On the morning of the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month, Su Shuiyong brought the embroidery of the "Drunken Imperial Concubine" that she had just finished embroidering the day before to Yueyun Embroidery House. The person who greeted them was the head shopkeeper of the embroidery house, Jiang Yingyue.
The second shopkeeper, Jiang Yingyun, had yet to return because she had gone to Jindu City to purchase goods on the twentieth of the twelfth lunar month.
Jiang Yingyue smiled as she sized up Su Shuiche and Lin Siyao, who were sitting below her.
She couldn't help but secretly praise them in her heart: What a beautiful couple!
The woman was gentle and graceful while the man was cool and handsome. If she had known beforehand that they were farmers living in a corner of Blossom Town, she would have thought that they were a pair of legendary heroes.
It was no wonder that her younger sister, Yingyun, had been depressed for half a day after coming back from Blossom Town to persuade Su Shuiche to accept embroidery.
She must have been stimulated by Su Shuiche and Lin Siyao's love match.
Thinking of this, Jiang Yingyue couldn't help but secretly shake her head.
If her parents were still alive, she and her younger sister would have already found a good man and married. How could they have ended up in such an awkward situation where they couldn't achieve high or low positions?
She was now nearly thirty years old and had long since stopped thinking about marriage.
However, Yingyun was different.
She was now twenty-one years old. Although she had long passed the age of marriage, her age wasn't too far off.
However, after asking around and asking for matchmakers, she still hadn't found a suitable candidate for her younger sister.
Ai!
Jiang Yingyue lowered her eyes and sighed.
She then adjusted her mood and smiled slightly. Facing the two people who were sitting and sipping tea, she said, "Madam Lin, you don't mind if I call you younger sister, right?"
"Shopkeeper, you're too serious. You can just call me Shuiche." Su Shuiche smiled gently.
She had a good impression and admiration of this independent and self-reliant woman in front of her.
"Alright.
Then I won't be polite.
Shuiche, I've already asked the master to appraise the 'Drunken Imperial Concubine' from earlier.
Wait a moment and the results will be out.
The two of you shouldn't be in a hurry to leave, right? "Jiang Yingyue smiled and chatted with Su Shuiche.
Jiang Yingyue had to learn how to manage the household independently at the age of thirteen. At the same time, she had to act as both a father and mother to discipline her only younger sister — Jiang Yingyun. Her temperament had already long broken away from the gentle and gentle and charming of a traditional woman.
Therefore, she had always kept a respectful distance from Su Shui Yue, who looked like a delicate woman with a watery appearance. It could even be said that she disdained her.
However, perhaps it was because Su Shuiyin's embroidery had moved her again and again, and she had been brainwashed by Jiang Yingyun before they met, in short, she had an unprecedented good impression of such a beautiful and gentle woman like Su Shuiyin.
"Shopkeeper, please take your time to make the arrangements. Today, I came here to deliver the embroidery. There's nothing else." Su Shui Yue put down her cup and nodded at Jiang Ying with a smile.
Looking at the sun, it wasn't even noon yet.
Jiang Yingyue and Lin Siyao had discussed this before they left. They had already fed Xiaochun and Xiao Xue, who were staying at home to look after the courtyard.
The two of them didn't have to rush home for lunch. Instead, they went to a restaurant in the city. After eating, they could walk around and buy some New Year goods.
It was already the 20th of the twelfth lunar month. There were more and more peddlers selling all kinds of goods on the streets. It was almost impossible to tell which day was the big market and which day was the small market.
It could be said that they were rushing to the big market every day.
"That's good." Jiang Yingyue nodded. "What does Shuiche think of the head embroiderer's' suggestion?" Jiang Yingyue had been thinking about this.
She had already noticed Su Shuiche's embroidery when she received the finished product of 'A Male Phoenix Seeking a Female Phoenix'.
Although she had heard from Xi Cui that Su Shuiche had only embroidered a pair of phoenixes, it was enough for her to see Su Shuiche's exquisite and skilled embroidery.
However, she had heard from Xi Cui that Su Shuiche didn't have any plans to take on embroidery this year. Therefore, she didn't have the strength to persuade her.
If it wasn't for the City Lord asking the embroiderer of 'A Male Phoenix Seeking a Female Phoenix' to embroider this' Drunken Imperial Concubine ', she wouldn't have thought of signing a contract with Su Shuiche.
After all, the contract was dead, but the person was alive.
There were many embroiderers in 'Yueyun Embroidery House' who had signed a contract. However, the truly outstanding embroiderers weren't willing to sign a contract with an embroidery house for a fixed period.
This was undoubtedly tying their hands and feet.
Most of the time, they would go to whichever embroidery house that had a good job.
Those who were willing to sign a contract often relied on their own embroidery skills. If they couldn't get a big job, they could rely on the embroidery house to embroider a large mural or screen painting together and get a share of the salary.
If there was a small and simple job, the embroiderers who hadn't signed a contract would be given priority to take it.
Of course, this was with the exception of those who were named by the customer.
However, for Su Shuiche, Jiang Yingyue had no choice but to speed up and keep her with generous conditions.
Not to mention the 'A Male Phoenix Seeking a Female Phoenix' that had been appraised as excellent, or the 'Drunken Imperial Concubine' that had just been brought to the back hall by the shop assistant for appraisal, just the exquisite and realistic embroidery on Su Shuiche and her husband's robes was enough to make Jiang Yingyue praise them endlessly.
