Casting Nets to Catch a Husband

Chapter 175: Wen Shi

By December, the weather had turned colder.

Despite the chill, business at Cui Erniang’s embroidery shop was booming. Customers ranged from common folk in rough cloth to wealthier townspeople, and this success made the other two embroidery shops in Changfeng Town green with envy.

Over the course of a little more than a month, the other two shop owners had gathered enough information to uncover the source of Cui Erniang’s success. The ready-made garments flying off her shelves all came from Anyi County’s Ruyi Embroidery Workshop. Initially, she had only stocked a small selection of their designs, but now it seemed like she was receiving more and more clothes.

They didn’t know about the “Fangfeiyin” series, but they did discover that Ruyi Embroidery Workshop was supplying a line of ready-made clothes called “Jiangnan Series” to Cui Erniang’s shop. Both rival shop owners had tried to reach out to the Wei family in the county to establish a partnership, but no matter how much they begged, Ruyi Embroidery only supplied one embroidery shop per town. Just yesterday, they saw Cui Erniang bring back a large cartload of goods from the county. By noon the items were on display, and by afternoon, her shop was bustling with customers again. The two other shop owners could only watch enviously as she counted her earnings.

The cold weather meant it was the perfect time to buy winter clothes, and thick winter garments were selling fast.

Wen Shi was holding a few hundred coins she had earned from selling pouches. She asked Cui Erniang if she had any large pieces of fine cloth scraps to sell.

Wen Shi had been selling small handmade items to Cui’s embroidery shop for almost half a year. Over time, Cui Erniang had formed a favorable opinion of her, seeing her as a good, albeit poor, woman. She had heard that Wen Shi had been cast out of her home without any property, no land or fields, and had to exchange her earnings for food, living a particularly difficult life.

When she learned that Wen Shi wanted to buy fabric scraps to make winter clothes for her child, Cui Erniang’s heart softened. She remembered that Ruyi Embroidery Workshop was hiring and decided to share the news. “Can someone from your family take care of your child for you? If so, there’s an embroidery workshop in the county that’s hiring. They have plenty of work, and the pay isn’t bad. You could earn two to three taels of silver a month when they’re busy. For people like you, who aren’t from the county, they even provide food and lodging.”

“Two to three taels??” Wen Shi almost couldn’t believe her ears.

Cui Erniang nodded. “It’s piecework, so when business is slow, you won’t earn that much. But their business is good, and there’s always more work than they can handle. They often have to work late into the night, so it depends on whether you can handle that kind of workload.”

“I can, I can! Of course I can!” Wen Shi exclaimed. Two to three taels? Currently, she was barely making seven to eight hundred coins a month selling small items.

“But what about your child? Is there someone who can take care of them?” asked Cui Erniang.

Wen Shi nodded eagerly. “Even if I could only earn a little over one tael a month, I could send my child to my mother’s house and pay her a few hundred coins. I’m sure my family would be willing to help look after him.”

Her sisters-in-law wouldn’t have any complaints about that either.

She eagerly asked Cui Erniang for more details.

Not knowing Wen Shi’s connection to Liu Yu, Cui Erniang smiled and told her about Ruyi Embroidery Workshop. “When you get there, the owner’s surname is Wei. Tell them I sent you. With your embroidery skills, you should have no problem doing some simple work at their shop.”

Wen Shi thanked her profusely, even buying two packs of pastries for her. She purchased some fabric scraps and hurried home.

~

When Liu Yu saw Wen Shi, she was asking an old lady for directions to Ruyi Embroidery Workshop. Beside her was Liu Sanlang, carrying a bundle.

The sound of “Third Sister-in-law” made both Wen Shi and Liu Sanlang freeze.

The old lady, whom Wen Shi had stopped for directions, smiled when she saw Liu Yu. “Look, isn’t this the owner of Ruyi Embroidery Workshop? Are you all family?”

Wen Shi and Liu Sanlang were both speechless, glancing from the old lady to Liu Yu.

That call of “Third Sister-in-law” had slipped out of Liu Yu’s mouth instinctively—it was a habit she had formed over more than ten years. However, she had a good impression of Wen Shi, so she saw no need to correct herself. Smiling, she thanked the old lady before turning to Wen Shi. “It’s been a long time.”

She didn’t call her “Third Sister-in-law” again.

Wen Shi quickly regained her composure. She wanted to call her “Little Sister,” but recalling some past events, she changed her words at the last moment, saying, “Yes, it has been a long time.”

