Other people's lives are always their own, and Zhao Mingyue knew she wasn't a savior. After the troubles subsided, life had to go on. She could only silently wish Yu Youfen happiness and hoped that her third brother could move on from this heartbreak and find a more suitable partner in the future.

Spring in Beijing is particularly short, seemingly passing in the blink of an eye. By May, summer is already showing its signs in Beijing, and people are donning light clothing. Many students made their own Dacron shirts at home before heading to university. Dacron is a blend of polyester and cotton; while breathable (though not exceptionally so), it's more wrinkle-resistant, lightweight, and especially durable than cotton, making it the most popular fabric in the 1970s and 80s. Moreover, Dacron comes in a variety of beautiful colors, adding a bright touch to the otherwise somber atmosphere of that era.

Some people even made their own clothes. Zhao Mingyue was the first to lead the way, because Shen Xuyue gave her a set of clothes made of polyester fabric. The top was pale yellow, and the skirt was white with small floral patterns—very pretty. Holding the clothes, Zhao Mingyue asked Shen Xuyue excitedly, "Why did you think of buying me clothes?"

Shen Xuyue said, "You forgot? Aunt Fang gave me some cloth coupons last time. I saw that the weather was getting hot, so I thought I'd buy some fabric to make you a dress. While I was making it, I noticed that there were quite a few women making skirts there. I thought you would look good in a skirt, so I made you one too. Do you like it?"

Zhao Mingyue was overjoyed and couldn't stop smiling. Shen Xuyue was so gentle and considerate: "I like it, it's so beautiful."

Shen Xuyue said, "Wear it for me next time."

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Okay."

Zhao Mingyue brought the dress back to the dormitory. Everyone knew that Shen Xuyue had given her a dress, and they clamored for her to change into it so they could all see. Zhao Mingyue changed into it, and a group of girls exclaimed in amazement, "So beautiful, Mingyue, like a fairy!" Zhao Mingyue wasn't very tall, only 1.65 meters, but she had a well-proportioned figure, a full bust, a slim waist, and a pert bottom. Her pants, worn long for many years, made her skin appear exceptionally white, and her calves were shapely and long, as beautiful as white jade.

Zhao Mingyue looked down at the dress; the fabric was too thin, and her underwear would be visible through it. Zhao Mingyue immediately changed the dress, but everyone said, "Why change it? Just keep it on."

Zhao Mingyue said, "I need to do some finishing touches." Although some women like to dress like this, subtly revealing their underwear, it's undeniably too frivolous. Zhao Mingyue tore off a piece of white cotton cloth and sewed a petticoat, so that when she wore it, nothing could be seen.

Every girl loves to look beautiful. When the girls in the dorm saw Zhao Mingyue wearing a skirt, they got excited and started chattering about buying fabric to make clothes and skirts. The money was saved from their usual living expenses, and the fabric coupons were either brought from home or bought from others. Li Chunmei said, "I want to buy a few more yards of fabric and make a dress. What do you guys think?"

"You can make skirts?" Tang Weihua asked in surprise.

Li Chunmei said, "I don't know how, but you can take it to a tailor shop."

"oh."

Zhao Mingyue said, "I can do it." She knows how to sew; she learned it after getting married in her previous life. Later, making clothes earned her her first pot of gold, which was also the initial capital for her business.

"Mingyue, you really know how to make dresses?" Everyone gathered around.

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "I can do it, I can cut and sew, but I don't have a sewing machine." She spread her hands as she spoke.

Qian Sisheng said, "Don't worry about that, I have some at home. Come to my house to make it sometime, we'll all go together."

"Okay, okay!"

Zhao Mingyue said, "Then you should go buy the fabric first."

Li Chunmei pulled her along, saying, "Youngest sister, aren't you going to do it? Even if you're not going to do it, go and give us some feedback."

Everyone got up to buy fabric, but Mao Jianlan remained seated at the table reading. Zhao Mingyue noticed that she hadn't participated in the conversation, so she went over and asked, "Jianlan, aren't you making clothes?"

Mao Jianlan glanced at Zhao Mingyue and shook her head: "I don't like wearing skirts."

The sisters exchanged glances, and Zhao Mingyue said, "Alright then, let's go."

Mao Jianlan nodded, glancing at everyone with a hint of melancholy in her eyes. Zhao Mingyue, being very observant, noticed this. Once outside, Zhao Mingyue asked Tang Weihua, "Elder sister, is Fifth Brother's family not doing too well?"

Tang Weihua nodded: "It seems so. She has many siblings and a grandmother who is paralyzed in bed. I've seen her often skip serving dishes at meals and just get the free soup. She saves the money and sends it home."

