Quick Wear: The first person to love the host

Chapter 428 The Substitute Bride Becomes a Reality (29)

The workshop was quickly established and began to get on track.

The morning sunlight streamed through the windows and fell on the busy women in the workshop.

They sat in groups of three or five, their hands moving up and down with four or five long needles, the soft wool thread weaving through their fingertips, gradually forming a thick and dense fabric.

The room was filled with soft chatter and light laughter.

"Young Master Su is such a good man!" an elderly woman exclaimed, her needlework remaining perfectly steady. "In previous years, at this time, we women didn't have any proper work to do. Now, not only can we earn money to supplement our household income, but our children can also learn to read at the school next door."

“That’s right,” a younger woman chimed in. “The prince has married a living goddess! This sweater isn’t difficult to knit, and you can sit indoors where you’re sheltered from the wind and rain, plus the wages are fair.”

The group chatted and laughed, but their hands never stopped moving.

The improved needlework technique by Su Ziyu is simple and easy to learn. Even clumsy beginners can now skillfully knit flat and tight patterns.

The workshop was filled with the unique warmth of wool, which, together with the satisfied smiles on the women's faces, created a thriving scene.

Su Ziyu would often come to inspect and patiently guide beginners in more complex acupuncture techniques.

His sweater designs are not monotonous and uniform; instead, they feature extra thickness at the joints and windproof treatment at the collar and cuffs, reflecting thoughtful and practical details throughout.

However, this thriving scene once again stung Qin Wujiu.

That day, as he inspected the military camp, he heard many soldiers expressing their gratitude to the "Princess" for providing livelihoods for their families, which intensified his bitterness and disdain.

Qin Wujiu had never seen the so-called sweater and woolen pants, only the gloves that Su Ziyu had initially intended to weave for Qi Jinyu—in his eyes, those gloves were flashy but impractical, severely hindering the dexterity of the fingers.

If soldiers are bound in battle, wouldn't they be courting death?

As for sweaters and long trousers, he wasn't really optimistic about them either.

Su Ziyu wanted to say something about being comparable to cotton wool, but Qin Wujiu sneered inwardly: How could something as cheap as wool wool be compared to precious cotton wool?

Therefore, even after the wool workshop had been operating for some time, Qin Wujiu still casually mentioned to Qi Jinyu, "Your Highness, Young Master Su's workshop is thriving, and women, children, and the disabled are all grateful. However... the large-scale purchase of wool and hiring of workers is extremely expensive. Could it be... that Young Master Su is used to enjoying life in the capital and is using this as an excuse to indulge in extravagance?"

His words were extremely insidious, implying that Su Zi intended to use public office for private gain and squander money recklessly.

Qi Jinyu's eyes turned cold, and she was about to reprimand Su Ziyu when Su Ziyu walked in from outside the door, clearly having overheard the conversation.

He wasn't angry, but calmly looked at Qin Wujiu, "The strategist's doubts are understandable. Whether sweaters and long johns can keep you warm is just talk. The borderlands are bitterly cold, winter is approaching, and we'll know then. As for the cost..."

He turned to Qi Jinyu, his eyes clear: "I used all my own money and business profits, and I did not misappropriate a single penny of the military funds. If it can bring more warmth to the soldiers and reduce their frostbite, then this money will be well spent."

As he spoke, he looked at Qin Wujiu again, his tone still calm, yet carrying an undeniable firmness: "I admire the strategist's brilliant planning. But I also have some knowledge of matters concerning people's livelihood and the economy, and of planning ahead. We can each do our part and assist the prince together, why should we attack each other?"

His words not only clarified his stance and stated his original intention, but also implied that Qin Wujiu had overstepped his bounds and was narrow-minded.

Qi Jinyu looked at his wife's firm yet gentle rebuttal and a hint of amusement and pride flashed in his eyes.

Qin Wujiu's smile remained unchanged, but his hand clenched slightly inside his sleeve.

That night, Qin Wujiu was troubled and drank alone in his tent. Thinking of Su Ziyu's composed demeanor during the day and the undisguised admiration in the prince's eyes, he felt a tightness in his chest.

After a few jugs of strong liquor, the effects of intoxication were already setting in.

Just then, a guard outside the tent announced: "Strategist, a merchant outside the camp is requesting an audience. He claims to be surnamed Shen and says he is related to Mr. Su."

Qin Wujiu was annoyed and wanted to refuse, but when he heard the words "related to Mr. Su", he changed his mind and said, "Let him in."

Before long, the tent flap was lifted, and a handsome man in a dark blue brocade robe with a smile in his eyes walked in.

He looked travel-worn, but his eyes were sharp and composed. He first glanced casually at the furnishings in the tent before finally settling on Qin Wujiu, who was sitting in the main seat and seemed drunk.

"My name is Shen Qianlan. I apologize for disturbing you, strategist." He bowed with an elegant posture. "I have just arrived at the border and heard that my cousin was here, so I came to find him. However, the guards at the Prince's Palace said that the Prince and my cousin were in the military camp, so I changed my route and came here. I would like to ask the strategist to do me a favor and convey my message."

Qin Wujiu was already sensitive to the name "Su Ziyu," and now, seeing his cousin's extraordinary demeanor and words that were completely out of place with the ruggedness of the frontier, his nameless anger flared even more.

He snorted coldly, and instead of sending someone to invite Su Ziyu, he picked up the wine pot, poured himself a cup, and said with a hint of provocation, "The military camp is a restricted area. How can you just say you want to see someone there? Young Master Shen is a businessman, so you should know the rules. Consider this cup of wine your 'greeting gift'."

Shen Qianlan was an extremely shrewd person, and immediately realized that this strategist seemed to have a lot of prejudice against his cousin.

His peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly. Far from being annoyed, he calmly sat down opposite Qin Wujiu, took the cup of wine, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Good wine!" Shen Qianlan laughed. "Wouldn't it be boring to drink alone? I would like to accompany the strategist for a few drinks."

One intentionally poured alcohol into his drink to relieve his frustration, while the other took the opportunity to try and get some information about his cousin's situation.

The two men toasted each other, emptying the wine pot several times over.

Qin Wujiu was already in a bad mood, and he got drunk even faster. In the end, he couldn't hold his liquor and collapsed onto the table.

Shen Qianlan raised an eyebrow slightly as she looked at the drunken Qin Wujiu.

This man has such a low alcohol tolerance, yet they still tried to force him to drink. They are really overestimating themselves. Shen Qianlan shook his head and got up, calling over Qin Wujiu's personal guards outside the tent. The two of them helped the unconscious strategist to the bed.

He took the opportunity to ask Su Ziyu where he was going, only to find out that Su Ziyu had left the military camp half an hour earlier. Shen Qianlan wanted to take his leave, but the guard said that the nights were cold on the frontier and asked him to make do on the low couch in the tent for the night.

Shen Qianlan hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

After a few drinks, he felt extremely tired, and coupled with the exhaustion from days of travel, he didn't want to bother looking for a place to stay.

Alright, let's rest here for the night and formally pay our respects to my cousin and the prince tomorrow.

So he lay down on the low couch fully clothed.

The next morning, Qin Wujiu woke up from a hangover with a splitting headache. In a daze, he realized that he was not sleeping on the low couch where he usually rested, but on the main couch.

He instinctively turned over, only to be surprised to find someone sleeping next to him—it was Shen Qianlan from last night!