Chapter 76 Let's Go South
The sound of firecrackers shatters, and the old year departs.
As the weather warms up, pale yellow buds are faintly appearing on the tips of the willow branches.
Zhao Fei began taking Wen Xiaoxiao to visit relatives and friends.
Wen Xiaoxiao knew that Zhao Fei was using his own way to vindicate her and steadily bring her into his social circle and his world.
Before leaving the house, Wen Xiaoxiao stood in front of the full-length mirror.
The person in the mirror is her, yet it seems like she isn't.
She tied her long, slightly wavy, jet-black hair high at the back of her head.
She was wearing a beige trench coat of her own design, with a clean cut, a slightly cinched waist, and smooth lines.
A pair of light brown mid-heeled leather shoes made her already well-proportioned figure appear even more upright.
She carefully examined herself in the mirror.
Her face was lightly made up, her eyebrows and eyes were relaxed, and a natural and composed smile played at the corners of her mouth.
His eyes were clear and bright, open and honest.
Courage and confidence are what sustain her.
Zhao Fei leaned against the door frame and watched her.
He recalled the young woman he had first met, always keeping her head down and speaking softly in the Zhao family's courtyard.
Now, it's as if she has shed a layer of gray shell, revealing the brilliance within.
"What are you looking at?" Wen Xiaoxiao turned around and asked him with a smile.
“Look at my wife,” Zhao Fei walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. “She’s so beautiful.”
"You're so glib," Wen Xiaoxiao scolded him.
The first company we visited was a feed mill owner surnamed Hu, with whom Zhao Fei had been cooperating for many years.
The house is decorated in a fashionable style, with shiny floor tiles and leather sofas.
Mr. Hu's wife was also a straightforward person. She took Wen Xiaoxiao's hand and looked her up and down, praising her with admiration: "Oh my, Zhao Fei is so lucky. His wife is so beautiful and has such a great presence. She's no less attractive than a movie star in a magazine! And her clothes are so nice. Where did you buy them?"
Wen Xiaoxiao smiled generously: "Sister-in-law, you flatter me. I made the clothes myself."
"You made it yourself?" Mrs. Hu was even more surprised. "Incredible! This skill and style are enough to open a tailor shop!"
“It’s open,” Zhao Fei chimed in, a hint of barely perceptible pride in his voice. “It’s on Hongqi Street in the neighboring city, called ‘Xiaoxiao Tailor Shop’.”
During the meal, while drinking and chatting, the conversation naturally turned to everyday family matters.
Boss Hu had drunk a bit too much and started talking more. He patted Zhao Fei on the shoulder and said, "Brother, you're something else!" He gave Zhao Fei a thumbs up and said, "You've got guts! No matter what others say about what happened in the past, I admire you! Come on, let's toast to you and your wife!"
The expressions on the faces of the other people at the table became somewhat subtle.
Someone asked about Wen Xiaoxiao's past.
In the past, Wen Xiaoxiao probably wouldn't have known how to answer.
But now, she picked up the teacup in front of her, took a sip, put it down, and said clearly and calmly, "Thank you for your concern, Brother Hu and everyone. My relationship with Zhao Fei is fate, and it's also because we've both figured it out and want to live our lives well from now on. People..."
She paused, a faint smile curving her lips. "If you're always dwelling on other people's past, it's probably because you're not doing so well in your own life right now, and you're not entirely content with it."
The table fell silent for a moment.
Mr. Hu was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter and slammed his hand on the table: "Well said! Sister-in-law is right! Let bygones be bygones, and live well from now on! Come on, let's drink!"
Zhao Fei took Wen Xiaoxiao's hand under the table.
His Xiaoxiao can finally stand tall in the sunlight, no longer feeling inferior because of the past, no longer shrinking back because of rumors!
Zheng Shangyu, who had just returned from the south, brought Wen Xiaoxiao several of the latest fashion magazines and some unique fabrics he had found in Guangzhou.
"Master Wen, you should go out and take a look."
One day, he sat in the tailor shop, flipping through the magazine he had brought, and said very seriously, “Staying in this small town, my perspective is ultimately limited. The South, especially Guangzhou and Shenzhen, is changing every day. The styles, fabrics, and sales models of clothing are completely different from here. You should go and see for yourself and experience it for yourself.”
Wen Xiaoxiao was captivated by his description of a world that "changes every day."
That evening, she mentioned it to Zhao Fei.
