Wang Xiuxiu stood in front of the bronze mirror, carefully examining her reflection.
She wore a moon-white silk skirt with subtle patterns, over which she wore a light blue jacket; the style was simple yet exquisite.
This was something she had spent several days working on. It was made of the finest soft silk, with fine stitches and embroidered bamboo leaves with subtle patterns that peeked out as she moved, giving it a rather elegant feel.
After Wang Xiuxiu finished dressing up, Zisu disguised herself as a maid. Just as the two were about to leave the mansion, they ran into Nanwei, who was also dressed as a maid.
Wang Xiuxiu and Zisu exchanged a glance, both seeing a look of helplessness in each other's eyes.
On the other side, Nan Wei gave a fawning chuckle.
In the end, the two of them still took the little burden with them.
"You can come along, but we're going to meet someone important later, so you'd better behave and not cause any trouble, understand?"
"Sister Zisu, don't worry, I definitely won't cause you or my sister any trouble. I'll stay obediently behind you! Besides, what noblewoman goes out without several maids and servants? I can at least keep things under control for you!"
"Fine, fine! I can't argue with that!"
Nan Wei won unilaterally and leaned back against Wang Xiuxiu with a grin, acting coquettishly.
Wang Xiuxiu smiled and reached out to tap her forehead.
On the bustling streets of the West Market, in a rather unique clothing store, a richly dressed lady strolled slowly, her gaze wandering among the clothes on the racks.
At this moment, a young woman came forward and greeted the noblewoman with a smile.
"Madam, welcome to our shop. You have an elegant demeanor, and these clothes will surely enhance your charm."
The lady nodded slightly, a hint of interest flashing in her eyes: "Oh? You little girl know how to talk. Then let me see a few of them."
The young woman cleverly selected several stylish and brightly colored clothes and presented them to the lady one by one.
She described the material, cut, and design highlights of each garment in a fluent and vivid manner.
The lady examined the clothes carefully, nodding occasionally to show her satisfaction.
In the end, she chose a gorgeous brocade robe embroidered with exquisite floral and bird patterns.
"This dress is nice, it suits my taste perfectly."
"Madam has excellent taste! This robe is made of the finest brocade, with a perfect cut and exquisite embroidery, which perfectly showcases your noble temperament."
The lady smiled with satisfaction: "Hmm, you little girl not only have a sweet tongue, but you also have good taste."
"Madam, you flatter me. I learned all this from my master. You have no idea, but my master's eye for talent is even more amazing!"
"You're quite loyal, girl. Go find me a few more clothes to look at."
"Yes, please wait a moment."
Wang Xiuxiu, dressed in a simple and elegant outfit, walked into the shop.
Her gaze swept over the various elegant clothes in the store, finally settling on the lady who was selecting clothes.
Wang Xiuxiu turned around and saw Zisu nodding.
Wang Xiuxiu's lips curled up slightly, revealing a perfectly timed smile. She took light, graceful steps and walked towards the lady.
"Madam has an elegant demeanor, and the colors and styles of these clothes suit you very well."
Wang Xiuxiu's voice is gentle and sweet, making listeners feel like they are bathed in a spring breeze.
Madam Gu raised her head and looked at the woman with outstanding temperament in front of her, a hint of amazement flashing in her eyes.
"Thank you for your kind words, young lady. May I ask who you are?" Madam Gu said with a smile.
“Madam, I am the owner of this shop. I came here looking for a place to shop, and seeing your extraordinary demeanor, I couldn’t resist the urge to select a few garments for you. I apologize for bothering you with your shopping.” With that, he curtsied to her.
"No disturbance at all. Since you are the owner of the shop, young lady, would you be so kind as to recommend something?"
Although Wang Xiuxiu's outfit today is simple, she has put a lot of thought into it.
In order to meet Madam Gu, Wang Xiuxiu secluded herself for several days to study her clothing preferences.
Today, I can confidently say that I have achieved some success!
"Of course it's good. Your gentle and elegant demeanor, coupled with understated attire, will enhance your overall气质 (qi zhi - refined and graceful demeanor)."
As he spoke, he took out several sets of clothes and showed them to her.
This was designed to cater to Madam Gu's preferences, and it also incorporated many of Wang Xiuxiu's ingenious ideas, captivating her at first glance.
"Great! Excellent! They look beautiful. Pick them up, I want all of these!"
The shop's maid took the clothes to the back to pack them, and Wang Xiuxiu sat with Madam Gu in the front hall to wait.
Seeing the two sit down, Zisu went behind the counter to get a brocade box and brought it over.
"Madam has received new clothes; do you have any suitable hairpins or rings to match?"
These words really struck a chord with Madam Gu.
The clothes designed by Wang Xiuxiu are full of ingenuity, but using ordinary jewelry as accessories would be a waste of their potential.
Without giving her a chance to hesitate, Wang Xiuxiu opened the hairpin box directly.
There were only six or seven pieces of jewelry in the box. Wang Xiuxiu laid out the hairpins and other jewelry one by one, and each piece was exquisitely crafted.
"The butterfly-patterned floral design paired with pale pink peony velvet is like playful butterflies frolicking among flowers, elegant yet charming. The brocade complements the white orchid jade bracelet and pearl earrings, creating a harmonious and complementary effect. I wonder what you think, Madam?"
Madam Gu was delighted, but said, "I never knew that a clothing shop had started selling jewelry?"
"That is indeed as you said, Madam. Clothing shops can't afford to sell hairpins and rings; they all have to be sourced by ourselves."
"Not for sale?"
Wang Xiuxiu shook her head, "Not for sale, just for free."
"What does the boss mean by this? Are you trying to trick me?"
"Of course I wouldn't dare. These hairpins and ornaments were originally intended to be given to those who are destined to receive them, and it just so happens that you, Madam, are that destined person."
"How can we be destined to meet?"
"To be honest, Madam, seeing your noble bearing, I thought of getting to know you. You seem to be the one who can take me to this year's flower viewing party."
At this point, Madam Gu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She really loved this box of hairpins and ornaments.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be wasting time testing each other here.
Since they weren't coming for our family, even though this small flower-viewing banquet was hosted by the city lord's wife, it wouldn't be difficult for her to get an extra invitation, given her abilities.
Thinking about it that way, I readily agreed.
After seeing the people off, Zisu stood beside Wang Xiuxiu and sighed, "Sir, you really went to great lengths. Just to meet Madam Gu, you spent a lot of time figuring out her preferences."
Wang Xiuxiu smiled slightly, "Doing business is all about catering to people's preferences. Since this Mr. Gu is so stubborn, we can only start with his wife."
"But I still don't understand. Aren't we supposed to be cooperating with the Gu family? Why are we going to some flower viewing party now?"
“That Madam Gu is no ordinary woman. She used to manage the Gu family’s pearl farm, but after she got married, she gradually handed it over to her husband. The pearl farm is her Achilles’ heel, and she won’t allow outsiders to covet it. If we tell her our purpose from the beginning, we’re afraid we’ll just needlessly arouse her suspicion.”
Zisu nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
Meanwhile, Madam Gu returned home, took out a note, and had someone deliver it to Wang Xiuxiu.
At her level, she would naturally be surrounded by people who weren't unintentional.
It's not surprising that someone as approachable as Wang Xiuxiu is easy to get along with.
By simply stating his purpose without concealing it, he earned her respect and was more willing to help her.
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