Transmigrated Into the Stand-In of the Tragic Novel’s Heroine - Chapter 50

Watching the live stream recording was not a very good experience, so when Tang Rong sent the promotional poster to Chang Yishao, she forwarded it to Xie Qingtang. Xie Qingtang understood her intention; after all, the edited footage of her work process, ready to be uploaded to the platform, needed some promotion. However, looking at the time on the poster—she looked at Chang Yishao and asked, “Isn’t this too rushed?” She had spent quite some time in the printing and dyeing craft area, so the material was extensive.

Chang Yishao had come to help her, and she didn’t want Chang Yishao to be too tired or stressed.

“No, this time is enough,” Chang Yishao replied, a bright, confident gleam in her eyes. Since Chang Yishao said so herself, Xie Qingtang couldn’t insist otherwise. After dwelling on the matter for a moment, she rested her chin in her hand and smiled at Chang Yishao, asking, “What are we eating for dinner tonight?” Although she wasn’t in Yu City, she was living a life nearly identical to the one she had there.

On one hand, she worried that her appetite would once again be spoiled; on the other hand, she couldn’t control her desire for good food. Xie Qingtang chastised herself internally, wondering where her boasted self-control had gone, yet she was never “soft-hearted” at mealtime and never neglected her stomach. Under Chang Yishao’s feeding, she seemed to have gained a little weight.

Not everyone ate in the canteen; some who lived nearby went straight home, while others, like Xie Qingtang, used the small kitchen. However, whenever they saw Xie Qingtang, the older people always liked to tease her.

“Xiao Xie’s friend is decent-looking, good-natured, and a good cook. I wonder who will be so lucky…” When they said things like this, they would always glance at Xie Qingtang, whose initial slight embarrassment eventually developed into an unshakable composure. Chang Yishao was indeed good in every way, but—Xie Qingtang couldn’t quite figure out the meaning of the so-called “but” that followed. She always felt like something was missing, so she simply threw the whole thought out of her mind.

“I see your lacquer box is also finished. Did you give the gift yet?” the master craftsmen asked again.

Xie Qingtang remembered the matter. Lately, her focus had been entirely on the film, which was now titled Ingenuity, and she had momentarily forgotten about the “gift” she had spent a lot of time and effort creating. Moreover, she wasn’t sure what reason to use to give it to Chang Yishao. Handing it to her abruptly might seem a bit too forward.

Xie Qingtang remained silent, lost in thought.

The master craftsmen, speaking with the tone of seasoned veterans, smacked their lips and began telling stories of their youth. The core of their stories could be summarized in one sentence: “If you can’t find a reason to give a gift, then use the phrase ‘I just think you’re cute’ as a substitute.” A person who is cute deserves all the cute things in the world. Xie Qingtang felt there was some truth to this while listening, but when she was about to put it into practice, she suddenly realized something. There was a slight difference—the master craftsmen approached it as suitors, but if she did it, it would surely be odd.

Xie Qingtang eventually found an opportunity to give the gift, which was after the broadcast of the first episode of Ingenuity, the one related to the printing and dyeing process. Chang Yishao’s color grading and transitions were exquisite, flowing like water and seamlessly blending the footage from different periods. The fluttering blue cloth and butterflies under the lens, the blue water droplets splashing out of the dye vat, and the moment the dyed cloth was gracefully stretched out onto the drying pole—the perfect blend of strength and beauty stirred up a vibrant beat in people’s hearts.

They uploaded the video to the Maya platform on time, and Xie Qingtang and Chang Yishao watched it together. The video’s views and comments steadily rose, and fortunately, there were no longer many discordant voices like before.

“Teacher Chang is truly knowledgeable and proficient in everything,” Xie Qingtang sighed with emotion.

Chang Yishao calmly replied, “I learned all of it before, but it’s become rusty over time.” In her past, she continuously sought and engaged with new things that could interest her, pouring all her emotions into them until everything turned to ashes under a fierce fire. She didn’t know if her motivation was due to passion or simply being too bored.

The film was only half an hour long. It was incredibly difficult to truly learn a skill from it, and what it conveyed was more of a thriving, upward spirit. While editing, Chang Yishao also contemplated, and she, too, was inspired by this spirit, slowly moving closer to Xie Qingtang. She lowered her eyelids, listening to the music playing in the video, while her mind was preoccupied with other thoughts.

Xie Qingtang noticed that Chang Yishao was spacing out, but she didn’t mind this little detail. After the video ended, she stood up and stretched, then turned her chair, walked to the desk, and pulled open the small bottom drawer. The intricately carved lacquer box, with its pattern like stacked cloud mountains, quietly hid in the darkness until Xie Qingtang took it out, when it suddenly shone brightly.

She walked up to Chang Yishao, holding the lacquer box. Since there wasn’t a side table nearby, she couldn’t place the item on a coffee table and then slide it towards her. She held the lacquer box in both hands and opened her mouth in a lighthearted tone, “Have a look.”

Chang Yishao gazed at Xie Qingtang, her eyes sliding from her wrist to the lacquer box. She took it into her hands as Xie Qingtang intended, and then asked, “What is this?” In truth, before Xie Qingtang could answer, she already knew. She had access to the filming footage and had occasionally watched the live stream, so of course, she knew this was the result of Xie Qingtang’s hard work in the craft area.

