"Embroiderer?" The middle-aged man noticed Hua Jin's look, tilted his head to look outside the window, and didn't see anything strange, so he smiled politely and said, "The lighting here is good."
"The shop faces south and north, so it's a good place to go." Hua Jin joked and asked the two to sit down. Tan Yuan made some tea and brought it over. The middle-aged man took a sip from the cup. His assistant thanked him while holding the cup, but did not touch the tea in the cup.
"Did you see Ms. Zhao Ni's cheongsam and want to order custom embroidery?" Hua Jin held up the teacup and smiled apologetically, "If you are in a hurry, I'm sorry that I can't accept your order in the short term. First, embroidery is very time-consuming, and second, I have work arrangements in the near future."
"I'm here this time to discuss cooperation with an embroiderer." After the middle-aged man said this, the assistant behind him handed the business card to Hua Jin with both hands. Hua Jin took it and took a look. This person is a designer of a domestic fashion clothing brand named Mark.
"The clothes of your brand are very beautiful. My friends and I like them very much. However, it still has a flaw." Hua Jin put away the business card.
The smile on the middle-aged man's face remained unchanged, but his assistant was a little impatient and could hardly maintain the polite smile on his face.
"Your company's new models are so popular that I often have to bear the pain of holding up my wallet but still can't buy them." Hua Jin smiled helplessly, "For me, this is the biggest disadvantage."
"The embroiderer is such a joker." In order to maintain their high-end product status, many fashion brands have adopted the route of high prices and low production for some of their products. Expensive high-end designs are sold out as soon as they are launched, which is not only a compliment to the brand, but also an affirmation of the designer.
Because of his work, Mark has come into contact with some inheritors of traditional handicrafts. These people have superb skills, but most of them are taciturn, unlike the young lady in front of him who is good at the art of speaking.
Hua Jin didn't know whether the name Mark was the transliteration of the other party's English name or his surname Ma and given name Ke, so she decided to choose a more appropriate name: "Mr. Mark, you are too modest."
In just a few words, Hua Jin and Mark had a friendly and kinship-like business exchange, and it was not until they had finished half a cup of tea that the topic finally turned to business.
"Mr. Mark, do you want to cooperate with me?" Hua Jin was a little surprised when she heard Mark's intention. "Excuse me for being frank, but I am only a rookie in the embroidery world. With your status and position, it is not impossible for you to invite a master to cooperate with you."
"You're right, the masters' acupuncture skills are indeed much better than yours." Mark nodded slowly.
Hua Jin lowered her head and drank her tea silently, muttering to herself, this is too direct, can't you give her a little face?
"But in your work, I see the agility and flavor that are unique to youth."
Hua Jin: What are the agility and taste of youth? How come she doesn’t know?
"Those who are better at embroidery than you are not as young and smart as you, and those who are younger than you are not as good at embroidery as you, so for me, you are the best choice." Mark said bluntly, "Domestic fashion brands do not have a high status in the world, and I don't have the ability to raise the status of the domestic fashion circle in the world by my own efforts. I just hope that at next year's fashion conference, we can show our beauty. Even if we can't do well, at least we can't lose face, right?"
Hua Jin didn't know how to respond to this. She didn't know much about the fashion industry, and she didn't know whether Mark was being modest or telling the truth.
"I want to break the international stereotype of our traditional culture. It is not the bright red and green colors or the embroidery of dragons and phoenixes or Chinese characters on clothing that represent the beauty of Chinese style. The real beauty of Chinese style lies in connotation and agility, not in the crude piling of elements." Mark laughed at himself, "Of course, this may be my ambition."
"Observe the etiquette of humanity, follow the nature of heaven and earth, be tolerant and firm..." Hua Jin thought seriously, "Is this the feeling Mr. Mark wants?"
"Yes, that's it." Mark was a little excited. He put down his teacup and looked at Hua Jin with his eyes burning. "For this fashion conference, our team invited a total of five embroiderers, but I think six is a lucky number, and everything will go smoothly. So I would like to ask the embroiderers to do me a big favor."
"Mr. Mark, you haven't taken a close look at my embroidery. Isn't it too risky to invite me like this?" Hua Jin saw the madness and pursuit of a creator in Mark. She lowered her eyelids, looked at her wrist and smiled.
"No, I saw it the moment I walked in." Mark pointed to the row of embroidered pieces on the right, "The embroidered round fan in the middle of the second row, it shouldn't be your work, right?"
Hua Jin was a little surprised. The round fan with the ladies' painting was indeed not embroidered by her, but was embroidered by Aunt Gao in recent years. "Mr. Mark, you have a good eye."
"Everything that is carefully made has its own unique soul. The round fan does not have the youthfulness of you, the embroiderer, but it has a bit more stability and tolerance. The person who embroidered this round fan must be a very great master."
Hearing this, Hua Jin's smile brightened a little: "This is my master's embroidery. She hasn't been using the needle as much as before in recent years, but her embroidery skills are beyond my reach."
