Lu Wanwan chimed in, her gaze falling on a piece of pale yellow fabric. She turned to Gu Mingyue and said, "Sister-in-law, this yellow is universally flattering. It would definitely look great as a dress."
Gu Mingyue touched the fabric and nodded in agreement.
The group gathered around the fabric, picking and choosing. Gu Mingyue consulted with each person based on their skin tone and body shape, and soon they had chosen their own fabrics. Carrying the rolls of fabric in their hands, they walked back with light steps.
As soon as she returned to the family compound, Gu Mingyue spread the fabric out on the table in the yard and called everyone over to take her measurements.
Xia Qinghe and her husband came over first. Gu Mingyue took a soft measuring tape and measured Xia Qinghe's waist. While recording the data, she reminded her, "You have a thin waist. When you make a dress, make sure to cinch your waist a little to show off your figure."
When it was He Xiao's turn, Gu Mingyue deliberately handed the measuring tape to Lu Wanwan: "You measure him for him, and learn how to read sizes while you're at it."
As soon as Lu Wanwan's fingertips touched the soft ruler, she felt her palms burning. She forced herself to walk up to He Xiao.
"Stand up straight," she whispered, raising her hand to place the measuring tape on his shoulder.
He Xiao straightened his back obediently, his gaze falling on the top of her drooping hair, and even his breathing became lighter.
The measuring tape had just crossed his shoulder when Lu Wanwan's fingertips accidentally brushed against his arm, and the two of them paused simultaneously.
She quickly withdrew her hand and blurted out the numbers: "Shoulder width one foot and one inch."
Gu Mingyue, who was watching from the side, suppressed a laugh and handed over paper and pen: "Write it down, and then measure your height."
Lu Wanwan took the pen and, as she lowered her head to write, the tips of her ears turned so red they looked like they could bleed.
He Xiao looked at her flustered appearance, and the corners of his mouth quietly curved up.
At night, most of the lights in the residential compound were off, but a small oil lamp was still lit in Lu Wanwan's room.
She sat on the edge of the bed, holding the light gray cotton cloth in her hands. Her hands trembled slightly as she threaded the needle. This was the first time she had made clothes for a male comrade, and she was afraid that the stitches would be crooked and would not accentuate He Xiao's figure.
The light from the oil lamp shone on the fabric, and the measurements taken with the soft measuring tape were neatly written on a piece of paper, which she placed beside her.
She imitated Gu Mingyue, first folding the edge of the collar. Just as she inserted the silver needle, she heard a soft sound from the doorway.
Turning around, I saw Gu Mingyue walking in with a bowl of hot red date porridge: "Still not asleep? Be careful not to hurt your eyes while sewing at this hour."
Lu Wanwan quickly put down her needlework, somewhat embarrassed: "I wanted to finish as soon as possible, afraid I wouldn't make it in time for the conference."
Gu Mingyue placed the porridge on the kang table, picked up the fabric and looked at it: "The stitching is okay, but the neckline needs to be tightened a bit, otherwise it will easily sag when worn."
As she spoke, she picked up a silver needle and taught Lu Wanwan step by step: "Look, the thread must be pulled evenly, and the distance between each stitch should not be too different, so that the sewing will be neat and straight."
Lu Wanwan followed Gu Mingyue's movements and her fingertips gradually became more steady.
Looking at her serious expression, Gu Mingyue smiled and said, "With how much effort you're putting in, He Xiao will definitely be happy to wear it."
Lu Wanwan blushed again, and poked at the fabric with her head down: "Sister-in-law, you're teasing me again."
The two taught each other by the light of an oil lamp, and only when the porridge got a little cold did Gu Mingyue get up.
"Don't stay up too late, you can sew it tomorrow."
Before leaving, she picked up the scissors again and trimmed the edge of the fabric for Lu Wanwan: "Take your time, the thought is more important than the stitches."
The day before the event, Lu Wanwan waited for He Xiao at the door, clutching her neatly folded light gray shirt.
