Collection of Hui Xian Ya
Shen Ping received two sets of clothes from her wife, and being a seasoned consumer, she could naturally tell that the material and craftsmanship were of excellent quality. Having received two generous gifts for no reason, she thought she should make a good impression. A week later, with the end of the year approaching, she presented Zhiwei with a summary of the family's expenses for the year and asked her wife if there were any adjustments needed for the new year.
Zhiwei looked at the account book in her hand with surprise, then put it back in her hand. "Sister Shen can handle these matters according to the usual practice. If Mr. Li has any adjustments to make, we can discuss them later."
It turned out that the mistress wasn't trying to win her over so she could regain control of the household. Shen Ping thought about it and decided it wasn't appropriate to accept the bribe quietly. The next day, she changed into the suit Zhiwei had given her: a thin wool blouse and a mid-length A-line skirt. Zhiwei had chosen a grey cashmere fabric for her; the design wasn't particularly business-like, but it suited her well enough.
While Li Fuqiang was at home, she handed him the year-end account book. Li Fuqiang noticed that she was dressed formally, which was unusual for her today, and said, "Sister Chen is dressed quite elegantly today."
She smiled and said, "This was specially made for me by my wife's clothing company. I am very grateful to my wife."
Li Fuqiang glanced at it a few more times. "Indeed high-end." He then pointed to the ledger that Sister Chen was holding and said, "From now on, let Madam handle this."
Shen Ping laughed and said, "What a coincidence, I showed it to my wife yesterday. She didn't even take it, and just said that we should do it the same way as before."
Li Fuqiang said, "Then put it here, I'll talk to her about it later."
Shen Ping thought to herself that the wind in the house had changed. Luckily, she had tried to win over her wife before, otherwise she would have been disliked by both sides. From then on, she became even more careful around Zhiwei.
As the year drew to a close, Li Fuqiang's social engagements increased. That day, Youlin arranged a time with Xiaoyu to personally visit Mrs. Li at Rongdi. Zhiwei received her in the study downstairs.
Youlin had visited Rongdi several times before, but this time the study looked completely different. It was not only much more spacious than before, but there were also many more things that clearly belonged to Zhiwei, showing that the owner liked to have his beloved by his side at home.
"Madam, it's like this, there's a gathering of Zhejiang business association members at the end of the year. Mr. Li didn't stand out in the past two years. This year, with you in charge, Fumao will definitely make a good contribution."
After Youlin explained, Zhiwei finally understood. It was a gathering of Zhejiang businesswomen where the ladies would put up items for auction, with all proceeds going to charity. Zhiwei naturally wanted to support such a good thing.
But why would it require someone like Lin You, the head steward of Fumao, to come and talk to her personally about something like this? Couldn't Li Fuqiang just casually mention it to her tonight?
Listening more closely, it turned out there was quite a bit of extravagance involved. Youlin showed Zhiwei some of last year's auction items and bidding results. The items weren't particularly luxurious, but the auction results were all astonishing.
The lady who donates the highest-priced item at auction each year will become the salon chairperson of the Zhejiang Businessmen's Association for the new year. The salon chairperson will routinely convene and arrange all activities for the new year. Furthermore, the management of donated funds will be overseen by the council headed by the salon chairperson.
Such a thankless task, yet people are scrambling to do it? Hearing Zhiwei's question, Youlin said meaningfully, "Just think about how the highest bids for this auction are always made by this lady's husbands every year, and you'll know how deep the water is here."
While the wife is said to be the chairperson of the salon, it actually represents a competition among Zhejiang business capitals, and implicitly suggests the presence of a leading figure among Zhejiang businessmen.
"In the past, the salon chairman would usually be replaced every two years at most. However, this term has lasted for four years and there is no sign of a change. In previous years, Mr. Li was not able to participate in this competition and usually only bid in the middle of the list. This year, after careful consideration, we have found that Mr. Li also hopes to contribute more to charity."
Having said that, Zhiwei naturally understood. Youlin then took out some materials and gave Zhiwei a detailed introduction to the more important figures and their wives.
The current chairman of the salon is Mr. Xu Xiangbiao, who is in the glass business. Anyao Glass is a well-known brand both domestically and internationally. His wife, as highlighted by Youlin, is from a family that was originally in the mining industry and was very wealthy in her early years. It's rumored that Mrs. Xu's family holds a significant stake in Chairman Xu's businesses. Because of her affluent background, Mrs. Xu has a high standard and is quite outspoken. Many new wives have been criticized by her, and no one dares to argue with her too much.
I get it. Mrs. Xu was born into a wealthy family and married into one. She's been clinging to the chairmanship of the salon and likes to make sarcastic remarks. But she's powerful, and no one is as rich as her, so they have to put up with it.
Sometimes Zhiwei wondered if Youlin had always been so shrewd and charming since childhood, or if she had honed her skills through work. Thinking this, a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.
Youlin, realizing she had said something inappropriate, asked, "Madam?"
"Oh, it's alright, Miss Zhao, please continue. There are quite a few people, and I'm afraid I won't be able to remember everything at once. It feels like I'm back to the time when I was cramming before an exam."
Youlin couldn't help but chuckle. "Madam is too kind. I'll keep all these documents here and review them regularly. We'll inevitably have to deal with these people in the future."
When Li Fuqiang returned home that evening, Zhiwei asked him what items he should prepare.
Li Fuqiang said, "I'm not afraid of anything. I don't need anything expensive. Otherwise, it will look like a group of people are grabbing things to save money. People will laugh at us for being nouveau riche for buying such items."
Zhiwei thought to herself, "There must have been quite a few nouveau riche there to begin with. Now that they have status, they've become extra careful about their behavior."
"I understand. Then I'll just pick one of my designs and send it over."
"That's good. Don't worry, I will get it back no matter the cost."
Zhiwei thought to herself, "What do I have to worry about? This is just your money game. Even a child's artwork can fetch an astronomical price."
Zhiwei didn't take the matter to heart. Apart from looking at the information Youlin gave her to make sure she memorized the person, she didn't care about anything else and continued to leisurely do her own design.
Zhijun meticulously crafted beautiful clothes for her, thoroughly examining various high-end fabrics. Many of these fabrics, which she had never seen before, were displayed in rolls and rolls. Sometimes, they would even use different fabrics to create the same design, comparing the differences in the finished product.
On the day of the gathering, Xiaoyu reminded her early in the morning that she had to return from Yayuan by noon, and arranged for a beautician and stylist to come to her home in the afternoon to style her hair.
Zhiwei's expensive jewelry had long been stored in a bank safe deposit box. The only pieces she kept at home were a small ring and diamond earrings she'd bought recently. Xiaoyu lamented that she should have arranged to go to the bank to pick up an extra necklace.
Zhiwei said with a grin, "Why go through all that trouble? We'll have to send it over anyway. It's not a beauty pageant."
After getting her hair and makeup done, she thought that this kind of banquet was all show and no substance, and she probably wouldn't get enough to eat. So she even thought about asking the chef at home to make her something nice to eat. Just as they were almost finished, Li Fuqiang returned, and Zhiwei asked him if he wanted something to eat too.
If Zhiwei knew that most of the ladies would treat such gatherings as a major crisis, not only arranging their clothes and jewelry a month or two in advance, but also starving themselves for a day or two just to lose a centimeter or two in waist circumference, she would probably be amazed.
After Li Fuqiang changed his clothes, Zhiwei was ready as well. Old Wu drove them there in his family's extended Lincoln. Xiaoyu and Sister Shen went with them, each carrying a spare set of clothes for the husband and wife, just in case.
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