Mark's assistant originally looked down on this small shop. Not only was the shop shabby, but even the tea used to serve customers was not very good. But after listening to her conversation with Mr. Mark, the assistant felt that he might have made a mistake of not thinking from her perspective. Especially after seeing Hua Jin's smile become brighter because Mr. Mark praised her master, he began to have some good feelings towards this young embroiderer.
"From what you said, Mr. Mark, you don't seem like a designer, but more like an artist." Hua Jin smiled again, "As an embroiderer, I certainly hope that more people will see the beauty of embroidery."
This means that he agrees to cooperate with him. Mark was delighted. "Then I will have to trouble the embroiderer in the next period of time. The fashion show will be held in half a year. Please invite the embroiderer to visit my studio in three days. After seeing my design works, maybe I can help you find inspiration?"
"Okay." Hua Jin stood up, shook hands with the other party, and handed him his business card. "Mr. Mark, just call me by my name."
"Hua Jin." Mark took the business card in person, looked at Hua Jin's name carefully, and said with emotion: "Look at the red wet place in the morning, and the flowers are heavy in Jinguan City. It's really a good name."
"It's just an ordinary name, but when Mr. Mark described it with the verses of the great poet, it became much more beautiful in the blink of an eye." Hua Jin smiled.
"Miss Huajin is too polite. Jin is a kind of silk fabric, and you happen to be an embroiderer. Isn't this fate?" Mark smiled gently, "I will come to your store to pick up Miss Hua in three days."
"Okay." Hua Jin nodded.
After sending Mark and his assistant away, Tan Yuan came over and excitedly grabbed Hua Jin's hand: "Hua Hua, working with such a great designer is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you. In the next six months, you should take fewer custom orders and focus on doing this job well."
"If you don't accept custom orders, you won't make any money?" Hua Jin laughed.
"Making money is nothing, your bright future is the most important. When you reach the peak of your life, can I still brag to others who this youngest and most beautiful Shu embroidery master is? She is my good sister, the kind that can sleep in the same bed with me." Seeing Hua Jin was about to collect the cups on the table, Tan Yuan quickly stretched out his hand to stop her, "Put it there and don't move. From today on, you have to protect your hands well, don't touch fragile things, sharp blades, or things that are too hot. My hope of clinging to someone else's thigh rests on you."
Hua Jin: “…”
Before she took the first step in her long journey, her good sisters had already seen her successful future. This is true love that no one in the world can match.
"But Mr. Mark is really cultured. He explained your name so beautifully."
Hua Jin smiled and said nothing.
In fact, her name was not so particular. She heard from her family that when she was born, the elders in her family gave her a name called Jinzi for good luck. Later, when she went to the village office to register for household registration, the girl who helped fill in the form was a newly graduated student. Seeing that her gender was female and that the Sichuan dialect had many inaccurate accents, she thought Jin was Jin and submitted the household registration application form.
Many things that seem beautiful are not as beautiful as we imagine.
However, Hua Jin did not explain this to Tan Yuan. Even her name was considered by her family as a way to attract wealth and younger brothers, which was not something to be proud of.
Because of Mark's invitation, Hua Jin went to Tan Yuan's house in the evening and told Aunt Gao about it.
After listening to this, Gao Shulan was very happy. She nodded repeatedly: "Good opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared. This opportunity is very rare. It will not only be of great help to your future, but also a good promotion for traditional art. Tan Yuan is right. Next time, you should take fewer commercial orders. Although these orders can make you more money, they will consume your energy and spirit. How much time do you have to think about other things?"
"Go visit some other masters' works when you have time." Gao Shulan thought for a moment, "I'll contact those old friends who don't sew very much anymore and take you to visit them. Some of their creative ideas and mindsets may be helpful to you."
"Yeah." Hua Jin's nose felt a little sour, "Thank you Aunt Gao."
"What is there to thank me for? You are my apprentice, and I will be proud of your success." Gao Shulan thought for a while, "After you sign the cooperation agreement with the designer, I will take you to meet Liu Fen and make her jealous."
Hearing this, Hua Jin couldn't help but laugh. The grudge between Master and Master Liu Xiu hasn't resolved yet?
Before leaving, Gao Shulan stuffed a thermos bucket into Hua Jin's arms and said, "Take this turtle soup home and drink it. Come here with Yuanyuan every few days. Only if you eat and drink well can you have the energy to do great things."
Holding a bucket of loving turtle soup, Hua Jin walked out of the community and called a taxi using a taxi app.
After calming down, Hua Jin gradually came out of the excitement of working with the master, replaced by pressure and responsibility. She looked up at the bright moon in the sky. The moonlight in this city was not beautiful enough. When she was a child, she lay on the mat set up by her grandmother, and the moon she saw was particularly bright, the stars were particularly shining, and under the moonlight, the trees, flowers and plants on the ground were all dressed in a hazy dress.
Later, when she went to primary school, she learned that the moon does not shine, and all its beautiful light comes from the sun. From that day on, she had a vague idea that she did not want to be the moon. Even if she could not be the dazzling sun, she wanted to be a star that shines on its own.
