Chapter 339: Chapter 339: Experiences at the Clothing Factory
Tan You sighed. "I want you to come with me, too. I can’t even sign a contract by myself. Why couldn’t I just be two years older? It’s so restrictive. Not fun at all."
There was a clothing factory in town that specialized in overseas export orders. After scrapping the idea of having Cheng Wenhui run a street stall, Tan You had the Beauty System do a deep dive on the factory last night.
She wasn’t expecting Cheng Wenhui to make a fortune. As long as she had a stable income to keep the household running, that would be enough. Lost in these thoughts, Tan You and Tan Deming arrived at the clothing factory.
This kind of township enterprise had a very lax management system. For instance, Tan You and Tan Deming had walked nearly a full lap around the entire factory before someone finally came over to ask them what they were doing there.
Hearing the people around them call him President Yang, Tan You raised an eyebrow slightly. ’The factory boss I met in my life as Han Tingting was also named Yang,’ she thought. ’This one is President Yang, too. Is this fate?’
This President Yang was all smiles, his small eyes glinting shrewdly. He glanced at Tan You first, then turned to Tan Deming. "You must be Master Tan, correct? What brings you here today?"
Tan You chuckled softly. ’Grandpa’s reputation is really something; even people in town know him.’ As an earthworks supplier, he might not know everyone, but most people for miles around knew who he was.
Tan Deming offered President Yang a cigarette. "I’m here with my granddaughter."
President Yang’s gaze swept over Tan You’s dress. "Why don’t we talk in the office over there?"
President Yang’s office was less an office and more of a design studio. A large workbench was placed by the window, flanked on either side by a neat row of six mannequins. A middle-aged woman stood in front of the workbench.
A soft measuring tape hung around her neck as she bent over a piece of fabric, drawing lines. When she heard the door open, she instinctively looked up. Her gaze didn’t land on President Yang, but on Tan You.
President Yang, apparently familiar with her temperament, simply smiled and found a seat nearby. Tan Deming didn’t ask any questions, just leaned against the doorframe. He didn’t understand what Tan You was trying to do, but he knew better than to interrupt.
Tan You allowed the woman to size her up. Her gaze was critical, almost harsh, as it swept over Tan You from the tips of her hair down to her ankles. She even asked Tan You to do a turn.
Tan You complied. When you’re asking for a favor, you have to be humble. To achieve your goal, you have to let go of the stubborn pride that the poor often cling to.
After assessing Tan You’s proportions, the woman’s lips curved into a slight smile. "With your frame, you’d need to lose at least forty pounds to look good on camera."
"Your proportions are excellent. If you were a bit thinner, you’d be a natural clothes horse. The cut of your dress is fantastic—it highlights all your best features. I’ve never seen a design like this; it looks custom-made."
"It’s just that the fabric is a bit worn."
Tan You smiled. "I altered it myself from old clothes. Would you like to see my other designs?"
As expected, the woman’s interest was piqued. She took off her glasses. "Have you studied patternmaking?"
’Of course I have,’ Tan You thought, ’just not in this world. We don’t even own a sewing machine, for crying out loud!’
"No, I just figured it out on my own," Tan You said with a smile. "Just tinkered with it, really."
Ding Lan glanced at the dress on Tan You again. "If you can come up with this just by tinkering, you’re very talented. This cut... it’s genuinely excellent."
Tan You didn’t keep her in suspense, hanging the clothes she had brought on the nearby mannequins. As luck would have it, she had brought exactly six outfits: two dresses, two tops paired with casual slacks, and two matching skirt sets.
President Yang’s small eyes went wide. Having been in the clothing business for years, his gaze immediately locked onto the bishop-sleeve blouse. Seeing his eager expression, Tan You knew she had practically sealed the deal.
Sure enough, by the time Tan You and Tan Deming left the factory, the small bag that had once held clothes now contained a signed contract. The terms were simple: Tan You would sell her designs to the factory, and in return, the factory would offer Cheng Wenhui a job.
Tan You had also set a condition: she wanted Cheng Wenhui to train under Ding Lan, learning patternmaking and garment construction. Cheng Wenhui was actually quite deft with her hands. She had knitted all of Tan You’s sweaters and woolen pants, and she even used to do cross-stitch. On top of that, her sense of aesthetics was quite good.
She wasn’t being unreasonable; if Cheng Wenhui truly couldn’t pick it up, she had no objection to the factory reassigning her to a different position.
Tan Deming said, "It’s noon. Should we head back?"
Tan You squinted at the sky. "No rush. We can catch a ride right in front of the factory. How about we leave our vehicle parked here and catch a bus to C-City?"
Grinning, Tan Deming pulled the household register from his pocket. "I know how you think, don’t I?"
Tan You burst out laughing. "You get me, Grandpa. You carry this around with you?"
Tan Deming sighed. "Just in case."
Despite his words, he was smiling, clearly in high spirits. If his daughter-in-law had a stable job, his eldest granddaughter wouldn’t have to worry so much.
After waiting less than twenty minutes in front of the factory, the grandfather and granddaughter boarded a bus to C-City. Along the way, Tan Deming called Tan Lin to let him know they would arrive at the station in about three hours.
But before the bus had even pulled into the station, Tan You spotted Cheng Wenhui and Tan Yue through the window. Tan Yue squealed, "Big Sis!"
Tan You looked down at Tan Yue and simply smiled. The more worlds she experienced, the less girlishness she had left. All that remained was a deep, steady calm.
Thick glasses couldn’t hide some people’s beauty, and Tan You was a case in point. To ensure her success today, she had taken special care with her appearance, even wearing a dress, which was a rare sight.
She had styled her long, dark hair into an intricate braid, coiled at the nape of her neck, a look that was both refreshing and elegant. The tailored cut of the dress raised her waistline, making her appear significantly slimmer.
Combined with her excellent proportions, others saw her as a cute, chubby girl. Of course, they also couldn’t help but wonder just how beautiful she would be if she were to slim down.
The last time Cheng Wenhui had seen Tan You was at the end of last month. Tan You had changed a little even then, but Cheng Wenhui hadn’t paid it much mind. Looking at her now, however, she realized just how much Tan You had transformed.
"What are you two doing here? Is something wrong at home?" Cheng Wenhui asked as soon as Tan Deming and Tan You stepped off the bus.
Tan Yue took Tan You’s hand, skipping with excitement. She was clearly overjoyed to see her.
Tan You pursed her lips. "There is something, but let’s talk about it when we get home. I don’t like repeating myself."
Cheng Wenhui was patient enough. "Alright, we’ll talk at home. Your father is making dinner, just waiting for you and Grandpa to get back."
Tan You raised an eyebrow. "He’s... cooking?"
