Casting Nets to Catch a Husband

Chapter 125: The Lu family married a treasure

However, before the Zhou family could make sense of it all, another carriage arrived and stopped outside the embroidery shop. Mrs. Zhou stood dumbfounded by the street, waiting to see who it was this time.

She wasn’t the only one. The male guests, including the Lu family father and sons, and the Liu brothers—Liu Yanqing and Liu Yanping—who had been standing outside because it wasn’t appropriate for them to stay inside with the female guests, also noticed. They had already seen Madam Qin arrive earlier, and now another carriage was drawing their attention.

Liu Yanqing was particularly surprised because he recognized the carriage and the driver, although he found it hard to believe.

Soon, people started getting out of the carriage. This time, the entourage was even grander than Madam Qin. Besides the driver, there was an older woman and a young maid accompanying them. After they alighted, a beautiful woman and three young girls stepped out. The oldest was around 16 or 17 and the youngest was just about 12 to 13 years old.

Mrs. Zhou was completely bewildered. She didn’t recognize them, but the demeanor of the beautiful woman indicated she was of higher status than Madam Qin.

While Mrs. Zhou didn’t recognize them, Liu Yanqing did. Although he had never met the Madam Zhang, he had seen the county magistrate’s wife from a distance a few times. Liu Yanqing was stunned, “How could this be…?”

Lu Chengxiao asked, “Do you know who they are?”

Liu Yanqing nodded, whispering, “That’s the wife of our county magistrate.”

This revelation surprised Lu Xun as well. He turned to Liu Yanqing, lowering his voice, “Are you acquainted with the magistrate?”

Liu Yanqing quickly shook his head, “Of course not.”

As he spoke, he remembered the red invitation cards they had sent through Master Li, and just as he was wondering if those had made an impact, Madam Zhang entered the embroidery shop. She asked for Constable Liu’s mother, and upon meeting Wei Shi, she smiled and took a red envelope from her housekeeper. With a cheerful expression, she said, “I heard from my husband a few days ago that Constable Liu’s family is opening an embroidery shop, so I came to offer congratulations. Madam Liu (Wei Shi), may your business be prosperous and booming!”

Liu Yanqing was taken aback. He hadn’t expected that a simple red invitation card could elicit such a grand gesture. They had not sent an invitation to the county magistrate’s family because they didn’t dare to expect them to attend, so this was beyond surprising.

Wei Shi was even more astonished, feeling both honored and overwhelmed. Not knowing who this noblewoman was, she was about to ask when Madam Qin, who had just entered with her two daughters, stepped forward to greet Madam Zhang with a curtsey.

The housekeeper noticed Wei Shi’s confusion, smiled and informed her, “This is the wife of our county magistrate.”

Wei Shi’s knees almost gave way. The county magistrate’s wife coming to offer congratulations was beyond her expectations. She wished she could ask her eldest son for clarification, but with so many female guests around, it wasn’t the right moment. Instead, she quickly called Liu Yu over to greet Madam Zhang with her.

Even Chen Shi, who was in the shop with Lu Shuang and Qin Shi, curtseyed to Madam Zhang.

Madam Zhang is a kind and amiable woman. She quickly helped them up. She first supported Madam Qin, then turned to assist Liu Yu, who had been called over by Wei Shi. Smiling, she said, “My husband often praises Constable Liu for his efficiency and skill. I only learned today that the constable has such a beautiful sister.”

As she spoke, she genuinely admired Liu Yu’s appearance. The first part of her praise for Liu Yanqing was mere politeness, but the second part, admiring Liu Yu’s beauty, was sincere.

“You flatter me, madam,” Liu Yu responded modestly.

“It’s no flattery,” Madam Zhang insisted. “Madam Qin, wouldn’t you agree?”

Madam Qin, who had brought a gift on her husband’s instructions without knowing the exact reason, was equally surprised to see Madam Zhang there. She hadn’t realized the Liu family had such connections. She immediately elevated her regard for them. Thus, her words were especially flattering, “Indeed, she’s like a celestial beauty. I was stunned when I first saw her in the shop.”

As they exchanged compliments, Madam Zhang’s attention shifted to the displayed garments in the shop, her eyes lighting up.

“What exquisite craftsmanship!” she exclaimed, moving towards the display.

Following her, the Qin family naturally trailed behind, while Wei Shi and Liu Yu had to accompany them as hosts. Chen Shi and her group, who had been browsing the clothes, joined them. The entire group of over ten people moved from the entrance into the shop’s interior.

The Qin and Zhang families had both come today at the behest of their husbands to support the Liu family’s new embroidery shop. They had already decided to buy two or three sets of clothing each, regardless of how they looked, to give face to the Liu family.

