The daughter was ruthlessly driven out of the wealthy family and went to the countryside

Chapter 1194 A Good Seedling

Shen Xuening laughed and said, "There's no need to elevate it to that level. I'm just here to see what's going on. I'm completely outmatched by those of you with real talent."

Gong Li quickly replied, "I have only been learning embroidery for a little over four years. I wasn't planning to participate, but my master encouraged me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had the courage at all."

Shen Xuening said, "I heard from Tu Yue that you are very good at embroidery. Don't underestimate yourself, just do your best."

Gong Li said modestly, "Tu Yue said your embroidery skills are excellent, but I think I'm definitely not as good as you."

Shen Xuening asked, "What kind of embroidery do you use?"

Gong Li answered truthfully, "I am Xiangxiu, and you are?"

“I am a Shu embroidery artist,” Shen Xuening said. “My teacher said that Shu embroidery is declining, and that I must show everyone what Shu embroidery looks like. I will do my best in the competition.”

"I can do it too." Gong Li understood what Shen Xuening meant. Embroidery is also a form of cultural transmission, and the result is not really important.

Shen Xuening chuckled and said, "Then I'll see what Hunan embroidery is all about."

"I hope I won't disappoint you." Gong Li felt a bit more optimistic about embroidery now. It seemed that she wasn't the only one working hard; there were many others she didn't know who were also walking this path together.

Shen Xuening asked, "Are there any people learning embroidery with you?"

Gong Li replied, "Yes, my master has three apprentices. One is already a leader in the industry, and the other is her granddaughter, who has just entered the industry."

Shen Xuening looked at the crowd around her: "Will they come today?"

Gong Li shook his head: "Master has something to do and probably won't come. Junior Sister is sick and is recuperating at home, so she won't come either."

Shen Xuening comforted her, "It's okay, Tu Yue is here with you, you're not alone."

"And you? Is it just your boyfriend with you?" Gong Li glanced at Qin Zizhou. He was too dazzling. She only dared to glance at him briefly and didn't dare to look at him for a while longer.

“He’s not my boyfriend, we’re already married.” Shen Xuening showed off her ring.

"Wow!" Gong Li exclaimed in surprise, "You're married at such a young age?"

Shen Xuening smiled and said, "I'm almost 27, not young anymore."

Gong Li sincerely wished her well: "You're only 27. There are many 37-year-olds who aren't married these days, but finding true love and walking down the aisle is still a good thing."

Shen Xuening cherishes her relationship: "Yes, we are university alumni."

Gong Li said with envy, "Then you two are a match made in heaven."

Shen Xuening then asked, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No, I have a bad personality, and no man likes me," Gong Li said helplessly.

Shen Xuening said, "You are beautiful and skilled in embroidery. Even if you have some minor flaws, many people will still like you. It's just that your time hasn't come yet, so don't worry."

Gong Li nodded: "Thank you for your kind words."

The embroidery competition began amidst their conversation.

The host took the stage and introduced what embroidery is, the significance of this embroidery competition, the future of embroidery, and the prospects for embroidery. Then, the participants in the competition were introduced, and the competition began.

There were many participants; thirty people participated on the first day alone.

The design is a colorful butterfly. It doesn't look very complicated, but it's not something that an average person can embroider. However, for an experienced embroiderer, a day is enough time to complete the butterfly.

Qin Zizhou asked Shen Xuening in a low voice, "Will it be difficult for you?"

Shen Xuening turned slightly to Qin Zizhou: "It's not difficult. It can definitely be embroidered within a day."

Qin Zizhou squeezed Shen Xuening's hand: "Then I'll be waiting for you to win a prize."

"I'll do my best," Shen Xuening said in a low voice. "There are many experts here this time, and I'm definitely not the strongest."

Qin Zizhou said jokingly, "So insecure?"

Shen Xuening said seriously, "It's not that I lack confidence, it's that I know myself. And you need to be good at observing. Take Gong Li for example, he's not a nobody."

Qin Zizhou glanced at Gong Li out of the corner of his eye: "You think highly of her?"

Shen Xuening continued speaking to Qin Zizhou in a low voice: "You can tell from the calluses on her hands that she is a very hardworking person. I don't think someone like that is mediocre."

Qin Zizhou agreed with Shen Xuening: "Your observation is indeed very keen."

Shen Xuening said, "Just watch. I think there are many experts here. I think I'm at most a mid-level player."