"Brother Pei, why are you fishing here so late at night?" Yang Shao desperately sprayed mosquito repellent on himself. "It's been more than an hour, and we haven't even seen the tail of the fish. Why don't we go back first? A buddy of mine opened a shop. Let's go check it out."
"No." Pei Yan stared at the motionless float on the water. "You keep nagging like this, and the fish are scared away by you. How can there be any fish to bite?"
"No, even if you want to fish, we can go to the fishing grounds. It's a bit creepy to squat in the wilderness." Seeing that Pei Yan still didn't respond, Yang Shao took out his phone and played with it for a while, then suddenly covered his stomach and said, "I'm a little hungry."
"You just ate two hours ago." Pei Yan's long legs were draped over the grass, and he leaned back on the chair, his posture as lazy as if he was basking in the moonlight on the beach.
"You can't blame me for this." Yang Shao pointed at the phone screen. "It's all because Hua Xiushi posted pictures of delicious food on WeChat Moments. I don't know how this turtle soup was made, but it looks so delicious."
Hearing the words "Flower Embroiderer", Pei Yan sat up straight and frowned, "What is there about this woman that deserves your special attention?"
"She is beautiful." Yang Shao said, "Do you think that this flower embroidery artist is not only beautiful, but also has a special flavor."
"What's that smell?" Pei Yan lowered his eyelids, the moonlight casting a shadow under his eyelashes: "Perfume?"
"No, no, no, Brother Pei, you don't understand women." Yang Shao shook his head, "Different beauties have different flavors, some are vulgar, and some are very special. Hua Xiushi belongs to the latter type. The temperament she possesses is an indescribable attraction to many men."
"It's like... a flower that finally blooms after going through so many years. Behind the perfect beauty, there is a kind of energy that is very attractive." Yang Shao rubbed his nose. "To be honest, most men find it difficult to feel disgusted with such women."
"Heh." Pei Yan sneered, "In fact, most people like good-looking people of the opposite sex by nature, but in order to show that they don't judge people by appearance, they label the opposite sex they admire with various personality labels, as if to show that their taste is special."
Yang Shao: “…”
"Brother Pei, what you said does make some sense, but Hua Xiushi really..."
"We are sitting here to fish, not to chat with you about women." Pei Yan had no smile on his face. "Although I don't have any feelings for this woman, as a man, it doesn't seem appropriate to comment on a woman here. How beautiful or attractive she is has nothing to do with you."
"That's true." Yang Shao smiled awkwardly. If you look into it carefully, it is indeed a bit unfair.
"But I saw that you were quite familiar with the flower embroidery master. I didn't expect that you didn't like her." Yang Shao sighed, "Brother Pei, a man like you may really have to be single for the rest of your life."
"Although I don't like it, I don't hate it either." Pei Yan blurted out the explanation. He was stunned for a moment and bent down to adjust the hook. "Have you prepared any gift for my aunt's birthday?"
"I've thought about it a long time ago. I went to see the flower embroidery artist last week and ordered an embroidered screen from her shop. My grandma will definitely like it." Yang Shao was in a good mood. "My grandma likes the handkerchief made by the flower embroidery artist very much. She puts it in her pocket every day like a child, but she is reluctant to use it."
"The flower embroidery artist is really amazing. She has such skills at such a young age."
"My grandmother told me a few days ago to marry a flower embroiderer. The old lady becomes childish and no one can do anything about her."
"Apart from Hua Jin, you have nothing to talk about tonight?" Pei Yan turned his head and glared at Yang Shao impatiently.
"I just happened to be there by chance." Yang Shao said with a smile, "So the flower embroidery master's name is Hua Jin, what a nice name."
Pei Yan glared at him again.
"I won't say any more, I won't say any more." Yang Shao lowered his head and secretly liked Hua Jin's WeChat Moments message. He was bored, so he opened Hua Jin's WeChat Moments and scrolled down.
When he saw the photo of Hua Jin and Pei Yan, he thought he was seeing things. He looked at his phone, then at Pei Yan. He said he didn't like it, but he had all the photos of the two of them and he even liked them.
The only mutual friend he and Hua Jin have on WeChat is Pei Yan, so Pei Yan is particularly conspicuous in the likes list and his presence is extremely strong.
"Brother Pei, you said on your phone last time that someone sent you a scarf. Who was that person?" Yang Shao put the phone back into his pocket and stared at Pei Yan with a subtle expression.
"I don't remember." Pei Yan stared at the dark water with an expressionless face. "I'm not like you. No woman chases me."
"Brother Pei, we are brothers, personal attacks are wrong." Yang Shao said angrily, "Although I am not handsome enough, I have a gentle heart."
"You like beautiful women, and you want them to see your heart through your ordinary appearance?" Pei Yan spoke slowly, but his words were particularly irritating. "Wake up."
Yang Shao: “…”
After more than ten minutes of silence, Yang Shao couldn't help but speak again: "I thought it was a flower embroidery artist who gave you the scarf."
Pei Yan said sternly: "Are you still fishing or not? Be quiet!"
The author has something to say: Yang Shao, who steps on landmines everywhere without knowing it:? ?
Pei Yan: Shut up, don't talk!
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