"The saying goes, goodwill remains even if a deal falls through. Miss Sun, are you planning to steal it?" Wu Cai Mei truly didn't want to offend her. The Sun family, having been the richest in the county for so many years, was not to be trifled with. She, a mere embroiderer with no power or influence, had nothing to gain from offending them. However, seeing Sun Wen Lin's attitude, she knew she had to show them some strength today.
"I've been active in Wu Jiang County for so many years, and this is the first time I've encountered a troublemaker like you. If I don't show you my might today, others will think I'm easily bullied in the future." This was the experience she had accumulated over the years. Her mother had passed away when she was very young, and her father quickly remarried. The new Madam Sun, thinking she could easily control a young girl, didn't expect the girl to openly defy her.
What was even more infuriating was that Sun Wen Lin had an uncle who held a sixth-rank official position. To curry favor with him, her father often indulged his daughter.
This allowed Sun Wen Lin to taste the benefits of her connections. For years, she had acted like a bully in the city using her uncle's name. Although her reputation wasn't great, she lived a carefree life. If anything displeased her, she would cause trouble for others. This time was no exception.
At her command, the group slowly approached Wu Cai Mei. They didn't take Wu Cai Mei seriously at all, thinking their young lady was making a fuss over nothing. Just a commoner girl, why would they need so many people?
A man with a sharp, monkey-like face, knowing that the young lady rewarded good performance, was the first to attack. Without hesitation, he swung his fist at Wu Cai Mei. He expected to knock her down with all his might, but the next moment, he screamed in pain. Wu Cai Mei had directly dislocated his arm.
This unexpected turn of events stunned the men behind him. They exchanged glances, their eyes involuntarily showing caution. Suddenly, several of them rushed towards Wu Cai Mei. She struck swiftly, accurately, and decisively, kicking all of them to the ground before they could react.
The group immediately got back on their feet, surrounding her. They were eager but no one dared to step forward.
"What a bunch of good-for-nothings! You always brag about how capable you are, but when it comes down to it, you can't even handle one woman. What are you waiting for? Hurry up and attack!" Sun Wen Lin saw their hesitation and knew they were scared. She was speechless.
The young lady had spoken. Even though they knew they couldn't defeat this woman, they had to charge forward, for the consequences of offending their young lady were far worse.
As expected, they didn't see how she moved. Once again, they found themselves on the ground. This time, they decided not to get up, fearing their young lady would order them to charge again. They clutched their legs or arms, crying out in pain. Sun Wen Lin felt utterly humiliated, especially with so many people gathered outside. Enraged, she rushed to the door and slammed it shut with a loud bang, cutting off all onlookers.
"Miss... Miss, my leg seems broken. I can't stand up," one of the men said pitifully to Sun Wen Lin, hoping she would retreat. They all urged her to leave quickly.
How could Sun Wen Lin not see their little ploy? She angrily stepped forward and kicked each of them hard, venting her frustration. Amidst their screams, they fled in disarray.
Wu Cai Mei looked at the men who had just been feigning injury to Sun Wen Lin in astonishment. After she left, they quickly got up, showing no signs of injury whatsoever.
The following days returned to peace. Sun Wen Lin never appeared before Wu Cai Mei again. Wu Cai Mei thought she had given up after realizing she couldn't win. However, when she painstakingly finished embroidering the screen and took it to Ru Yi Fang, she was told that Ru Yi Fang dared not accept her work anymore.
Seeing the shopkeeper's regretful expression, Wu Cai Mei could guess the reason. Thinking back to what Sun Wen Lin had said that day, she figured Sun Wen Lin had interfered.
Without a word, Wu Cai Mei took her work and left. She went to the county's carriage rental shop and hired a carriage to the prefectural city.
Did she really think that if Ru Yi Fang wouldn't buy her work, it wouldn't sell? She was too naive.
In the past, Wu Cai Mei was too lazy to go to the prefectural city by herself. After all, she was unfamiliar with the place. Since Ru Yi Fang offered a fair price and treated her respectfully each time, and considering she might live in the county long-term, she wanted to save face and have them look out for her. But they were no match for the Sun family.
Wu Cai Mei shook her head and chuckled indifferently. Upon arriving in the prefectural city, she inquired about the largest embroidery shop. As expected, the owner was a connoisseur. Upon seeing her embroidery, he was amazed and immediately invited her to the inner room, and then upstairs to call for the proprietor.
Shopkeeper Huang was both surprised and delighted to see the lost art of double-sided embroidery. He secretly resolved to acquire this screen and quickly asked Wu Cai Mei for its price. Wu Cai Mei held up one finger, expecting him to haggle. To her surprise, he agreed immediately, making Wu Cai Mei feel like she had asked for too little. However, her reason quickly returned; the price was indeed a bit high.
Little did she know that Shopkeeper Huang agreed to her high price for two reasons: first, to build goodwill with her, and second, because a noble lady in the capital was very fond of double-sided embroidery but couldn't find any on the market. The Huang family had been trying to get closer to her recently but didn't know what gift would be suitable. This screen solved their urgent need, truly a case of catching a thief with stolen goods.
They agreed that from then on, any good items would be sold to this shop first. As she walked out, Wu Cai Mei felt a sense of familiarity. She suddenly remembered that she had promised Ru Yi Fang the same thing in the past. It seemed she couldn't always keep her word.
After receiving the silver, Wu Cai Mei rented an ox cart and went directly to the Liu family's residence.
Upon arriving at the Liu residence, she saw Madam Liu, who was unwilling to speak to her, Sister Ling diligently embroidering, and Bao Ge drawing on the ground with a stick, wanting to point something out, but then remembering that the original owner was illiterate.
Soon, Liu Chang He returned. It turned out that Wu Cai Mei had stopped by the town where Liu Chang He was working and told him she was there to repay the money, urging him to return home immediately.
If it were before, Liu Chang He would never have believed it. But last time, the woman insisted on giving him ten taels of silver. He thought about it and quickly asked the master for a day off to return home.
Wu Cai Mei quickly gathered the Liu family. In front of them, she produced five hundred taels of silver. Looking at the money, Liu Chang He's eyes widened. He had never seen so much silver in his life, and his hands began to tremble.