Chapter 7

In Zhang Hongying’s second year of learning tailoring, Master Wang had taught her everything she could.

Nowadays, most pants came in just a few colors—black, blue, brown, khaki.

Men’s pants had openings in the front, while women’s had them on the side. The crotch area in women’s pants was designed to be deeper and roomier.

People were generally slim now, so one set of paper patterns could suit most people’s needs.

The only decisions left to make were about style.

But Zhang Hongying wasn’t satisfied yet. In the future, people would care a lot about matching—what kind of clothes paired well with what kind of pants, how to mix colors and patterns. When she later worked at a garment factory as a sewing worker, she had read a few magazines.

So now, she began experimenting. She used leftover fabric scraps to make elastic hair ties or little bows.

The girls who liked getting clothes made were all young. When they wore a new outfit and tied on a matching bow, they stood out instantly—it looked thoughtful and refined.

Master Wang was very pleased with Zhang Hongying, and so were the customers.

Master Wang wasn’t too eager to let her go. Such a clever and diligent girl—if she left, she’d become a competitor.

Even if people trusted the old master and didn’t go to Zhang Hongying for tailoring, if she bought fabric herself and sold finished clothes, her business would grow quickly.

So Master Wang decided to keep her on.

“Hongying, now that you’ve pretty much learned all the skills, what are your plans?” Master Wang asked.

Zhang Hongying thought about it. If she graduated now and opened her own tailor shop, it would be a tough start. More importantly, no matter how much she earned, every penny would end up in Li Xiaofang’s hands.

Her younger brother, Zhang Hongxing, was still young. In a few years, when he went to Suzhou to study, playing the young master and making connections, even her full salary each month wouldn’t be enough for his expenses.

The thought of it made Zhang Hongying clench her teeth. During his school years, Zhang Hongxing was generous and got along well with classmates and teachers. After graduating, he stayed in Suzhou for work. That meant buying a house—her family borrowed money everywhere to pay for it in full. She herself spent six or seven years just paying off the debt!

Seeing that Zhang Hongying didn’t answer, Master Wang urged again, “So? What do you think?”

Zhang Hongying replied, “Master, could I stay here a few more years and work for you?”

That was exactly what Master Wang wanted to hear. Such a quick, skillful, and diligent girl—of course she’d want to stay.

Word was spreading and more people were coming to have clothes made. One person couldn’t handle all the work alone. Hiring someone didn’t make much financial sense, and training a new apprentice from scratch would be too much trouble.

Master Wang said, “Alright. I did say when I took you in that you’d need to work for me for three years. But since you’ve learned so well, I can’t just use you for free.

Outside, the factories are hiring sewing workers. The garment factory pays 150 yuan a month, but you have to work in three shifts—it’s tough. If you stay and work for me, we’ll only do daytime work, and I’ll pay you 120 yuan a month. How about that?”

Zhang Hongying thought it over. In her past life, she had joined the factory this very year. The factory required workers to be sixteen, but in the countryside people counted in “virtual age”, and without ID cards, your age was whatever you said it was.

Unless someone specifically pointed out you weren’t old enough, you could get in.

The factory job paid 150 yuan, but it was hard work. The factory had electricity, but the village didn’t. After work, she walked home in the dark and had fallen many times—bruised all over.

In 1981, the village finally got a paved bike road, just wide enough for one bicycle. Two bikes meeting head-on had to brush past each other, something they called “hand crossing.”

A bicycle cost 160 yuan. Zhang Hongying spent two months’ wages to buy a Dayan-brand bike.

She cherished the bike, but being small and weak, she often lost balance and fell when passing others.

She scraped her knees so badly they bled, but still dragged herself to work for the full-attendance bonus.

Thinking of those hardships, she agreed. “Okay, I’ll work for you.”

Master Wang saw her hesitation and was about to look displeased when Zhang Hongying added, “Master, could I ask you for a favor?”

Master Wang, pleased to be keeping a skilled assistant, replied easily, “Go ahead.”

Zhang Hongying said, “We originally agreed I’d work for free for three years. Now you feel bad and want to pay me, and I want to accept it too.

But could you tell others that I’m still unpaid, and just quietly give me my wages?

To make it worth your while, I’ll only take 100 yuan a month.”

Master Wang agreed readily. “I’m from out of town—I’m not worried about reputation. I can just pack up and leave in a few years. Who would bother to come curse me?

If I can save 20 yuan a month just for carrying a bit of gossip, of course I’ll take that deal.

But how you handle your mother is up to you. Don’t have her come yelling at me, calling me heartless.”

Zhang Hongying let out a breath of relief and smiled. “No way! I’ll just use the scraps to make her a piece of clothing now and then.”

Zhang Hongying remembered that it was next year, around summer, when an old tailor in the neighboring town died.

He had three sons, none of whom could carry on the business, though all of them wanted to keep the property.

The family was fighting bitterly over how to divide things. Zhang Hongying happened to be in town shopping and stood to watch the commotion for quite a while.

One wanted the house and said it was worth no more than 900 yuan. He offered to pay 600 and give the other two 300 each.

The other two wouldn’t agree—they demanded 400 each.

Finally, in front of the whole crowd of onlookers, they shouted, “Who wants this house? 1,200 yuan!”

Once it turned into a sale, Zhang Hongying stopped watching. 1,200 yuan—that was an astronomical sum!

That house was in the old riverside street—not a comfortable place to live. Damp and hot in the summer, damp and freezing in winter.

But Zhang Hongying knew that the town would later be developed into a major scenic area, known nationwide.

That house was right in the middle of it. When it was demolished, the compensation included several shopfront properties.

By the time Zhang Hongying was fifty, one of those shops could bring in 200,000 yuan a year in rent.

She knew this because a friend’s daughter had rented a unit there—ran a Hanfu clothing store downstairs and a guesthouse upstairs. The transfer fee alone was 160,000, and rent was 240,000—not including renovations.

If Master Wang started paying her wages now, by the time that old man died next summer, she’d just about have enough saved to buy that tailor shop.

As for how a young girl could protect a property once she bought it—she hadn’t figured that part out yet. Maybe she could ask Shen Jianzhen. She was always clever and full of good ideas.

If even Shen Jianzhen didn’t know, then Zhang Hongying would just have to take the risk.