Around three or four in the afternoon, business was the slowest. Tan Yuan poked at the needle in her hand, feeling sleepy. She tilted her head to look at the half-embroidered painting of a lady by Hua Jin. She couldn't help but sigh. Hua Hua's craftsmanship was really a gift from her ancestors. She had been exposed to embroidery since she was a child, but the things she embroidered could not compare with hers in terms of needlework and spirit.
Putting down the needle, she stood up and stretched, preparing to pour two cups of tea. Turning around, she saw two elderly ladies walking into the store, and she hurriedly stepped forward to greet them: "Welcome."
"You are the Fanhua Studio that was on TV, right?" The old lady spoke with great vigor and energy. "Excuse me, can I order a red belt for longevity from you?"
"A red belt for longevity?" Tan Yuan was secretly puzzled. Their store only made fashionable belts that ladies liked. What did this customer mean by "a red belt for longevity"?
"Feel sorry……"
"Of course." Hua Jin stood up from the embroidery frame, rubbed her sore eyes, and walked in front of the two elderly people. "Is the belt you want the kind that is worn in the year of birth?"
"Yes, that's it." The old lady nodded. "Next year is my father's zodiac year. When I was watching TV recently, I found that he secretly pressed the rewind button several times. Your store happened to be on that program. I thought about it and your store has nothing to do with our family. He must want something from your store after watching it for so long. Girl, I'm telling you, the belt must be made of bright red cloth, no other colors are allowed."
When she was a child in the countryside, Hua Jin heard a legend that giving an old man a red belt in his zodiac year was to tie up his life and pray for him to live a long life without illness or disaster. She remembered clearly that an old man in the village was very proud and happy when he received a gold belt from his son. He stood by the pond where he was washing clothes and boasted loudly for an entire afternoon, which attracted the envy of many fellow villagers.
At that time, she squatted beside her grandmother and told her seriously that she would study hard and buy her the most beautiful red belt after she was admitted to university. At that time, her grandmother was very happy and praised her for being a good child and she would definitely be admitted to a good university.
"Girl, you look familiar to me?" The old lady was very happy to find that someone could understand what she meant, but the more she looked at Hua Jin, the more she felt that she had seen her somewhere before.
Her companion patted her on the back and said, "That girl has been interviewed by a reporter, so of course she looks familiar."
"Is that so?" The old lady frowned, feeling that something was wrong, but she couldn't tell what it was.
"Auntie, you and I did meet a few months ago." Hua Jin did not expect that she would come in the afternoon after receiving the old man's order in the morning. In front of the old lady, she told the old man and the old woman about what happened a few months ago when they sent her to a taxi beside the artificial lake.
"So that's right." The old lady showed a happy expression on her face. "How have you been recently?"
"Very good, thank you for your concern." Hua Jin helped the two old people sit down on the sofa. She did not tell the aunt that the grandfather had secretly ordered a pair of embroidered shoes for her. Instead, she decided on the style and embroidery pattern of the belt based on the aunt's opinion.
The old lady was very satisfied with the final solution. She sighed and said, "If I were 20 or 30 years younger, I would make one for him myself. Unfortunately, time is not forgiving. Not only are my hands not as good as before, but my eyes are not as good as before either."
Hua Jin smiled and said a few nice words to make the old lady smile: "I came here this time, lying to him that I was traveling with friends, and came here secretly. Don't you young people often say that life must have a sense of... ritual? Yes, that's the word. We old people can also prepare a surprise or something."
"I've had a strong personality since I was young, but he's been tolerant of me all his life. I bought him a red belt to make him happy. I tell you, men, no matter how old they are, sometimes need to be coaxed and teased like children." The old lady smiled, "If a man and a woman want to live a happy and sweet life together, no matter how hard and tiring life is, they still have to have the sense of ritual and say sweet words when necessary."
