Chapter 61 The Golden Brand
Lin Xiushui swore that she was dressed very presentably.
Knowing she was going to meet an old tailor who had been making clothes for over twenty years, she even washed her hair.
Not to mention her clothes, she made sure her light green short jacket was wrinkle-free, and even paired it with a pleated skirt in the same color scheme. She didn't wear anything at all, so she couldn't go wrong.
“Don’t look at yourself, there’s nothing wrong with your clothes,” said the tailor, Jin. Her temples were gray, and she looked old. She wore a brown long jacket with blue flowers and a maroon skirt with floral patterns. She didn’t have a high bun or a crown, but she looked quite dignified.
She asked, "Do you usually make clothes for yourself?"
Lin Xiushui finally looked away from the clothes and honestly said, "I don't make many. I usually make clothes for other people."
Every time she makes clothes for herself, she relies on rough measurements or alters patterns from old clothes, so they don't fit as well as when she makes clothes for others.
“I noticed it as soon as you came in. The shoulders don’t fit quite right. The seam needs to be gathered in a bit more, and the skirt could be a little bigger. You’re petite, so it makes you look a bit narrow,” the tailor said gently, inviting her to sit down. “When I was young, I became a tailor, not to learn a trade.”
"Back then, I wanted to wear beautiful clothes every day. I learned to make them for myself. Every year when new silk came in and new fabrics were available, I would first choose the ones I liked and try them on myself before making them for others."
"You only know what kind of material it is after you wear it. You can tell what's good and what's not good. When you lay the fabric flat after it's made, it looks great in every way, but once you put it on, all the flaws become apparent."
Lin Xiushui sat up straight. Suddenly, she looked up and thought about how many tailors did indeed dress smartly and often had to buy new fabrics to wear.
She was different; she loved all kinds of fabrics. Whenever she saw a piece of fabric with a fresh color and pattern, her first thought was, "This fabric would be perfect for making clothes for so many people."
She never thought of using this piece of cloth to make clothes for herself. She felt it was too expensive; two strings of cash for a bolt of cloth would only be enough for a skirt or a short jacket with a tube top. She was always reluctant to spend the money. Making clothes for others would earn her double the money, and she could see the fabric on their bodies.
I've never actually worn clothes made of silk, hemp, or ramie, so I don't really know how they would look, whether they would feel awkward, or what parts would be unsuitable. I just know they are really troublesome.
For example, those wearing gauze dresses had to prevent all sorts of snags. She had mended so many gauze dresses and heard countless tragic stories. Some people had long, sharp fingernails that would snag the fabric if they were scratched. The chairs were too rough, so people had to lift their clothes to sit on them.
Jin the tailor said with a smile, "As a tailor, I must make sure my own clothes are well made. I can't let others find fault with them. I am the face of my own craftsmanship."
That's why I told you to make yourself some clothes first, even if you don't wear them while doing chores.
She frequented the homes of all kinds of wealthy people, doing needlework and other tasks. She handled countless jobs, unlike the other women who did all the work in the tailor's workshop.
The needleworker is a professional tailor. Compared to someone like Lin Xiushui, she is more skilled in making clothes. She needs to know how to take measurements, choose fabrics, match colors, cut and sew. Not only must the clothes fit well, but they must also be suitable for various occasions. There can be no slight imperfections.
Over the decades, I've developed the ability to roughly tell what length, size, color, and style of clothing to wear just by looking at a person's figure and face.
When Lin Xiushui entered, she was dressed rather plainly, too composed, not as delicate as she had imagined. The tailor, Jin, knew Lin Xiushui quite well; she had a collar band given to her by the old tailor.
It is a diamond-patterned collar, with blue and green lines interwoven vertically and horizontally to create a hollowed-out pattern. In the middle of this diamond pattern, various small flowers are embroidered, such as peach blossoms, gardenias, and pomegranate flowers, which are exquisite and unique.
She just didn't have a single outfit that matched her, so she specially prepared to have a set made. She also went to a tailor to order a different patterned one, but they said they were fully booked for the month and she would have to wait until the latter half of the month to receive a different collar for her. But she kept thinking about that one.
This time it was a lucky coincidence; when the old tailor approached her, she immediately agreed.
But now, when I see someone, I feel like I have to say a few more words.
“To be honest, you would look good in light green or blue,” the tailor said, repeating his old habit. “You are tall and thin, so you can wear a longer jacket with a slit at your knees. The skirt doesn’t need to be pleated too much or too stiff; it’s more suitable for you to be a little flared. Since you have a slim waist, you can tie a piece of green silk cloth around your waist—no, peach pink would also work—about two feet long, tie a knot in the middle, and let it hang down to here.”
