The story of the velvet flower
In a corner of the Forbidden City, Cheng jinxiu's fingers dance among colored silk threads. Her velvet flowers are so realistic that butterflies often fall on them by mistake. These silk flowers have no fragrance, but they live longer than real flowers. “Every petal hides a wish," she often tells visiting foreign businessmen. "Red represents love, gold represents wealth, and blue represents wisdom." In her studio, the silkworms shimmer like liquid rainbows in the sun.
A special order for velvet flowers changed her life. A messenger from the palace brought a real peony and a message: "Capture its soul with silk thread."
Cheng Jinxi spent nine days and nights crafting this masterpiece. She delicately outlined the petals with silver thread, blending pearl powder into the silk to create a subtle moonlight glow. When the immortal peony was presented to the imperial court, the aged emperor wept ——as it reminded him of his cherished peony in the imperial garden from his youth.
The concubines of the harem soon discovered the secret of the velvet flowers. Their emotions, which they could not express directly, were conveyed through these silk flowers:
-Twin Lotus = "I still love you"
-Broken plum branch = "I suffer in the cold palace"
-A peach blossom in bud = "Please come to my palace"
Cheng jinxiu's job became the most dangerous profession in the Forbidden City. Every piece of her work could change the fate of a concubine.An Italian merchant came across her work by chance. "These are more magical than our glass flowers!" he said in broken Chinese, "Ask me about their language."
Cheng Jinxi picked up a freshly made chrysanthemum: "This represents 'longevity', in our culture..." She paused, then suddenly tore the chrysanthemum apart and wove it into a rose again. "But now, it will say to you the Western language —— 'love'."
The merchant suddenly realized that six months later, the first shipment of Chinese velvet flowers had arrived in Venice, each tied to a small note explaining their Oriental meaning in Italian.
Years later, Cheng's velvet flowers appeared all over the world:
-On the brim of a Parisian lady's hat
-In the decoration of a concert in Vienna
-In the dowry of a Russian princess
She always kept the gift from the Venetian merchant —— a parchment book, which recorded all the new meanings of velvet flowers. The last page read: "True beauty needs no translation, just like your flowers, which transcend all language boundaries."
