Meng Yao picked up her predecessor's embroidery skills as she taught the twins. She had to support her family, after all.
Zhao Dajiang could only do farm work but could not do much by himself. The Zhao family barely had land, and the daily output wasn't enough to sustain their livelihood. It wasn't even enough for him and Song Xiu'er.
For half a year, they had to use their silver to buy food from the villagers or go to the stores in town.
Nonetheless, the original Meng Yao was impressive. The current Ming Yao only needed a little practice before she could sew again since she had access to her predecessor's memories.
It was as if she was born with it.
The original Meng Yao would sew with a round fan which was popular amongst the madams and young ladies of wealthy families. They would use the fans to cover their faces coquettishly.
Coincidentally, Ying Luo enjoyed collecting such antique objects. She bought a few round fans that cost seven to eight hundred yuan. She would then use her painting skills to decorate them with some flowers and even sell them for a profit.
The flowers the original Meng Yao painted were ordinary. However, she made them more colorful with her excellent needlework. After Meng Yao finished sewing the fan, she took the finished product and the flowers she painted to the town's Hundred Embroidery Manor.
Selling off the fans could earn Meng Yao five hundred yuan, and the original Meng Yao could embroider six of them in a month, meaning she could earn three taels of silver.
No wonder she could support Zhao Dahe's studies while feeding the entire family. Meng Yao simply maxed out her ability to make money.
The manager of the Hundred Embroidery Manor was very familiar with the original Meng Yao. As soon as Meng Yao appeared, the manager came forward to welcome her.
Meng Yao handed the fan to the manager. The manager looked at it and smiled, "It looks like your embroidery skills have improved again, Madam Zhao."
Of course, Meng Yao wouldn't miss this chance to bargain. "Does that mean you'll pay me more, Mr. Liu?"
Mr. Liu was straightforward and didn't get angry at Meng Yao. He replied cheerfully, "Of course! We've said that the better the quality, the better the price. That's the rule our boss set for us. If not for that, who would hone their embroidery skills?"
Instead of earning five hundred yuan, Meng Yao now earned five hundred and fifty yuan. In other words, she could earn an extra three hundred yuan. One pound of pork cost fifteen yuan, so three hundred yuan could buy twenty pounds.
Meng Yao was just about to take out the flowers she painted after settling the bill when Mr. Liu walked past her and called out to another guest in surprise.
Meng Yao turned her head, and the corners of her mouth twitched. It was Taozhi. The little girl was not around when Meng Yao arrived.
"Madam Zhao?" Taozhi said in surprise.
Meng Yao only nodded.
Mr. Liu was quite surprised. "You two know each other?"
"Madam Zhao and I are from Shanghua Village," Taozhi said.
"The Shanghua Village is amazing. Not only do they have skilled embroiderers like Madam Zhao, but also someone with exquisite painting skills like Miss Taozhi," Mr. Liu sighed.
Meng Yao and Taozhi looked at each other in unison. Meng Yao hurriedly emptied her mind. Although it looked like she was looking at Taoizhi, she didn't focus.
There was nothing else Meng Yao could do. The little girl might be a temptress, and if Meng Yao weren't careful, she would fall for the little girl's tricks.
Taozhi remained silent, but Mr. Liu showed Meng Yao the flowers Taozhi painted, "The flowers look so real, don't they, Madam Zhao?"
The painting consisted of various flowers, plants, and animals like birds and other smaller creatures. Meng Yao had to admit the painting was perfect. It was a direct copy of real life on paper.
The bird in the painting looked like it would fly out of the painting. Taozhi's painting rivaled that of a picture taken with an expensive camera.
"That's beautiful, Taozhi," Meng Yao sighed in admiration.
Mr. Liu paid forty taels of silver for the four paintings. As expected, the Hundred Embroidery Manor valued quality.
Taozhi took the silver and made an appointment with Mr. Liu for the next time she came to sell him more paintings before leaving.
"Can you embroider this, Madam Zhao?" Mr. Liu asked.
Meng Yao shook her head decisively. She could do it, but her instincts told her to avoid everything related to Taozhi.
Mr. Liu sighed, "As expected, we can't display these things."
Meng Yao was puzzled. "Why did you buy it if you can't display it, Mr. Liu?"
"When Miss Taozhi first came here to sell us her paintings, my boss happened to be around and liked her painting skills. These are all for my boss," Mr. Liu answered.
'So that's how it is.'
Then Meng Yao took out the flowers she painted, her face calm. "What do you think of this, Mr. Liu?"
It was a picture of the four beauties. They were a series of Four Beauties, Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and Chang'E' Flying to the Moon.
Mr. Liu widened his mouth in shock. From his many years managing the Hundred Embroidery Manor, Mr. Liu could tell that these flowers would look great embroidered onto a fan or screen. If one's embroidery skills were good enough, others would highly seek the patterns.
'That's how a proper flower should look! The color matching and needlework are exquisite.'
Whether it was a person or an animal, the design was clever. It wasn't as realistic as Taozhi's, but people would like it after minor touch-ups. Taozhi's drawings looked natural, beautiful, and had a story.
If they could launch a series of designs, Hundred Embroidery Manor's business would boom.
Mr. Liu very courteously invited Meng Yao to the back of the courtyard for tea and even ordered someone to prepare delicious desserts.
"How much are you willing to sell these paintings for, Madam Zhao?" Mr. Liu went straight to the point.
"How much do you think it's worth?" Meng Yao put the ball in Mr. Liu's court this time. She was confident her flower design was worth far more than Taozhi's painting.
That was her endless source of wealth, after all. Although Taozhi's paintings were priceless, Mr. Liu had to find someone who could embroider them. However, that was Meng Yao's business.
"Twenty taels a piece." Mr. Liu didn't waste any time.
That was an acceptable price to Meng Yao. However, she wanted to bargain for more.
"That's only a piece of a trio series," Meng Yao said without changing her expression.
"Are you saying you have more, Madam Zhao?"
"Mrs. Zhao, are you saying that you have other things?" Mr. Liu felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest.
Initially, Mr. Liu had set his mind at ease and would obediently manage the town's Hundred Embroidery Manor for the rest of his life. However, he wondered what would happen if he could bring the Hundred Embroidery Manor's business to another level. Maybe even more than that.
"I will also mark the sewing points. Then the skilled embroiderers of the Hundred Embroidery Manot would have no problems recreating my paintings into embroideries," Meng Yao said.
"Unless you want me to guide your embroiderers. I can do that too," Meng Yao added.
"Thirty taels," Mr. Liu said decisively.
Meng Yao smiled happily. She thought she could get twenty-five taels at most, but thirty taels were more than she expected.
"Of course, there are conditions. These designs can only belong to the Hundred Embroidery Manor. In other words, you can't sell your designs to others. The Hundred Embroidery Manor are the only ones allowed to produce them," Mr. Liu said.