In fact, she had seen Liu Yu only a little over two months ago, though Liu Yu was unaware of this.

After that brief exchange, an awkward silence fell between them.

So much had happened that they didn’t know how to start a conversation. And before coming here, neither Wen Shi nor Liu Sanlang had anticipated that the owner of Ruyi Embroidery Workshop would be Liu Yu.

Wen Shi’s hope, which had burned so brightly moments ago, now felt extinguished. Thinking about the bits and pieces of information they had gathered, she couldn’t help but feel that the opportunity for a job paying two to three taels a month might be slipping away. It was like having a bucket of cold water dumped over her in the dead of winter, dousing most of her enthusiasm.

Liu Yu looked Wen Shi over from head to toe. Compared to the beginning of the year, Wen Shi had grown much thinner, no longer the plump and healthy woman she once was. Her belly had also flattened, and Liu Yu realized the baby must now be over six months old.

Noticing where Liu Yu’s gaze had landed, Wen Shi tried to hide her disappointment about possibly losing out on a good job. She smiled and said, “I gave birth to a little girl in May.”

When she mentioned her daughter, there was an unconscious note of affection in her voice.

Liu Yu smiled and offered her congratulations. It was around noon, so she asked the two of them, “Did you just arrive in the county?”

Liu Sanlang, feeling somewhat awkward in the presence of the well-dressed Liu Yu, didn’t know what to say. But seeing that Liu Yu was still speaking calmly, Wen Shi regained a bit of her composure. She nodded and said, “Yes, we just got off the boat.”

That meant they hadn’t eaten yet. Liu Yu glanced around and pointed to a nearby restaurant. “Let’s go there. I’ll treat you both to lunch.”

Liu Sanlang looked at Wen Shi, and after she nodded, they both followed Liu Yu.

By now, the shopkeepers and waiters in the area were familiar with Liu Yu. One of them greeted her with a smile, calling her “Boss Liu” as they welcomed the three inside and seated them.

After tea was served and the food ordered, the waiter left, and silence fell again.

Wen Shi, being sharp and perceptive, noticed that after Liu Yu had instinctively called her “Third Sister-in-law” at the start, she had avoided using any titles to address her or Liu Sanlang. This made Wen Shi realize that Liu Yu still harbored some resentment towards the Liu family. Aware of this tension, she hesitated, unsure how to proceed.

Liu Sanlang, on the other hand, was much more straightforward. He had been too stunned by the unexpected encounter to say anything earlier.

He knew that Liu Yu had married Lu Chengxiao—Wen Shi had told him this over two months ago. They had discussed it privately and decided to keep the news to themselves, not mentioning it to anyone else. They had also not dared to seek her out for any familial connection. Yet, here they were, unexpectedly running into her, and finding out she was the owner of Ruyi Embroidery Workshop, the very place where Wen Shi had hoped to find work.

The couple had been full of anticipation for the job from last night up until this morning. Now, after meeting Liu Yu and realizing she was the workshop’s owner, they felt a mix of shock and nervousness.

As they sat in the restaurant, those feelings finally began to settle. In Liu Sanlang’s mind, Liu Yu was still the younger sister who had grown up with them. While they hadn’t been particularly close before, they had lived under the same roof and eaten at the same table, which was different from Wen Shi’s relationship with her. Seeing her sitting before him now, he finally spoke up, saying, “Little Sister, what happened back in April?”

At the sound of “Little Sister,” Wen Shi’s heart skipped a beat. But she didn’t stop him, instead quietly watching Liu Yu’s reaction.

Liu Yu’s lips curled into a slight smile. She looked up at Liu Sanlang and Wen Shi and, in an even tone, replied, “It’s a long story. Basically, I was sold off, and I have no further connection to the Liu family.”

Thinking of how Wen Shi had once taken care of her, Liu Yu added, “Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law can just call me by my name from now on.”

As for the title “Little Sister,” Liu Yu didn’t want to have any more ties to the Liu family.

This carefully considered “Third Brother” and “Third Sister-in-law” made Wen Shi understand Liu Yu’s attitude. She wanted no involvement with the Liu family but still harbored some affection for the couple.

Wen Shi had never been so grateful for her past decisions. At least today, she didn’t feel guilty. Feeling a bit more at ease, she nodded and said, “Alright, then we’ll call you A’Yu.”

Liu Yu didn’t say much more, and Wen Shi didn’t press her with more questions.

Liu Yu smiled and asked, “Third Sister-in-law, were you just inquiring about Ruyi Embroidery Workshop?”

