So Aunt Wu had no choice but to chase after Cao Xiaowang, bringing all the laundry over to Su Caiqing’s yard to wash.
On the day of the scheduled photoshoot, the children woke up early. While Su Caiqing was braiding her daughters’ hair, the two sons among the triplets clung to her, asking for flowers to be pinned in their hair.
Su Caiqing simply took some triangular scarves and wrapped them around their heads, instantly satisfying them.
After breakfast, they gathered Su Dazhuang and set off for Liang Qiheng’s photo studio.
The studio was in a good location on Zhengde Street, with a wide road bustling with cars and pedestrians.
Wang Chaoying arrived early as well, immediately changing into a white dress with red polka dots.
“Aiya! Caiqing, you finally made it! Come help me do my makeup!”
Su Caiqing took the eyebrow pencil, powder, and other items Wang Chaoying handed her, seating her in front of the mirror, and began applying a slightly American-style vintage look.
The children watched with great curiosity, eyes glued to the process.
It didn’t take long before a bright and glamorous vintage lady appeared in the mirror.
Wang Chaoying couldn’t believe it, turning from side to side. “It’s just makeup, yet why do I look so different from my wedding day?!”
Su Caiqing said, “Makeup works like that; it can transform a person’s appearance and aura.”
“Mom! I! I want makeup too!” Zhang Yunbing immediately shouted.
The triplets got excited as well. “Me too! Me too!”
Su Caiqing asked Wang Chaoying, “Can we borrow these?”
Generously, Wang Chaoying said, “Use them. Today, we should all look beautiful.”
Su Caiqing lightly shaped the children’s eyebrows and applied a touch of lipstick, making them look adorable.
“Aiya, Caiqing, you should do yours too!” Wang Chaoying urged.
Only then did Su Caiqing sit down to do her own makeup.
Su Caiqing’s skin was naturally fair and tender, her features delicate except for her eyes, giving her an exquisite appearance. Without makeup, she already looked charming. The makeup she applied was subtle, enhancing her natural elegance rather than appearing heavy like Wang Chaoying’s.
Wang Chaoying was stunned. “Caiqing, you’re really beautiful!”
Liang Qiheng, initially tending the camera, looked up at the children’s praise. Just one glance, and he found he couldn’t look away—a lovely and dignified beauty indeed!
Normally dressed in a blue blouse and black pants, Su Caiqing already stood out, but this look revealed her hidden beauty.
Liang Qiheng grew excited, eager to see how the photos of both women would turn out.
“Liang Qiheng! Are you ready?!” Wang Chaoying called out.
He quickly responded, “Ready! Ready!” and readjusted the camera on the tripod.
Su Caiqing first took a family portrait with the children, then included Su Dazhuang in another, busying herself before starting the photos of the new outfits.
Wang Chaoying was relaxed, though her poses weren’t ideal. Su Caiqing helped her with a few poses, making her appear elegant and poised.
Liang Qiheng repeatedly gave thumbs up from behind the camera.
Of course, they had no idea that Su Caiqing’s expertise came from her work as a personal assistant for a top designer.
While Wang Chaoying posed, Su Dazhuang held the youngest son, asking, “Fifth sister, early this morning, Aunt Wu came and took all our dirty clothes to wash. What’s going on?”
Su Caiqing explained, “Just helping with our laundry. I’m busy every day, and washing takes me half a day. So I arranged with Aunt Wu: she washes our clothes daily, and I give her twenty jin of rice each month.”
Su Dazhuang inhaled sharply. “Twenty jin? That feeds her family for over half a month!”
Su Caiqing nodded matter-of-factly. “Exactly. Without proper compensation, she wouldn’t agree. Doing laundry for others sounds improper and bourgeois, and she’d worry about responsibility. She wouldn’t accept money, but rice she reluctantly agreed to.”
Su Dazhuang, having never experienced the intensity of anti-rightist struggles, didn’t understand the city folk’s sensitivity.
“But… washing clothes isn’t hard,” Su Dazhuang muttered, thinking twenty jin of rice wasn’t worth it.
“The time I spend washing, I can use to earn much more than twenty jin of rice!”
Taking advantage of Liang Qiheng calling her, Su Caiqing dodged Su Dazhuang’s nagging, letting him ponder it himself.
At current prices, rice was about two mao per jin, amounting to only a few yuan a month. One dress she made could earn more than that easily.
