Chapter 60 Kimonos are so expensive, why...?
Among all the NPCs summoned by Lu Xiaoqi, the Han Yushang and Han Yunshang sisters were the ones who made things the easiest for her.
The two sisters demonstrated how they rose through the ranks of the palace to become high-ranking female officials, Shanggong and Shangfu, through their own abilities—ever since accepting the task assigned by Lu Xiaoqi, they had planned their lives meticulously. They didn't rush into work; for the first month, after understanding the historical context, they studied various books on ancient and modern clothing, and had no worldly desires. Their only request was to buy various books.
Lu Xiaoqi found that she didn't need to worry much; she only needed to cater to their needs. So, she simply provided the two of them with an empty house as a studio, and equipped them with essential modern tools such as a projector, tablet, and sewing machine.
Let them do whatever they want.
The Han sisters were amazed by these modern tools and went out even less. It wasn't until August that they began designing uniforms, having the purchasing department buy various fabrics and textiles.
A few weeks ago, Lu Xiaoqi recruited a woman skilled in Song brocade weaving from the Southern Song Dynasty, and sent her to the sisters' workshop as well. Later, she heard that Han Yushang had also found several young women from Xiangjia Village, expanding the workshop to five people, and progress was much faster.
Upon receiving the message from the two sisters, Lu Xiaoqi immediately went over; she was very interested in the clothes the sisters had made.
That was the artisan who made clothes for the Empress!
The Han sisters invited not only Lu Xiaoqi, but also Chen Yingying and several managers, including administrative and customer service staff. The opinion of the customer service manager was particularly important, as most of those in uniform were her subordinates, including the reception staff in the ancient town and the shop assistants in the retail stores.
The customer service supervisor is named Song Meina. She used to be a flight attendant supervisor at an airline and retired from frontline service. She's a beautiful woman in her forties who loves to dress up and is very particular about her appearance. You can tell from her usual attire that she has excellent taste and is very picky about clothing and details.
When Lu Xiaoqi arrived, she saw Song Meina excitedly holding Han Shanggong's hand, praising her incessantly:
"Teacher Han, your embroidery is so exquisite! The style is also beautiful, with a traditional feel, and it's not too flashy to wear, making it suitable for work. Oh my, how did you come up with all this? Actually, I've always liked these Chinese elements, and I'll definitely ask you for your advice when I have time."
She couldn't help but blink—Song Meina was genuinely enthusiastic when praising people, but aside from clients, there weren't many people she would praise like that.
But as soon as she saw the style of the uniforms that Li Niang and Lin Qiao'er were wearing, she knew why Song Meina had praised them.
The uniforms designed by Han Yushang and Han Yunshang were inspired by the clothing worn by palace maids in the Ming Dynasty, which was also the clothing they were most familiar with.
It featured a padded jacket and a skirt, but with significant improvements.
"After some consideration, we decided to change the skirt to culottes, and we also controlled the skirt's width to make it less puffy and more suitable for daily activities and work."
Han Yushang spoke eloquently, and when she lifted the hem of Li Niang's skirt, she could see that it was actually a skirt and pants.
During the Chenghua era, ponytail skirts were popular, with very voluminous hems, but they were banned during the Hongzhi era. By the Jiajing era, although ponytail skirts had largely disappeared, people still preferred slightly voluminous skirts, such as the court dresses they wore. However, such skirts are quite inappropriate in crowded tourist areas today, so the sisters narrowed them and added skirt-trouser elements, simply adding a side zipper.
Han Yushang praised three modern inventions: women's trousers, underwear, zippers, and buttons.
Song Meina had clearly become a fan of the Han sisters, and immediately praised them, saying, "This is good, it's definitely more convenient than a skirt."
Lu Xiaoqi: "When it gets cold, you can wear thermal underwear and wool pants underneath."
Winters in the Jiangnan region are truly cold, magical attack.
Han Yunshang nodded in agreement, saying happily, "That's why we thought this style of top and skirt was the most suitable, as we were worried about being cold. We can wear our own inner layers underneath. Unlike before..."
I almost let something slip, so I slammed on the brakes and choked on my own saliva.