"You." The companion laughed and said to Hua Jin, "Little girl, quickly write down her experience in controlling her husband. She has been with her husband for fifty years, and she has made the man at home obedient. She said she would never go west if she went east. She is already old, but she often shows her love to us."
Hua Jin saw a sweet smile on the old lady's face. She nodded and pretended to be serious: "I remember it."
"Don't teach the child nonsense." The old lady patted Hua Jin's hand with a kind smile on her face, "Child, this store is very good. If there is a chance in the future, I will come to take care of your business. Don't..." There were her good friend and another clerk in the store. The old lady didn't say too much, but patted her on the back a few more times, "Be good, the road ahead is long, and there will be colorful flowers blooming all over the road, don't miss it."
"Thank you, I'll remember that." Looking at the gentle face of the old lady, Hua Jin thought of her grandmother. At that time, her grandmother was already very ill. She was lying on a wooden bed that creaked when she turned over. She held her hand tightly and said, "Jin, you must study hard. Only by studying more can you have a bright future. Grandma has nothing to worry about, but she is worried about you..."
She remembered that she had promised her grandmother that she would study hard, get into university, and take her to the city to live a good life.
But not long after, her grandmother passed away due to illness. As her granddaughter, she could only kneel at the end of the team of filial sons and grandchildren with a mourning scarf on her head. She was not even qualified to hold her photo and scatter soil for her, and her name was not even on the tombstone.
After seeing off the old lady and her friend, Hua Jin was a little depressed. Tan Yuan walked to her side worriedly, "Hua Hua, what's wrong with you?"
"I miss my grandma." Hua Jin tried to force a smile but failed. "Before she left, she told me to study hard and get into a good university, but I let her down."
"That's not your fault." Tan Yuan reached out and hugged Hua Jin, "You have tried your best to do your best. I saw you embroidering and studying late into the night to get into college a few years ago."
"It's different." Hua Jin shook her head. Her fate changed ever since her family member died in an accident during her senior year of high school and she moved into her uncle's house.
On the day of the college entrance examination, her uncle's family locked her in the room and refused to let her out no matter how much she begged or cried. Even when she said that she would not spend a penny on them to get into college, they still refused to agree.
My uncle said, "What's the point of a girl reading so many books?"
My aunt said, "What if your college entrance exam scores are too good, and if word gets out that we don't want you to go to college, wouldn't that make the whole village poke holes in our family's spine?"
In order to protect themselves from being criticized, and to stop her from studying and get married, her future was dispensable in their eyes.
Every time she thought about the day when she was locked in the room and cried out to the heavens and the earth but got no response, she felt like a struggling monster, filled with hatred. And the kind people she met along the way were the cages that locked her hatred back, allowing her to grasp the tail of fate little by little, struggling and living unwillingly.
"Come, have some sweet ice cream." Tan Yuan took out an ice cream from the refrigerator. "It's a hot summer day. With the air conditioner on and ice cream on, I feel as happy as a god."
The cool, sweet ice cream melted in her mouth. Hua Jin was so cold that she stuck out her tongue and said, "It's so cold."
"It's better to be cold." Seeing Hua Jin's mood return to normal, Tan Yuan said, "Do you plan to do these two orders today by yourself, or do them together with the new colleague you hired?"
"I'll do these two today." Thinking of this interesting couple, Hua Jin smiled, "I met them once before."
"Okay." Tan Yuan had no objection, "But you have to take care of your rest. Recently, my mom sometimes takes you to visit colleagues, and you also have to communicate with Mark. The store is not easy either. Now there is one more thing to do on a daily basis. I am worried that your body can't handle it."
"What daily routine?" Hua Jin was slightly stunned. Are there other tasks in the store that need to be done every day?
"You're dating Mr. Pei." Tan Yuan blinked. "Are you willing to let such a handsome man stay alone in an empty room every day?"
Flower Brocade "..."
"My dear, I think you are becoming more and more indecent now."
"I can't help it." Tan Yuan sighed, "Being with you every day, the closer you are, the worse it gets."
