Both of them shot to their feet in surprise. The young girl was very excited, "Are you serious?"
Simultaneously, another voice asked, "Who are you?"
After all, outsiders didn’t know that the double-sided embroidered fan they held had been damaged.
Yunyi had spoken up to help them for a few reasons. Firstly, she couldn’t stand the girl named Ruyu. Ruyu was unscrupulous in achieving her goals, exploiting others’ trust and kindness, and framing them for her own benefit. Yunyi wanted to teach her a lesson. Secondly, it was out of a sense of justice. She didn’t want the person being schemed against to fall prey to their plot. Thirdly, her hands were itching to try. She wanted to test her skills and see if they had diminished. She planned to embroider some small ornaments herself later and store them in her spatial storeroom for emergencies.
Yunyi recounted what she had overheard and seen at the department store, shared her own speculations, and then repeated the conversation she had just witnessed between the two women.
Seeing the indignation on their faces, she said, "I just happened to be passing by and overheard your conversation, so I thought I’d give you a heads-up. Of course, if you don’t need my help, then forget it."
After speaking, she looked at the young girl. "Be more vigilant in the future." Get full chapters from NovelHub(.)net
When they didn’t respond, she turned to leave. Her willingness to help was one thing, but if they were unappreciative, she wouldn’t press the issue.
The woman behind her called out as Yunyi was leaving, "Wait."
Yunyi turned to look.
The woman hurried over to Yunyi. "Can you really do double-sided embroidery? Can you help repair the damaged fan?"
Yunyi shifted the net bag she was carrying from one hand to the other. "If the damage isn’t too severe, it should be possible. If it’s beyond repair, then there’s no need to waste my time."
The woman turned to the young girl behind her. "Go and handle the discharge procedures for me. I’ll take Comrade Chu to see the fan first."
If that double-sided embroidered fan couldn’t be repaired, it might spell disaster for their family.
Just then, Yunyi spoke up, "I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I can’t go right now."
Seeing both their expressions change, she explained, "I need to deliver some clothes outside the operating room now. I don’t have time at the moment."
Hearing this, both of them visibly relaxed, breathing a sigh of relief. They had thought Yunyi was just teasing them.
The woman looked at Yunyi and asked again, "Can you really do double-sided embroidery?"
Yunyi wasn’t offended by her disbelief. "Yes," she affirmed.
The woman extended her hand. "Hello, my name is Ning Junlan. May I ask your name?"
Yunyi shook her hand. "Chuyunyi."
Ning Junlan gestured to the girl behind her. "This is my daughter, Xiao Youyou. If you can truly help repair that double-sided embroidered fan, you will be Ning Junlan’s benefactor. You can name any reward."
Yunyi hadn’t expected her to make such a significant promise over a mere fan. Helping for free was out of the question, of course, but she didn’t plan on making an exorbitant demand either. "I still have things to attend to right now," Yunyi said. "As for the reward, let’s discuss it after I’ve seen the fan."
Ning Junlan was anxious. "Comrade Chu, I’m really in a bind. I need to take this fan to Beijing in two days. It absolutely cannot be delayed."
Fearing Yunyi might not grasp the urgency, she lowered her voice. "This fan is intended as a diplomatic gift for foreign dignitaries. Someone from Beijing entrusted me to retrieve it from the master artisan’s home. Due to my negligence, my stepdaughter’s son poked a hole in it. Most importantly, this fan is part of a set with another piece of embroidery, both intended as gifts. They are irreplaceable, which is why I’m so frantic."
What Ning Junlan didn’t say was that if this matter went awry, her superiors would undoubtedly be implicated. When that happened, her family would face dire consequences.
She had been so nervous because the puncturing of the fan itself was suspicious; she had feared it was a deliberate act. She just hadn’t expected that someone had set them up.
Their entire family had been outsmarted by a young slip of a girl, and her stepdaughter and step-grandson were victims as well!
She wouldn’t let this matter rest. She couldn’t allow them to be played for fools and then act as if nothing had happened.
Yunyi considered for a moment. "Since it’s so urgent, I’ll go with you once I’m done with my tasks."
Ning Junlan looked grateful, but her anxiety hadn’t lessened. After all, this young woman had only said she could repair it. Until she saw the fan perfectly restored, she couldn’t rest easy.