Chapter 97 The Cloak Show
By the end of November, the twelve entertainment venues in Nanwazi were bustling with activity.
Lin Xiushui pushed open the door from Wang Li's place and saw a list of paper notices posted on a row of stone walls. She looked closely and saw that the performance times for "Butterfly Loves Flower" were listed: morning, noon, and evening.
She walked down the wooden steps, recalling how Wang Erniang and Li Xia and the other five had invited her to dinner a couple of days ago. Their faces were flushed, and they talked about the future throughout the meal, their energy flowing freely.
Even though Nanwazi made them dance non-stop, from the earliest time of Mao Shi (5-7 AM) to You Shi (5-7 PM), with waiting and changing locations, it could last for five hours a day. Even if they wore thick clothes, layer upon layer, they couldn't help but feel dizzy and lightheaded. They endured it all, dreaming of their day when they would make it big.
Lin Xiushui arrived with light steps, but walked heavily as she left Nanwazi.
I found a window seat in a teahouse, ordered a cup of tea, and looked out at the hurried people, my mind heavy with worries.
She didn't think it was an insurmountable deadlock, but she was a little tired and didn't want to show her dissatisfaction to the people around her, so she could only sit here and drink tea in silence.
Lin Xiushui spat, "This tea is really awful."
After the bitter taste in her mouth subsided, Lin Xiushui got up and went back, showing no sign of anything unusual.
She will go to work at the tailor shop as usual tomorrow. She had taken several days off to make the butterfly-patterned dress, and today is her work day.
"Oh," Madam Gu came in from the doorway and, as usual, went to Man Chi Jiao. Seeing that she looked somewhat surprised, she walked towards Lin Xiu Shui. "You've come so early today. I was just looking for you."
"I had to come early. I have a ton of things to do, and even if I rest for a few days, I'll still keep them in mind," Lin Xiushui said as she opened a letter from Lin'an. There was a pile of colored woven fabric on the table. She hadn't slept all night, but she was still full of energy.
Madam Gu leaned lightly against the table and teased, "I've heard so much about you even though I'm so far away."
"I'm also planning to bring my two little ones to see it, just to support you."
Lin Xiushui looked away from the letter and smiled, "Alright, but my wife, you should still go see it as soon as possible."
She unfolded the letter and placed it under the newly bought book. Madam Gu glanced at it, pointed at it, and asked with some surprise, "Why are you reading Sun Tzu's Art of War again?"
“Learn the tactics inside,” Lin Xiushui said without changing her expression, “to know what it means to know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated.”
Madam Gu picked up the butterfly-bound book, flipped through a couple of pages, then put it back and said, "What, you also want to protect your country?"
Lin Xiushui stood up and, using a joke to express her true feelings, said, "I want to protect my clothes and my reputation."
She smiled and let it go, but Madam Gu said, "You're just too strong-willed. If you need any help, just say so."
"As long as it's not murder or arson, I will definitely help you."
Lin Xiushui is not one to shirk responsibility; she will not let go of any power she can rely on.
She couldn't possibly remake the clothes on her own in just half a month.
But she didn't panic. She closed the door, shutting out the noise from outside, and slowly walked over to confess to Madam Gu, "I have indeed encountered a very troublesome matter."
“Okay, I understand. Just tell me,” Madam Gu looked at her, without pressing for details. “If you’re taking a break, I’ll cover for you temporarily.”
Lin Xiushui gave a brief account of what happened in Nanwazi, and then laughed and said, "No, I will stay in the tailor shop for the next two weeks."
"I thought about it all night, and this is not a bad thing for me or for drawnwork embroidery."
Madam Gu raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
The work of drawn thread embroidery has become more stable, and there is not much work. After all, it is rare to see openwork clothing in winter, and my fingers are frozen stiff and not very flexible.
With little work and seasonal constraints, the fifteen people doing drawn thread embroidery only worked half a day, always worried that their wallets would be empty by the end of the year, just like their work.
Lin Xiushui said, "Since it's been half a year since the drawnwork embroidery was done, and everyone's skills have improved, let's not limit ourselves to collars and bandanas. Who says drawnwork embroidery fabric can't be used to make clothes?"
She took out a rolled-up piece of paper, weighed it down with a paperweight, and drew it after staying up all night.
