The bus arrived at its stop shortly after, and Xia Qingqing and Wang Sisi got off together.
Once inside the department store, Wang Sisi linked arms with Xia Qingqing and headed straight for the fabric counter: "Qingqing, do you want to pick out a piece of fabric later? I'll make you some clothes."
"Won't this be too much trouble?" Xia Qingqing asked hesitantly.
"Of course not, it's just something I did on the side. Doing one thing is the same as doing two," Wang Sisi said casually. It was an honor for her to have such a beautiful woman like Xia Qingqing wear clothes made by her own hands.
At this time of year, it would cost one or two yuan to have a new outfit made outside. Xia Qingqing could tell that Wang Sisi genuinely wanted to make her an outfit, so she couldn't refuse her kindness. Sometimes, being too polite between friends can hurt feelings.
But she couldn't take advantage of him so easily. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Then I'll trouble you to make one for me. I'll treat you to dinner at the state-run restaurant later as a thank you."
When the two arrived at the fabric counter, Wang Sisi's eyes darted among the various fabrics, looking at them one by one, and she quickly took a liking to a piece of white polyester fabric with a small floral pattern.
She politely said to the sales clerk, "Excuse me, could you please get me four feet of the white fabric?"
The sales clerk looked in the direction she was pointing and said casually, "This is Dacron fabric, 1 yuan per foot, 4 feet for 4 yuan in total. Are you sure you want this color?"
The saleswoman asked again, because Wang Sisi had made her choice too readily. She was worried that Wang Sisi would regret it later, and it would be almost impossible to change the color after it was cut.
At that time, Dacron fabric was much more expensive than cotton fabric. Compared to cotton fabric, which wrinkles easily, Dacron was crisp, wrinkle-free, sturdy, and durable, making it a synonym for "fashion" in that era.
A ready-made Dacron shirt costs around 10 yuan, but buying your own fabric can save you several yuan, which is quite cost-effective.
Wang Sisi nodded affirmatively: "I want this color. Could you please cut a 4-foot piece of paper for me?"
Then he took out four feet of cloth coupons and four yuan from his pocket and handed them to the salesperson.
After receiving the money, the sales clerk got up and went to help Wang Sisi cut the fabric.
The salesperson took out the roll of white floral fabric and placed it on the counter, then began to measure it with a long yellow wooden ruler.
When Wang Sisi saw the sales clerk start measuring the fabric, she smiled and said, "Comrade, could you please loosen your grip a bit? Thank you."
This is a trick that Wang Sisi learned when she went to the supply and marketing cooperative with her mother to buy fabric. Don't underestimate the way the salesperson cuts the fabric. The difference between cutting the fabric with a little looseness or tightness in their hand will result in different fabrics. Moreover, this operation is not considered illegal. It all depends on the salesperson's mood.
Upon hearing this, the saleswoman looked up at Wang Sisi, loosened her grip on the fabric slightly, measured the dimensions, drew a line with white talcum powder, and then cut the four feet of fabric with scissors.
After receiving the fabric, Wang Sisi smiled and thanked the salesperson.
Wang Sisi, having received the fabric, turned to look at Xia Qingqing and noticed she was still choosing fabric: "Qingqing, haven't you made your choice yet?"
Xia Qingqing frowned, looking somewhat conflicted, and pointed, "Which looks better, the pea green or the pure white? I'm torn about which color to choose."
Wang Sisi glanced at the two rolls of fabric Xia Qingqing was pointing to. The pea green was between gray and light green, a light color with an artistic feel to it. Pure white was a more versatile color, but it was also worn by many people.
“Let’s choose pea green. Qingqing, your skin is fair, and this color will definitely make you look even fairer. If you have enough fabric ration coupons, you can buy 8 feet and I’ll make you a long dress.” Wang Sisi made the decision for Xia Qingqing in just a few seconds.
“Okay, I’ll do as you say,” Xia Qingqing said without hesitation, and immediately took out her money and bought 8 feet of cloth.
After buying the fabric, the two didn't rush to leave the department store. It was still early before lunchtime, so they could continue browsing.
Xia Qingqing remembered seeing the eight great forgiveness principles of Chinese people on a TV program before: "You've already come all this way, it's the New Year, and you're still a child. It's for your own good, everyone has their difficulties, we're all friends, give us some face, even if someone is dead."
Since we're already here, wouldn't it be a wasted trip if we didn't buy something?
Xia Qingqing pulled Wang Sisi to the clothing counter. Although Wang Sisi had agreed to make her a dress, what girl would ever have too many clothes? As the saying goes, a woman's wardrobe is never complete without one more garment.
Xia Qingqing immediately spotted the off-white trench coat hanging on the wall. The coat stood out among the somewhat dowdy clothes, and Xia Qingqing took a liking to it at first glance.
"Hello comrade, may I take this garment off so I can take a look?"
"Comrade, how much is this shirt?"
A voice rang out at the same time as Xia Qingqing's. Xia Qingqing turned her head and saw a girl pointing to the same piece of clothing as her.
Xia Qingqing felt that the other person looked familiar. After taking a closer look, she realized that it seemed to be Ji Liu from the Foreign Languages Department. There was another girl standing next to her, so they must have come out shopping together.
Ji Liu seemed to recognize Xia Qingqing as well, and gave her a friendly smile: "Xia, what a coincidence, you're here to buy clothes too."
"Hello," Xia Qingqing replied with a polite smile.
The sales clerk at the wardrobe counter looked at the two of them and said, "This dress costs 58 yuan, and it's the last one. Who wants it?"
We didn't stock many of these trench coats because they were too expensive—almost two months' salary! Luckily, there are plenty of wealthy people in Beijing, and they sold out quickly, with only one left.
When Ji Liu heard that there was only one left, a hint of regret flashed in her eyes: "Xia, are you planning to buy this dress?"
If Xia Qingqing wants to buy it, she will let Xia Qingqing have it; if Xia Qingqing doesn't want to buy it, she can buy it herself.
Xia Qingqing glanced at the trench coat hanging on the wall, then at Ji Liu and said, "You buy it."
She could tell that Ji Liu also liked the dress. If the other woman insisted on buying it from her, she would buy it without hesitation. But Ji Liu was very polite and asked her opinion first, so it was fine to give it to Ji Liu. She could ask Zhou Wei to buy her two similar dresses later.
Seeing that Xia Qingqing was also planning to give her the clothes, Ji Liu quickly refused, "No need, no need. If you like them, just buy them first. I'll look at other styles later."
She still remembered that she was able to see through Wang Wenxuan's true colors thanks to Xia Qingqing. If Xia Qingqing hadn't told Chen Xiu about it, Chen Xiu wouldn't have been able to inform her in advance. Therefore, Ji Liu was still very grateful to Xia Qingqing.
Worried that Xia Qingqing might feel embarrassed, Ji Liu said goodbye and left the wardrobe counter directly.
After one of the customers left, the sales clerk asked Xia Qingqing, "Little girl, do you still want this dress?"
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