Chapter 19: Auntie and the Tailor Part 5

Chu Wang happened to ask why Mr. Saumur had stopped tailoring for the British royal family. Mr. Saumur explained that upon hearing the war had begun, he petitioned King George V to return to Paris to join the army. He served in the infantry for three years. After the Allied victory, he returned to Paris and opened a tailoring shop in the 8th arrondissement.

The next day after the conversation, Mr. Saumur dug out a pile of photos and brought them to Yau Ma Tei, showing them pictures of himself before and after his victory. In the photos, Mr. Saumur, 30, was wearing red breeches and a gray-blue uniform, holding a rifle, with a resolute expression.

Amidst Mrs. Ruan's repeated exclamations, Chu Wang's mind was filled with thoughts like, "Oh my god, the Eighth Arrondissement, the starting rent is 3,000 Euros a month." He silently calculated: If things really don't work out, I'll just make a lot of money before I'm 31, buy two houses in Paris after World War II, and live the life of a landlady for the rest of my life.

While the French uniforms were a bit worn compared to the Nazis, the young Mr. Saumur still looked quite handsome in the old photos. When Lin Chuwang asked if he had a wife and children, Mr. Saumur quickly changed the subject. He first showed them off with a glittering look, showing off the shrapnel in his arm and the gunshot wound in his back. He then talked about the signing of the Treaty of Versailles at the Paris Peace Conference, where the wives of several British and French diplomats had their dresses made by him. The wives of the two countries taunted each other, calling each other "old-fashioned," "unfashionable," "out of line," and "not decent enough." Mrs. Ruan chuckled.

Speaking of the Treaty of Versailles, Chu Wang recalled a rather suspicious incident. As a defeated nation in World War I, Germany's war reparations weren't fully paid until 2010. The Treaty of Versailles triggered a decade-long period of inflation in Germany, with the mark rapidly depreciating to the point where thousands of marks could only buy a loaf of bread. This also indirectly led to World War II. At the beginning of World War I, Si Ying was one of the members who strongly advocated for Duan Qirui to declare war on Germany. So why, after the Treaty of Versailles, did he instead send Si Yansang to study in Germany?

Chu Wang asked Mr. Saumur this question: "Why would a man who strongly advocated declaring war on Germany before the war still send his son to a defeated country, to a country struggling with the Treaty of Versailles?"

Mr. Saumur thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps they don't want him to go into politics or join the army at the most appropriate age?"

Given Yi Siying's current position in the Beiyang government, if his son had pursued a career in government, he would have risen to prominence in no time. Why force him to endure this hardship in Germany? Even with the current surge in interest in studying abroad for a better education, wouldn't Britain, France, or even the United States be a better option than Germany?

Chu Wang's confusion deepened at this point.

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For the past two months, Mrs. Qiao had been swamped with the daily chores of Qiao Maling's wedding, and constantly engaged in jealousy over Aunt Michelle's affairs, which naturally made Mr. Qiao's life difficult. With the English entrance exam for the new students at the Hong Kong Girls' School approaching, Xue Zhenzhen and Lin Yunyan were undergoing intensive preparatory tutoring with Teacher Smith day and night, even skipping their morning ballet classes for several days. Seeing Chu Wang alone as a student, Teacher Shao seemed displeased. In short, no one had the time to find fault with Chu Wang, so she was happy to have some free time.

Chu Wang had never imagined that she would see the groom before anyone else in the Qiao Mansion. That afternoon, she had just learned how to pleat and was eager to show Mr. Saumur off when suddenly a crowd of people started running out onto the street, making a lot of noise.

She also looked out onto the street and was instantly shocked.

A long line stretched from a short distance from the shops to the end of the street, and it wasn't over yet—it was filled with porters carrying enormous boxes. Each box was tied with red silk knots, and the tables and glass cases on the box lids were filled with exquisite porcelain, some with embroidered linens. As the line progressed, the more furniture they carried, pieces of furniture of materials Chu Wang couldn't quite place, all of them elegant European-style, their value evident. The porters were also carefully selected, their steps in unison and exceptionally steady. Despite the breathtaking display of fine porcelain on the boxes, it was impossible to break a single piece.

Without a doubt, these were her sister's betrothal gifts. According to rumors she'd heard from passersby, some of these items were carefully selected from Europe, while others were shipped from Vietnam. All the betrothal gifts were first shipped—two freight barges chartered—then unloaded at the docks. Porters hired in advance carried them all the way up the mountain from Kowloon Port, and then driven to Barton Road—so that the citizens of Hong Kong could also witness Mr. Huang Xing's handiwork.

Several Dodges slowly trailed the porters. As one of the cars passed, Mrs. Nguyen suddenly pointed excitedly at a man in the driver's seat. He had a slicked-back haircut, a dark complexion, and wasn't particularly handsome, but his features were regular and his expression resolute. As he passed the tailor's shop, the man rolled down his window, reached out his left hand, and shook out a cigarette. Mrs. Nguyen pointed at him and said in French, "I know him. His name is Huang Mark!"

