Chapter 8: Ready-to-Wear Shop

Chapter 8: The Tailor Shop

In the slanting light of the afternoon sun, the young man's gentle voice blended with the soft music, like an old movie telling a story.

Ji Qingzhou's English was fluent, with a clear accent and just the right touch of emotion, making his reading very pleasant.

Especially when paired with the gentle music from the record player, it became even more immersive, causing Jie Yuan to drift off into a daze.

In a world surrounded by darkness, the heartbeat slowed and quickened, controlled by its rhythm of expansion and contraction.

After reading over a dozen pages straight, Ji Qingzhou closed the book and picked up the teapot on the table to pour himself a cup of water when the record stopped.

"I won't read anymore; my throat is about to burn up."

He gulped down several mouthfuls of warm water from the teacup, joking to himself, half-seriously, "After all, I used to make a living with this, so I need to take good care of it."

Seeing Jie Yuan remain silent, he asked again, "Do you still want to listen? I can call A You in to read."

"He can't do it."

"Oh."

After a while, Jie Yuan asked in a calm tone, "Where did you pick up your foreign language skills?"

"I taught myself," Ji Qingzhou leaned back in his chair, arms resting on the armrests, and said without changing his expression, "After all, I'm something of a celebrity in the capital, and many of my friends have studied abroad. To keep up with them, I had to learn a few languages, right?"

"Your pronunciation is nearly perfect."

"Thank you for the compliment. I admit, I do have a bit of a knack for this," Ji Qingzhou spoke calmly, as if it were a matter of fact.

"Of course, I also have to thank my foreign friends who are obsessed with opera. Thanks to their encouragement and guidance, my language skills improved quickly."

Jie Yuan didn't seem convinced, but he didn't press further.

Ji Qingzhou leisurely flipped through the book for a while, and after a few minutes, suddenly sat up, leaning on the table's edge, and said in a low voice, "I want to discuss something with you."

Perhaps from talking too long, his voice was slightly hoarse.

Jie Yuan felt a slight itch, as if his ear had been lightly scratched.

"Me," Ji Qingzhou continued on his own, "I'm thinking of opening a tailor shop."

Jie Yuan's eyebrow slightly raised, almost thinking he had misheard.

"What brought this on?"

"No trigger, I just thought, now that I've married into a wealthy family, for your family's sake, I can't continue with my previous public-facing work. But I'm still young and healthy, I can't just sit around and live off others, right?"

Ji Qingzhou scratched his somewhat striking hair and said, "To be honest, besides singing opera, I've also picked up tailoring. I think I have a bit of a talent for it, and I believe I can make money from it."

Jie Yuan fell silent, hesitated for a moment, and said, "You know multiple languages, why not try translation or teaching to earn a living?"

"There's always a demand for such skills in the country, and schools, whether private or public, are not stingy with salaries."

"In terms of foreign languages, I only know conversational communication and common word reading and writing. I don't understand more in-depth aspects, how can I teach? Wouldn't that be misleading the students?"

Ji Qingzhou wrinkled his nose, "Besides, I'm not interested in that. What I like is designing clothes, making beautiful clothes for the right people. I'm more passionate about this."

After another ten or so seconds of silence, Jie Yuan spoke up, "Do you know how many clothing shops there are in Shanghai?"

"How many?"

"Over two thousand," Jie Yuan said. "At least forty thousand tailors earn their living this way. What advantage do you have among them?"

"I understand what you mean. Yes, if it's purely about skill and experience, I can't compare to those old tailors who have been in the business for decades."

Ji Qingzhou leaned in closer, whispering as if sharing a secret, "But my selling point isn't just making clothes! Fashion design emphasizes creative ideas and a unique vision. In this area, I won't be inferior to anyone."

From less than half a meter apart, Jie Yuan felt his voice as if it were brushing against his ear, softly tickling him.

He quietly turned his head away, his tone indifferent, "If you've made up your mind, just go ahead. No need to ask for my opinion."

This reaction was like giving up on trying to persuade a wayward prodigal son, choosing instead to let him go his own way, not bothering to waste more words.

Ji Qingzhou curled his lips, straightening up and speaking bluntly, "I wasn't planning to ask for your opinion anyway, just giving you a heads-up."

After taking care of you for two days, you really think you're the master of the house, managing this and that, prying into everything?

He couldn't help but mutter a couple of sentences in his heart.

