Educated Youth in the Countryside: She is the Village's Embroidery Queen!-Chapter 434: Gold Can’t Buy What the Heart Desires

Chapter 434: Chapter 434: Gold Can’t Buy What the Heart Desires

It all boils down to being too poor, having too many things to consider.

If the family’s financial condition were better and the burden less heavy, they wouldn’t have to save a bit of lunch money by not letting the child eat at the cafeteria.

However, this is the norm; it’s the life of ordinary people.

Yi Chichi had nothing else to say but to smile and see the person off.

In the evening, Wen Shi returned home from work to cook, and Yi Chichi followed him around, praising him for being great and cooking deliciously.

Wen Shi was so overwhelmed by her praise that he felt his hair stand on end. He asked anxiously, "Honey, I haven’t made any mistakes recently, have I?!"

He looked very uncertain.

Yi Chichi was puzzled by his abrupt words, "No mistakes."

"...Your praise makes me nervous!"

Goodness, she must be quite fierce to make her man nervous even when praised.

Yi Chichi felt the need to defend herself.

"I haven’t praised you before?"

"You have."

Understanding her point, Wen Shi explained, "Just not today’s way of praising, which makes me wonder if I did something wrong or if you’re planning something I can’t handle."

At this, he said quietly, "This way of praising reminds me of when my superiors commend me, only to follow with a smack."

As for how intense that smack was, he didn’t elaborate.

Yi Chichi didn’t ask either; it was just work-related, and with confidentiality agreements in place, asking would be futile.

So, let’s stop nitpicking words.

"I won’t give you a smack. The reason I praised you is actually because of Madam Lei."

Wen Shi was taken aback, "What does this have to do with Madam Lei?"

Yi Chichi then succinctly recounted the afternoon’s events.

Knowing the story, Wen Shi breathed a sigh of relief; he thought something was up, but after all this fuss, it’s just this, really scared him.

With the heaviness in his heart gone, he was in the mood to joke.

"No wonder you praised me; Madam Lei’s cooking skills..."

He sighed and said somewhat indescribably, "It truly won’t kill people, but makes life feel worse than death."

"That ridiculous?"

"Just that ridiculous."

Recalling the aftermath of the warmhouse dinner at the Lei Family, even Wen Shi felt a lingering fear.

"On the warmhouse dinner day, she single-handedly toppled everyone at the meal, including the superiors!"

Yi Chichi was dumbfounded, "Food poisoning?"

"...The doctor said it wasn’t food poisoning."

Wiping his face, he sighed deeply, "The food Madam Lei cooks cannot be described in words; it simply isn’t right. Stir-fried vegetables taste like stinky feet, seafood tastes like stinkbugs, and the fish and meat aren’t any better, with very peculiar flavors."

Yi Chichi, "!!!"

This is truly extraordinary.

"Go cook."

Couldn’t continue listening; otherwise, she would automatically imagine those flavors, affecting her appetite.

Wen Shi obediently turned around to continue busying himself, not stopping his chatter.

"What did you do at home today?"

"Embroidered the Eight Steeds."

"The one with many horses?"

"Yeah!"

"Is it double-sided embroidery?"

"No, this time it’s single-sided."

It’s fine, quite a bit less challenging than double-sided embroidery.

However, that’s not the case; while double-sided embroidery is challenging, the single-sided Eight Steeds is also not easy.

First, the horses have varied postures. To embroider each horse’s elegance and spirit, the composition must be well-planned.

Next, each horse has plenty of hair, and every part needs specific needlework treatment to bring out the flowing texture of the hair.

To achieve an embroidery that makes the hair appear to tremble in the wind, more effort is needed.

Lastly, the eight horses vary in color, transitioning from dark to light, requiring hundreds of colors.

In the evening, Wen Shi saw the embroidery threads she brought out and felt momentarily overwhelmed.

"So many colors?"

Previously hanging on the embroidery frame were only part of it; turned out, there were so many more yet to be brought out.

"This isn’t much; the maximum is thousands of kinds."

"Young Master Duo?"

Wen Shi was so surprised that his accent changed, and his eyes widened.

Yi Chichi just laughed, "You heard right, thousands of kinds."

Simply unimaginable.

Wen Shi tried using his limited imagination to conjure various colors but found he couldn’t figure out even thousands of colors. Deeply inhaling before slowly exhaling a breath, he said, "Honey, what are you embroidering that needs so many colors?"

Yi Chichi smiled, "It’s not reached that stage yet."

However, in her original world, she had pieces in museums; some used this many colors.

Among them, a sci-fi-themed cosmic starlight map used over 2,700 colors.

It took three years to complete.

That piece hasn’t gone to a museum but rather to an auction.

Auction price over ten million.

It was bid away by a mysterious wealthy merchant.

Now, "Even if I wanted to embroider, there aren’t these many colors available to me."

Wen Shi glanced sideways at her, "Why do I feel you seem quite regretful?"

"I am indeed regretful."

"Why?"

"Valuable."

"More valuable than the tiger, leopard, and those panda embroideries you did before?"

"It’s another tier altogether."

She extended her hand showing a three, "If I really had those many threads, not selling at this number would be a loss."

Wen Shi stared at her hand for a long time, hesitantly, "Three, three thousand?"

Three thousand seemed impossible; those previous double-sided embroideries of hers were more than that.

Yi Chichi affirmed as she busied herself sorting the threads.

Wen Shi watched her with somewhat dazed eyes, "Who would spend this much on embroidery?"

Something that can’t be eaten or drunk, is it worth it?

Yi Chichi pondered, "People’s pursuits and likings differ; Su Embroidery’s artistic collector value is no less than antiques and such. To us, thirty thousand is a lot; but to wealthy folks fond of Su Embroidery, one’s heart’s desire is priceless."

Wen Shi pondered for a moment, finding truth in it.

"I don’t get rich people’s thoughts. I only know one thing; my wife is really talented."

These hands are excellent at making money.

Watching the threads being smoothed in her hands, he grew interested, "Honey, let me help you!"

"No."

Yi Chichi looked at his hands disdainfully, "Too rough and full of calluses; don’t end up scraping off the threads."

Silk thread, like silk, is delicate; silk is prone to snagging.

Thread is prone to fraying.

Really having him help would ruin the threads.

"Just watch."

Wen Shi, feeling rejected, oh-ed glancing at his own hands and then at Yi Chichi’s, sighed and asked her, "Honey, can my hands ever be as tender as yours?"

"They can."

However, "Not your hands."

"Why?"

"Your occupation."

The training intensity is too high, with too many hand-involved activities; cuts, blisters, turning into calluses truly can’t be avoided.