However, upon actually seeing the garments, any notion of just buying a few pieces out of courtesy vanished. Their eyes were glued to the stunning display. Among the prominently displayed ten or so outfits, they immediately wanted to take five or six sets home. Both women were regular customers at Yuanzhou’s Jinxiu Embroidery Shop, and they were delighted to find that Ruyi Embroidery Shop’s clothing was on par with, if not occasionally surpassing, Jinxiu’s offerings.

Without needing any further small talk from Wei Shi, Madam Zhang pointed to the first set of clothes that caught her eye and asked Wei Shi to help her take it down and measure it.

Although the shop had fitting rooms, most people didn’t need to try on every piece of clothing. Since the clothes weren’t made to fit perfectly tight, they could be adjusted with ties to fit snugly or loosely. As long as they liked the style, a quick measurement would determine if it was suitable.

Wei Shi was almost trembling with excitement; this was the first garment the shop would sell, and it was to the wife of the county magistrate! Following Madam Zhang’s request, she carefully took down the garment and laid it flat on the counter. However, Madam Zhang’s housekeeper quickly took over, skillfully measuring several key areas and then smilingly said to Wei Shi, “It’s a perfect fit. Please fold it up for us.”

“Of course,” Wei Shi replied, her heart pounding like a drum. She carefully folded the garment with a beaming smile on her face.

While Madam Zhang continued browsing, Madam Qin called out to Wei Shi, “This one too, please help me check the size.”

Wei Shi hurried over, and Madam Qin’s housekeeper also measured the garment and said with a smile, “It’s a good fit. Please fold this one up for us too.”

“Sure,” Wei Shi said, her excitement growing even more. This was the second garment sold!

As it turned out, it was their good fortune that the sample clothes in the shop were made to standard sizes. Both Madam Zhang and Madam Qin had well-maintained figures that suited these sizes perfectly, making the shopping experience pleasant for both buyers and sellers.

Meanwhile, the five young ladies from the Zhang and Qin families were also looking at clothes suitable for their ages, attended to by Liu Yu. The girls chatted excitedly among themselves, allowing Liu Yu some time to assist the women from Chen Shi’s family. Liu Yu whispered to Lu Shuang, “If you like anything, I’ll give it to you.”

The term “Third Sister-in-law” made Liu Yu blush, and she whispered, “Don’t call me that.”

“Why not? It’s just a month away.”

Although it was whispered by the young girl in a very low voice, the Zhang family’s eldest daughter and her companion were standing close enough to catch a few words. They then quietly observed the two.

When Liu Yu and Lu Shuang realized their conversation had been overheard, not only did Liu Yu blush, but even Lu Shuang, who rarely showed embarrassment, looked a bit uneasy. The Zhang family’s eldest daughter, however, smiled and nodded at them before raising a set of clothes in her hand and asking Liu Yu, “Miss Liu, do you think this dress suits me?”

The dress in the Zhang family’s eldest daughter’s hand was made of fine cloth, though one wouldn’t know it just by looking at the outer layer of gauze. This dress was designed by Liu Yu, so she remembered it well. Among more than a hundred pieces of clothing, it was one of the cheaper ones, priced at one tael and three qian. However, its design and color scheme were carefully crafted, with gauze and embroidery added, making it look far from cheap.

Still, Liu Yu was a bit surprised to see the Zhang family’s eldest daughter pick out such a dress. However, she didn’t show it on her face and smiled, saying, “It’s very suitable and matches your temperament. I believe the size is also appropriate. You might want to ask Madam Zhang and the others for their opinion.”

Madam Zhang was initially looking at clothes she liked. Upon hearing this, she turned around and saw her niece had found something she liked. She smiled and said, “It’s very pretty. Let me take a look.”

When she got closer and saw that the main material was mostly fine cloth, Madam Zhang raised her eyebrows and said, “Buy something better. I see there are many lovely silk options.”

Zhang Xiaofu, however, smiled and said, “I really like this one. The material doesn’t matter much. With the fine gauze on the outside, it should look great when worn.”

“Alright, as long as you like it. Just be prepared for your second uncle to ask about it later,” Madam Zhang said with a smile. She then turned to another young woman from the Zhang family and said, “Xiaorong, pick something nice.”

Zhang Xiaorong responded cheerfully, “Thank you, Auntie.”

Liu Yu then understood that the three young women from the Zhang family were all nieces of Master Zhang. Zhang Xiaofu had already decided on her dress and asked Liu Yu to check the size. Liu Yu smiled, took the dress to the counter, measured Zhang Xiaofu, and then the dress. She said with a smile, “It’s a good fit. The sleeves need to be shortened by an inch. If you can wait, we can have it altered today and delivered to your house tomorrow.”