In fact, Ji Qingzhou also understood why he wasn't optimistic about his prospects. After all, before this, his identity was still a professional opera worker, and he had never systematically studied or trained in the tailoring industry.

How could an amateur tailor carve out a place in Shanghai, a city with fierce competition in the clothing industry? It would just be a waste of time and money.

From this perspective, Jie Yuan advising him not to pursue this career, although his words were harsh, bordering on sarcasm, was still fulfilling some duty as a close confidant. Ji Qingzhou didn't feel angry.

"The reason I'm discussing this with you is that if I do open a shop, as your mascot, I might have to go out occasionally, and the old lady might not be pleased if she finds out."

Ji Qingzhou revealed his true intention, "If she questions it, could you vouch for me then? After all, you don't want me always by your side annoying you, right?"

The latter part of the excuse struck a chord with Jie Yuan.

He had encountered talkative people like Ji Qingzhou before, but someone so boundary-less, daring to argue and retort with him within half a day of knowing him, was indeed the first.

Having such a person around every day, not to mention accumulating blessings, not being angered into an early grave would be a blessing from heaven.

With this in mind, Jie Yuan calmly replied, "Normal work, she won't stop you."

"Right, even a mascot doesn't need to be together all the time, she should understand that," Ji Qingzhou nodded thoughtfully.

"Moreover, I'll be working from nine to six, coming back for lunch and a two-hour break, so the time spent with you each day is quite long. With such a schedule, who wouldn't praise me as a family-oriented good man?"

"..."

Jie Yuan made no comment on this.

The attitude of the Jie family didn't need to be considered, so Ji Qingzhou's next worry was the capital for opening the shop.

Although there was the option of the broad avenue with Shen Nanqi, Ji Qingzhou was unwilling to get too involved with the Jie family.

He thought, judging from the old photo at Qiu Wenxin's former residence, Jie Yuan would recover from his illness one day, and he would eventually leave the Jie family.

By then, if his shop hadn't succeeded, it would be one thing, but if it did, reaching the scale of Yuxiang Fashion Company, with annual profits of tens to hundreds of millions, wouldn't the Jie family really try to take a share?

It's best to rely on oneself.

Ji Qingzhou pondered.

But for now, he had no proper source of income, and his only earnings were the eight silver coins Jie Yuan had bet him.

Maybe he should work at Yuxiang Fashion Store for a few months first?

Or maybe, borrow some money from Jie Yuan?

He didn't trust the Jie family, that much was true, but when it came to Jie Yuan, he instinctively felt that this person's character was somewhat reliable.

Ji Qingzhou pondered, raising his eyes to look at the man across the desk.

Jie Yuan sat silently in his chair, his dark hair falling over his forehead, the black blindfold beneath it, the contours of his profile and neck outlined by the soft yellow natural light.

This guy really matches my taste when he's not talking...

The thought flashed through his mind involuntarily.

After staring for a while, Ji Qingzhou coughed lightly and spoke up, "I have an idea. Considering our past, I'll give you an opportunity.

"Before I become the leader of Shanghai's fashion industry, do you want to invest in this potential stock early?"

He painted a grand picture with a let's-see attitude, but Jie Yuan remained motionless, his tone cool, "I don't do things that are like throwing good money after bad."

Ji Qingzhou was stunned for a moment, then, after realizing what was said, stood up angrily, wanting to leave, but then calmly sat back down, almost cursing out loud before quickly closing his mouth.

In the end, he just gave a thumbs up to Jie Yuan, gritting his teeth in praise, "Only you could have such vision."

Jie Yuan remained indifferent to his "praise."

Ji Qingzhou picked up his teacup and took a couple of sips, thinking about how to elegantly counter the "good money after bad" comment, when suddenly there was a knock at the door.

Thinking it might be Huang Youshu with some news, he called out, "Come in."

But when the door opened, it was Steward Liang Ma standing at the entrance.

Seeing the thick envelope in her hand, Ji Qingzhou sensed there might be something important and adjusted his expression to ask, "What is it, Steward Liang?"

"Young master, Mr. Ji," Steward Liang first nodded in acknowledgment, then walked in, handing the envelope to Ji Qingzhou, "This is the monthly allowance Madam Shen has given you."

"Allowance?" Ji Qingzhou's eyes widened, genuinely surprised.

If he were truly Shen Nanqi's cousin, that would be one thing, but he was just a pawn in a wedding scheme!

Usually eating and living at the Jie family's expense, even his clothes were bought by them, and now Shen Nanqi was giving him an allowance, wasn't that a bit too much?

