Feast of Flowers

“Sister Qin, please don't take offense at my bluntness,” Hua Jin said, lowering her eyelids. “As a woman living in this world, the meaning of life isn't just about finding a man with a car and a house. Love and marriage should happen naturally, but life isn't like that. To avoid future regrets, I have no choice but to work hard.”

“Aren't you striving and struggling outside just to have a house, a home?” Sister Qin didn't quite understand Hua Jin's thinking. She had agreed to be the matchmaker because she genuinely thought the young man was a good catch and felt that Hua Jin was working too hard alone. Now, seeing Hua Jin's reaction, she felt she had done a good deed with bad intentions.

This made her a little unhappy. For a moment, she didn't know whether to be angry at herself for meddling or at Hua Jin for not giving her face.

“Home is where the heart is at peace,” Hua Jin said, shaking her head. “A crowd isn't necessarily lively, and being alone isn't necessarily lonely. I know you mean well, but I don't plan on sharing my life with anyone right now. Please help me decline his kind offer.”

Sister Qin stared at Hua Jin for a while, then sighed. “Alright, maybe I'm old and can't understand the thoughts of you young women.”

She was silent for a moment, then said in a numb voice, “My ex-husband wasn't very educated. He was tall and strong, but his temper was good outside the house. He only beat me and the child at home. That young man is completely different from my ex-husband. He's gentle and cultured. I've even made inquiries these past few days. He has a good temper and definitely wouldn't hit anyone.”

Hearing Sister Qin's words, Hua Jin fell silent. She had heard much about Sister Qin's situation from others, but Sister Qin herself didn't like to talk about her past, as if the experience of divorce was extremely shameful for her.

“You're a good girl.” Sister Qin raised her hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. The thin silver bracelet on her wrist was dull, showing its age. “That young man is the most outstanding among the younger generation I know. I just thought that a good girl like you should find a man completely different from my ex-husband. Then your life would definitely be better than mine.”

In Sister Qin's understanding, there was no option of not getting married, but one could choose a good or bad husband.

“Sister Qin, have… have some water.” Hua Jin pushed the water glass towards Sister Qin.

Sister Qin's expression was complex, a mixture of hate, resentment, and a trace of melancholy. Hua Jin thought she would cry, but her eyes were dry, devoid of tears. This weathered and numb look made Hua Jin instinctively fear marriage.

“Thank you.” Seeing Hua Jin's cautious manner, Sister Qin suddenly smiled. “You don't have to be so careful. It's been years since my divorce. There's nothing I can't talk about.”

Hua Jin smiled, not knowing how to respond.

“It's so late. I shouldn't have disturbed you. I'll go back now.” Sister Qin took a sip of water and got up to leave.

Hua Jin got up to see her off. At the door, Sister Qin stopped and looked at her. “Hua Jin, have you ever thought about what you really want?”

“Probably just… enough to eat and drink?” Hua Jin tilted her head, half serious, half joking.

“That's good.” Sister Qin nodded repeatedly. “Having enough to eat and drink for a lifetime, that's good.”

After seeing Sister Qin off, Hua Jin cleared the water glass and uneaten fruit from the table. She hadn't lied to Sister Qin. Her life goal was to have enough to eat and drink. If she could make more people appreciate the art of Shu embroidery, that would be even better.

Disturbed by Sister Qin's visit, Hua Jin couldn't sleep at all. She remembered the comments on Weibo, picked up her phone, and continued reading, finally understanding what had happened. It turned out that the dragon and phoenix quilt she had embroidered earlier had been posted on Weibo by a well-known blogger.

Following the netizens' comments, she found the Weibo post. After reading the entire article, Hua Jin felt a bittersweet ache in her heart. She knew this was what being touched felt like. Marriage could be like Sister Qin and her ex-husband, but it could also be a loving companionship like the couple in the post.

Her Weibo inbox was flooded with messages from netizens: some asking how much such a quilt cost, some asking about embroidery kits, some asking for photos, and some asking for advertisements or just trolling. She ignored the unreasonable ones. She couldn't take orders for the dragon and phoenix quilt for the time being. Currently, there were only two people in the studio, her and Tan Yuan. Taking too many orders would overwhelm them and affect the quality. Rushing to make that dragon and phoenix quilt had already taken too much out of her. She was afraid that staying up late like that would make her age prematurely.

But a message from a netizen caught her attention.

This netizen, named "WinterIsNotSoCold," had sent her more than ten messages in a row. The messages said that his grandmother was nearly eighty years old and was born in Sichuan Province. When she was seven, during a time of national turmoil, her mother went to the front lines as a battlefield nurse. Later, her mother died in the war, and her father also lost his life in the fighting. She was adopted by kind-hearted locals.

Over the years, the elderly woman often talked about a small handkerchief her mother had embroidered for her before leaving. It had a cute panda on it, along with the words "Gifted to my little daughter in [month, year]". But later, after several relocations due to the war, the handkerchief was lost.

Over the years, the elderly woman had never forgotten the handkerchief embroidered by her mother. Her descendants, wanting to make her happy, bought many panda-related embroideries, and while the elderly woman expressed happiness and appreciation, she still occasionally talked about her childhood and the panda-embroidered handkerchief her mother had given her.

WinterIsNotSoCold had a close relationship with his grandmother, so when he saw the photos of panda embroidery on Hua Jin's Weibo, he wanted to ask her to embroider a few handkerchiefs. Nothing else, just pandas. And to show his sincerity, before Hua Jin even saw the messages, he had already sent three red envelopes.

In modern society, as long as one is willing to spend money, it's not difficult to buy something. Panda-related embroidery isn't a rare item, so it's even easier to buy. Perhaps the elderly woman wasn't dissatisfied with the embroideries but missed the handkerchief filled with her mother's love.

In that turbulent era, those who dared to step forward and go to the front lines must have been great and full of love.

Hua Jin admired such remarkable people, so she controlled her greedy heart and didn't open the red envelopes sent by the netizen. Instead, she chose to reply directly.

FanHua: I can try, but I can't guarantee your grandmother will like my embroidery.

Less than two minutes after she replied, the other party excitedly sent a message. She secretly guessed that he might have been waiting by his phone for her reply.

WinterIsNotSoCold: It doesn't matter. I'm already very happy that you're willing to try! Thank you!

WinterIsNotSoCold: You are a Shu embroidery master, so you probably understand the Shu embroidery style best. I also know that it's difficult for you to do this without photos or any detailed descriptions, but please rest assured, whether my grandmother likes it or not, I will buy it at a high price.

FanHua: The embroidery on the handkerchief is relatively small, so the price will be discounted.

WinterIsNotSoCold: Embroidery has a price, but art is priceless. Please feel free to do your best. If you have time, you can try several different styles. I will custom-order them all at a high price.

Hua Jin felt that this buyer's words and actions were the epitome of a sucker. If they met a black-hearted merchant, it would be like offering themselves up to be ripped off. After learning that the other party was in the same city as her, Hua Jin sighed and gave him her shop's address and contact information.

Then the other party sent another red envelope.

Hua Jin: …

She felt her greedy heart stirring.

ʕ◉ᴥ◉ʔ

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