The twelfth lunar month of winter is the coldest time of the year.
The water we just fetched from the well in the morning was covered with a thin layer of ice at noon.
Wen Xiu Niang broke up the ice with a water ladle and was about to scoop out water for cooking when she heard a knock on the door from outside.
"Who is it?" Wen Xiu Niang opened the door and saw a very energetic waiter standing outside the door.
"Who are you looking for?" Wen Xiu Niang asked, not recognizing the other party.
Guo Abacus smiled and said: "I am a clerk from Nishang Embroidery Workshop. I am here on the orders of my boss. Wouldn't Mrs. Wen Xiu invite me to sit in the room for a while?"
Of course Wen Xiuniang knows about Nishang Embroidery Workshop, and her cousin Shi Xiuniang is the number one embroiderer in Nishang Embroidery Workshop.
Although she didn't know the purpose of Guo Abacus' visit, she was a visitor, so Wen Xiu Niang invited him in.
The place where Wen Xiu Niang lives is a very small house, with only three north rooms and two wing rooms.
When Guo Abacus entered the main room of the north room, he saw a man in his thirties sitting on a soft chair in the middle of the room. There was also a pair of crutches beside the man.
From the time he opened the curtain and came in, until Wen Xiu Niang asked him to sit down, the man didn't even raise his head, only concentrating on carving the wood in his hand.
Guo Abacus glanced at the man one more time, and Wen Xiu Niang smiled sheepishly and said, "My husband-in-law doesn't like meeting strangers, so please don't be offended."
Of course Guo Abacus would not be offended. He had long heard that Wen Xiu Niang's husband became lame when he was twenty years old. He was so mentally stimulated that he stopped talking much from then on.
He didn't want to embarrass Wen Xiu Niang, so he quickly withdrew his gaze and told her the purpose of his visit.
"Our boss invited me here because he wants Wen Xiu Niang to come to the embroidery workshop to help. As long as you are willing to come, the wages can be negotiated."
Wen Xiu Niang glanced at her husband-in-law and said, "My husband-in-law can't stay away from anyone. I'm afraid I won't be able to help in the embroidery workshop. Besides, my cousin is in the embroidery workshop, and her embroidery skills are much better than mine."
Guo Abacus said: "Mother Wen Xiu probably doesn't know yet, but our Nishang Embroidery Workshop has changed to a new owner, and Lady Shi Xiu has also left the embroidery workshop."
"Leave the embroidery workshop?" Wen Xiuniang asked curiously, "Even if the embroidery workshop changes owners, why would my cousin leave?"
Guo Abacus said: "Shi Xiu Niang is feeling a little unwell, so the new owner has allowed her to take a few months off."
Wen Xiu Niang felt that this reason was perfunctory. Thinking of her cousin's character, she suddenly understood the reason why the new owner fired her.
"Our boss also knows that Wen Xiu's family is a burden, so she asked me to tell you that as long as you agree to go to the embroidery workshop to help, she will hire someone to take care of your husband-in-law for you. As for the salary, of course our embroidery workshop will pay for it."
This condition sounded pretty good. Wen Xiu Niang was a little moved, but still a little hesitant.
"Who is your new owner?" Wen Xiu Niang asked.
Guo Abacus smiled and said: "Our new owner is Madam Shen from Jinxin Embroidery House. Madam Shen said, you should still remember Madam Wen Embroidery."
Remember, how could you not remember.
It turned out to be her, no wonder my cousin left.
"Since the new owner is Mrs. Shen, with her embroidery skills, she can certainly support the embroidery workshop. Why do you have to ask me to help!"
Guo Abacus said: "Wen Xiu Niang didn't know something now. Our Lady Shen said that she was good at Hunan embroidery, and Nishang Embroidery Shop was famous for Shu embroidery when Shi Xiu Niang was there. In order not to lose those regular customers, she asked me to invite Wen Xiu Niang
If you come to help and talk about Shu embroidery skills, your embroidery skills are the only one in the entire city that can rival Shi Xiu Niang."
Wen Xiu Niang smiled and said, "That's an exaggeration. My embroidery skills have never been as good as those of my cousin. It's just that we both have the same master, so our styles may be more similar."
Guo Abacus heard the looseness in Wen Xiu Niang's words and continued: "Wen Xiu Niang actually doesn't need to be too modest. Shi Xiu Niang's embroidery skills were also practiced in the embroidery workshop. If you don't have any hindrances and concentrate on studying embroidery skills in the embroidery workshop, you may not be as good as Shi Xiu Niangcha."
