Chapter 5

The old master softly exclaimed.

Shen Qian’s gaze shifted slightly upon hearing this.

Influenced by the old master, he also enjoyed collecting antiques and had a certain level of appraisal skills. The inkstone on Shen Yan’s side was a lucky find for him.

“Ah Qian, take a look at these small characters too…”

Delicate embroidery, also referred to as tin embroidery, gained fame for its intricate small size and the utilization of double-sided stitching methods. There was a time when a piece called “Competition at the Golden Singing Pond” showcased over four hundred figures on a handkerchief-sized fabric, each portrayed in distinct poses, capturing the attention of numerous collectors.

“I hadn’t noticed before, but after your mention, it indeed is delicate embroidery.”

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“Haha… Great! Child, did you really embroider this?”

Shen Wan nodded, looking at Shen Zongming’s smiling face, and couldn’t help but smile too. She appeared innocent and naive, “Yes, I embroidered it. Do you… like it?”

“I love it! This is the best birthday gift I’ve received this year.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Yan’s expression turned extremely unpleasant.

However, Shen Wan remained oblivious, her smile growing even brighter, her joy seeming almost ready to overflow.

Not a hint of concealment.

The old master’s heart momentarily softened, feeling some affection for the young girl before him. He even said, “In the future, don’t call me Old Master Shen Zongming, just call me Grandpa.”

It was the congratulatory message on the embroidered handkerchief.

Shen Wan was pleasantly surprised, “Gra-Grandpa…”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Yang Lan’s expression had turned completely icy.

Shen Chunjiang was pleased with the outcome, as his daughter had gained the favor of the old master, making her life in the family a bit better. But…

“Wan Wan, when did you learn embroidery? Who taught you?”

Shen Wan’s gaze slightly shrank, “It… was… my mother…”

The last two words were feeble, almost like a mosquito’s buzz.

To Yang Lan’s ears, they sounded like a provocation. Shen Chunjiang fell into silence, seemingly reminded of something by this.

If it weren’t for today’s occasion, he might never have known that Xiaoyun was skilled in embroidery. In his mind, he saw the image of that graceful woman sitting in front of an embroidery frame, stitching intricate patterns with every needle and thread.

A surge of guilt washed over him, bitter and hard to bear.

Shen Wan, however, looked sad at the right moment, though she felt rather indifferent deep inside.

For her, Li Xiaoyun had transformed into a faint and distant memory, a blurry figure. Apart from giving birth to her and preventing her from starving, it seemed as if she hadn’t done much else.

That woman perpetually dwelled in boundless sorrow, embracing fragility as a form of beauty. Even until her last breath, she held Shen Chunjiang’s name close to her heart, unaffected by the shameless deception of that man. Indeed, her devotion remained unwavering.

How could a woman who was perpetually immersed in her own emotions and love ever spend time teaching her daughter?

Xiaoyun might have known embroidery, but it was only surface level. After getting involved with Shen Chunjiang, she completely abandoned it. Shen Wan’s mastery of the craft was all thanks to her relentless efforts in her past life.

To what extent had she suffered?

To become an apprentice, she had braved the winter’s cold to travel to the northern regions, standing before the master’s door through snowstorms, enduring one day at a time.

To speed up her needlework, she would ignore the blood on her fingers and continue threading the needle time and time again.

To improve her skills, she would sit in front of the embroidery frame for an entire day, foregoing food and drink, and even refraining from using the restroom.

Someone once asked her about the difference between a delinquent and a successful person.

Shen Wan didn’t need to think twice; the answer rolled off her tongue: the former is ruthless towards others, while the latter is ruthless towards themselves.

After three years of rigorous practice, she had achieved something, nearly forgetting that her initial purpose for learning Suzhou embroidery was solely to win Shen Zongming’s favor.

By the time her embroidery work was finally presentable, she had missed the prime time for receiving favor.

Unbeknownst to Shen Wan, the seeds of dislike had already taken root deep within Shen Zongming’s heart. Thus, even if she devoted herself to Mingda, she wouldn’t receive a single word of praise.

Accomplishing something correctly is merely fulfilling one’s responsibility.

Committing an error turns into an inexcusable transgression.

In this lifetime, Shen Chunjiang brought her to the Shen family right after Xiaoyun’s death, a full four years earlier than in her previous life.

Very well, this gave her ample time to prepare.

Everything would be different, including the destinies of everyone present. She would personally overturn them, one by one!

During the dinner, Shen Zongming enjoyed his meal thoroughly.

Following the meal, he took the embroidered handkerchief and headed to his study, intending to examine it more closely. “Ah Qian, do you have the high-powered magnifying glass with you? Also, arrange for the second room on the south side upstairs to be prepared for Wan.”

Yang Lan hesitated, “Isn’t that… inconvenient?”

The Shen family’s old mansion had three floors, constructed in a cubic shape according to the principle of gathering wealth from all directions.

The first floor housed the living room, dining room, three guest rooms, and a storage room. The second floor was where the family lived.

The old master’s quarters were on the east side, oriented from north to south, occupying the most auspicious position.

Next was the west side, where Shen Chunjiang and Yang Lan’s rooms were located.

Shen Qian occupied the southern side, while the two sisters, Shen Ru and Shen Wan, took up the northern side.

Currently, the rooms on the northern side were already taken, leaving only the room next to Shen Qian’s bedroom on the southern side unoccupied.

“What so inconvenient?” The old master furrowed his brows, and Shen Qian’s footsteps upstairs subtly slowed down.

“Men and women have their distinctions. Moreover, there are ample guest rooms downstairs, and I’ve already directed the servants to tidy them up…”

“They’re siblings, you’re overthinking.” It was the first time Shen Zongming had openly contradicted Yang Lan, without showing her any respect. “Ah Qian, what do you think?”

Shen Wan’s hopeful gaze then fell upon the man standing in the middle of the staircase.