Only then did Chu Wang meet her future cousin-in-law.

Mrs. Nguyen said, "He's very famous in Saigon! His father is the owner of a very large tobacco company, and his family is very powerful in Saigon! Last year, he had a French girlfriend, but his father caught him and beat her up on the spot. The girl's face was even broken. This incident caused a big uproar in Saigon last year! Later, I heard that his father found a marriage for him. I don't know which family in Hong Kong she is from..."

Mr. Somir certainly didn't know that the man outside was Mr. Qiao's future son-in-law. He simply made a few jokes like "a spineless coward".

Chu Wang was naturally well aware of the situation. With a complex expression, she looked at the wedding dress, almost finished, in Mrs. Ruan's hands. Then, she glanced out the window at the nouveau riche's high-profile betrothal procession. Then, thinking of the pure, beautiful, elegant, and noble Qiao Maling, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of regret.

But then she thought again: these two people, one had a secret meeting with a playboy from England before her wedding and failed, while the other was beaten up in the street by her father for dating a French girlfriend. In the end, it was like trying to make up for their mistakes. To make up for their mistakes, Miss Qiao and Mr. Huang both got this extremely suitable marriage that shocked the Nanyang business world...

So it doesn't seem that unfair.

——

On Earl Road, preparations for the English entrance exam and weddings were in full swing. As a major figure in the Pearl River Delta trade, prominent figures from Hong Kong and Shanghai frequently visited Mr. Qiao, under the pretext of celebrating Qiao Maling's wedding. The gifts on the porch were too numerous to unwrap, and there were frequent parties in the Qiao Mansion's small garden—though the three little girls were not allowed to attend. Lin Chuwang would hum a tune to the blues in the garden every day before returning home to practice his tailoring skills, while Xue Zhenzhen and Yun Yan would frantically memorize vocabulary to the accompaniment of music.

Xue Zhenzhen, who had been exposed to English since childhood, learned much faster than Yunyan. Yunyan, perhaps because she had been a talented woman of the feudal era for too long, had difficulty adapting her mindset and struggled to learn. Lin Yunyan had repeatedly failed the entrance exams for the Hong Kong Girls' School, while Xue Zhenzhen, a top student, scored above 80. Xue Zhenzhen's occasional, self-congratulatory comments and complacency further exacerbated Lin Yunyan's learning environment.

The October entrance exams were approaching, and Yunyan was so focused on preparing that she'd even skipped ballet classes, leaving her with little time for the newspaper. On the morning of the 18th, the front pages were dominated by headlines about "Northern Expedition to Suppress Rebellion" and "Zhili-Fengtian War." Lin Chuwang calmly reviewed all the news, confirmed his father wasn't on the wrong side, and calmly put down the newspaper to drink his milk.

Mrs. Qiao, who lacked the ability to predict the future, was not so calm. She put down the newspaper, stole a glance at Lin Chuwang, and with a pale face, she stood up from the table and hurried upstairs to discuss with her husband. Although Lin Chuwang did not hear the content of their conversation, it was probably nothing more than "If the direct line of traitor succeeds, should our family continue to protect Lin Yu or should we draw a clear line between us as soon as possible?"

Mrs. Qiao's worries were not without reason, but her loss of composure only occurred at the dinner table on the morning of the 18th. After that, she treated the two younger daughters of the Lin family the same as usual.

Lin Chuwang, unfazed by her family's future, had long since drifted off to a distant place. She thought of Zhang Shaoshuai, one of the Four Marshals of the Republic of China. Now, at twenty-three, he was already a brigade commander, still incredibly handsome, a true youthful beauty. If he hadn't married so young, he'd probably be the perfect choice for a wealthy husband, as many upper-class ladies had hoped. Miss Zhao Si, who was probably Yunyan's age now, wondered if she was still studying in Hong Kong. Lin Chuwang longed to see her face.

Therefore, when Yunyan suggested, "Why not let my third sister take the English test at the girls' school together to prepare for next year?" Lin Chuwang agreed without hesitation. After all, if she could take the entrance exam alongside Miss Yidi, it would be something she could brag about to her children and grandchildren in the future!

Mrs. Qiao and Qiao Maling also accepted Yunyan's proposal. After all, no one had any hope that Lin Chuwang would pass the test. They thought that she was just going to accompany her two sisters to take the test, which would also help them pass the test next year.

The day before the entrance exam, Lin Chuwang asked Mr. Saumier for leave and received a small red round hat from him. Mr. Saumier explained that since the Chinese believe red represents good luck, the red hat symbolizes "joy from heaven." So, he commissioned Mrs. Ruan to tattoo a small, regular-script "Fu" character on the underside of the hat, followed by the cursive "lucky~" character.

This reminded Lin Chuwang of those ignorant foreigners who, from nowhere, had picked up the trend of tattooing Chinese characters on their bodies, often in block letters. She had seen more than one handsome German boy show off to her the giant "Fu," "Ji Xiang," and even "Xi" characters printed on their bodies.

