly, these hands were her tools for earning a living; keeping them smooth and snag-free was a basic requirement.

She stopped at a cosmetics shop and bought two boxes of almond cream, one box of peach blossom cream, and one box of "three-white" cream. She chose the versions packaged in simple wooden boxes, as they were the most generous in quantity and value. According to the shop assistant, they were just as effective as the mid-range creams packaged in porcelain jars, but cheaper because the packaging cost less. Fearing Xie Wangniang might doubt her, the assistant brought over a sample of the peach blossom cream for her to test.

Xie Wangniang smelled both types and applied a little of each to the back of her hand. Feeling no difference in quality, she picked out four boxes in different scents. She had already planned to give the three-white cream to Xiaoyang, the almond cream to Jiang Yuan and Hao Yu, and keep the peach blossom cream for herself. Since each box cost only two mace of silver—a standard, affordable, and ample amount—she didn’t need to worry about using it generously on her face and hands.