With gifts in hаnd, оnе's аrm grоws shоrt; with food in thе mоuth, оnе's wоrds grow soft.
Aftеr еating the shrimр dumplings Jiying brоught, Shi Хiаng аnd thе оthers loоked at her with noticeаblу warmеr eуеs.
Ноw cоuld I hаvе еvеr thought Jiуing was cold аnd аloоf, incapаble of gеtting along with оthеrs?
Zhоu Shаоjin silеntlу chided hеrsеlf as shе sрrеad thе pаlе blue Songjiаng thrеe-shuttlе cloth Jiying hаd left yestеrdау on thе cutting table. Тhеn shе toоk оut thе tаilоr's сhalk аnd sсissors аnd askеd Jiying, "Wherе's the раttеrn?"
Jiying wаs tаkеn аback and аsked in return, "What pattеrn?"
Zhou Shaojin blinkеd and said, "Yоu askеd mе to shоw you how to make socks for Uncle Chi. If you don't bring me a pattern, how am I supposed to know the size?"
Jiying's expression darkened slightly. "Wait a moment, I'll go find an old pair of socks."
Zhou Shaojin fell silent.
Jiying hurried out the door but bumped right into Shi Xiang, who was just coming in with tea and snacks.
Shi Xiang watched Jiying brush past her and asked in confusion, "What's going on? Why did Miss Jiying leave as soon as she arrived?"
"It's nothing," Zhou Shaojin said slowly, placing the small box of tailor's chalk beside the cutting table. "She'll be back soon."
Shi Xiang hummed in acknowledgment and set the tea and snacks on the nearby side table. "Second Miss, please have some tea."
Zhou Shaojin nodded, took a sip of tea, and thought to herself that her morning plans were now ruined. Since Jiying would likely come again tomorrow morning, she would have to work on Old Madam Guo's birthday gift tonight. That meant time was running short—forget about shoes and socks, she would just make two forehead scarves to send over. Besides, it was better not to give her own needlework as gifts too often. First, Madam Yuan had asked her to help paint a picture of children at play. Now Jiying was asking her to help make socks. Who knew who else might come knocking tomorrow? She wasn't a seamstress, after all. And with her elder sister about to marry—in her past life, her sister had struggled to have children—she wanted to embroider a "Guanyin Bestowing Children" piece as part of her sister's dowry. A large embroidery like that would take at least half a year, and if things got delayed, it wouldn't be unusual for it to take a full year. Thinking it over carefully, she needed to start preparing now.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt pressed for time.
She called Shi Xiang in and asked her to prepare a few large sheets of ming paper: "...four feet square."
Small pieces of ming paper were cut from larger sheets, so this was a simple task.
Shi Xiang smiled and agreed, then left—only to bump into Jiying again as she was entering the room.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but exclaim, "How did you get back so quickly?"
Jiying didn't look too pleased and ignored her question. Instead, she tossed a pair of shoes in front of Zhou Shaojin, holding them with just two fingers. "Here, your Uncle Chi's shoes."
Zhou Shaojin stared at the pair of dark blue fine-cloth shoes embroidered with auspicious clouds, one lying right-side up and the other upside down, and said in astonishment, "Didn't you ask me to show you how to make socks? Why did you bring shoes? Don't tell me Miss Nanping also asked you to make shoes for Uncle Chi?"
Jiying was even more surprised than she was. She widened her eyes and said, "Don't you need to measure the shoes to make socks?"
"Who told you that?" Zhou Shaojin exclaimed, her eyes wide."When I was at home, the matrons always made socks based on my shoes," Jiying's eyes widened even more than Zhou Shaojin's. "If you don't make socks according to shoe size, then what do you base them on? Do you expect me to go measure Uncle Chi's feet?" She looked disgusted and continued, "If that's the case, I'd rather ask Nanping what size socks your Uncle Chi wears."
That's because you're a girl, so the matrons in your household couldn't take your old socks to use as patterns for others.
Zhou Shaojin was at a loss for words. She closed her eyes for a moment before saying, "Either find an old pair of Uncle Chi's socks, or ask Miss Nanping to draw a sock pattern."
Nanping managed the needlework in the Hill of Clustered Cassia Courtyard, so she must know Uncle Chi's measurements like the back of her hand. Drawing a sock pattern would be a simple task for her.
However, Zhou Shaojin guessed that Jiying wouldn't go to her.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have caused such a big misunderstanding earlier.
But Jiying said that when she was at home, the matrons always made socks based on her shoes. That was the custom of refined, wealthy families... Could it be that Jiying's family were disgraced officials? No, didn't she say her parents were farming back home? And she had two older brothers... Then why did she enter the household to serve Uncle Chi?
The more Zhou Shaojin thought about it, the more confused she became.
Jiying had already rushed back like the wind, holding a pair of socks with two fingers... "Here, take them!"
With just one glance, Zhou Shaojin understood.
She pointed to the small wicker basket beside the sewing table and said, "Just put them there."
Jiying tossed the socks into the wicker basket.
Zhou Shaojin picked up the tailor's chalk and began drawing the sock pattern on the fabric.
Jiying asked curiously, "Aren't you going to measure them?"
"Why would I need to measure?" Zhou Shaojin replied without looking up. "When I was learning needlework, I made countless pairs of socks."
Jiying grew even more curious. "Why make socks?"
