Shanghai in the Republican Era

Chapter 56 Exquisite Attire: A Legendary Journey of Struggle, Business, and Love in the Republican E

Splendid Attire: Lin Fangfei's Journey of Struggle in the Republican Era

The legendary business and love journey of a poor but academically gifted girl in Republican-era Shanghai.

That letter from abroad was like a mysterious key, unlocking a door to the unknown. I sat at my desk, repeatedly reading the letter, my fingers gently tracing the paper, as if I could touch the outline of that distant international fashion competition. My heart was filled with a jumble of emotions, a mixture of feelings.

Gu Zixuan stood beside me, his hand on my shoulder, and I could feel a slight tension in his grip. "Fangfei, this is a rare opportunity. Your design talent should be showcased on the international stage." His voice was soft, yet carried a firm encouragement.

I looked up at him, my eyes filled with hesitation. "Zixuan, I know this is a good opportunity. But I've never left Shanghai before, and everything abroad is so unfamiliar to me. Besides, what will happen to the textile factory if I leave? There are so many things here that need my help." I frowned, my mind a jumble of thoughts.

Gu Zixuan bent down slightly to meet my gaze, his eyes filled with love and understanding. "The textile factory has me, and it has our friends. Don't worry, this is your chance to realize your dream, you can't give it up easily."

I bit my lip, lost in thought. Just then, Su Yao arrived at my place. Today she was wearing a light blue dress, her hair styled in an elegant updo, looking full of energy.

"Fangfei, I heard about the invitation from abroad. I think you must go," Su Yao said excitedly as soon as she entered the door.

I looked at her and asked, puzzled, "Why are you so sure?"

Su Yao took my hand and sat me down on the sofa. She said earnestly, "Fangfei, you are the most talented designer I have ever met. This international fashion competition is an opportunity for the world to get to know you. Moreover, by going abroad, you can learn advanced design concepts and management experience from overseas, which will help you better develop our textile factory when you come back."

Hearing Su Yao's words, I felt a little hesitant. "But I'm still a little scared. I'm afraid I'll fail abroad and embarrass everyone."

Su Yao gently patted my hand and comforted me, "Fangfei, you have to believe in yourself. You've overcome so many difficulties in Shanghai, you can definitely do this too."

Encouraged by Gu Zixuan and Su Yao, I finally made up my mind to accept the invitation. In the days that followed, I began preparing to go abroad. I carefully selected some fashion samples of my own designs, which blended traditional Chinese elements with modern fashion styles, and each piece was a labor of love.

I also had several outfits custom-made for wearing abroad. I chose a long black dress with exquisite Chinese embroidery on the neckline and cuffs, showcasing Chinese characteristics while maintaining a fashionable look. I paired it with red high heels, adorned with small pearls that sparkled as I walked.

Gu Zixuan was also busy with me. He contacted friends abroad to ask them to help me when I arrived. He also prepared some items I might need abroad, such as small gifts with Chinese characteristics, for me to use in social situations.

The day of departure finally arrived. I stood at the dock, looking at the ship before me, my heart filled with both anticipation and a touch of reluctance. Gu Zixuan held my hand tightly, his eyes filled with reluctance and worry.

"Fangfei, you must take good care of yourself abroad. If you encounter any difficulties, send me a telegram." Gu Zixuan's voice was a little hoarse.

I fought back my tears and nodded. "Zixuan, you take good care of yourself and the textile factory too. I'll be back as soon as possible."

Su Yao was also wiping away tears, "Fangfei, you must keep going. We're all waiting for you to come back."

I boarded the ship, stood on the deck, and watched Gu Zixuan and Su Yao's figures grow smaller and smaller. I silently vowed to myself that I must achieve good results in the international fashion competition.

After several days at sea, the ship finally arrived at its destination. I disembarked and looked at the unfamiliar city before me, feeling a mix of curiosity and nervousness. The architectural style here was completely different from Shanghai's, and the people on the streets wore all sorts of clothes and spoke different languages.

As planned, I arrived at a hotel. There, I met some designers from other countries. They were dressed in fashionable and avant-garde clothing, their eyes radiating confidence and pride.

While I was dining in the hotel restaurant, I overheard them discussing a fashion competition. A thought struck me, and I decided to strike up a conversation with them. Wearing the black dress I had designed myself, I gracefully approached them.

"Hello, I'm Lin Fangfei from China, and I'm also here to participate in the fashion competition," I said with a smile.

The designers glanced at me, and one of them, a man in a white suit, smiled dismissively. "China? What fashion do you Chinese have to offer?"

His words filled me with anger, but I maintained my smile. "China has a long history and rich culture, and our fashion is a unique blend of tradition and modernity."

The man scoffed dismissively, "We'll wait and see what you call a unique style."

I returned to my room, my heart filled with fighting spirit. I was determined to show them the charm of Chinese fashion.

In the days that followed, I began finalizing preparations for the fashion competition. I found some local models and started training them to better showcase my work.

