"Yes, it's over."

Jiang Qiming's fluttering words made Su Xiaoman's whole person seem to fly, she grabbed Xia Wanrou's hand excitedly, and couldn't wait to hug each other and jump up to celebrate, "Sister Wanrou, we're over!" ”

"I hear you." Xia Wanrou was also happy for her from the bottom of her heart, she doted on Xiaoman and looked at Xiaoman bouncing like a child, and the smile on the corner of her mouth became more and more gentle.

The people around cast envious or jealous eyes, but they were not allowed to continue to be envious, and Jiang Qiming on the stage had already begun to point out other embroideries that had passed the preliminary competition.

The people who were named all screamed excitedly, except for the girl next to Su Xiaoman, she was always indifferent, even if she learned that she had passed the preliminary round, she only pursed her lips slightly, without a superfluous look.

Su Xiaoman looked strange, but because he didn't know the other party, he didn't ask much.

I don't know when, Jiang Qiming has already finished his name and left, and the embroidery that he didn't order until he left was unsuccessful, and the person who was not selected sighed lowly, and went to the stage to get the embroidery and go home with a gray face.

The remaining dozen or so embroiderers successfully passed the preliminary round, and when the losers left one by one, the housekeeper standing next to him came to the stage and raised his voice: "The rest of you can participate in the second competition in five days, and please arrive on time in five days." ”

"What is the second time?" A curious newcomer in the audience asked.

The butler on the stage smiled, "The content is read out on the spot, and the embroidery thread and fabric are also prepared by us, so everyone just needs to come on time." It's getting dark today, so you can go home on your own. As for the embroidery on this table, you can take it back to your own store and sell it. ”

After saying that, the housekeeper also left, and everyone took their own embroidery and went home.

Xiao Man and Xia Wanrou went on stage to take their embroidery, and were just about to get off the stage when they were stopped by a woman, Xiao Man frowned, isn't this the woman with a faint look just now?

She still didn't care about anything, and she wasn't even very happy about her embroidery, but now she looked like she wanted to say something, obviously she had something to say to the two.

Xia Wanrou frowned, although she didn't know what was going on, she still asked good-naturedly, "This girl, is there something wrong with you?" ”

"Su Xiaoman, right?" The woman lowered her eyebrows, her eyes staring at Su Xiaoman.

Xiao Man didn't expect the other party to know her name, she nodded subconsciously, "What's wrong?" ”

The woman glanced at the embroidery in their hands, then turned and looked around again.

Most of the people who passed the preliminary round went back separately after the housekeeper left, so now there are only three people left in the small courtyard, and it is becoming more and more secluded.

In the corner of the courtyard there is a large creeper, which is lush and crawls all over the wall, and the emerald green leaves flutter in the wind, and the occasional gray-white wall can be seen.

It's just that occasionally a gust of wind blows, but under the emerald green leaves in the corner of the wall, it is not a gray-white wall, but a ......

"If you steal the limelight like this in the preliminary round, you will suffer in the future." After the woman confirmed that there was no one around, she said so nonchalantly.

Xiao Man's eyes were hurriedly withdrawn from the creeper, and he looked at the girl in front of him in confusion, but before she could ask why, the other party had already turned around and left, and did not give the two of them a chance to ask questions at all.

Thinking about what the other party said, Xiao Man couldn't help but glance down at his embroidery, and wondered: "Isn't it good to embroider well?" ”

What exactly does she mean?

"Xiaoman, everyone is scattered, let's go back quickly." Xia Wanrou reminded loudly.

Su Xiaoman nodded, took the embroidery and left.

When he arrived at the store, Su Xiaoman was still thinking about what the woman said in the small courtyard, what did the other party mean? Do you want to keep a low profile? Still is......

Jade sandwiched the dishes for Su Xiaoman, but she didn't see her move chopsticks, she couldn't help asking, "Madam, what do you want?" ”

"Jade, I'm ......" Su Xiaoman didn't know how to say it for a while, she had to look at Xia Wanrou, frowned and asked, "Sister Wanrou, what do you mean by that girl?" ”

Xia Wanrou put down her chopsticks, "I always feel that the girl wants to remind us of something, but ...... I don't know what to say, I always think it's weird. ”

Jade listened more and more anxiously, "Madam, what's going on?" ”

No, Su Xiaoman had to tell in detail what happened in the small courtyard today.

After listening, Jade said; "Madam, it must be that she is jealous of your craftsmanship, so she scares you so much, and wants you to hide your strength, so that you may be screened out? And she can continue to go down logically. ”

"It's possible, but I don't think she's that kind of person." Xiao Man shook his head, not knowing what he was talking about.

She always felt strange, but she couldn't say it, especially thinking of the girl's bland face after Jiang Qiming announced that she had passed the preliminary round, Su Xiaoman felt even more wrong.

