Chapter 142: Hard Times
Hearing this, Shen Yan's eyes lit up instantly, "Just do as you say! Then give it a try, I'm looking forward to the final product."
After receiving a clear answer from Shen Yan, He Xinci immediately took action and conducted the first round of tests on a pair of sample pants.
The first embroidery location they chose was the right front pocket, starting from the outside of the right leg near the waistline.
I saw her holding the trouser fabric with one hand and skillfully operating the embroidery machine with the other hand.
Cao Yangfei, who was not far away, watched this scene, but felt a little panicked and held the handle of Shen Yan's wheelchair tightly.
His palms were beginning to sweat and his eyes were filled with worry.
Shen Yan on the side frowned slightly, but never spoke a word. She just watched He Xinci thread the needle quickly.
As expected, this was He Xinci's first attempt at embroidery directly onto jeans fabric.
What’s amazing is that in less than a minute, she completed an almost flawless embroidery.
She was extremely careful to cut off the last excess thread, leaving almost no remaining stubble.
If she hadn't witnessed her step-by-step operation process with her own eyes, Shen Yan would probably have thought that this embroidery texture was a work printed by a high-end machine.
She walked to the front to take a closer look, and even turned the back over to confirm the effect. The overall effect was very neat and beautiful.
And it only took a minute!
This efficiency is amazing!
After the embroidery was finished, He Xinci carefully smoothed the pair of jeans in her hand, then gently handed it to them, and said with a tone of expectation and trepidation: "Chen Yan, check it to see if there is anything out of place."
Chen Yan took the pants and first pulled the trouser legs to carefully observe whether the stitching on the front was even. Then she turned it over to check whether the seams on the back were loose or misplaced. After confirming that they were correct, she looked up and said with surprise and affirmation in her eyes: "Auntie He, please make me three more pairs according to this pattern."
She paused, worried the other person wouldn't remember the placement, and while gesturing with her hands, she added, "The first strip should be placed near the right back pocket of the pants. The second strip should be sewn on the outside of the thigh. The third strip should be placed on the seam of the side of the trouser leg to enhance the decorative effect."
After listening to her, He Xinci smiled and nodded, with a look of professional confidence in his eyes, "No problem, I'll arrange it for you right away."
After she said that, she sat back in front of the sewing machine and stepped on the pedal skillfully.
The sound of "click, click" soon rang out, and her movements were fast and accurate.
In just three minutes, she had completed the transformation of the other three pairs of jeans.
Then four pairs of jeans were unfolded one by one on the stall for people to inspect. Each pair was finely made, with smooth lines and no flaws could be seen.
Chen Yan couldn't help but say with joy: "Aunt He, we have found the right person to have a master like you! The person we are looking for this time is a craftsman like you!"
She paused for a moment in her excitement, as if she had thought of something important, and then asked cautiously, "Oh, by the way, Aunt He, may I ask, if you set up a stall here, how much money can you make in a day?"
Hearing this question, He Xinci's originally smiling expression froze slightly, and a hint of hesitation and avoidance flashed in her eyes.
After a moment, she responded softly: “Chen Yan, please stop laughing at me.”
Then, she slowly explained her daily income situation, "There aren't many customers here, so the amount of money I make each day isn't fixed."
"Sometimes if I'm lucky, I can only make about ten yuan; if there's a little more business, I can only make about twenty yuan."
"It's not uncommon to see worse situations, where we don't get a single customer for an entire day and nothing gets done."
She concluded calmly but with a hint of helplessness, "So, by that calculation, I only make about three or four hundred yuan a month."
After hearing this, Shen Yan showed a bit of confusion and regret, and then said: "Auntie, with your skills - as long as you are willing to put in the effort, you can definitely open your own tailor shop, such as making some custom clothes."
She continued to persuade him, "Not only will you earn more, but you will also have great career prospects. I think this path is very suitable for you."
After listening to this, He Xinci was silent for a while and nodded, as if she did not object to her opinion.
But then he shook his head and a bitter smile appeared on his face.
"I've tried to open a shop before, but not only did I fail to make money, I also lost a lot of my family's limited savings and even went into debt."
She sighed and lowered her voice. "Later, it took me several years just to pay off those debts."
"Maybe. I'm really not cut out for business."
She laughed at herself.
"Now, those debts have finally been paid off bit by bit, but the setbacks at that time also left a deep shadow in my heart."
"I no longer have the courage to do it again, and I don't dare to take risks easily. After all, I don't want to fall into debt again."
After listening to her story, Shen Yan immediately understood the bitterness and heaviness of it.
But she still had some reluctance and hope in her heart, so she changed her perspective and tried to make a new suggestion, "Auntie, although you are not going into business, I still think your skills should not be limited to a roadside stall."
"For example...what about a garment factory?"
She looked at him seriously and said, "You have such superb skills. You can definitely go to the factory to work as a master craftsman, earn a high salary, and have a stable and respectable career."
Her tone was sincere and affirmative. "Even if I'm not the best in that environment, I'm at least one of the best high-level technicians."
However, in the face of Shen Yan's kindness, He Xinci still just shook her head, "Yang Fei was too young at that time, and no one could take care of him."
She spoke very decisively, but her tone revealed a mother's determination and reluctance.
"If I go to work in a factory, I won't be able to take care of my children."
This sentence is spoken lightly, but it reveals the heavy breath of life.
Every mother faces this choice after becoming a mother: return to the family or stick to her career?
Women who cannot let go of their concerns and sense of responsibility for their children will often choose the latter in the end. They will give up their stable working life for their young children, and find some jobs that can take care of their family at the same time to supplement the family income.
"There's no way I could leave him and do something else."
She paused, her tone somewhat helpless but also firm.
"So I set up a stall at the entrance of the alley. I could barely make a living and take care of my children."
He Xinci sat behind the small mending stall, skillfully arranging the sewing box in her hands while telling Chen Yan about her sorrows and choices over the past year.
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