Zhenfubao waved his hand and the warehouse was full of grain, and the whole family regretted it

Chapter 480: The Position of Imperial Merchant

Qing Yu gnashed his teeth in anger and said, "You damn woman, you came back and stole my business. Just wait and see! I won't let you have it easy."

Mammy stood aside with her hands hanging down, a sinister look on her wrinkled face:

"Miss, Su Wan'er has been very arrogant recently. We must put a damper on her arrogance during this Imperial Merchant Competition.

In the entire city of Bianjing, no one can surpass us in silk and satin."

A cold smile appeared on Qingyu's lips, and the jade bracelet on his wrist jingled slightly as he moved:

"Tell the accountant to spare no expense this time and get all the finest silks and satins. Then send people to Suzhou to invite the best embroiderers from the embroidery workshop.

I want everyone to know who has the final say in the silk and satin business in Bianjing City!"

Mammy nodded repeatedly, her eyes full of flattery:

"Yes, Miss, you are absolutely right. The brocade with the pattern of birds paying homage to the phoenix that we have prepared this time, combined with the double-sided embroidery of the Suzhou Embroidery Workshop, will surely amaze everyone.

Even if Su Wan'er had three heads and six arms, she would still be no match for us."

Qingyu picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and looked at the blooming peonies outside the window:

“The position of imperial merchant is not only an honor, but also a source of wealth.

Once we win the first place, all the silk business in the harem will belong to us.

Then, let’s see if those people still dare to act arrogantly in front of me!”

At this time, the city of Bianjing seemed calm on the surface, but undercurrents were actually surging.

All the major silk and satin shops are making intensive preparations for this fate-determining Imperial Merchant Competition.

Whoever wins the first place will become the royal supplier and gain both fame and fortune.

The loser may never recover from the setback.

Mrs. Bai sat on the rosewood chair in the flower hall, stroking the gold-embossed invitation handed to her by Mrs. Zhou.

"This is the Imperial Merchant Competition, held only once every three years." Madam Zhou took a sip from her celadon teacup. "If I can win the title of Imperial Merchant, I'll have a steady stream of orders from the harem, and businesses from all over Bianjing will come to me."

Mrs. Bai frowned slightly, her eyes falling on the large gold-plated characters on the invitation:

"For such a grand event, we should definitely give it a try. I just don't know how capable other businesses are, especially in terms of fabrics and embroidery."

Madam Zhou lowered her voice and said:

“Each family has their own unique skills, and the family across the street has already won twice in a row.

Why don’t we go to the Imperial Merchants Pavilion, where they display works from previous years.”

Madam Bai smiled and said, "We have nothing to do now, so we can go and take a look."

Madam Bai brought Zhao Qiaoniang and the others directly to the Imperial Merchants Pavilion. Madam Zhou raised her hand and gestured:

The three-meter-long scroll "Auspicious Crane" unfolds like the Milky Way, and the crane feathers embroidered with gold thread flow under the light and shadow, emitting a halo like moonlight.

The most exquisite part is that each crane feather is embroidered with three-color silk threads. This was the work of the No. 1 Cloth Shop in Bianjing last year."

Turning around the corridor, the screen of Li's Silk Shop was swaying slightly in the breeze.

This embroidery depicts "Ladies Visiting the Garden". The pearl flowers on the ladies' hair are lifelike, and the folds of their clothes are embroidered with dark green patterns using peacock feather thread.

The booth of Ding's Silk Shop was crowded with people, and a Shu embroidery painting titled "Hundred Children Celebrating Spring" was hung on a rosewood frame.

The children's rosy faces were smudged with cinnabar-laced silk thread, and their laughter and expressions were different. The jade pendants around their waists were embroidered with three-dimensional gold embroidery, and the raised patterns were tangible.

The Wang family booth displayed a kesi screen titled "Plum, Orchid, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum". Each plum blossom was woven with 24 different shades of red silk thread, and the edges of the petals had a pearly luster.

