Chapter 10: A Well-Earned Reputation

A series of knocks at the door woke Wu Wei and the Embroider Maiden. The Embroider Maiden’s eyes widened in alarm, a flicker of fear betraying her lingering fright from the morning’s events.

“I’m coming!” Wu Wei rubbed her eyes as she sat up. She gathered her loose hair into a ponytail and slipped into her shoes to answer the door, with the Embroider Maiden close on her heels.

Two men and several women stood at the threshold. Upon seeing Wu Wei, they all broke into broad smiles. The lead woman spoke up. “Miss, winters here are harsh, and since you’re new to our village, you’re probably short on everything. The Village Head sent us with these things for you.”

Wu Wei glanced at the items on the ground and stepped aside. “Please, come in.”

“Right away!” The woman nodded with a smile and waved for the others to carry the goods inside.

The Embroider Maiden tried to keep as much distance as possible from the newcomers—farther, if she could. But the small main room couldn’t hold them all at once, so she ducked behind Wu Wei.

Soon, the floor of the main room was piled high with supplies. The Embroider Maiden stared in disbelief. Someone had actually brought them food—delivered by the Village Head’s people!

Was she dreaming? She pinched herself discreetly.

“Miss, this is a small token from the Village Head and our clan. We’re far from the Capital here, so think of these as traveling funds for your stay. We hope you won’t find it too meager; our village can’t compare to the prosperous lands out there.”

Wu Wei eyed the two strings of copper coins in the woman’s hands—about one guan, equivalent to one tael of silver, but more practical in coin form. It seemed the Village Head had fully bought into the story she’d spun.

Wu Wei remained unmoved. She simply cupped her hands toward the woman and the group, saying calmly, “I’ll accept the goods, but as for the copper coins, this young lady truly cannot take them. Though I’ve received much aid on my journey, I’ve never accepted monetary help. Please convey my apologies to the Village Head: it’s a family rule. I hope he won’t take offense.” Wu Wei had phrased it all rather formally, and the way these folks looked at her shifted noticeably.

If she couldn’t spot the subtext here, then all those palace intrigue and family drama shows she’d binge-watched in college were for nothing.

Never mind that for someone like Wu Wei—who could vanish back to her own world at any moment—these coins were practically useless. Even if they weren’t… she wouldn’t take them for the Embroider Maiden’s sake.

She could have pocketed the coins without issue, but refusing them came with intangible benefits—ones she was banking for the Embroider Maiden. If she ever had to leave… even a sliver of gratitude from the Village Head would make life easier for her friend.

These villagers had never met a woman like Wu Wei before. They didn’t know how to respond politely and could only obey, taking the coins with them as they left with awkward smiles.

“Weiwei!” The Embroider Maiden bounded to Wu Wei’s side and seized her arm in excitement. She’d been fretting over their scant food supplies for winter, but now it was all sorted.

Wu Wei quickly clapped a hand over the Embroider Maiden’s mouth and leaned in close, whispering just loud enough for the two of them. “Hold the celebration till later.”

The Embroider Maiden nodded. Wu Wei smiled and released her. The pair huddled together like children playing hide-and-seek, tucked away behind a cabinet.

Only when the sounds outside finally faded did Wu Wei peek out the door. Everyone was gone.

“Alright, they’re off.”

Like a joyful little bird, the Embroider Maiden released Wu Wei’s arm and darted around the main room, inventorying the Village Head’s gifts.

One dou of white rice, one dou of white flour, and several types of coarse grains that added up to nearly a shi. Two baskets of Chinese cabbage, one of radishes, one of potatoes, a basket of eggs, a sack of soybeans, and a hefty slab of pork—fatty with just enough lean. In this era of backward technology, fat was precious for rendering oil and worth more than twice the price of lean meat. These offerings showed real sincerity.

The Embroider Maiden unwrapped a cloth bundle revealing a cylindrical bolt and beamed. “Weiwei! Look, the Village Head even sent us a bolt of fabric. Now we can make you two outfits.”

“Sounds good. I’ve been dying to see your handiwork~.”

The Embroider Maiden hugged the fabric and glanced back at Wu Wei, who froze for a moment.

It was the first time she’d seen such an expression on the Embroider Maiden’s face—a glow of tenderness and delight, like a sailor long parted from the sea finally gripping the oars again, or a down-on-his-luck musician caressing a long-lost guitar.

The Embroider Maiden stroked the cloth softly. “It’s been ages since I did any needlework. My hands are out of practice.”

“No way. Anything you make will look amazing.”

With their biggest worry—food—resolved, the two happily set about organizing.

The main room and kitchen stove were one space, barely ten square meters total. After accounting for the rice barrel, water jar, and stove, the room felt cramped.

Together, they poured the coarse grains into the rice barrel, stashing the precious fine grains in a tied cloth sack on the top shelf. They placed a finely woven bamboo basket over it to keep out rats. The preserved vegetables went on the lower shelf, with the best ones at the bottom and the imperfect ones on top to eat first.

Once finished, the little room was packed. Wu Wei stood with hands on hips, gazing at the sturdy wooden rack against the wall. A deep sense of security washed over her. This was real, simple happiness. Even if the rack groaned under piles of gold and jewels, nothing could match the comfort of these grains and veggies.

The Embroider Maiden carried the bolt into the bedroom. The indigo fabric suited all ages and genders. She kicked off her shoes, climbed onto the kang, and rummaged in a doorless cabinet for a cloth-wrapped bundle. Like a magician, she produced a pair of small scissors, a needlework kit, and a soft measuring tape.

“Weiwei, shall I make you an outfit?”

“How many can we get from this cloth?”