Aunt Wu, being from out of town and seeking factory work, had few opportunities, and with a large family and hungry children, she likely wouldn’t have agreed otherwise.
Freed from the chore of washing clothes, Su Caiqing was delighted, her smile even brighter during the photoshoot.
Wang Chaoying watched, admiring, “Caiqing, you’re amazing. Posing looks casual, but the photos turn out beautiful.”
Liang Qiheng agreed. He had photographed many beautiful people, yet few had such presence in front of the camera.
This time, he immersed himself in the art of portrait photography, forgetting the business purpose.
Su Caiqing, after her own shots, guided others with poses, keeping herself thoroughly busy.
When Zhang Yunbing and Zhang Yunqing posed, Zhang Yunqing seemed a little nervous, while Zhang Yunbing was more confident. Though her poses weren’t perfect, she appeared bold and self-assured.
Zhang Yunbing, daring and expressive, also had some musical talent, later becoming a successful singer. If not for her domineering nature, she might have had even more opportunities.
The triplets’ little girl, Zhang Yuncai, was brave but less perceptive than her older sisters and didn’t react particularly joyfully to wearing a pretty dress.
She had likely been playing with her older brothers and hadn’t paid attention to her own girlishness.
By the time it was nearly done, Su Caiqing prepared to return to cook, but Wang Chaoying insisted, “Today I’m treating you all to a meal.”
“That’s really inconvenient. With so many of us…” Su Dazhuang hesitated, “Better to eat at my sister’s, save money.”
Wang Chaoying refused, determined to take everyone out.
Under her insistence, they went to a relatively clean restaurant.
Eating out required both money and ration tickets, so it wasn’t crowded.
Ordering, Wang Chaoying didn’t hold back, selecting several meat dishes, spending a significant amount of money and tickets.
After the meal, Su Dazhuang thanked Wang Chaoying multiple times. This one meal consumed half a month’s rations for his family.
Su Caiqing felt he had overdone it, so she had him take the children back while she had some matters to discuss with Liang Qiheng.
Wang Chaoying pouted, “What could you two be discussing?”
Su Caiqing didn’t hide anything. “Now that I’m the sales manager for Mr. Liang, I made a plan to increase the studio’s foot traffic. We need to show it to him and discuss how to implement it.”
Wang Chaoying was surprised. “Since when? Why didn’t I know?”
Liang Qiheng proudly said, “I like to act first! If others realized how remarkable Caiqing is, I might’ve missed my chance!”
Wang Chaoying stamped her foot, frustrated. “All because I was too slow!”
“Are you planning to open a store and have Caiqing as your sales manager too?” Liang Qiheng teased.
Wang Chaoying rolled her eyes and linked arms with Su Caiqing. “Caiqing, after I returned last time, I thought for a long time and came up with a plan. I told a few friends, colleagues, and some cousins about that dress. Many were interested and wanted one! I collected their sizes, bought the fabric, and planned to have you make the dresses. That way, you earn a lot, and we get new dresses to wear.”
Su Caiqing was pleasantly surprised by Wang Chaoying’s idea.
Her displeasure came from having less time to make clothes for Wang Chaoying since working for Liang Qiheng.
“How many people did you count?” Su Caiqing asked.
“About a dozen,” Wang Chaoying replied after thinking. “I can ask my in-laws’ side too. A few younger sisters-in-law and cousins combined, maybe over twenty!”
Wang Chaoying’s social circle included many well-off young women, many fond of pretty clothes.
Still… she disliked having duplicate outfits.
“Is there something else you haven’t told me?” Su Caiqing asked.
Wang Chaoying puckered her lips and blinked. “You really notice everything. I only charge a small introduction fee from each person…”
“How much per person?”
Slowly, she raised two fingers. “Two yuan…”
Su Caiqing widened her eyes, incredulous. “Two yuan? After all that work, and treating us to a meal, you only charge two yuan per introduction?”
Wang Chaoying expected Su Caiqing might criticize her, but instead, she thought it was too little.
Su Caiqing rubbed her forehead. As the top designer’s first assistant, any handmade dress she touched was highly valuable; she couldn’t believe Wang Chaoying only charged two yuan per introduction.
Well, at this point, her former status didn’t matter.
“Sorry, Caiqing, I should have consulted you in advance,” Wang Chaoying said carefully.
Regardless of the fee, it still seemed like she was leveraging Su Caiqing.