Chapter 34 Genius designer Jiang Wu, just who is this wife?
Qin Lie didn't sleep well all night.
His mind kept replaying the design drawings Jiang Wu had made, as well as the various mysteries surrounding her that seemed inconsistent with her "country girl" identity.
As soon as it was light, he tossed and turned in bed, unable to lie still any longer.
He quietly got out of bed, got dressed, and went to the dressing table.
The design drawings were lying quietly on the table.
Qin Lie picked them up and examined them carefully again in the dim light of dawn.
The longer he looked at it, the more shocked he became.
As a soldier, he didn't understand what fashion or design was.
But he has the most basic aesthetic sense.
He could tell that these dresses were not only beautiful, but also cleverly designed. From the waistline to the details of the neckline and sleeves, they perfectly accentuated the advantages of the female figure while appearing elegant and appropriate without being overly revealing.
This kind of design ability is not something that can be achieved overnight, nor can it be come up with by a little bit of cleverness.
This requires profound knowledge and a forward-looking vision.
Qin Lie's heart sank.
He could accept that his wife was smart, capable, a good cook, and a little cunning. But he couldn't help wondering where a girl who had grown up in a remote mountain village for eighteen years had learned all of this.
Her parents were just ordinary farmers.
He had been to her village; it was isolated and backward. The people there might not even know what "Dacron" was, so how could they possibly have produced such a "genius designer"?
Could it be... that she secretly studied it before?
The thought flashed through his mind, but Qin Lie dismissed it immediately.
impossible.
He had someone thoroughly investigate the Jiang family's background before the marriage. From birth until her marriage to him, Jiang Wu had almost never left their small mountain village.
So where did she get all these skills from?
Qin Lie scratched his hair in frustration.
He felt as if he were enveloped in a huge mystery, unable to find a way out.
"Honey, you're up so early?"
Jiang Wu rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed.
She was still wearing that light pink silk nightgown, her long hair cascading messily over her shoulders, her sleepy eyes exuding a languid sexiness.
"Yeah, I couldn't sleep, so I got up."
Qin Lie composed himself, put the design back on the table, and turned to walk towards her.
"Did I disturb you yesterday?" Jiang Wu asked, yawning.
"No." Qin Lie shook his head, sat on the edge of the bed, and habitually tucked her loose hair behind her ears.
He looked at her pure and innocent face, and swallowed back the question that was on the tip of his tongue.
He couldn't bear to part with it.
I can't bear to shatter this hard-won warmth and sweetness with my own doubts.
Whoever she is, whatever her secrets may be.
She is now his wife, Qin Lie's woman.
That's enough.
"What are you thinking about? You seem so lost in thought." Jiang Wu tilted her head and looked at him curiously.
"I'm thinking..." Qin Lie came back to his senses and deliberately dragged out his words, "I'm thinking about how to make these beautiful dresses you drew."
Jiang Wu's eyes lit up immediately at the mention of the new dress.
"Yes, yes! Have you thought of a way?" She grabbed Qin Lie's arm and shook it excitedly.
"Well... there is a solution."
Seeing her eager expression, Qin Lie deliberately kept her in suspense.
"What's the plan? Tell me quickly!"
“I know an old tailor who used to be an apprentice in the biggest Western-style clothing store in Shanghai. He was very skilled. Later, he returned to his hometown for some reason. Coincidentally, his home is in a town near our military compound.”
“We can take the design drawings to him. As long as we have enough material, he can definitely make it.”
"Really? That's wonderful!" Jiang Wu was so happy she almost jumped for joy.
She immediately threw off the covers and was about to get out of bed.
"Then let's go find him quickly!"
"No rush." Qin Lie pressed her back down and wrapped her in the blanket.
"Not today, I have an important meeting at the division headquarters this morning. I'll take you there this afternoon when I get back."
"Okay." Although Jiang Wu was somewhat disappointed, she knew that matters concerning the military were important, so she could only obediently nod.
Qin Lie went to a meeting.
Jiang Wu can't stay idle even when she's home alone.
She took out the design sketches again and carefully modified some details. She even found the fabrics Qin Lie had bought, trying them on and considering which style to match which color.
Just as she was busy with her work, there was a knock on the courtyard gate.
Who is it?
Jiang Wu thought it was Qin Lie returning, and happily ran to open the door.
But the person standing at the door was not Qin Lie.
Instead, it was Zhou Nianci, the wife of Political Commissar Zhou Hai.
Zhou Nianci was a woman around fifty years old. She always had a kind smile on her face and was very popular in the military compound.
"It's Aunt Wang! Please come in!" Jiang Wu warmly welcomed her in.
"Xiao Wu, did I disturb you?" Zhou Nianci asked with a smile.
"No, no, I'm just bored at home all by myself. Please have a seat."
Jiang Wu poured her some water, then "conjured" a few peach shortbreads from her spatial storage, placed them on a plate, and brought them over.
"Come on, Aunt Wang, have some snacks."
"Oh, you're too kind, child."