Han Yushang twitched the corners of her mouth, her smile unchanged: "Unlike before, when we didn't have wool or cashmere sweaters, we could only wear layer upon layer."
Vest, jacket, cloak...
Song Meina felt a pang of pity; it turned out that these two teachers also came from poor families.
It's no wonder Song Meina liked this uniform the moment she saw it—besides changing the skirt to culottes, Han Yushang and Han Yunshang also used modern tailoring techniques to make the upper body more fitted at the waist, while the hem flared out slightly to follow the skirt, which was very elegant.
But at the same time, it possesses a strong classical beauty. The crisp white, cross-collared collar complements the light purple round-necked robe embroidered with small sunflower branches, which is exquisitely crafted. Upon closer inspection, it is even hand-embroidered with gold thread. The skirt below is a plain porcelain blue.
Male staff members follow the same color scheme, but their clothing styles are slightly different. They all wear cross-collar, narrow-sleeved short shirts with long trousers and belts, which are based on the style of Ming Dynasty ruyi (a type of traditional Chinese dress).
This is the customer service attire; the other outfit, a dark vermilion paired with ivory white, is what the shop assistants wear.
The combination of these two color sets, while not particularly bright, possesses a remarkable charm. If Lu Xiaoqi were to describe it, it would be like a piece taken from an ancient, slightly yellowed painting that has weathered the passage of time, exuding an indescribable classical poetic beauty.
It's gorgeous.
Moreover, the overall style complements Qinghe Ancient Town, making it a bright spot in the town.
"Did you embroider this?" she asked curiously, leaning closer to examine the intricate embroidered floral patterns.
Han Yunshang: "Yes, it was embroidered by my sister."
Han Yushang: "However, this is just a sample garment. When it comes to mass production, there will be no more hand embroidery; it will only be machine embroidery."
She had originally planned to have it hand-embroidered, but the girls in the purchasing department she frequently dealt with were amazed by the sheer scale of the project and said it was completely unnecessary for just work uniforms. Han Yushang then realized that specialized embroidery machines already existed.
This made her somewhat anxious.
“Machine embroidery is fine. If it were all hand-embroidered, I wouldn’t even want to give everyone a set,” Lu Xiaoqi joked.
Hand embroidery is so expensive these days!
Everyone laughed.
“These are winter work uniforms,” Han Yunshang’s personality had gradually returned to its former liveliness after these past few months. “Next spring, my sister and I plan to launch spring work uniforms, based on the Song Dynasty style, and summer and autumn uniforms, based on the Tang Dynasty style. What do you think?”
Lu Xiaoqi's face lit up with joy: "This is great!"
The architecture here is modeled after the Tang Dynasty, but she doesn't want to simply recreate it as an ancient Tang Dynasty town. The people she summoned represent the Qin, Han, Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties; she wants to promote the entirety of ancient China, not just confine herself to a single period.
Therefore, the architecture still follows the Tang Dynasty style, but the market theme inside follows the style of "Along the River During the Qingming Festival". If it were based on the market structure of the Tang Dynasty, it would be too closed off and there would be no fun to be had.
Therefore, in terms of clothing, Lu Xiaoqi also hopes that each dynasty can be represented.
The Han sisters' proposal was approved unanimously.
At the end, Han Yushang hesitated for a moment, then said to Lu Xiaoqi, "Ms. Lu, for this project, we only need to follow up in the later stages. So, what's next..."
Lu Xiaoqi blinked. So, she felt her workload was too heavy and was now asking for a new job!
As expected of the court lady!
"I happen to have something to discuss..." She hesitated for a moment, "The director felt that the costumes for the lead actors in the musical we're currently rehearsing were a bit off. I'd like you guys to give them a try."
Its theme is precisely to showcase the splendid ancient culture.
"A dancer's costume?" Han Yushang pondered. "Although I've never made one myself before, I've seen a couple. I can give it a try."
“Actually, it’s not a dance costume,” Lu Xiaoqi explained. “They’re playing noble ladies, empresses, concubines, and so on, so it has to match their status. It’s just that the fabric has to be careful not to be too thick, otherwise they won’t be able to dance. You’ll find out when you talk to Director Sun about it.”
