Educated Youth in the Countryside: She is the Village's Embroidery Queen!-Chapter 408: Embroidering Pomegranates

Wen Shi grinned broadly and announced joyfully to Yi Chichi, "There’ll be big meat to eat tomorrow."

Yi Chichi, "Did you spot the prey?"

"No, but we put some bean paste in the trap."

Niu Niu was puzzled, "Why put bean paste? It’s such a waste, people don’t even have enough to eat."

Kang Youxin knew the reason but he tends to speak in a way that makes people anxious, so he opened his mouth but swallowed back his words, leaving it to Wen Shi to explain.

"People can’t live without salt, and neither can animals."

He got into a talkative mood and started giving Niu Niu a live lesson, discussing everything from animal traits to dietary habits, and the unique preferences certain animals have for specific foods.

At first, Niu Niu listened with great interest, her expression giving Yi Chichi and the others a sense of wonder at how fascinating the world could be.

But as she kept listening, her expression began to turn blank.

Then it became empty.

Yi Chichi, "..."

Great, the kid Niu Niu has been bewildered by her husband’s teaching.

After all, for a kid who has never seen animals like peacocks or elephants, it’s quite hard to imagine.

Seeing that he was about to continue, Yi Chichi quickly rescued Niu Niu, "You go with Uncle Kang, don’t interrupt Niu Niu and me."

The child came to turn in her homework, not attend an animal course.

Wen Shi looked at Kang Youxin, who cooperated by showing a smile that said, "I could use some company."

Instantly, the words on the tip of Wen Shi’s tongue swallowed back.

"Alright, wife, you guys carry on."

Then Yi Chichi took Niu Niu aside to continue the unfinished embroidery lesson.

Niu Niu really has a knack for this, and her fresh brain works well.

Plus, she had already completed a piece on her own, accumulating a bit of beginner-level experience, which showed remarkable progress.

Previously, when Yi Chichi asked her to practice needlework, she did very well, but it was just limited to practice.

She wouldn’t think about why the needle should be placed like that, why the spacing between points should be adjusted according to different needlework techniques, etc.

But it’s different now; she’ll think over when Yi Chichi points out her problems.

And then offer her own insights.

One teaches seriously, the other learns earnestly, and there are back-and-forth discussions.

Aunt Ma, who came to pick someone up, saw this scene, couldn’t help but wipe her eyes, and said to Wen Shi beside her, "Xiao Shi, you have to be good to Chichi, got it?"

Wen Shi nodded, "Auntie, I know."

Kang Youxin briskly wrote a line, saying: What if he’s not good?

Wen Shi, "???"

Doesn’t remember ever offending Uncle Kang, so the question came up: is Uncle Kang going to mess with him?

Aunt Ma snorted, "If he’s not good, just beat him up, how simple is that."

Wen Shi suppressed the twitching of his mouth, helplessly said, "Auntie, can you wish me well?"

"Of course I am."

Aunt Ma said earnestly, "Chichi’s hands aren’t suited for manual labor, but her hands can support her family. If you and she want to go the distance, you must remember one thing, she can live well without relying on you."

At this point, she asked Wen Shi, "Do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand!"

Wen Shi nodded, he really understood, "Auntie, don’t worry, I promise not to play high and mighty in front of her, and won’t think I’m better than her."

As long as he’s clear-headed, he’s confident to cooperate with Yi Chichi hand in hand.

Aunt Ma raised her eyebrows, clear-minded indeed.

Gazing at Yi Chichi, she sighed, "Her frame is still too frail."

Kang Youxin and Wen Shi fell silent.

Compared to Aunt Ma’s robust build, Yi Chichi’s was indeed quite slight.

Though she was tall, she was slender and willowy, unlike local girls with large frames.

Compared to aunties like her, who could easily swing their husbands, she looked easier to bully.

In other words, the first impression Yi Chichi gave was that she couldn’t fight.

Wen Shi opened his mouth to say he doesn’t hit his wife, and just then, Yi Chichi, who was just talking and thirsty, took her cup for a drink, her peripheral sight catching someone extra in the room.

She was startled for a moment, then turned her head and immediately exclaimed, "Auntie, when did you come?"

"When you talked about curved shapes, splitting stitches, rolling stitches, and the like."

Yi Chichi oh-ed, it had been over half an hour since she explained several aspects of a needlework technique, which also meant Aunt Ma had been in the room for a while.

"Auntie, are you here to pick up Niu Niu?"

"Yes, it’s time to go home for dinner."

You can’t always learn skills at her place and also have her feed them, one has to have a sense of decorum.

Chichi didn’t ask for tuition from them for teaching their Niu Niu, which is already a tremendous kindness; it wouldn’t be right to mooch a meal.

"It’s the same if you eat at my place."

She cheerfully invited them, but Aunt Ma refused, "How can it be the same, your meals are good, mine are poor, if we did stay, we couldn’t repay you."

Disproportionate, too embarrassing to offer in return.

She couldn’t bring herself to do something like dying for pride, living a hard life.

So, "I’ve already made Niu Niu’s meal, it would be wasted if she didn’t go back to eat."

Actually, that wasn’t quite true.

Nowadays, lacking oil and water means everyone, regardless of age, eats more.

Because they get hungry quickly.

So waste was out of the question.

The small amount of food for Niu Niu would be gone if Aunt Ma’s family shared it.

But since she put it that way, further insistence was pointless.

So, she packed some thread, a piece of cotton cloth, and a simple embroidery pattern for Niu Niu, saying, "This time embroider a pomegranate."

Niu Niu took it, looked at it, and exclaimed, "So much red!"

"Mm."

Yi Chichi responded, "Differentiate the shades of red well while embroidering, try not to make mistakes."

"Okay, Auntie, I got it."

The little girl nodded obediently, then called Aunt Ma to go home with her embroidery kit from Yi Chichi.

At the door, she remembered something, "By the way Auntie, are you willing to teach others?"

Yi Chichi thought for a moment, shook her head, "Not teaching temporarily."

Before the words were out, she gestured to Aunt Ma to quickly take Niu Niu home.

Upon hearing Niu Niu’s words, Aunt Ma understood how to respond, feeling a bit uncomfortable, but there was nothing else she could say.

From Yi Chichi’s eye signal, she realized Yi Chichi had sensed a problem.

So she said, "If they want to learn, they should bring their mother to find your Aunt Chichi themselves, it’s not something for a young child to worry about."

Niu Niu looked dazed, not fully grasping her grandma’s meaning, but still obediently replied she understood.

Wen Shi suddenly understood as well, and after sending the guests off, hunched over like a goofy dog next to Yi Chichi, "Wife, do you know who Niu Niu was talking about?"

"I know."

The girls in the village around Niu Niu’s age who she played well with were just a handful, she didn’t need even elimination to be sure.

Wen Shi didn’t ask who but said, "If their parents really brought the children, would you be willing to teach?"

"Whether I’m willing isn’t important. Embroidery as a craft does require some talent, and learning it involves material costs, all of which is money. Not every parent is willing to pay like Aunt Ma did for their child to learn skills."

This made sense, except, "I haven’t seen you taking any money for Niu Niu’s materials."

"That’s because Aunt Ma gave me a hundred bucks earlier for Niu Niu’s materials."