Chapter 9: Chapter 8: Showing Off a Bit of One’s Abilities

There really was an embroidery shop in the town. Mother Ji had seen the embroidery when she passed by it. It was very fine, like they were embroidered by young misses in ancient times.

“A little bit? I’ve been quietly learning for a while. I was afraid I would be laughed at. Today, I dared to go to sister Hong’s and try.” Su Danhong very carefully said, “Mother, I want to help Jianyun. I don’t want to continue at home doing nothing. In our entire family, mother, you are holding up half the sky.”

These words made Mother Ji happy, but she was skeptical and looked at her husband.

Regardless of whether Lao San’s wife could earn money to supplement the family, she was enthusiastic about this matter. In any case, embroidery frames used wood, not money.

Father Ji asked, “How big do you want it?”

“Not too big. The size of a table would be good enough,” Su Danhong replied. She also wanted to embroider more imposing pieces, but it’s better to take her time later.

“I’ll make it for you in the afternoon.” Father Ji was fine with it. This small embroidery frame was not a big deal to him and there was already wood available at home.

Su Danhong said, “It’s not urgent. Father, you can do it whenever you have the time.”

That’s what she said, but Father Ji kept in mind that this was the first time Lao San’s wife opened her mouth about helping Jianyun. No matter if it could sell or not, he would not splash cold water on her.

When Su Danhong finished eating and left, Father Ji and Mother Ji picked up their chopsticks.

Mother Ji said, “Do you think there’s something wrong with Lao San’s wife? Look at her, she only took a few mouthfuls and said she’s full?” Why would she try to lose weight?

In the past, Lao San’s wife had an appetite as big as Ji Jianyun. She was eager to stop them from eating anything delicious, like a starved to death ghost. But she only ate three bites today when she came over with two plates of food?

Father Ji didn’t speak and ate in silence.

“Save some for me.”

Mother Ji saw that he was not at all polite. She put some eggs and pork in her bowl and immediately stopped talking. Not to mention how she usually did not find Lao San’s wife’s dishes to be good in the past, she was also willing to give up food to them. There are a lot of eggs and pork.

Father Ji finished eating and left to make the embroidery frame. The embroidery frame was very simple, but Father Ji spent more time on it in the pursuit of perfection.

After it was done, Mother Ji went over to give it to Su Danhong. When Su Danhong heard Mother Ji mention tonight’s pancakes, she said to make one more for her. Mother Ji agreed with a smile and did not leave.

Su Danhong knew she wanted to see if she could really embroider. So without obscurity, she took out all of the embroidery material from sister Hong.

There were too many threads of all colors for Mother Ji to see, but Su Danhong neatly arranged them. Afterwards, she sat cross-legged and began to embroider.

Mother Ji saw her carefully embroidering, stitch by stitch. She didn’t utter a sound to disturb her and she even breathed lighty. Not to mention when Lao San’s wife sat in front of the embroidery frame, she really looked like a master!

Su Danhong lost track of time with this embroidery. This was the first time she embroidered red-crowned cranes to celebrate longevity1. After half an hour, she embroidered the two heads of the red-crowned cranes that were vivid and realistic like they were real life cranes calling Mother Ji silly.

“Danhong, did you really embroider that?” Mother Ji looked at the two crane heads and asked with an astonished look. So this is what it is all about!

She really didn’t expect to see this. Lao San’s wife really had skills!

"I'm just average. I have to work harder. A person is never too old to learn." Su Danhong massaged her neck and said modestly.

Mother Ji approved of Su Danhong’s sincere words. She saw how the unexpected change of her daughter-in-law these past few days was pleasing to the eye.

Mother Ji watched for a while before saying, “You continue, mother will leave first.”

“I’ll send mother off.” Su Danhong quickly got up to send Mother Ji out the door.

When Mother Ji went home, she still had not recovered. Now when did Lao San’s wife become so polite?

Does that huge body really look like the shadow of a young miss from a big family from ancient times?

When she came back, Father Ji was doing woodwork. He had accepted a job and he was working on a cabinet.

“Lao San’s wife’s embroidery wasn’t to your expectations?” Father Ji glanced at his wife and saw her expression.

Mother Ji recovered and came back with high spirits. Smiling, she said, “You thought wrong about this. Lao San’s wife is really capable!” Mother Ji expressed her approval.

Father Ji looked at his wife and asked, “Did she really embroider a pattern?”

“No, you didn’t see her embroider the two red-crowned crane heads. It was not even different from the real thing. Stitch by stitch, I saw her embroider it!” Mother Ji exclaimed.

Father Ji nodded and continued to work.

Mother Ji continued, “Old man, maybe Lao San’s wife can really make money from this.”

“That’s their own business. Don’t get involved,” Father Ji told her.

“Involved with what? I want to, but have nothing to do with it,” Mother Ji said with no strength. She wanted to get involved, but how easy was Lao San’s wife's job? Her eyes blurred from so many colorful threads and various complicated needles. She watched for almost an hour and she didn’t learn anything.

Father Ji was busy with his own work.

Mother Ji recalled the time when Su Danhong sent her out. “Say, why do you think Lao San’s wife is like a different person now?”

If this was not the same daughter-in-law, she would have thought that she was possessed by something.

Father Ji didn’t raise his head and said, “Are you still dissatisfied when she has changed for the better? It's enough to have a good life with Jianyun. Why do you care so much?”

Mother Ji retorted, “I’m not dissatisfied, I’m very pleased. If she continues like this, I can help her during confinement2!”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Father Ji said, “If you help her during confinement, then Lao Da’s3 wife will bury you to death.” Back then, Lao Da’s wife gave birth to the eldest grandson, but his wife did not help during confinement.

“That’s a different matter. The fortune teller said Lao San’s wife is fated to be very rich and give birth to a grandson that will attend college!” Mother Ji was starting to believe the fortune teller’s words from three years ago.

At that time, she listened to the fortune teller’s words that Su's daughter would have an excellent life. They gave a lot of betrothal gifts to have her marry Jianyun.

But the marriage was a trick?

Three days and a small quarrel. Five days and a big quarrel. Over the past three years, she had been angered to death by Lao San’s wife. She was stingy, petty, and extremely awful. Not to mention what the fortune teller said, in the future both of them would have to live with Lao San’s family.

Father Ji also heard it at the time. He didn’t take the whole thing seriously. Yet, he still listened to the words about how Lao San’s wife would give birth to a grandson that would go to college.

The Lao Ji family had never had a college student. Lao Si4, who taught in Jiangshui City, only graduated from high school. If he could have a grandson who went to college, then he would light a smoke for the Ji family and ancestors.

Su Danhong was at home embroidering the red-crowned cranes, and didn’t know that she had such a heavy responsibility. It took a few days for her to embroider the red-crowned crane for celebrating longevity.

Pic

月子 (yuè​zi​) – traditional one month confinement period after childbirth

老大 (lǎodà) – eldest child

老四 (lǎo sì) – Fourth eldest child