Lady Gu lowered her head, then sat down again, her expression solemn. On the paper was a half-body drawing, with a golden-yellow veil covering the person's head. Lin Xiushui called this a veil, and butterfly patterns were drawn from the top of the head, using gold thread, yellow silk thread, and various beads to depict the figure. It did not give people a real sense of horror, but rather a real sense of surprise.
She reached out and touched the beaded necklace on her forehead, then looked down at the pearls hanging down her cheeks. She remained silent for a long time, deeply moved. There was a kind of ethereal beauty to it, different from the otherworldly grace, but rather a sense of holiness.
Lin Xiushui hadn't even made matching clothes yet. Gu Niangzi couldn't imagine what it would be like after they were made. She took a deep breath and said, "Just keep making them. If you don't have enough manpower, come to me and I'll arrange it for you. Just make the clothes first."
“Okay,” Lin Xiushui nodded. She would focus on drawnwork embroidery from now on. She chuckled and said, “Try to copy my stuff. If you can copy it well, I’ll admit defeat.”
The more you provoke her, the higher her fighting spirit becomes.
Lin Xiushui will be at the tailor shop for a while, so she also needs to take care of Man Chijiao's affairs. They were supposed to make cloaks, and everyone's cloaks have been finished and are being put on the finishing touches repeatedly.
The original idea was to use this as the theme, and whoever did it best would use it as the model and put it in Lin'an first, while others would be discussed and put in Sangqing Town later.
Instead of jumping to conclusions, she suggested holding a cloak show at the tailor shop, selecting one hundred people first, and then casting lots to judge their choices.
Lady Gu was impressed by her abundant energy and boundless ingenuity, and said she would have Steward Zhuang arrange it.
Of course, not everyone in Manchijiao agreed. For some tailors, the key is whether the clothes are well-made and whether they can be sold. Showing them to other tailors is like casting a flirtatious glance at a blind person.
Besides feeling uneasy and afraid of being criticized, I was also afraid of losing confidence.
Madam Zhang put down her work and asked, "Is it really necessary to have a competition?"
Facing the crowd, Lin Xiushui said, word by word, "It's not a competition, it's a demonstration. It's not about picking who's bad or good, but about seeing who does it well and who does it even better."
Cloaks are easy to conceal figure flaws, can be worn in any size, and have almost no requirements on shape. When she decided on this theme, she thought about having everyone show them off after she finished making them.
She didn't want everyone to be rigidly fixed, believing that clothes could only be understood after they were made and worn by others, or that she should directly provide patterns so that everyone could simply follow them. Over time, this would make everyone numb, dull, and inflexible in their clothing making.
Lin Xiushui didn't want Manchi Jiao to become her ideology, so she wanted everyone to have their own considerations. She started with a cloak show and then repeatedly held clothing exhibitions with various themes.
It doesn't matter if there's strong opposition, or if people secretly criticize her behind her back. What she wants is everyone's future, and Man Chi Jiao's future.
"Get ready, decide who to wear it, see you in two days," Lin Xiushui said, standing in front of everyone. "You can be rude, or you can not come, but bring me the clothes."
"If you have something to say, come find me at Drawnwork Embroidery."
Man Chi Jiao Li was quite far away from Lin Xiu Shui, and even if she was so excited that she wanted to confront her, the flame on her head would be extinguished as she walked there in the cold wind.
The matter, which was decided in the morning, spread throughout the tailor's workshop by the afternoon, sparking much discussion and expressing great curiosity and anticipation.
Some people wanted to come to Manchijiaoli to ask, but Lin Xiushui was embroidering and had closed the courtyard gate. The house was quite warm, and only a few windows were open.
The group of people who were chatting and laughing while drawing the yarn all looked at her when they heard the door close, and stopped what they were doing.
Lin Xiushui took off her coat and rubbed her hands together. "What's wrong? Are you surprised?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. They hadn't seen Lin Xiushui for almost ten days. Unlike the others in Manchijiao who were unconvinced, everyone in Choushaxiu was convinced of Lin Xiushui's abilities.
After all, she had personally trained Xiao Qi Mei and Li Jin from the very beginning, and later, when they were selecting apprentices and choosing people for the Weaving Skills Association, everyone had a different kind of affection for her.
It's hard to say exactly how complicated it is, after all, some people want to marry her.
