Chapter 55: Untangling the Knot in He Jin’s Heart

Chapter 55: Untying the Knot in He Jin's Heart

Wen Xi's embroidery skills had gradually reached a certain level of proficiency through daily practice, and he had gained some confidence and assurance in his technique.

But this was, after all, the first time he had sold his work at such a high price, and these were items commissioned by Yan Fengan's classmates. If anything went wrong, his skill being questioned would be the lesser concern—the bigger worry was that it would affect Yan Fengan's reputation.

Wen Xi dared not be careless. He even skipped his usual trip to Shen Liang's for leftover scraps, and instead begged Yan Fuqiu to take him and He Jin to town on the ox cart, where he went to the city's silk shop to pick out materials himself.

On the way there, He Jin reminded him: "Every inch of brocade costs an inch of gold, Wen Xi. You'd better bring more silver with you. If it's not enough, borrow some from Mother first."

Wen Xi had originally only planned to bring ten taels of silver, but hearing this, he turned back to his room and brought the remaining ten taels as well.

Just a few days earlier, he had told Yan Fengan he would save those twenty taels of silver carefully, and now he was about to spend them. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel a pang of reluctance. But he also understood that you have to give to get—if someone in this line of work couldn't even bear to spend money on needles, thread, and fabric, they'd never make any real money down the line.

The brocade in the city was indeed expensive—one zhang of flower-scattered brocade ran six taels of silver.

Flower-scattered brocade was transported from the Shu region, with rich, vibrant colors and intricate patterns. Wen Xi thought it looked rich and extravagant at first glance. The pouches were only palm-sized, and using this brocade would make them pretty without being flashy—just right.

As for the fan case material, to suit the refined, elegant tastes of those scholars, he picked Song brocade in lighter, more understated shades.

Song brocade was a bit cheaper, but a zhang still set him back four taels.

Wen Xi bought one zhang each of Shu brocade and Song brocade. Just as he was about to pay, another roll of purplish-red fabric caught his eye. He asked the shopkeeper and learned it was a kind of Shu brocade called "iridescent brocade," because it was dyed in several layers, it shifted color under different lighting.

The ladies and androgynes of the city's wealthy households loved buying this fabric for sachets.

Iridescent brocade had a special dyeing process and cost even more—eight taels a zhang.

Wen Xi was tempted, but he didn't lose his head and buy up everything in sight.

Next time—if he landed more orders and made some money—he'd come back and buy a small piece to try.

He Jin hadn't been to the city often, but he was outgoing and didn't scare easy around strangers. While Wen Xi was paying, he talked the shop owner into throwing in a small bundle of leftover scraps.

The scraps were nearly worthless to the shop, but they'd come in handy for them. The shopkeeper was good-natured and handed them over with a smile, saying: "Thanks for your business, folks. Come again!"

He Jin took the scraps, thanked him with a smile, and after leaving the silk shop, the two of them ducked into the thread shop next door, spending two qian on silk thread in all sorts of colors.

Wen Xi paid, tucked the thread into his bundle with the brocade, and cradled it carefully, afraid of creases or folds.

On the way home, he did the math in his head. Dropping ten taels on fabric at once did sting a bit, but thinking about it more carefully, a zhang of brocade could make quite a few pouches and fan cases. With this haul, he wouldn't have to buy materials again for a long while.

And any more orders would be pure profit.

With that, Wen Xi finally felt a little better. Now that he had the fabric and thread, he could start stitching the moment he got home.

Over the next stretch, until the orders were done, Wen Xi barely left the courtyard.

Chen Lanfang kept her word—she didn't let him lift a finger around the house. The rest of the family was supportive too—his father-in-law and brothers-in-law had no complaints.

Although Wen Xi was eager to finish the items, he still managed his time very reasonably. Yan Fengan had written that staying up late to embroider by lamplight would ruin his eyes, and he must not do it.

Wen Xi took his words to heart. He stopped working as soon as the sun went down. When his neck ached or his eyes felt strained, he'd get up and take a stroll, looking at the blue sky and the green mountains in the distance.

He Jin and Li Wan also dropped by now and then to help after their chores.

Cutting, sewing, threading needles, splitting silk—they did whatever they could to help Wen Xi.

Three pairs of hands were naturally faster than one. In about a month, they finished the academy's order.

Before, Li Wan had just thought Wen Xi's embroidery was pretty. This time, with the finished pieces in hand, she studied them closely and compared them to her own—and finally understood why those academy students paid so much for his pouches and fan cases.

Their work looked stitched on top, but Wen Xi's looked like it had grown right out of the fabric.

Since they were family, Wen Xi didn't keep his techniques to himself. Seeing Li Wan and the others curious, he walked them through his method step by step.

He explained it carefully and in detail, but the results fell short.

Li Wan's knack for embroidery wasn't quite up to Wen Xi's or He Jin's. After a few tries, she not only failed to finish a single piece—she nearly forgot what she already knew.

