Chapter 16
Chen Zhiyi finished his milk tea just as he got home, but instead of throwing away the empty cup, he placed it on the cabinet in the entryway when he changed his shoes.
Aunt Chen came up to greet him, "Zhiyi is back."
"Yes, Aunt Chen."
"How about we have Uncle Chen pick you up after class from now on? It's not safe to take the bus so late."
"It's okay, Aunt Chen. After class, I study at Teacher Lin's milk tea shop. We'll take the bus back together after she gets off work. It's very safe."
"If you want to study, you can go home, but it's too late," Aunt Chen said, sounding worried.
“Studying at home all day is already very boring, so it’s good to change the environment. Plus, if I encounter something I don’t understand, I can just ask Teacher Lin directly.”
"Okay!" Aunt Chen saw the milk tea on the shelf. "You had milk tea today. I remember you don't like sweet things." She shook it again and found it was empty, so she turned around and took it away.
Chen Zhiyi rushed over and pointed at the milk tea in Aunt Chen's hand, "What are you doing with that?"
Aunt Chen was puzzled. "It's empty, I'll take it and throw it away."
Chen Zhiyi took it from her hand, treating it as a precious possession, and said, "I'll handle it myself." After saying that, he ran up to the third floor.
Aunt Chen found it strange. Even if this family were to sit and wait to eat their fill for decades, they wouldn't be in a situation where they had to make a living by collecting scraps.
Chen Zhiyi peeled off the thin film on top of the cup, rinsed the remaining taro paste and milk tea inside with a very fine stream of water, wiped it clean inside and out with tissue paper, and finally dried it with a hair dryer.
He took out a small wooden box from a relatively hidden cabinet on the top shelf of the wardrobe. Inside were two shirts, a broken lens, and a piece of paper with an art exam guide written on it. Then he put the milk tea cup in. Looking at these three things, Chen Zhiyi felt a sense of happiness welling up inside him. These were all memories of him and Lin Ting. Although the time they spent together was short and there were few things that belonged to the two of them, there would be more and more of them.
I really hope that I can fill this box to the brim someday. No, not just this one box, but many, many more boxes, it will never be full.
Time flies by, and the two-month summer vacation has passed in the blink of an eye.
Chen Zhiyi also fulfilled Lin Ting's "wish" and officially returned to school.
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To accommodate Chen Zhiyi's evening art exam training schedule, the tutoring hours were changed to 7 PM to 9 PM on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. This meant that the tutoring time would clash with her dinner time, so she would have to eat something like bread or biscuits on the way.
Uncle Chen suggested waiting for her to come over for dinner, which would have been just an extra pair of chopsticks, but Lin Ting seriously refused, saying that she had already eaten dinner at school. However, Chen Zhiyi noticed that she had opened bread, biscuits, and other items in her bag. He didn't say anything or try to persuade her further, as he understood her personality and her stubborn nature.
So he would ask Aunt Chen to prepare more fruit, snacks, etc., and change them every day. He found that she would only eat a little bit of what was served, and he couldn't tell what she liked.
"Sister, what kind of fruit do you like to eat? I'll ask Aunt Chen to buy some."
"I'm fine with any fruit, but my favorite is peaches. Peaches are abundant in Jiangnan, and there's even a peach tree in front of my old home," Lin Ting said casually.
One day, Lin Ting sat down at her desk and found a box wrapped in colored paper with a red ribbon tied into a bow on it.
There was also a greeting card below, which read, "Happy Teacher's Day, Teacher Lin!" Only then did Lin remember that today was Teacher's Day.
The greeting card featured a hand-drawn flower design, which Lin Ting recognized as her favorite gardenia. She was surprised that Chen Zhiyi remembered it after just a casual mention.
However, his lines are crooked and twisted; even kindergarten children draw better than him. It seems his black hole skill is drawing.
As Chen Zhiyi entered the room, he saw Lin Ting looking through greeting cards. He sat down next to her, looked at her, and said in a very serious tone, "Happy Holiday, Teacher Lin!"
Lin Ting glanced at him, then looked away. This was the first time she had received a Teacher's Day gift, and she felt a little embarrassed. "Thank you!"
Aren't you going to open the box and take a look?
