Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

The old lady slowly opened her lips, her voice slightly choked with emotion.

"This sachet looks just like the one I embroidered when I was young."

She stared blankly at the swaying shadows cast on the ground.

"I was wild and unruly when I was young, and I didn't like needlework. Later, when I got engaged to your grandfather, my mother said that I should embroider something close to my future husband."

So I gritted my teeth and followed the old lady to learn how to embroider sachets. The first one I embroidered was a calamus pattern.

I was so clumsy back then; my stitches were crooked and I didn't know anything about color matching. I just picked up some blue thread and embroidered haphazardly, and the calamus leaves I made were all crooked and uneven.

The old lady smiled radiantly, her wrinkles at the corners of her eyes filled with nostalgia.

"But when your grandfather saw it, he treasured it dearly, wearing it close to his body every day, saying that it was embroidered by my own hand and was better than any precious thing."

"Over time, the sachet was worn down and the silk thread faded to gray, just like this one, neither green nor white. He couldn't bear to replace it, so he put it in a box to store it."

The old lady choked up, tears welling in her eyes. Wu Mama took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, but it didn't affect her. She continued talking to herself.

"Later, your grandfather passed away before me. I didn't keep that old sachet; I buried it with him, thinking that he would be lonely in the end. Having something I embroidered myself would at least help him relieve his loneliness, as if I were still by his side."

She held the sachet embroidered by Liu Wenying in her palm, her fingertips brushing against the faded old silk threads, her eyes filled with an intense longing that was hard to dispel.

The old lady has always longed for that kind of sachet, but she's afraid she'll never see it again.

After all, she was of noble status, and everything she ate, wore, and used was exquisite beyond compare.

Besides, that was her clumsy work when she first learned needlework; no one would embroider it like that on purpose.

"Today I actually saw one that looked similar; it really brings back memories..."

Where are they actually exactly the same?

The old Duke's coin had crooked stitches, and the calamus leaves were also embroidered crookedly. The thread was a pale blue that had been washed until it turned gray.

Although Liu Wenying's work uses old thread, it contains ingenious design, with a natural gradient effect and fine, neat stitches.

It just so happens that it uses the same faded blue thread and the same calamus embroidery pattern, so it's somewhat related.

But for the old lady, even the slightest resemblance was a tremendous shock.

The lover she thought of day and night had long become an obsession etched into her very bones.

Anything that can connect me to the past makes me unable to hold back the surge of emotions in my heart, and I think of people when I see the object.

Liu Wenying's original ingenious idea was simply to use faded thread to embroider a gradient effect.

Unexpectedly, this made the old lady reminisce about the past.

She curtsied and said, "This servant did not know that I had reminded the old lady of the past. I hope the old lady will forgive me."

"Silly child, what crime have you committed?"

The old lady gestured to the person next to her to help her up.

"You're the one who should be thanking me. Thank you for reminding me of the wonderful memories from the past, and of what he looked like back then. I won't return this sachet to you."

The old lady loved it so much that she couldn't bear to put it down.

Seeing that the old lady was very moved, Wu, the old nanny standing next to her, looked at the pomegranate sachet that had won first prize.

She was troubled and asked in a low voice, "Then, Madam, how should we evaluate this?"

Logically speaking, the old lady personally lit Xi Chun's sachet, but right now she is covering Liu Wenying's tearful eyes.

Anyone could see that the sachet held a place in her heart far more important than anything else.

Xi Chunli was in the front row, so he could see clearly.

She stared intently at the sachet in the old lady's hand.

The dull silk threads and coarse fabric seemed to mock her proud, vibrant embroidery skills.

Is the duck that's already in our mouths really going to fly away?

The old lady carefully put the sachet away, and when she spoke again, she was no longer choked up and regained her usual calm.

"Based on my previous evaluation, the pomegranate-shaped sachet takes first place."

Xi Chun looked up in disbelief, but before the smile on her lips could fully open, it froze at the old lady's next words.

"As for Wenying's calamus sachet, it is full of affection and ingenuity, which is very much to my liking. She deserves to be rewarded, and I will prepare a decent gift for her."

Once these words were spoken, everyone in the courtyard understood perfectly.

Although both received rewards, the amounts were vastly different.

After the selection, the pomegranate sachet was returned to Xi Chun, while the calamus sachet was carefully kept by the old lady from beginning to end.

It's clear to anyone with eyes that who is better.

The title of first place went to Xi Chun, but the real appreciation fell on Liu Wenying.

Liu Wenying bowed, "Thank you for your kindness, Madam. This servant is unworthy of it."

Xi Chun took the sachet and felt it was burning hot; the burn on her palms started to itch.

She forced a smile and said through gritted teeth, "Thank you for your kindness, Madam."

The old lady nodded and offered a helping hand.

"Get up, both of you. Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, and it's all about having fun. You two are both good in your own way, and all the effort you put in has been worthwhile."

After the selection was completed, the maids dispersed and went about their respective duties.

Granny Wu summoned Liu Wenying and Xi Chun to the side room and gave them a reward.

A moment later, Liu Wenying came out of the side room, holding a red envelope in her hands, which contained a considerable amount of silver.

As soon as I stepped out, I saw Ling'er's round face beaming with joy.

"I knew Sister Liu would win first place!"

Liu Wenying smiled and shook her head: "No, the old lady said that Xi Chun won first place."

"That's hardly a first place. Her embroidery is indeed good, but the old lady only glances at it, praises it once, and then forgets about it."

She leaned closer, her smile growing even wider.

"Unlike my sister's embroidery, which the old lady held in her hands and looked at again and again, tears streaming down her face, that embroidery truly touched her heart."

Xi Chun came out of the side room and heard Ling'er's words.

She paused, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably, but she still managed to maintain her composure and sneered at Liu Wenying.

"It's just bad luck that I ran into the old lady who's sentimental. Does she really think her embroidery skills are anything special? People don't always have such good luck."

After she finished speaking, she stepped between the two women, pushed them aside, and walked straight past, her fluttering skirt carrying resentment.

Ling'er stomped her foot in anger, "What is she saying? My sister clearly earned it through her own abilities."

"Never mind, let her be."

After Xi Chun had gone far away, Ling'er pulled Liu Wenying aside.

"Sister, you don't know, a few days ago when I was embroidering sachets, Xi Chun and those friends of hers got together and gossiped about you."

She bit her lip. "They said you're arrogant because the old lady values ​​you, and that you've had it too easy... Sister, you'd better be careful."

Liu Wenying listened attentively and nodded heavily.

"I understand, thank you for telling me."

She took out half a silver coin from her purse. "I didn't prepare anything for today's festival. Take this and go buy some of your favorite foods."

Ling'er was pleasantly surprised, but dared not accept it, "I didn't prepare anything for Sister Liu."

Liu Wenying pinched the soft flesh of her cheek. "I don't want what you prepared. It's something I wanted to give you. Just keep it."

"Well... thank you, sister!"

…………