“Director Lin…”
Tailor Wu lowered her head, not daring to meet anyone’s gaze. She stammered for a long time but couldn’t articulate a clear explanation.
However, even if she didn’t speak, there were plenty of others who would. Everyone chimed in, one after another, recounting the entire sequence of events to Director Lin in detail.
“I am the director of the Golden Finger Tailor Shop. Please rest assured, comrades, I will definitely give everyone a proper explanation for this matter.” As a leader, Director Lin carried an air of authority without needing to show anger. Yet, when facing the public, her attitude was humble and polite, making people instinctively want to trust her.
And Director Lin did not disappoint. She directly addressed Tailor Wu, saying, “I will truthfully write a report and submit it to the higher-ups. Until the outcome is decided, you do not need to come to work.”
“Director Lin, this matter…” Tailor Wu suddenly raised her head, wanting to defend herself, but upon meeting Director Lin’s cold, warning gaze, she immediately fell silent.
Director Lin then turned her attention to Mother Huang and Huang Mingfang. “No matter who you are, everyone here must follow the rules. Previously, Tailor Wu gave you special treatment and allowed you to cut in line due to your so-called personal connections. I was unaware of this beforehand, but from now on, I will ensure that my subordinates adhere to the rules. I guarantee that such incidents will not happen again, and we will uphold fairness and equality.”
Her words instantly sparked a wave of cheers.
“As for Comrade Huang, our unit will also submit a report to the higher-ups, truthfully reporting the situation. We will not wrongfully accuse anyone, but we will also not let anyone off the hook.”
Mother Huang’s face turned pale, then flushed with anxiety. If this implicated her husband, neither her in-laws nor her own family would let her off the hook! She had only been cutting in line and getting clothes made. In the past, when people found out about her background, they didn’t dare to say anything. Why did things go wrong today?
She clenched her fists, instinctively looking at Huang Mingfang, hoping her daughter could come up with a solution.
“Xiao Fang, what should we do?”
Facing such a situation for the first time, Huang Mingfang was also panicking. She instinctively glanced at Cheng Fangqiu. Should she beg her for help? After all, this whole mess was stirred up by this tough nut.
But as soon as this thought crossed her mind, Huang Mingfang dismissed it herself. Beg this woman? She’d rather die.
Moreover, it was too late to beg now. The situation had escalated beyond just a personal matter between them; it had become an issue between two units. Rather than wasting more time here, it would be better to go home and pull some strings to try and suppress the matter.
With this in mind, Huang Mingfang grabbed her distraught mother and whispered a few words into her ear. The two women memorized Director Lin’s appearance, said nothing, and pushed through the crowd to leave.
“Running away? Now you’re scared?”
“Hmph, bullies who only pick on the weak. Disgusting.”
At these words, Huang Mingfang and her mother quickened their steps.
Cheng Fangqiu coldly watched their retreating figures, a thoughtful glint flashing in her delicate and beautiful eyes. Before she could ponder further, she was interrupted by a voice nearby.
“As an apology, I will personally take charge of the clothes you need to have made.” Director Lin smiled kindly at everyone, her gentle and dignified demeanor easing much of the frustration in people’s hearts.
“Really?” Xu Qiqi’s eyes widened, her face lighting up with excitement. Seeing Cheng Fangqiu’s confusion, she explained, “Director Lin used to be a tailor here. I heard from my mom that she was once one of the most famous tailors in Rongzhou. After she got promoted, she rarely made clothes herself.”
Many people present, like Cheng Fangqiu, were unaware of Director Lin’s background. After hearing Xu Qiqi’s explanation, they all broke into smiles. Everyone was paying the same amount, but now they had a more skilled tailor taking over their orders. Why wouldn’t they be happy?
After all, getting clothes made these days wasn’t easy.
“Please line up, everyone, one by one.” Director Lin instructed a subordinate beside her, who quickly led the despondent Tailor Wu away and then swiftly cleaned up the room where Tailor Wu had been working.
Meanwhile, everyone lined up in an orderly fashion. Cheng Fangqiu and Xu Qiqi stood in the same spot as before.
“I’m really sorry, Qiuqiu. If I had known Tailor Wu was like this, I would never have recommended her to you,” Xu Qiqi sighed with a hint of guilt.
“It’s fine.” There are plenty of people in this world who fawn over the powerful and trample on the weak. Who can guarantee they won’t encounter such people?
Seeing that Xu Qiqi was still upset, Cheng Fangqiu playfully poked her waist. “Now it’s a blessing in disguise. Director Lin will be making my wedding dress.”
“That’s true.” Xu Qiqi, tickled by Cheng Fangqiu’s poke, couldn’t maintain her serious expression and slowly broke into a smile. Then she asked, “What’s the deal between you and that mother-daughter pair?”
Cheng Fangqiu shrugged and casually recounted the previous incident.
“No wonder that old witch called you a vixen at first. How shameless! That kind of guy who harasses women at the slightest attraction is nothing but trash in their eyes. Their heads are full of crap.”
Xu Qiqi was so angry that she couldn’t help but curse Zhao Yanchen and Huang Mingfang vehemently.
