When I knocked on the door, the wall clock had just passed twelve.
When Zhuo's mother opened the door, Zhou Qiqi quickly explained:
"I'm so sorry, I'm late. Something came up. I hope I didn't delay your business?"
Seeing the glistening beads of sweat on her forehead, Zhuo's mother knew she had rushed here. There was no hint of blame on her face; instead, she smiled warmly.
"Come in, come in! It's alright, I've been resting at home these past two days, it won't cause any problems."
She greeted Zhou Qiqi as she entered the living room, where fruit platters and other refreshments had been prepared in advance. She poured her a cup of hot tea and smiled.
"Besides, it's perfect that you're here now. Guangming will be back from school soon, so you can give it a try. It'll be easier to fix anything that's not right here, won't it? Have some water first."
"I'm not drinking anymore, I'm not drinking anymore."
Zhou Qiqi knew that important matters were at hand, so she waved her hand and carefully took out the meticulously sewn little dress from the bag.
A crisp, tailored shirt with a blazer collar, paired with overalls shorts with slightly flared cuffs.
He is both energetic and exudes a youthful vivacity.
The most exquisite part is the two delicate crescent moon patterns on the tip of the shirt collar. It is Zhou Qiqi's best Suzhou-style double-sided embroidery, with stitches as fine as hair. Under the sun, it sparkles with tiny lights, so exquisite that it is hard to look away.
Not only the collar tips, but even the buckles on the suspenders are shaped like crescent moons, and the subtle patterns on the trouser hems also conceal a moon motif.
The whole outfit exudes an indescribable sense of sophistication.
When Zhuo's mother saw the dress, her eyes lit up instantly. She carefully took it, her fingers gently tracing the delicate fabric and exquisite stitching, praising it repeatedly.
"Oh my, this...this is so beautiful! The moon embroidery is so exquisite, even better than the one Uncle Guangming brought back from abroad! It looks so high-end and classy!"
Just then, Zhuo Guangming returned with his schoolbag on his back. He spotted the little dress immediately, his eyes widening in surprise. He didn't even bother to put down his schoolbag before running over in a few quick steps.
Mrs. Zhuo beamed with joy and shoved the dress into his hands:
"Try it on! This is a new dress that Aunt Zhou made for you!"
The little boy happily put on the baby carriers, and Zhou Qiqi helped him adjust the straps.
The clothes fit perfectly, not too big or too small, the size was just right.
Zhuo Guangming's small face looked particularly energetic against the backdrop of his suit jacket, and the slightly flared trouser legs didn't hinder his running and jumping at all; he looked perfectly suited to the role.
Zhuo Guangming himself was extremely pleased with himself. He looked at himself in the mirror from left to right, his little hands constantly touching the crescent-shaped button on his collar, and then he looked down at his trouser hem, his little face full of satisfaction.
Zhuo's mother circled her son, nodding with satisfaction.
"Look at this! The waist, the length of the trousers, the shoulders—everything fits perfectly! Master Zhou, your craftsmanship is truly superb! And your ingenuity is ingenious!"
Zhou Qiqi wasn't too surprised; she had always been confident in her skills and judgment.
Zhuo's mother turned around and took out a cloth bag from the house. She opened it and found six ten-yuan bills inside. Just as she was about to hand it over, she paused.
He reached into his bag, pulled out two more bills, and stuffed them into Zhou Qiqi's hand.
"Aunt Zhuo, what are you doing? We agreed on sixty yuan."
Zhou Qiqi quickly stepped back, refusing to accept it.
Zhuo's mother insisted on stuffing money into her hand:
"Hey, those export-quality dresses at Friendship Store are nowhere near as good as yours, and they cost eighty yuan! With your craftsmanship, eighty yuan is too little! You have to take the money!"
Zhou Qiqi shook her head and backed away, her tone gentle yet resolute:
"What we agreed on is what we'll pay; I won't take a single penny more."
"No, no! You have to take this money!"
Zhuo's mother also got into a competitive spirit.
The two were pushing and shoving each other, so Zhou Qiqi had to put on a stern face:
“Mrs. Zhuo, if that’s how you feel, then I’ll take this little dress away. You won’t be able to buy it for any price later.”
Seeing her daughter's resolute attitude, Zhuo's mother knew that further arguing was futile, so she could only smile and give up.
"Alright, alright, I won't argue with you then. But it's almost lunchtime, you absolutely have to have a simple meal at home."
Zhou Qiqi quickly waved her hand:
"No, no, I have other things to do. I was delayed by that matter this morning, and now I have a lot of things to deal with. I'm really in no time."
Seeing that she looked genuinely troubled, Zhuo's mother didn't want to keep her any longer and could only thank her repeatedly.
"Alright, alright, Mr. Zhou, you're busy, it's really kind of you to make this trip! See you tomorrow afternoon! I have something important to tell you tomorrow!"
Tomorrow is Zhuo Guangming's birthday.
Okay! See you tomorrow afternoon!
Zhou Qiqi smiled and patted Zhuo Guangming's head again, said goodbye to the mother and son, and then hurriedly rode her bicycle back home.
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