In the countryside, getting married at eighteen or nineteen wasn't early at all. In fact, some were already mothers by that age.
After all, girls from the countryside were essentially sold off, and there were plenty of examples of them marrying and having children at fourteen or fifteen.
It was a good thing the original owner was a city dweller; otherwise, her child would probably be old enough to run errands by now.
However, this was the first time they had met, so Jiang Shiyue didn't plan on saying too much. She simply smiled and said, "It's not too bad! My husband and I fell in love at first sight, so we got married a bit early."
She turned to look at Xia Yao. "What about you?"
Xia Yao said, a little embarrassed, "I'm getting ready for a blind date, so I wanted to buy a new outfit."
Jiang Shiyue raised an eyebrow. "It seems you're quite pleased with your blind date prospect!"
Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone out of her way to buy new clothes.
Hearing this, Xia Yao's face flushed red, and she stomped her foot. "Yueyue, stop teasing me!"
"Alright, alright, I won't tease you."
Her eyes darted around. "Weren't you curious where I bought these clothes? I'll take you there now."
Hearing that Jiang Shiyue would take her, Xia Yao was a little surprised.
After all, as someone born and raised in the town, she knew it like the back of her hand.
There were only three tailor shops in town. Besides the one opposite the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, which other shop could make such beautiful clothes?
Seeing Xia Yao's surprised expression, Jiang Shiyue explained, "I didn't actually buy this. I had it custom-made, and I provided the fabric myself."
At these words, Xia Yao was utterly shocked. "You actually have fabric!"
Jiang Shiyue nodded. "I made it all myself."
But if she really had to make it, she could.
She had once studied with her grandmother for a long time.
If she hadn't become a doctor later on, she probably would have chosen to be a traditional culture vlog blogger. She was genuinely interested in those things, but unfortunately, her job left her with little time.
Now, Xia Yao's gaze towards Jiang Shiyue was filled not just with admiration, but also with envy. "You're so amazing! Unlike me, I don't know how to do anything."
Jiang Shiyue comforted her, "At least you have a job. Unlike me, I don't even have one."
One had to remember, it was the post office, which was considered an iron rice bowl in this era. Not everyone had such an opportunity.
Jiang Shiyue thought for a moment and finally decided to take Xia Yao to the tailor shop at the end of town.
Comparing the two shops, she felt the owner of the one at the end of town was easier to talk to.
This time, however, she gave Xia Yao a ride on her bicycle. Walking would be too much of a waste of time.
But when they reached the entrance, Jiang Shiyue didn't take Xia Yao straight in. "Yaoyao, wait for me a moment. I'm going to have a word with the owner."
After Xia Yao replied with a "Okay," Jiang Shiyue parked the bike and walked into the shop carrying the suitcase.
The owner was still dusting with a feather duster. Hearing the noise, he turned around. Before he could speak, Jiang Shiyue got straight to the point, "Boss, I have a business proposition for you. Are you interested?"
The owner was a middle-aged man in his fifties, wearing a pair of glasses. "Let's hear it."
Jiang Shiyue put down the suitcase and slowly turned in a circle. "What do you think of the clothes I'm wearing?"
The owner nodded. "Not bad."
Whether it was the fabric or the stitching, it was top-notch. Truly not bad.
He just didn't understand what Jiang Shiyue was trying to do.
"It's like this. I have the fabric. See if you can make an identical set."
Having lived for over fifty years, how could he not understand the meaning behind Jiang Shiyue's words? "I can make it, but what are your terms?"
A smile touched Jiang Shiyue's lips. "The boss is indeed a straightforward man!"
"Then I won't beat around the bush either. I provide the fabric and the design, you're responsible for making it, and we'll have a four-six split for the clothes sold."
She then added, "You get four, I get six."
After all, her fabric also cost money. A four-six split wasn't unreasonable.
The owner pushed up his glasses. "What makes you think I'll agree?"
Jiang Shiyue shrugged. "It's fine if you don't. It's not like yours is the only tailor shop in town."
She then crossed her arms. "But if you do agree, there's business right now. I've already brought the person here."
Meeting Jiang Shiyue's confident gaze, the owner suddenly laughed out loud. "I can agree, but can you guarantee that you'll only supply me?"
Jiang Shiyue smiled sweetly. "I do have some integrity. If you cooperate with me, I certainly won't cooperate with anyone else."
It was better for fewer people to know about this kind of thing. She wasn't a fool.
The owner nodded. "Alright."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shiyue silently took out a notebook and pen from her suitcase and wrote two copies of a rather formal contract in front of the owner. "If you think there are no issues, you can sign it. This will serve as a guarantee for both of us."
Although contracts in this era didn't have much legal force, having one would prevent future disputes.
The owner hadn't expected Jiang Shiyue to be so formal. If he had any other thoughts before, he now couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for this young woman.
After carefully reading the terms of the contract, the owner signed his name.
After all, the contract bound not only him but also Jiang Shiyue, so there was nothing to worry about.
Once the owner had signed both copies, Jiang Shiyue put one away and took out the fabric and a new set of clothes from the suitcase. "Here, this is the fabric and the finished garment. You can take a look first. I'll go call the person in."
With that, she turned and walked out of the shop, waving at Xia Yao. "Yaoyao, come on, I've already spoken with the owner!"
Xia Yao immediately strode over. Inside, Lin Xiangmin was stroking the finished garment, sighing to himself, "Good thing I agreed, otherwise who knows how much I would have regretted it."
Seeing Jiang Shiyue bring Xia Yao in, he put down the garment. "Young lady, I hear from Miss Yue that you want to have an identical set custom-made."
Xia Yao nodded. "Yes, may I ask how long it will take?"
Lin Xiangmin pushed up his glasses. "You can come pick it up tomorrow morning."
Xia Yao hadn't expected it to be so fast and was even more tempted. "What about the price?"
Lin Xiangmin and Jiang Shiyue hadn't discussed the price. He subconsciously looked at Jiang Shiyue, who immediately spoke up, "Uncle Lin, this is my friend. Let's give her a cheaper price."
Lin Xiangmin nodded. "Of course."
"Yaoyao, how about thirty yuan? After all, I paid ten yuan just for the labor fee."
An outfit at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative cost sixty or seventy yuan, and she had previously seen the prices of the finished clothes at the tailor shop opposite the cooperative. Thirty yuan was already very cheap.
Besides, Xia Yao worked at the post office and would surely bring in more business later. It could be considered a promotion, so all in all, it wasn't a loss.