Han Yushang nodded: "I understand."
“I had another idea before…” Lu Xiaoqi didn’t finish her sentence, “Afterwards, I wanted to open an ancient costume museum in the ancient town, or you could call it a Hanfu museum.”
When Han Shanggong and her colleagues first arrived in this world, some female employees had already made this suggestion. As Lu Xiaoqi studied the commercial structure of various scenic spots during this time, she increasingly felt that this suggestion was feasible.
How many Hanfu photography shops does a scenic area, especially a classical scenic area, support? Not to mention ancient capitals like Beijing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Xi'an, even at the entrance of Qinghe Ancient Town, businesses that have sensed the business opportunity have started to renovate.
"However, I don't want to open a cheap one. I want to open a high-end Hanfu shop where the style, design, and craftsmanship are impeccable!"
Lu Xiaoqi once accompanied a friend on a trip to Japan. In places like Kyoto, many people book kimono rentals at kimono shops to wear while sightseeing or taking photos. This practice is actually not much different from Hanfu photography studios in China.
The difference is that their kimonos, especially high-end ones, are extremely expensive!
A decent kimono rental can cost over a thousand yuan, while a more upscale one can cost four or five thousand or even tens of thousands. The selling price is even higher; a fine silk kimono displayed in a shopping mall is considered a luxury item, and it's not uncommon to see ones costing over 100,000 yuan.
However, such high-end Hanfu in China are often museum restorations and private custom orders, which are very niche.
Lu Xiaoqi felt that since she had such a network of employees and connections, it would be a waste of resources not to open a good Hanfu (traditional Han clothing) shop. Even if it didn't make money, she would be happy to simply run a small museum that restored traditional Hanfu.
“Perfect timing, the Jin family makes jewelry and headdresses,” she said. “You can go to them and start this business together. It doesn’t necessarily have to open in the first phase; it would be great if it could open in the second phase.”
Han Yushang and Han Yunshang exchanged a glance and happily agreed, "Okay."
This is exactly what they excel at.
Song Meina, beaming from ear to ear, exclaimed, "If a Hanfu shop really opens, I'll definitely patronize it. Boss, you'll have to give my employees a discount!"
She's the type of person who'll definitely book a travel photoshoot whenever she goes to a scenic spot. If the clothes are truly exquisite and high-end, she'll happily pay for them even if they're a bit pricey. She's got plenty of money!
Before starting work, Song Meina was worried that since it was a small county town, it wouldn't be very interesting, and might just be one of those tacky, knock-off tourist attractions. Originally, she planned to make a quick buck and run away, but after staying for more than a month, she discovered that this tourist attraction was actually quite interesting.
Putting everything else aside, her aesthetic sense alone was enough to impress her.
Song Meina is now extremely satisfied with Qinghe Ancient Town.
Standing at the door to see the group off, Han Yushang and Han Yunshang looked as if they had stepped out of a Ming Dynasty court lady painting.
"Alright, let's go back." Han Yushang turned around and said to her sister.
"Sister, it would be wonderful if we really opened a Hanfu shop!" Han Yunshang said excitedly. "Then we could make all the dresses that the empresses wore in the past."
The moon-flower skirt, the pheasant robe, the phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, the brocade and embroidered gauze python skirt... these skirts that amazed the noble ladies of the capital at that time would certainly amaze people in this era as well.
Han Yushang responded softly.
Her ambitions were even greater. Besides the Hanfu (traditional Han clothing) shop, she secretly longed to open a weaving workshop. She had seen many fabrics recently, and while there were many new and beautiful items made with modern techniques, progress seemed to be slowing down in the area of traditional, high-end fabrics.
It would be even better if we could open a weaving workshop.
God bless Miss Lu so that she can summon more weavers and embroiderers in the future!
......
The next day, Lu Xiaoqi took Su Jun to Hangzhou.
Zhao Feiyan and her assistant were both busy with tonight's premiere and didn't have time to pick them up at the high-speed rail station, so they called a car and drove to the theater on their own.
