The Little Deaf Man Decided to be Spoiled

32

Chapter 32
After the Lunar New Year, the festive atmosphere began to wane.
Winter break passed slowly. Post-lunch, Ji Ruan lay on his bed, scrolling through his phone, flipping through Weibo and skimming his social feed.
Duan Ze had posted several photos the previous night. Judging from the backdrop, it looked like some intimate party. Both Song Ling and Li Sui were present. Among the faces, Ji Ruan recognized one in particular - Lin Qing.
Lin Qing was seated close to Elder Duan, with Duan Ze's hand resting on his shoulder. They appeared much closer than the others, but recent gossip hadn't mentioned anything about Lin Qing accepting any romantic pursuits. Neither Song Ling nor Li Sui had liked this post in the social feed.
Ji Ruan glanced at the photo and swiped past it.
A notification popped up above; it was from Cheng Zizhang. Ji Ruan tapped to open it.
[Zizhang Senior: Image.jpg]
[Zizhang Senior: The New Year festivities are over. Want to come over today, Xiao Ruan?]
The photo seemed to be taken in a studio. Displayed on the table were a sheer cloth, scissors, embroidery needles, and colorful threads.
Ji Ruan couldn't shake off the feeling that Cheng Zizhang was particularly keen on sparking his interest in Han embroidery. During their chats, she often subtly steered the conversation in that direction.
Just the other day, she mentioned an upcoming joint cultural heritage event organized by the Han Embroidery Association across various universities. Cheng Zizhang would be showcasing one of her pieces.
Cheng Zizhang had brought this up with Ji Ruan multiple times, inviting him to join as soon as they resumed work.
Intrigued, Ji Ruan straightened up and replied, [Sure, can I come over now?]
Cheng Zizhang promptly responded: [Of course! I'll send you the address. Just give me a call when you arrive, and I'll come down to fetch you.]
[Okay, thank you, Senior.]
With a smile, Ji Ruan switched off his phone and immediately got up to change his clothes.
Cheng Zizhang's studio wasn't too far away. Ji Ruan didn't bother asking Uncle Zhang for a ride; it took him only about half an hour by taxi.
It was still cold outside. After Ji Ruan arrived, Cheng Zizhang quickly came down. He had waited only a brief moment, but his fingertips were already icy cold.
Once inside, Cheng Zizhang poured Ji Ruan a cup of hot water. He took a few sips and then held the cup to warm his hands.
The studio was much larger than he had imagined. They occupied the entire floor, which included a relaxation area and several working rooms. The decor was traditionally Chinese, with folding screens, hand fans, and even the upholstery showcasing Han embroidery.
Ji Ruan followed Cheng Zizhang into her personal workspace. The room reminded him of his sister's old cabin-minimalistic and devoid of adornments.
The worktable displayed all the necessary tools and silk threads. In front of it stood an embroidery frame with a partially completed design of a pond and a pathway.
"Feel free to sit and look around, Xiao Ruan," Cheng Zizhang said with a smile. "Though I must admit, my place is a bit modest."
"No," Ji Ruan said seriously, shaking his head, "I find it quite intriguing."
Hearing this, Cheng Zizhang's eyes twinkled with mischief, "If you like it, you're welcome to come over more often. You could even try doing some embroidery yourself. My mom wanted to meet you, but she's out of town lately. She'll be back next month for the promotional event."
She's at it again, trying to introduce Ji Ruan to Han embroidery at every chance she gets.
"Sure," Ji Ruan winked playfully, "You're not just being polite, are you, senior? I really might show up."
Cheng Zizhang shot him a teasing glance, "It's you who shouldn't be just agreeing out of courtesy. I really will invite you over often."
As she began tying her hair, seemingly ready to get back to work, Ji Ruan casually glanced at a piece of embroidery that was only partially done, asking, "Is this the piece you'll be showcasing at the promotional event?"
"Yes," Cheng Zizhang reached for her needle, pausing before piercing the cloth, "I wonder if such an event will have any impact."
She sighed, looking at Ji Ruan, "In our line of work, even though it sounds prestigious being an inheritor of Intangible Cultural Heritage, finding someone who genuinely wants to carry on the tradition is nearly impossible these days. Most people just admire it, but hardly anyone has the dedication to sit and embroider day after day for decades."
Ji Ruan could deeply relate to this. His family also struggled with passing on the tradition of Han embroidery. They were well-respected externally, but internally, it was a challenging journey.
His grandmother had dozens of apprentices throughout her life, but only one or two remained dedicated to promoting the culture. The rest left midway, each for their own reasons.
After a moment of silence, Ji Ruan pointed to the embroidery piece, "This isn't the work of just one person, is it?"
Cheng Zizhang was taken aback, "How could you tell?"
Ji Ruan smiled, "It just... looks different."
Cheng Zizhang quickly put down her needle, "Indeed, it's not just my work. Originally, for this event, Ah Qing and I planned to contribute a piece each. But my mom suggested we work on one together. So, part of this piece is mine, and the other is Ah Qing's..."
She looked at Ji Ruan with excitement, "But how could you discern that?"
It wasn't surprising that Cheng Zizhang was amazed. Both she and Lin Qing were disciples of Cheng Yunxiu. Their techniques were so similar that sometimes even professional embroiderers couldn't immediately spot the difference.