The matter was already in the past, and Cheng Fangqiu wasn’t the type to dwell on unpleasant things. She had long put it out of her mind. If it weren’t for running into Huang Mingfang again today, she would have almost forgotten about it.
“Don’t let them ruin your mood.”
“You really have a good attitude, even comforting me in return.” Xu Qiqi gave Cheng Fangqiu a mock glare, but the anger on her face had subsided a bit.
Before long, it was their turn. The two walked in.
The room wasn’t large, with several large cabinets arranged neatly, storing customers’ fabrics according to their numbers. Not far away, there was a workspace partitioned by a screen, filled with various threads and a sewing machine.
Cheng Fangqiu glanced around briefly before retracting her gaze. She placed the fabric on the table and then set her chosen design draft in front of Director Lin. “I want something like this. Do you think it can be made?”
Director Lin was surprised that someone had brought a design draft. She paused for a moment before picking up the notebook Cheng Fangqiu handed over. With just one look, her eyes lit up. After carefully reviewing it twice, she couldn’t help but ask, “Did you design this yourself? And did you draw the draft too?”
Faced with Director Lin’s unexpected question, Cheng Fangqiu frowned slightly but nodded honestly.
“It’s so beautiful. Your talent is extraordinary…” Director Lin couldn’t help but exclaim, though she quickly caught herself and smiled. “It can be made.”
“Then I’ll trouble you, Director Lin.” Cheng Fangqiu breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t dwell on Director Lin’s praise. In her previous life, she had seen countless outstanding designs and had collaborated with major brands for years, which had cultivated her unique perspective and aesthetic sense.
“No trouble at all.” Director Lin’s gaze held a newfound appreciation for Cheng Fangqiu. “Fill out your personal information here, pay, and take a number. Then you’re all set.”
“Okay.” Cheng Fangqiu took her notebook back, tore out the page, and handed it to Director Lin. The latter took it and, with a keen eye, noticed other design sketches in the notebook. A quick glance told her they were equally stunning works.
As they were about to leave, Director Lin quickly called them back and scribbled a phone number on a piece of paper. “A friend of mine works at the city garment factory. If you’re interested in becoming a fashion designer, you can call this number.”
Director Lin’s gaze was sincere, with a hint of admiration for talent. Cheng Fangqiu didn’t actually have any intention of working at a garment factory, but not wanting to dismiss her kindness, she accepted the note. “Thank you, Director Lin.”
“You’re welcome.” Seeing her accept it, Director Lin breathed a slight sigh of relief and watched them leave before turning to attend to the next customer.
Cheng Fangqiu and Xu Qiqi left the Golden Finger Tailor Shop and walked toward the bus stop, chatting along the way.
“Qiuqiu, you’ve really shown me what it means for gold to shine wherever it goes,” Xu Qiqi said with starry eyes. “Are you going to the garment factory? I heard designers earn pretty good salaries.”
Cheng Fangqiu shook her head. “I don’t want a regular job.”
Some people might yearn for stable work, but Cheng Fangqiu wasn’t one of them. Having lived for so many years, what she hated most was the routine of school—being forced to wake up early in the morning and sitting in a classroom all day. That kind of life was too monotonous and dull.
A regular job wasn’t much different from school, and she didn’t like it. Freelancing suited her better, as it allowed her more freedom and flexibility.
Moreover, while she had an interest in fashion design, it wasn’t a passion, nor was she particularly professional. Designing a few pretty dresses for young girls was one thing, but if she were to work at a garment factory, they probably wouldn’t think much of her skills.
“I don’t want a regular job either,” Xu Qiqi chimed in. Otherwise, if she wanted to earn money, she could have just asked Chang Yan’an to arrange a cushy job for her at the machinery factory. Why bother partnering with Cheng Fangqiu?
The two women exchanged a smile, discovering more similarities in each other.
After taking the bus back to the machinery factory, Cheng Fangqiu and Xu Qiqi parted ways at the entrance of the residential compound. Cheng Fangqiu went upstairs alone, opened the door, and found the house empty—Zhou Yinghuai hadn’t returned yet.
She went to the bathroom first to wash her face and then wiped herself down with a towel, feeling much fresher afterward.
Not knowing when Zhou Yinghuai would be back and feeling bored on her own, she casually pulled a book from his bookshelf and curled up on the sofa to read. However, it didn’t take long before she dozed off.
She woke up again, startled by a clap of thunder.
Blinking groggily, she noticed that the clear sky had been replaced by dark, heavy clouds. Inside and outside, everything was dim, and the rain was pounding noisily on the roof and leaves, grating on her nerves.
Remembering that there were clothes drying on the balcony, Cheng Fangqiu quickly got up from the sofa and rushed to the balcony.
Fortunately, the eaves provided some shelter, and only a little rain had blown in. The clothes weren’t too wet. She gathered the clothes first, and as the rain grew heavier, she moved the potted plants inside. Finally, she closed the doors and windows, letting out a sigh of relief.
After all that, she was slightly damp from the rain and was about to go take a shower and change clothes when the front door opened from the outside.
She instinctively turned her head and met Zhou Yinghuai’s gaze.
He was drenched from head to toe, holding a large cardboard box in his arms, looking utterly disheveled.