After Prison, She Shocks the World
Chapter 103: I Will Never Choose a Talentless Fool

Chapter 103: Chapter 103: I Will Never Choose a Talentless Fool

Xiaomei returned home and recounted everything that happened that day in full detail.

After finishing, she lowered her head in shame. "Sister, I messed things up."

Fu Bing carefully pondered the details Xiaomei had shared. It took her a while to gather her thoughts.

Xiaomei looked dejected, like a child who had done something wrong.

"Who said you did anything wrong? You did very well," Fu Bing said.

Xiaomei suddenly looked up, the gloom vanishing as her face instantly brightened.

"Really? I didn’t screw up?"

"Not at all. The person you met today should be Yunhui; she’s Fu Chan’s wife. Fu Chan and Fu Ning are my mother’s elder brother and elder sister. Yunxi Lane and the Chu Family Embroidery House are now in Yunhui’s hands."

"That’s what she said when I was about to get out of the car."

"You brought back several important pieces of information for me today. I was looking for an opening with Yunhui, and you’ve brought it to me."

Xiaomei’s eyes sparkled, and she couldn’t help but smile brightly. "I’m so happy."

Fu Bing patted her head. "Don’t worry about messing things up. Your personality is different from what we traditionally perceive as prudent and calm, and that’s not a bad thing. Your sincerity, passion, and straightforwardness are your greatest assets in social interactions. It would be quite boring if everyone put on a scheming and calculating facade."

Xiaomei blushed at the compliment and scratched her head. "I will continue to learn earnestly from Grandma Rong."

"Good girl. Go and rest," Fu Bing said.

Xiaomei obediently left the room.

Fu Bing fell into thought for a moment. Could Uncle Yun possibly be Yunhui’s father?

Uncle Yun had supposedly been in low spirits for a very long time. It was only after she opened Ya Garden and invited him to manage it that he began to recover. The more she saw in Jiangnan, the less likely it seemed that her mother had left because of an elopement. Her mother’s departure had merely coincided with Gu Yazheng’s.

Fu Bing did not dwell on this thought and refocused her attention on Yunhui.

Since opening Ya Garden, she had paid close attention to the Chu Family Embroidery House, initially gauging Ya Garden’s development path by observing their market activities. Ya Garden borrowed the Chu Family Embroidery House’s model, trimming away unsuitable elements. Consequently, Ya Garden faced few pitfalls and quickly found its footing. This was also why some people suspected Ya Garden had powerful backing.

Fu Bing rubbed her temples, a crucial point occurring to her. If Uncle Yun and Yunhui are related, why did he allow me to acquire the Chu Family Embroidery House so soon after Ya Garden was established? After all, Fu Chan’s marriage to Yunhui was no secret.

Fu Bing temporarily set this question aside; whether it had an answer didn’t conflict with the immediate issue she needed to address. She decided to meet Yunhui in person.

Fu Bing found Yunhui’s number and dialed it.

Yunhui saw it was an unfamiliar number and didn’t answer.

Fu Bing called twice more.

Yunhui finally answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello, I’m Fu Bing. Thank you for giving my younger sister a ride today. Would you have some time in the next couple of days? I’d like to invite you for tea," Fu Bing offered.

Yunhui didn’t react immediately. Fu Bing actually called her directly!

"It was nothing, you’re welcome," Yunhui replied, declining the invitation. Fu Bing was known to be astute; Yunhui, unsure of her motives for a meeting, couldn’t casually agree.

Fu Bing smiled. "Besides thanking you for looking after my sister, I genuinely wish to meet you. Would you grant me this opportunity?"

"What do you want? Are you after the Chu Family Embroidery House? I can tell you unequivocally, as long as I’m alive, you will not take the Embroidery House from me."

Yunhui hung up the phone, her emotions in turmoil.