Lin Xiushui always had a smile on her face. "From today until the next two weeks, all work will be suspended. We need everyone's help to make two pieces of clothing."
"This isn't a customer order; it's my personal matter. I need everyone's help to make these two garments. If you find it difficult during the process, feel free to let me know. In return, you'll receive an extra two strings of cash per month..."
“Manager Lin,” Little Seven Sister said loudly, “no need to say anything, we can help you with anything.”
Li Jin spoke slowly, "I can do anything. My skills are pretty good."
Even without Lin Xiushui constantly watching over them, Li Jin and Xiao Qimei never let their guard down, perhaps waiting for Lin Xiushui to say that there was a way they could be of use.
“I’m very willing, Manager Lin. I’m not saying this for the money. I just want to say, please don’t ask us for help,” said Madam Zhang. “We all came from under your guidance to get where we are today.”
Everyone chimed in, saying that no matter how difficult it was, they could do it. Lin Xiushui chose drawn thread embroidery as her confidence because she knew that everyone would stand with her and fight alongside her.
In addition to the gold veil, she also wore a white lace headdress, a black and white spliced lace butterfly strapless dress, and a very elaborate yellow and gold dress with intricate embroidery and butterfly cutouts made of removed tulle. It was so elaborate that it was unforgettable at first glance.
But for those who were to make it, it was an extremely difficult challenge. With Lin Xiushui and the four skilled weavers that Gu Niangzi found, twenty people worked for fifteen days and nights to complete the drawnwork, embroidery, tailoring, and beading. They were exhausted while making it, but the finished product was quite remarkable.
Everyone was full of energy, starting with the veils and edging headdresses. They were busy in one room, following Lin Xiushui's instructions without any complaints.
Lin Xiushui was responsible for the most important part of the drawn thread work and embroidery. The whole butterfly-shaped openwork lace part of the gauze skirt was very difficult to embroider. Moreover, she had to use white gauze to remove a lot of thread and add silver thread to make the skeleton of the lace on the back of the dress. Her hands trembled from drawing the thread.
She took a deep breath, so that no one could say it was easy to copy the clothes she made, so that no one could use her clothes to threaten her again, and for everything that had been hard-won.
She will not bow her head; someone else should bow to her.
Because of these two pieces of clothing, after finishing work, she rubbed her sore shoulders and found Wang Erniang, saying earnestly, "You are not allowed to eat roast duck for the next month, otherwise you won't be able to wear my clothes and you'll be finished."
“I know,” Wang Erniang forced a smile. “I never want to eat roast duck again. I won’t eat anything more.”
Lin Xiushui said, "I'll make sure you get to eat it sometime."
Wang Erniang looked at Lin Xiushui quietly, "Okay, I trust you."
“Those who trust me have good judgment,” Lin Xiushui said shamelessly.
Wang Erniang nodded, trying hard to hold back her tears.
After Lin Xiushui came out, she ran into Wang Li, who was dressed in black, on the road. Wang Li sighed when she saw her, "If you had agreed earlier, you could have earned more money. Now you have no money and no benefits. The higher-ups are already practicing the moves. They will definitely be able to change her within ten days."
"Give it a try," Lin Xiushui said with a smile, "but it'll all be for nothing."
"We agreed on a 15-day period, don't secretly change it, otherwise it will really not be fun."
Wang Li said kindly, "We still really want to discuss this with you properly. If you're not satisfied with the money, we can talk about it. We can talk about anything else you're not satisfied with."
Lin Xiushui chuckled, "I'm not satisfied with you replacing him."
Wang Li had nothing to say, so she could only confirm the deadline of the 15th with Lin Xiushui so that she could go back and report. She also felt that Lin Xiushui was being stubborn and might be anxious and unable to eat or sleep, trying to come up with a solution. Little did she know that Lin Xiushui had nothing to do with it. During this period, she even put on a cloak show with great interest.
One hundred tailors received their tickets and went to the once-empty academy outside, which was now rented by Madam Gu, to await the cloak's debut.
The tailors present couldn't hide their anticipation.
"This year, they've been making a huge splash with their 'Full Pond Beauty' project, every single one of them is a big commotion," said an old tailor.
"Who says otherwise? We say it's freezing cold in winter, not only do our hands and feet go numb, but our brains also go sluggish. But Manager Lin can still come up with so many tricks. We always underestimate her."