Seeing her like this, Xia Wanrou sighed and comforted; "Xiaoman, no matter what she means, you have to eat first, anyway, we have already passed the preliminary round, and it will be the second competition in five days, you have to concentrate and stop thinking about this mess."

"That's it, maybe that girl is pretending to be mysterious and wants to distract Madame!" Emerald echoed.

Su Xiaoman shook his head and didn't speak, and continued to eat absentmindedly, but the girl's words and deeds flashed in her mind from time to time, making her unable to calm down.

There are still five days before the second competition, Su Xiaoman reads the books and embroideries that Xia Wanrou gave her in the attic all day long, and occasionally goes downstairs when she is tired of sitting, looking at more and more customers in the store, Xiaoman's mood is getting better and better.

In the blink of an eye, five days had arrived, and the store was very busy that day, Xia Wanrou really couldn't move away, so she had to let Su Xiaoman take the pearl to the small courtyard of the competition.

According to the rules, the maidservant is not allowed to go in to help, but can only wait outside.

"Be careful, ma'am." Pearl helped Xiaoman tidy up his clothes and hair, and whispered.

Su Xiaoman smiled, "Don't worry, I'll come out with at most two sticks of incense, you stay outside, don't run around, I'm afraid I won't find you if I come out." ”

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a sound of gongs in the courtyard, Xiao Man didn't care about anything else, she patted Pearl on the shoulder, and then turned around and entered the small courtyard.

There are thirteen tables in total, embroidery threads, small scissors, and names on the tables, and everyone needs to sit down in turn according to the names on the tables.

Xiao Man quickly found her position, she subconsciously looked around, trying to find the girl who spoke to her last time, but coincidentally, as soon as she turned around, she saw the girl sitting behind her.

The other party obviously also noticed Xiaoman, she glanced at Su Xiaoman coldly, "The game will start soon, what do you think I do?" ”

Seeing that the other party took the initiative to talk to her, Xiao Man couldn't help but smile, she leaned closer again, and asked in a low voice: "Girl, what you told me last time, what was it-"

"When did I talk to you, you recognized the wrong person." Before Xiaoman could finish speaking, the girl interrupted her coldly.

Su Xiaoman said "hey" and wanted to say something more, but the girl turned her face away and stopped looking at her.

Xiao Man bit his lip, stretched his neck and glanced at the girl's table, only to see the word "Qin Chun" written on the red background of the paper, presumably this is the girl's name.

She deliberately wanted to call out, but looking at the other party's cold appearance, obviously she didn't want to take care of herself, and Xiaoman didn't bother herself, so she turned around and began to fiddle with the embroidery thread on her table, and didn't look back.

Everyone had already sat down in order, and after a while, Jiang Qiming came to the stage.

Behind him, there were four little guys who bowed their heads and held paintings, and when Jiang Qiming waved his big hand, these four little guys also immediately unfolded the picture scroll.

"Plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, this competition you can choose any of these four paintings to create, no other requirements, a stick of incense time, let's start."

After speaking, the housekeeper next to him sounded the gong again, and the little maid guarding the incense burner lit the incense candle, and the game began.

Xiaoman did not hurry to draw the pattern on the paper, and then compared it on the cloth for a while, revised and modified it until he was satisfied, and then twisted the embroidery thread to prepare to embroider chrysanthemums.

Last time she embroidered red plums, this time Xiaoman wanted to try something different.

It's summer, the cicadas outside are louder than a sound, and the half-hearted embroidery girl is annoyed by the cicadas outside.

Jiang Qiming on the stage snorted coldly, although he didn't speak, but this cold snort made the embroidery girl even more flustered, and the hand holding the scissors couldn't help but tremble, and a big hole appeared in the embroidery cloth underneath in an instant.

Seeing that most of the incense had been burned, the embroidery girl knew that she was hopeless, and she had no intention of saving, so she sat there and complained dejectedly.

"I don't want to compare, and I don't want to sit here anymore and influence others, let's get out." Jiang Qiming put down the teacup and ordered in a deep voice.

The embroidered girl was quickly dragged out, and the small courtyard was quiet again.

After a while, the gong sounded again, "The game is over, hand in the embroidery." ”

With the housekeeper's order, the embroiderers below were busy with the final finishing work, Xiaoman cut off the last thread, then got up and moved his neck, and was the first to hand over the embroidery.

The golden chrysanthemums bloom warmly and presumptuously, and each petal is so open, as if they want to show their last bit of vitality, so as to add some vitality to the bleak autumn.

Jiang Qiming's gaze seemed to be nailed to the golden chrysanthemum, and he didn't even hear the housekeeper whispering to remind him that he could start the selection.