Being thoroughly scrutinized by Wan Chu’er, Jiang Lingling felt quite puzzled and uncomfortable.
"Sister-in-law, is there something wrong with me?" Jiang Lingling also checked herself from top to bottom, but couldn’t find anything inappropriate.
Mai Qiqi, who was beside them, also became curious and watched them without showing much emotion.
Wan Chu’er supported her cheek with her hand and asked, "Jiang Lingling, where did you buy those clothes you’re wearing?"
Jiang Lingling felt bewildered as Wan Chu’er had never taken an interest in her clothes before, but she honestly replied:
"The shorts are from Qianhong Mall; I made some adjustments to them myself, giving them this frayed edge. The T-shirt was a gift from my cousin, not expensive, probably around five or six hundred. As for this long shirt, I made it myself, the hat was bought in a small shop, and the shoes were a birthday gift from my mom."
"Sister-in-law, what’s the matter?"
Mai Qiqi interjected at this point: "Jiang Lingling, the shirt you’ve made is pretty bold, but it suits you very well."
"Hehe, thanks for the compliment." Jiang Lingling was delighted with the praise for her homemade clothes; she often experimented with clothing in her free time.
It was then that Wan Chu’er spoke up: "I have an idea, the three of us could partner up and start a fashion design workshop."
"What?!" Mai Qiqi exclaimed in disbelief.
Jiang Lingling was first startled, then overjoyed, and eagerly said, "I’m willing!"
After she exclaimed, she saw that Mai Qiqi and Wan Chu’er didn’t respond, so she hesitated and added, "What’s my role? Am I making clothes? Or handling operations? I’m afraid I might not do well; I only tinker with clothes now and then."
She loved everything related to clothing, and with Wan Chu’er at the helm, she felt the idea was absolutely brilliant.
Wan Chu’er said calmly, "You have a good sense for fashion and your own ideas about clothes, most importantly, you can turn your ideas into pieces, long shirt you’re wearing."
Wan Chu’er had noticed this trait—or rather, this advantage—in Jiang Lingling while shopping with her before; Jiang Lingling had the ability to choose the most fitting clothes based on a person’s qualities.
Encouraged by Wan Chu’er’s affirmation, Jiang Lingling’s smile grew wider, and she became more excited. She egged them on, rubbing her hands together, "Sister-in-law, Sister Qiqi, let’s do it. I will definitely work hard!"
Mai Qiqi remained unconvinced, smiling and asking, "What would I do? I can’t make clothes, my aesthetics are mediocre, and I don’t really understand business."
Jiang Lingling and Mai Qiqi both looked towards Wan Chu’er.
The more Wan Chu’er thought about it, the more she felt it was a good idea and worth a try.
She said, "Qiqi, Lingling, you both say life is dull because you haven’t found something that reflects your value. Qiqi, you’ve clocked in at a government job; Lingling, you’ve worked at your father’s company for a while, but those tedious and dull jobs aren’t what you like.
"We are all young; we shouldn’t waste time . Days go by, and when we look back, we can’t recall what we’ve done, as if we’ve left no mark at all.
"Why not find something to pour our effort and perseverance into, to see what we can achieve?
"Since Lingling loves clothes, let’s start from there. We can learn and try; life is a process of constant trials and errors. Such a life is more flavorful."
Touched by Wan Chu’er’s words, Jiang Lingling and Mai Qiqi became collected and deeply contemplated.
Indeed, due to their privileged backgrounds and lack of survival pressure, they had been directionless, coasting through life. From college graduation to now, looking back, they had indeed just let time slip away. Age after age, nothing had accumulated, yet they pretentiously complained about life being dull, without thinking of changing. Chapters fırst released on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚑𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥
Why not follow Wan Chu’er’s advice, do something, stir up some ripples, which would be more interesting than a life as bland as plain water?
Jiang Lingling was the first to take a stand, quite agitated as she firmly said, "Sister-in-law, I’m willing to follow you. I will listen to whatever you say."
"What about you, Qiqi?"
Both looked at Mai Qiqi, who after attempting to speak for a while, finally resolved, "Okay, let’s give it a try and see how far we can go."
Joy lit up the faces of the three people in the private room.
After the excitement, Wan Chu’er began to make arrangements: "Since it’s settled, we need to start getting things done. Lingling, although you have an extraordinary love and sensitivity for clothing, you haven’t undergone formal training, so you’re not professional. I’ll arrange for you to study for three months."
"Three months is not too short, but not too long. You need to work really hard in these three months to make up for your shortcomings; design, styling, craftsmanship, you must be familiar with the whole process. It’s not necessary to do everything yourself, but you must know how. Afterward, I’ll arrange for you to intern at a workshop for a month."
Jiang Lingling had no objection, in fact, she found this plan even more solid and was very willing to learn. She regretted not majoring in fashion design in college, instead of following her family’s advice to study accounting.
Wan Chu’er then turned to Mai Qiqi and said, "While Lingling is studying, the two of us also need to take action."
Mai Qiqi asked with a smile, "What do I need to learn? I’m not going to study fashion design, I won’t be able to learn it in three months."
"Don’t worry, you’ll have different arrangements. I’ll have Xiao Bai arrange for you to intern at a renowned high-end custom clothing studio, where you’ll learn their management and operations; later, you’ll be responsible for managing our studio."
Mai Qiqi and Jiang Lingling asked simultaneously, "And what about you? What will you do?"
Wan Chu’er smiled, "I’ll handle the logistics; providing money when you need money, staff when you need people, and then I’ll figure out how to market our studio’s clothes."
Handling logistics sounded straightforward, but in detail, it was the most complicated and challenging aspect.
Among the three, Wan Chu’er had the most financial power and the most impressive network of connections; it made sense for her to lead.
"What shall we name our workshop? We should also design an impressive logo that’s memorable at first glance," Jiang Lingling couldn’t help but say.
With the decision made, Jiang Lingling grew proactive and couldn’t wait to settle on a name.
"Let’s brainstorm together," Wan Chu’er suggested.
"How about Luanyang?"
"I think Jinxiu is good."
"Three Musketeers Clothing Workshop"
After some discussion, they decided on the name for their fashion design workshop: Time.