Chapter 141: Madam Jin Offers Advice
When Madam Jin saw Su Qing, her smile grew even more sincere.
“Between you and me, where is the need for so much ceremony? Hurry and rise. Come sit. I was just having Yunyao take my pulse. A moment ago, I even said I was craving the dishes you make.”
Su Qing still felt somewhat restrained inside, but she did her best to control it. With a graceful and natural manner, she walked to the seat below Madam Jin and sat down.
“I heard from Si Qin just now that Madam had arrived, so I immediately instructed people to prepare food. Madam only needs to wait a short while, and there will be something to eat.”
“That is wonderful. Today, I can truly satisfy my appetite.”
“Please rest for a moment, Madam. I will go to the kitchen and take a look, so they can prepare everything more carefully.”
“Thank you for the trouble.”
“Madam is too polite.”
After Su Qing left, Mu Yunyao withdrew her fingers and helped Madam Jin straighten the sleeve around her wrist.
“Madam has indeed recovered well. Your pulse is very steady. The child must be extremely healthy.”
“That is good. That is good!”
Joy appeared between Madam Jin’s brows.
“Right. I heard that you took in a girl from the Charity Child Bureau named Cai Qing, as well as several children?”
“Yes. I saw that they were extremely pitiful, and I also happen to lack hands here, so I let them come over to help.”
Madam Jin could not help sighing.
“You are simply kind-hearted.”
Whether it was Niyun Pavilion or Buxian Tower, finding people to help would only take a single word. Where would she need to use several children?
Mu Yunyao only smiled lightly and did not explain further. In Madam Jin’s eyes, this manner confirmed the guess in her heart even more.
“Yunyao, I also heard that Tan Lin, the owner of Caiyue Pavilion, came to you twice. He did not make trouble for you, did he?”
“At first, he wanted me to speak on behalf of Tan Bawang. But I am insignificant and my words carry little weight. How could I help with such a matter? Later, he heard that I intended to teach embroidery stitches, so he took the initiative to offer help. I thought that having one more person help would also be good. It would allow more people to benefit.”
Madam Jin paused.
“What you mean is… you intend to spread the embroidery stitches you know to other places?”
“Teaching them in one place is still teaching. Teaching them in many places is also teaching. Besides, these techniques will sooner or later spread everywhere. Rather than that, it is better for us to give them a push. That way, people will feel a little more gratitude toward Jingling City.”
Madam Jin’s thoughts turned quickly.
“What you said is not wrong. But if we are the ones to do this, would it not be somewhat improper?”
Spreading them within the limited scope of Jingling City could still count as a piece of merit. But once other places became involved, it would become a charitable act that gathered the people’s hearts. People like them were not qualified enough to take on such a matter.
Confusion appeared on Mu Yunyao’s face.
“Have the embroidery stitches not already spread throughout Jingling City? Teaching them in other places would only expand the range a little and allow more women to benefit. How is that improper?”
Madam Jin explained, “Within Jingling City, the influence is limited. But once it expands to other places, more and more people will become involved, and the matter will no longer be so simple. Jiangnan’s powers are especially tangled and complex. For a charitable act like this, one that gathers the people’s hearts, who knows how many people would become red-eyed with envy? The best way is to compile the embroidery stitches into a booklet and present it to the Emperor!”
Mu Yunyao’s eyes trembled slightly.
Since Madam Jin could say these words, it meant she truly regarded her as one of her own and was thinking entirely for her sake. Thinking of Su Qing’s earlier teaching, Mu Yunyao could not help putting down a trace of her guard. She spoke frankly to Madam Jin.
“But I have already reached an agreement with the owner of Caiyue Pavilion. I wanted to use Caiyue Pavilion to spread the embroidery stitches more quickly. In this case, would that not harm him…”
“Caiyue Pavilion…”
Madam Jin thought briefly, then asked urgently, “Have you signed a contract with Caiyue Pavilion?”