The school cafeteria offers free tomato and egg soup or seaweed soup. Zhao Mingyue remained silent. Mao Jianlan was usually not very outgoing, but she was very knowledgeable and rarely talked about her family, which showed that she was a girl with a very strong sense of self-esteem. So she said, "We all make skirts, but she's the only one who doesn't. I don't need to make one, so I'll give her one."

Tang Weihua said, "I can't let you pay for everything yourself, so I'll chip in a little."

Qian Sisheng, who was listening to their conversation, said, "I'll contribute too."

The remaining two also offered to chip in, and Zhao Mingyue said, "Okay, let's chip in the money, and I'll pay for the fabric coupons. We'll pick out a pretty piece of fabric for her, and then I'll make her a unique dress."

Gao Dongfang said, "Sure, it seems like this weekend is her birthday, so let's give her this as a birthday present together."

"Great idea!" everyone agreed.

Li Chunmei said, "Then you have to work hard, youngest sister, and try to finish making all the dresses before the fifth sister's birthday, so we can wear new dresses together on her birthday, okay?"

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Okay, I'll do my best, and Fourth Sister can help me out."

"no problem."

The sisters were picking out fabrics at the department store. Each of them chose their favorite pattern and then asked Zhao Mingyue for advice on whether it would be suitable for making skirts. After helping everyone choose their fabrics, Zhao Mingyue picked out a piece for Mao Jianlan and then bought a roll of white fabric to make petticoats for everyone.

Because she needed to hurry up and make clothes and skirts, Zhao Mingyue went home with Qian Sisheng every night to cut and sew clothes, leaving her no time to date Shen Xuyue.

Shen Xuyue went to their school but found no one there. Li Chunmei went to him and said, "We've been borrowing Lao Yao to help with some work recently. We'll return it to you in a few days. Come over on Sunday."

Shen Xuyue was completely baffled: "What secret activities are you having?"

Li Chunmei said with a smile, "Can we keep this a secret for now? Anyway, it's not a bad thing. She'll be busy for a few days, and then we'll all treat you to a meal to apologize."

Shen Xuyue smiled and nodded, "Alright then, I'll head back now. Could you please tell Mingyue to remember to write back to me?" Shen Xuyue wondered to himself, "Could it be that Zhao Mingyue went to rehearse? Is their drama club putting on a show?"

Zhao Mingyue was getting clothes made at Qian Sisheng's house, and Qian's parents were very welcoming. Their daughter's classmate was so capable and enthusiastic, so of course they wanted to support her. Qian's mother was especially hospitable, cooking eggs for Zhao Mingyue and Qian Sisheng every night. This made Zhao Mingyue feel very embarrassed: "Auntie, please don't waste them, I don't eat eggs."

“How is that a waste? You put a lot of effort into this. Eat something to nourish your mind and body.” Mrs. Qian was very kind and liked Zhao Mingyue very much.

Qian's mother could tell that Zhao Mingyue was a clever and skillful girl, beautiful, and with an excellent temperament. So she secretly inquired with her daughter whether Zhao Mingyue had a boyfriend, and it seemed that she was even planning to play matchmaker for her.

Qian Sisheng said, "Mom, Xiao Zhao has a boyfriend. He's from Beijing, good-looking, a college student, and from Tsinghua University. They're a perfect match."

Mrs. Qian was slightly disappointed: "Oh, I was thinking of introducing Chu Cai to him." Qian Chu Cai was Qian Si Sheng's older brother. Their father was from Hubei, which is why they gave their children these two names.

"Mom, don't bother with all that. It'll be embarrassing for her if she finds out," Qian Sisheng said, watching Zhao Mingyue bustling around the room.

Mrs. Qian nodded: "Okay, I understand."

Zhao Mingyue spent three or four nights finishing the clothes and skirts for all five people. She also used the extra white cloth to make a white shirt for Shen Xuyue. She had already thought about it when she was cutting the fabric: she would cut more so she could make a shirt for Shen Xuyue.

The sisters were all incredibly excited to receive their new clothes and dresses. They were all busy trying them on in the dormitory. Zhao Mingyue said, "Don't rush to wear them, everyone. The buttonholes haven't been hemmed yet. My fourth sister and I can't handle it, so you can hem them yourselves. Sew on the buttons too."

So everyone stayed home that evening, busy sewing buttons and buttonholes. Only Mao Jianlan went out alone, looking somewhat forlorn. However, everyone had agreed to give her a surprise, so they kept quiet. Of course, Zhao Mingyue finished sewing her clothes.

The next day was Sunday. Mao Jianlan got up early and saw a small floral dress on her bedside table—the very one Zhao Mingyue had sewn the day before. She reached out and touched the dress; it was so thin, so soft, so beautiful. She wished she could have one too. Unfortunately, she didn't have the extra money to buy one. She'd heard that the school scholarships were very generous, with a first prize of 70 yuan. She decided she must study hard and try to win the scholarship so she could buy herself a dress.

