FID – Chapter 618

Chapter 618: Better to die than to let a poor monk suffer.

The entire piece of fabric, now spread out on the frame, was about nine feet square.

To complete the embroidery with intricate patterns, even a skilled embroiderer would need at least half a year of work.

Liu Yusheng and Shi Xianrou exchanged a glance.

“Little White Lotus, our family has no use for such a large piece.”

“I’m embroidering it to sell.” Little White Lotus gave a blunt reply.

“Our family isn’t short of food or drink…”

“But I’m really short on money.”

Seeing the serious expression on Little White Lotus’s face, the two were defeated.

Setting down the needle and thread, Liu Muqiu took out the paper and brush she had bought and began to grind the ink. She quickly sketched a floral design.

In just a few strokes, a simple image of koi swimming in water appeared on the paper.

The two who were watching couldn’t help but marvel in admiration.

Embroidery and painting were their weak spots, especially for Shi Xianrou. She glanced at her hands, then at the embroidery needle, which was as thin as a hair. Trying to prove her own skills, she picked up the needle, gave it a try, and managed to stitch one line.

“Pop.”

The thread snapped.

Shi Xianrou stared at the embroidery needle in front of her, her lips twitching uncontrollably.

When she looked up again, Little White Lotus was glaring at her as though she were about to devour her.

Respectfully setting down the embroidery needle, Shi Xianrou turned to Liu Yusheng and said, “Nannan, why don’t you give it a try?”

Best friends, let’s suffer the embarrassment together.

Liu Yusheng turned her head, pretending she hadn’t heard. She knew well enough what her own limits were. .

The moment she picked up the needle, it wouldn’t be a display of skill, but rather a display of embarrassment

Let Xianrou bear the wrath of Little White Lotus on her own.

Better to let a poor monk suffer than to die alongside a friend.

With a mock glare directed at the culprit who had snapped the thread, Liu Muqiu pulled the others over, including Liu Yusheng. “Come help me think of a flower design, give me some suggestions—what’s the most eye-catching design?”

“Little White Lotus, we don’t understand this!”

“Nannan, I won’t say anything about you, but Xianrou, aren’t you the daughter of a general’s family? You can’t even draw a picture?!”

“Give me a sword, and I can dance a flower. Give me a pen, and I can turn it into eight pieces.”

“…”

Liu Yusheng’s waist hurt from laughing.

Wiping away her tears, she looked at the design that Liu Muqiu had drawn on the paper, thought for a moment, and said, “Large-scale embroidery emphasizes grandeur and auspicious meanings. You could embroider images like Fu and Shou (happiness and longevity), pine and crane motifs, or bamboo bringing peace, or even landscapes that represent wealth accumulation—these could be used for a screen as well. For example, flowers symbolizing prosperity, or the blooming of begonia flowers competing for beauty, etc.”

She didn’t have much expertise in this area herself, but had seen some embroidery designs in her past life. The advice she could offer was limited to this.

Not being in this line of work, she was genuinely unfamiliar with it.

Shi Xianrou became serious, “Little White Lotus, to complete such a large piece, how long do you think it will take you?”

Liu Muqiu pondered for a moment, “I’ve been learning embroidery since I was young, so for a piece this size, it would take about four months.”

“In four months… The grandmother of Lord Lu from the Inner Cabinet in the capital is celebrating her 80th birthday in December. His family is currently looking for birthday gifts. If you can finish it in time, I can help you make the connection and sell the embroidery design.”

Liu Muqiu’s eyes lit up, and she threw herself at Shi Xianrou, hugging her tightly. “Xianrou, you’re the best!”

“Oh my goodness, Little White Lotus, please don’t act all cutesy—I’m getting goosebumps all over!” Shi Xianrou rolled her eyes toward the sky as Liu Muqiu clung to her, bouncing excitedly. But she didn’t push her away.

With such a delicate frame, she was afraid that if she used even a little force, she might accidentally crush her bones.

“It’s July now, so there are still more than four months until December—I can definitely finish it in time! Since it’s for a birthday celebration, I’ll go with the pine and crane motif that Nannan mentioned earlier. It symbolizes longevity and endless blessings!”