Qin Zizhou patted Shen Xuening's hand: "Don't underestimate yourself."

Shen Xuening calmly said, "I'm just being self-aware. How long have I been learning? And I'm still an amateur. If I could take down all those people, your industry would be in danger."

Qin Zizhou couldn't help but agree with Shen Xuening's words: "What you said makes some sense."

Shen Xuening said, "Take a look and relax. I also want to learn more about this industry. Our treasures should be passed down."

Qin Zizhou sensed something else: "You want to invest in this industry?"

Shen Xuening shook her head: "I just want to promote this industry, I don't mean to enter it. But when I go back, I can add some embroidery elements to the scenic area, such as holding an embroidery competition, to stimulate consumption."

Qin Zizhou said, "It's fine not to invest. Although embroidery is good, the industry is too small, the output is too small, and the unit price is too high, so it's not easy to make a profit."

Shen Xuening is not that short-sighted: "I know I won't invest blindly, and you should trust my judgment."

Qin Zizhou trusted Shen Xuening completely: "I have the same faith in you as always, and you have come from a thorny path, making you more capable than ordinary people."

Shen Xuening curled her lips into a smile: "It's not as outstanding as you make it out to be."

Qin Zizhou whispered in Shen Xuening's ear, "In my heart, you are the most outstanding, and no one can compare to you."

Shen Xuening felt the heat in her ear and a tingling sensation. She quickly moved her ear away a little: "Speak properly. We're in public. Don't get so close."

Qin Zizhou chuckled: "I was actually talking to you very seriously, but from the way you're talking, it sounds like I'm flirting with you."

Shen Xuening glanced at Qin Zizhou: "Be serious."

Qin Zizhou immediately chimed in, appearing completely obedient: "Alright, alright, I'll listen to you, be serious."

The onlookers were relaxed, but the contestants on stage were not. The embroidery patterns looked simple, but there were many skills involved in embroidering, such as choosing embroidery thread, separating the threads, handling gradient colors, and how to compose the design.

Although Shen Xuening was talking to Qin Zizhou, she was thinking about how to embroider the colorful butterflies.

Tu Yue gently patted Gong Li's knee and asked, "How is it? Can you embroider it?"

Gong Li blinked: "Sister, do you think I'm that useless? It's just a colorful butterfly, how could I not be able to embroider it?"

Tu Yue breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that you can embroider it, otherwise your master would probably keep nagging you."

Gong Li said confidently, "Look at what you're saying, as if I'm terrible. Sister, you should believe me."

After speaking with Tu Yue, she went to talk to Shen Xuening: "President Shen, what do you think?"

Shen Xuening didn't answer, but instead asked, "What do you think?"

Gong Li spoke frankly and openly: "I think the difficulty lies in the separation of the embroidery threads and the handling of the gradient colors. If the separation of the threads is not done well, the embroidery will not have a three-dimensional appearance, and the embroidery will look lifeless."

Shen Xuening said, "Yes, I agree with you, especially with this dividing line, which is the most challenging part for an embroiderer's experience."

Gong Li smiled and said, "When I was learning how to divide lines, my master almost hit my hand, but with more practice I gained experience."

Shen Xuening said, "A strict teacher produces outstanding students."

Gong Li said, "President Shen, you really know how to talk. If you were to become my teacher's apprentice, she would definitely like you very much."

Shen Xuening waved her hand slightly and said softly, "I'm just an amateur, so I won't become your apprentice."

Gong Li said with admiration, "That's true. Your main job is doing business and being a boss. You don't have time to learn specialized embroidery. You've already done a great job learning it this far."

Shen Xuening suddenly said, "I'm planning to add some embroidery-related elements to my scenic area. Do you have any good suggestions?"

"Suggestions?" Gong Li was surprised. "Are you sure you're asking me?"

"Of course," Shen Xuening said, both amused and exasperated. "We've been talking the whole time, why would I ask anyone else?"

Gong Li thought about it carefully for a moment: "I have a small suggestion. It doesn't require much investment from you, but it can add some color. Take a look, and if it's not suitable, just pretend I didn't say anything, okay?"

Shen Xuening encouraged him, "You spoke confidently, and whether it's useful or not, it's a way of thinking for me."

“Okay.” Gong Li straightened up. “Opening a shop would be too wasteful. We can open a small stall and hire someone skilled in embroidery to sit in charge. They can embroider on the street in front of everyone. This way, we can spread culture, let everyone experience embroidery up close, and sell some embroidery products. If someone with good taste wants to order embroidery products, we’ll make a fortune.”

