The Ace Bigshot Becomes A Farmgirl

Chapter 1023: Chapter 1023: Bringing Back an Embroiderer

Shu Yu was slightly puzzled. Shuyou had already walked up to her and softly said, ”Young Master Meng mentioned that he still has some unfinished business in the prefecture and needs two more days to return. He asked us to let you know so you wouldn’t worry.”

Shu Yu coughed lightly, ”I’m not worried.”

Shuyou smiled, then turned to introduce the young woman who had just stepped down from the mule carriage behind them to Shu Yu. ”This is Tian Qin, Miss Tian. She is—she’s the embroiderer we’ve found.”

Shu Yu raised her eyebrows, ”Embroiderer?”

Madam Ruan stepped forward at this moment. ”Alright, let’s stop standing at the door and go inside. Whatever needs discussion can be talked about inside.”

The old lady quickly nodded, ”Yes, yes, let’s talk inside.”

The group turned to head indoors, but Miss Tian Qin didn’t follow them in. As the embroiderer, she was naturally going to be arranged in the tailoring workshop.

And then there was the mule carriage behind, which they had rented in the prefecture. Inside the carriage were the goods they had just acquired from their trip to the prefecture.

Zhao Xi spoke proactively, ”You all go inside and chat. I’ll take Miss Tian and this batch of fabric over there first.”

”I’ll go too.” Shuyou followed along. Arranging matters related to Tian Qin was still her responsibility.

Zhao Xi chuckled cheerfully, and the two of them led the mule-drawn carriage away.

Madam Ruan entered the courtyard and took a sip of water before recounting the gains from this trip.

They had explored many ready-to-wear clothes shops during their time in the prefecture, not just clothes shops but also cloth shops and places frequently visited by young ladies and madams. They observed the current popular attire in the prefecture and scouted for rare and beautiful fabrics.

After looking around, they sought out a suitable cloth shop to sign a contract.

Luckily, Zhao Xi had tagged along. Madam Ruan and her companion were inexperienced, and the first cloth shop they visited had a cunning shopkeeper who tampered with the contract. They nearly fell for it. If they had signed, they would have ended up gifting him a few hundred taels of money for free.

Thinking back now, Madam Ruan still felt deeply fearful.

”We had gone through the contract carefully and didn’t notice any problems. It was Zhao Xi’s sharp eyes that spotted the issue. We found the shopkeeper untrustworthy and left right away. The shopkeeper at the second cloth shop was straightforward and honest. We signed the contract and went back to the inn to have Yunzheng take another look. He confirmed there were no issues.”

While speaking, Madam Ruan took the contract out and showed it to Shu Yu for another review.

Although Shu Yu was experienced in handling matters, reviewing contracts was undoubtedly something Meng Yunzheng was better at.

If he said there was no problem, then there was no problem.

She was, however, very curious about another matter. ”That Miss Tian Qin—did I hear correctly that you recruited her from the prefecture?”

”Yes.” Madam Ruan nodded. ”We originally planned to search in the county town. Just think—if the embroiderers from the prefecture are truly skilled, would they willingly follow us back to the county town? If they’re not skilled, recruiting them isn’t suitable for us either. Miss Tian Qin, however, is exceptionally talented in embroidery.”

Madam Ruan took out two handkerchiefs from her pocket and handed them over. Everyone looked at them and saw that they were indeed exquisitely crafted.

Madam Ruan reminded them, ”Flip them over and take another look.”

The group was stunned for a moment. When they turned the handkerchiefs to the other side, they exclaimed in unison—unexpectedly, it was double-sided embroidery.

Even the old lady was astonished. ”With craftsmanship as remarkable as hers, she shouldn’t have any trouble finding work in the prefecture. Embroidery of this caliber would be in hot demand—many people would be eager to hire her!”

Shu Yu nodded. No wonder, when she had observed Miss Tian Qin earlier, her demeanor seemed unlike that of ordinary people. Although her appearance carried a hint of weariness, her expression showed no trace of unease at being in an unfamiliar place.