The large advertisement hanging above the theater has been replaced with a poster for "Treading on the Golden Lotus," featuring a silhouette of Zhao Feiyan dancing alone on a blooming lotus flower, creating a very atmospheric effect. The poster also includes a list of the main creative team members.
Lu Xiaoqi burst out laughing as soon as she saw it.
Su Jun was puzzled.
She pointed to a spot on the poster: "Look, Zhao Yizhu plays Zhao Feiyan."
This is truly a case of playing oneself.
The assistant came out and led the two backstage: "Sister Zhao has been conducting interviews since noon, cooperating with the publicity. Director Qin has invited quite a few media outlets. She's getting her makeup done now. The performance starts at 7:30. Oh, and Sister Zhao has some good news to tell you."
Lu Xiaoqi: "What is it?"
The assistant chuckled: "Let's wait for Sister Zhao to tell you. I can't say it, but it's definitely good news."
As they walked along, they noticed that the entrance to the theater's performance hall was already filled with flower baskets, presumably all congratulating the successful premiere. Half of them were for Qin Shaohua, and the other half for Zhao Feiyan. Lu Xiaoqi, Song Wusao, Yuwen Kai, and others also sent flowers, and she also noticed that many were from fans.
"Sister Zhao said not to spend money, but the fans insisted on giving gifts." The assistant said proudly, "Sister Zhao still has quite a lot of loyal fans."
Zhao Feiyan doesn't post many videos, but each one is effective, fully showcasing her beauty and dance skills.
Her most popular video right now is one she recently posted, where she led a few girls from her group in a dance to a trending street dance that's all the rage on the platform. The short video, only a dozen seconds long, garnered over two million likes. This made Lu Xiaoqi realize that riding the wave of online traffic and trending topics is indeed the most effective way to succeed.
In the dressing room, Zhao Feiyan, who was sitting in front of the mirror, smiled and said, "Xiao Lu, it's been a long time."
The stage makeup was much heavier than her real-life makeup. To Lu Xiaoqi now, it was as if she were seeing that invincible enchantress from the Han Dynasty.
She showered Zhao Feiyan with praise.
Zhao Feiyan gave a soft hum and said reproachfully, "I thought you had forgotten about me, your old friend, after that Miss Gongsun arrived."
She knew that the dancer Gongsun Da Niang, praised by the great poets Li Bai and Du Fu, had also come to the ancient town. The poets Li Bai and Du Fu sang her praises, but she didn't receive such treatment.
Her eyes held a resentful look, and the makeup artist could hardly contain her wildly beating heart.
No, I'm bewitched. How can there be such a beautiful woman?
What man could resist such beauty?
The makeup artist glanced around and happened to see Su Jun standing calmly behind her.
Okay, there are some.
Lu Xiaoqi looked astonished, but said righteously, "How could that be! You'll always be number one in my heart, no one can dance as well as you!"
Zhao Feiyan smiled gently, her beautiful face captivating the makeup artist. The makeup artist quickly finished up, leaving the dressing room for Zhao Feiyan and her friends to talk. That's one of the perks of being a leading lady; you can even have your own dressing room.
Su Jun also went out, telling the two of them to talk things out.
"What good news do you have to tell me?" Lu Xiaoqi asked immediately.
Zhao Feiyan raised her chin and smiled: "We might have a program on the national television Spring Festival Gala. Wouldn't that be good news?"
Lu Xiaoqi gasped, "This, this... this is truly incredible news!"
"Actually, it was recommended by Professor Wang Ying," Zhao Feiyan said. "Director Qin is his last disciple, and he also thinks highly of this play. If all goes well, we'll go to the capital next week."
Lu Xiaoqi regained her composure: "Do you have time for a tour?"
"It shouldn't be a big problem. It flies to the capital once a week." Zhao Feiyan's face turned a little pale as she recalled the airplane she had seen before.
Lu Xiaoqi: "It's a bit tiring, but it's really a great opportunity."
She looked at Zhao Feiyan seriously: "Although the Spring Festival Gala hasn't been doing so well in recent years, its popularity is unmatched by other programs. If you want everyone to remember your image as an empress, then you absolutely must go!"