She didn't plan to make a living from this craft like Wen Xi did, so she gave up fiddling with it after a couple of days.

As for He Jin, a skilled hand with talent and flair, he had his own way of embroidering. Having embroidered for so many years, suddenly switching to a different stitch method was extremely uncomfortable for him. He tried the needle-blending technique Wen Xi taught him, but what he produced not only lacked his original delicacy but also missed Wen Xi's lively spark.

He knew in his heart that although Wen Xi had been introduced to this craft by him, the two of them had now walked down two completely different paths.

To be honest, He Jin was genuinely happy that Wen Xi could earn money through embroidery.

But alongside that happiness, a hint of something else lingered in his heart. He had been doing embroidery for so many years and still hadn't earned that much silver.

It would be impossible to say there wasn't a twinge of sourness. But it wasn't resentment either—it was more like envy.

He thought he had hidden these little emotions well, but the perceptive Wen Xi noticed anyway.

He Jin and the others had helped make the pouches and fan cases, so after selling them, Wen Xi would certainly share some of the money with them. But for craftsmen like them, earning money through someone else's help would never feel as satisfying as earning it through their own skill.

And it wasn't just about the money—any craftsman with a bit of ambition would want their skill to be recognized by others.

He Jin's skill was no worse than his; what he lacked was simply an opportunity. Wen Xi really wanted to help him, but he didn't even have a stable customer base yet—how could he help He Jin build a reputation?

He felt somewhat troubled, thinking that if only Yan Fengan were here—he was thorough in his dealings and quick-witted. With him around, the two of them could discuss it together.

But this thought was quickly suppressed by Wen Xi. His husband was indeed a reliable man, but he couldn't rely on him to solve every problem that came up.

Studying was already mentally taxing, and Yan Fengan still had to find time to figure out how to sell his goods. He was already burdened with enough—Wen Xi couldn't bother him with these trivial household matters.

Wen Xi didn't want any rift between himself and anyone in the family. Taking advantage of Li Wan going to the kitchen to cook, he sidled up to He Jin and tugged at his sleeve: "Brother Jin, don't be disheartened. Your skill is better than mine, and you know more techniques than I do. You just need someone to help you get started. Once my customer base is stable, I'll immediately help you get things going."

Those wealthy households couldn't possibly only want pouches and fan cases. Wen Xi didn't dare tackle large pieces like pillowcases or embroidered screens yet, but if anyone wanted those, He Jin could do them perfectly.

He Jin hadn't expected Wen Xi to see through his little feelings and instinctively tried to cover it up: "What's there to be disheartened about? We're family—if you earn money, I get to enjoy the benefits too, don't I?"

Wen Xi took his hand and said earnestly: "I can make a living from this craft entirely because you taught me without holding anything back. I've always remembered your kindness, and that's why I really want others to see your skill."

The knot in He Jin's heart slowly loosened under Wen Xi's gentle words. He looked at Wen Xi with a complex expression, then smiled and tapped Wen Xi's forehead: "When you first married into this family, you barely dared to speak above a whisper. Now you're spouting these heart-touching words one after another."

He didn't stand on ceremony and said bluntly: "I'll remember what you said. From now on, I'll be relying on you and Third Brother to get rich. Don't complain about my thick skin when that time comes."

Wen Xi saw that the melancholy in his brows from the past few days had faded, and said happily: "Of course not! I'd be thrilled if you could earn money alongside me."

He Jin's nose tingled slightly at Wen Xi's genuine joy. He admitted honestly: "I was a bit upset before. Don't laugh at me, but I've been doing this for so many years, and I've never even earned twenty taels, let alone thirty."

Back in his natal home, the bulk of his earnings had to be handed over to his mother for household expenses, leaving only a small portion for himself.

Later, after marrying into the Yan family, he could keep what he earned, but he was busy with household chores and taking care of the children all day, barely having time to do anything. At most, he'd take on a bit of work from the embroidery shop each year—earning two or three taels of silver in a whole year was already impressive for him.

Wen Xi opened his mouth to comfort him, but He Jin waved his hand first, having come to terms with it: "But now I understand—what's wrong with one or two taels? One or two taels is still money. Your embroidery sells at a high price, but you work slowly. What I make doesn't sell for much per piece, but it's not much trouble either. When you add it all up, it's about the same."

He handed Wen Xi a zongzi-shaped sachet he had made to show him: "I discussed it with Sister-in-Law, and we plan to make some small trinkets over the next few days. When you go deliver the pouches to the academy, could you bring ours along and sell them in the city for us?"

Wen Xi took it and offered his advice as he examined it: "City people are even pickier than town folks. You could use plain satin and patterned silk instead, and add tassels and incense—those'll definitely sell for a good price."

"Alright, I'll do as you say."

Over the next few days, He Jin and Li Wan worked together on the small items to sell for the Dragon Boat Festival, while Wen Xi took over the household chores himself.

Wen Xi left his sisters-in-law's work alone—when they made money, he wouldn't have to take an extra cut.