Lin Xiushui was a little confused, which was unusual. Shouldn't she have given gifts first to get to know him better before slowly learning from him? This was different from what she had expected last night.
But she reacted quickly; she took out an eyebrow pencil from her bag, grabbed a piece of paper, and said, "Okay, I'll write this down first."
The tailor was taken aback by her words. He looked down at her pen, then at her, and then laughed and said, "Good, good. It's good that you can read. Remember this: next time I meet someone as thin as you, pay attention to your waist. If you have a nice, slender waist, then cut it higher. If you prefer someone who isn't so thin, pleats are best, lots and lots."
The conversation then shifted, "You can make the collar band wider. Your shoulders aren't very broad, so if it were wider, you'd be making it even wider. You're not making a collar band, are you? Why not make one for yourself?"
Lin Xiushui raised her head and answered honestly again, "I have to do other people's work first; I have a lot of work to do."
"Well, that," the tailor asked seriously, "the one who embroiders jasmine flowers, who brought the pattern, when will it be finished?"
Lin Xiushui thought carefully and realized that she had indeed received a few paper patterns of jasmine flowers. Most of the other patterns were for clothing, and the collars and sashes were made according to the clothing. So she had a deep impression of them.
She then realized, "Oh, that one is yours, my wife."
He readily agreed, saying, "I should be able to finish it in the next couple of days when I have some free time."
It doesn't take up the normal schedule; it's done after work. We can always finish it if we rush.
The tailor was very happy. She pulled Lin Xiushui into her room and said, "I'll take your measurements. You can go back and make it according to this. You can also make it here this afternoon. I'll see how you make the pattern."
No one had ever measured her body before, which was a very novel thing for Lin Xiushui. It was the first time she had ever known such detailed and specific data.
She took a day off work specifically to come here. She didn't know Jin the tailor's temperament at first, but the old tailor said that he was a good person and suitable for her. In addition to the gift, she also prepared a red envelope, but she didn't need it and had to use a collar sash instead.
Jin the tailor said that when they learned from each other in the tailoring circle, nothing was better than a good collar; true skill was revealed in the craftsmanship.
During this half-day, Lin Xiushui was revising the paper pattern, which is more commonly referred to as a garment pattern here. In her memory, the way she usually drew paper patterns involved drawing various marks, such as a black dot with a large circle drawn around it to indicate the location, or to sew a flower, etc.
Draw two horizontal lines and then another line down to indicate alignment. Draw a square for the front side of the fabric and a cross for the back side of the fabric inside the square. So, apart from herself, it is very difficult for others to recognize her patterns.
For someone like Jin the tailor, the standard dimensions for a jacket are the length of the garment, the width of the chest, the length of the sleeves, the width of the sleeves, the width of the horizontal neckline, and the collar edge. The calculation method is much simpler for him than for a jacket like hers.
After spending half a day there, Lin Xiushui benefited a lot. The tailor, Jin, was very good at divergent thinking. She could talk about all kinds of skirt styles and colors, or the skirts and jackets she had made, etc.
Then he simply said, "Bring me a piece of cloth, and I'll alter it into a skirt for you. Otherwise, in ten days, you can also say that you want to make clothes for someone else first."
Lin Xiushui's thoughts were exposed. She was a difficult person to persuade. She had only had the idea, not for herself, but to learn more so that she could make corrections for others later.
The tailor snorted, "I guarantee if you go out and walk around for a while, and no one comes up to you asking about your dress, I'll change my surname."
"I changed my surname to Silver, but there was no one left. So I changed my surname to Copper."
"You should finish making my collar first, I'm waiting to put on my clothes."
As Lin Xiushui left the tailor's house, all she could think about was why he didn't make clothes for her.
Of course, I want to put it off until I feel like doing it. I don't want to do it anytime soon.
But when she was making clothes for others, all she could think about was making them quickly so that the people could wear them.
Right now, someone is eager to make it for her.
Fate and destiny are unpredictable, and she finally understood what it meant to wait for a dress or a piece of clothing.
That kind of anticipation is like a cool breeze on a summer night, longing for it to come quickly.
Even knowing it would take three full days, she would still think about the new dress during those three days, even though she had clearly made many dresses before.
I thought she had done no less work and earned no less money.
First, he thought of the old tailor, so he went to thank him with the gifts.
The old tailor said, "It didn't work out, why thank me?"
Lin Xiushui shook her head and said, "I've grasped a bit of the Dao, how can that not count as success?"
"Did I find you a tailor, or a master from a temple?"