She dreaded seeing Old Mistress Chu; every encounter left her in a foul mood. Having grown up in Yunxi Lane, she had known Old Mistress Chu since childhood. The old lady always regarded her with a critical and disdainful expression, as if she were worthless. No matter how hard Yunhui worked, it meant nothing to the Chu matriarch. The reason for the old lady’s contempt was simple: Yunhui lacked talent. Even when her embroidery won prestigious awards, Old Mistress Chu remained dismissive. She had always lived in Old Mistress Chu’s shadow. Amidst her suffering, she longed to produce a piece of embroidery that would finally earn the old lady’s respect, to prove her wrong. But only after truly exerting herself did she grasp the profound importance of innate talent.

Not only had she failed to create an embroidery that could make Old Mistress Chu acknowledge her, but her efforts to manage the Embroidery House embroiderers—strictly supervising them, buying them numerous books to enhance their knowledge and aesthetic appreciation—had also backfired. Her methods caused many veteran embroiderers to leave. Yunhui grew increasingly frustrated. They had the foundation and the talent; if they would just observe more, read more, and practice their craft more, they could produce excellent work. But they were simply unwilling to put in the effort. She had tried countless methods, yet the Embroidery House still hadn’t improved.

Yunhui gazed at the pedestrians passing by outside the car window. She knew what those embroiderers thought. They looked down on her, unwilling to work under her command. Many of them had watched her grow up; they knew she lacked talent. If she wanted them to produce fine embroidery, she would have to implore them.

A thin mist veiled Yunhui’s eyes. Old Mistress Chu and those embroiderers, they all exploited her love for embroidery, hurting her without a shred of compunction. Sometimes she seethed with resentment. Why? She embroidered so diligently, studied so hard, yet why wouldn’t the heavens grant her even a sliver of talent? Why was it bestowed instead upon those who didn’t cherish it?

The unwavering determination Yunhui had held onto suddenly crumbled.

Neither Old Mistress Chu nor Fu Ya cared about the Embroidery House’s survival, so why should she? If the Chu family was to fall, then let it fall. Why should she exhaust herself trying to keep it afloat? No matter how hard she tried to support it, others would only think she wanted to take the Chu Family Embroidery House for herself.

Once this thought of giving up emerged, Yunhui couldn’t suppress it.

When Yunhui returned to Yunxi Lane, Fu Chan noticed she wasn’t in good spirits and asked with concern, "Did the old matriarch upset you again?"

"She’s always been like that; I’m used to it," Yunhui replied in a low voice, a stifled sob escaping her throat.

Fu Chan’s heart ached for her. "Don’t be sad. I’ll go talk to her tomorrow. You just wait at home."

"I just feel so defeated," Yunhui said, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. "And I feel even more sorry for you. You could have been doing what you truly wanted, but instead, you’ve spent so much time on the Embroidery House because of me. Not only has it failed to improve, but it’s also become a reason for others to criticize you."

Fu Chan tenderly wiped away her tears. "But you love embroidery. If you love it, then it’s all worthwhile. It’s rare in life to find something one is truly passionate about. Since you’ve found it, you should cherish it. Others might progress quickly in the early stages, but that doesn’t matter. You can also achieve great things through steady, accumulated effort."

The more Fu Chan comforted her, the more Yunhui felt like crying.

She had previously immersed herself in the study of embroidery, traveling each year to various places for advanced training, conducting field surveys, and creating sketches. Her devotion to embroidery had even led her to neglect her personal life. No one pursued her, and no one seemed willing to love her. Then, at thirty-six, Fu Chan suddenly proposed, and she accepted. That had ended the time when people called her a ’leftover woman.’ She had believed that after marriage, with more life experience and insight, her embroidery would gain a new depth.

Excitedly, she had shown her latest work to Old Mistress Chu, but the old lady hadn’t even glanced at it before tossing it aside.

"Embroider for another hundred years, and your work will still be flawed," Old Mistress Chu had said. "Do you think that by pushing Fu Ya out, I’d be forced to choose you? You’re mistaken. I will never choose a talentless fool."

Those words, like nails, had been hammered deep into Yunhui’s heart.