Miss Truth
Chapter 308 - 194 Pattern

Chapter 308: Chapter 194 Pattern

Ran Yan remained motionless, for she was certain that the piece she had her eye on would not be chosen by the other two.

Soon enough, Ran Meiyu had already picked out two pieces of moonlight silk, and Ran Yun had chosen one piece of moonlight silk and one piece of gauze in smoky gray.

There were only five pieces in total, and the bundle only had left that one piece of gauze in smoky gray. This color was too plain, and few young girls would like it.

"I’ll take this one," Ran Yan said.

Ran Yunsheng paused, feeling that it was a shame for Ran Yan to pick only one piece, and one that wasn’t even brightly colored. He was about to speak up when the perceptive shopkeeper hurriedly recommended, "We also have a few pieces of ivory colored satin in the shop, which would go well with the gauze. The gauze could be used for a cover-up, and the ivory satin beneath could be embroidered with lotus flower patterns, which would be very interesting. Would the lady like to match one?"

Before Ran Yan could reply, Ran Yunsheng spoke up, "Bring them here for a look."

Before Qin Yunlin left, Ran Yan wouldn’t care whether what she liked was a luxury item, and no one accompanied her shopping anymore. Therefore, she would shop only at a few fixed branded stores with costly prices. But at that moment, spending someone else’s money felt different.

From a strong and independent woman who never had to worry about money to a delicate lady needing others’ support, Ran Yan was pleased to have such a wonderful brother but also felt a touch of bitterness.

The ivory satin was of high quality and reasonably priced. Ran Yan, finding nothing wrong with the color, decided to take it.

After leaving the fabric store, they headed towards the embroidery store. The fabrics they had purchased were all plain, so if they wanted any particular pattern, they would need to go to an embroidery store to choose the designs.

The owner of the embroidery store was named Xu Wenchang, a middle-aged man in his mid-thirties. With a trapezoidal face, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, broad eyebrows, and big eyes, he might not have been handsome, but his demeanor was gentle and polite. His relationship with Ran Yunsheng was not as warm as with the shopkeeper, but they called each other brothers, indicating a closer bond.

Upon seeing the pieces of moonlight silk, Xu Wenchang couldn’t help but praise, "Indeed, it’s fine material. Shopkeeper Ping usually charges a hefty price for rare fabrics, but the price he gave you is quite fair."

After admiring for a while, Xu Wenchang raised another concern, "It’s a pity that although my embroidery store has some top-notch embroiderers, we lack suitable patterns that would do justice to these rare fabrics."

"Indeed," Ran Yunsheng didn’t bother with pleasantries.

"Recently, it’s popular to have works of famous artists embroidered on clothing, including poetry, landscapes, and birds and flowers..." Xu Wenchang scratched his head and then dismissed the idea, "But such things may go out of fashion after a while."

It needed to seem neither frivolous nor outdated, and to come up with a new pattern was not easy. The patterns embroidered on the garments generally required fine brushwork, which differed greatly from ink painting and required specially created designs.

"How about I try drawing a few patterns?" Ran Yan suggested. Back when she had studied sculpture for forensic facial reconstruction, she also learned painting. Her artistic talent was limited, and she could not be a great creator, but her meticulous work was decent. During her studies in painting, to improve her line work, she had copied many patterns.

Ran Meiyu glanced at her and huffed, "I don’t recall you being able to draw. Don’t ruin these fabrics."

"Would you die if you didn’t speak? It’s just drawing, and it’s not being embroidered on the fabric yet. If it turns out to be nice, you’re not allowed to have it embroidered!" Ran Yun glared particularly at Ran Meiyu, irritated mainly because she, like the rest of the Ran Clan, took for granted the spending of her family’s money.

Was death something to bring up casually? Ran Yunsheng thought that Ran Yun’s words were too harsh, but he knew she was unlikely to apologize. Not wanting to leave on a sour note, he reprimanded, "Yun, is that how you speak to your sister?"

Ran Yun pouted and turned her head away.

Ran Meiyu snorted and ignored her.

Xu Wenchang naturally pretended not to have seen the domestic spat and, bowing to Ran Yan, said, "Then I will count on the lady. I will keep it secret."

