Edited by Larkspur
Chapter 7: Life in Danger
The courtyard that Chu Jin Yao resided in also had five rooms at the front. There were two wing rooms, at the east and west, and one at the south. Chu Jin Yao stayed in the main room, the eastern room was the study and the western the bedroom. She slept in the westernmost room and the western wing was usually where she spent most of her day. Instead, the main hall was not used and wasted. She would often do needlework and meet the servants here.
Now Ding Xiang and Qiu Ju brought the sewing basket over and stood at the eastern room to wait for Chu Jin Yao. Qiu Ju caressed the brocade nostalgically as she asked, “Young Lady, this bolt of brocade is ten Zhang (1 Zhang = 1 feet) and since the clothes are used for meeting guests, then the pleats must be made tighter together. That would need at least two Zhang and the jacket would also require one Zhang. This is only for the outer layer and the inner lining will need to be cut separately. Will we be doing it ourselves or handing over to the embroidery house?