Chapter 17

Ten o’clock in the morning. Jiang Daqiao brought Shen Hongxing to the second workshop of Sunshine Clothing.

Young, attractive female sewing workers stood neatly along the walls.

“Miss Shen, these are the workers we selected according to your criteria. Take a look,” Jiang Daqiao said.

“Good!” Shen Hongxing examined each girl. They were all wearing tight-fitting clothes as requested.  This was to highlight their figures and reveal any flaws. Some had a five-five body ratio (equal torso and leg length). Some were thin on top and heavy on the bottom.  The models needed to be beautiful, with long arms and legs walking clothes racks.

Last night, Lu Jiaoyang had spoken to her. He said women should fight for their dreams and not lose themselves to please others. There are other paths, and perhaps different landscapes await.

She’d gone down one path in her past life and ended up miserable. This time, she chose a different path. She didn’t know what the future held, but she would live well. If she couldn’t join the army, she needed her own career. Only by becoming strong could she avoid being bullied.  She decided to start a modeling agency. Once she sold the down jackets, her team would become famous in the county, perhaps even in Haicheng and nationwide. She would nurture her models.

“You, you, you…” Shen Hongxing chose five girls around her age. Then came the male models.  In this era, society wasn’t as open, so male models couldn’t be shirtless like in the 21st century.  Doing so would lead to accusations of obscenity and arrest.  She had the male workers wear form-fitting clothing.

Before entering, she heard their complaints:

“What’s the factory director thinking? Making us wear these clothes for a young girl to choose us?  It’s like we’re…”

“What’s the factory director thinking? Making us wear these clothes for a young girl to choose us? It’s like we’re being treated like concubines!  It’s so humiliating!”

“Yeah, if it weren’t for my family depending on me, I wouldn’t wear these effeminate clothes. It’s embarrassing!”

“Ahem…” Jiang Daqiao coughed loudly from the doorway.  The workers, though reluctant, stood rigidly against the wall.

Shen Hongxing entered, examining them. Some became uncomfortable under her scrutiny.

“This side profile is no good!”

“His legs aren’t long enough!”

“His features are okay, but his wristline isn’t right.”

Out of 19 workers, she chose only six.  It was enough.  To appease the others, Jiang Daqiao promised double their usual wages.

The selected models went to an empty workshop. Shen Hongxing had Xu Shuangshuang and the others teach them how to walk the runway, while she drew.  She’d learned to draw while learning to make qipaos.

An hour later, she gave Jiang Daqiao her designs. “Director Jiang, take this to the printer and make 1000 copies.”

Jiang Daqiao looked at the drawings, full of praise. “Miss Shen is so capable. Your parents must be very proud!”

Shen Hongxing gave a sharp, sarcastic smile.  They wouldn’t be proud. If they knew how capable she was, they’d try to steal her success for Shen Jiaojiao.

Shen Hongxing decided to hire a professional model trainer in Beijing once she received payment from Sunshine Clothing. She wanted to advance China’s modeling industry.

Next was decorating the venue.  With a limited budget, she asked the factory workers to bring their table lamps.  They readily brought them to the cold storage.  Shen Hongxing had some male workers install rods on the ceiling and used colorful gauze to create lampshades, creating a colorful ambiance.

In the evening, she remembered needing a camera and a tape player.  The camera could be…

She could rent a camera from a photography studio, but tape players were rare.  She remembered Lu Jiaoyang’s grandfather had one, brought back from overseas.  However, since she’d broken off her engagement with Lu Ping’an, asking him would lead to more self-absorbed delusions of her playing hard to get. She wanted no further contact with him.

Lu Jiaoyang! She could ask him.  And Lu Ping’an feared Lu Jiaoyang; he wouldn’t dare ask for the tape player back even if he knew she borrowed it.

She left immediately. Half an hour later, she arrived at the county recruitment office. The guard, recognizing her, let her in without reporting, following Lu Jiaoyang’s instructions. He dared not disobey.

Lu Jiaoyang was briefing Gu Qingshan. Gu Qingshan, distracted, was gossiping. “Chief, I heard you personally submitted a girl’s application? Who is she? Your girlfriend? Will we be attending your wedding soon?”

“Stop gossiping!” Lu Jiaoyang glared at him. “Are you finished with your work?”

“Chief, you wouldn’t believe it. As soon as you submitted the application, the whole unit heard. They say she’s your wife, our future Chief Madam!”

Lu Jiaoyang put down his documents, looking serious. “I’m going to Haicheng tomorrow. If she enlists, treat her fairly. Don’t give her special treatment because of me. She doesn’t like that.”

“What if she fails?” Gu Qingshan asked.

Lu Jiaoyang smirked. “Then she’ll become my family member and join the army with me.”

“Wow, our usually cold Chief has fallen head over heels! I want to meet our future Chief Madam…”

“Report! Miss Shen is here!” the guard announced.