Yuyao gazed at the woman in front of her, looking to be over thirty, her clothes washed to a pale white, indicating a life of hardship.
She pondered for a moment and said, "That is of course possible. However, if your craftsmanship does not satisfy me, I cannot employ you."
The woman hurriedly nodded her head with gratitude shining in her eyes, "Thank you, madam. I will give it my all."
At this moment, an older woman standing nearby spoke up, "Madam, I have been doing embroidery for over thirty years. Double-sided embroidery is no problem for me. May I have a chance to be employed?"
Yuyao carefully examined her, smiling and responding, "Based on your appearance, you seem to have a wealth of experience. However, mere words are not enough. We must also see your actual craftsmanship."
The older woman answered with confidence, "Madam, please rest assured. I will immediately present my skills to you."
Saying this, she took out a piece of embroidery cloth and some thread and needles from the bag she was carrying, and began to sew skillfully by sitting down beside.
Not long after, a vivid peony flower appeared on the embroidery cloth.
"Madam, it is complete. Please take a look?"
The older woman handed the embroidered peony flower to Yuyao for her to see.
She leaned in to take a quick glance and nodded in satisfaction, "It is indeed very good. Your craftsmanship can be considered exquisite."
The older woman's face lit up with a happy smile: "Thank you for your kind words, madam."
The woman who had earlier mentioned her lack of experience in embroidery eagerly said, "Madam, although I don't have enough years of embroidery experience, I do have my own strengths. I am quick to learn new patterns and styles, and I am very diligent. I will definitely work hard to improve my embroidery skills."
Yuyao directed her gaze towards her. Seeing that she lived a simple life and had an earnest attitude, she thought for a moment and said, "Alright, let's see your skills. I will judge your embroidery skills."
If the craftsmanship is satisfactory and there is some potential, it can also be considered for employment.
Of course, it can't be too poor; she isn't running a charitable institution.
The older woman didn't have any embroidery cloth or needles on her, so she took an embroidery cloth and needle from the store and gave it to the other woman to embroider.
The woman sat down by the side and embroidered with the cloth and needle.
She was embroidering a pair of lotus flowers, which, while not as exquisitely skillful as the older woman's work, still had its own unique charm.
Yuyao walked over to take a look and said, "Your craftsmanship is indeed somewhat lacking, but you have potential. I can give you a trial period. If you perform well during this time, you can officially become a female red instructor."
"The basic salary for the trial period is one liang of silver. The commission remains unchanged. Can you accept it?"
Hearing this, the woman was overjoyed. One liang of silver was already quite good for her. She had nothing to be dissatisfied with, so she hurriedly said, "Thank you, madam. I will work doubly hard."
Later, more and more people stepped forward, regardless of whether their experience was enough, Yuyao would let them try their luck, as long as their craftsmanship was passable, they could be employed.
As time went by, more and more women applied for the position of female red instructor, each showing off their embroidery skills.
Around the afternoon hour of Shen, the position of female red instructor was about to be filled.
Yuyao dismissed everyone, leaving only the 20 female red instructors who were employed.
She stood at the center of the shop, looking around at all of them, and opened her red lips to say, "Sisters, we have come together today by fate. Here I pledge that as long as we all work together and work hard, I will not disappoint any of you."
She shifted her tone to become serious, "As you can see, the shop has just been renovated and is not yet open. Before the grand opening, we need to prepare some exquisite dresses for display in the shop. All of you should come early tomorrow, and I will assign tasks to each of you then."
After hearing this, the other women all agreed and said they would definitely come earlier the next day.
Following this, they left one by one.
"Uncle Zhou, go and have a signboard made with the character 'Yao Hua Fang' on it. The signboard should be exquisite and grand, as it is the facade of our shop."
Yuyao's gaze fell on the busy Uncle Zhou beside her and instructed him.
"Alright, madam."
Upon hearing this, Uncle Zhou put down what he was doing and responded immediately, then went to order the signboard.
At this point, the shop was left with only her, making it feel empty and lonely.
Inside the shop, the southern-style decoration was beginning to take shape, with wooden window frames intricately carved with delicate patterns.
The dancing of the light gauze released a hint of delicate fragrance, as if transporting one to a misty, rainy Jiangnan water town.
Yuyao looked around the circle, with both anticipation and apprehension in her heart.
She gently closed the door and returned home.