Lin Xiushui quickly replied, "The Buddhist way of practicing the Way, the tailor's way of making clothes."
"One who understands clothing understands everything."
The old tailor couldn't argue with her at all.
Lin Xiushui left the neckline and pondered for a moment before saying to Gu Niangzi, "I don't think this kind of drawnwork embroidery is suitable. The order book is already booked until the following month. People are all coming for drawnwork necklines. If we have to wait a long time, we should send drawnwork embroidery as a gift."
"What is it? None of you have the time," Madam Gu asked.
“If we can’t spare the materials, we can hire a few more people to draw threads on square cloth, sew simple patterns, and then have embroiderers embroider some designs to make handkerchiefs, purses, and fan covers.”
The tailor had told her that giving away other collars was insincere; a set of collars could sell for more than a thousand coins, and you would have to wait two months. Giving away collars worth tens to hundreds of coins was very stingy.
Lin Xiushui hadn't mentioned it before because the tailor shop was short-handed, but now that the shop is preparing to bring in a new batch of apprentices, she needs more staff.
The three of them live together every day, and they've run out of things to talk about. Otherwise, it's really quiet. As Li Jin would say, they'd have to cover their ears even if they were to fart.
Lin Xiushui planned to start from when she was three years old, and it would be about the same few things.
Gu Niangzi thought that this could be sold for money, but she hadn't recruited enough people yet. The recruitment was slow this year because she couldn't find someone as talented as Lin Xiushui. Every time she picked and chose, she felt an indescribable sense of disappointment.
Ironing is no good, mending is no good, tailoring is so-so. At the same age, but different people, she looks so-so at this and so-so at that. In the end, she barely manages to stand out from the crowd.
While she was still choosing, she said, "I'll definitely arrange someone for you, and you can choose for yourself later. Just wait a little longer."
Lin Xiushui and others bought four bolts of yarn. The material was okay, but there were some spots and uneven lines. When buying in bulk, one or two inferior bolts would be included. Manager Zhuang said, "If you want it, I'll sell it to you at a low price."
She used to be in charge of purchasing fabrics and doing various mending and repair work. Lin Xiushui's mending shop greatly reduced her burden, and she did a good job. She also earned money from the accounting department's work, so she naturally wanted to do Lin Xiushui a favor, and the higher-ups agreed.
One string of cash can buy a bolt of gauze.
But Manager Zhuang couldn't help but wonder, "What kind of business are they doing this time?"
"Small-scale business."
"I told you, your mind is full of business ideas. Why don't you take a break in this sweltering heat? What are you thinking about?"
Lin Xiushui nodded, "I want money."
"It's unnecessary to ask you."
Not superfluous, at least Lin Xiushui would reply: "After eating five grains, one wants six grains; after having meat, one complains about tofu; but money, who would complain?"
Manager Zhuang told himself to keep quiet.
Lin Xiushui has been talking to Sun Da a lot these past few days; she really can't keep her mouth shut. After all, besides selling goods, she doesn't follow the same path as Chen Guihua and doesn't steal Chen Guihua's business.
He buys them from Lin Xiushui and then resells them.
Chen Guihua sells soap balls and various flower petals in her perfume shop. She also goes to other soap ball sellers to earn money to learn how to tie hair buns. She washes people's hair at night. Business hasn't picked up yet, but she has three regular customers: Lin Xiushui, Sang Ying, and Xiao He.
Sun Da was different; he also sold incense.
He said, "Yes, isn't fragrant flowers and hot water fragrant?"
Many kinds of brewed water are available in summer, such as cardamom, perilla, and agarwood. But the fragrant flower brewed water is actually made with flowers, such as rose, jasmine, and grapefruit. Take half-open flowers with the strongest fragrance, soak them in water overnight, and then soak them with hot water the next day to make brewed water.
Lin Xiushui said that it was just the flowers' bathwater.
Sun Da chimed in, "Yes, that's why we sell them to them too, and tell them to put them in bags so that at least when they drink it, there won't be too much residue." He also collected gardenias picked by others, put them in gauze bags, and sold a gardenia sachet for fifteen coins. The white and green sachets were not only pretty but also fragrant.
He also planned to go to the street vendor who writes sentimental essays and write a few red slips of paper with auspicious words like "good fortune" and "as you wish," basically anything with good characters. He said he could sell them for eighteen coins.
Lin Xiushui recommended Guanghui to him, and also helped him find a job.
One penny per sheet, Guanghui thanked God, "I've made something of myself, I can earn money now."
He immediately composed a poem: "Earn ten coins today, earn ten coins tomorrow, ten coins again, and one hundred coins the day after tomorrow."
