In Jinxin Embroidery Workshop, Fan Guangzu took out a thin booklet from the box.
"This is something left by my grandmother. It records some needlework and embroidery techniques about Bian embroidery." Fan Guangzu said, "If you don't understand anything, you can ask Tan Xiu Niang of our embroidery workshop. Her embroidery skills are
My grandmother’s hand-taught skills are not as good as those of Li Xiu Niang, but they are still a bit more authentic than my grandmother’s.”
Bian embroidery is a genre that is not as famous as the four famous embroidery schools. If it is not passed on to children, it will be even more difficult to pass it on.
Therefore, Fan Guangzu's grandmother, in order to pass down her Bian embroidery, accepted many young women as apprentices.
And Tan Xiu Niang is one of them.
Shen Xiu took the booklet and did not rush to read it. Instead, she said thoughtfully: "Shopkeeper Fan, there is something I don't know whether to say or not."
"If there's anything we can't talk about between you and me," Fan Guangzu said, "just say it."
Shen Xiudao: "The business of the embroidery workshop has been much better these days, but as a result, the manpower seems to be insufficient. I want to recruit a few apprentices, teach them embroidery skills, and let them help in the embroidery workshop. What do you think?
How about it?"
Fan Guangzu said: "I have also thought about the problem you mentioned. After all, Tan Xiu Niang is old, so she won't be able to help you much in the future. But apprentices are not easy to recruit. I'm afraid that other embroidery shops will find out about this.
We have an informant in the middle, so that every move we make will be known to others."
"You are right to think about it." Shen Xiudao: "Since you have this kind of worry, you should really be cautious about this matter."
"It would be great if my eldest son was a daughter." Fan Guangzu suddenly sighed, "If it were a daughter, she would be in her teens now and could learn Bian embroidery from Tan Xiu Niang, so we wouldn't have to worry about choosing someone."
Shen Xiu laughed and said: "Instead of thinking like this, shopkeeper, why not work hard and have another child? Maybe the next one will be a daughter!"
"I would like to have a baby, but your sister-in-law can't." Fan Guangzu shook his head, "The doctor said that she hurt her body when she gave birth to her second child, and it will be difficult for her to get pregnant in the future."
Fan Guangzu couldn't help but sigh. Other families hoped to have as many sons as possible, but he hoped to have more daughters.
It's just that God doesn't favor him, and there's nothing he can do about it.
Shen Xiu just mentioned the matter of manpower, but unexpectedly it aroused Fan Guangzu's regret.
She was about to say a few words of comfort when she looked up and saw Fan Guangzu's daughter-in-law, Mrs. Huang.
Mr. Huang was standing at the door. Judging from the situation, he had just arrived, so he might have overheard the conversation between the two of them.
Shen Xiu felt a little embarrassed and coughed lightly.
Huang was the one who went to Li Miao'er to borrow money that time. She knew the relationship between Shen Xiu and Li Miao'er. She had been polite to Shen Xiu since she came to Jinxinxiufang.
This time too, Huang nodded to Shen Xiu, and then looked at Fan Guangzu, "Master, what did you just say?"
Fan Guangzu had always been henpecked. When he heard his wife's voice, he turned around with a sneer on his face and said, "I didn't say anything."
"I heard everything just now. What, you still want a daughter?" When Huang said this, she suddenly grabbed Fan Guangzu's ear, "If you have the ability, go find a woman outside to give birth to you."
If Huang had shown no respect to Fan Guangzu in front of Shen Xiu, he would have been annoyed by another man. But Fan Guangzu was afraid of Huang and felt a little guilty towards her, so he only said: "
Quickly let go of your hands and let the people below see you like this, they will laugh at you."
"Who am I afraid of laughing at?" Huang said, but still let go.
Fan Guangzu rubbed his ears and said with a smile: "Madam, if you have anything to do, go home and talk about it. Now we are discussing business matters!"
"I've heard what you said. It's just that I think there's not enough manpower." Huang is a very thoughtful person, and immediately said: "Since you are worried that when recruiting apprentices, people from other embroidery workshops will mix in. Then
We might as well go to the countryside and pick out a few girls from innocent families. Even if we come to other embroidery shops, no matter how skilled our eyes are, we wouldn’t have guessed where we would go to pick them out.”
"My sister-in-law has a good idea, but if those innocent families are bribed by others, in the end, the girls we selected may become their spies. Most of the families in the countryside are poor. If someone promises huge profits, there is no guarantee that they will not
Tempted."
Shen Xiu also thought about this, but as she said, daughters from poor families can easily be bribed.
If it were an ordinary embroidery workshop, that would be fine. But now that Jinxin Embroidery Workshop has become so famous, there is no guarantee that someone has bad intentions.
"Then according to you, what should we do about this matter?"
Shen Xiu muttered: "I do have an idea. There are many wealthy families in Fucheng, and most of the maids of these wealthy families can do needlework. Some maids' embroidery skills are not inferior to those of ordinary embroiderers."
"These maids will be released to get married when they reach old age. I want to find a few with better skills to come to the embroidery workshop to help."
Huang said: "The daughters of innocent families are afraid of being bribed, so don't these maids need to worry about being bribed?"
Shen Xiudao: "These maids are the sons of wealthy families. Their deeds of sale are still in the hands of their masters, so they will not be bribed easily."
"What you say makes sense. It's just that how do we know when the maids of wealthy families will be released, let alone who of them has good embroidery skills?"
"This is not difficult." Shen Xiudao: "I am familiar with both the Yu family and the Meng family. If you believe me, leave this matter to me. I will bring you some helpers with outstanding embroidery skills."
Fan Guangzu said: "Of course we believe in you. I'll leave this matter to you!"
Huang originally wanted to speak, but he beat him to it, so he could only glare at Fan Guangzu without leaving any trace.
Fan Guangzu was stared at in confusion, wondering where he had done something wrong again.
After Shen Xiu left, Huang stepped forward and tugged Fan Guangzu's ears, "I think your wings are really strong. You won't need me anymore. Why did you agree to her so happily just now?"
"That's Mrs. Shen, and it's not someone else." Fan Guangzu covered his ears and said, "Aren't you also very polite to her?"
"I'm just being polite, but I still have to obey her words." Huang said angrily: "Besides, we are the owners of Jinxinxiufang. Even if she has half of the decision-making power, there is no need to do everything.
Just listen to her!"
Fan Guangzu said: "I think you are being picky. There is still a lot of work to do in the embroidery workshop, so I have to get busy first."
"Come back here." Huang called Fan Guangzu back, "I know you are sincerely convinced by Mrs. Shen, but there are some things we have to guard against."
Huang said: "There is something I originally thought about discussing in a few days, but today I changed my mind."
Fan Guangzu's heart skipped a beat, and he felt that what Huang said was not a good thing, "What are you going to do?"
Huang said calmly: "I think the embroidery workshop still lacks a bookkeeper. It just so happens that my brother doesn't have any serious errands to do right now, so let him come to the embroidery workshop to help!"