She hasn't watched the Spring Festival Gala in recent years, but she'll still put it on as background noise and watch it while commenting with netizens.
Zhao Feiyan frowned: "I understand."
It seems she'll have to pull out all the stops for the audition. She couldn't help but feel fortunate that the director wanted her to perform the very same dance she'd done during her audition—Zhao Feiyan's First Ascension to the Empress's Throne.
Otherwise, even the best opportunity will be wasted.
Lu Xiaoqi laughed: "It's like even God is on your side."
Perhaps Zhao Feiyan, who originally thought her wish was the hardest to fulfill, would actually be the second to achieve it?
Zhao Feiyan held her hand, her voice tinged with guilt: "It's just that the ancient town will open at the end of the year, and I probably won't be able to make it back in time. Also, after the Spring Festival Gala, I'll probably be going on tour with Director Qin for about two months next year."
She calculated that she might not be able to return to the ancient town until next April.
In that case, she wouldn't be able to help Lu Xiaoqi much. Everyone else was working hard for the ancient town, while she was busy with her own things outside. Zhao Feiyan felt quite bad and guilty.
Lu Xiaoqi could understand.
If you can get on the Spring Festival Gala, or even become as popular as the dance performances of previous years, then Director Qin will definitely strike while the iron is hot and extend the tour for several more months. Moreover, if someone pushes you to the Spring Festival Gala, but then doesn't renew your contract after you become famous, it would be seen as kicking them while they've served their purpose, and you wouldn't be able to work in the industry anymore.
"It's alright," she comforted Zhao Feiyan. "Qinghe Ancient Town isn't going to close after just a few months. There'll be plenty of opportunities in the future. Anyway, I'll keep the lead position in the ancient town's song and dance troupe vacant for you."
Moreover, she wanted to talk to Qin Shaohua about whether she would be willing to bring the dance drama to Qinghe Ancient Town for a few performances.
Lu Xiaoqi believed that the theater with special effects would satisfy Qin Shaohua.
......
Li Yue arrived at the theater happily; the performance was about to begin in an hour.
She first found the flower basket that had been sent in the group chat, then took a picture of it and posted it in the group: "Look, the flower basket we sent."
Xu Yue is a member of Zhao Feiyan's fan group and can be considered a die-hard fan. Today is the premiere, and the fan group has organized an event, not only sending flower baskets but also having many people come to watch the performance.
Besides fans, the dance troupe also has a fixed audience, including dance enthusiasts and the families of young dance students, so tickets sold well, with almost all but the corner seats sold out. Their fans wouldn't have been able to get good seats if they hadn't bought them early.
Xu Yue reunited with the other girls in the group, and they quickly became acquainted because they shared the same interests.
"I'm so excited to see Yizhu soon!"
"My friend who met her last time said she's even prettier in the videos, I really want to see her! By the way, can we take a picture with her after the dance?"
"It should be possible. Last time, some of my friends went up to take a photo with her, and she didn't refuse. She was also very gentle."
A group of girls were chattering away.
Surprisingly, the majority of Zhao Feiyan's fans were girls.
Xu Yue discovered that among their group of fans was a fourteen-year-old underage girl.
The little girl looked like she came from a wealthy family. She was a little shy meeting up with strangers from online acquaintances and said bashfully, "I used to study dance, and I think Sister Zhao Yizhu dances very well."
So she made a special trip to Hangzhou to see the performance. Her family was worried, so they asked her older sister and her boyfriend to come with her. Her sister is a bit arrogant, and her fiancé is quite handsome, wearing glasses in a refined manner.
Xu Yue heard the little girl call him Yao Yuan.
Yao Yuan wasn't particularly interested in dance dramas, but since his girlfriend's sister was coming, he had no choice but to go along. He and his girlfriend were engaged but not yet married; in other words, they were still in the evaluation period, so he couldn't let his guard down.
I accompanied this group of girls into the theater, and after we sat down, the lights quickly went out.
As the music began, the dance drama commenced.
Even though he didn't enjoy watching these kinds of shows, he had to admit that the experience of watching a live song and dance performance was incomparable to watching it on television—it was far more breathtaking and captivating. Especially the female lead; her graceful dance moves and beautiful figure drew him in completely.