Zhou Nianci's eyes lit up when she saw the golden and crispy peach shortbread.
This is a very rare item.
She didn't stand on ceremony, picked up a piece and tasted it, and immediately praised it highly.
"It's so delicious! These peach shortbreads are fragrant and crispy, much better than the ones sold at the supply and marketing cooperative! Did you make them yourself?"
"Yeah, I just figured it out on my own when I had nothing else to do," Jiang Wu replied with a smile.
As the two were chatting, Zhou Nianci's gaze inadvertently fell on the design drawings that Jiang Wu had casually placed on the table.
"Huh? What's this?"
Zhou Nianci picked it up out of curiosity.
She attended high school and studied art when she was young, so she has a certain aesthetic foundation.
When she saw the contents of the drawing, she was completely stunned.
The novel design, the flowing lines, and the lively expression of the woman in the painting...
"Xiao Wu, this... did you draw this?"
Zhou Nianci looked at Jiang Wu with shock in her eyes.
"Yeah, I just drew it for fun," Jiang Wu said somewhat shyly.
"Just drawing for fun?" Zhou Nianci's voice rose. "This level of skill is no joke! This...this is practically worthy of being published in a magazine!"
Zhou Nianci looked at the blueprints over and over again, growing more and more fond of them with each look.
"Xiao Wu, who did you learn to draw so well? You're amazing!"
Jiang Wu's heart skipped a beat.
Here we go again, with this same question.
Her brain raced, and she came up with a half-true, half-false reason.
“My maternal grandmother had a distant relative who worked in a foreign company in Shanghai before the liberation. He had seen many beautiful clothes worn by foreigners. When I was a child, I was not in good health and stayed at his house for a while. Every day I heard him talk about what those clothes looked like. After hearing it so many times, I remembered it.”
This explanation, though somewhat far-fetched, is passable in this age of limited information.
Zhou Nianci believed it to be true and nodded knowingly.
"So that's how it is, no wonder."
She lovingly stroked the drawing of the red dress.
"This dress is so beautiful... If it could be made, it would definitely make me look so elegant."
As she spoke, she suddenly seemed to remember something, her eyes lit up, and she grabbed Jiang Wu's hand.
"Xiao Wu, Auntie has a favor to ask, I wonder if you can grant it."
"Aunt Wang, please speak."
"Look...could you...draw one for me too?"
Zhou Nianci said somewhat shyly, "Next month is my husband's fiftieth birthday, and I want to get a new outfit made, but I really don't like the styles available at the supply and marketing cooperative. You draw so well, could you design one for me too?"
"Of course, no problem!" Jiang Wu agreed immediately.
This was an opportunity to build a good relationship with the political commissar's wife, something she couldn't have asked for.
She immediately spread out a new sheet of paper and picked up a pencil.
"Aunt Wang, what kind of style do you prefer? Do you like skirts or tops and pants? What colors do you usually wear?"
As Jiang Wu asked the question, she quickly sketched on the paper.
Based on Zhou Nianci's age, figure, and temperament, she quickly designed a set of clothes for her.
It was a deep purple two-piece set. Inside was a simple shirt with delicate ruffles at the collar and cuffs; outside was a sleeveless, fitted vest-style jacket tied at the waist with a thin belt; and below was a knee-length straight skirt.
The entire design is both dignified and elegant, yet fashionable, perfectly suited to a woman of Zhou Nianci's age and status.
Zhou Nianci was so excited that she couldn't speak when she saw the beautiful clothes on the drawing.
"It's...it's so beautiful! Xiaowu, you're a genius!"
She held Jiang Wu's hand, unable to get enough of looking at her.
Just then, Qin Lie returned from his meeting.
As soon as he entered the door, he saw his wife and the political commissar's wife sitting head to head, chatting enthusiastically over a blueprint.
"Old Zhou, what brings you here?"
Qin Lie greeted him.
"Commander Qin is back!" Zhou Nianci saw Qin Lie and immediately waved the blueprints in her hand, beaming from ear to ear. "Look! This is a new outfit that your Xiaowu designed for me! Isn't it beautiful?"
Qin Lie leaned closer to take a look.
It was yet another design drawing he had never seen before.
Although not as stunning as the designs Jiang Wu created herself, its composure and elegance were refreshing.
Looking at his wife's smiling profile, his doubts were suppressed by a strong sense of pride.
No matter who she is.
She is Qin Lie's treasure!
A huge idea suddenly took shape in Qin Lie's mind.
Jiang Wu has such talent, so why does she only make clothes for herself?
If... if we could make all the clothes she designed and sell them to the fashion-conscious families in the military compound...
Does that mean... you can make a lot of money?
Once this thought came to mind, it burned wildly in Qin Lie's heart like a prairie fire.
He looked at Jiang Wu with a frighteningly bright gaze, as if he were looking at a moving gold mine.
"Wife..." Qin Lie licked his slightly dry lips, his voice trembling slightly without him even realizing it, "How about we... pull off a big one?"
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