Che Fengqiong spoke at the opportune moment, "The company you started doesn't count. Besides that, do you have any other works?"
Quan Jiu shook her head, appearing troubled, "No, that's my only company."
Che Fengqiong frowned and looked at Bai Jing, "Bai Jing, this person is a complete blank slate. Why did you recommend her?"
Bai Jing knew she was putting on a show. Moreover, there were four elders present whom Che Fengqiong was trying to appease. With a four-to-two advantage, the outcome was predictable, and she couldn't even be bothered to argue.
"At least her passion for embroidery is genuine. Even if she has zero foundation, I can teach her."
Che Fengqiong furrowed her brows and shook her head, "You are too willful. So many embroiderers dream of joining the Embroidery Bureau, yet you choose someone who knows nothing. I truly don't understand your thinking. The former director would certainly not want to see you act so foolishly."
"This is an interview. Bringing up irrelevant things like this, is it meaningful?" Bai Jing did not hide her cold demeanor.
"I... forget it. You are so self-willed; you won't listen to anything I say." Che Fengqiong sighed and gestured to Shi Yan, "Continue."
Shi Yan felt increasingly smug and continued to question Quan Jiu, "Embroidery is a technical skill. To present an ideal picture, needlework is the most important. Considering you know nothing, I will ask you a very simple question. Please fully explain the common embroidery stitches and their combinations."
Bai Jing immediately retorted, "You are deliberately making things difficult. Embroidery stitches are diverse; can you recite them all in one go?"
Shi Yan snorted, "This is already the most basic question."
"You..."
Bai Jing wanted to argue further but was signaled to stop by Quan Jiu's gaze.
Quan Jiu smiled slightly and said unhurriedly, "There are nine major categories of common embroidery stitches, totaling forty-three types: Qi Zhen, Lun Zhen, Tao Zhen, Shi Zhen, Luan Zhen, Gun Zhen, Qie Zhen, Ping Zhen, Da Dian, Da Zi, Jie Zi, Wang Xiu, Bing Wen Zhen, Tiao Hua, Na Jin, Ke Lin Zhen, Shi Mao Zhen, Chuan Zhu Zhen..."
Bai Jing, who had expected her to be unable to answer, was clearly surprised. Such fluent recitation, without prolonged memorization and review, was impossible. It was as smooth as a nursery rhyme, without any pauses.
She relaxed and smiled, realizing her worry had been for naught.
Unlike her ease, Che Fengqiong and Shi Yan, among others, widened their eyes as Quan Jiu recited rhythmically.
Che Fengqiong questioned Shi Yan in a low voice, "Didn't you say she knows nothing? How can she recite so many stitches so fluently?"
Shi Yan also felt a bit flustered. After thinking for a moment, she found an excuse, "Didn't she start a company? She's just lucky this time, happening to be asked about something she knows. Director Che, don't worry, I've prepared a bigger move that will definitely make her and Bai Jing lose face."
Che Fengqiong reminded her, "Don't mess this up for me. If I don't benefit, neither will you."
Shi Yan nodded knowingly.
The elders behind them also had varied expressions, especially Lou Mingfang, whose brows twitched.
As an experienced person, her intuition was sharper. She vaguely sensed something was wrong and quietly sent a message to Che Fengqiong to inquire about the situation.
"Do you guys have any confidence? How can someone with no foundation recite so many stitches in one go? This clearly shows she's studied it."
Che Fengqiong, alerted by this, was also unsure. However, the arrow was already nocked and fired; she could only brace herself and comfort, "Even if she can recite the stitches, actually embroidering is another matter."
She couldn't have misjudged. A woman as ornamental as this absolutely couldn't understand embroidery.
Comforting herself this way, Che Fengqiong said to Shi Yan, "Just in case, increase the difficulty for the subsequent interviews."
"Director Che, rest assured, I have prepared the most difficult interview questions."
As Shi Yan finished speaking, Quan Jiu had also finished reciting the stitches.
Quan Jiu smiled at Shi Yan.
Shi Yan's heart skipped a beat. That confident gaze, why did it seem so un-simple? Or was she overthinking?
While pondering, she subtly changed the next test question.
"As I just said, this is the most basic knowledge an embroiderer should master. Your ability to recite it shows you are not beyond hope. Therefore, I don't need to go easy on you out of consideration for Supervisor Bai. I will assess you according to normal interview difficulty."
Shi Yan clapped her hands, and Yang Qi and Hang Ding came forward carrying two wooden frames, placing them directly in front of everyone's view.
"These two works look identical at first glance, but there are ten different needlework techniques used in them. Please identify these ten techniques and point out their locations."
Che Fengqiong couldn't help but laugh. This difficulty, let alone for an amateur, was hard for many insiders to discern because...
As she was secretly pleased, a voice interrupted her thoughts.
Bai Jing turned back and looked at everyone, "Is this an interview? These are the works of my master. Even embroiderers who have been in the industry for a long time might not be able to distinguish the subtle differences in my master's superb craftsmanship..."
Che Fengqiong interrupted, "Bai Jing, we are selecting talent. You are obstructing repeatedly; what exactly are you trying to convey? Do you really want to openly bend the rules and recruit someone like this into the Embroidery Bureau?"
"Does who I take as a disciple need your say-so?" Bai Jing said indignantly. Such an interview was clearly intended to make things difficult. Not only was Quan Jiu only slightly knowledgeable, but even she would find it challenging.
Che Fengqiong was taken aback, "Are there no embroiderers left in this world? Why would you choose someone so old? By the time she finishes her apprenticeship, won't she be an old woman?"
"That's none of your concern," Bai Jing replied coldly.
Lou Mingfang chimed in at the opportune moment to criticize, "Bai Jing, as a supervisor, saying such thoughtless words is truly disappointing."
As soon as she spoke, the other three echoed her sentiments, and for a moment, Bai Jing seemed to be the target of everyone's criticism.
The two elders sitting by the side waited until the four had finished speaking, and then one of them slowly said, "Taking a disciple is not about talent or age, but about disposition, character, and patience."
Lou Mingfang scoffed, "Unfortunately, I don't see any of these three qualities in her."
"These two fan covers both use thirty-three stitches, of which twenty-three are the same, while the other ten are completely different."
Quan Jiu's words interrupted the various thoughts of the onlookers.
Che Fengqiong's face trembled, and her questioning gaze fell on Shi Yan again.
Shi Yan's brow also twitched. How could this be possible? How could this woman discern the number of stitches used and the differences? It had taken her over half a month to find all the differences back then. How could this woman figure it out in just a few minutes?
These two fan covers had a total of over fifty thousand stitches. It was impossible; it must be a coincidence.
Disbelieving, she continued to press, "Please point out the differences and the different stitches."
Quan Jiu's lips curved slightly, and she spoke with composure, "On the third tail feather of the two magpies, about a third of the way up, although the stitching appears the same, the needlework is actually different. The left fan uses lock stitch, while the right fan uses satin stitch..."
Her clear and pleasant voice echoed in the interview hall, unhurriedly. As her voice continued, Che Fengqiong's expression gradually turned ashen and displeased.