Yunshang Pavilion was the largest ready-made clothing shop in the county. Customers could either buy clothes that were already made or have them tailored to their measurements.
Madam Liu stared at the shop’s gilded sign, feeling uneasy.
“Qingqing, if you want some new clothes, we can just buy a few yards of fabric and I’ll make them for you at home. The clothes here are far too expensive.”
“We’re not buying anything. We’re just going in to have a look.”
Gu Qingqing took her mother’s hand and walked inside without the slightest hesitation.
The shop assistant was sweeping the floor. The moment he noticed customers entering, he hurried over with a cheerful smile.
“Welcome! What can I help you with?”
But the instant he got a good look at their clothes, his expression changed completely.
“Where did these beggars come from? First thing in the morning, and already bringing bad luck! Get out!”
Madam Liu instinctively started backing toward the door, but Gu Qingqing tightened her grip on her hand.
She shot the man a cold look.
“I have business to discuss with your shopkeeper.”
The girl standing before him looked younger than her age. Her face was thin and sallow, and her coarse clothes were covered in patches. A basket nearly as tall as she was was strapped to her back. She looked nothing like someone who could possibly have business to discuss with the owner.
Yet there was something unnerving about those clear black eyes and the sharpness of her gaze. It was almost as though her stare had physical weight.
Under her scrutiny, the shop assistant inexplicably felt a chill of fear.
Embarrassed by his own unease, he grew angry and began waving the feather duster in his hand, driving them toward the door.
“Go, go, go! Our shopkeeper isn’t here.”
Gu Qingqing glanced toward the inner room. The door had been left slightly ajar, only to close again the instant she looked over.
She gave a disdainful laugh.
“Hah! The world is a small place. I hope you won’t regret this when we meet again.”
With that, she took Madam Liu’s hand and walked out.
“Qingqing, don’t be upset. Let’s go buy a few yards of fabric. I promise I’ll make you a set of clothes prettier than anything they have in that shop.”
As soon as they stepped outside, Madam Liu hurried to comfort her.
Gu Qingqing looked at her, and the coldness in her eyes melted away like snow beneath the sun.
They were so poor that Madam Liu could barely bear to spend two copper coins on a ride in an ox cart. Yet the moment she mistakenly thought her daughter wanted new clothes, she hadn’t rejected the idea for even a second.
Even after being humiliated because of her daughter’s stubborn decision, she hadn’t blamed her. Instead, all she could think about was how to comfort her and make it up to her.
Gu Qingqing opened her arms and pulled her mother into a big hug.
“Mother, having you is the best thing in the world!”
Madam Liu gently stroked her daughter’s soft hair, her voice filled with guilt.
“It’s because your mother is useless that I’ve let you suffer like this.”
“I don’t feel wronged at all.”
Gu Qingqing smiled and took her mother’s hand, leading her in a different direction.
“They don’t know how good your embroidery is. If they refuse to work with us, that’s their loss. They’ll regret it eventually.”
In Gu Qingqing’s memories, Madam Liu was extraordinarily skilled at needlework. Whether it was cutting patterns or embroidery, no one for miles around could match her.
Even when she was only mending a simple tear, she could make the repair look better than anyone else. She would often embroider little vines, leaves, and flowers over the patches, making them look almost decorative instead of shabby.
Unfortunately, the family was simply too poor, leaving her with very little opportunity to put those skills to use.
Madam Liu finally understood what her daughter was getting at.
“You want me to make clothes for them? Yes, that’s a good idea!”
She had heard the villagers mention that Yunshang Pavilion paid generous wages for sewing work. The problem was that their fabrics and embroidery threads were expensive, and anyone who wanted to take work from them had to put down a deposit first.
They hadn’t had the money before.
But now, they did.
“Come on, let’s go back and talk to them again! Oh, no. Their attitude was terrible. You stay here, and I’ll go by myself.”
“No. They’re not worthy of our business. We’ll do it ourselves!”
Gu Qingqing led Madam Liu around two alleyways and stopped in front of an old-fashioned fabric shop with a faded sign.
The village women had mentioned this shop before. The owner was fair with his prices and easygoing with customers. The only drawback was that they didn’t carry many colors.
In front of the shelves, a girl of about fifteen or sixteen was dusting the fabric with a feather duster.
She looked over at Gu Qingqing and Madam Liu. After taking in their plain, patched clothes, she didn’t show the slightest trace of disdain.
She merely said lazily, “Have a look around. Whatever catches your eye, I’ll give you the lowest price. We’re closing in a few days, so you won’t have another chance to buy anything here.”
So the business was going under?
Gu Qingqing was surprised, but after scanning the shelves, she immediately understood why.
It wasn’t that the shop carried “a few fewer colors” as the village women had said.
There were barely any colors at all!
Aside from dark shades such as black, blue, and gray, there was white and red. The selection of fabrics themselves was actually quite decent, ranging from coarse hemp and fine cotton to brocade satin.
For villagers, these practical, dirt-resistant colors, along with red and white for weddings and funerals, were more than enough.
But if they wanted to run a profitable clothing business, this selection simply wouldn’t do.
“You only have these colors? Don’t you have anything brighter?”
Gu Qingqing asked sincerely.
The girl sighed.
“I don’t mind telling you. Our suppliers ran into some problems, so we’re only able to get these colors. That’s why we can’t keep the shop going.”
Gu Qingqing ran her fingers over the different fabrics one by one.
The quality was excellent. The shop wasn’t beyond saving after all.
An idea suddenly struck her.
“I have a way to bring your shop back from the brink. Would you dare give it a try?”
The girl’s spirits immediately lifted.
“You really do?”
Gu Qingqing nodded solemnly, her dark eyes clear and unwavering.
The girl looked the mother and daughter over again.
Despite their coarse, worn clothes, both women were clean and presentable. There was also something about their bearing that set them apart from ordinary village women, especially the young girl named Gu Qingqing.
She looked only thirteen or fourteen, yet she spoke clearly and confidently, with a calmness far beyond her years. Her dark, luminous eyes gave people an inexplicable sense of warmth and trust.
Still, this was a business decision that could determine the fate of the entire shop. She couldn’t make such a decision based solely on instinct and impulse.
Gu Qingqing could see the hesitation in her eyes.
She spoke frankly.
“I know it’s asking too much to expect you to make a decision based on just a few words from us. We can go home and make a few sets of clothes first. Once you’ve seen them, you can decide whether you want to work with us.”
She paused before adding, “But let’s be clear about the terms beforehand. If you agree to cooperate, you’ll be responsible for the fabric, thread, and other supplies, as well as sales. We’ll handle the designs, production, and marketing. We want fifty percent of the profits.”
“Fifty percent?”
“Fifty percent?”
Liu Chuntao and Madam Liu exclaimed at the same time.
Liu Chuntao was simply stunned by the figure.
The shop was already on the verge of closing down, yet this girl was asking for half the profits. Was she really that confident?
Madam Liu, however, had an entirely different thought racing through her mind.
Her daughter had gotten far too bold!
She wasn’t putting up any capital, yet she had the nerve to demand half of someone else’s profits!
She could have stayed silent a moment ago, but if she didn’t step in now, this business deal was almost certainly going to fall apart.
It was rare for someone to be willing to trust her sewing skills. Even if they only paid her a modest amount for her handiwork, she wanted to secure this opportunity.
Madam Liu made up her mind and was just about to speak when Liu Chuntao suddenly slammed her palm against the table and shot to her feet.
“That’s outrageous!”