The performance had reached its climax, with the female lead, Zhao Feiyan, dancing gracefully on a golden lotus, drawing thunderous applause from the audience.
Yao Yuan was initially excited, feeling that he had made the right decision to come. He was about to turn around and tell his girlfriend that they could watch more shows like this in the future. But as he turned around, a quick glance revealed a familiar figure he hadn't seen in a long time, positioned slightly to his right.
Is it... Lu Xiaoqi?
His pupils constricted, and his heart pounded like a drum.
For the next twenty minutes of the performance, Yao Yuan was somewhat distracted. He was anxious that the person in front of him really was Lu Xiaoqi, and afraid that she would bump into his girlfriend. After all, when he was pursuing his girlfriend, he had told her that he was single.
The music gradually transitioned into a grand yet mournful chapter.
Zhao Feiyan successfully became empress, reaching the pinnacle of her life, but also severed ties with her past innocence and secret love. Her wholehearted performance won wave after wave of applause from the audience.
The entire theater erupted in applause during the curtain call.
Lu Xiaoqi didn't know if other dance dramas were like this, but judging from today's performance, the premiere should be considered quite successful. Apart from Zhao Feiyan, the stage design, lighting, music, and the performances of the main actors and ensemble members all went very well.
It was a wonderful performance.
They had arranged to meet Zhao Feiyan and Qin Shaohua backstage, and taking advantage of the fact that there were still relatively few people leaving, they quickly stood up and prepared to go over.
Yao Yuan had been keeping an eye on the two people in the front row when his girlfriend noticed his little action.
"What are you doing? Looking around like that." His girlfriend said, sounding a little annoyed.
"It's nothing, I just thought I saw someone I knew," Yao Yuan explained with a smile.
His current girlfriend is beautiful and comes from a good family, but she's a bit spoiled.
Distracted by her words, when Yao Yuan looked over again, he saw the two disappear behind the curtain leading to the backstage. He only saw Su Jun's tall and slender figure walking behind them.
Su Jun stepped aside and lifted the curtain with one hand to let Lu Xiaoqi pass. Turning around, he revealed his handsome profile, his gaze casually sweeping across the audience, exuding a noble and aloof air. But when Lu Xiaoqi, who was walking in front, said something, he lowered his head to listen, a smile spreading across his face like a gentle spring breeze, completely dispelling his aloofness.
Seeing this scene, Yao Yuan felt inexplicably at ease.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
Where would Lu Xiaoqi find such an outstanding man? Besides, this is Hangzhou; she must be seeing things...
Lu Xiaoqi had no idea that her ex-boyfriend had run into her at the theater, and that he had been feeling uneasy about it for a long time.
She waited backstage for Qin Shaohua and Zhao Feiyan to return.
The premiere was a resounding success, a great start indeed. Qin Shaohua was delighted and invited everyone to a celebratory banquet. Lu Xiaoqi and Su Jun, as representatives of the investors, naturally attended as well.
At the celebration banquet, Qin Shaohua quietly revealed the arrangements for the Spring Festival Gala: "There's a high probability that it will happen. I've already sent them the recording before. And I'm also very familiar with the director."
Lu Xiaoqi casually suggested that they could invite "Ta Jinlian" to perform in Qinghe Ancient Town next year.
Her investment solved the dance troupe's immediate crisis, and Qin Shaohua naturally couldn't refuse. Her only concern was whether the theater in the ancient town was up to the task, since "Treading on the Golden Lotus" required large-scale stage design. If it wasn't suitable, the dance drama's effect would be greatly diminished, damaging its reputation.
Lu Xiaoqi patted her chest and assured her, "Don't worry, our theater is under renovation. You can go and see it for yourself when it's ready."
Qin Shaohua immediately agreed.
As a result, no sooner had she made those remarks than, after spending two days in Hangzhou and returning to Qinghe Ancient Town, Lu Xiaoqi was approached by a musical director recommended by Qin Shaohua:
"Miss Lu, when will the theater reopen? We need to rehearse in person for a while!"
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