Having decided on the design, Liu Muqiu began sketching the pattern again and then carefully selected colors for the silk threads she had bought.

In an instant, she became completely absorbed in her work, forgetting that there were still two people beside her.

Liu Yusheng and Shi Xianrou quietly stepped away, not wanting to disturb her.

It wasn’t until dinnertime that they called her out.

By then, the people who had gone to the county clinic had also returned. In front of everyone, the coachman relayed the doctor’s words without leaving out a single detail.

“The doctor said the persistent high fever was caused by repeated exposure to the cold. He has prescribed medicine—two doses a day for two days. Once the fever subsides, she’ll be fine. Fortunately, the exposure was brief and didn’t cause any lasting damage. There will be no lingering health issues. The consultation and medicine cost a total of one tael and fifty wen.”

The expressions on Wang-shi, Chen Xiuying, and the others’ faces shifted unpredictably, but they couldn’t say a word.

Repeated exposure to the cold.

The doctor wasn’t a fool. Just hearing that was enough to understand what had happened.

Who would have thought that simply going to see a doctor would lead to such a big mouth revealing everything with just one sentence!

Grandpa Liu glanced at them indifferently. “Since there’s nothing serious, let’s all go eat. Once Miss Yang has recovered, I will have someone escort you back home.”

This time, however, the Liu family didn’t drive them away. Instead, the Yang sisters started arguing with Wang-shi and Yang Xiuying.

After dinner, chaos erupted in the guest courtyard. No one knew exactly what Yang Shuyu and Yang Shuqing said, but after speaking their minds, they loudly insisted on returning home immediately. 

As for whether Wang-shi and Yang Xiuying wanted to stay or leave, that was up to them!

With the Yang sisters determined to leave, how could Wang-shi and Yang Xiuying dare to stay?

From the way the sisters were acting, it was clear they were furious. If they went home and started spreading stories, neither Wang-shi nor Yang Xiuying would have a good outcome.

Yang Xiuying feared the sisters would badmouth her, and Wang-shi was equally afraid they would tell the men in the family about her attempt to borrow money from the Liu family.

They had no choice but to leave together, lest things spiral out of control.

The Liu elders didn’t stop them. Instead, they went along with their wishes and instructed Qian Wanjin’s coachman to escort them back home that very night.

For Wang-shi and Yang Xiuying, this trip was a complete loss—they didn’t gain a single benefit and instead ended up making a mess of things.

As soon as they left, the atmosphere in the Liu family courtyard instantly felt lighter.

After the elders had gone to rest, Liu Yusheng, Shi Xianrou, and Liu Muqiu pulled Wei Hong aside to dig for some inside information.

There was nothing that happened in the Liu family courtyard that Wei Hong didn’t know about—her unique profession made sure of that.

“This was all thanks to Zhiqiu for scaring them off,” Wei Hong said casually, recounting the conversation from the second courtyard that day. She concluded with a simple remark: “Never judge a book by its cover.”

Liu Zhiqiu was just like a black sesame-filled glutinous rice ball—dark on the inside.

Then, Wei Hong glanced sideways at Liu Muqiu. “You sure heard everything clearly at the door that day.”

Liu Muqiu’s face instantly flushed red, her eyes darting around nervously.

“Ohhh!” Liu Yusheng and Shi Xianrou exchanged knowing looks. “No wonder you suddenly started bringing things home that afternoon, saying you were short on money. So this was the real reason!”

“…” Liu Muqiu stammered, struggling to find words. “Aunt Hong, why did you have to expose me too?!”

“I saw you there.”

“You could’ve just not mentioned me!”

“You should’ve told me that in advance.”

“…” Liu Muqiu was so frustrated she had no comeback—Aunt Hong was clearly just messing with her.

Liu Yusheng and Shi Xianrou held back their laughter as they dragged the Little White Lotus away. “Don’t worry, we’ll keep your secret safe. Not a fifth person will know!”

“Really?”

“Really, really!” Shi Xianrou promised with a solemn face.

Liu Muqiu believed her. Meanwhile, Liu Yusheng looked up at the sky and chose not to remind her—

Trusting a woman utterly devoted to her husband? The Little White Lotus’ sense of judgment must still be fast asleep.