"To practice stitching!" Zhou Shaojin picked up the scissors and began cutting the fabric with a snip-snip. "The quality of needlework mainly depends on whether the stitches are even and smooth, which requires constant practice. Otherwise, even if you cut the fabric perfectly, if the stitches are uneven and the fabric ends up wrinkled, the garment won't look good. That's why beginners in embroidery start with handkerchiefs, and beginners in sewing start with socks." Seeing that Jiying knew nothing about needlework and feeling curious about her background, Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you learn needlework when you were young?"
Jiying mumbled vaguely, "My mother wanted me to learn, but my father said it didn't matter if I didn't, since there are plenty of women who can do needlework. I could just hire someone to make my clothes and socks." As she spoke, her expression darkened.
Zhou Shaojin watched her and sighed inwardly.
Jiying probably never imagined that her family would eventually send her to serve Uncle Chi as a maid, did she?
And for a maid, needlework is one of the most basic skills.
If you're not good at needlework, no matter how capable you are, it's hard to stand out.
Zhou Shaojin paused her hands.
There was another possibility—some girls are naturally good at accounting. Even if they can't do needlework, if they're skilled at accounting, they can still establish themselves in a household.
"Are you good at arithmetic, then?" she asked Jiying."Compared to others, it's naturally good," Jiying said, a shadow flickering across her face. "But compared to your Uncle Chi... it doesn't count as good."
Zhou Shaojin felt relieved.
Daring to compare herself to a man meant she must be exceptionally skilled among girls.
No wonder her father said it didn’t matter if she wasn’t good at needlework, and eventually sent her into the Cheng family. No wonder she carried herself with such confidence—talent breeds boldness!
"That’s already very impressive," she comforted Jiying. "Like my eldest aunt, who has always wanted to find a maid to help with accounts, but still hasn’t found one to this day. She’s had to keep dragging my sister in to help. Just the other day, my eldest aunt said, 'What will I do once your sister gets married?' You can manage the accounts in Uncle Chi’s household. Many people would envy that!"
Jiying, however, curled her lip disdainfully. "Why would I help your Uncle Chi manage his household accounts? The accounts in your Uncle Chi’s household are all handled by Nanping. Although her arithmetic is only average, she treats your Uncle Chi’s words as if they were imperial edicts. No matter how dull the task, if it’s something your Uncle Chi said, she’ll happily do it tirelessly. I can’t compare to her."
Shouldn’t that be expected?
Zhou Shaojin looked at Jiying’s dismissive expression and truly had nothing more to say.
Fortunately, she soon finished cutting the socks and showed Jiying which piece was for the sole and which for the upper. "...Do you understand? Sew these two pieces together, then attach this one, and it’s done."
Jiying was clever. Almost as soon as Zhou Shaojin picked up one piece, she immediately understood the purpose of the other. She also noticed that Zhou Shaojin had cut enough for ten pairs of socks and said, "Nanping only asked me to make four pairs. Why did you cut so many?"
Zhou Shaojin smiled. "The rest are for you to practice."
In truth, she had stacked the fabric together. Whether cutting one pair or ten, it only took three snips of the scissors—no extra effort.
Jiying saw through this too. She let out an "oh" but said nothing more.
Zhou Shaojin then showed her how to hold the needle and thread.
Jiying learned quickly.
But when it came time to sew, she hesitated. "You make a pair first and let me watch. I feel like I’ll just ruin the fabric."
Zhou Shaojin had felt the same way when she first learned needlework, afraid to make the first stitch.
She smiled and let Jiying watch as she began sewing the socks.
Zhou Shaojin’s hands were steady and swift, her stitches even and dense. She used a cross-stitch technique, as if embroidering, so although the socks had no decorative patterns, the seams looked as if they were edged with embroidery. With matching thread, they carried a subtle, understated elegance.
Jiying couldn’t help but praise, "Your needlework is even better than Nanping’s!"
Zhou Shaojin thought she was just being polite and replied with a smile, "Miss Nanping’s needlework is praised even by Madam Zhang from the sewing room. How could I compare to her?"
"I really think your needlework is better than Nanping’s," Jiying said earnestly. "She’s a maid and has to make who knows how many things every year. You’re a young lady, at most making a couple of small garments for yourself, yet your stitches are no less impressive than Nanping’s. That’s why I say your needlework is better."
Zhou Shaojin decided it was best to say nothing more.
Shi Xiang walked in with a smile. "Second Miss, Miss Nanping is here."
Zhou Shaojin was surprised.
Jiying frowned. "What is she doing here?""I don't know," Shi Xiang replied with a smile. "Miss Nanping didn't say anything."
Jiying said to Zhou Shaojin, "If she asks about me, don't tell her I'm here."
Zhou Shaojin could tell that something was off between Jiying and Nanping, and she didn't want the two of them causing a commotion in her place.
"I understand," she agreed with a smile, then went with Shi Xiang to the small reception parlor.
"I'm truly sorry!" Nanping apologized profusely as soon as she saw Zhou Shaojin. "Jiying is rather careless and doesn't quite understand proper etiquette. It was thoughtless of her to come to you like this and cause you trouble." She pointed to a paper box on the table. "These are pastries from Qifangzhai, to help calm your nerves, Second Miss. Please forgive Jiying's unintentional mistake."
With Jiying making such a fuss over shoes and socks, there was no way Nanping, as the head maid of Hill of Clustered Cassia Courtyard, could have been unaware.
※
Sisters, here's today's bonus update.
o(n_n)o~
※ (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote to recommend it or cast a monthly vote. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
!!
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