newborn
That evening, Zhiwei spoke with her mother on the phone, recounting what she had seen and heard at the club.
Xu Anyi said on the other end of the phone, "My silly girl, people who can go to those kinds of places, and who know how to go to those kinds of places, are all very wealthy. Naturally, everyone there treats them with utmost respect. That's the ultimate snobbery. Ordinary people rely on clothes, but for them, being able to wear whatever they want is true luxury."
Zhiwei chuckled and said, "Mom is right, I was blinded by my own limited perspective."
What are your plans for the future?
“I’ve been going to 798 a lot lately. There are a lot of interesting studios there. I’m thinking about opening one myself.”
"If it's just a hobby, anything goes, it's just a waste of money. Many girls dream of opening a coffee shop or bookstore. If it's just to pass the time, it's just a pastime. But if you want to achieve something serious, you have to do your homework and at least be able to make a profit."
"Mom is right. I'll definitely need her to be my accountant in the future."
"No problem, Mom will give you a special price, half off."
"Mom, you're charging your own daughter?"
"That's right. As the finance manager of a Fortune 500 company, giving you a 50% discount is very kind of you. If you want to make a profit, you have to calculate all the costs."
Time passed like flowing water. After about a month, her noodle cabinet was finally repaired. Only then did Zhiwei realize that just one fish maw required a long cooking time, and she had to hire a knowledgeable master chef to do it. Even they only knew how to use it, not how to cook it.
The repaired cabinet was indeed radiant, but it wasn't brand new; it bore the marks of time, which only added to its charm. Lin Yan personally escorted the car, carefully leading the people to Zhiwei's home, helping her set it up, and only then did she breathe a sigh of relief, finally able to complete this job smoothly.
Zhiwei placed them against the east wall in the living room, but still quite a distance from the north-facing floor-to-ceiling balcony window, to prevent the sunlight from shining on them and damaging the furniture.
Lin Yan said, "Indeed, the noodle cabinet looks best when placed in such a spacious area. Between these two cabinets, we can put a table in the same color scheme. On it, we can place scrolls, vases, and a few flowers, which will be a beautiful sight in itself."
Zhiwei said, "Lin Yan, you have great taste."
She said, "Yes, my horizons have become too discerning, but my wallet hasn't kept up, haha."
Under Lin Yan's guidance, Zhiwei's sandalwood hairpin had undergone several rounds of polishing and now possessed a warm, lustrous sheen. That day, Lin Yan taught her to use 2000-grit sandpaper for the final polishing.
“I feel that this wood is smoother than my skin.” Zhiwei gently stroked the hairpin with her fingertips. “It’s warm to the touch, and I feel that my hands are too rough.”
"Everyone says that sandalwood is precious, but the craftsmanship and labor involved are no cheaper than the material itself."
Lin Yan laughed and said, "Miss, you're overthinking it. How can you expect things sold on the market to be polished by hand like this? Machines come on with a thousand grit right away, and ten minutes of their work is equivalent to several days of manual polishing. That's why there are few designs with uneven surfaces, as those machines are difficult to operate."
As Zhiwei carefully polished it with sandpaper, she said, "Although it is not as exquisite as those sold in the market, it always feels especially precious when it is made by hand."
"Of course. Things made by hand have your own heart, so they're always good. Even a bald-headed son is better when it's your own."
In the afternoon, Zhiwei remembered that Li Fuqiang had mentioned that the custom glass workshop had a branch in 798 Art Zone, so she went there. The shop displayed all kinds of glass products, from ornaments to everyday utensils, all of which showed exquisite craftsmanship.
The shop assistant enthusiastically explained, "These are all works by our designers, and they change regularly. If customers need custom designs, we can arrange for a one-on-one consultation with a designer, but the process will take longer."
Is the workshop in Beijing?
"In Suzhou. We also have stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu."
Zhiwei chose two small ornaments and a glass vase. The vase was also very beautiful when displayed on its own, even without flowers in it.
The shop assistant carefully packaged the items: "Would you like to get a membership card? That way we can notify you when new products arrive."
"No need, I come often."
Zhiwei had never been exposed to crafts like glassmaking before, but she felt that glass, porcelain, and sculpture had many similarities. On a whim, she asked Lao Zhang to take her to the Xidan Book Building. She had heard before that it had a large selection of art books.
Sure enough, she found many books about ceramics, and also flipped through a few books on glass products and glassmaking. She put any she liked into her cart, eventually filling it with books.
Well-produced picture books have always been expensive. When she was a student, she had to borrow many books from the library, but now she doesn't have that problem. At least she has achieved the freedom to buy books now.
The books were incredibly heavy, weighing at least twenty or thirty pounds, so she quickly called Lao Zhang to come up and help her carry them. Lao Zhang was startled when he saw the books, so the shop assistant lent him a trolley to push them to the garage and said he'd come back later. Zhiwei then continued browsing on her own.
A young girl approached and said, "Excuse me, your clothes are so pretty. Where did you buy them?"
