"Brother, don't worry, this situation won't last long. I'll come and take over my job after my sister-in-law finishes her postpartum confinement."
As for the small workshop, in order to deal with the fabric, if she can find a source of goods, she plans to go back to her hometown and find two or three people to come over. She will mainly be responsible for drawing and pattern making, and she can leave everything else aside.
Of course, if they can't find a source of goods, this small workshop won't last long.
Ji Xia also wanted Ji Xiangjun to help her think of a way to find some fabric!
However, with Ji Xiangjun back, Ji Xia had something even more worrying about, and she had to ask Ji Xiangjun for help.
Ji Xia mentioned to him that Chen Jing had gone to the provincial capital to look for someone, but had not heard anything from him.
"Chen Jing? What's he doing in the city? What happened?" Ji Xiangjun frowned.
"They're all working hard for the sake of my grandson and me."
Old Man Sun and Sun Xiaoyu brought dinner—three dishes and a soup—to the table in the courtyard.
Because Ji Xiangjun went home, Old Man Sun and Sun Xiaoyu killed the last hen in the yard.
Old Sun served Ji Xiangjun a bowl full of chicken soup and explained apologetically, "He's been out for so many days without any news, trying to find my daughter. We're very worried about him."
He explained his background and his demands, and when he heard that it was a condition for exchanging old items, Ji Xiangjun glanced at his younger sister.
Ji Xia smiled ingratiatingly at her second brother: "Brother, Chen Jing went to the provincial capital to help me. Please help me find out where he is now?"
"After he went to the provincial capital, we haven't heard from him at all?"
"I received a telegram the next day saying I had arrived safely, and there has been no news since."
"Are you sure you can find the person at the address you gave him?" This was the question asked Old Man Sun.
Old Sun shook his head, looking ashamed: "We haven't been in contact for over twenty years, I don't even know if they're still around."
Upon hearing this, Ji Xiangjun nodded, then asked for the name and address again, promising to have someone ask him tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Chen Jing was in a private residence in the old city of the provincial capital, drinking and chatting with the local black market boss, calling each other brothers.
This is Song Wu, the black market boss he rescued a few days ago.
Having been in the city for several days without finding anyone, he finally made a friend and asked Song Wu for help.
Today, Song Wu sent someone to inform him that he had made progress with the person he had been looking for a few days ago, so Chen Jing invited him to a private restaurant for a get-together.
After a few rounds of drinks, Song Wu pulled an envelope from his pocket with two names and addresses written on it: "Brother, I found these two people. They used the same names more than ten years ago. However, I don't know if they are the two you are looking for."
Chen Jing glanced at the name and address on the envelope, then looked at Song Wu in surprise: "Zhao Ang, the director of the Cultural Bureau?"
"Yes, more than ten years ago his name was Zhao Zisheng, and later he changed his name to Zhao Ang. Coincidentally, his wife also changed her name more than ten years ago."
Zhao Zisheng and Sun Yuqiu were the names that Old Man Sun wrote for him, the names of his son-in-law and daughter.
More than a decade ago, during a major reshuffling of power in China, changing one's name, job, and everything else, and erasing one's past, was a way to protect oneself.
If these two have the ability to change or erase all of this, then it's clear they are quite capable.
After learning about the two men's resumes from Song Wu, Chen Jing became somewhat suspicious.
Regardless of whether it was true or not, he sincerely thanked Song Wu for his help and had a good drink with him.
The next day at noon, following the address given by Song Wu, he went to the staff quarters of the government agency.
A security guard from the residential compound stopped him: "Young man, who are you? Where are you from?"
"Hello, comrade, I'm looking for Ms. Song Qiu."
Chen Jing quickly handed over his letter of introduction and a pack of cigarettes, smiling obsequiously as he said, "I'm a relative from my hometown. I need my aunt's help with something. Could you please call her out for me?"
The security guard took the pack of cigarettes with a slight smile on his face. He glanced at Chen Jing's letter of introduction and hesitated before saying, "It seems that Ms. Song Qiu went out with her daughter early this morning."
"She went out? Do you know when she'll be back?"
Just as Chen Jing was about to ask for more details, the security guard noticed a car slowly stopping behind him and quickly pointed to the car, saying, "Ms. Song Qiu and her daughter are back."
Chen Jing turned around and, through the car window, saw the profile of a middle-aged woman who looked to be about forty years old and had an elegant demeanor.
Although she is middle-aged, her skin is still fair and plump, her eyes have a lingering look, and there are a few fine lines at the corners of her eyes.
Upon closer inspection, one can see an outline that bears some resemblance to Sun Xiaoyu.
After carefully observing the situation, Chen Jing calmed down and stood to the side with a smile.
As the car slowly drove through the iron gate, the security guard led Chen Jing forward to stop it: "Madam Zhao, this Comrade Chen says he is a relative from your hometown and has come to see you."
"Relatives? What relatives?" A girl who looked about seventeen or eighteen years old next to Song Qiu looked Chen Jing up and down curiously.
Chen Jing smiled at the two women with neither arrogance nor servility: "Ms. Song, I am Mr. Sun Zhengyang's nephew from his maternal family. I am here to deliver a letter to him."
"Sun Zhengyang?" A hint of surprise flashed across Song Qiu's composed face.
...
At the supply and marketing cooperative, Liu Pianran and a female educated youth came to Ji Xia again and accepted a brand new, simplified version of Xiuhe kimono.
The kimono was made by Ji Xia and Sun Xiaoyu together last night. Sun Xiaoyu sewed it, while Ji Xia spent the whole night making dozens of auspicious clouds and magpies coiled around branches and buttons from scraps of pale yellow fabric. Then she used beads to sew them onto the collar, front, and cuffs.
When Liu Pianran unfolded the entire dress, Furong's face showed excitement. This new wedding dress was even more beautiful than the red dress she had seen yesterday. This twenty yuan was much more cost-effective than the one she had ordered from the tailor shop. It was such a good deal.
Yang, a fellow educated youth, exclaimed in surprise, "It's so beautiful! It looks like a custom-made wedding dress. It's so gorgeous!"
Ji Xia reminded her at the right moment, "This outfit really shows off your figure. Would you like to try it on? I can alter it if anything doesn't fit."
"Can we still try?"
Liu Pianran excitedly raised her beautiful almond-shaped eyes, and Ji Xia nodded, giving Liu Hongju a wink.
Liu Hongju led Liu Zhiqing to the rest and water room at the back gate, and had Liu Pianran change into new clothes before coming out.
Ten minutes later, Liu Pianran emerged from the lounge wearing a brand-new Xiuhe dress. Excitedly, she ran over, lifting her skirt, and exclaimed to Ji Xia and Yang Zhiqing, "Isn't this beautiful?"
"pretty!"
"Is this a wedding dress? It's so beautiful!"
Before Ji Xia and Yang Zhiqing could even speak, several customers at the supply and marketing cooperative cheered and expressed their admiration.
Liu Pianran was naturally beautiful with fair skin. Wearing this elegant and charming Xiuhe dress, her face looked as if she had applied rouge, and her eyes were even more alluring. She was more beautiful than the flowers and had an air of nobility.
The cinched waist design made her chest appear more prominent, and the cheongsam, which tightly hugged her long legs, also made her look taller.
Ji Xia nodded in admiration, glancing at her feet and shaking her head inwardly: "It's a pity, she's missing a pair of high heels."
"A pair of high heels is missing!" A strange woman's voice rang out at the same time as Ji Xia's.
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