Every tailor present was deeply moved. Their initial disdain for Lin Xiushui and their contempt for her age had transformed into a profound admiration for her.
This cape show became the starting point for all subsequent fashion shows.
As people entered, wearing cloaks, Madam Gu couldn't help but ask Lin Xiushui beside her, "How's it going?"
"It's alright," Lin Xiushui replied, looking at the empty passageway. "Although it's a bit tricky, let's finish the general outline and embroidery pattern first, and then refine the rest gradually. If this is successful, I'd like to hire more people for drawn thread work later. We can make spring and summer shirts. Yarn-dyed fabric, which is relatively stiff, is quite suitable for making some shirts."
Looking at the person slowly walking towards them in the passageway, Madam Gu said, "You really are very composed."
Lin Xiushui turned her gaze to the cloak the man was wearing and replied, "Those who can't keep their composure will lose quickly."
She fell silent and, like everyone else, focused intently on the cloak show, which was her way of wrapping things up before the end of the year.
To the surprise of the tailors, Man Chi Jiao's cloak was not made in a conventional way, like a cloak that was completely covered up, or it was made of very thick material that wrapped the whole body and piled up with embroidery patterns.
The first cloak I wore was a white and green diamond pattern. The pattern flowed smoothly on my body, from the shoulders to the calves. The sides had two dark woven borders, one narrow and one wide, with small pink, blue, and white tassels hanging down.
The material appears relatively thick, yet it possesses an inexplicable lightness when adorned.
As soon as she appeared, a murmur arose among the crowd. Their eyes widened, unable to hide their shock. They quickly turned their attention to the cloak that appeared next. The collar of the cloak was relatively small, and it was light green. The length of the cloak stretched from the neck to the feet. The shape was also petal-shaped, but it was different from the others. It was decorated with small gold flowers that bloomed from both sides to the bottom, with golden lotuses of different sizes.
"Huh? No, can they make so many different kinds?" someone said to the person next to them, but quickly covered their mouth after speaking in a low voice.
"Don't say anything, just look."
Even tailors who have seen many fine clothes still feel overwhelmed by the sheer variety.
It's really outstanding. Even the ordinary pink and blue colors can be used to create a contrasting effect on the cape. The collar is sewn with a fur collar, and the bottom is cut with irregular petals and sewn with snow-white pom-poms, making it both lively and playful.
There were also reversible cloaks, one side with bright green lotus flowers and the other with dark ink patterns. After changing into a different cloak on the spot, the viewer was dazzled and dumbfounded.
Some people rubbed their eyes. There were twenty-five cloaks, each with its own unique beauty—light, lively, dignified, pretty, and composed—none of them were uniformly beautiful.
Everyone saw the beauty of the entire pond and the dedication of the tailors, and praises poured in one after another.
"I especially love this tassel, oh my god, it's such a beautiful embellishment."
"I really appreciate the sixth cut; it's not layered, and the little bells at the bottom are really nice, plus the colors match very well."
"Do you guys know that snow lotus cloak? When it came out just now, I couldn't take my eyes off it. It's made of two layers of fabric, and it's rare to see such a pure white color made so beautifully."
The group of people who were originally nervous about Manchijiao, puffed out their chests amidst so many praises, their whole bodies overflowing with joy. They had put in a lot of effort to sell themselves and had never heard such praise before, and now they had heard it all.
He suddenly understood Lin Xiushui's intention.
It showed tailors who were good at making clothes the path they should take in the future, and it suddenly opened the door to a new world for tailors who had always stuck to the old ways.
This year, Lin Xiushui also delivered an outstanding performance, breaking all conventional prejudices and underestimating her age.
Near the end, Madam Gu asked her to say something. Under everyone's gaze, she said, "Let's not talk about next year's affairs, but about the present. We can form a society in the tailoring workshop, where we can learn from each other and have conversations. We, Man Chi Jiao, have nothing to hide or keep from everyone."
Lin Xiushui's philosophy on making clothes is to try everything, and if it doesn't work, to modify it. Completion is more important than perfection.
Everyone was shocked again, and someone asked, "Really?"
Lin Xiushui said with certainty, "Of course."
Just as Zhiqiao once said, she hopes everyone can get together so that everything will be better.