"There are twenty silver coins inside, please count them."

After Steward Liang spoke, she watched him count the money, confirmed the amount was correct, and then left the room.

But Ji Qingzhou felt odd holding the twenty silver coins, recalling the day's experience of accompanying Shen Nanqi shopping, and couldn't help but sigh, "I feel like a palace eunuch."

Jie Yuan initially didn't want to respond, but the analogy was too bizarre, so he asked, "Why do you say that?"

Ji Qingzhou shook the heavy envelope, "After pleasing the Empress Dowager, I got a reward."

Jie Yuan quietly turned his head away, this time truly not wanting to engage with him.

·

In the end, Ji Qingzhou still accepted the twenty silver coins, using them as capital to open a store, adding them to the eight silver coins.

At the same time, he didn't want to let slip any other opportunities to earn money.

That night, after reading a bedtime story to Jie Yuan, as soon as the lights went out and he lay down, Ji Qingzhou, like a patient hunter, began to wait for his prey to fall asleep, cross the boundary, and then be caught and fined for trespassing.

But less than two minutes after the lights went out, Ji Qingzhou felt the mattress at his feet sink, creating a dent.

He stretched out his foot to feel around and, sure enough, kicked Jie Yuan's calf. He felt a flicker of joy, but then suspicion crept in.

—Even if Jie Yuan was a heavy sleeper, he shouldn't have dozed off so fast!

Moreover, after he kicked him, Jie Yuan's foot remained motionless, as if it were numb, resting on his side of the bed, almost like it was on purpose.

Ji Qingzhou thought for a moment, then turned his head to the right and said, "You're not planning to camp out on my side all night for just a buck, are you?"

Jie Yuan: "Did I cross the line?"

As expected.

"Sneaky!"

Ji Qingzhou cursed under his breath, gave Jie Yuan a couple more kicks, but couldn't shove him back. Reluctantly, he abandoned his money-making scheme, rolled over, and tried to fall asleep.

The Jie mansion was unusually quiet that night, with only the occasional whisper of wind through the leaves.

After one night, Ji Qingzhou had already adjusted to the new bed. That night, he slept more deeply than even Jie Yuan.

The next morning, when the sound of cleaning in the hallway woke him and he opened his eyes, he saw that Jie Yuan was already up, washed, and sitting by the window, enjoying the morning breeze.

He sat up, about to get out of bed, when suddenly something silver slid off his forehead and landed on the quilt.

Ji Qingzhou stared at the eagle clutching a snake in its beak, momentarily stunned, torn between anger and amusement.

He picked up the silver dollar, clenched it in his hand, pushed aside the quilt, put on his shoes, and got out of bed. In a dry tone, he suggested, "How about keeping a tab and settling up at the end of the month? Otherwise, charging a buck a night makes me seem cheap!"

Jie Yuan picked up his celadon teacup and replied flatly, "Oh."

Oh? So you're actually agreeing?

Ji Qingzhou's face cycled through several expressions, but in the end, he had no retort and just walked into the bathroom.

·

Ji Qingzhou's personality was such that he had little patience for trivial matters, but when it came to important things, he rarely acted impulsively. Acting on impulse and deciding to open a shop went against his usual way of life.

This time, though, whether spurred by Jie Yuan's words or just looking for something to do and a new purpose, he acted on impulse.

On the third day at the Jie household, Shen Nanqi took the early morning train to Suzhou, and Jie Jianshan and Jie Yuchuan left for work one after another after breakfast.

After they left, the only remaining family members at home were the elderly lady who couldn't go out, the pregnant Zhao Yanzhi, and the blind Jie Yuan.

For the next few days, Ji Qingzhou would have breakfast, say hello to Jie Yuan, put on the Western-style casual clothes Shen Nanqi had bought for him, and go out. Relying on his feet and the tram, he searched the surrounding streets for a suitable shop and conducted market research.

After days of running around, the Jie family had a rough idea of what he was up to, but no one pried.

As Jie Yuan had said, they gave him plenty of space for his private activities.

In Ji Qingzhou's view, this lack of interest was likely because they didn't care.

As long as he returned to the Jie mansion on time before dinner to play his role as the mascot, no one cared whether he was working, drinking, or meeting friends during the day.

A small fry like him, in a city as vast as Shanghai, could hardly make a splash.

Persistence paid off. After five days of searching around the area near the Jie mansion, Ji Qingzhou finally found a suitable shop.