Lin Ting originally intended to open the gift after returning to her dormitory, but seeing Chen Zhiyi's expectant eyes, she knew he wanted to know her reaction to the gift and had prepared it with care.
So she untied the bow, opened the box, and inside was an adorable bunny nightlight.
Chen Zhiyi took the night light out of the box. "I heard you say before that it's inconvenient that the power in the university dormitory is cut off at 11 p.m. This little night light can be fully charged during the day and used continuously for 8 hours. The light is also very bright. If you need to go to the toilet or stay up late at night, you can use it. It's very convenient to use. You can lightly touch it and it will turn on. Try it."
Lin Tinggang placed her hand on the nightlight, and it lit up instantly. It was very sensitive, and the light was indeed bright, making it a great helper for nighttime work. She used to have a nightlight in her dormitory, but it had aged and its lifespan had become shorter and shorter. After being charged, it would only last for less than two hours before turning off. Moreover, the light was dim. When she used it to stay up late doing crafts during the summer vacation, it almost blinded her eyes.
"If you think the light is too bright, you can tap it again to turn it into a warmer light."
Lin Ting tried again, and it worked! She looked at Chen Zhiyi, her eyes crinkling with laughter, "Thank you! I really like it."
Chen Zhiyi was delighted to see her reaction; the gift had truly touched her heart. He patted the back of her neck and said, "Sister, I'm glad you like it!"
Giving a gift to someone you like that is exactly what they like and need is also a kind of happiness.
Chen Zhiyi took out his workbook to do practice problems, while Lin Ting calmly took out her sketchbook to draw and design. She had taken on a design order yesterday, and the client required her to submit the style drawing, structural drawing, and fabric sample in five days. Time was tight, and according to the plan, she had to make the style drawing today, draw the structural drawing in two days after that, and make the fabric sample in the last two days.
Chen Zhiyi noticed that she was very focused on her drawing, so he leaned over to take a look. The style and design resembled corporate uniforms. He flipped through Lin Ting's sketchbook but didn't remember her designing this type of thing. Normally, designers wouldn't draw this style when inspiration strikes. He found it strange and asked, "Sister, is this a work uniform you designed?"
Lin Ting didn't stop writing. "Yes, I recently received an order online. The other party is a trading company that needs to customize work uniforms for its employees and is paying me to design them."
"You've already started your own business and taken on orders before you've even graduated?" Chen Zhiyi knew she was good, but he didn't expect her to be this good.
Lin Ting chuckled, "That's an exaggeration. I just drew a sketch and made a rough pattern. It's a common way to earn extra money in fashion school. You don't make much money; it's just an accumulation of experience."
Chen Zhiyi had an idea, "But I think this is something to consider. After graduation, you can open a clothing design studio. With your design talent, you'll definitely be overwhelmed with orders. Starting your own business is always better than working for someone else."
Lin Ting looked up at him and said, "Starting a business is not as simple as you make it out to be. You think you can just rely on talent? Modern society has no shortage of talent. I'm just a recent graduate with no money or connections. What am I supposed to do to start a business?"
Chen Zhiyi opened his mouth as if to say, "I have it, I can help you," but he held back and swallowed the words.
Given her personality, she would not only refuse but also lecture him, saying things like, "Where did you get the money? You're using your parents' money. It's fine for you to spend your parents' money, but it's a big problem for you to spend it on me."
How long will it take to close that four-year age gap? Chen Zhiyi felt heartbroken and helpless just thinking about it.
"Then why are we hiring you for design now? Isn't it because we value your talent?" Chen Zhiyi disagreed with Lin Tingwen's statement and was somewhat unconvinced.
"They're just taking advantage of the fact that college students are cheap!" Lin Ting scoffed.
Chen Zhiyi: "..."
"Sister, do you want to start your own clothing studio? Or what is your dream?" Chen Zhiyi asked.
Lin Ting put down her pen, pursed her lips and pondered for a moment, "All the students graduating from our major share the same dream: to become independent fashion designers, to establish their own clothing brands in the future, and to make people proud to wear clothes they design. Of course, this is also what I want, but on that basis, I would like to establish a high-end Chinese custom brand."
"High-end Chinese-style customization?"