The lacquer box was beautiful. After opening it, inside was a square piece of soft cloth, printed and dyed with a phoenix auspicious pattern.

A single piece of cloth hid countless efforts: from harvesting the indigo, making the stencil, waxing, and more.

“It’s a gift for you,” Xie Qingtang sat back down beside Chang Yishao. She blinked, and after saying this, a significant weight lifted off her mind; there was none of the imagined awkwardness or difficulty. The straightforwardness she had when giving the kite seemed to be completely gone, and Xie Qingtang secretly scorned her own bashfulness.

Something made with her own hands was, after all, different from something bought from a master craftsman.

Chang Yishao’s eyes were profound. She lowered her gaze, contemplating the lacquer box and the “Phoenix Design” in her hands. After a long moment, she raised her eyes to look at Xie Qingtang and said, “Thank you, I like it very much.”

“You’re welcome,” Xie Qingtang’s tone was buoyant. She controlled the wildly rising corners of her mouth, managing a slightly reserved smile. Yet, the brightness in her eyes was impossible to conceal.

Chang Yishao was also infected by her smile. She slightly lowered her expression and said with a hint of melancholy, “But I don’t have anything good to give you.”

“You already have,” Xie Qingtang replied.

Chang Yishao blinked. She tilted her head, looking at Xie Qingtang, and a hint of vulnerability appeared on her gentle face. “Is that so?” Her tone was soft, as if hiding guilt and remorse, as if hiding shyness. “You’ve given me a kite and this,” Chang Yishao gestured to the gift in her hands, and then added, “But I’ve only given you a fan.”

Xie Qingtang was silent for a moment. She wasn’t one for exchanging gifts frequently. Observing Chang Yishao’s expression, she didn’t have time to fully grasp Chang Yishao’s true thoughts. After a moment of contemplation, she said, “Then you can give something back later when you have a chance.”

Chang Yishao quietly “Mm-hmmed.”

Xie Qingtang pulled herself out of her emotions. She looked at Chang Yishao, who was lightly tracing the lacquer box with her fingertips, and a hint of suspicion began to surface in her heart. Her brow suddenly furrowed.

Chang Yishao was constantly paying attention to Xie Qingtang’s expression and now asked, gently and concernedly, “What’s wrong?” She had been gentle all along, only that the coolness and the artificiality hidden within that gentleness had vanished at some point. Xie Qingtang had originally wanted to say that, strictly speaking, Chang Yishao was the one getting the short end of the stick, and she would still have to make up for the gift later. This back-and-forth might never end. But the words were swallowed before they reached her lips. She shook her head, “It’s nothing.”

Seeing Chang Yishao’s disbelief, she pressed her temples and explained, “I was just thinking, the lacquering area is almost finished. When we move to the next one, if your progress catches up to mine, you’ll have to wait for me. It’s hard to start processing without all the material.” What was originally a random excuse to mislead Chang Yishao turned out to be a small, genuine worry ahead of them as soon as she said it. After thinking for a moment, she added, “Will you be with me then?”

Chang Yishao didn’t answer right away. Her final “Okay” sounded like an answer she had considered for a long time.

Only she knew that this was her goal, this was the outcome she desired.

The choice of printing/dyeing and lacquering was intentional. Once that goal was achieved, the selection of the remaining craft areas was entirely up to chance—Xie Qingtang used a drawing-lots method to select the clay sculpture craft. This area was different from both lacquering and printing/dyeing. There were men, women, and several giggling children. The children’s playful nature immersed them in the clay, allowing them to pull out simple works like small knives, tanks, and bows.

Upon seeing the finished clay sculptures placed to the side, Xie Qingtang already understood what she needed to do first—select the clay.

In her childhood, she had a natural affinity for yellow earth, but this affinity was gradually eroded by various reasons, and at some point, getting close to mud became something shameful.

Looking at the playing children, Xie Qingtang hoped they could maintain their enthusiasm forever.

As she entered the clay sculpture craft area, Chang Yishao had already begun editing the film on the lacquering craft. She had previously edited some footage on her laptop, but that early work was almost negligible. For them, Xie Qingtang always being one step ahead was the best and most comfortable pace—that way, neither of them would have to feel anxious or embarrassed.

However, this meant that apart from rest time, they wouldn’t have many chances to see each other.

Chang Yishao wanted to integrate into Xie Qingtang’s life, but she didn’t want to rely solely on watching the live streams or video snippets.

Her “ambition” was born because of Xie Qingtang; she wanted to experience the life, death, joy, and sorrow of the handicraft works alongside her, just like during their time in Pingyao.

This sudden sense of urgency immersed her mind and body in her work, until the ringing of her phone suddenly brought her back to awareness.

Night had fallen. Outside the window was a blue like the deep sea. Lights turned on in every household, their faint glow piercing through the heavy darkness, like scattered stars in the firmament.

It was late.

Xie Qingtang should have finished her work long ago, and she hadn’t gone back to prepare dinner yet. Thinking this, a trace of guilt surfaced in Chang Yishao’s heart. She stared at the window, lost in thought, and opened her mouth, but didn’t know what to say.

Xie Qingtang’s soft laughter reached her ears at that moment.

“Are you done? I’m here to pick you up.”

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