The Female Supporting Role Shows Out - Chapter 98
Translator: NovelMultiverse | Editor: NovelMultiverse
Du Rusong was still in a daze after he was dragged into the camp by Du Ruyan. He didn’t expect that he could get what he wanted on New Year’s Eve. He thought he was dreaming the moment he saw Lin Dan.
“Why are you here?” he asked in a trance and stared at her.
“We miss you so much. We are afraid that you can’t eat or wear well, so we bring something to see you,” said Du Ruyan, pointing at the boxes all over the ground, and then to the soldiers who were drinking and eating roast duck around the bonfire outside the window. “These are all prepared for you by Dandan. Although I’m a sociable person, I don’t know anything about the military camp. I just planned to bring you a hot meal, but Lin Dan reminded me, so I bought so many things to reward those soldiers. I also asked me to borrow some guards from the eldest prince, so that we can come in smoothly.”
“Luckily, you have contacted the eldest prince first, or you will come here in vain. The military camp is heavily guarded and no outsider is allowed to come in and out freely. The eldest prince came to visit me a few days ago. My superior has been very kind to me recently. Don’t worry.”
“That’s good. The eldest prince went to our house to send a new year’s gift today, saying that he would go to the mountain with me to celebrate the new year with his aunt on New Year’s Eve. The eldest prince is a good man.” Du Ruyan opened the food box and smiled, “Brother, come and have dinner. This is made by Lin Dan.”
Du Rusong’s eyes lit up. He immediately picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the stewed vegetables, sighing, “It’s even better than all the food I’ve eaten!”
When Lin Dan heard his words, she looked up at him and smiled.
“How did you make this dish?” Du Rusong seized the opportunity to talk to her.
“I just put the ingredients and condiments into the crock to stew them. After they are done, it’s the taste. I’m born to be a cook,” added Lin Dan seriously. She didn’t know why, as soon as she saw the ingredients, countless kinds of ideas popped up in her mind, and her hands would naturally pick up the kitchen knife or spoon, fried and stewed. She was born to be a cook. It was no exaggeration.
“Miss Lin is so smart. You can do anything.” Du Rusong smiled more gently. He didn’t realize that he had blind love and trust for her as if everything she said was right and everything she did was good.
A rare and lovely smile appeared on Lin Dan’s face.
Du Rusong was in a daze. He didn’t lower his head until his sister pretended to cough. He drank some soup in a hurry, and his ears were red as if they were going to bleed.
Lin Dan was still sorting out the things and didn’t notice anything unusual.
Du Ruyan took out several clothes and quilts and said, “Brother, these clothes are made for you. They look very thin, but in fact, they are very warm. There is a silk bag inside as the lining. Remember to remove the lining when you wash it. Don’t get wet. It will be deformed if it is stained with water, and you can’t keep warm. These quilts are also made lightly. You leave two quilts for yourself, and the rest is for your leader. I didn’t expect to give it to your leader. It was Lin Dan who reminded me. Don’t you think that Dandan is very capable?”
Du Rusong nodded without hesitation, “Miss Lin is the most capable girl I’ve ever seen.”
No matter how indifferent Lin Dan was, she was flattered by the two.
Seeing her slightly narrowed eyes and slightly raised lips, Du Rusong lowered his head and smiled silently, with indescribable tenderness in his heart. After a short while, he raised his head and said, “I’ll try on the clothes first. If they don’t fit me, Miss Lin can help me change them.”
“Okay, I’ve brought some tools with me,” said Lin Dan, patting the bag on her waist. As a qualified embroiderer, she always kept needle and thread on hand.
Du Rusong put the clothes on the screen and tried them on. It fit him very well, but when he came out, he asked Lin Dan to help him change the size. “I will move easier when it’s bigger,” he said.
Lin Dan took out a small scissor and cut off the thread on his waist, shoulder, armpit, and arms. When she made the clothes, she had prepared them. She only needed to remove a few of the creases without making too many changes.
Du Rusong raised his hands and turned his body to let Lin Dan revolve around him. When he looked down at her, his eyes were indescribably deep. Her movements were very careful. Even the smallest thread would be pulled out with a needle, and the slightly larger part would be stitched again. Looking at her serious and attentive expression, Du Rusong only felt satisfied and calm in his heart.
Du Ruyan winked at her brother and said in silence, “Is my Dandan a little virtuous?”
Du Rusong smiled gently.
After the clothes were changed, Du Rusong sent the two out of the military camp. It was getting darker and darker, and it was not safe if they didn’t leave. When he returned to the camp, the soldiers who had received his kindness came over to him one after another to thank him, and several centurions and chiliarchs tried to be friendly to him. The military officer who had made things difficult for him turned around and left with a frightened expression on his face.
This was the effect of the eldest prince’s visit, and also the deterrence of power. Without identity, status, and power, people were as weak as ants. Du Rusong had never been so deeply aware of this, but when he returned to the camp, he saw the dishes on the table, which were still steaming, and his cold and hard heart instantly collapsed in a corner. In this world, there were always some people who approached and warmed you and did that not for your power, identity, and status, but just because they wanted to do it.