"Well, when it comes to clothing brands, the market is now overflowing with options for all styles and age groups. But in the high-end luxury segment, China is lacking. When we studied the history of clothing, all the high-end brands mentioned in the textbooks were foreign. But thinking about it, it's quite regrettable. In terms of the origins of clothing, which country can surpass China, one of the four ancient civilizations? In terms of the long history of clothing development, which country can compare to China's five thousand years of history? In terms of the diversity of clothing styles, which country can match China with its fifty-six ethnic groups? But why..." Despite the current trends in modern fashion, China has fallen behind in the realm of high-end luxury. We possess so many precious fabrics, intangible cultural heritages like Suzhou embroidery, Sichuan embroidery, and Hunan embroidery, and exquisite dyeing and finishing techniques such as indigo printing, tie-dyeing, and rubbing—each producing breathtaking results. Yet, these treasures remain untapped, existing only in historical records or whispered tales. My aim is to promote these splendid cultural treasures, establishing a high-end bespoke brand with distinctive Chinese characteristics, allowing foreigners to witness true Chinese design and customization, not just "Made in China."
Chen Zhiyi was taken aback. He had seen Lin Ting's stubbornness, indifference, and gentleness, but he had never seen her bold side. He was stunned at first, but after a while, he clapped for her dream and for her unyielding vision.
However, the sudden applause made Lin Ting's face flush red, embarrassed by her boastful words. She waved her hand, telling him to stop clapping, "Stop clapping, what I have isn't a dream anymore, it's just wishful thinking."
Chen Zhiyi was astonished. "How could that be? That's a great idea. You can give it a try. You're what people online call a cultural inheritor. It's very meaningful."
Lin Ting sighed, "It is meaningful, but it is too difficult to achieve. It cannot be done by one person alone; it requires a group of people."
Chen Zhiyi fell into deep thought. "I had read a report before that said there was a professor at Minzu University of China who studies the history of Chinese costumes. He often leads his team to various ethnic groups to explore and learn, and restore and pass on many costumes that have disappeared. He is very impressive."
Lin Ting smiled, surprised. "You know about this? She is Professor Huang Guili. She not only restores clothing, but also handicrafts, home furnishings, headdresses, cosmetics, etc. She has brought many long-lost things back to life and made more and more young people see the significance of cultural inheritance. I admire her very much."
"Yes, I went to see her exhibition in Jinshi. It included items from her collection and some she made herself. The exhibition was huge and spectacular, and I was very impressed."
"About three years ago? I went there when I first started college."
"Sister, if you could join their team, wouldn't you become part of a group of people?"
"You're joking. Professor Huang's team isn't so easy to get into. You'd have a hard time even meeting her in person."
"So, do you want to go in?"
"Of course, I would feel honored even to study under her for a period of time. She is a true master."
Chen Zhiyi could clearly see the admiration in Lin Ting's eyes for Professor Huang, and he felt that he might be able to help her in this matter.
Lin Ting picked up her paintbrush again. "We've gone off on a tangent. Focus on your problem."
Chen Zhiyi: "Sister, I really think your dream is very meaningful. I support you, just like you supported me in taking the art exam to pursue an acting career."
Lin Ting couldn't help but roll her eyes and teased, "What about giving back?"
Chen Zhiyi shook Lin Ting's arm, gesturing for her to look up. "I'm serious. I'm sticking to my dream of becoming an actress, and you're sticking to your dream of building your brand. If we work together and encourage each other, we'll definitely meet at our respective peaks. When that time comes, I'll be walking on every red carpet wearing the clothes you designed, letting everyone see the brand you founded and the beauty of Chinese style."
Seeing his serious expression, Lin Ting almost laughed. She thought he was still a child in an ivory tower, too idealistic. Not everyone has the opportunity to realize their dreams. Opportunity, confidence, and perseverance are all necessary. As for her, she probably only had perseverance. But she didn't want to say it out loud, so she could only say thank you.
"Okay, let's work together."
Chen Zhiyi smiled broadly, tacitly acknowledging the unspoken agreement between them, which belonged to the two of them. "Then it's settled. When I become famous, you will be my personal costume designer."
"Okay, a future superstar."
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