The cape show has come to a successful close, while the garments, the result of twenty people's hard work day and night in drawing thread work, embroidery, and beading, await their grand debut at the opening of the new Butterfly Loves Flowers show.
She had seen the Butterfly Lovers costume show before, and had even bought a seat ticket to come. She told her companion, "I can count the drumbeats and know where they change clothes. Wait for me to tell you later, but don't blink."
The woman spoke with great certainty, but when the Butterfly Love Flower appeared, she was dumbfounded. Where was the original Butterfly Love Flower?
Everyone stood up, craning their necks in anticipation. A screen was brought out on the stage—a paper screen, unlike any other screen the group had ever been on. They saw so many exquisitely carved patterns; they realized they were carved butterflies pasted on it. As the drums began to beat, several people walked up lightly, wearing long, flowing sleeves, and danced like flowers in front of the screen.
The paper butterflies on the screen flew towards the crowd, causing them to scramble for them. Looking up again, they saw a person half-covered by a snow-white, openwork hair ornament behind the screen. Slowly, the makeup on the face was removed, revealing transparent and graceful wings on the back.
She flew nimbly through the screen and among the flowers, and everyone followed her, turning their gaze left and right, amidst a considerable amount of noise.
As she walked behind another screen, she spun around and the wings disappeared, revealing a long, irregularly styled, double-layered tulle dress with white on top and black on the bottom. The dress was adorned with butterflies poised to take flight, and the large butterfly sleeves added to the striking black and white effect, which inspired even greater awe than the large wings that had been fluttering before.
A black veil covered her face, and butterflies veiled her eyes, causing everyone present to fall silent.
Suddenly the drumbeat changed rhythm, and the flower enveloped the butterfly again. Once it broke free, a long golden veil was revealed first, followed by a cascading white beaded chain that drew everyone's attention, only to be drawn back to the pattern formed by the beads.
Even sitting in the back row, you can see the dazzling light, not to mention the long dress that covers her whole body, like a beautiful and holy golden butterfly, this is what it means to transform into a butterfly.
Instead of an uproar, the entire audience fell silent, then erupted into thunderous cheers, even more enthusiastic than before.
Wang Li, sitting in the audience, could hardly contain his astonishment. He then looked at the head steward, who had confidently declared that he would replace Lin Xiushui and that it wouldn't matter if he offended her. He believed that Lin Xiushui was too young and wouldn't be able to create another set of clothes that would be a guaranteed hit.
He always did it this way, and no one could resist him. This time, however, he'd really met his match.
"What should we do?" Now it was Wang Li's turn to be extremely anxious.
The head steward wanted to slap himself, but he took a deep breath and said, "Talk to people properly and agree to whatever the outcome."
He couldn't wait until tomorrow, unable to imagine the sensation it would cause, and didn't want Beiwazi to poach him at an even higher price.
Wang Li and the head steward reluctantly went to Lin Xiushui again, adopting a very humble attitude, "Madam Lin, we can discuss any conditions."
“You can just copy it,” Lin Xiushui smiled, “Give me one to try.”
She sat there, gently raising her eyes, and said, "I'll admit defeat if you can replicate it within three months."
No one spoke. Previously, Nanwazi relied on the ability to imitate and create a second Butterfly Love Flower. Now, they are given six months, and perhaps they can make an exact replica.
“Let’s talk about it tomorrow,” Lin Xiushui stood up and chuckled softly. “You offered me 100 guan before, but you won’t be able to hire me for 300 guan in the future.”
"Don't go, don't go, we can still discuss it, we will never change people," the head steward said anxiously, "How about four hundred strings of cash? Buy it, we'll buy the clothes."
Of course, we can still discuss it properly.
Lin Xiushui wouldn't turn down money. She insisted on having a written contract, forbidding anyone from changing partners, and making it ingrained in her very being. She would pay 200 guan per garment, covering the cost of each previous performance, and then decide whether to continue the work depending on her mood.
What Nanwazi could never forget, besides her clothes, was her iron plate.
Lin Xiushui held the red contract and slowly smiled. This was not her achievement alone, but the result of many people working together.
She thought that the wings of a single butterfly are very small, but many butterflies gathered together, when stirred up, can create a storm.
Author's Note: Red envelope [heart]
There probably won't be an update tomorrow.
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