Hearing a noise from the upper bunk, Mao Jianlan knew that Zhao Mingyue had gotten up, so she pulled back the bed curtain and said to Zhao Mingyue, "Little Zhao, why did you put your skirt on my bed? Did you forget to take it up? Here you go."

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "Jianlan, happy birthday! This is a birthday gift from all of us to you. Try it on and see if it fits."

Mao Jianlan was stunned: "Give...for me?"

Everyone peeked out from behind their bed curtains: "Happy birthday, Fifth Brother! May you have many more birthdays to come! Hurry up and try on your dress!"

Mao Jianlan was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes. Just yesterday, she was feeling sad and out of place, unable to fit into their world. She never expected that everyone would see through her feelings and prepare such a big surprise for her. She bowed deeply to everyone and said, "Thank you, sisters!"

Everyone waved in unison: "Go change your clothes and see how good our youngest brother's cooking is."

Mao Jianlan excitedly changed into a dress with trembling hands and crawled out from behind the bed curtains. Everyone else had changed their clothes and came out, and the whole room was filled with bright colors and different styles, which was very eye-catching.

Mao Jianlan wore a round-neck, small red floral print maxi dress with a cinched waist. The hem just covered her knees, revealing her calves. Zhao Mingyue looked at her dress and nodded in satisfaction: "Hmm, it seems my eye is pretty good. Jianlan's size is exactly right. Does everyone think it looks good?"

"Beautiful! So gorgeous!" everyone cheered in unison.

Apart from Mao Jianlan, the others were all custom-made. As a tailor, Zhao Mingyue has a good eye. Even though Mao Jianlan's dress wasn't made to size, it was still made perfectly, which is admirable.

Mao Jianlan sniffed: "Thank you everyone."

Li Chunmei reached out and wiped away her tears: "Today is your twentieth birthday, a very important day in our hometown. So be happy."

Mao Jianlan nodded: "Yes, I'm happy. You've all been so kind to me."

"We're sisters, don't be shy," Tang Weihua said.

Li Chunmei said, "Come on, everyone, take a look. What do you think of my dress?" As she spoke, she twirled around.

Li Chunmei wore a green long dress with a ruffled collar. The fabric was a dark color, but the green was very bright, and it suited her fair skin well. Everyone nodded and said, "Beautiful."

Tang Weihua was a bit older and married. She was quite thin and tall. The dress Zhao Mingyue made for her was a fitted A-line skirt, with a plain white shirt paired with a plain blue skirt and a small slit in the back, giving her a mature and capable look.

Gao Dongfang wore a white shirt on top and a fuchsia flared skirt on the bottom. Qian Sisheng was the only one who insisted on not wearing a skirt. She felt that she was too fat and that skirts would not look good on her. So Zhao Mingyue made her a pointed-collar floral shirt and a pair of slim-fitting high-waisted pants. By tucking the shirt into the waistband, she looked even taller.

Zhao Mingyue was wearing the dress that Shen Xuyue had given her. In terms of style, Zhao Mingyue's dress was a bit outdated, but it was brightly colored and no less attractive than the others'.

On this day, room 305 of the girls' dormitory became the most beautiful sight in the entire dormitory building and even the entire campus. When the six of them went out, they attracted the attention of passers-by. Most of their clothes were not common styles, and they were incredibly beautiful and fashionable.

Many female students who love fashion came over and asked, "Where did you get these clothes made? I've never seen this style before. Tell me, I want to get one made too." And it wasn't just one person who asked this.

Gao Dongfang was very proud and said, "This can't be sold outside. It was made by the girls in my dormitory."

Someone then said, "Really? Can you do it for us? We can pay you a processing fee."

Gao Dongfang winked at Zhao Mingyue: "Little Zhao, you could open a clothing store."

Li Chunmei said, "That's right, youngest son, you made such beautiful clothes, and you designed the style yourself. If you took these to a clothing store, they would definitely not be cheap."

"I didn't design this; I learned it from magazines," Zhao Mingyue said. These weren't her original designs, but some were a bit ahead of their time. She had a sudden thought: should she open her own shop during summer vacation and make clothes for people? At least in the short term, she should be able to make a lot of money.

Shen Xuyue hadn't seen Zhao Mingyue for a week. When the weekend arrived, he came over early in the morning. When he saw Zhao Mingyue's dress, he smiled, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. He tilted his head and examined it for a long time, then nodded repeatedly: "Beautiful."

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "Yes, the clothes you bought are nice."