Zhang Xiaofu smiled and said, “That’s fine. Just fold it up. I’ll make the minor adjustments myself at home.”

“Alright, I’ll fold it for you.”

Before the dress was folded, a girl from the Madam Qin’s family called out to Liu Yu, “Miss Liu, could you help us with these two sets?”

Wei took over the dress Zhang Xiaofu had chosen, folded it, and placed it with Madam Zhang’s selection. From the time they entered the shop to look at clothes until now, not even half a cup of tea had passed, and three sets of clothes had already been chosen. The two girls from the Qin family had also picked two sets, making it five in total. Meanwhile, Madam Zhang, Madam Qin, and the other two girls from the Zhang family were still browsing.

Wei Shi’s heart was fluttering with joy.

Outside the embroidery shop, people who were initially attracted by the lion dance were curious about the new store. Seeing the two carriages parked outside and the lively atmosphere inside, they were eager to enter. However, upon hearing that the county magistrate’s wife was inside, no one dared to go in. They waited outside, planning to enter after the magistrate’s wife had left.

The Zhou family was doing the same. Normally, Mrs. Zhou would seize the opportunity to speak with Madam Qin, but knowing that the other carriage belonged to the magistrate’s wife, she didn’t dare go in. She could only wait outside.

Then they noticed more people arriving…

This time, it was normal. There were no carriages, just two unfamiliar women entering the embroidery shop together.

Mrs. Zhou confirmed that she didn’t recognize these women. They wore only modest silver ornaments, nothing extravagant. This was good; they were ordinary people like herself. Seeing that these two women entered the shop without presenting any congratulatory gifts like the Qin and Zhang families had done earlier, Mrs. Zhou felt completely at ease.

It was as if a spell had been broken. Previously, all the women who had entered were wives of officials from the yamen, so she naturally didn’t dare to go in. Now that two ordinary people had gone inside, Mrs. Zhou regained her courage. She led her daughter and daughter-in-law, saying with a smile, “Let’s go in too.”

When Mrs. Zhou entered the embroidery shop, she saw Madam Zhang and Madam Qin smiling and chatting with those two seemingly ordinary women. Madam Qin said with a smile, “You two ladies are great. Even when visiting an embroidery shop, you come together. You’ve come to the right place today. This is a wonderful shop, and the clothes here are even more beautiful than those at Jinxiu Zhuang. I’ve already picked out two sets.”

Indeed, in this short time, Madam Qin had chosen another set.

Mrs. Zhou was stunned. Was this a gathering of yamen ladies?

For a moment, she didn’t know whether to proceed further. Fortunately, Chen Shi noticed her, and Wei Shi recognized Zhou Qiongying. Chen Shi’s eyes lit up as she called out “in-law,” and Wei Shi knew who had arrived.

The two women greeted her warmly, one calling her “in-law” and the other “Mrs. Zhou,” and they came out to welcome her. Mrs. Zhou no longer hesitated, hurriedly bringing her family inside while offering congratulations and handing a gift to Wei Shi.

Wei Shi was about to exchange pleasantries when Mrs. Zhou, having taken a few steps inside, saw the full layout of the shop. Her attention was immediately captured by the place. The sight of three to four hundred bolts of fabric arranged on a wall of shelves was indeed impressive, but the real highlight was the ready-made garments!

The clothes in the Liu Family’s Ruyi Embroidery Shop were incredibly beautiful!

Mrs. Zhou had heard from Zhou Qiongying about Liu Yu’s ready-made clothing business. She was suddenly reminded of the scene when the Lu family had opened their Lufeng Cloth Shop in the county. At that time, only one thought remained in her mind: This was the rise of another Lufeng in Anyi County.

No, no, Mrs. Zhou quickly corrected herself.

Ruyi Embroidery Shop was probably even more formidable than Lufeng Cloth Shop. After all, the difference in clothing styles compared to other embroidery shops in the county was significant. This wasn’t just Lufeng’s approach of offering a wide range of products; this was a stronger advantage. Especially if these beautiful clothes were indeed Liu Yu’s designs, it was a gap that other embroidery shops would find hard to bridge.

At this point, Mrs. Zhou finally had a basic understanding of Liu Yu’s craftsmanship, and then she felt envy.

She was certain—the Lu family had married a treasure. The other embroidery shops in the county were in for tough times. Once Ruyi Embroidery Shop’s reputation spread, those shops would probably only be able to compete by selling low-priced garments.

Sansukini: I had to read chapter 124 again because I was so confused by Madam Qin and Qin Shi. So Madam Qin is the wife of an official, while Qin Shi is Lu Chengzong’s wife. Because the entrance of Madam Qin was not mentioned in Chapter 124 at all, I had to check other sources to confirm.

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