Chapter 15
Wedding? With whom?
Su Feng Nuan became stalled for a moment and looked at Liu Mo-Mo.
Liu Mo-Mo said with a smile, “It haven’t been decided yet. I’m making it ahead of time, and giving it to him as a gift for his birthday so he’s prepared.”
Su Feng Nuan responded with a “Oh,” and thought, if it’s a wedding robe, it definitely not too bright since weddings should be festive, but he has not yet set an engagement yet, so isn’t it too early to be embroidering a wedding outfit?
“Your mother’s embroidery work is quite well known. Has she taught you since childhood?” Liu Mo-Mo asked.
Su Feng Nuan rubbed her nose in embarrassment. “Taught, but I can’t learn it.”
“Xiao Ya Tou1 is smart, not can’t learn it, just won’t learn.” Liu Mo-Mo smiled and looked at her. “You have nothing to do, why not help Mo-Mo, I. Now my eyes are blurry, in a day I can’t embroider much, and I am rushing to catch up every day. I am afraid won’t be able to catch up with Xiao Xiang’s wedding. His parents are gone, he is a poor child. Mo-Mo watched him grow up, there’s not much I can help him with, just this one task, and don’t know what day the dirt will bury over, and it’ll turn into dust.”
Su Feng Nuan listened to her saying it pitifully, and thought about her old age, and felt difficult, “But I don’t know how to embroider.”
“I’ll teach you.” Liu Mo-Mo said.
Su Feng Nuan hesitated, “I’m afraid I won’t embroider good enough, if the embroidery is ugly, how can he wear it out later? Nevermind.”
Liu Mo-Mo suddenly smiled, “You have me watching besides you, how can you embroider poorly? It’s just helping me with the needles. Besides, your sword skill is very good, these needle skills sometimes have similarities with sword skills, only the needle is finer and need be more accurate, you try it, you might do well.”
“This…” Su Feng Nuan indeed had nothing to do, and listened to Liu Mo-Mo say so, seeing her beautiful embroidery work, was also a little eager to try it and nodded, “Why don’t I give it a try? If not good, I’ll return it to Mo-Mo? ”
“Yes, try it.” Liu Mo-Mo handed over to her.
Su Feng Nuan has picked up a few days of needlework, so the starter’s embroidery work was still present, and it was all because Madam Su had hounded her into practicing it. So now taking it up again, although her hands were out of practice, but with Liu Mo-Mo guiding on the side, although the needle went down a bit crooked, but if not examining closely, really can’t notice.
Liu Mo-Mo was smiling besides her, “I said that Xiao Ya Tou is smart, see, you picked it up and can embroider.”
Su Feng Nuan had her eyes wide open, not daring to look elsewhere, just focusing on the embroidery as she set the needle, and said, “Mo-Mo, don’t leave me, you have to always keep an eye on me, if I don’t embroider it right, and somewhere goes wrong, than it’s ruined, not to mention that this fabric is crazy expensive, most important is it’s hard to buy.”
Liu Mo-Mo smiled and nodded.
Su Feng Nuan is indeed smart. Some things she just couldn’t find interest in, don’t want to learn, but once takes interest, she’ll learn it quickly.
After an hour, she was able to set the needles swiftly and getting the grasp of it. Occasionally, her eyes dare to look away. All because she is mastered in sword skills and the needle skills are indeed somewhat similar, so she can set the needle very precisely.
“Am I right? Look at how good you embroidered? After some time, your embroidered product will be better than what Mo-Mo embroiders.” Liu Mo-Mo laughed happily.
Su Feng Nuan said with a smile, “Don’t praise me Mo-Mo, I’m one who can’t sit still. If keep me at home doing embroidery work all day, I will go crazy.”
Liu Mo-Mo smiled and nodded. “If you help me, Xiao Xiang’s2 robe can be finished very quickly. You are young and embroider fast. When you have finished embroidering, I will talk to your Wai-gong3 and let’s go to Lingyun Temple for a few days.”
Su Feng Nuan’s lips twitched. “Mo-Mo likes to worship Buddha?”
“Well, I don’t like it, it’s just that the Lingyun Temple hosts a ceremony every summer. It is a ritual for the dead buried on the mountain behind it. I want to offer some incense for Xiao Xiang’s parents. The Lingyun Temple is located 50 miles from the Imperial City, on the foot of the mountain is a small town called Lingyun Town. On 7th day of the 7th month of every year there is Double-Seventh festival4 and it is very lively. You have not been in the Imperial City for many years, so likely have not gone before.”