Shen Xuening pondered, wondering whether the embroidery market was hot or cold. Setting up an experiential stall like this seemed like a good option: "Look, you said you didn't have any good ideas, but what you just said has suddenly enlightened me."

Gong Li said happily, "I'm glad I could help you."

Shen Xuening said, "Once the stall is set up, I'll invite you to come and play."

Gong Li said cheerfully, "Okay, Tu Yue said your scenic spots are very beautiful, I will definitely come and visit when the time comes."

The two chatted happily, and Shen Xuening's idea gradually took shape.

While they were chatting, Chi Hong, who was not far away, watched very attentively. However, he was not nervous at all; on the contrary, he was quite relaxed. The colorful butterfly was very easy for him. What he needed to think about was how to embroider the colorful butterfly in a way that would make the judges give him the highest score.

He desperately needs this opportunity; he needs it to prove himself, to give him strength and hope.

Just then, a teenage girl next to him asked, "Big brother, why are you looking at it so intently? Do you like it?"

Chi Hong looked at the little girl and, seeing that she was young, he lowered his guard: "Do you like it? I've loved embroidery since I was little. Do you like it too?"

The little girl laughed and said, "I like it! I'm going to participate in a competition the day after tomorrow. I just didn't expect that boys would like embroidery too."

Chi Hong's heart skipped a beat, and she asked in a low voice, "Is it surprising that a boy likes embroidery?"

The young girl didn't notice the change in Chi Hong's expression and said to herself, "Isn't it surprising? The boys next to me wouldn't even glance at it. They think embroidery is effeminate and are very averse to it."

Chi Hong defended himself: "That's because they don't understand the beauty of embroidery."

The young girl said, "Men should protect their country, work in machinery, build high-speed rail, and do construction projects. Embroidery is indeed very effeminate for boys."

Chi Hong lowered her head slightly: "Can't boys learn embroidery?"

The little girl didn't hear Chi Hong's words clearly: "What did you say?"

"It's nothing," Chi Hong quickly replied. "What kind of embroidery do you study?"

The little girl looked very confident, her eyes sparkling: "I study Bian embroidery. Have you heard of Bian embroidery?"

“I’ve heard of it, I…” Chi Hong wanted to say that he could do it too, but remembering what the little girl had just said, he swallowed his words back. “Are you doing well?”

The little girl was full of confidence: "I'm sure I'll do well. My master said I'm very talented, and I'm sure I'll get a place in this competition."

Chi Hong said, "Only those who make it into the top thirty will receive a ranking in this competition, so the competition is fierce."

The little girl clenched her fist, quite confident in herself: "I've been learning embroidery since I was little, and I believe in my abilities."

Chi Hong nodded in agreement: "Starting to learn from a young age is a good thing."

The little girl glanced at Chi Hong's side and asked, "Are you alone? Where are your friends?"

"I came alone." Chi Hong didn't want to say that he came to participate in the competition, otherwise he would feel even worse if he was ridiculed by a little girl. "My friends don't like embroidery."

The young girl said shrewdly, "Haha, that's normal. Embroidery is a niche industry now. It would be strange if many people liked it."

Chi Hong muttered, "Yeah, it's not a niche industry. Even guys can't like it."

The little girl turned her face away: "What did you say?"

Chi Hong didn't want to say anything more and prepared to end the conversation: "It's nothing, let's watch the game."

The little girl finally noticed Chi Hong's unhappy mood and quieted down.

Over here, Shen Xuening said to Qin Zizhou, "Zizhou, look at that girl in the third seat of the first row, she embroiders very well, she's outstanding."

The progress of their embroidery was displayed on a large screen, with a high-definition camera broadcasting the entire process live, making it clear and easy to understand.

Qin Zizhou looked them over one by one and said, "They are indeed very good. Xue Ning, you have excellent taste."

Shen Xuening smiled confidently: "That's right. Don't you know how many talented people I have under my command? If I had poor judgment, would I have been able to find them?"

Qin Zizhou laughed heartily and said, "I dare not refute that."

The girl was probably around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. Today, she was wearing a cheongsam embroidered with delicate bamboo leaves. Her face was serene, and she looked truly graceful and elegant.

The embroidery needle was so obedient in her hands; she threaded it as if it came alive, looking like a flying needle.