Chapter 96 – The Pretend Younger Brother

Chapter 96 - The Pretend Younger Brother

Splitting silk and color matching are interconnected skills. Ordinary color matching might stop at selecting thread colors, but a deeper understanding of it resembles a painter's color blending. Embroiderers mix different hues to create the desired thread color.

When blending silk threads for color, the combination of different shades will inevitably thicken the mixed thread, resulting in a coarser embroidery piece. Therefore, splitting the silk before color matching becomes crucial. The most skilled embroiderers can divide a single thread into 256 parts, allowing them to blend 256 colors to achieve the desired shade. For a finer embroidery, they might only mix 128 or 64 parts, making the thread half or a quarter as thick as the original.

The smaller the needle holes, the better the preservation of the fabric's texture. Thinner threads are akin to higher resolution in screens, providing smoother lines in the embroidery. Masters can make their stitches so indiscernible that the embroidery rivals a painting with brushstrokes.

The scene of learning how to split silk quickly passed. Meanwhile, Tang Fei's fingers trembled slightly, as if continuously struck by an electric current, causing a numbing pain.

Knowledge and muscle memory were acquired simultaneously. Embroidery is a craft that tests patience, meticulousness, and perseverance; both talent and comprehension are indispensable.

As Wu Xia learned embroidery, she grew up amidst alternating feelings of pride, admiration, parental disdain, and scolding. A single embroidery needle opened up new worlds for her but also brought immense pressure and suffering.

Perhaps the accumulated stress erupted after the car accident, leading to her psychological barrier.

Tang Fei didn't have time to ponder deeply as the scene shifted to the art of color matching, flooding her mind.

In the scene, Wu Xia had already reached elementary school age. She would dedicate time to embroidery after her daily studies and visit her teacher on weekends.

Today, after completing her homework, she laid on the windowsill, watching the sparse snowfall outside. Unlike the heavy snowstorms in the north that blanket the sky, these snowflakes seemed frail as they drifted mid-air, vanishing upon touching the ground.

Young Wu Xia shifted her perspective, noticing subtle color variations in the snow under different lighting and angles.

From one viewpoint, she saw distinct hues when looking in different directions. To render a snowflake realistically in embroidery, she realized she'd need to extend the white into at least seven or eight shades.

She observed meticulously for a long while until the streetlights flickered on. The thin snowflakes were barely visible except in the dim yellow beams, where they shimmered and sparkled in their descent.

She picked up a white silk thread and aligned it with the light, rotating it to study its nuances.

When embroidered, a thread might reveal only 40% of its color to express its hue. With meticulous stitches, a single thread might exhibit merely 10% of its color, with the rest concealed by other threads or pressed beneath them.

Instead of constantly switching threads, if one thread possessed five or six similar shades, it could capture the subtle shadows and highlights of a single-colored object. By adjusting the position to expose the desired color segment, it could save both time and effort.

With this idea in mind, Wu Xia promptly chose over ten colors, starting with white as the base to split the silk threads, preparing for the intricate coloring.

...

Working tirelessly until the stroke of midnight, Wu Xia had managed to create a single white thread imbued with six distinct tones.

Overjoyed by her innovation, little Wu Xia skipped into the living room, eager to showcase her masterpiece to her parents.

However, all she heard from them were criticisms.

"You were supposed to match six, yet you only did one. How can you learn with such laziness?"

"Take it step by step. Why are you experimenting blindly?"

"A solid foundation is crucial; don't be too ambitious."

"Hold your tongue! Don't pout like that!"

"It's late; go to bed. You'll continue practicing tomorrow, and this one won't count."

Her parents' words fired like a machine gun, pelting Wu Xia with a barrage of disapproval. Resolute, she refused to admit her thread was worthless, her eyes shimmering with defiance. Yet, the disappointment of not being acknowledged left her tossing and turning all night.

When the weekend arrived and she met her teacher, Wu Xia still seemed listless. It wasn't until she laid out her array of threads that Lu Yan noticed the exceptional one.

"Big Mao, this thread is quite unique."

"Teacher, do you think we can use this thread?"

"You're testing your teacher? Let me think about it." Lu Yan chuckled, picked up the other threads Wu Xia had prepared, and compared them by rotating them one by one. Then, she experimented on the embroidery cloth, stitching a small white fluff ball. With just one thread, she achieved variations in light and shade and a sense of depth, demonstrating extraordinary skill.

"Teacher!" Wu Xia's eyes sparkled, and her lips curled into a childlike smile. Her face lit up, and she instantly became more energized.

Lu Yan pulled her over to the embroidery cloth. "What does it remind you of? What do you want to embroider?"