Shen Xuyue shook his head: "They both look good, but the person wearing these clothes looks even better. They complement each other perfectly."

Zhao Mingyue said, "Today is the birthday of our fifth roommate. Let's go out for dinner together. We'll treat her."

“Okay, I’ll treat you.” Shen Xuyue readily agreed.

"You don't need to host, just give a gift," Zhao Mingyue said mysteriously. "Don't get confused when you see our roommates later."

"Is there anything special about it?" Shen Xuyue asked with a smile.

Zhao Mingyue kept everyone in suspense: "You'll find out when you see it."

Just then, his roommates came downstairs, planning to go to the library to study first and then go eat when it was time to eat. When Shen Xuyue saw them, he blinked hard a few times. He turned to Zhao Mingyue and said, "I really can't see clearly."

"Aren't they beautiful? I made all of these." Zhao Mingyue had a hint of pride on her face.

Shen Xuyue stared at Zhao Mingyue in astonishment, his eyes wide: "Did you really do all of this? How could you do these things?"

Zhao Mingyue said, "I studied tailoring. I learned the designs from magazines and pictorials."

Shen Xuyue said in surprise, "Mingyue, you're really amazing! You can make it just by seeing it."

Several classmates stood in front of them. Gao Dongfang smiled and said, "Xiao Shen, aren't our dresses pretty?" She wasn't actually older than Shen Xuyue, but Lao Qin was a little older than Shen Xuyue, so she called him Xiao Shen like Lao Qin did.

Shen Xuyue gave a thumbs up: "They're all beautiful. The person who made these clothes and skirts is very skillful." He leaned close to Zhao Mingyue's ear and whispered, "So you've been busy with this lately?" He thought she was busy rehearsing a play.

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Mm."

Everyone burst out laughing: "If you want to praise Xiao Zhao, just say so directly. Don't beat around the bush. That would seem very hypocritical."

Shen Xuyue exclaimed sincerely, "Your presence has added a bright touch to this beautiful May. On behalf of all the people who are enjoying the scenery, I thank you."

Shen Xuyue wasn't exaggerating at all. Colors these days were far too dull and monotonous. Dacron fabric injected a breath of fresh air into the era. People generally only used it for shirts; it was rare to see people like Zhao Mingyue and her classmate making skirts out of it. Skirts weren't uncommon these days, but they were mostly made of coarse blue or military green fabric. Dacron was too thin and too sheer for skirts, making it easy to expose oneself. Zhao Mingyue added a petticoat to avoid this problem. It was indeed an improvement.

Zhao Mingyue opened her schoolbag and took out the shirt she had made for Shen Xuyue: "I also made a shirt for him. Try it on and see if it fits."

Shen Xuyue put it on right away, and everyone exclaimed in surprise, "Why is the back of this dress round?"

Zhao Mingyue said with a smile, "I deliberately made it round. Don't you think it looks better this way?"

Everyone felt something was off; the style was too avant-garde, and people's aesthetic sense couldn't accept it right away, so no one said anything.

Shen Xuyue looked at it himself and said, "It looks good and has personality. The clothes also fit well."

"Yeah, that's right." Zhao Mingyue thought to herself that it was not bad. He knew how to support her. The rounded hem of the shirt was indeed more fashionable than the conventional straight-hem shirt, making her look playful and youthful.

Shen Xuyue took off the clothes and carefully put them in his schoolbag as if they were a treasure. It was the first piece of clothing his girlfriend had made for him, and he wanted to keep it safe and only wear it on important occasions.

Several girls walked through the campus, attracting the attention of many men. Shen Xuyue felt extremely proud; he was the only green leaf among a sea of ​​green, and the other men were bound to be envious. Moreover, this refreshing breeze was brought about by his girlfriend, so how could he not feel proud?

The fresh trend started by Zhao Mingyue quickly swept across the campus of the Normal University, and many fashion-conscious female students tried to make their own Dacron dresses. Li Chunmei observed every day and then came back to tell Zhao Mingyue, "Today I saw someone copying my dress again. It's so crudely made, it doesn't have a waistline, and it looks so big on me, like I'm pregnant." She chuckled to herself as she spoke.

Tang Weihua said, "Mingyue, Li Xiaofen from our class came to see you today, asking if you have time to make her a dress."

Zhao Mingyue said, "But I don't have a sewing machine. If I want to make it, I have to go to my fourth sister's house, which is too much trouble for them."

"She said she was willing to pay you for the processing fee," Tang Weihua said.

Zhao Mingyue smiled and shook her head: "It's still inconvenient, forget it." Even if her classmate gave her the money, she would be embarrassed to accept it. People's values ​​are different in this era than in the future. To ask for money for helping a classmate is simply to be greedy and reek of money, which would be despised.