"Dad, Mom, this place is really nice! If it were summer, the scenery would be absolutely beautiful..." Yun Siman looked around, quite pleased with the large house.
Old Man Yun sat on a stool, holding his pipe. "Is everything settled at home? Has Miss Fang'er returned yet?"
"Dad, Miss Fang'er went back to the village with Third Brother!" Yun Siman withdrew his gaze and sat down next to Old Man Yun. "Dad, Mom, I have some good news to tell you..."
Madam Gu looked curious. "What good news?"
With no immediate danger at home, Madam Gu was thinking of returning to Dashui Village after a while. She couldn't stay in the capital forever, feeling embarrassed...
Yun Siman chuckled. "Mom, when I escorted Miss Murong to Bocai Academy, I heard something. Guess what?"
"Spit it out if you have something to say!" Old Man Yun tapped his pipe, grumbling. "You're still playing coy with your parents. You brat are getting more and more ill-mannered..."
Scolded, Yun Siman scratched his face. "Jin He is so promising! He ranked in the top three at the academy and is now going to study at the Imperial College in the capital. I also met Eldest Brother in Junshou County; he's there to pay Jin He's tuition!"
Madam Gu exchanged a look with Old Man Yun, both appearing confused. "Going to study in the capital?"
This was great news, so why hadn't anyone in the family told them...
"Yes, Minister of Rites, Lord Feng, personally supervised the exam at Bocai Academy and graded the papers himself. For Jin He to stand out among so many candidates, he's truly accomplished!" Yun Siman praised with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Old Man Yun's eyes widened. "Then, then when will he arrive?"
What a coincidence! They were in the capital too. If Jin He and Miss Murong came, they could look out for each other...
Yun Siman took a sip of tea and smiled faintly. "Probably in the next few days. Dad, you must have heard of the Imperial College, right? It's the best academy in our Daliang Kingdom. It's hard not to be successful if you study there. It's just a bit expensive. I calculated on the way; including Miss Murong, their expenses for a year will be at least three hundred taels of silver..."
Old Man Yun's mouth twitched. Three hundred taels of silver was an astronomical sum in his understanding.
He couldn't save three hundred taels in his entire life of farming.
Madam Gu glanced at Old Man Yun and then at Siman. "Studying is a major matter. Never mind three hundred taels, even five hundred, our family will support him to succeed!"
After speaking, Madam Gu carefully instructed, "Siman, if you have nothing to do these few days, go out of the city to welcome Jin He and bring him to stay at home. No need to rent a place outside..."
This would save the money spent on rent, saving a lot each year.
"Understood, Mom!" Yun Siman nodded and glanced outside. "Where did sister go?"
Why was the courtyard so quiet? Weren't Xiao Bao and Jing De playing outside?
Mentioning this, Madam Gu looked helpless. "Well, your Eldest Brother Jiangtun has a cloth shop. A few days ago, he sent away all the shop assistants. This morning, your sister took Xiao Lou and the others to the shop to work..."
A group of young children, she wondered how much impact they could make.
Although Madam Gu believed in her youngest daughter's ability, managing such a large shop from scratch would likely be a challenge.
Meanwhile, at Chu Shi Cloth Shop.
Little Xi Tian held the account book and warehouse list, diligently taking inventory...
Old Ma, with his sleeves tucked in, followed behind her, explaining the shop's procurement and sales channels in detail.
"Miss Yun, our silk fabrics are all sourced from Jiangnan. The prices are affordable, and the quality is excellent. Many wealthy families in the capital order from us..." Old Ma said with a smile.
Little Xi Tian listened and reached out to touch the bolts of fabric. "Do you have many repeat customers?"
"Uh... how to put it? Actually, the shop's business has always been good. It's just that the young master neglected management, and the shop assistants stole and slacked off. But Chu Shi Cloth Shop has a good reputation, and its credibility is fine. The repeat customers are still quite stable!" Old Ma explained.
Little Xi Tian heard this, looked up at the ready-made clothes hanging on the wall, and pouted. "The styles are too old-fashioned, and the colors aren't fresh. Since it's women's clothing, it should be made brighter..."
Old Ma twitched his lips. "Miss Yun, this dress is for elderly people. Does it need to be so vibrant?"
"What's wrong with elderly people? Do elderly people have to wear unfashionable clothes?" Little Xi Tian rolled her eyes and instructed Jin Xiao Lou, "Brother Xiao Lou, take down all the clothes on the wall and put them in the warehouse..."
Next, she would design dresses herself, innovating and refreshing. Whether it was men's or women's clothing, she wanted to create something that would catch people's eyes.
The few young boys worked efficiently, uniformly following Little Xi Tian's arrangements.
In a short while, all the ready-made clothes in the shop were removed...
Old Ma felt a bit restless and wanted to advise Little Xi Tian, but he was afraid she would be too sensitive and unable to accept it.
Moreover, Young Master Jiangtun had instructed him early on that Chu Shi Cloth Shop would be fully managed by his sister from now on, so she could do whatever she pleased...
Thinking of this, Old Ma sighed softly and helped Little Xi Tian with the inventory.
Feeling bored at home, Xiao Jin Heng also came to the cloth shop to find Little Xi Tian.
"Little village girl, what are you drawing on the paper?" Xiao Jin Heng asked.
Little Xi Tian was sketching a design with a charcoal pencil. A delicate Mamian skirt quickly took shape...
This type of skirt, also known as a Mamian pleated skirt, had various small decorations and clear dark patterns on the outer skirt. The sides were pleated, and the waist was sewn with white silk cloth, symbolizing growing old together.
Overall, it was a maturely designed and novel piece.
"It's a Mamian skirt!" Little Xi Tian leaned over the design, blew away the charcoal dust, and then handed it to Xiao Jin Heng. "You brat, look how pretty this skirt is! Both old women and young girls can wear it..."
Xiao Jin Heng wasn't very particular about clothing and accessories, but the black and white skirt in the drawing was indeed more attractive than ordinary dresses.
Women in the capital generally dressed better than girls in the countryside and were more fashion-forward. Take makeup, for instance; at this time, girls who loved beauty were already wearing colorful makeup...
Pink eyeshadow, dark green nail polish, and crystal-colored rouged lips.
As the saying goes, "White snow like jade skin, bright pearls adorning rouged lips," which describes the women of this era.
Therefore, girls were irresistible to new skirt styles...
Xiao Jin Heng admired it for a while, returned the drawing to Little Xi Tian, and cleared his throat. "Little village girl, I want to order one of these skirts!"
Little Xi Tian: "???"