Ji Wanmei liked it very much. When she asked the price, she found that the pair of handmade shoes only cost one yuan and twenty cents.
Ji Wanmei was stunned by the price.
How much effort must the old lady have put into making such a pair of embroidered shoes? After working so hard for so long, she only sells them for 1.2 yuan. After deducting the cost of the fabric, she doesn't even make 1 yuan.
Ji Wanmei felt sorry for the old lady and saw that she had woven her own insoles, shawls, and some headdresses in her basket, so she bought one of each.
Then Ji Wanmei walked into a roadside clothing store and saw that the walls were covered with local ethnic costumes. She chose a style she liked and asked the owner to give her a suitable size.
Ji Wanmei went behind the dressing curtain to change, and then came out to look in the mirror.
The mirror belonging to the clothing store owner was quite old, with many scratches and a chipped corner at the top, but this did not diminish Ji Wanmei's appreciation for the unique beauty of this ethnic minority style.
The shop owner kept praising her, saying that Ji Wanmei looked beautiful in it, and that if she were a local girl, young men from all around would line up to propose to her.
Ji Wanmei was also very satisfied; she knew she looked good in the clothes.
Wearing ethnic minority clothing gives people a special feeling—natural, primitive, simple, and a beauty of nature. This kind of beauty is different from wearing Western-style dresses.
Ji Wanmei decided to buy the ethnic costume. Then she carefully asked the shop owner about the differences in styles, patterns, origins, and cultures of the local ethnic costumes from different ethnic groups.
The owner of this clothing store is a local and belongs to an ethnic minority. He opened the store because he is very passionate about these things.
When Ji Wanmei asked, she knew everything and chatted with Ji Wanmei endlessly.
Ji Wanmei listened very attentively. She even took out her notebook from her bag and made notes whenever she heard something interesting or exciting.
Seeing how focused she was, the clothing store owner asked, "Young lady, what do you do? Why did you remember all that?"
Ji Wanmei smiled and said, "I am also very interested in clothing culture, and I want to work in this field in the future."
They chatted for over an hour, and the morning market was almost over.
Ji Wanmei checked the time, prepared to go back, and asked, "How much did this outfit I bought cost?"
"We hit it off, so I won't make money off you. Just give me five yuan as my initial investment."
Ji Wanmei said, "How can that be? You should earn your money. I came here to ask for your advice, not to do business with you. How about this, how much is that men's vest hanging on your wall? I'll take one too. I want a large size."
She went out to the morning market alone and bought so many things. If Ji Xingguo is unhappy when she gets back, she should buy him a souvenir too.
When Ji Wanmei saw the men's ethnic minority style vest, she originally wanted to buy one for Lei Tingjun as well.
With his wheat-colored skin and cold, deep gaze, he exudes a wild and primal aura. Wearing this kind of clothing would definitely give him a unique charm.
However, she then thought that he probably wouldn't wear it, nor would he have any occasion to wear it, so buying it would be useless to him. She should see if there was anything else that would suit him.
After selling clothes at the clothing store, Ji Wanmei saw a breakfast stall making pancakes on her way back.
The aroma of the pancakes could be smelled from afar.
Ji Wanmei left home around 7 a.m. and wandered around for an hour or two without eating anything.
Perfect timing, I can buy some pancakes to take home and eat.
The owner said that his pancakes were made with wild vegetables and wild boar meat filling, which made them especially delicious.
Moreover, the prices here are not expensive at all despite being a tourist town. A pancake with a generous filling like this only costs 50 cents.
Ji Wanmei simply bought five cakes and took them back for her father to try.
Back at the Summer Palace, Ji Wanmei saw Ji Xingguo wearing a linen Zhongshan long gown, practicing Tai Chi in front of the dam.
Next to him was a middle-aged man, about the same age as him, probably another family who had come here to escape the summer heat. The two of them were practicing Tai Chi.
"Dad, have you had breakfast? I bought you some wild vegetable and pork patties at the morning market. The vendor said they're filled with wild boar meat and they smell really good."
The middle-aged man next to her was very surprised when he saw Ji Wanmei. He smiled and looked her up and down: "Old Ji, is this your daughter? Oh my, she's really pretty."
Ji Xingguo said with obvious pride, "Yes, this is my daughter."
The middle-aged man next to him quickly said, "Perfect timing. My son's company will also be on holiday in a couple of days, and he'll be coming over for a few days. It'll be a good opportunity for the young people to get to know each other and make some friends."
Ji Wanmei glanced at Ji Xingguo and tossed him the pancake, saying, "You two continue chatting, I'm going back to my room."
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