After fleeing the famine, my older sister and I married the brother next door.

"It's been a while since you two ladies have visited!" The shopkeeper was leaning against the counter, flipping through the account books, when she glanced up and saw Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing walking in side by side. Her eyes lit up immediately, and a genuine smile spread across her face. She quickly put down the account books and went to greet them. She remembered the two sisters; they were skilled and honest, and their last batch of festive embroidery had sold very well.

Su Xiaoyin smiled slightly, a little reserved, and greeted the shopkeeper before saying, "Greetings, shopkeeper. After following your instructions, my sister and I tried embroidering a slightly larger pattern. We brought it here today and would appreciate it if you could take a look and see if the embroidery shop would accept it. If so, what would the price be?" As she spoke, she gestured for her sister to place the blue cloth bundle that she had been carefully holding onto the counter.

The shopkeeper's wife, her curiosity piqued, exclaimed, "Quickly, open it and take a look!" Having run the embroidery shop for many years, she knew that some rural embroiderers possessed surprisingly skillful craftsmanship.

Su Xiaoqing took a deep breath and gently unwrapped the bundle. The two sisters, one on each side, carefully unfolded the embroidery inside. A square piece of pale white silk, about a foot in size, was revealed. Embroidered with colorful silk threads, it depicted a "Hundred Blessings" design, which seemed to shimmer with light and shadow as it was unfolded. The needlework was delicate and intricate yet not cluttered, the colors rich and opulent, powerful from afar and refined up close, exuding an aura of noble peace and tranquility.

The shopkeeper's wife gasped for breath upon seeing it. She quickly walked around the counter, peering closely. Her finger hovered above the embroidery, meticulously examining every stitch, every color transition, especially the sheen of the "福" (fortune) character and the subtle variations in the bat's shade. Her heart was filled with astonishment. Just a few days ago, she had received news that the venerable Master Li of the county town was approaching his 70th birthday and was searching far and wide for an auspicious and exquisitely crafted gift. This "Hundred Blessings" embroidery, symbolizing "endless blessings," was the perfect birthday present for the old lady! Moreover, the embroidery itself was top-notch even in the county town; with just a little mounting…

She quickly calculated in her mind, but her face remained impassive. After a moment's thought, she looked up, her expression full of admiration: "The skills of you two ladies have improved considerably since last time! Your needlework is more stable, and the color scheme is even more elegant. This 'Hundred Blessings' embroidery has a beautiful concept and a good meaning." She paused, then held up two fingers. "How about this, our embroidery workshop will offer nineteen taels of silver for this embroidery?"

Nineteen taels! Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were shocked, almost unable to believe their ears. They had estimated that they could sell it for fifteen taels at most, but they never expected it to be so much higher! The two sisters quickly exchanged a glance, and in each other's eyes they saw ecstasy and a hint of barely suppressed excitement.

"We sisters are naturally grateful for the shopkeeper's kindness," Su Xiaoyin said, trying to remain calm as she replied.

The shopkeeper's wife felt a sense of relief, and her smile widened. She calculated that if she properly framed this embroidery and sent it to the Li residence, she could easily ask for twenty-five or twenty-six taels of silver, making a profit of several taels in one go. As she instructed her assistant to fetch the silver, she said kindly to the two sisters, "If you two ladies have any more embroidery designs of similar quality in the future, regardless of size, as long as the work is excellent, feel free to send them to us. Our embroidery workshop will buy them at a high price!"

With the heavy nineteen taels of silver in their hands, the two sisters felt their steps falter. Once outside the embroidery workshop and in a quiet corner, Su Xiaoqing dared to lower her voice excitedly, "Sister! Nineteen taels! After deducting the two taels or so for the silk fabric and thread, we've made a net profit of sixteen or seventeen taels! We've been busy for months, and that adds up to several taels a month!" This was more than any number of handkerchiefs and pillowcases they had made.

Su Xiaoyin couldn't hide her excitement either, and she gripped her sister's hand tightly: "Come on, let's go to the fabric shop! This time we'll buy better fabric, and when we get back, we'll work on new designs. We'll finish drawing the embroidery patterns before the autumn harvest, and once it's over, we'll start working on it, trying to finish another one before the New Year!"

The two sisters first went to their usual shop, Tao's Cloth Shop. With their "huge sum" in hand, they felt more confident. The shopkeeper, seeing they were regulars, greeted them warmly. Thinking of their families and the hard work of the autumn harvest, the sisters decided to buy new clothes and opted for something affordable. The shopkeeper recommended two bolts of indigo and ochre cotton cloth, slightly damp from improper storage but thick and durable, at nearly half the usual price, explaining that they could be washed and dried at home. Su Xiaoyin calculated that these two bolts of cloth would be enough to make a sturdy and durable autumn harvest outfit for each of Chen's parents, Chen Dashan, and Chen Xiaohe. She also picked out a few feet of slightly brighter maroon fine cotton cloth for Chen's mother. When paying, the shopkeeper, as usual, gave them two large bundles of fabric scraps, this time including several sizable pieces of silk, much to the sisters' delight.

But their grander vision required a better "canvas." With the remaining silver in hand, the two sisters entered the "Yang Family Cloth Shop," renowned in the county town for its comprehensive selection and superior quality fabrics. The shop's atmosphere was completely different from the Tao Family Cloth Shop; the counters were bright, and a dazzling array of fabrics were on display—smooth silks, soft gauzes, and heavy brocades, all shimmering with a captivating luster under the light.

Su Xiaoyin composed herself and directly asked the shop assistant about suitable fabrics for embroidering a large portrait. Seeing that although they were simply dressed, their eyes were clear and their speech was measured, the shop assistant showed them several kinds of fine plain silk and fine cotton damask. The two sisters carefully compared the thickness, density, and luster, finally choosing a moon-white plain silk with a uniform texture and a warm color. They also acquired various embroidery threads, especially several rare transitional silk threads and a small strand of expensive gold thread—they already had a rough idea of ​​embroidering the "Guanyin" portrait in their minds, and the gold thread was indispensable. This purchase cost a full three taels of silver, almost the total cost of all the previous embroidery materials. When paying, Su Xiaoyin's hand trembled slightly, but her eyes were exceptionally firm.

The shopkeeper of Yang's Cloth Shop was a shrewd middle-aged man who had been observing them closely. Seeing that the two sisters were selecting materials needed for exquisite embroidery and possessed a keen eye for quality materials, he knew they had found connoisseurs. When it was time to pay, he spoke up, "You two ladies are embroiderers, aren't you? Judging from the fabrics and threads you've chosen, you're going to do something big. This bundle of scraps," he pointed to a bundle of colorful but clearly silk and gauze scraps under the counter, "is leftover from cutting. It's not perfectly formed, but the material is good. I'll give it to you two ladies; you can take it home to practice or make some small accessories. Consider it a friendly gesture. If you need better materials and threads in the future, remember to come back to my shop."

The sisters were overjoyed and thanked the gift repeatedly. They carefully placed the heavy silk fabric, embroidery thread, and the bundle of precious satin scraps into the bottom of the large basket they had brought, covered it with an old cloth, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's take these back to the stall first," Su Xiaoyin said, glancing at the sky. "We still need to hurry and buy pork bones and lard, or the market will close up." The two didn't dare to delay, carrying baskets that were almost bent over, and hurriedly merged into the still bustling crowd, heading towards their own stall.