He ate the stew quickly, took a shower, and changed into a new coat that looked light but warm. He lay on the bed and covered himself with the soft and fluffy silk quilt. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief. His stomach was warm, his body was warm, and even his heart was warm. From next year, the year after next year, till the end of his life, he wanted to have such a warm night and such a warm person.
—
With a large amount of income, the Lin family had a very lively new year. After the Lantern Festival, Du Ruyan also came down from the mountain and Danyan Embroidery House began to open. However, half a month later, the business of the shop declined greatly, and few people came to order clothes and cloth. The luxury carriage that had been frequently paid attention to Danyan Embroidery House was now stopped at Meng Clan Embroidery Shop opposite.
“Dandan. I don’t know where Meng Zhong got a batch of new Shujin. It’s shining in the sun, as colorful as neon. It’s very beautiful. Although there’s only one red color now, it’s very popular. All the ladies in Lin’an like it.” said Du Ruyan worriedly, “I heard that Meng Zhong was urging his embroiderers to develop other colors as soon as possible. After he made it, how can we do business? That kind of cloth is sold for two hundred silver. It’s a high-end line and completely overlapped our line. If we don’t have better cloth, I’m afraid it’s difficult to compete with him. Although your clothes are beautiful, you made them slowly. But they don’t need to embroider any pattern to make a beautiful dress. As time goes by, they will all go to Meng Clan Embroidery Shop. We will lose a lot of clients.”
Biting off a thread, Lin Dan raised her head and asked, “Is the new Shujin you mentioned the kind of cloth called Phoenix Fire?”
“Yes, that’s right. I heard that Meng Zhong had poached a group of women from the state of Shu to make this kind of Shujin. After several months of research, she made it. He didn’t sell the rest of the cloth shops if they wanted to buy it. People couldn’t find any similar cloth in the state of Shu, and it was his exclusive production. With this kind of Shujin, he could control the supply channel of the cloth, as a hostage to other cloth shops, and then sell his own Shujin to the Imperial Palace. He will be only qualified to be an imperial businessman in a few years. If he goes on like this, he will monopolize the weaving market in the province sooner or later and become the local tyrant.” Said Du Ruyan in a deep voice. “Our embroidery shop can live for at most two years in this situation.”
Embroidery was a technical work, and due to artificial labor, it was very difficult to achieve large-scale development. However, spinning was different. As long as the weaving machine worked, it would be able to continuously produce cloth, and then earn a large amount of money. Whoever invented a new and precious cloth could instantly make money. With the help of the gold and silver, how many embroiderers could not be invited?
When Danyan Embroidery House was still slowly developing, Meng Clan Embroidery Shop had already taken big steps forward. When it was large enough, it would be able to trample Danyan Embroidery House to death. The more Du Ruyan thought about it, the more anxious she became. She felt a dull pain in her head.
However, Lin Dan didn’t panic at all. She walked to the window and looked down. She happened to find Li Jiarong walking out of Meng Clan Embroidery Shop. She was wearing a red dress as red as fire. The flying dress was shining in the spring sun, which was very bright, but very gentle and beautiful.
“Is that the Phoenix Fire? It’s really like the Phoenix bathing fire!” Lin Dan praised generously.
“Yes, I would like to buy one if you don’t have a grudge against her!” said Du Ruyan dejectedly. She had to admit that as long as she was a woman, she couldn’t resist the temptation of this kind of cloth. It was so beautiful!
Li Jiarong seemed to feel something and raised her head to meet the eyes of the two people. A proud and conceited smile immediately appeared on her face. She pulled the sleeve of Meng Si and pointed to the opposite window. Only then did Meng Si find that there was no expression on the faces of Lin Dan and Du Ruyan as if their hearts were as calm as water. After she thoroughly studied the embroidered manual, Lin Dan would never show up again. She couldn’t be trapped by her.
“Humph, what are you proud of? I don’t believe that there is no better cloth in the state of Shu. I’ll ask Uncle Sun to look for goods in the state of Shu right now.” Du Ruyan snorted coldly.
Lin Dan stared at Li Jiarong’s clothes for a long time, lost in thought. The two of them went home together after work, enjoying the beautiful scenery on the road. The sky gradually darkened, and the setting sun sank into the mountains and valleys. The sunset sprinkled the sky, dying the layers of clouds into magnificent golden red.
Du Ruyan sighed and said, “Look, if you can absorb the clouds in the sky and make it into a cloud cloth, then the Phoenix Fire is nothing. The most beautiful thing in the world is about the moon except the sun, isn’t it?”
Lin Dan’s eyes lit up, and then she smiled gently. “Others can’t make the cloud-cloth and the moon-cloth, but I can make them with my embroidery needle. They must be better than the Phoenix Fire.” Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the “Novel Multiverse dot com” website @ novelmultiverse.com
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“Miss Lin is so smart. You can do anything.” Du Rusong smiled more gently. He didn’t realize that he had blind love and trust for her as if everything she said was right and everything she did was good.
– Well, that was quick?
“Yes, that’s right. I heard that Meng Zhong had poached a group of women from the state of Shu to make this kind of Shujin. After several months of research, she made it.
* research, they
She had to admit that as long as she was a woman, she couldn’t resist the temptation of this kind of cloth.
– Why is there always a, “As long as she was a woman….” statement?