Chapter 23
Liu Si glanced at the tutorial but decided to stick to her own ideas and use her favorite colors. She had already made several dolls following the tutorial exactly, and they all looked quite nice. She was confident in her skills and figured that making a few minor modifications wouldn't be a problem.
Just as he made up his mind, he saw the aunt who had gone in earlier come out, and Wang Mian followed behind her, completely bewildered, trying to persuade her to stay.
The aunt waved her hand as she walked away, saying, "Didn't you say it was free online? Why are you charging a design fee, and even by the square meter? Isn't that false advertising?"
Yoda and Shixing could hear the noise outside from their offices. Shixing frowned, wondering what was going on. He looked at Yoda but said nothing. Yoda was curious, but seeing Shixing's calm and focused expression, he didn't want to go over and see what was happening, so he also looked away. The two continued with their work.
Those who heard the noise had no idea what was going on and could only watch as the two struggled. Unable to resist their natural curiosity, they all stopped what they were doing and stood up.
Wang Mian was completely bewildered. When had he ever said he'd offer free design services? He had simply posted some of his previous successful design projects online and diligently replied to inquiries. He had been truly honest and had never engaged in any false advertising.
And it was this aunt who contacted him first. She was very enthusiastic from the start, and Wang Mian thought the deal would go smoothly. Everything was agreed upon, and he was quite satisfied with the design style and pattern, so why did things fall apart when it came to payment? Wang Mian didn't say anything, but he felt wronged. If it wasn't going to work out, so be it; the price was negotiable. How could she accuse him of being a scammer?
With so many people watching him, Wang Mian became somewhat anxious. If he didn't explain things clearly, people might think he was engaging in false advertising or malicious competition, ruining his reputation.
I quickly stopped the aunt and continued to persuade her: "Auntie, these days, free things are the most expensive. Many free services don't provide proper design. They seem free on the surface, but during the construction process, they add a little extra charge for each item, and in the end, it's more expensive than what I charge for."
Seeing that the aunt was somewhat relenting, Wang Mian continued to assure her, "Don't worry, the design fee I'm charging now is absolutely the fairest price in the industry. You can go and check out a few other places if you don't believe me."
Although Wang Mian was very sincere, the aunt was still not happy: "It's not about the money. Since you had a free label, why did you lie to me? I'm not going to pay the design fee, and I'm very satisfied with what you just introduced. If you had told me beforehand, I would definitely have signed the contract with you today. But you didn't say anything at the beginning, and only told me when I arrived. You have a problem with your character, young man."
Wang Mian was covered in sweat. How did things suddenly escalate to a matter of character? He looked aggrieved and said, "I never said it was free." He quickly pulled out their chat history, which recorded every communication and could absolutely prove his innocence.
"Auntie, look, I've been telling you the whole time that the design fees are clearly listed." In the chat box, the enlarged image clearly shows the price of each item.
The aunt glanced at it and realized it was true, but she still couldn't help but complain, "You sent too many pictures at once, so I didn't look at them carefully."
Pointing to the title Wang Mian had written himself, he said, "Look, it says 'free' here."
Wang Mian looked at the other person's profile picture, which read "Designer Wang Mian," and suddenly laughed: "Auntie, the 'Mian' in my name is Wang Mian, not the 'Mian' in 'I waive design fees.'"
Now it was the aunt's turn to be confused. She quickly put on her reading glasses and looked carefully: "Oh, it really is. Wang Mian Designer, not Mian Design Fee." The aunt was a little embarrassed, but she still muttered to herself. "Oh dear, I, I, I, but you didn't choose your name properly. How can I read it like this?"
Just then, Liu Si came over and gave the aunt a doll she had knitted earlier. When the aunt came in, Liu Si noticed the tote bag she was carrying; it was a free gift from a recent promotion at a nearby baby store. The aunt must have a baby at home.
"Auntie, this little gift is free; you can take it home for your child to play with. But the design fee is charged according to the industry standard. And our designer, Mr. Wang, is very professional in interior design; you can completely trust him."
The aunt took the small toy from Liu Si's hand; the brightly colored toy dog was just the size of her grandson's two little hands. Thinking about taking it home, the baby could hold it in both little arms, and imagining her own baby's adorable face, she felt quite happy. She thought about the renovation they had just discussed and was indeed very satisfied with it, and stopped in her tracks as she walked out.
Seeing that the other party's attitude had softened, Wang Mian continued enthusiastically, "Auntie, everything we discussed before is fine, but we still need to discuss the details further. The most important thing is that now that we have a baby, the design of the children's room is very important. Not only does it need to be convenient for the child to live in when they grow up, but it also needs to ensure their health now, right?"
