DBB – Chapter 22: Embroidery

Halfway through the opera, everyone was watching attentively. However, Jinchao had little interest in the performance. She picked up a pastry from the table and took a bite. Having left in a hurry earlier, she hadn’t eaten much, and now hunger was setting in. Finding the pastry quite tasty, she ended up eating several more. Since they were a bit dry, she picked up a blue-and-white porcelain teacup, taking a small sip to moisten her throat, careful not to make too much noise and disturb the others.

After setting the teacup down, Jinchao took out her embroidered handkerchief and wiped the corner of her mouth, then casually placed it on the tea table. As she turned her head, she noticed someone watching her—Gu Jinhua, her gaze carrying a faint smile. Jinchao smiled back, feeling a little self-conscious. She must have looked rather unrefined, wolfing down her food like that.

Once the opera ended, it was time for the banquet. It was only then that Jinchao saw her father, sitting with Second Master Gu and Fifth Master Gu. The three brothers were chatting and laughing together, showing no signs of discord.

When her father approached, he first summoned Concubine Song and spoke to her in a low voice. The two of them shared a smile—her father’s handsome demeanor and Concubine Song’s delicate charm made them a well-matched pair.

Concubine Song then took out a handkerchief and wiped the frost from his brow. Her father lowered his head slightly, allowing her to tend to him.

Seated together, Gu Lian turned to Gu Lan and remarked, “Your mother treats Father so well…”

For a moment, the entire gathering of women fell silent. Jinchao, who had been speaking with Gu Jinhua, also quieted.

Realizing her slip, Gu Lian’s expression wavered, but Gu Lan smoothly took over the conversation. “She is my birth mother, Concubine Song. Mother is unwell and remained at home.”

Gu Lian playfully stuck out her tongue. “I must have mistaken her then!”

However, everyone’s perception of Gu Lan subtly shifted. With such a favored concubine for a mother and a sickly main wife in the household, who knew if she might one day be elevated to the status of a legitimate daughter?

The Gu family’s banquet was lavish. Hot dishes, cold platters, fruit plates, and pastries were brought in a steady stream by the maids and senior servants. After the meal, they were served frozen pears and dried fruits. However, Jinchao had eaten too many pastries earlier and had little appetite. She only picked at some hot dishes and fruit before setting her chopsticks down.

After the meal, the men had matters to discuss, while the Matriarch led the women to Hengxie Pavilion, where the garden was in full bloom with plum blossoms. It had snowed the night before, and now, under the clear blue sky, sitting outdoors at a table seemed like a delightful pastime.

The Matriarch had mahjong tiles and dice brought out for games but soon excused herself. Gu Jinhua joined the visiting ladies and Madam Gu Jinshao’s wife to play mahjong, while Second Madam gathered the young unmarried women to do embroidery, discussing different stitching patterns.

Jinchao sat quietly in a corner, holding a small embroidery hoop, leisurely stitching a butterfly. She worked slowly, unhurried.

Before she could finish even one butterfly, Gu Lian’s voice rang out. “Sister Lan’er,¹ your lotus embroidery is exquisite! The delicate pink and white look so lifelike! And the dragonfly resting on it—it’s so detailed, even the wings are transparent!”

Gu Lan smiled modestly. “It’s just something I learned from my mother. You flatter me too much.”

Gu Lian giggled. “No need to be so modest! I’ll show it to Mother—she’ll definitely say it’s wonderful.” With that, she took the embroidery hoop to Second Madam. As expected, Second Madam praised it profusely, and soon, the other ladies gathered around to admire it as well.

Gu Lan tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and smiled softly. “My embroidery is nothing special. My elder sister’s embroidery teacher, Master Xue, was once a disciple of the esteemed Ji family of Suzhou embroidery. Even the renowned Wanshou Pavilion in the capital once offered three hundred taels of silver to hire him, but he refused.”

Moxue, hearing this, clenched her hands. She glanced at Gu Jinchao, who remained silent, stitching her butterfly at an unhurried pace.

Second Miss Gu was too scheming. She knew full well that although Eldest Miss Gu had studied under Master Xue, her embroidery skills were mediocre. Yet she deliberately brought it up, clearly intending to embarrass her.

Since Gu Lan had said so much, everyone naturally turned their attention to Jinchao. Second Madam smiled and said, “What is our Chao’er embroidering? Let us see as well—it would be a treat for our eyes!”

Jinchao finally stood up, not rushing. She bowed slightly and said, “I fear I must disappoint you, Second Aunt. Though I studied under Master Xue, my embroidery is not even a fraction of his skill. I wouldn’t dare tarnish his reputation by displaying my work.”

Gu Lan quickly added, “That was my oversight. Our Eldest Sister may not be skilled in embroidery, but she excels in music and strategy. Perhaps she spends more time on those pursuits, leaving little time for needlework, which is why she appears less practiced.” Her words seemed to defend Jinchao, but they only reinforced the notion of her incompetence in embroidery.

Gu Lian, however, scoffed, “What’s the use of excelling in music and strategy for a lady of the boudoir? We are not courtesans of Yangzhou’s pleasure quarters! A proper young lady should master household management and embroidery. I think this is exactly why no one has proposed to Eldest Cousin yet!”

At this, even Second Madam had to step in. “You’re getting out of line! You haven’t even reached marriageable age, and you’re speaking of courtesans? Where did you hear such nonsense?”