Upon returning home, An'an and Youyou were lying in their cradles playing. One was playing with her own fingers, while the other was blowing bubbles, emitting chuckles.
Zhou Auntie watched from the side with a gentle smile. Seeing her, she hurriedly stood up and bowed respectfully, "The old slave has seen the lady."
She waved her hand, walked over to the cradle, and said to Zhou Auntie, "Zhou Auntie, how are An'an and Youyou today? Have they been crying without seeing me?"
Although An'an and Youyou are only two months old, such young children might not see clearly yet. But they can still sense whether their mother is nearby.
Zhou Auntie knew that the lady was worried about the children, and quickly said, "Madam, at first, the two little masters did cry for a while, but the old slave comforted them and they fell asleep. After waking up, they ate milk and played by themselves quite well. They are very obedient."
Yuyao nodded slightly, her worries easing slightly.
But thinking of the children's crying, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
She gently picked up An'an from the cradle and held her in her arms to comfort her for a while, then turned to pick up Youyou.
She accompanied the two children in play.
Zhou Auntie watched from the side, feeling a sense of admiration for the lady, who was not an easy woman. She had to both accompany her children and earn a living to support the family, doing everything on her own without a man's help.
Fortunately, the lady is strong, not a weak woman, and manages to support this family.
Yuyao was unaware of what Zhou Auntie was thinking and was only happily entertaining the two children.
After dinner and a bath, it was already dusk.
She accompanied An'an and Youyou to sleep, and the two children seemed to miss their mother during the day. At this moment, they were very attached to her, their little hands tightly grasping her collar without letting go.
Yuyao's heart melted with compassion, and a surge of sorrow welled up in her.
But this emotion only lasted for a moment, and she quickly regained her composure.
She gently patted the backs of An'an and Youyou, humming a lullaby to lull them to sleep.
The following morning, as the first ray of sunshine pierced through the clouds and fell upon the white walls and black tiles of the courtyard, it exuded a sense of antiquity and tranquility.
After having breakfast, Yuyao entrusted Zhou Auntie with the care of An'an and Youyou and then went to the shop in the city's east district.
When she arrived, the female red instructors were already waiting by the door.
"Greetings, madam."
These women, upon seeing her arrival, all bowed in greeting.
She nodded slightly and opened the shop, allowing everyone to go inside.
The shop served as the area for product display, while the backyard was where the female red instructors worked,
Of course, the warehouse is also here.
Yuyao assigned tasks to each of them, asking them to produce the necessary clothing for the grand opening as soon as possible.
She also handed them a catalog that contained various clothing styles, all of which were based on the attire from different dimensions, slightly modified and designed by her.
Each style had a traditional charm with innovative elements, and each piece was uniquely characterized.
The female red instructors received the catalog and, upon seeing the styles inside, were amazed repeatedly, and their eyes glinted with admiration.
"Madam, these styles are so beautiful, I've never seen anything like them before."
"Indeed, they are very beautiful. Some of the styles are quite complex, and it might take some effort to make them."
"……"
The female red instructors chatted enthusiastically, some in awe and others worried.
"Are you all capable of making the styles shown in this catalog?"
Yuyao listened to their chatter and couldn't help but ask.
The female red instructors looked at each other, and after a moment.
A senior woman stepped forward first and said, "Madam, although these styles are new and complex, we will try our best to make them. If there's anything we don't understand, we hope you will kindly guide us."
Other female red instructors also nodded in agreement, indicating that they would work hard to complete the task.
Even if they can't, they will try their best to learn. Such a good opportunity won't come easy, and where else would they find such a job?
Yuyao nodded slightly, "That's good. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me anytime."
She had actually made these styles, not just talking about it.
After experiencing so many dimensions, her embroidery had already reached the pinnacle, although she was too lazy to personally embroider one piece after another.
Under her guidance, the female red instructors quickly got to work, and with their needles flying, exquisite garments began to take shape.
In just three days, the first batch of dresses had already been completed, and they were neatly hung in the store, waiting for customers to admire and praise them.
The originally ordered plaque had also been delivered, with the words "Yao Hua Fang" carved into it. The characters were forceful and dignified, as if foretelling the future prosperity of the shop.
Yuyao instructed Uncle Zhou to hang up the signboard, and as she looked at the exquisite dresses in the shop, she couldn't help but subtly lift the corner of her mouth.
Everything is prepared, and the store can open tomorrow.