Following up on Wang Mian's words, the aunt continued, "The final result should be the same as the other homes you sent me, okay?"
Wang Mian breathed a sigh of relief: "Of course, don't worry. You've seen the pictures I sent you before. I've done renovations with children's rooms for many clients, and every single one of them has been very satisfied after moving in. Moreover, not only are all the materials we use environmentally friendly throughout the entire process, but we'll also handle formaldehyde removal for you in the later stages of the renovation. We guarantee that you can move in quickly after ventilation."
The aunt nodded and said, "Okay, then we'd better hurry. My baby has to like it once it's all set up."
Wang Mian's efforts hadn't been in vain; he gave Liu Si a grateful look: "Thank you." Liu Si smiled and shook her head; it was nothing. She hadn't expected her handicrafts to be so useful.
Anyway, she hadn't figured out how to put it away after making it, and she was happy to be able to help others. Before the two of them could say anything, Li Chong, who had been watching for a while and saw that there was no excitement to be had, said to Xiao Liu: "Hurry up, come and pour water for the guests."
Liu Si quickly agreed and left. Wang Mian watched the direction she went, his eyes slightly narrowed. This Li Chong was a newly hired designer. He didn't know how good his design skills were, because it was difficult to evaluate. But his sales skills were definitely top-notch; his office was always bustling with people.
However, judging from his attitude of ordering people around just now, Wang Mian felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
My parents and younger brother are all home after the trip. This trip was quite long, and we had a great time.
Seeing Yoda enter the house, Youming and Youli ran excitedly to her, handing her the stones they had picked up on the beach. Youli, holding a light purple stone, said earnestly, "This is the prettiest one I've ever seen." Youming immediately pulled out several more: "These are all very beautiful; you can choose whichever you like." Yoda looked closely and realized that the stones in Youming's hands were all sea glass.
This child, in a way, is recycling trash. Yoda wasn't disappointed and happily accepted the gift. He teased the two children, "Didn't you say you ate lots of delicious food on the way? How come you only brought back stones?"
You Ming and You Li laughed sheepishly: "The good food has all been eaten, and the bad food has all been thrown away, so there's nothing left to eat."
Yoda patted their heads: "Okay, I got it. Go play."
The whole family was relaxed. Mom was on the sofa waiting for her hair to dry, flipping through photos of herself on her trips; every single one was beautiful. Youming and Youli were eagerly waiting for Dad to assemble the toys they had bought on the way back. The three of them sat on the floor, completely absorbed.
When Yoda's mother saw Yoda coming over, she showed her the video she had recorded and said with a smile, "Your brothers are very popular in the tour group. The whole tour group is full of retired elderly people, and it's rare to find such young children. Since we started the trip, they've been either listening to gossip next to this aunt or going for a drive with that old man. Their schedules are busier than your dad's and mys."
Yoda watched a video of a homeless man vividly telling a fairy tale. Halfway through, he couldn't remember the story and started making it up, which made everyone laugh.
Because of their two younger children, Youda's parents quickly became the most popular members of the tour group. Even Yuli, who is usually well-behaved at home, became much more lively outside. He was warm-hearted, considerate, and caring.
Yoda laughed along; her younger brothers were all so nice and cute. Sure enough, going out for a short while brought new discoveries; she could see a different side of her brothers than they did at home.
"So, the point is to go out more, right?" Yoda felt that he had made the right decision this time.
Yoda's mother nodded: "Yes. From now on, our family can go out for walks whenever we have time, just like before. When you were little, you loved going out. Every time we went out, you would plan well in advance what dress to wear and what hairstyle to have. Even what your father and I wore had to be decided by you. And when we got outside, how to take pictures and how to pose all had to be done according to your requirements."
The joy I used to find in traveling each year was taking Yoda with me, watching her grow from a tiny little girl to someone who had learned to walk, then to someone who had started school. Every year brought different growth, and every year I experienced everything that happened during the trip from a new perspective. This brought me more joy than the trip itself.
Yoda's mother thought that the reason they didn't go out again was because they no longer had the same feeling. Even if those tourist destinations were better and more beautiful, what would they mean to them? The most important thing is the feeling of traveling, not the travel itself.
Looking at the cheerful atmosphere in his home, Yoda was satisfied. Everything was back to normal. However, thinking about the dilapidated and desolate place he had seen Shi Xing's residence, he couldn't help but ask, "Was everyone sad while I was asleep?"
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