“How old are you? What do you know? This is the shop's treasure, the finest of Suzhou embroidery, a double-sided embroidery! Such exquisite handmade treasures are rare, how dare you criticize my embroidery so arrogantly?”
The shop owner wasn't afraid at all, shamelessly praising her shop's embroidery.
Seeing Huo Mei Shu about to lose her temper, Rong Dai gently pulled at her clothes. With her 30 years as an empress she knew better.
The owner was using them to promote her shop. Whether it was good or bad, only attention mattered, which was better than being ignored.
Most visitors here bought ready-made products, only a few embroiderers came to buy supplies.
"Don't waste your breath on her. Any expert can see the quality, we're just stating facts. Why get so angry?" Rong Dai said lightly, her dark eyes gleaming yet cold, implying deeper meaning in her words.
Any expert could tell good from bad. If she still fell for it after what was said, she would be slapping her own face. Who didn't want to gain face in front of friends and family?
Seeing so many people watching, even taking photos, Huo Mei Shu understood and turned green with anger.
Rong Dai sighed inwardly. She had told those criticizing her online to read the Analects. It seemed she needed a refresher herself.
A slip of the tongue could lead to endless disasters, the saying was not baseless.
If she hadn't commented on the shop's goods so quickly, they wouldn't be in this mess.
"You're talking like you're the expert. Go away if you can't afford it, stop pretending here! I was going easy on you, now leave, leave!" The owner rebutted, hearing the implication in Rong Dai's words.
Rong Dai didn't want to haggle with this kind of person, but Huo Mei Shu was easily provoked. At the owner's words, she bristled again!
"Can't afford it? That crappy embroidery isn't even worthy of wiping my feet!"
Huo Mei Shu yelled hoarsely, throwing etiquette to the wind. As she shouted, she took out the handkerchief Rong Dai embroidered and displayed it to the owner.
"Open your bean-sized eyes and look closely! This is true embroidery! Yours is shoddy work! I bet it's a failed machine embroidery!"
Rong Dai almost wanted to cover her face. The young lady still lacked experience, rising to the bait so easily.
The owner wasn't ignorant either. Seeing the handkerchief, the fabric was excellent, the embroidery exquisite. She reached to touch it.
"Get your pig hands away! As if you're worthy of touching this!"
Huo Mei Shu was in a terrible mood, unleashing personal attacks.
The owner's face immediately darkened as she glared at them. "Apologize! You spouted nonsense, slandering my shop, causing me to lose customers. If you don't apologize, compensate me! Otherwise I'm calling the police!"
This made Huo Mei Shu want to laugh derisively. There were still people so shameless!
Rong Dai was also very surprised. She actually demanded compensation from them?
"Shameless hag! Have some self-respect! Who would care about your rundown shop? With so many good things in this mall, only a blind person would look twice at your goods!"
Huo Mei Shu said coldly.
"Go ahead, call the police! We'll check the surveillance footage! Loss of customers, asking for compensation? You've gone mad with greed!"
"If not for your baseless slander in front of my shop, my embroidery would have sold! I only ask for a little compensation. Yet you attack me aggressively! Who will compensate my losses? You pretend to be experts, spouting nonsense here, who would dare shop here now?" The owner rebutted angrily and aggrieved.
Huo Mei Shu was so furious she wanted to curse. Rong Dai was afraid she would make herself sick from anger. The more they yelled, the more it favored the owner.
The words were dangerous, not everyone saw what happened earlier.
"Don't be angry, wait for me over there." She gently patted Huo Mei Shu's shoulder, gesturing for her to wait aside.
She didn't want to waste time buying things getting caught up in this.
"Young lady, may I see that handkerchief? The embroidery looks exquisite."
As the sisters-in-law spoke, a refined elderly lady with snowy white hair, dressed in silk cheongsam, minimal makeup, emerged from the crowd.
Before Rong Dai and Huo Mei Shu could react, someone screamed, "Granny Shi Yue!"
Huo Mei Shu's eyes widened. She quickly searched on her phone, compared the photos, also getting excited. "It really is Master Shi Yue!"
Rong Dai was confused, seeing the well-dressed, elegant old lady walking over with a kindly expression. She noticed even the owner's arrogance had deflated.
Clearly a very famous person, or the crowd wouldn't be so thrilled.
"G-Granny Shi Yue." Huo Mei Shu stammered excitedly.
"I recognize you, isn't your grandmother out touring?" Granny Shi Yue smiled kindly, gaze sweeping over Huo Mei Shu.
Huo Mei Shu was overjoyed that Granny actually knew Shi Yue, a leading figure in bringing Chinese embroidery fashion onto the runway.
"Y-yes!" She quickly nodded, squeezing Rong Dai's hand tightly in excitement.
Rong Dai stood to the side calmly, also very poised, emanating a tranquil grace, not interrupting.
"May I see the handkerchief? The embroidery looks remarkable."
Shi Yue asked Huo Mei Shu, who immediately handed it over. Rong Dai sighed inwardly, she shouldn't have commented at the shop entrance earlier.
"The embroidery is exquisite, needing decades of skill. It hasn't been washed, meaning the embroiderer didn't trace the design. Of course, such skill is expected of the Huo family."
"That's right, I was watching...Ow!"
In her excitement, Huo Mei Shu nearly revealed Rong Dai. Rong Dai aptly pinched her.
The elderly lady's eyes were sharp, able to discern her embroidery skill with one look. This wouldn't be easy to hide from the Huo family.
These skills were ingrained in her soul, even if she wanted to, she couldn't make inferior work.
"You watched and embroidered it?" Shi Yue was puzzled, handing the handkerchief back.
"No no, I just, just...borrowed it from my mom to look at." Huo Mei Shu quickly explained through the pain.
Shi Yue didn't seem disappointed. A prestigious house like the Huo's could produce such quality embroidery.
She nodded, gazing sharply at the double-sided embroidery in the owner's display. "You know the quality of your goods. These young ladies spoke truthfully. Isn't it too much to pester them so?"
The owner's face instantly paled. She quickly apologized to Rong Dai and Huo Mei Shu.
