(A discarded wife rises again, no CP, craftsmanship, raising children, changing their surname, and finding powerful patrons. A warm, healing farming story with no magic space or System: the heroine stitches herself a bright future, needlepoint by needlepoint.)
Transmigrating into the body of a cast-off embroiderer, Su Jinshu takes her two children to the capital to seek out her husband, who has just passed the palace examination as third-ranked scholar.
The moment he sees her, he throws a divorce letter at her. “Take your bastards and get back to the countryside.”
With no one to turn to, she has no choice but to leave the city and return home. But by a twist of fate, she saves the young heir of the Marquis's household at the city gate.
The Marchioness offers her five hundred taels as a reward.
She declines. “I supported my former husband through eight years of imperial exams with my embroidery. The day he passed as third-ranked scholar, he handed me a divorce letter. If your ladyship has embroidery work to be done, just give me a job.”
Once she joins the embroidery workshop, she doesn't rush to show off her skills.
By day, she embroiders ordinary orchid handkerchiefs. At night, she secretly practices double-sided embroidery by lamplight.
On the fifth day, she quietly brings out a rose handkerchief:
Red roses on one side, white roses on the other.
In this world, embroidery has always been one-sided.
The noblewomen of the entire capital begin lining up for her handkerchiefs.
When her former husband hears she's become famous, he comes running with lavish gifts, hoping to claim his son.
In front of all the guests, the boy slaps the divorce letter down on the table. “My surname is Su. Who are you?”
The Marchioness gives a cold laugh, and an imperial decree arrives at the embroidery workshop: Su Jinshu's two children are permitted to take their mother's surname.
Later, when her son passes the palace examination as top scholar, her former husband cries out to him in front of everyone at the Qionglin Banquet.
Every guest lowers their head and drinks. Not one of them answers him.
With a single embroidery needle, she stitches her discarded life into a bright future.
The heroine is sober, calm, wise, and she is also good at crafts. The two children are also very sensible. It is super warm and deserves five stars 👍👍👍👍👍