In fact, the money earned still had to be subsidized by two coins, because each of the six cats and the catfish cost two coins.
This gauze bag sells much better than gloves, and it's cheaper and lighter than a sachet. Some people say they want to catch fireflies and put them inside, as they look shiny and pretty. Others say they want to put tea leaves inside.
Some even asked her to make duck soup for free.
"Can't I?" Chen Jiuchuan was killing ducks when he went to Shanglintang. He was busy in the fields, so he took a break and went back to farm for a few days. His face got a little tanned from the sun.
"Who is it for?"
He picked out the two fattest ducks to make braised duck, and put ginger slices and scallion segments in a gauze bag.
One cup was for Lin Xiushui, and one cup was for Sang Ying and himself.
There are more chickens than ducks right now. Even though there are many waterways in the town, they all require boats to navigate, so ducks are not allowed to roam freely. Chickens are much cheaper. There are dishes made with chickens, called "pretended roasted duck with chicken" or "pretended stewed duck".
There aren't many ducks in Shanglintang; the most common are geese, which are popular among the people of Lin'an's inner city, and they are raised in large numbers.
Lin Xiushui said, "You've lost out."
A gauze bag costs only nine coins, while a duck costs three hundred coins.
Chen Jiuchuan said, "Then we've made a profit."
"I'll earn you nine coins and give you a pot of old duck soup."
Lin Xiushui asked Sang Ying, "Did your brother go crazy from farming?"
“No,” Sang Ying said, puzzled. “You’re at a loss. The duck soup was supposed to be for you, but you gave him a muslin bag for nothing.”
"Go ask him for the money; he just made a profit recently."
"Never mind," Lin Xiushui said generously, "I've made a small profit too, I'll treat you to goose tomorrow."
The two looked at her, wondering where she had made her fortune this time.
Lin Xiushui was very modest; she had indeed made a small fortune, two strings of cash.
These tiny gauze bags can actually be resold by middlemen.
Sun Da and Chen Guihua were the first to sell, and the ones who came after them were the second to sell. They didn't buy from Lin Xiushui, but from other stalls, and then sold them under a different name, called "Saucy Bags".
How do they sell it? Tea has a high-end packaging. When sealing the tea, after it is properly sealed, it is put into a gauze bag, which is called a "jiangnang".
Those gauze bags are made of very fine gauze. The gauze bags themselves are ordinary, but the people who trade them are very clever. They put two layers of gauze bags over the broken tea leaves and can resell them for 280 coins instead of 180.
Sun Da told all of this, and Lin Xiushui said that she lost.
Anyway, she made a real profit. There were six or seven people making the gauze bags, and they could produce three or four hundred bags a day. After deducting the fees paid to them, Lin Xiushui made a net profit of two strings of cash in three days.
She had never earned money so easily before. She even dared to dream that, given time, she could switch from renting to buying a shop.
Let's think it over first; this kind of business will stabilize.
She really didn't work for nothing these three days. She earned money, made a gold-embroidered collar in her spare time, and even got a new dress.
It was made for her by the tailor.
This dress is made of tie-dyed fabric given to it by Lin Xiushui, with blue dye mixed with misty white.
The skirt given was a pleated skirt, which is quite different from a full pleated skirt. A full pleated skirt has fine pleats from the front to the back of the waist, while this skirt has some pleats on the front, which are spaced out and not very close together. There are no pleats on the sides of the waist.
The smooth, unpleated fabrics are layered together, with pleats on the left, right, and back, leaving width in the middle to create a plain surface.
Lin Xiushui doesn't usually wear this style of dress. After putting it on, she felt very comfortable moving around in it. The tailor made her a waist rope with a blue and white knot in the middle.
Firstly, it makes the waist appear slimmer; secondly, the skirt moves gracefully with the sides, highlighting the fabric's flowing movement. The pleats are not sharp, but slightly puffy, creating a light and airy beauty.
The tailor told her not to rush to thank him or return the favor, saying, "Go out and take a walk; no one will ask me if my surname is Yin."
Lin Xiushui went to a tailor shop, but whether it was good or not, she herself wasn't quite sure; the tailor knew best.
Everyone looked at her with curiosity, as if a dried flower had suddenly turned into a fresh one.
After all, she usually dresses very plainly, and her face is always bare. So how could people not be surprised when she suddenly wears a pretty dress?
Their reaction was as follows:
"Where was it made? Make one for me too."
"It looks good. No need for further words. Just make me one."
"One."
"Follow one."
Lin Xiushui understood; this was called a golden brand.
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