Wen Shi nodded and replied, “Yes, Mistress Cui from the embroidery shop in town recommended me to work as an embroiderer. I just didn’t expect it to be your workshop, A’Yu.”

Feeling a bit awkward, Wen Shi didn’t want to miss even the slightest opportunity. She had dreams of building a house and buying land, of ensuring her two children could eat well and dress warmly. Noticing that Liu Yu still held some affection from their past, she quickly seized the moment and said, “This might be a bit inappropriate, but I still want to try. You were the one who taught me how to embroider. Over the past six months, it’s thanks to that skill that we haven’t gone completely hungry. From the bottom of my heart, I’m grateful to you.”

“Gone hungry?” Liu Yu frowned slightly.

Wen Shi nodded and poured her heart out. “Yes, we’ve split from the family. We were disowned and kicked out with nothing. We have no land, no house, and no silver, so life has been very difficult. Mistress Cui saw how hard things were and suggested I work at Ruyi Embroidery Workshop. She said that if I was willing to work hard, the pay would be good. I just didn’t expect the workshop to be yours. I wanted to ask if you would be willing to hire me as an embroiderer?”

Wen Shi really wanted to say how desperately she needed the job.

But she swallowed those words back. What she had said was enough. She knew that bringing up the family split and how they had been disowned was a calculated move—done to secure this job opportunity. Saying anything more would make even herself feel ashamed.

Both she and Liu Sanlang watched Liu Yu nervously.

Liu Yu was puzzled and asked, “What happened that led to you being disowned?”

In her memory, Wen Shi had always been rather tactful.

Wen Shi lowered her head and explained, “Our fourth daughter was born on the fifth of May, and the family couldn’t accept it.”

She briefly recounted the events, essentially telling Liu Yu that they no longer had any connection to the Liu family.

Liu Yu hadn’t expected Liu Dalang and Liu Kangsheng to be so heartless that they couldn’t even tolerate their own niece and granddaughter. But then again, thinking about it, it wasn’t surprising. Seeing Wen Shi and Liu Sanlang looking at her with hope, and knowing they were now landless and living in a borrowed, rundown house in the village, the small bit of hesitation in Liu Yu’s heart disappeared. She nodded and said, “The workshop is hiring embroiderers. You can come and work, but there’s just one thing: when you return to the village, it’s best not to mention me or the workshop.”

As for the Liu family, Liu Yu preferred to stay far away and avoid any involvement.

Wen Shi and Liu Sanlang were overjoyed, nodding eagerly. Liu Sanlang smiled and said, “We won’t say a word. Actually, when you married into the Lu family, your third sister-in-law saw it. When she got home, she only mentioned it to me in private and didn’t tell anyone else.”

Liu Yu raised an eyebrow and glanced at Wen Shi. Wen Shi elbowed Liu Sanlang and, turning to Liu Yu, looked a bit embarrassed. “I wasn’t that good to you before, but I could more or less guess what was going on in the family. I’ve felt guilty about it. When I saw you were doing well, I was relieved and didn’t dare to approach you.”

For the first time since seeing them, Liu Yu’s smile truly brightened, her eyes crinkling. The tension that had existed because of the Liu family dissolved in that moment. In her eyes, Wen Shi was now simply the sister-in-law who had once helped her out when she taught her embroidery and had repeatedly warned her to be cautious of Wu Shi.

Sansukini: This is one of my favorite chapters in this novel. Although some face-slapping is nice, I really like chapters like where a good character was rewarded with a good karma. This couple is really good, especially when they would rather starve than get rid of their newly-born daughter.

Please check out my new translation coming next week, with schedule Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The title is “Please Bear With Me For Now,” the first book before “Getting on the Wrong Sedan and Marrying the Right Man,” . I just felt my OCD acting up knowing that there’s a first book so I asked Mily for permission to translate this one.

Here’s the summary:

In the city of Yangzhou, there are two renowned beauties: one is the stunning yet thorny rose, Li Yuhu, who is breathtakingly beautiful but sharp-tempered; the other is the pure and elegant lotus, Du Bingyan. Both women were married on the same day, and while seeking shelter from the rain in the same temple, a mix-up occurred. Du Bingyan ended up mistakenly taking Li Yuhu’s wedding sedan and marrying General Dingyuan, Yuan Buqu.

She was exposed!

Wanting to explain what happened, Du Bingyan disguised as a man and travelled to find her “husband”, only for him to discover her identity as a woman while she was bathing in the river. Amidst a series of misunderstandings, the sparks of love begin to fly between them…

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