“Mr. Zheng said there are many opportunities in the South and he would like to invite me to go and see for myself.” She said tentatively while helping Zhao Fei loosen his tie.
Zhao Fei paused, "Going south? Just you and him?"
"Yeah, he said he knows the area well and can show me around." Wen Xiaoxiao observed his expression. "I'll just go take a look, I won't stay long, I'll be back in a few days."
Zhao Fei didn't object immediately, but he was clearly unhappy.
He turned around and put his hands on Wen Xiaoxiao's shoulders: "Xiaoxiao, it's not that I don't trust you. It's just that the South is so far away, and we don't know anyone there. I'm worried about you. Besides, that Zheng Shangyu..."
He always regarded that elegant and knowledgeable designer as his number one "imaginary enemy".
Wen Xiaoxiao knew what he was thinking, and felt a little amused and a little sweet inside.
She softened her voice and gently shook his hand, saying, "I'll just go take a look, I promise I'll stay far away from him, I'll only look at clothes and the market. You know, I want my shop to succeed, I can't keep sticking to the old ways. Zhao Fei... please let me go, okay?"
It was rare for her to act so coquettishly, and even Zhao Fei, with his hardened heart, couldn't resist.
After a few days of stalemate, Zhao Fei finally relented, but with a condition: "I'll go with you."
"Your pig farm is so busy, how can you leave?" Wen Xiaoxiao asked.
"I have to go no matter how busy I am," Zhao Fei said firmly. "Otherwise, I won't feel at ease."
But plans can't keep up with changes.
Before I left, something went wrong at the pig farm.
The night before he left, Zhao Fei held Wen Xiaoxiao in his arms and said in a low voice, "Come back soon and call me every day." He paused, then tightened his arms and added in a low voice, "Stay away from that Zheng Shangyu...stay away. Come back after you've finished watching, don't linger."
Wen Xiaoxiao chuckled in his arms and deliberately asked, "What, are you afraid I'll be kidnapped?"
"What am I afraid of?" Zhao Fei retorted stubbornly, but then gently bit her earlobe as if punishing her. "I'm afraid you'll be blinded by the allure of the world and look down on me, a pig farmer."
"Nonsense." Wen Xiaoxiao turned around, hugged his neck, and kissed his lips. "Zhao Fei, no matter how good the South is, it's not home without you."
The kiss and those words completely soothed the jealousy Zhao Fei felt.
He returned her kiss deeply, and between breaths said, "Come back soon. I'll be waiting for you."
The train sounded its whistle and pulled out of the station.
Wen Xiaoxiao sat by the window.
This was her first time riding a train, and she was filled with wonder.
Green fields, gray villages, winding rivers, rolling hills... everything seems to be framed in a moving picture frame, constantly changing.
Zheng Shangyu sat opposite her, smiling as he watched her childlike demeanor, occasionally telling her about the scenery along the way.
Two days later, the train arrived in a city in the south.
As soon as you step out of the station, you are hit by waves of heat and noise.
Wen Xiaoxiao was instantly stunned by the scene before her.
Skyscrapers stand tall, their glass curtain walls reflecting the dazzling sunlight.
The streets are wide, the traffic flows like water, and the dense stream of bicycles merges into a moving ocean.
People's clothes were colorful and the styles were novel and bold. The ladies wore knee-length A-line skirts and high heels.
Some of the men were wearing floral shirts and sunglasses.
The shop signs along the street are flashing neon lights, which are lit even during the day.
Zheng Shangyu took her to the famous clothing wholesale market.
That was the place that truly dazzled Wen Xiaoxiao.
Countless stalls, mountains of clothes, merchants from all over the country haggling over prices in various accents, and a surging crowd packing and shipping goods.
The sheer variety of clothing styles here left her overwhelmed.
She followed Zheng Shangyu, looking at each stall one by one, touching the fabrics with her hands, and carefully examining the workmanship and patterns.
Her heart was pounding, and something in her blood was rushing through her veins.
That night, Wen Xiaoxiao was too excited to sleep in the simple guesthouse.
Everything she saw during the day replayed in her mind like a movie.
Those dazzling array of clothes, those busy business people,
A thought, like a match struck in the darkness, suddenly ignited in her heart, growing clearer and more intense.
Perhaps... perhaps she shouldn't have just stayed at that small tailor shop, taking on odd jobs.
Maybe... she could open a clothing store.
She sells these stylish and trendy clothes, bringing the fashion of the South to her small town.
The thought made her heart pound and her cheeks burn.
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