“I did. But the contract was drafted by Caiyue Pavilion’s owner. Because I was worried Tan Bawang would retaliate afterward, I deliberately kept a safeguard. When I signed, I did not use my own handwriting. The seal paste used for the handprint was also specially treated. After enough time passes, it will blur into an indistinct patch. Also, the owner of Caiyue Pavilion feared that word would leak and draw the attention of other embroidery workshops, so he asked me to keep the matter hidden for him and not let anyone notice that he had sent embroiderers here to study…”
Madam Jin could not help laughing. She reached out and gently tapped Mu Yunyao between the brows.
“They say kindness brings kind rewards. You girl, you have done many good deeds on ordinary days, and now heaven has treated you well. Good. This little bit of caution was used well. Since that is the case, we do not need to worry. Did Caiyue Pavilion say when they will send the embroiderers over for you to teach?”
“Judging from how anxious he looked, I imagine they will come within these two days.”
“I will have someone handle this matter. You can teach the embroidery stitches with peace of mind. As for everything else, pretend you know nothing. As for that contract, since there are no traces of you left on it at all, naturally it cannot be counted as valid. Since it is something that cannot be counted, do not mention it again if others ask about it in the future. Do you understand what I mean?”
Mu Yunyao thought briefly, then nodded solemnly.
“Yes. I will listen to Madam. But in that case, will it bring trouble to you and Lord Cao?”
“Do not worry. Even if there is some trouble, we can pass through it smoothly. Overall, the benefits outweigh the harm.”
Madam Jin thought for a moment, then added, “As for the booklet of embroidery stitches, you still need to make it as soon as possible. When the right time comes, I will have someone take it to the Capital and present it to the Emperor.”
“Yes. Starting today, I will begin preparing it and try to finish it as early as possible!”
“There is no need to rush too much. As long as you can complete it within one or two months, that will be enough.”
Mu Yunyao nodded.
“All right. By the way, Madam previously said that you wanted to prepare a New Year gift for the Emperor. Have you thought of anything?”
“I thought of a few things, but I truly could not think of anything fresh. If there is really no other way, I can only follow the usual practice.”
Only this year, Jingling City had received the Emperor’s reward. If they could stand out through the New Year gift and make the Emperor value them a little more, that would be an added blessing and would benefit all of Jingling City.
“Just now, hearing Madam speak of organizing the embroidery stitches, I suddenly thought of a method. I only do not know whether it can succeed,” Mu Yunyao said carefully.
“Hurry and tell me.”
Her thoughts were always different from those of others. Perhaps she really had a good idea.
“Since we received the Emperor’s reward because of embroidery stitches, why not send the Emperor an embroidered work?”
“An embroidered work? Would such a gift be too light?”
“Although an embroidered work may seem light, that still depends on how it is completed. What if every woman in Jingling City embroidered a few stitches, and together, they completed an astonishing masterpiece?”
Mu Yunyao smiled gently, her bright eyes looking toward Madam Jin.
“If that is the case, then this embroidered work would contain the blessings of all the women of Jingling City toward the Emperor. Its meaning would naturally be extraordinary…”
Madam Jin’s eyes lit up.
Mu Yunyao smiled and nodded.
“I heard that some years ago, when the former Yangzhou Prefect was transferred, the common people remembered his integrity and achievements. They sent a Ten-Thousand-People Umbrella to the Capital, which moved the Emperor deeply. The Emperor heavily rewarded the former Yangzhou Prefect and even made an exception by promoting him three ranks in succession. Although what we send is not a Ten-Thousand-People Umbrella, its meaning would be similar.”
“Yes, only…”
“Madam feels that this embroidered work would be completed only by women, so the number of people included is still a little too small?”
Madam Jin nodded.
“Exactly.”
“Then, let all the embroidery workshops in the surrounding areas participate as well. Let all the women who can embroider take part.”
Madam Jin’s eyes lit up even more.
Mu Yunyao smiled and nodded.
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