Chapter 113 I'm not reconciled! I want to open my own shop!
Once this idea takes root, it's like a wildfire that can never be extinguished.
Jiang Wu's heart was more restless than ever before.
She spread out a large sheet of white paper, and her pencil danced rapidly across it.
She no longer draws those everyday clothes for military wives to reference, nor does she draw those cute but simple children's clothes.
Her paintings depict women's clothing with novel designs, bold cuts, and a strong sense of modern fashion.
There are professional skirt suits with smooth lines that accentuate the female figure.
There are modified cheongsams that blend classical elements with modern aesthetics.
There are also flowing, romantic vacation dresses.
Any one of these designs would be enough to overturn people's understanding of "beauty" and "fashion" in this era.
While drawing, Jiang Wu felt as if she had come back to life.
The passion for creation, the sense of accomplishment from turning ideas into reality, captivated her.
This is the real her!
This is the real her!
The next day, Jiang Wu left home with her design drawings in her pocket.
She didn't tell anyone and took a bus alone to Wangfujing and Xidan, the most bustling areas in the capital.
In the 1980s, the capital city was beginning to show signs of commercial activity.
Along the streets, there are state-run department stores as well as a few scattered individual stalls.
Jiang Wu walked into the department store, which was bustling with people.
However, the clothing counters appeared rather deserted.
The clothes hanging on the racks are monotonous in style and mostly in dull blue, gray, and black.
The so-called "Dacron" shirt is already considered the most fashionable item.
The women, dressed in almost identical clothes, blended into the crowd, revealing no individuality or distinctive features.
This is the mainstream of this era.
Conservative, uniform, and lacking in imagination.
Jiang Wu, however, saw boundless business opportunities.
Women don't not love beauty; they've just been suppressed for too long.
They had no choice, nor were they guided.
If there were a store that could provide them with unique clothing that showcased their personal charm, they would go crazy!
Jiang Wu's heart was pounding.
Open a clothing store!
Open your own unique clothing store!
This idea became incredibly clear and firm in her mind.
However, a new problem also arises.
In this era, doing business, especially for military officers' families, is a very sensitive matter.
In the eyes of many people, "self-employed individual" is still a derogatory term.
The label of "speculation and profiteering" could be slapped on him at any time.
She traded eggs for blueprints on the island, but that was just a small-scale operation, and the political commissar's wife even helped define it as "neighborly mutual assistance."
However, opening a real store in the capital would involve exponentially more pressure and risks.
What will others think of her?
Will this have a negative impact on Qin Lie?
Will this make the Qin family lose face in the entire compound?
Jiang Wu's heart was filled with struggle and hesitation.
This was the first time she had ever struggled so much with a decision.
In the evening, she returned home dejectedly.
Her mother-in-law, Zhong Tinglan, immediately noticed that something was wrong with her.
"Xiao Wu, what's wrong? You've seemed preoccupied all day."
After dinner, while Qin Lie went to his study to work, Zhong Tinglan called Jiang Wu to her room.
Looking at her mother-in-law's concerned eyes, Jiang Wu hesitated for a long time before finally deciding to tell her all her thoughts.
She told Zhong Tinglan about her idea of opening a shop and all her concerns.
She was even prepared for her mother-in-law's opposition and reprimands.
After all, in the eyes of a traditional matriarch like Zhong Tinglan, the most correct choice is for her daughter-in-law to stay at home obediently, be a good wife and mother.
However, Zhong Tinglan remained silent for a long time after listening.
She simply looked at Jiang Wu, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
After a long silence, she sighed and said, "Xiao Wu, do you know? Before I married your father-in-law, I was the youngest surgeon in our hospital."
Jiang Wu was stunned.
“Back then, I spent all my time in the operating room and in the ward. I loved my job, and I felt that my value in life lay in saving one life after another under the scalpel.” Zhong Tinglan’s eyes shone with a look of reminiscence.
"But later, I married Lao Qin. His status rose higher and higher, and his demands on me increased."
“He hoped that I could focus more on my family and be a qualified ‘commander’s wife’ who could bring him prestige.”
“We’ve argued about this many times. But in the end, I gave in.”
"I put down my scalpel, switched to a logistics management position, and eventually became this leisurely honorary dean."
Zhong Tinglan stroked her hands, which were once incredibly nimble but were now somewhat stiff, her voice carrying an undisguised sense of melancholy.
"My biggest regret in this life is that I was not able to reach the top in the field I love most."
She raised her head and looked intently at Jiang Wu.
"Xiao Wu, I don't want you to have the same regrets as me in the future."
“You and I are different. You have talent, ideas, and more importantly, the infinite possibilities that this era has given to your generation.”
"Do whatever you want to do!"
Zhong Tinglan grasped Jiang Wu's hand and squeezed it hard.
"Don't be afraid! You are a daughter-in-law of the Qin family, and moreover, you are the person I, Zhong Tinglan, have chosen!"
"I'll shield you from the rumors and gossip! The entire Qin family will back you up!"
"If anyone dares to accuse you of 'speculation and profiteering,' I'll be the first to tear their mouth apart!"
Jiang Wu's eyes instantly reddened.
She never expected that the person who understood her best and supported her the most would be her mother-in-law, who had once been so critical of her.
Zhong Tinglan saw a reflection of her younger self in her.
She poured all her unfulfilled dreams and resentments into this daughter-in-law.
"Go ahead!" Zhong Tinglan patted the back of her hand. "Tell A-Lie what you're thinking. If he dares to say a word against it, you'll see how I deal with him!"
With her mother-in-law's full support, Jiang Wu's last bit of worry disappeared.
She felt full of energy.
That evening, Qin Lie returned to the bedroom and saw his wife sitting under the lamp, looking at him with bright eyes.
It looked like a little fox ready to pounce on its prey.
"Wife, the way you're looking at me makes me uneasy," Qin Lie said with a smile, sitting down beside her.
"Qin Lie," Jiang Wu took a deep breath and said in an unprecedentedly solemn tone, "I have something I need to discuss with you."
"you say."
"I want to open a clothing store. Not a small-scale operation, but a real business."
Jiang Wu looked nervously into Qin Lie's eyes and explained her plan in detail.
She even prepared a whole set of arguments to deal with any objections Qin Lie might raise.
However, after listening, Qin Lie simply looked at her in silence.
His eyes were deep, like an ancient well, revealing no emotion.
This silence made Jiang Wu's heart rise little by little.
Did he ultimately disagree?
Just when Jiang Wu's heart was about to sink to the bottom.
Qin Lie suddenly spoke up.
His voice was slightly hoarse, and carried an air of all-knowing understanding.
“So,” he looked at her, a slow smile curving his lips, “you’ve finally decided to stop pretending?”
Jiang Wu was suddenly startled.
Giving up the pretense?
What did he mean by that?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com