Portrait painters and doctors are alike in that they both belong to the skilled professions, and those who take it as their main career do not hold high status. The so-called famous artists are revered mainly because they excel in the literary aspect, and only occasionally when they pair their calligraphy with paintings that express emotions.

Xu Wenchang personally brought over paper and brushes and laid them flat on the desk.

Ran Yan then swiftly filtered through several patterns in her mind and quickly sketched them onto the paper, leaving the onlookers wide-eyed in astonishment at her speed.

Drawing portraits for criminals and reconstructing their appearances naturally required the utmost accuracy and speed, although later reconstructions relied on computers. However, learning to draw still allowed her to capture people’s features more precisely than other forensic doctors.

In just a moment, Ran Yan completed five patterns, including tangled branch designs, cloud patterns, and various flowers and birds. Pointing at the last lilac flower she finished, she said, "Embroider this on ivory-white satin, in a light purple color."

She initially intended to draw lotus flowers, but suddenly, a modern poem appeared in Ran Yan’s mind. She couldn’t fully recall the exact content, but it was roughly about rain-speckled alleys in Jiangnan, oil-paper umbrellas, and encountering a girl like lilacs, which seemed quite picturesque.

"Lady Ran... could you... draw a few more?" Xu Wenchang’s eyes shone as he stared fixedly at Ran Yan, his excitement making him blurt out this impolite request.

Ran Yan paused for a moment, then quickly sketched three more, "Let’s leave it at that."

Xu Wenchang had not seen such exquisite new patterns in a long while, churning out the same few designs all year round. Receiving the sketches, Xu Wenchang’s gaze towards Ran Yan intensified, and his face, wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, turned red with excitement. "The embroidery for this order will be done to the highest standard, no need for payment. Discussing money would only hurt our families’ friendship."

After speaking, he carefully dried the sketches, folded them neatly, and tucked them inside his chest.

"Speaking of which, it’s I who am at an advantage, don’t blame me for being greedy, Brother Ran!" Xu Wenchang’s demeanor changed from his previous mildness; he now laughed much more heartily.

"Then you’ll have to treat me to a few drinks someday!" Ran Yunsheng laughed. He knew the value of the sketches, but if the embroidery turned out to be exquisite, it could also be worth a lot. Although it might not be as profitable as selling the sketches, the Ran family’s business dealings with the Xu family meant that owing Xu Wenchang a favor was no loss at all.

Even if she was just imitating someone else’s works, the fact that it proved useful in some way made Ran Yan feel much more at ease. But copying could only go so far; she could not continually create new pieces like those truly talented in the craft. It was not a sustainable plan.

And so it was proven, if she couldn’t become an Autopsy Officer or a Doctor, she was pretty much useless, with nothing to her name but her looks. To offer herself in exchange for favors was something she had never even considered.

Ran Yan sighed inwardly, silently resolving to carve out a career for herself in Great Tang!

If the profession of a regular doctor wasn’t suitable, what about a doctor who held sway over life and death? Who among the powerful and wealthy was not afraid of dying? Who doesn’t fall ill during their life? They always had moments when they needed a doctor.

Medicine King Sun Simiao, although categorized as a skilled craftsman, wasn’t he venerated now... But it seems he had a great literacy talent. Maybe she should study that seriously too...

After leaving the fabric with the embroidery workshop, when the group came out, Ran Meiyu wanted to stroll around the western part of the town, but Ran Yan noticed that Ran Yunsheng seemed hesitant.

Ran Yan sighed internally; it was indeed not suitable for him to wander around ostentatiously, making it easy for others to find him. So, she uncharacteristically suggested, "Let the Guard and Servant accompany Sister Eighteen for a walk. The eastern part of the city is very safe, and it’s close to the district where high officials live; nothing should happen there."

Ran Yan deliberately emphasized the words "high officials live" a little more, and as expected, Ran Meiyu promptly said, "Brother Ten, if you have business to attend to, go ahead, don’t mind me."

It had been over a month since she last saw Xiao Song, and she really wanted to go by his residence in the hope of encountering him; being alone would make it more convenient.

Ran Yunsheng was not in the mood to keep tabs on her and simply ordered several Guards to follow her. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian and cast your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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