Han Nü frowned and replied sharply, “How many times have I told you not to talk about that? And don’t mention it to anyone else! Otherwise, we’ll be kicked out of this village!”
A-Chu waved her hand dismissively, saying, “I know, I know,” before running off into the distance.
Shaking her head, Han Nü returned to her embroidery of koi and lotus leaves. She was incredibly fast, much like Tan Yin when she worked. Every stitch and color seemed to come naturally, as though she didn’t even need to think about it. In the time it took for one incense stick to burn, the embroidery was finished. Han Nü stretched with satisfaction, ready to pack everything up. But suddenly, the koi fish in the embroidery started to wiggle as if it were alive, and with a “plop,” it jumped out of the fabric, flopping awkwardly on the floor.
Tan Yin was stunned. Was this Han Nü’s ability? It was different from the traditional craftsmanship of the Ji family. This seemed like an innate power.
Han Nü frantically picked up the flopping fish, unsure of what to do. When she reopened the completed embroidery, the koi fish was gone, leaving only the lotus leaves and flowers. Frustrated, she muttered a curse under her breath and, after throwing the fish out of the window, wiped her hands and began embroidering the koi again.
This time, Han Nü embroidered even faster, and by dusk, she had nearly completed the piece. She intentionally made the koi fish slightly crooked, ensuring it wouldn’t come to life again. Tired but satisfied, she carefully folded the embroidery and placed it in her basket, then headed outside.
The sky hadn’t fully darkened yet, and Han Nü walked quickly along the edge of the fields, heading toward the village outskirts. Suddenly, she heard a commotion up ahead—children’s voices mingled with the sharp sound of crying. Han Nü spotted the source immediately. The little girl crying pitifully was none other than A-Chu. Rushing over, she saw that A-Chu was surrounded by a group of village kids making faces at her, teasing her with a mocking song: “Poor little A-Chu, a thief who cries when caught!”
Han Nü cleared her throat loudly, and the children scattered as soon as they saw her. Running off, they laughed, “Oh no, her sister’s here! Her sister’s a witch! You’re a little witch!”
Han Nü shot them a cold glare, scaring the kids back to their homes. She pulled A-Chu, still crying on the ground, to her feet, brushing the dirt and grass from her clothes. Gently, she said, “Alright, stop crying. Come with me, and I’ll get you something nice to eat after I collect the money.”
A-Chu was furious, sobbing and pounding her fists against Han Nü. “I don’t want to! Leave me alone!”
It took Han Nü a while to calm her down, holding her close as she soothed, “Don’t cry, don’t cry. Tell me, what happened? Didn’t get what you wanted? Those little brats teased you again?”
A-Chu broke into wails. “I didn’t have enough money! I couldn’t buy it! I just wanted to look at it for a bit! Old Man Zhang said I was stealing, and they all laughed at me!”
Han Nü sighed, wiping the dirt from A-Chu’s tear-streaked face. “Don’t mind them. Next time Old Man Zhang comes, I’ll talk to him.”
After much effort, Han Nü finally comforted the sobbing A-Chu. By the time they reached the nearby town outside the village, night had already fallen. At the embroidery shop, the elderly woman in charge was pacing anxiously. Seeing Han Nü approach, she rushed over, exclaiming, “You! Why are you so late today? Did you finish the order for the Zhou family?”
Han Nü handed over the basket with the completed embroidery. The woman carefully examined it and praised, “Your work keeps getting better, Han Nü. I’d say even some of the palace embroiderers couldn’t match your skill!”
With the silver payment settled, the woman seemed hesitant, as if there was more she wanted to say. Noticing A-Chu eyeing a nearby food stall and drooling, Han Nü handed her a few copper coins. “Go on, get yourself some dumplings. Wait for me over there.”
A-Chu’s face lit up with a smile. She hugged Han Nü tightly, rubbing her face against her in affection, then eagerly ran off to buy dumplings.
The elderly woman pulled Han Nü into a small room inside, speaking in a low, conspiratorial tone. “Han Nü, there’s another order. They’re in a hurry and want it done in three days. I thought about it, and no one at the shop could do it as quickly or as well as you.”
Han Nü, puzzled by the secrecy, wondered what kind of order required a private conversation in a closed room.
The woman glanced outside to make sure no one was around, then carefully took out a scroll from a drawer and unrolled it. The moment Han Nü saw the figure in the painting, she let out a soft gasp.
It was a ghost—an illustration of a fierce ghost with a green face and sharp fangs, terrifying and grotesque.
“This is an embroidery order from a prominent family in the capital. You know, this kind of thing isn’t considered lucky, so they specifically came to a small, out-of-the-way shop like ours. They requested the finest embroidery work, using hidden stitches to make the ghost come to life. And after that, you’re to cover the ghost with flowers and grass, concealing it completely. No one should be able to tell it’s there… You know how it is with these big families—they always have something shady going on. Don’t think too much about it. Just tell me: are you willing to take this job, and can you do it?”
Han Nü furrowed her brows, hesitating.
The woman pushed a heavy pouch into her hand, filled with silver pieces. “This is the deposit. Once the work is completed, the full payment will be three gold ingots.”
Han Nü’s tightly furrowed brow finally relaxed. She placed the scroll into her basket and nodded silently.
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