Zhiwei looked down. Today she was wearing a wrap dress, a dark blue dress with red and white stripes only on the cuffs and pockets. It was clearly a sporty style, but the large pockets, the fitted waist, and the naturally flared skirt were ingenious, exactly the kind of comfortable yet sophisticated style she loved.
"I bought this overseas; I've never seen the same model in China."
"No wonder, I've never seen such good-looking sportswear before."
While having dinner with Li Fuqiang that evening, he left the table to chat with others. Zhiwei then took out a newly purchased catalog of porcelain from her bag and began to browse through it. When Li Fuqiang returned and saw her engrossed in reading, he smiled and asked, "Why are you suddenly interested in this?"
"Didn't you tell me last time that Mr. Xu was showing off his porcelain and saying that you guys didn't understand it? I'm just killing time anyway, and porcelain and sculpture are related, so I'll take this opportunity to learn. Maybe one day I can even help you save face."
Li Fuqiang was surprised that she remembered even a casual remark and studied it seriously. Although he found it childish, he was quite pleased with herself.
Two days later, the hairpin was finally finished. Since she was going to visit her mother the next day, she took this gift with her.
Xu Anyi's physical therapy was indeed effective, and she did not experience the massive hair loss that most chemotherapy patients do. She took the hairpin that her daughter had hand-polished and examined it carefully: "The texture is delicate, and it feels heavy in your hand, not flimsy."
"It's small-leaf sandalwood."
"It's a pity that Mom's hair isn't long enough, otherwise she would definitely wear the hairpin made by her precious daughter."
In April, Xu Anyi's follow-up examination results came back, showing that all the cancer cells in her body had been removed. Zhiwei cried tears of joy and hugged her mother tightly. Xu Anyi was also unable to hide her excitement and gently patted her daughter's back.
Zhiwei immediately dialed Li Fuqiang's number. He was in a board meeting, but answered when he saw it was her calling. Her unusually excited voice came through the phone: "Mr. Li, my mother's checkup results are in! The cancer cells have disappeared!"
Li Fuqiang was also happy for her: "Congratulations. Please give my congratulations to Miss Xu."
Zhiwei then remembered: "Are you in a meeting?"
"It's alright."
She quickly hung up the phone: "Let's talk again tonight."
When Youlin, Qian Dayou, and the others saw that their boss had made an exception and answered the phone during the meeting, they could guess who was calling even though they only heard a few words.
Zhiwei was in high spirits and generously invited Lao Zhang, Xiao Yang, and her mother to a lavish meal. Upon arriving at Boss Liang's club, she even asked Lao Zhang to go back and fetch Xiaoyu to come along. There weren't many guests at noon, and Boss Liang greeted Zhiwei and her entourage with great courtesy.
"We're celebrating my mother's recovery today, and we didn't make an appointment. I wonder if it's convenient for you here, Mr. Liang?"
"Congratulations! Miss Shen, you are welcome anytime." He then went to make the arrangements.
Because it was a joyous occasion, Boss Liang specially instructed the kitchen to prepare some auspicious dishes: "Four Happiness Meatballs", "Flowers Bloom and Wealth is Prosperous", "Joyful and Harmonious", and "Good Fortune and Happiness". Even the desserts were "Always Smiling".
After finishing his meeting at noon, Li Fuqiang called Zhiwei specifically to ask how they planned to celebrate. She laughed and said, "I'm having lunch with everyone at Boss Liang's place. Poor Boss Liang, he must have collected every auspicious name from the restaurant's menu."
Li Fu couldn't help but chuckle. When it was time to pay the bill, Boss Liang came over personally: "President Li specifically instructed that Miss Shen's visit be recorded on his tab."
After dinner, Zhiwei invited her mother to stay at her house for two days. Xu Anyi visited her daughter's new home for the first time and also liked the spacious living room.
"It's just that we're missing a large desk; only with such a spacious area can our thoughts flow freely."
“Those geniuses can write masterpieces even when they're huddled at a small table. Your daughter doesn't have that talent. She should make herself comfortable first, then she'll have no excuse to be lazy.”
Zhiwei pulled her mother to sit down on the sofa, and the mother and daughter snuggled together.
What are Mom's plans for the future?
"Now that I'm better, I want to go back to Shanghai. I should also be returning to work soon. I'll go back after your birthday."
Zhiwei didn't try to persuade her mother not to work. For single women, work is a great remedy—there are companions, motivation to dress up, social interaction, and a considerable income; it's a win-win situation. Xu Anyi is only in her early fifties, and having her sit idle all day makes her anxious.
"Mom, please don't overwork yourself."
Xu Anyi patted her hand: "Don't worry. In my situation, do you think I'm going to ask for a promotion or a raise? I'm good at accounting, it doesn't take much effort. If I'm really unhappy with it, I'll find other ways to have fun, I won't make myself suffer."
"Mom, take Xiao Yang with you. It'll be good to have someone to take care of him. Remember to have regular check-ups."
"good."
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