"It looks like a rabbit's tail."

"Shall we embroider a little white rabbit together using this thread?"

...

After observing the lesson, Tang Fei's fingers and entire arm were warm. Splitting silk threads required precise control of smaller muscle groups, but the stimulation wasn't intense.

Color matching, on the other hand, was purely knowledge-based, with techniques that dovetailed with thread splitting.

With the influx of knowledge, Tang Fei didn't experience any unbearable discomfort in her brain after the surge. The pain of learning this time was entirely within the normal range.

She had... blundered again!

"Skill acquired."

"Sewing - Splitting Threads, Proficiency 20%"

"Color Coordination with Silk Threads, Proficiency 22%"

Tang Fei had no time to focus on the skills as the chili in her mouth seemed to set her tongue ablaze once the learning effect wore off. It overwhelmed all other sensations and monopolized her thoughts.

"Haaahh... Hsshh... Haaahh." Tang Fei opened her mouth wide and fanned her tongue with both hands frantically.

How could this be so different from the Hunan cuisine in the capital? What kind of chili was this? It looked tiny, but why was it so spicy?

She dared to chew on an entire chili whole! How daring she was.

"Water!"

Tang Fei guzzled down a large glass of iced water, momentarily soothing her tongue. But then, the flames seemed to intensify, as if her tongue had ventured into an alternate dimension!

"Shhh, shhh! Water, more water!"

He Zhou hastily handed her another glass of ice water.

"Water won't do the trick. You need solids, something warm," Wu Xia observed Tang Fei's exaggerated display with a smile. She felt that the hometown dish had avenged her, giving this impolite beauty a taste of its sting.

Ning Xiaodou, who had hesitated to try the same dish as Tang Fei, widened his eyes in disbelief. Was it really that spicy? He was lucky he hadn't taken a bite; he had dodged a bullet.

At this point, Tang Fei had become a minefield-clearing soldier, stepping on all the explosives.

Taking Wu Xia's advice, Tang Fei quickly swallowed a mouthful of hot rice.

Oh, the agony! Tears welled up in Tang Fei's eyes, not from emotion but from the searing heat. The scorching rice combined with her fiery tongue seemed to send it straight to the afterlife.

She was convinced that Wu Xia was retaliating!

It had to be retaliation! She was literally crying from the spiciness.

After the intense spiciness subsided, it was as if her tongue had returned from the netherworld.

Does it really work?

This isn't about revenge.

Tang Fei glanced at Wu Xia, intending to thank her. However, memories of Wu Xia's parents' negative words briefly flashed through her mind before fading away, leaving her in a brief moment of distress. Both she and the original owner had grown up in a sweet and sheltered environment, never imagining that such a vast rift could exist between seemingly normal parent-child relationships.

Despite being so outstanding, their parents seemed oblivious to it all.

Wu Xia noticed the flicker in Tang Fei's eyes and felt a strange sensation in her heart, as if someone had seen through her, making her uncomfortable. She huffed and turned away.

Tang Fei's gratitude remained unspoken.

By the time they finished their meal, Tang Fei and Wu Xia were staring at each other.

"How do we compare?"

"Where do we compare?"

"Who will be the judge?"

With the contest decided and the peerless Wu Xia participating, it couldn't be handled casually.

As if everything was prearranged, a familiar authority figure walked in from outside the door.

Tian Ningfang and Zhou Weichuan appeared together.

"Wu Xia, how about I take on the role of the referee? The competition can be held at the Silk Thread Market."

"Uncle Tian, there's no problem with you overseeing it."

"After the match, you can stay."

Wu Xia looked at her hands and shook her head. "Unless someone of my generation can defeat me, I won't consider staying."

Everyone's gaze turned to Tang Fei, feeling a collective anticipation.

Ning Xiaodou was enjoying the show, while Chen Ming felt disgruntled that Tang Fei was causing trouble. On the other hand, Lu Yan looked at Tang Fei with renewed hope.

He Zhou covered his face, while Zhou Weichuan raised an eyebrow. What was his superstar up to?

Tang Fei, on the other hand, felt a surge of confidence. She piled all her Skill Upgrade Cards and watched her skills soar to 100%. The electrifying sensation spread through her fingers and brain; if someone were to hand her a thread now, she could weave it into a masterpiece instantly.

With a grand gesture, Tang Fei declared, "A deal is a deal. No backing out."

"Wimping out makes you a puppy," Wu Xia shot back.

Neither of them would yield, their eyes gleaming with determination to triumph.

Does... my cousin really know how to embroider?

He Zhou had a moment of disorientation, as if he had missed out on growing up alongside his sister.

Turns out I'm a fake younger brother?