"And our Lady Shen admires you very much, Wen Xiu Niang, and said that although you and Shi Xiu Niang are both cousins, their temperaments are completely different."
Shi Xiu Niang has a bad character and has an impatient temper.
When Guo Abacus said this, he was praising Wen Xiu Niang for her honest character and gentle temperament.
In response to this compliment, Wen Xiu Niang just smiled.
Guo Abacus understood what she was thinking. No matter how bad Shi Xiu Niang was, she was still her cousin. Although she agreed with this in her heart, she would not say much in front of outsiders.
He then said again: "Moreover, Mother Wen Xiu, it's not an option for you to stay at home like this! I heard that your son is studying in a school, and just half a year's training costs several taels of silver. How can it cost ten taels of silver in a year? !”
Speaking of money, Wen Xiu Niang has been really nervous recently, and her face has become more worried.
Seeing this, Guo Abacus took out a purse from his arms and said, "Our Lady Shen knew that I came to see Wen Xiu Niang, so she asked me to prepare a meeting gift. Inside was a fifty-tael silver note, which was a little token of our Lady Shen's kindness. "
Of course Wen Xiuniang refused to accept it, but the other party was a man, so she couldn't argue with him, so she could only hold her purse and say: "How can this be done?"
Guo Abacus said: "Mother Wen Xiu, just accept it! This is what our Lady Shen wants. You will know when you come to the embroidery workshop. Lady Shen is a very good person."
Wen Xiu Niang held her purse, hesitated for a long time, and finally said: "Let me think about it."
Guo Abacus said: "Such a big thing needs to be thought about carefully. Then Wen Xiu, please think about it slowly. I'll leave first."
Wen Xiu Niang had just sent him away, but before she could put her purse away, there was another knock on the door.
"Cousin, are you at home?"
When Wen Xiu Niang heard this familiar voice, she knew who was coming.
Shi Xiu Niang didn't wait for Wen Xiu Niang to fully open the door before stepping into the courtyard.
"Why did you close the door so tightly in broad daylight?" Shi Xiu Niang complained, and then asked: "I seemed to have seen Guo Abacus in the embroidery workshop just now. What is he doing here?"
"It's nothing." Wen Xiu Niang didn't mention Guo Abacus's purpose of coming, and just said: "He was passing by and wanted to go to the alley in front, so he asked me for directions."
Shi Xiu Niang did not become suspicious, glanced at Beifang, and whispered: "Brother-in-law, is he still the same as before?"
Wen Xiu Niang nodded: "It's still the same."
Shi Xiu Niang didn't like her cousin-in-law very much, so she went to the kitchen with Wen Xiu Niang.
Wen Xiu Niang started to light the fire to cook, and Shi Xiu Niang leaned against the door frame and said: "Cousin, there is no way you can continue like this. Recently, an embroidery workshop wants to invite me over, why don't you come with me! We sisters also have someone to take care of them."
Wen Xiu Niang paused while her hand was burning. Shi Xiu Niang never thought of her cousin when she was in the beautiful embroidery workshop. Now that she was in trouble and wanted to find another embroidery workshop, she thought of her cousin.
Wen Xiu Niang understood what Shi Xiu Niang was thinking. She was afraid that she would be bullied when she went to a new embroidery workshop alone, so she wanted to drag her along to keep her company.
But there is something about Shi Xiu Niang's temperament that Wen Xiu Niang doesn't know.
When she comes to the new embroidery workshop in the future, all the good things will be hers, and the bad things will be passed on to herself.
She stuffed a handful of firewood into the stove, turned on the bellows, and said, "Unfortunately, I just took a big order, so I'm afraid I can't go there with you."
The firewood in the furnace quickly ignited, and looking at the blazing fireworks, Wen Xiuniang suddenly made up her mind.
She is going to the embroidery workshop! Not only to get rid of Shi Xiu Niang's entanglement, but also to fight for her life.
Guo Abacus is right, her embroidery skills are not inferior to Shi Xiu Niang. As long as she is willing to practice diligently in the embroidery workshop, she may not be able to surpass Shi Xiu Niang in the future.
She was tired of the other party's condescending attitude. Why should the other party come to her if they wanted to? If they didn't want to come to her, they could pretend they didn't have her as a relative.