Seeing Zhang Wan'er at a loss among the crowd, Li Zhaoming felt as if a needle had pierced his heart. He then stepped in front of her, angrily reprimanding those who were yelling at her,
"Damn it, shut up! If it weren't for the sake of good relations between the two countries, how could she have endured such grievances? Get back in line, all of you! If you don't line up properly, I won't distribute any supplies!"
At these words, the onlookers retreated from their curious gaze. Truth be told, the most important thing now was to get the supplies and ensure their own survival.
After the crowd dispersed, Zhang Wan'er's tears could no longer be held back. She looked up at Chen Lishu, her thin lips parting as she spoke with a look of guilt, "I'm sorry, thank you for helping me just now, but I didn't speak up for you. Can you give me a chance to apologize? After the supplies are distributed, let's find a place to talk properly. I think there must be some misunderstanding between us."
Facing Zhang Wan'er's apology, Chen Lishu curled her lips in disdain. It was merely a tactic to manipulate others. Without even lifting her head, she continued to scoop porridge for the refugees, saying, "What misunderstanding? I don't think there is any misunderstanding between us. Also, I didn't speak up for you; I was merely stating the facts."
Zhang Wan'er bit her lower lip fiercely. Seeing that Chen Lishu was not taking the bait, she lowered her eyes and said, "Alright then, but I still have to thank you, even though your attitude towards me has been so bad during this time."
After speaking, she left the distribution site without looking back. Those present saw this and were left with the impression that the relationship between the two was not very good.
Soon, the day ended. Back at the hotel, Gu Xingdong gently held Chen Lishu's wrist and said, "Today was the busiest day. You've worked hard. Your hands will probably be quite sore tomorrow. You don't need to come with me to distribute supplies. The army personnel can handle the rest."
Chen Lishu withdrew her hand and then looked at Gu Xingdong with a complex expression, asking, "When do you think this drought will end? Seeing these displaced people, devoid of life, it truly pains my heart."
Hearing the words "displaced people," Gu Xingdong placed his hands on his thighs and sighed, "Within a month, the higher-ups will surely find a solution. I heard they plan to create artificial rain, but it just needs a trigger. Don't worry, leave this matter to us to handle; there will be no unexpected issues."
"That's good. It looks like we can return to the capital early. Don't be so gloomy. I have some good news for you." Upon hearing this, Chen Lishu's face lit up with an excited smile.
This was the first time since the company's troubles that Gu Xingdong had seen such a smile on Chen Lishu's face. He became interested, raising an eyebrow and asking, "Quickly tell me, what's your good news?"
Chen Lishu smiled and then shared her thoughts, "Do you remember that old man from today? His words gave me great inspiration. I've realized that my designs are too advanced. So, I plan to start with the fabric of the clothes and then consider the styles. As long as people find them comfortable to wear, the styles can be considered later.
If there are special designs, we can segment the target audience. We can't have a woman who farms wearing an off-the-shoulder dress to work, can we? It looks good, but it's a bit too cumbersome. Therefore, we must design clothes that are appealing based on the target audience!"
Gu Xingdong nodded upon hearing this idea and then said, "I think your approach is excellent. So, this trip to Shanghai hasn't been without any gains, right?"
Chen Lishu nodded and said, "Yes! I plan to design a few comfortable and relaxed T-shirts. Once we return to the capital, the company can resume normal operations."
Gu Xingdong took Chen Lishu's hand, his lips curving upwards slightly, and said, "You don't need to help with tomorrow's tasks. You just need to obediently draw out your design drafts, strive to resume work as soon as possible after returning, so that those employees can feel at ease and have decent jobs, earning more money to go home for the New Year."
"Is that really okay? Will people gossip if I don't do anything? Actually, it's not that urgent. I already have a preliminary outline of the design in my mind, and I just need to refine it."
Gu Xingdong shook his head and said, "There's nothing good or bad about it. As I said, the army personnel can handle these things just as well. Besides, I brought you here to relax; I never truly intended for you to work so hard distributing supplies to the refugees."
"Okay!" Chen Lishu smiled and agreed. Later, they exchanged some private words and then fell asleep.
The next day, to avoid disturbing the work of the staff, Chen Lishu found a relatively quiet place to sit down and draw the design drafts for the T-shirts. T-shirts generally look the same. Wearing them alone is too understated, and there are already all sorts of T-shirts on the market. To stand out, a new element must be added.
Just as Chen Lishu found inspiration and began drawing, a puzzled voice suddenly came from beside her, "Why add a shawl to a T-shirt? Do all you Chinese people like to incorporate elements of wealth? If I recall correctly, in ancient times, only people of high status could afford to wear shawls!"
This sudden voice startled Chen Lishu. She immediately turned her head to look for the owner of the voice, and upon seeing who it was, her expression darkened, and she said grumpily, "Why are you here! Come to mock me? Are all you Americans so arrogant and conceited?"
Seeing Chen Lishu's strong reaction, the old man quickly explained, "What arrogance and conceit? Am I not pointing out the shortcomings of your design? Can you tell me the purpose of your design?"
Seeing the old man's great desire for knowledge, Chen Lishu originally could not reveal the design before it was sampled. But for some reason, perhaps due to a strong desire to win, she couldn't help but show off to the old man, saying, "Don't all elements borrow from each other? China has thousands of years of history; this is our civilization, and we must inherit it!
With modernization, shawls can be paired with all sorts of clothes. On my T-shirt, it's not just an accessory; its most crucial function is to change a person's temperament. By covering the shoulders, it visually achieves a slimming effect! The most important thing is that different shawls can enhance the temperament of an ordinary T-shirt!"