“Winter clothes take more fabric than summer ones. This’ll make two.”

“Perfect— one for each of us.”

“I don’t need one! No holidays or festivals coming up, and I’ve got clothes.” The Embroider Maiden clearly hated to use it on herself.

“Fine, then neither will I.”

The Embroider Maiden coaxed gently, “Make one anyway? That robe of yours is precious—keep it as a memento. We’ll do a winter set now and a summer one in spring. It’ll be just enough.”

Wu Wei blinked. So her made-up tale had sunk in… Fine. The best way to fool enemies was to fool your allies first. The less the Embroider Maiden knew about her secrets, the better—no trouble down the line. Transmigration was too bizarre to share.

“Winter’s just getting started; spring’s a long way off. Who knows? We might have money for more cloth by then. My stance is firm: either one for each of us, or none at all. Let the mice and bugs have it.”

The Embroider Maiden looked at Wu Wei, then down at the fabric in her arms, and nodded. “Alright. Let me take your measurements, okay?”

“Mm, sure.”

After measuring Wu Wei, the Embroider Maiden began cutting. Wu Wei sat beside her, watching curiously. The Embroider Maiden would trace lines on the fabric with her fingers, then snip precisely—no mistakes. In moments, all the pieces for the outfit were ready.

“Embroider Maiden~.” Wu Wei called out with a grin.

“Hm?”

“Um… could you embroider some pattern on it for me?”

“Of course. What kind?”

Her eyes lit up at the topic—her passion and skill. Those sharp, autumn-leaf eyes sparkled with vigor.

“Well… how about a swallow?” A weary bird returning to the woods felt fitting for Wu Wei.

“Sure.”

The Embroider Maiden agreed readily and fetched two bamboo embroidery hoops, large and small. Wu Wei added, “On the back!”

“Who puts embroidery on the back?”

“Just do it for me~”

“But what if people laugh when you wear it out?”

“Don’t worry about that. I won’t care.”

“Alright.” The Embroider Maiden took the back panel, clamped it taut between the hoops, and the weave stood out clearly in straight lines. Wu Wei had a sudden realization… This was how they fixed handkerchiefs in those period dramas for embroidery.

Threading the needle was seamless. Wu Wei watched, unblinking, as the Embroider Maiden held the hoop left-handed. With thumb and forefinger of her right, she gripped the needle, her other fingers probing the fabric. Down went the first stitch, pulled neat; under and up again, repeating fluidly. By the time Wu Wei squinted for a closer look, a black semicircle had appeared…

The Embroider Maiden’s focus was intense. That tiny needle danced across the indigo cloth under her control. In about the time it took to brew tea, a swallow-like tailcoat pattern emerged. She switched to a fresh needle threaded with white…

Right before Wu Wei’s eyes, the little swallow took shape: black formalwear, white belly, brown claws and beak—even the tuft of brown fuzz on its chest and beak, all perfectly rendered.

Wu Wei was so shocked that she couldn’t find words, but Embroider Maiden showed no signs of stopping. She rotated the embroidery in her hand ninety degrees and continued stitching densely with the same three threads. This time, it took a little longer. When the finished piece emerged, Wu Wei stared dumbly at the indigo-blue fabric, where a swallow appeared to take wing in flight. She half-suspected that Embroider Maiden had secretly mastered some kind of three-dimensional printing technique.

Every single feather on the swallow, the gleam in its eyes, the patterns on its claws—even the two tiny nostrils on its beak—had been perfectly recreated by Embroider Maiden. Most miraculous of all, the entire embroidery radiated a lively sense of realism!

If it were set against a sky-blue background and viewed from a distance, it would look just like a real swallow soaring through the air!

“My heavens! Embroider Maiden…”

The words of praise had barely formed on her lips when Embroider Maiden spoke with regret. “I’m rusty. The stitches aren’t neat enough.”

“No, no, no—don’t be modest! It’s incredible. I love it!”

“Really?”

“Yes! Embroider Maiden, your craftsmanship is unreal—fast and flawless!”

“The pattern you wanted is simple. It only needs three threads, so it’s naturally quicker.”

“Embroider Maiden, what’s the most challenging design you’ve ever done?”

Embroider Maiden paused thoughtfully. “Hmm… When I was seventeen, a wealthy young miss was born on the Hundred Flowers Goddess’s birthday. Her mother wanted a satin ‘Flowers in Clusters’ quilt finished before the baby’s hundred-day celebration. She provided multicolored silk threads, and I had to embroider one hundred and eight different flowers on both sides of the quilt top.”

“Did you manage it?”

“Yes, but the silk was so soft, and the satin weave so dense, that I couldn’t afford a single misplaced needle—or it would leave pinholes on the surface. It took me a full two months.”

“Then… how much did they pay you?”

A smile lit up Embroider Maiden’s face. “Mother said it was generous—two hundred wen in all!”

Wu Wei rolled her eyes hard on the inside. What kind of mother was this? A total tiger mom! Two hundred wen? A family wealthy enough to commission a quilt like that for their newborn daughter wouldn’t skimp on wages and tips with just two hundred wen, surely?

“You’re amazing, Embroider Maiden.”

Embroider Maiden put away her needle and thread with a sigh. “It’s a shame I only have five colors of thread left now. The rest are gone.”

“You can’t let a skill like yours waste away. Don’t worry—when the opportunity comes, I’ll get you fully stocked with needles and threads!” Wu Wei thought to herself that perhaps, a thousand years from now, Embroider Maiden’s artistry might even qualify as an intangible cultural heritage.

“No need to go to the trouble. These days, the things I make… well, only Weiwei doesn’t turn up her nose at them.”