There's Something Wrong With My Little White Flower - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Fallen Republican Era Young Lady X The Overseas-Educated Paternal Aunt

Just as Jiang Peifeng held that hand, her palm felt a chill. She gave Ruan Jiyun an “it’s alright” look, then turned to ask the sales lady: “Have you notified security?”

As she spoke, several young men in uniform appeared from the employee passage, jogging towards them. The one in front respectfully greeted Jiang Peifeng: “Miss Jiang, our apologies for the poor service. Is something wrong?”

“These people are causing a disturbance here. You know how to handle it,” Jiang Peifeng said, pointing at her aunt and her group. “Shanghai operates under the law; it’s not a place where one can do whatever they please by throwing a tantrum.”

The aunt was utterly surprised that her tactics, which had always worked without fail, were suddenly backfiring. Seeing that the security guards were genuinely about to approach, she quickly jumped up: “We are customers… we weren’t causing trouble!”

Jiang Peifeng smiled meaningfully: “Since you are customers, then please act like customers should.”

While they were sparring, the aunt’s daughter felt a knot in her stomach. Her eyes darted around, and she squeezed her way next to Ruan Jiyun, saying tearfully: “Yunniang, are you really going to force my mother to her death?”

Ruan Jiyun had been biting her lip and silent, but Jiang Peifeng’s firm grasp on her hand gave her courage. Since it wasn’t her fault, then she would… absolutely not admit fault!

She thought for a moment, gathering her courage to speak to her cousin: “I’m forcing her? Or is she trying to make me pay money I can’t possibly afford? Cousin, if you really can’t afford the dowry… then, I can’t help you either.”

After saying this, her heart pounded violently. Seeing her usually arrogant cousin speechless and stunned, she thought for a moment and added: “And I am in mourning, which might bring bad luck to you… You, you better not come near me.”

Jiang Peifeng almost laughed out loud. She patted Ruan Jiyun’s shoulder comfortingly: “That’s right. We definitely shouldn’t bring bad luck to Miss Ruan’s good marriage. Otherwise, the blame will fall on you. Let’s go. We’ll shop somewhere else.”

With that, she took Ruan Jiyun’s hand and left under the escort of the sales lady.

She left behind a dumbfounded aunt and cousin, who were shamed and angered by the surrounding contemptuous looks. Like rats scurrying across the street, the sales lady, who had watched the entire spectacle, didn’t forget to add: “Do you still want these clothes?”

The aunt couldn’t bear the expense, so she quickly fled in humiliation from the other side.

On the other side, Jiang Peifeng noticed Ruan Jiyun’s poor state of mind, so she took her directly back to the car and asked the driver to stop at a nearby cafe to rest for a while before continuing.

She looked at the girl who had been so happy when they left, now pale-faced. Her dazed and helpless appearance mirrored the first time Jiang Peifeng had ever seen her. Jiang Peifeng sighed deeply and instinctively reached out to gently touch her hair.

The warmth of the palm on her head seemed to snap Ruan Jiyun out of her confusion. She looked at Jiang Peifeng, who was full of concern. Her eyes were red, and she tilted her head, leaning it against Jiang Peifeng’s shoulder, letting out a soft whimper like a small, distressed animal.

Even in this moment of sadness, she didn’t make much noise, only sobbing intermittently. Jiang Peifeng felt a mix of heartache and sympathy. She actively reached out and hugged Ruan Jiyun, gently patting her back to comfort her.

In nineteen years, this was the first time Ruan Jiyun had bravely rejected those shameless relatives. It turned out that saying “no” felt like this—even her difficult and fierce aunt could look so fearful. For a moment, she didn’t know if she had won or if she should continue worrying. She only felt years of accumulated bitterness being released, searching for an outlet.

“I’m sorry… your clothes…” Ruan Jiyun cried sorrowfully and painfully, while sobbing and saying haltingly: “Your clothes are dirty…”

Jiang Peifeng stroked her hair, saying softly: “It’s okay. Cry. Once you’re done crying, it will all be over.”

The person in her arms instantly seemed to find a reliance, and she rubbed her cheek gently against Jiang Peifeng’s shoulder again.

When Ruan Jiyun finally managed to compose herself, Jiang Peifeng ordered the driver to buy drinks and an ice towel from the cafe. She personally helped the little rabbit, whose eyes were still red from crying, tidy herself up. She looked at her wristwatch: “Are you hungry yet? Father and the others should be at the shop right now. Let’s go grab a snack there before leaving.”

Ruan Jiyun’s mood was much calmer now. Hearing this, she nodded obediently and sat up straight in the back seat.

The Jiang family’s garment shop was quite large, occupying two floors in the bustling area of Nanjing Road. The first floor displayed various fabrics and ready-made clothes, and the second floor had a specialized VIP reception room. The attendant guarding the door was sharp-eyed. Seeing the family’s car license plate from a distance, he immediately jogged over to open the door.

“The young ladies are here!” the attendant greeted with a smile. “The Master and the Eldest Young Master are taking inventory upstairs. Please come in, both of you.”

Jiang Peifeng smiled and greeted him: “Since they are busy, let’s not disturb them for now. We’ll just wander around the shop a bit.”

She led Ruan Jiyun into the store, introducing things to her in a low voice. At this time, Shanghai was also the fashion center of the entire Far East, with an endless stream of Western goods like fashion, cosmetics, and more from Europe and America. However, for middle-income citizens, while Western dresses were stylish and beautiful, the prices were a bit steep. Therefore, many merchants started making clothes, tailoring fashionable styles using domestic fabrics.

