Many years later, He Xiaoyue still cannot forget the moment when she stood on the display stand wearing the clothes she designed.
She didn't quite remember what the two elders asked her. She only remembered that the window was half open, and a breeze blew up her skirt, and the hanging gauze floated up. The coolness on her skin made her nervous, but it was in disguise. It seems that after taking this step, there is no threshold that cannot be passed.
"What was the inspiration for your outfit?"
She tried hard to keep smiling, learned the "demeanor" Guo Xi'er taught her, and tried to make herself look taller.
"I once read the seven-character rhyme of Bai Yuchan, a talented scholar of the Song Dynasty, in which "a light rain brings smoke and snow to the sky, and the cold wind blows the water and the moon sifts the plum blossoms. "A sentence inspired me. The shape of the clothes refers to the old clothes from the Tang Dynasty..."
Sun Ying nodded with satisfaction, this girl can do it. There are many women who have studied these days, but not many can apply what they have learned and demonstrate it. It is really worth her going all the way. Just when he was about to express his affirmation, Fang Fei suddenly said: "The clothes are indeed good, but I can't figure it out. The design department has received a lot of submissions from naturalized citizens, and this is the first time I have seen a skirt. So short.”
Sun Ying glanced at Fang Fei dissatisfied, and then turned her attention to He Xiaoyue. In fact, she herself had doubts. She knew that this woman had just been rescued from Guangzhou less than a year ago, and she was born as a young lady, so her thinking was reasonable. It's better to be more conservative.
He Xiaoyue said: "I designed the skirt like this just from an aesthetic point of view. The skirt above the knees makes the legs look longer and looks good. Moreover, from a design point of view, this dress is not suitable for a medium size."
"Then don't you think it's too... bold?" Fang Fei was delighted, it turned out to be a good idea.
He Xiaoyue saw sweat on her forehead and took a deep breath: "If it were in the past, I would rather die than wear such clothes. I feel ashamed even just looking at them, but it's different now."
"I was originally a concubine at home, and I just hoped to marry a good man and be depended on for life. I never thought that my husband would die before the marriage was consummated. My husband's family sent me to Qingjie Yuan to be a widow for the sake of 'family reputation'. My natal family ignored me. , I haven’t even visited him once, and I’m no different between a living person and a dead person.”
"Later, I was lucky enough to leave Qingjie Yuan, but I was blinded by lard and could not recognize people, so I was abducted and sold into Fangchun Yuan." He Xiaoyue was careful when saying this and did not mention Liu San at all, "It was only there that I I have truly experienced the suffering of being born a woman in the Ming Dynasty. I don’t know how much hardship I endured. If it weren’t for the Senate, I would already be a prostitute!”
"People in the Ming Dynasty often said that Australians were promiscuous, disobedient, and rude, and women wore short skirts and short clothes when they appeared outside. But compared to the Ming Dynasty, the women here lived much more chicly! Even if they are penniless, they can support themselves. I... don’t have to be sold around like cattle and sheep, so what does it matter if the skirt is a few inches short?”
The clothing designed by He Xiaoyue finally passed the final review and was put into production. Of course, the output of short models is much less than that of long models - no matter how advanced the concept is, there must be a problem of market acceptance. And she herself got her wish and became the designer of Wanzi Pavilion.
On the day she received the official notice, He Xiaoyue bought herself a beautiful "fashionable dress" - after becoming a designer, she no longer had to wear work clothes. She wears whatever she likes.
After packing up her personal belongings on the second floor, she came to the third floor. When she saw the design table assigned to her, she was filled with joy - even the design table was larger than the one downstairs, and there was also a separate turning desk. To do writing work.
She decorated her workstation carefully, and to celebrate her promotion, Guo Xier specially gave her a Ru kiln beauty spandrel vase as a vase - a trophy purchased by Liu Xiang. There was also a bouquet of flowers in the vase.
"This is a congratulatory gift."
"Sister, you are so kind!" He Xiaoyue said gratefully, "I am where I am today only because of my sister's support."
"What are you talking about? It's not because of your great ability!" Guo Xi'er said, "My sister told me that you are a talented person and you will definitely be able to help me in the future. She wants me to get along well with you."
"Yes, yes, I couldn't ask for more." He Xiaoyue thought to herself, no wonder people said that this great designer Guo was so open-minded that he even said such private things.
"Let's get to work. This is a new project..."
Wanzi Pavilion's fashion designer is a rare white-collar profession in the rumbling industrial machinery of Hainan. Nowadays, He Xiaoyue no longer has to get up at 5:30 every day to wash up and catch the commuter train, work non-stop for ten hours, and then return to the dormitory exhausted.
The designer's working hours are from 8 am to 5 pm. Although the working time is only shortened by one hour, the available time has been greatly increased.
She now gets up at around six o'clock in the morning to wash up and make herself a breakfast. After eating, she slowly goes back to her room to dress up and choose the clothes she will wear today. I left home at 7:30 and walked ten minutes to the supply and marketing cooperative. Her treatment is the same as that of "executives" of state-owned enterprises in Dongmen City, and she can stay in a single room of eight square meters in the dormitory area. This is a very luxury in Lingao, especially in Dongmen City, a place where land is at a premium.