Su Feng Nuan heard and her eyes lit up. “Yes, Lingyun Town has the Double-Seventh Festival on the 7th day of 7th month every year. I know about that, but just in the past when I came to the Imperial City the date was not right, so I couldn’t make it. There is still one month till this year’s right? Can the embroidery be finished in time?” She thought of something, and immediately continued, “Wai-gong is locking me in to study the rules, will he agree to let me go?”
“If I go to ask, your Wai-gong will agree.” Liu Mo-Mo said, “You and I will embroider together, work harder, will be able to finish it.”
Su Feng Nuan instantly smiled widely. “Alright, Mo-Mo go ask him sooner, let’s hurry and finish embroidering it and go early.”
Liu Mo-Mo nodded, “When the embroidery is done, when I go offer the incense to Xiao Xiang’s parent I can also tell them about it.”
Su Feng Nuan nodded.
Liu Mo-Mo watched as her embroidery skills gradually becoming more and more skillful and could not help but show a loving smile.
If Su Feng Nuan wants to do something, and do a good job, there will always a never ending supply of unyielding energy in her. Ever since Liu Mo-Mo talked about going to Lingyun Temple, she was bent on helping her finish up the embroidery earlier. Every day she stayed quietly in the room, and the two talked while doing embroidery.
Working day and night, Su Feng Nuan and Liu Mo-Mo, still took 20 days to finish up the embroidery.
Liu Mo-Mo smiled as she looked at the embroidered robe, reached out and touched it, and said with a smile, “If it was by myself, it will take at least three months, Xiao Ya Tou’s hands are swift, with you helping me, we’ve finished it already.”
Su Feng Nuan’s eyelids are already fighting, thinking that she was taking the energy she used to practice day and night in order to beat her three brothers. If she can’t finish up the embroidery this quickly, she’d have been doing it in vain.
“You take a day off, then we’ll head off.” Liu Mo-Mo looked at her lovingly, “Xiao Ya Tou is really tired out.”
Su Feng Nuan glanced at the sky and shook her head. “No, Mo-Mo, I am already suffocating from boredom, it’s still early now, let’s set off?”
Liu Mo-Mo looked at her. “Look at you so sleepy, your eyelids are already fighting.”
Su Feng Nuan rubbed her eyes, “I can sleep in the carriage.”
Liu Mo-Mo started laughing, “It seems you really have been suffocating. Alright, let’s send someone to tell Official Wang and his wife and then we’ll set off.”
Su Feng Nuan immediately cheered and called out the door, “Someone come, quickly go tell my Wai-gong5, Wai-po6, that Mo-Mo and I will go to Lingyun Temple. Also, hurry and prepare the carriage, we are set off now.”
Someone answered outside and went quickly.
Liu Mo-Mo wrapped up the embroidered robe and called over someone close-by and gave them instructions. The servant left with the robe.
Su Feng Nuan had nothing to pack, Liu Mo-Mo was also a simple, the two didn’t take long to be ready.
Madam Wang came quickly with some servants to the courtyard. After seeing Su Feng Nuan, she smiled and said, “Your Wai-gong has heard that Mo-Mo and you are heading to the Lingyun Temple, he’s worried that you won’t be able to take care of Mo-Mo, so he had me follow along as well.”
“Wai-gong isn’t following right?” Su Fengwen asked immediately.
“He’s not following, he is still busy working on the history records.” Madam Wang said.
Su Feng Nuan breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s alright as long as he’s not following.”
Madam Wang was amused, “Xiao Ya Tou, you’re not even afraid of your father, how is it that you are afraid of your Wai-gong?”
Su Feng Nuan is already impossibly sleepy, and said tiredly, “Wai-gong is an old antique, have too many rules.”
Madam Wang looked at her, and then she finally take notice of her state, in surprised she asked. “Nuan-er, why are you so sleepy like this?”
Liu Mo-Mo said with a smile, “The initial etiquettes training is indeed a bit more difficult.”
Su Feng Nuan nodded again and again. “Yeah, I really should let my Wai-gong see, what these etiquettes have done to me in 20 days? If still don’t let me go outside, I will go mad.”
Madam Wang also knows that she has been learning embroidery work with Liu Mo-Mo for more than 20 days. This is something that everyone maiden must learn. Her heart started hurting, holding her hands, and quickly promised, “In the manor, that old man said the final say, but out of the manor, I have the final say, after going to Lingyun Temple, I will let you have some fun.”
Su Feng Nuan started nodding, “Wai-po is still the best.”
The group went out of the manor gate and got on the carriage. The Wang Manor guards followed after, heading towards the city gate.