However, the next day, Chu Wang happily put on her little round hat and got on the Qiao family's car heading to the Hong Kong Girls' School on Kowloon Mountain Road.

It was a Friday, and the girls left school early at two in the afternoon. Most of them were fifteen or sixteen years old, with identical, childish haircuts and dark navy and white sailor suits. Their skirts fell below their knees, and beneath them were white socks that reached past their calves, and small, round-toed leather shoes. The girls, who were either still developing or already fully developed, exuded the pure air of a well-educated, well-mannered person. They giggled and played past the smaller children, who were a head or two shorter, and boarded the tram, tennis rackets in hand. Three girls followed the girls around, their faces filled with envy.

Xue Zhenzhen tilted her head slightly and said, "Next summer, I must ask my aunt for her opinion and take us to the beach at Repulse Bay to get more sun. Darker, healthier skin looks better."

Yunyan muttered to himself, "beautiful, beautiful."

Xue Zhenzhen rolled her eyes: "Tiful."

Lin Chuwang poked his head around and asked everyone he met, "Do you know the fourth daughter of the Zhao family, whose surname is 'Zhao'? Her name is Yidi, or Edith."

In the end, Chu Wang still failed to find the living human-shaped relic of the Republic of China, Miss Zhao Yidie, and Yun Yan's face became paler as the exam time approached.

There were twelve new students, twelve little girls, aged eleven or twelve, led by nuns into the castle-like teaching building and seated in three rows in a second-floor classroom. Each girl was a head shorter than the nuns, and Lin Chuwang, half a head shorter than them all, received special treatment from the nuns, receiving the throne of a Japanese anime hero: the last seat by the window.

The two-page A4 exam, with approximately one hour to complete, consists of dictation, fill-in-the-blanks, reading passages, and a short picture essay. While the difficulty level is comparable to the high school entrance exam, the listening and writing sections are more challenging, including some biblical allusions—for example, the essay depicts a picture of Mary holding Jesus. The listening section features a nun reading simple sentences in a very slow and graceful manner, with only the last sentence being complex.

Chu Wang quickly finished the test, then went back to the beginning and changed some correct answers to incorrect ones. She calculated her score and placed it squarely at 59 before handing it over to the nun. The other eleven girls, knowing she was taking the test as a companion, assumed the test was a bit difficult for such a young girl, so they didn't take it too seriously.

Chu Wang strolled around the Catholic Church for a while before returning to the school gates. The Qiao family's driver was already waiting, so she got in first. A moment later, Zhenzhen and Yunyan also left the school gates. They exchanged a wordless glance before getting into the car in silence, but the test results were clearly written on their faces.

Two days later at lunch time, Mrs. Qiao sat down at the dining table angrily, holding three report cards and two notices.

She first looked up at Xue Zhenzhen and said, "Mr. Wilson praised Xue Zhenzhen highly. She is the best female student in Chinese and English in this class, 95% of the time."

Xue Zhenzhen smiled and stuffed a small piece of beef into her mouth.

Mrs. Qiao took the opportunity to give Yunyan a stern look. "Yunyan, you... Hey, you're only one point short. You can pass if you ask Mr. Wilson for some leniency. You studied the same subjects as Zhenzhen, so how come you're so much behind..."

Yun Yan pouted several times, and managed to hold back her tears from dripping into the beef soup. Chu Wang wondered how his sister happened to also be stuck at 59 points, what bad luck.

At this moment, Mrs. Qiao suddenly glanced at Chu Wang, making her shudder. Chu Wang thought to herself: Could it be that just because I scored 59, just like Yun Yan, I would still make you unhappy? Or perhaps, in your eyes, my ability level is actually lower than 59?

Mrs. Qiao sighed and continued to criticize Yunyan, "It's fine if you can't beat Zhenzhen... but how come... San Ya passed the exam, so how come you can't even beat San Ya?"

With a "bang", the steaks on Xue Zhenzhen and Lin Chuwang's forks fell into their plates.

"No... no way, Auntie, how many points did I get?" Chu Wang almost stuttered. She definitely couldn't have made a mistake. The final score was definitely fifty-nine.

"Fifty percent passed, and the third girl got 59 percent." Mrs. Qiao calmly stated this fact to Yunyan, who was in tears.

Chu Wang slapped her forehead, furious at herself for making such a mistake. The passing score in the West wasn't 60, but 50. How could she have forgotten that?

The author has something to say: This chapter refers to two memoirs: Zhang Youyi's "Bound Feet and Western Suits" and Yan Geling's "The Flowers of War"

I couldn't find out what the entrance exam for Catholic schools tested, so I tried to think of it myself.

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Private of the 58th French Territorial Guard during World War I

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On April 26, 1923, Lady Elizabeth Lane married Prince Albert at Westminster Abbey. Her wedding dress was a gown designed by Chanel herself, and her veil was a lace veil once worn by Elizabeth's mother-in-law.

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The comments on the last chapter reached a record high. I love you guys so much TT. If it weren't for your comments, I probably wouldn't be able to hold on.

I will do my best