Because of this, Jiang Yingyue was even more concerned about recruiting Su Shuiche to become the chief embroiderer of 'Yueyun Embroidery House'.
This was because, with Su Shuiche's beautiful and perfect embroidery skills, no matter which embroidery house she went to take a job, she would be favored by the shopkeepers of each embroidery house. Following that, countless customers would come over because of her reputation, especially those big customers who would give gifts and didn't care about the price.
"Thank you for your kindness, shopkeeper. However, the basic salary of one tael per month, isn't it …"
"Isn't it too little?
Then two taels, "Jiang Yingyue quickly replied.
As long as she nodded, two taels was nothing.
For example, the 'Drunken Imperial Concubine' this time, the City Lord had asked for fifty taels.
Apart from the salary paid to Su Shuiche, the rest would be the profits of the embroidery house.
If this kind of embroidery job could be done three to five times a year, then the money that Su Shuiche would earn for 'Yueyun Embroidery House' would be more than the sum of the other embroiderers combined.
What was wrong with giving her two taels per month as a reward?
"… That's not what I meant." Su Shuiche didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"I just think that the embroidery house is giving me one tael for nothing.
After all, there aren't many embroidery jobs like 'Drunken Imperial Concubine' that are chosen by customers. "
"Hey — you're underestimating yourself too much," Jiang Yingyue found it funny when she heard that Su Shuiche actually thought that she was giving her one tael for being too much.
"Shuiche, you still don't know how good your embroidery skills are.
Look at how long it has been since the 'A Male Phoenix Seeking a Female Phoenix' was sent out.
There are already customers coming for you.
If our embroidery house does some more publicity, we won't have to worry about not having any large-scale embroidery jobs.
You can rest assured!
Who knows, maybe you'll be so busy that you won't even have a day of free time.
You have to know that I, Jiang Yingyue, will never make a losing deal.
Besides, which businessman would make a bet that they don't have a chance of winning? "Jiang Yingyue smiled as she comforted Su Shuiche.
Jiang Yingyue felt another sense of admiration for her.
Because of this, she was convinced that Su Shuiche was definitely not a woman who would betray the embroidery house and betray the contract.
Su Shuiche really didn't think that much.
She had never understood the principles of business.
What she was worried about was that if there wasn't any work that she couldn't do in the future, wouldn't the embroidery house suffer a loss?
At that time, wouldn't the "Yueyun Embroidery House," which prioritized business interests, have a grudge against her?
Su Shuiche knew that she wasn't good at dealing with the aftermath. The only thing she could do was to consider the worst possible outcome at the beginning of everything.
However, after hearing Jiang Yingyue's words, which were so certain that she couldn't refute, Su Shuiche's worries were mostly gone.
Well, if she continued to refuse, she would be the one putting on airs.
Thinking of this, Su Shuiche smiled and nodded. "Since the shopkeeper trusts Shuiche so much, if I continue to refuse, it would be insensible of me to refuse.
Then I'll thank the shopkeeper first.
However, Shuiche also has a request. If the embroidery work is too urgent, I'm afraid that Shuiche won't be able to accept it. "She had to say the ugly words first.
After signing the contract, she couldn't possibly become a slave contract in the blink of an eye and have to work hard without complaint.
"Of course.
We'll follow the original contract that I showed you. If you don't want to accept it, then don't accept it.
If the customer specifically asks you to accept the embroidery work, the embroidery house will naturally agree with the customer in advance to a time that both parties are satisfied with. It won't be as urgent as this time. "Jiang Yingyue nodded in agreement.
She also didn't approve of urgent work.
That would affect the quality of the embroidery.
If the "Drunken Consort" wasn't ordered by the City Lord himself, she wouldn't have accepted it in such a hurry.
Fortunately, Su Shuiche delivered the goods on time. Otherwise, she and the entire embroidery house would have to bear the City Lord's anger.
However, she had already communicated with the City Lord. If she wanted to customize embroidery in the future, the time couldn't be so urgent.
As for the other customers, they generally knew the rules of the embroidery house.
Even if they were from noble families, it was rare for them to occasionally use their status to pressure others.
What's more, now that even the City Lord had happily agreed to her proposal, who else would dare?
"That's good." Su Shuiche nodded happily.
As long as there was enough time, it didn't matter if she accepted or not.
Anyway, all the work at home had been snatched up by Lin Siyao. If she didn't do embroidery, she would feel bored to death.
Thus, Su Shuiche and "Yueyun Embroidery House" immediately signed the contract of being the chief embroiderer.
The contents of the contract were the same as the contract that Su Shuiche had seen before.
Although Jiang Yingyue wanted to raise it to two taels, Su Shuiche declined.
What a joke. One tael a month was twelve taels a year.
If she didn't accept much embroidery work in a year, wouldn't it feel like she was taking it for free?
Not to mention two taels.
Therefore, Su Shuiche insisted on not increasing it to two taels.
Even if she was stubborn, in this aspect, Su Shuiche would rather earn less and maintain a steady conscience.
The contract was valid for a year. At the end of the year, both parties could decide whether or not to renew it.
After both parties signed, the contract would take effect. Each party would hold a copy.
Jiang Yingyue's worried heart finally relaxed.
She was indeed worried that Su Shuiche would reject her proposal.
After all, there were other embroidery houses that would occasionally release expensive and tempting embroidery work.
For example, if a customer brought in a complicated embroidery, the embroidery house would offer a high price to hire an embroiderer.
Because of this, she had the opportunity to meet Su Shuiche through Xi Cui.
This could be considered fate, right?
(To be continued.)
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