CH 128

In the workshop, Chi Jie took two oilcloth scraps and asked Xiaoyue to sew them together. He wanted to see her needlework so he could arrange work for her.

Xiaoyue picked up the needle and thread, staggered the edges of the two rags and sewed them together. Then, she wrapped extra cloth inside, flattened the seam, and sewed it shut with even stitches. Finally, she cut off the excess thread.

Chi Jie watched from the side and nodded, “Miss Xiaoyue, I didn’t say to stitch it like that, how did you know?”

Xiaoyue was timid around strangers and didn’t dare to look up at people when she spoke. She lowered her head and said, “I just thought, it’d be hard to brush oil on the seam otherwise, and it might leak.”

Chi Jie showed what she had sewn to other people, and someone said, “So what? When it comes to sewing, we’re all on the same level as her.”

Chi Jie clapped his hands to keep everyone quiet, “I think there might’ve been a misunderstanding. Although my workshop creates clothes, it is enough to know basic needlework. The key is no leakage, we’re making raincoats, not wedding dresses!”

Someone sighed, “That’s a waste of our embroidery skills!”

Chi Jie added, “We’ll also be making wedding dresses here in the future, so you don’t have to worry about not being able to utilise your talents.”

After he arranged work for Xiaoyue, he went to meet with Lu Junming and Mo Yan.

To begin with, how to market the raincoats. Lu Junming said, “It’s not the rainy season yet, how can we convince everyone that these clothes can keep out the rain?”

Mo Yan and Chi Jie looked at each other and smiled. Mo Yan said, “That’s simple, raincoats are waterproof, just do a simple experiment.”

“So we find someone to put on these clothes and pour water on them?”

Chi Jie nodded, “Pretty much. We can also fill it with water. If not a single drop leaks, it shows that it’s waterproof.”

Mo Yan started counting, “In addition to this long raincoat, we also need to make waterproof cloaks, split upper and lower body raincoats, rain boots…”

Chi Jie added, “Waterproof travel bags too. People can put spare clothes in this bag. Even if it rains, they’ll still have a dry change of clothes.” After finishing speaking, he showed Mo Yan the blueprints he had drawn.

Seeing the design, Mo Yan’s eyes froze. The pattern on the bag was actually the English letters C and J. Those were Chi Jie’s initials!

“Chi Jie, who are you?” Mo Yan asked.

Chi Jie didn’t meet her eyes and said hesitantly, “I just like making clothes.”

Lu Junming immediately stopped Mo Yan, “Look, I told you you shouldn’t spend a long time with Chi Jie. After spending so much time with him, you’re not normal anymore.”

“How’s your dad been recently?” Lu Junming continued.

M Yan said helplessly, “The same as always. He wants to crush our shop and wait for us to beg him for mercy.”

“How about that son of his?”

When he asked this, Mo Yan realised she hadn’t seen Mo Zheng in several days. In the past, she’d always see him whenever she went to the back.

“I don’t know, it’s none of my business.”

She said that, but she was thinking, don’t tell me that bastard sold his own son!

In the afternoon, Zhou Liangsheng came to the workshop after school with his school bag. He put it under his arm on the table and began to sort the accounts.

Mo Yan reached out to open his school bag. Two books were placed inside, both with dog-eared corners.

“Zhou Liangsheng, do you want to have a good-looking and practical school bag? Books won’t wear and tear if you put them in it.”

Zhou Liangsheng looked at her with puppy eyes instantly, “Of course I want to! Some people in my school use bookcases made of bamboo and wood, but they’re too bulky.”

Mu Yan looked to Chi Jie, “Chi Jie, make a batch of briefcases with separators using canvas, and sell them to the students at a lower price.”

Chi Jie raised his eyebrows slightly, “No problem, how many?”

“Few dozens to a hundred.”

Chi Jie took out one of his blueprints and threw it to Mo Yan, “Look at this.”

Mu Yan caught it, and it was exactly the design she had in her head. It had a flip cover, was cross-body, had a multi-layer design inside, and a built-in pencil case.

Zhou Liangsheng also came over to take a look and asked, “Can you add a place to put an inkstone?”

Mo Yan said, “If it’s a clean inkstone, it’ll be fine to put it in your school bag. But why should you carry it to school?”

“But you have to use ink every day!”

“You can grind ink beforehand and put it in a small bottle. Isn’t that more convenient?”

Zhou Liangsheng seemed to realise something, “You’re right!”

Chi Jie said, “We can sew another pocket inside specially used to hold an ink bottle, so that it won’t spill out.”

“Then quickly start making them! What are you waiting for?”

Chi Jie went to work on his workbench by one side, and Mo Yan saw there was actually a roll of canvas there, “You even have this?”

Chi Jie raised his eyebrows again, “I specially asked someone to weave it.”

Mu Yan took a look. The canvas was hard and strong, perfect for making a school bag.

She wanted to ask Chi Jie again if he was a time traveller again, but when she saw Lu Junming looking at them attentively, she had to shut up.

On the workbench, as she watched Chi Jie quickly cut out a canvas briefcase, Mo Yan sighed, “It’s a pity that there’s no sewing machine. Otherwise, this would be much easier.”

Chi Jie glanced at Lu Junming, and said in a low voice, “I’m developing one.” Mo Yan looked up at him, and he shook his head slightly at her.

“Were you a fashion designer?” Mo Yan couldn’t help but continue asking.

Chi Jie nodded, “And a well-known one, how about you?”

“A sad wordsmith.”

“Speak plainly.”

“I wrote stories online!”

Lu Junming saw them muttering, but couldn’t hear them clearly, so he got up and asked, “What are you two mumbling about?”

Mo Yan said, “How to kidnap you to sell for money!”

Lu Junming didn’t say anything. Mo Yan smiled at him and said, “If you want to live, go and pour me a cup of tea.”

He obediently poured her a cup of tea and said, “Today I’m going back to see Grandpa, I’ll take you back to see him!”

“Okay, let’s bring some delicious food for Sir Lu!”

After Mo Yan drank her tea, the two left the workshop and returned to the village together. The workshop also closed for the day, and Xiaoyue came out straightening her clothes. Mo Yan shouted, “Xiaoyue, be careful on the road!”

Dagan also came out of the workshop, “Don’t worry! We’re going the same way, so I can take her home safely.”

“Then I’ll go with you too, the more the merrier.” Mo Yan turned around and told Lu Junming to go first. Lu Junming replied, “I’ll walk back with you.”

Post-translation notes: So I hope there are some design nerds out there reading this. As always, thank you for reading! Have a wonderful day.