"Mr. Huang, the ladies all praised the two cheongsams I made for you last time. Vice Minister Su's family is having a banquet in a few days, and I'd like to ask someone in your shop to make the clothes for the banquet."
"It's my honor." Huang Wanzhen elegantly picked up the coffee that the servant had just brought, put it to her lips, and wet her lower lip.
Mrs. Xu smiled as she spoke of her request. "You can see that although Sheng Yi's two brothers are studying abroad, I don't usually dress in a trendy way. This time, at Deputy Minister Su's banquet, most people were modern. Sheng Yi and I don't need to wear clothes that are elaborate or fancy. They just need to be comfortable and presentable without being out of place."
This seems to be a simple statement, but Huang Wanzhen would rather have the kind of stunning, fashionable and avant-garde one, because for this kind of dress, Huang Wanzhen can just copy it roughly from the dresses she has seen in later generations. It is comfortable to wear and look at. This feeling is illusory and varies from person to person. It is actually very difficult to grasp.
"Okay, Mrs. Xu, leave it to me and I will definitely satisfy you."
When Huang Wanzhen left, she took the clothing sizes of the three members of the Xu family with her. When she returned to Jixiangtang, Huang Wanzhen did not help to receive customers in the shop as usual, but hurried into the studio.
She first took out the "Illustrated Magazine", quickly browsed through a few copies, and then found the recently drawn design drawings and carefully selected them.
That night, the clothing style of the three members of the Xu family was decided. Mr. Xu wore a standard suit, simple and elegant, without any embellishment.
Mrs. Xu's was a cheongsam that was a blend of Chinese and Western styles, while Xu Shengyi's was a Western dress with Chinese elements.
Huang Wanzhen thought she had plenty of time, but when she arrived at school the next day, Song Wenyin told her that she also had to attend a banquet at the home of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs with her mother and hoped that Huang Wanzhen would help them design clothes.
"What? You're going too? Haven't you always claimed to be a descendant of a military commander and not to have any contact with those civil servants who are pulling the strings behind the scenes?"
Huang Wanzhen's casual remark made Song Wenyin blush. Huang Wanzhen looked at it and couldn't help sighing, "What's wrong?"
"This is the invitation my mother asked for from someone else. My mother said that the purpose of this banquet at Deputy Minister Su's house is, firstly, to exchange Chinese and foreign cultures, and secondly, to give young people an opportunity to get to know each other." The more Song Wenyin spoke, the lower her head became, and even her earlobes were dyed pink.
"Oh! It turns out to be a blind date party!" Huang Wanzhen looked as if she had suddenly realized something.
Such straightforward words and expressions earned her a slap in the face from Song Wenyin.
"Ouch!" Huang Wanzhen covered her right arm and glared at Song Wenyin angrily, "Why did you hit me? I didn't say anything wrong. Do you still want the beautiful clothes?"
Song Wenyin didn't care about being shy and quickly explained, "The clothes don't need to be too flashy and fashionable, they need to be dignified and beautiful."
"I know, it's the style of a lady from a noble family, isn't it?"
"Yes, yes, it's my mother's. You can watch it."
Women's clothes come in many varieties, and are different from men's clothes. Huang Wanzhen still wants to meet Song's mother once to see her appearance and personality.
Thinking this in her mind, Huang Wanzhen didn't beat around the bush and directly asked Song Wenyin to meet the person.
"Okay, after school, you can take the bus home with me and we can have dinner at my house tonight."
After meeting Song's mother, Huang Wanzhen finally knew who Song Wenyin took after. Song's mother had short curly hair, was about 1.7 meters tall, and had a broad and generous smile. "Haha, you must be Wanzhen, Wenyin often talks about you. Just treat you like her own family. Don't be polite."
As soon as Huang Wanzhen saw Song's mother, she felt that the color red was very suitable for her and immediately began to ask her about her requirements for the dress.
"I don't have any requirements, as long as you dress Wen Yin up like a lady."
Having said that, Huang Wanzhen did not treat it casually, but carefully designed a bright red velvet cheongsam and a white fox fur shawl for Song's mother. When Song's mother put them on, she looked so noble!
In a blink of an eye, it was the day of the banquet at the home of Su Baoling, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Early in the morning, Song Wenyin ran to Pigeon Hutong and pulled Huang Wanzhen up.
"What? It's finally Sunday, what are you doing here so early?" Huang Wanzhen groped for her pocket watch in a daze, opened it and saw that it was not yet six o'clock. "Oh my goodness! What are you doing?"
"Have you forgotten? Today is the day when Vice Minister Su's family is having a party."
Huang Wanzhen raised her hand and rubbed her eyes in confusion. "I didn't forget. Didn't I send your and aunt's dresses to your house last night? Why, don't they fit?"
"It's perfect. I want to ask you if you have a dress for the party."
Huang Wanzhen was awakened by Song Wenyin. Her mind gradually became clear. She thought she couldn't continue sleeping, so she got up.
"I have a dress, what are you doing? You're taller and fatter than me, my clothes won't fit you."
"Pa——" Song Wenyin slapped Huang Wanzhen hard on the back.
"Ouch! Wen Yin, can you change your habit of getting involved so easily?"
"Does it hurt? Sorry, let me rub it for you."
Huang Wanzhen pushed Song Wenyin away and said, "It doesn't hurt much, it just scared me. I just woke up and my brain is slow to react. You hit me and woke me up completely."
"Hey, aren't I worried about you? I begged my mom for half the night last night, and she agreed to take you to the banquet today."
"What? Take me there?" Huang Wanzhen's mind, which had just cleared up, became confused again.
"Yes! You're still so young. You can't stop looking for a partner just because you're divorced. Most of the young people who can attend the banquet at Deputy Minister Su's house this time are modern people. Although the adults in the family usually have the final say on who to marry, many families still respect their children's choices."
Huang Wanzhen looked at Song Wenyin and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
"You're so outstanding, there must be someone who likes you," Song Wenyin pushed Huang Wanzhen, who was standing still, and said, "Go and see if there's a dress that's suitable for today."
Huang Wanzhen thought for two seconds, then turned around and went to the studio to get her dress. She also took a stack of business cards from the drawer. She must take today's banquet seriously. The gathering of daughters of wealthy families in Beijing was the perfect opportunity for her to realize her ambitions.
The Su family lives in the Gululuxiang area of Dongcheng District, very close to the embassy area. The banquet will start at 6 pm.
In order to wear that waist-hugging dress, Song Wenyin didn't eat for a whole day. Huang Wanzhen didn't have the habit of going hungry. Besides, she wasn't really looking for a partner, so the dress she chose didn't show off her waist.
The Su Mansion is a three-story Western-style building with a brick-concrete structure, mixed water walls, sand and stone surfaces, a pointed dome, and marble steps. There are also fountains and stone statues in the courtyard, but it is too cold now, so the fountain is not open.
Huang Wanzhen got out of the Song family's car, and she and Song Wenyin followed Song's mother on both sides into the first-floor hall.
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