Before eight o'clock, He Xiaoyue would use this time before going to work to learn professional knowledge by herself. When Guo Xier hurriedly arrived by car from the senior dormitory area, she would immediately greet her, talk to her, and "consult" many questions. Let Guo Xier fully feel her "respect".
He Xiaoyue was the daughter of a commoner, and in a wealthy family, she was bullied for her intelligence at an early age. Knowing that Guo Xi'er is her biggest supporter, only by flattering her to the best of her ability can she stay here for a long time and feel comfortable.
Of course, she still has practical uses for Guo Xier. Wanzige's designers not only design clothing, but are essentially "key account managers". Because each set of high-end products must be fully communicated with the customer before production to understand the other party's preferences and taboos. It is a test of people’s communication skills. Guo Xi'er is quite deficient in this aspect. Although she has a familiar character, her background in a small family makes it difficult for her to understand the needs of large families, so she serves more families of elders and senior naturalized cadres. Large local indigenous customers rarely pay attention.
After He Xiaoyue came, he provided her with help. It suddenly made her feel that it was easy to "get" the big indigenous people who were originally very difficult to deal with.
"Xiaoyue, today the guest on the 36th is here to pick up the ready-made clothes, right?" Guo Xier fiddled with the high-end ready-made clothes in the wardrobe with a thin green bamboo. These clothes were separated by carefully woven garment covers. There were some in the wardrobe Bamboo charcoal bags are used to adjust the dryness and humidity to prevent clothes from being damaged by moisture.
"Yes, yes. The first guest is No. 36." He Xiaoyue opened the record book, which recorded the guest's information: "Name Zhou Sumiang, female, 21 years old, non-naturalized settler, occupation unknown , the home address is Green Rose Garden..." He Xiaoyue knew that this place was the most expensive residential area in the local area. It was full of wealthy people who had moved from the mainland. The note states that she is the concubine of the Qu family and is now very favored.
"It's Zhou Su Niang."
"She must be the concubine of Mr. Qu's family."
"That's right."
"A favor is a favor, I don't think she is happy at all." Guo Xi'er shook her head.
He Xiaoyue frowned slightly as she recalled the day Zhou Sumiang came to Wanzi Pavilion a few days ago. Usually when ladies come to Wanzi Pavilion to make clothes, they carry a sedan chair with a few family members and maids. After entering the shop, they wander around and laugh, sit down and have some refreshments, and chat with the shop assistants and designers. For them, it is more of a rare outing.
In addition to several male servants and maids, Zhou Sumiang also has two maids who are always with her. Apart from tailoring clothes, choosing materials, talking about clothes, and giving a few instructions to the maids around her from time to time, there is no unnecessary gossip. Never mention anything about yourself.
"Well, it seems like there's always something on your mind."
"And her family paid close attention to her! They even sent a maid to watch when her body was being measured."
"She is so beautiful, it is normal for the master to look closely at her..." Zhou Sumiang has a beautiful face, and the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye is very charming. The beautiful He Xiaoyue remembered her deeply after just one glance.
"Oh, you don't know this. Before you came to Wanzi Pavilion, this Zhou Sumiang came to order clothes from us. Zhou Sumiang at that time was completely different from what she is now. She only took a boy and a girl with her when she went out. A servant. Although she didn't talk much originally, her expression was still very lively. Why is she like this now..."
"There must be something unhappy at home. Even if she is favored, I heard that the Qu family has many wives and concubines, so I am afraid it is not that easy to get along with. Maybe someone said something bad about her in front of Mr. Qu, which made Mr. Qu suspicious..."
"Yes." Guo Xi'er nodded, suddenly remembered something, and said excitedly:
"Speaking of the fact that the Qu family made a joke a few days ago." Guo Xier's spirit of gossip began to burn.
"What joke?"
"His sister Lian ran away. She took the opportunity to buy something in broad daylight and ran away."
"Sister Lian?" He Xiaoyue vaguely remembered seeing this name in the account book.
"That's right. It's her. She is not favored in the Qu family, and it is rare for her to make clothes here." Guo Xier became more and more excited as she talked, "I tell you, this sister Lian has no chance to go out. But the Qu family The eldest wife looked down on the craftsmanship of the local tailors and insisted on having her own maids and concubines make the clothes. Sister Lian was a good red dresser, so it fell on her to make the clothes for the whole family. I heard a few days ago that it was because of the old man of the Qu family. My wife was celebrating her birthday, and the eldest wife of the Qu family wanted to make some new clothes, so she ran away from the shop on the pretext of looking at the materials! By the way, you must know this shop!"
"What?"
"It's Rui Hexiang."
Ruihexiang is one of Wanzige's suppliers and has many contacts with each other. They not only knew Rui Hexiang's Shopkeeper An, but were also very familiar with him.