In his spare time, he also made a few sachets from Shu brocade and Song brocade, planning to take them along with He Jin's and the others' stuff to see how they'd sell.

Two days before the Dragon Boat Festival, everything was finally done.

He Jin really had a knack for it—he not only made sachets but also crafted a few round fans. Li Wan went to Shen Liang's place and bought a large bundle of colorful threads, braiding them into dozens of five-color braided cords.

They were meant to be tied around the wrist to ward off evil during the festival—not worth much, but perfect for the occasion.

The day before they headed to the city, Wen Xi counted everything: he had made five pouches, three fan cases, and three sachets.

He Jin and Li Wan together had made ten sachets, five round fans, and forty five-color braided cords.

Wen Xi sorted the items, wrapped them in clean, fine cotton cloth, and packed them into his little cloth bag.

The next day, he got up before dawn, changed into the summer clothes Chen Lanfang had just made for him, carefully fixed his hair in the mirror, and put on the silver bracelet Yan Fengan had given him.

It was his first time at the academy, and he'd inevitably run into Yan Fengan's classmates—he didn't need to look fancy, but at least his clothes had to be clean and neat, so those people wouldn't laugh behind his back for marrying a sloppy husband.

Once he was ready, he hopped on the ox cart driven by Yan Fuqiu, and after a bumpy ride, he arrived at Yan Fengan's academy right before sunrise.

Yan Fuqiu had the gatekeeper pass along the message, and before long, Yan Fengan emerged from inside. He wore a moon-white round-collar robe today, with the pouch Wen Xi had embroidered hanging at his waist, looking clean and fresh.

Seeing the two people standing at the academy gate, he quickened his pace.

"Second Brother, Xiao Xi." When he reached them, he greeted them cheerfully.

Wen Xi smiled back at him.

Yan Fengan said something to the gatekeeper, then planned to take them both inside.

Yan Fuqiu waved his hand: "I've got to keep an eye on the ox. Just take Xiao Xi in. I'll wait for you outside—take your time with the delivery."

"Alright, Second Brother, wait here for a moment." With that, Yan Fengan held out his hand to Wen Xi.

Wen Xi put his hand in Yan Fengan's and followed him into the academy.

For Wen Xi, who'd never been to school, the academy felt sacred. As they walked in, he could faintly hear the sound of reading from somewhere—even though it was far off, Wen Xi unconsciously softened his steps and even his breathing grew shallower.

They walked along a stone path for a while, and the sound of reading gradually faded. As the area got quieter and more private, Wen Xi couldn't help but ask, "Husband, where are you taking me?"

Yan Fengan noticed his unease and teased him: "I'll take you to the quietest spot. While no one's around, we can sneak off and do something a little naughty."

Wen Xi got even more nervous at that, stammering, "We... we shouldn't. How could we do stuff like that in a place like the academy?"

Seeing Wen Xi had taken him seriously, Yan Fengan laughed so hard his shoulders shook, then put on a straight face and said with fake seriousness, "It's just selling a pouch—what's wrong with that?"

Wen Xi realized he was being teased, pressed his lips together, and gave him a sulky look. Feeling his glare wasn't intimidating enough, he tried to widen his eyes and stare harder, muttering, "Husband, you're such a tease."

Yan Fengan clutched his chest, pretending to be heartbroken: "I like you so much, and you say I'm annoying? Xiao Xi, you're breaking my heart."

It was hard to imagine his husband could be so childish. Wen Xi couldn't help but smile a little, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then mustered the courage to loop his arm through Yan Fengan's, resting his head on his shoulder and whispering, "You're not annoying. I like you best."

"That's my good boy." Yan Fengan's heart melted at the unexpected sweetness, and he gently tousled Wen Xi's hair before explaining seriously, "The dormitory area is full of guys—I can't bring you there. There's a pavilion at the back of the academy, and no one's around at this time. We'll sit there for a bit, and my classmates will come by to pick up their things."

Wen Xi nodded and followed Yan Fengan to the end of the stone path, finally reaching the pavilion he'd mentioned.

Every corner of the academy was kept spotless, and the stone table and benches in the pavilion were clean. After Yan Fengan helped him sit, Wen Xi pulled the pouches and fan cases the students had ordered out of his small cloth bag.

Yan Fengan picked each one up and looked them over, a smile tugging at his lips: "Even better than I imagined—they're gonna love these." He paused, then looked at Wen Xi and said, "You worked hard, Xiao Xi."

Wen Xi shook his head: "Not at all. If I can sell this much, I'd be happy to make even more."

Yan Fengan laughed at how money-hungry he looked, but before he could say anything, footsteps came from the path.

"Brother Yan, I heard your husband's here—where is he? Let's have a look."

Lin Hongwen's habit of yelling would probably never change—his voice arrived before he did.

Then a group of people jostled around the bushes and poured into the pavilion, eyeing Wen Xi up and down curiously.