Gu Lian, rarely scolded by her mother, pouted resentfully and glared at Jinchao. “It’s the truth! She even beat one of her maids senseless! Who would dare marry someone like that?”

For a moment, the room fell silent.

Jinchao, however, only smiled and asked, “Sister Lian’er, who told you that I beat my maid senseless?”

Gu Lian, naive and incapable of keeping secrets, blurted out, “Sister Lan’er told me!”

Jinchao’s smile deepened. “And did she tell you why I supposedly beat the maid?” She took a step forward.

Gu Lan had been stirring up gossip everywhere, tarnishing her reputation. She had let it slide when she provoked Gu Lian earlier, but mentioning Liuxiang’s incident was something she could not ignore.

Gu Lian hesitated. “She… she wanted to save her sick brother, but you wouldn’t let her…”

Jinchao chuckled. “Then let me tell you the truth. Her brother wasn’t sick. He had incurred a massive gambling debt and was crippled by debt collectors when he couldn’t pay. That maid didn’t inform me but instead stole jewelry from my dowry. I hadn’t even punished her yet—she frightened herself into madness. Is that my fault?”

“Sister Lian’er, you should be careful when listening to rumors.”

Gu Lian stammered, “B-but you still shouldn’t have expelled her…”

Jinchao lost interest in the conversation. “If every thief were forgiven, wouldn’t they only become bolder? If all the maids and servants learned from her, wouldn’t our household be emptied overnight? I spared her life—that was already merciful.”

She then turned to Gu Lan with a smile. “Sister Lan’er, be careful not to spread false stories about your elder sister. Who knows how many other rumors you’ve started? Even if you dislike me, at least consider Father’s reputation.”

Everyone looked at Gu Lan differently now. Her face paled as she bit her lip.

Softly, she murmured, “It was my mistake… I only repeated what the servants said. I’ve always admired Eldest Sister—why would I spread rumors? I was merely chatting with Sister Lian’er… Please don’t take it to heart!”

Second Madam smoothed things over. “It was unintentional. Let’s put this matter behind us.”

Second Madam, unwilling to let the festive New Year’s atmosphere be spoiled by unpleasantness, stepped in to mediate. “Since it was unintentional, Chao’er , let’s forgive Lan’er. After all, you are sisters. I see that Lan’er,  excels in embroidery while Chao’er is skilled in music—they complement each other well, one firm, the other gentle.”

Jinchao sat down with a bright smile and replied, “Thank you for your praise, Second Aunt. We are sisters—there is no resentment between us.”

Although Gu Lan managed to recover some of her dignity, she could not escape the reputation of being a gossip. The way others looked at her now carried a hint of awkwardness. Meanwhile, Concubine Song was busy playing cards with Fifth Madam and had no idea what had transpired here. Gu Lan inwardly cursed her miscalculation. How could she have known that Gu Lian was so loose-tongued?

Jinchao, on the other hand, had handled the situation with poise. She had not relentlessly pursued the matter, nor had she erupted in anger. Even after being provoked, she had remained composed, which made Second Madam more certain of her own judgment—those rumors outside must have been deliberately exaggerated by ill-intentioned people.

No wonder Jinchao had been angry. If someone had slandered Second Madam in such a way, she would have been furious too.

Oblivious to the trouble she had caused, Gu Lian pouted and muttered, “Even if that maid’s matter wasn’t her fault… her embroidery skills are still terrible.”

“Who are you saying has poor embroidery skills?” A warm voice rang out. Three figures stepped into Hengxie Pavilion—it was Gu Jinshao, the eldest son of the Gu family, who had spoken.

Gu Lian immediately jumped up to greet them. “Eldest Brother, you’re here? Weren’t you supposed to be racing horses outside the city?”

Gu Jinshao shook his head. “Don’t mention it. As if Father would ever allow us to race horses outside the city. We were planning to come to Hengxie Pavilion for a game of chess but didn’t expect to find you all here instead.”

Gu Lian nodded and explained, “We were just talking about embroidery. It seems Eldest Cousin’s needlework isn’t very good.”

Ye Xian, who had been standing beside Gu Jinshao, casually remarked, “I think her embroidery is quite fine.”

Gu Lian was intrigued. “Uncle, have you seen Eldest Cousin’s embroidery before?”

Ye Xian lazily pulled a light blue silk handkerchief from his sleeve and smiled. “This very handkerchief belongs to your Eldest Cousin. The orchids embroidered on it are vivid and lifelike, with a small inscription in seal script beside them.”

Jinchao’s hand instinctively brushed against her sleeve, and only then did she recall that she had left her handkerchief at the opera earlier. How had it ended up in the hands of the heir of the Marquis of Changxing? And how could he just produce it so openly?

Second Madam’s expression shifted slightly, though she maintained a smile. “Let me take a look.”

The handkerchief was passed to her, carrying a faint fragrance of orchids—a scent she had often noticed lingering on Jinchao.

Lately, Jinchao had been cultivating orchids in her room. Their fragrance filled her chambers, subtly clinging to her garments as well.

1. In Chinese, the suffix “er” (儿) is often added to names as a term of endearment. It conveys affection, familiarity, or a protective tone, commonly used by elders when addressing younger family members. The suffix does not change the meaning of the name but softens the pronunciation, making it more intimate and affectionate. This usage is particularly common in noble and traditional Chinese households.  ↩︎