She neatly tucked the collar of the shirt into place, following the method taught by Gu Mingyue, and carefully sewed hidden buttons onto the cuffs, even concealing the stitches at the corners of the shirt.
Upon seeing He Xiao's figure in the distance, she quickly went to greet him, her fingertips trembling slightly with nervousness as she handed him the shirt.
"It's done. Try it on and see if it fits." He Xiao took the shirt; the fabric still had a faint scent of soap.
He looked down and touched the stitches on his collar, his smile barely concealed: "I'll go try it on right now."
He turned and went into the empty storage room next door, and came out a short while later.
The light gray shirt made his shoulders and back look even more upright. The collar was just right at his neck, and the cuffs were neither too long nor too short. Even his body length was just right, as if it were tailor-made.
Lu Wanwan looked at him and couldn't help but smile: "Luckily, I didn't do anything wrong."
He Xiao stepped forward, raised his hand to brush away the stray hairs on her forehead, and said gently, "It's perfect, it fits me better than all my clothes."
On the day of the event, the group became the center of attention as soon as they entered the venue.
Gu Mingyue's pale yellow dress swayed gently, exuding a gentle and elegant charm.
Xia Qinghe wore a light-colored floral dress, which made her skin appear even whiter.
Qi Juanjuan wore a graceful blue dress and had her hair styled in a suitable updo, looking elegant and charming.
"Qinghe, your dress is so pretty, where did you buy it?" A woman from the neighboring residential compound came over and asked.
Xia Qinghe smiled and pointed at Gu Mingyue: "It wasn't bought, Mingyue made it herself, her craftsmanship is even better than a tailor shop!"
As soon as these words were spoken, many people gathered around to praise it. One person looked at it and said, "This fabric looks crisp and the stitches are fine. It's truly skillful craftsmanship!"
Gu Mingyue was a little embarrassed by the praise, and Lu Wanwan added with a smile, "My sister-in-law not only makes men's and women's clothing, but also chooses styles according to each person's figure and skin tone, making them fit much better than ready-made clothes."
As they were talking, someone noticed He Xiao's light gray shirt: "Comrade He, your shirt looks sharp, it matches your overall style perfectly!"
He Xiao glanced at Lu Wanwan beside him subconsciously, a smile playing on his lips: "This was also done by Comrade Gu and Lu Wanwan together."
Everyone praised the two for their skillful hands, and even the military leaders said to Gu Mingyue with a smile, "With Gu's skills, she could open a small tailor shop in the family compound!"
At the event, the clothes worn by the group became a hot topic of discussion, and all the praise ultimately came down to Gu Mingyue's excellent tailoring skills.
Standing in the crowd, listening to everyone's praise, she felt a great sense of accomplishment. Lu Wanwan and He Xiao beside her exchanged a smile, and even the air was filled with the joy of being recognized.
The core purpose of the event was to encourage more communication and interaction among the residents of the family compound, thereby fostering a stronger sense of community.
The custom-made clothes worn by Gu Mingyue and the others became the best link for communication.
During a break in the conference, family members who were not initially very familiar with each other gathered together to compliment the clothes.
Xia Qinghe, wearing a light pink dress, pulled Zhang Sao from the next courtyard aside and explained in detail how particular Gu Mingyue was about choosing fabrics.
Several young soldiers surrounded He Xiao, asking him how to make the shirt, as they wanted to make one for their families as well.
Lu Wanwan helped Gu Mingyue look through the fabric samples for her curious sisters-in-law, and they chatted about the details of making clothes.
Even the military leaders specifically mentioned in their speeches: "The family compound is our great rear area. Comrade Gu uses his skills to bring neighbors closer together, and everyone visits and helps each other more. This is what unity looks like!"
The audience erupted in applause, and many immediately made plans to go to the supply and marketing cooperative after the meeting to pick out fabrics and ask Gu Mingyue to help them make clothes.
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