That is to say, among them all, this factory was a bit more professional.
This small factory had gained some reputation in the town; the clothes they produced sold in all the villages and counties—this was their market positioning.
Zhang Lanxiang, seeing how much An Hao trusted her, did not decline. She also had a special interest in sewing. It would be good practice for her during her spare time, and she could help An Hao out.
"Okay. I’ll give it a try," Zhang Lanxiang said after finishing the tomato in her hand. She washed her hands and then picked up a pair of finished jeans to study.
Zhang Lanxiang looked very carefully, not missing any small detail.
After examining it several times, she took out a piece of paper and repeatedly sketched on it, cutting with scissors.
In fact, making pants wasn’t difficult—pretty much all the same—but pants can vary slightly. With just a few tweaks, you could make a pair of jeans.
An Hao was cooking in the house, occasionally stepping out to take a glance.
Seeing her holding two pieces of old cloth, studying them back and forth, An Hao asked, "Sister-in-law, do you think you’ve figured something out?"
Zhang Lanxiang nodded, "I think this should be the way to do it, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it. The cut of these jeans is a bit different from straight-leg pants, so I need to be careful."
"Sister-in-law, since you’ve already got some idea, why not use the fabric I bought back and make a pair of pants to see if it can be done?"
"Oh, this fabric is so expensive, it would be such a waste of money if I messed it up."
"What’s there to fear? If it’s successful, the necessary waste is worthwhile."
With An Hao saying this, Zhang Lanxiang felt relieved and decided to try cutting out a pair to see if it could be done.
An Hao was seeing Zhang Lanxiang making clothes for the first time; she had thought Zhang Lanxiang would be just trying it out, but she didn’t expect to see her cutting so swiftly.
Her movements were practiced, almost like a tailor who had been working for many years.
But An Hao knew that she hadn’t been learning clothes cutting for very long; this might indeed be what Qin Jian said about some people having an unreachable talent in certain things.
At noon, Battalion Chief Zhang and Qin Jian didn’t come back for lunch, so it was just her and Zhang Lanxiang.
She called Zhang Lanxiang to come eat more than once, but Zhang Lanxiang was as if she hadn’t heard, deeply engrossed in her work.
It was as if she was entranced, unable to be called away.
With no other option, An Hao simply left half of the food and ate the other half herself.
After she had finished eating, she called Zhang Lanxiang again, "Sister-in-law, come eat something! You can continue after you’ve eaten. I’m not in a rush; take your time to figure it out."
Zhang Lanxiang waved An Hao off, "I’m not eating. Don’t interrupt me. I know what to do now."
As she spoke, Zhang Lanxiang grabbed the scissors and began to cut decisively.
An Hao watched her boldly alter the fabric back and forth, and the afternoon passed . As the sun was about to set, Zhang Lanxiang finally succeeded in cutting out the pants.
Seeing her excited expression, An Hao knew that she must have succeeded.
Indeed, Zhang Lanxiang shook out the fabric pieces and said to An Hao, "I’ve finally succeeded in cutting it, and I’ve drawn the pattern for you. Take this back with you; I guarantee you can make jeans out of it."