The Jiang family owned two textile mills, ensuring a steady supply of raw materials. Father Jiang targeted this vast market, positioning the garment shop for middle-class families who had a decent income but found the long-term cost of Western dresses burdensome. The business was quite successful.

The shop mainly focused on women’s clothing, as men’s suits were sold elsewhere. Consequently, many ladies and young women were freely moving through the shop, looking for their preferred fabrics.

Ruan Jiyun’s family also started in textiles. Seeing this rich variety of fabrics now, she felt an instant closeness. She happily admired a bolt of goose-yellow silk crepe, her face showing a lighter expression.

Seeing her absorbed in looking at the fabrics, a smile appeared on Jiang Peifeng’s face, knowing that her tactic of bringing Ruan Jiyun here to distract her was working. She didn’t want to interrupt, letting her carefully look through the rows of fabrics.

Ruan Jiyun was lingering amongst the bolts of cloth, her attention caught by a pale blue pearlescent fabric. She instinctively reached out to feel the texture, and just as she raised her hand, it met another hand.

It was a round-faced girl, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with fair skin and a small mole near her cheek. Seeing Ruan Jiyun look up, the girl smiled shyly and motioned for her to take the fabric first.

Ruan Jiyun also smiled back warmly: “Miss, you look first. I’m just browsing.”

She was so gentle that the girl winked affectionately: “Thank you then, Miss.”

The girl had clearly been eyeing this fabric for a while. She tugged on the arm of the middle-aged woman next to her, who seemed to be her mother, and pleaded: “Let’s choose this fabric. I’ve seen that all those Western dance dresses are made of shiny material like this.”

The mother patted her daughter soothingly and examined the fabric’s texture: “It is indeed beautiful, but I wonder how much it would cost to make a ballroom gown?”

The attendant, who was experienced in the business, helped consult: “This is the best pearlescent satin. It looks almost identical to the Western dresses at Sincere Department Store. Our tailors are all veterans, perfectly suited for making Western dresses. The material and labor together would be about five silver dollars.”

The young girl, hearing the first half of the statement, was clearly tempted, but the mother was slightly hesitant: “Five silver dollars… one Western dress. That’s almost the price of half a coat…”

“But the graduation ball is only once, and I promised Sherry and the others that I would definitely wear a Western dress…” The girl lowered her voice, her watery eyes looking at her mother. “Otherwise, I just won’t go…”

“I’m a little worried. That style of Western dress shows the shoulders, and you won’t have a suitable occasion to wear it daily…” The mother was still wavering. “Five silver dollars for just one wear. If your father finds out, he will most likely say it’s too extravagant…”

She spoke softly, and the girl probably remembered how hard her father worked to earn money, but also didn’t want to break her promise to her friends. For a moment, she looked on the verge of tears.

Ruan Jiyun, watching from the side, couldn’t bear it. Seeing the mother’s repeated dilemma, a thought suddenly struck her: “If… you change the style, perhaps it can still be worn daily.”

The mother turned around and, seeing a young woman who was delicate and refined, immediately felt a little more goodwill.

“Miss, what kind of style change are you suggesting?” She asked gently, her face showing a hopeful, friendly smile.

The other party’s attitude was very kind, so Ruan Jiyun suppressed her nervousness and continued with her idea: “You two want to make a ball gown. I just saw one at the department store. Most Western dresses have an off-the-shoulder design, which is indeed a bit… daring for us. If it were changed to a Yuanbao collar (a high, closed collar), it might feel more comfortable.”

She spoke and mused at the same time. At this moment, the quick-witted attendant had already handed her paper and a pen: “Please draw it for us to see, Miss.”

Ruan Jiyun looked at the mother and daughter. Their expectant expressions encouraged her. She hesitated, then took the pen and sketched the design on the paper: “This young lady has a slender figure. A high collar can better highlight the line of her neck. If she goes out on a normal day, adding a small shawl would be appropriate, so the dress can be worn more often and won’t be wasteful.”

With just a few quick strokes, though the lines were a bit naive, the design was clearly visible: the upper half of the dress imitated the qipao style, featuring a Yuanbao collar and knotted buttons, while the skirt flowed down from the waist in an A-line silhouette, retaining the elegance of a Western dress. It looked like a blend of Chinese and Western styles, quite refreshing.

“It looks… quite pretty,” the girl stared at the drawing, her eyes sparkling.

The mother also took a close look: “This style is indeed new. I imagine it could even be worn to family gatherings. It is truly beautiful. Miss, this sketch of yours… I wonder…”

“If you like it, you can take it and make the dress,” Ruan Jiyun was relieved that they approved. “It’s just… I drew the design without asking. Will the tailors here…”

She looked up nervously. However, Jiang Peifeng, who had watched the entire exchange from the side, was already smiling: “You’re helping with the family business. They should be thanking you.”

She gestured for the attendant to approach and usher the mother and daughter away for a fitting, while pulling Ruan Jiyun close to her side: “When Father comes downstairs later, I’ll ask him for a reward for you.”

Ruan Jiyun’s face flushed with belated realization: “Being able to help… I’m already very happy. I couldn’t possibly ask for a reward.”

“Not only a reward, but I might also have to treat you to a big meal,” Father Jiang’s cheerful voice sounded from behind them. “Yunniang, how about selling this new dress design to the shop?”

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