Blank spaces are deliberately left at the bamboo joints to reveal the plain satin background, which forms a sharp contrast with the intricate and gorgeous other embroidery.

This has attracted many scholars and writers to nod their heads in praise of its charm revealed by the blank space.

Madam Bai walked around with Zhao Qiaoniang and the others and asked, "How is it?"

Zhao Qiaoniang smiled and said, "I never thought that the embroidery in Bianjing City would be so beautiful."

Madam Bai nodded and said, "There are always people who are better than you. It will be extremely difficult to take first place this year, but we have to try."

Qingyu entered the exhibition hall with a group of servants. Her scarlet cloak swept across the threshold, creating a gust of wind. She looked at Madam Bai and the others and sneered, "I was wondering who it was. It turns out to be Mr. Bai from Jinxiu Villa!"

Madam Bai ignored her and said directly, "Let's go! Wanwan must be hungry."

"Yes, okay, Mother..."

The few of them didn't even glance at them. Qingyu swung her sleeves fiercely: "Why are you pretending to be so noble? Do you really think you are still the pampered little sister from before?"

She watched Madam Bai's receding figure, her nails digging deep into her palms. "You're nothing but a stray dog! Just wait, I'll make you kneel and beg for mercy at the Imperial Merchant Competition!"

Madam Bai looked at Madam Zhou and asked, "What do you think?"

Today, Jinxiu Cloth Shop is still officially under Madam Zhou's name. Madam Zhou shook her head and said, "I don't have any particularly good ideas."

She stared at the icy silk spread out on the desk, with a moonlight-like sheen flowing across the fabric. It was the Flowing Cloud Silk that the weaving workshop had spent three months developing.

This is a silk satin made from a blend of three kinds of silk from spring silkworms, soaked in rice washing water seven times and dried in the sun.

Mrs. Bai smiled and said, "Use this piece of silk to embroider a piece titled 'Spring River and Bright Moon'."

Mrs. Bai and Zhao Qiaoniang were busy, and Lin Wanwan felt bored. No one cared about her, so she took a few maids and Chuyi and Chuer and started strolling on the street.

Chuyi looked at Lin Wanwan and said, "Miss, how about I hold you?"

Lin Wanwan quickly shook her head and said, "No, I can walk by myself. Let's go for a walk."

She walked down the street with milk candies, milk tea, and milk caps. When Lin Wanwan saw the candy figures on the roadside, she couldn't help but swallow her saliva and said, "Sister Zhiwei, I want a candy figure."

Lin Wanwan squeezed in front of the sugar figurine stall in Bianliang City. The old craftsman shook his wrist lightly, and amber syrup flowed like golden threads.

But in the blink of an eye, a rooster with its head held high and crowing appeared on the bamboo board.

"Look here, girl!" The old craftsman suddenly picked up the sugar ball and brought it to his mouth. He puffed up his cheeks and blew gently. The sugar ball instantly expanded into a translucent round ball.

With his other hand, he pinched the bamboo stick and shaped it deftly. In just a moment, the outline of the Jade Rabbit pounding medicine emerged on the snow-white sugar film.

Lin Wanwan clapped her hands and said, "Grandpa is so awesome! Can you help me become a character from Journey to the West?"

Lin Wanwan saw that there was actually Zhu Bajie, which means that in this different time and space, there is actually a book called Journey to the West. Could it be that the cultures of the two parallel worlds are connected?

"Of course you can. What do you want, little girl?"

Lin Wanwan said: "I want all of them..."

The old craftsman laughed heartily and said, "This set of sugar figurines is very expensive, it costs one or two taels of silver! Little girl, buy a small one..."

Lin Wanwan took out a tael of silver from her small bag, and the old craftsman quickly started making a sugar figure for her.

When she looked up, she saw Lin Dasheng holding Lin Zaozao standing not far away and looking at her.