In the eyes of the charity staff, Pei Yan is a generous but idle philanthropist. He donates a lot of money and charity packages to their organization every year, but unlike others, he does not care about it after donating. He comes in person almost every quarter to check the use of his donations.
This behavior has been going on for six or seven years, and they have almost gotten used to it. Everyone accompanied him to see the perfect payment process, thinking that he would refuse their dinner invitation as usual. When they were leaving in the car, Mr. Pei suddenly asked a strange question.
“Are there any charitable projects here that support traditional art and culture?”
"Support for traditional arts and culture?" The person in charge was slightly stunned, and then explained, "There are such projects, but they are not special long-term support. In the field of intangible cultural heritage, the country and the government invest a lot every year, but the effect is not very good. The old craftsmen are getting older and older, and young people are not interested in these. If we want to develop them in the long term, we need the efforts of the whole society. Our organization cannot do this."
"I understand." Pei Yan nodded, closed the data chart of the donation use process, and thanked the person in charge, "Thank you."
"You're welcome. We should thank you on behalf of those children who have dropped out of school in the mountainous areas." The person in charge said this sincerely. Over the years, Mr. Pei's contribution to charity has been a huge expense.
Pei Yan did not comment. These were just small things to him. He just wanted to do what he wanted to do.
Leaving the door of the charity, Pei Yan asked his assistant: "If I plan to set up a project to support traditional arts, how long will it take to complete the preliminary preparations?"
Assistant: "If there is sufficient funding, the preliminary preparations can be completed in about three to six months."
The boss of his family is so different when it comes to love. Other rich people give diamonds and sports cars to their girlfriends, go crazy for them, and bang their heads against the wall for them. But his boss is different. He chats with his girlfriend on WeChat, blushes and gets nervous from time to time, and is even willing to fall in love with the entire traditional art industry for her. This kind of love is great, noble, and admirable.
"Mr. Pei, do you need to discuss this matter with your partner?" If you are going to spend money on such a big thing, you should at least tell your girlfriend about it to please her, right?
"Why should I discuss this with her?" Pei Yan looked at him puzzledly. "I founded this project because I saw how difficult traditional art is. What does it have to do with her?"
The assistant smiled: "I understand."
The boss was able to win the girl he liked, all thanks to his handsome face.
Pei Yan didn't care what his assistant thought. He opened his phone, found Hua Jin's latest circle of friends, read it over and over again, and opened the chat box of Yang Shao's WeChat account.
Pei: Did you see the new post Hua Jin posted on his Moments today? What do you think he meant?
Yang Shao, who was busy following his father, finally sat down to rest when he saw Pei Yan's message. He opened his circle of friends out of curiosity and collapsed.
What's the meaning? !
What else could this mean? This means forcing him to watch their affectionate display!
Why didn't he know before that Brother Pei was so boring that he could do such childish things?
He gritted his teeth, opened the chat box, and replied to Pei Yan in a burst of words.
Dongdong: I think the flower embroiderer seems very happy. She must like the roses you gave her very much. By the way, she is secretly showing off that she has found a good boyfriend.
Yang Shao lay weakly on the desk, with a mouthful of dog food stuffed into his mouth. He still had to smile and say that the dog food was delicious. His life was even more bitter than coptis chinensis.
Do men who are not handsome enough have no human rights?
Seeing Yang Shao's reply, Pei Yan's lips curled up, and he knew that the woman was very satisfied with him. She said that it was troublesome to send so many flowers, but she must be very happy in her heart.
"Xiao Guo, the flowers for tomorrow's delivery should still be ordered from the same store as today."
Assistant: "Okay, Mr. Pei."
When his boss asked him to order flowers last night, he didn't mention that they had to be delivered tomorrow.
After eating ice cream, Hua Jin and Tan Yuan started embroidering again. But today might be the day when they meet again. Not long after Hua Jin picked up the needle, another person she knew came.
