Rising to fame
Zhiwei hadn't expected that the fabric she'd found last time, which she'd originally intended to use to make herself a fancy outfit, would be snatched up by Madam Zhang. However, she was quite happy with it, since selling those few clothes would easily cover Wei Nian's costs and profits for the month. As for herself, she preferred simple, casual clothes unless attending a formal occasion.
By the time the outfit was finally finished in a rush, it was already mid-April. When Mrs. Zhang came for her final fitting, she was stunned to see herself in the mirror. To be honest, her initial reason for coming to Wei Nian to have clothes made was primarily to cultivate a good relationship with Mrs. Li Fuqiang; making the clothes was just a pretext, a way to establish a positive connection.
She was surprised to find herself almost unrecognizable in the mirror after putting on the outfit. The custom-made clothes fit her perfectly, with no part of her feeling restricted.
The mustard yellow dress made her complexion look better, while the navy blue flowers balanced the vibrancy perfectly. The fine pleats at the front subtly accentuated her waist and made her appear taller. Paired with a thin navy blue silk skirt coat, she looked dignified and composed, with only a touch of brightness peeking through the hem.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she exuded a composed and confident aura. The new clothes fit her perfectly, as if they had been worn for a long time, as if this was how she was meant to appear. Unlike the high-end ready-to-wear clothes she used to buy, which, while new, never felt quite right for her.
Zhiwei was also very satisfied with the overall effect. She jokingly said to Mrs. Zhang, "Mrs. Zhang, would you mind if I took a couple more real photos? They can be used as examples to introduce things in the future."
Mrs. Zhang, of course, didn't mind. After Zhiwei finished taking her photos, she exclaimed, "These are even more suitable than the photos the photographer took of me!"
Zhiwei politely replied, "I've studied photography a little, but I'm not particularly skilled at it. It's mainly because you're relaxed, and your clothes suit you well."
Later, Mrs. Zhang actually abandoned her previous choices and picked this outfit, even taking Zhiwei's advice to pair it with a three-strand pearl necklace. While attending events in Hong Kong, several Hong Kong socialites she had previously met, who had always mocked Mrs. Zhang for her tacky, designer clothes, were now behaving differently. Instead of her usual gold and diamond attire, she wore a white pearl necklace that echoed the teardrop shape of her dress.
Those in the know could tell from the sheer size and roundness of her pearls that she was spending lavishly. Then there were her clothes: elegant color schemes, superior quality, and graceful designs—not the style of a few familiar big brands, making one hesitate to follow suit.
In the evening, the ladies naturally couldn't wait to change into different outfits. Mrs. Chen noticed that Mrs. Zhang was still dressed in the afternoon's attire. She and her companion chuckled at her, only to see the other woman quietly shake her head at her and then gently point to the flowers on the table.
She examined the photos carefully for a long time, then took out her phone to look at the photos from the afternoon, before vaguely noticing some subtle differences in the pattern on the other person's clothes. She realized she had let her guard down, and while secretly annoyed, she couldn't show it, and dared not underestimate the other person again.
How could Mrs. Zhang not see the change in the ladies' attitudes? She was actually hoping someone would laugh at her for not changing her clothes that night. However, in such settings, the Hong Kong socialites were also scheming against each other, and some observant people noticed Mrs. Chen's actions and began to whisper and ridicule her, which made Mrs. Zhang happy to have some peace and quiet.
Other ladies who were also present inevitably inquired about Wei Nian with Madam Zhang afterwards. Madam Zhang, however, did not take credit for it and instead gave Wei Nian a good opportunity to spread the word.
Zhiwei was unaware of these things; she was simply curious as to why several ladies had made appointments in May. It wasn't until she chatted with one of the ladies that she learned she specifically wanted the "Floral Dream" style of clothing, similar to Madam Zhang's.
Zhiwei apologized to the other party, saying, "I'm sorry, I only have one set of this floral fabric. I'm sorry, Madam Yao. Why don't you tell me what kind of clothes you want, Madam Yao, and I'll try my best to find a suitable pattern and style for you?"
Mrs. Yao thought for a moment and understood. They were all wealthy wives; if they wore the same pattern or style, it would be displeasing, and what would be the difference between that and high-end ready-to-wear? It wouldn't be appropriate for anyone to look better than anyone else. Wouldn't that offend people? Since Mrs. Li's Wei Nian was in the high-end custom business, she certainly wouldn't make such a mistake.
Although she couldn't have Madam Zhang's dress, the thought of her own clothes being unique in the future made it something to look forward to. It wouldn't be complete until Zhiwei designed another evening gown for Madam Yao.
Gradually, more and more wives came to see Zhiwei, and it was mostly their assistants who arranged appointments with Shiya. Shiya would prepare the wives' information and past photos for Zhiwei in advance, which saved Zhiwei a lot of time.
She designs about four or five outfits a month, and the rest of the work is handled by Shi Ya, Zhi Jun, and Li Jin'e. Even the photoshoots are often done by photographers that Shi Ya has hired.
Seeing that she purchases in large quantities, her fabric partners send her information on new varieties and patterns as soon as possible, asking her to choose.
In November, several business owners from the Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce planned to visit Yabuli. Li Fuqiang also had several meetings with senior executives of brand companies scheduled there. Zhiwei coordinated her schedule with Shi Ya in advance and then took Xu Anyi, who had temporarily recovered again, and Li Fuqiang to Yabuli.
Because the wives in the Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce are relatively older and few know how to ski, very few bring their wives. On the contrary, most of the senior executives of the partner brands, especially those from overseas brands, bring their wives.
Zhiwei had Xiaoyu find out Li Fuqiang's schedule and assistant's details. If it was an event for the wives, she would attend. If it was mainly for female companions, she would not attend. With plenty of time left, she was happy to go skiing in the mountains with her mother.
Xu Anyi is not very healthy. Although Xiao Yang and Xiao Yu are there to take care of her, they don't dare to let her get tired. They only let her play a little on the gentle ski slopes to avoid her sweating and catching a cold.
Zhiwei was studying in the East Coast of the United States and had dabbled in skiing for a while, but she wasn't very skilled. Now that she had the leisure and inclination, she hired an instructor to teach her properly, and her progress was naturally rapid. In just a few days, she could already glide gracefully down the blue ski slopes and even pull off a cool turn and sudden stop.
The coach, ever the entertainer, even had a partner accompany Zhiwei and record a long video of her making a sudden stop while skiing. Zhiwei proudly showed it to Li Fuqiang. Li Fuqiang praised her, "Xiaowei is so smart, she learns everything so quickly. I remember you were pretty good at golf back then too."
Zhiwei stuck out her tongue and said, "I'm just a novice; I can fool laymen, but I'm not a professional at all."
"Being able to fool people is good enough; professionalism isn't something that's easy to achieve."
Li Fuqiang and his team at least managed to arrange a trip to the ski resort; otherwise, Zhiwei would have laughed at them for coming all the way to Yabuli without ever having been on a ski slope. Although each of them had an instructor, the bosses only skied a couple of times before heading to the coffee shop to rest. After all, they were all seasoned business owners, and none of them wanted to clumsily learn like children.
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