Xu Ruyi had just returned to her room when Bai Zhi entered right after.
Thinking her mistress might have some instructions, Xu Ruyi immediately stepped forward and asked, “Sister Bai Zhi, does the young mistress have any orders?”
“In a few days, it will be Lao Furen’s birthday. The young mistress wants you to embroider a Longevity Painting, leaving just a few stitches for her to finish.” After speaking, Bai Zhi observed her calm expression and lack of complaint, feeling slightly relieved. After all, if she showed disloyalty to the young mistress, she couldn’t be kept around.
Xu Ruyi promptly agreed, “Yes, thank you for coming, Sister Bai Zhi. Please tell the young mistress that this servant will complete it early.”
“Alright, then get to work. I’ll go report back to the young mistress!” With that, Bai Zhi left directly.
Watching Bai Zhi leave, Xu Ruyi couldn’t help grumbling inwardly, “Didn’t they say ancient women were proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and learned embroidery from an early age? Why is it different here? Ah, such a hard life. Better just do it honestly!”
Taking advantage of being alone, she stored the silver rewarded by the young mistress into her Space, then went to the storeroom to find fabric. Something for Lao Furen naturally had to be high-class, after all, it needed to look expensive at first glance!!!
Time flew by swiftly, and two years passed in the blink of an eye. In these brief yet long two years, many things happened.
Xu Ruyi adapted well in the Wang residence. As a favored Servant Girl by the young mistress’s side, she maintained good relationships with the estate’s stewards and the kitchen managers.
This ensured that no one gave her much trouble over these two years. Aside from being a Servant Girl, she didn’t feel particularly aggrieved.
On the contrary, during these two years, she diligently practiced embroidery, learned to read, and practiced calligraphy. Now, she could write in a fine hand.
Perhaps she had some talent for embroidery, as this skill earned her even more favor from the young mistress and Madam Wang, bringing her considerable reward money.
Shaoyao, as a first-tier Servant Girl, was quite envious. However, Bai Zhi was wiser, often advising her, so the two managed to coexist peacefully.
Over two years, including the money she earned from selling her embroidery outside, she had saved over five hundred taels—a substantial sum.
She didn’t take on small tasks like handkerchiefs outside; instead, she accepted larger projects like screens or clothing, which paid well.
She became quite familiar with Shopkeeper Song of Song’s Fabric Shop and secretly learned Double-sided Embroidery from the shop’s embroiderers, putting her heart into mastering it.
It took her a full six months to embroider a high-quality Lotus Screen, which she then presented to the young mistress.
Wang Jing Shu was overjoyed when she received the screen and generously gave her fifty taels, asking her to embroider a Hibiscus Screen for Madam Wang next. After that, she was told to focus only on embroidery and nothing else.
After completing the Hibiscus Screen, Wang Jing Shu didn’t assign her other tasks, so she had free time to embroider a Plum Blossom Screen. When she took it to the fabric shop, Song Niangzi happily accepted it and paid a high price of thirty taels.
From then on, she embroidered one screen every two months. Xu Ruyi felt that earning money was fine, but damaging her eyesight was not.
Thanks to her Space, she stored some good fabrics inside.
Every time she went out, she bought some pastries and grains to keep in her Space.
She liked going to the northern part of the city the most, where many poor families lived, and things were cheaper there.
Take steamed buns for example. In the eastern part of the city, one bun costs two copper coins, while in the northern part, three copper coins can buy two larger buns.
Xu Ruyi always buys fifty steamed buns, fifty stuffed buns, and thirty baked cakes each time she goes.
She particularly enjoys the savory, crispy baked cakes.
Whenever someone sells game meat, she buys it too. After all, this is ancient times, and she must prepare for any eventuality.
As everyone knows, ancient times may lack many things, but natural and man-made disasters are plentiful.
Since items stored in her Space don’t spoil and she has some income, her priority is to stockpile enough food.
Not only cooked food and game meat, but she has also hoarded a lot of grain. Although her Space isn’t very large, she maximizes its use and has managed to cram in quite a bit.
She hasn’t stored much raw cotton, but she has stocked up on plenty of quilts, cotton-padded clothes, and cotton shoes.