Zhou Dong prepared himself mentally for a long time before stepping into the store again. But the moment he saw the woman embroidering floral brocade quietly with her head down beside the embroidery frame, he regretted it.
Maybe he shouldn't be here, breaking her peace. Why she disappeared, why she didn't take the college entrance examination, why she never contacted any classmates again, it's not so important anymore.
He stopped, turned around and prepared to walk out.
"Zhou Dong?"
Zhou Dong was startled, he turned around and looked at Hua Jin. Hua Jin's eyes were very calm, as if these years had just passed peacefully, and he was just a passer-by who appeared accidentally in her life.
The moment Hua Jin called out his name, he didn't know what mood he was feeling. He seemed a little excited, and a little relieved. The knot that had been lingering in his heart for many years seemed to be untied at once.
"I..." Zhou Dong stood at the door at a loss, "I'm sorry."
Putting down the needle, Hua Jin stood up and said to Tan Yuan: "Tangyuan, I'm going to be out for a while."
"Okay, okay." Tan Yuan nodded, "I'll take care of the store, don't worry."
Hua Jin picked up her bag, walked up to Zhou Dong and said, "Please follow me."
Zhou Dong followed Hua Jin woodenly and sat down at a nearby casual bar. Hua Jin handed Zhou Dong the drink menu and said, "I'm sorry for what happened the last few times."
"It's okay, it's okay." Zhou Dong waved his hands and said with a smile, "You are living a good life now, actually quite well." There were too many rumors about her at that time, but every rumor was so bad. He was very glad that Hua Jin was luckier than the rumors said.
Zhou Dong felt a little hesitant when facing the little girl he once had a crush on. Hua Jin and Zhou Dong didn't have much friendship in high school, so when the two sat together, they had been separated by seven or eight years, and he didn't know where to start.
After ordering drinks, Hua Jin asked, "How are the classmates these years?"
Zhou Dong nodded and shook his head: "Some are good, some are not so smooth." He did not ask Hua Jin why she pretended not to know him before, but casually mentioned the recent situation of some classmates.
Some of these names were already vague in Hua Jin's memory, but she did not interrupt Zhou Dong until her cell phone rang.
"You miss me so soon?" Hua Jin smiled, and the whole person looked lively.
Zhou Dong looked at her like this and lowered his head.
"Who missed you? I was worried that you wouldn't eat well at night and make my girlfriend thin." Pei Yan coughed dryly, "So I decided to take you out for dinner later."
"Okay." Hua Jin chuckled, "Then come pick me up later."
"I'm not in the store right now." Hua Jin reported the address of the casual drinking bar to Pei Yan, "Come pick me up here, I'm chatting with an old classmate."
"Old classmate?" Pei Yan frowned slightly. Hua Jin told him that he had never been to college and didn't want to talk about the past. Now he suddenly told him that he was drinking with an old classmate. Could there be some accident?
"Don't move around there. I'll be right there. Call me if you need anything." Pei Yan covered the phone hole with his hand. "Drive faster."
"Okay, Mr. Pei." Seeing that Pei Yan's face looked a little strange, the driver immediately increased the speed.
Hua Jin looked at her phone in confusion. Pei Yan's tone sounded like she was kidnapped. After hanging up the phone, Hua Jin smiled apologetically at Zhou Dong: "Sorry."
"It's okay." Zhou Dong took a sip of tea, "The person on the phone is..."
"He is my boyfriend." Hua Jin smiled so much that her eyebrows curved.
Looking at Hua Jin's brilliant smile, Zhou Dong remembered the skinny little girl with a ponytail, whose watery eyes made him feel uneasy.
"Very good, very good." He lowered his head and took another sip of tea. The tea was bitter and unbearable.
"Yeah, I think he's a good guy too." Hua Jin tilted her head to look out the window, with a smile in her eyes and brows.
The author has something to say: Yang Shao: I appeal for single people and strongly condemn the bad behavior of forcing single people to eat dog food!
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