However, I found that the fabrics here were somewhat different from those I used in Shanghai, which presented some challenges for my design. I searched everywhere for suitable fabrics and finally found a small shop in an alleyway that had some unique fabrics that perfectly matched my design needs.

Just when I thought everything was going smoothly, I discovered that some of my design drawings were missing. I searched every corner of the room, but couldn't find them. My heart jumped into my throat; these design drawings were crucial to my entry in the competition.

I suspect someone deliberately stole my design drawings, but I have no proof. I decided to redraw the drawings, but time is running out.

I started working day and night, my eyes bloodshot and my body exhausted. Just as I was about to finish redrawing, I received an anonymous letter. It said, "If you don't want to embarrass yourself in the competition, give up."

Reading this letter filled me with anger and confusion. Who was behind this? Why were they trying to prevent me from participating in the competition?

The legendary business and love journey of a poor but academically gifted girl in Republican-era Shanghai.

That anonymous letter, like an evil specter, cast a thick shadow over my already tense heart. I gripped the letter tightly, my fingers turning white from the force, my eyes fixed on the short but malicious words on the page, anger burning fiercely within me.

"Who's so despicable?" I muttered to myself through gritted teeth. My heart was pounding, and my mind raced, trying to guess who was behind this. Was it that designer who had looked down on Chinese fashion before? Or was it someone else, jealous of my potential success in the competition?

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I couldn't let this letter intimidate me; I had worked so hard to get this far, I couldn't give up. I crumpled the letter into a ball, tossed it aside, and refocused on the redrawn design drawings.

I was wearing a light purple bathrobe, my hair was slightly disheveled and draped over my shoulders, and I had noticeable dark circles under my eyes, but my gaze was resolute. I sat at the table, my pen moving incessantly across the paper, each stroke a testament to my hard work and anger.

Just as I was completely absorbed, there was a sudden knock on the door. Startled, I stood up alertly and went to the door, asking, "Who is it?"

“Miss Lin, it’s me, Mary.” A gentle female voice came from inside. Mary was a friend I met here. She owned a small clothing store in the area and was very interested in Chinese culture. She had previously given me a lot of information about the local fabric market.

I opened the door and saw Mary holding a small box. "Miss Lin, I heard you've been having some trouble lately. This is a little gift for you; I hope it brings you good luck," Mary said with a smile.

I gratefully accepted the box. "Thank you, Mary. You're such a kind person."

Mary walked into the room, saw the unfinished design drawings on my desk, and her eyes lit up. "Ms. Lin, your design is truly unique. I'm confident you'll achieve great results in the competition."

I smiled wryly and said, "I hope so. But someone doesn't want me to participate in the competition, and my design drawings were stolen before."

Mary frowned. "How could this be? This is so unfair. You have to be careful; some people here are jealous of outsiders."

After chatting with Mary for a while, she left. I opened the small box she had given me; inside was a beautiful silk handkerchief embroidered with a blooming flower, its vibrant colors seemingly capable of giving strength.

I put the handkerchief aside and continued working. After several days and nights of hard work, I finally finished redrawing the design drawings. The next step was to create the entry for the competition based on the drawings.

I searched far and wide for a suitable tailor and assistant, and in the process, I met an old tailor whose skills were superb, but whose personality was somewhat eccentric. He wore a slightly worn suit, thick glasses, and his eyes revealed a dedication to his tailoring craft.

"You want me to make these clothes for you?" The old tailor looked at my design drawings and raised his eyebrows.

“Yes, sir. I am confident that your craftsmanship will bring these designs to life perfectly,” I said sincerely.

The old tailor snorted, "Your design is peculiar, but I won't lower my standards just because you're a foreigner."

I nodded quickly. "I understand, sir. I want high-standard production."

With the help of the veteran tailor and his assistants, the entries gradually took shape. Each garment was like a work of art, blending the charm of traditional Chinese clothing with modern fashion tailoring.

However, just as the work was nearing completion, a new problem arose. We discovered that we were running out of a special type of silk thread used to make the clothes; this thread was something I had brought from China, and it was difficult to find a substitute locally.

I was frantic and inquired everywhere about where to find this kind of silk thread. One day, while searching for silk thread at a market, I ran into the designer who had previously looked down on Chinese fashion. Today, he was wearing an exaggerated bright red suit with a green tie, which looked quite jarring.

"Oh, isn't this Miss Lin from China? I heard you've run into a lot of trouble," he said sarcastically.

I looked at him coldly. "Did you cause all this trouble?"

He feigned surprise and said, "Miss Lin, you can't just falsely accuse someone. I'm just here to see how much longer you can hold on."

I didn't want to get entangled with him any longer, so I turned to leave. Just then, I saw a small stall displaying some silk thread that looked similar to what I needed. I hurried over, examined it closely, and found that although it wasn't exactly the same, it would be usable, albeit barely.

I bought the silk thread and hurried back to the workshop. The old tailor frowned when he saw the thread I brought back, but he continued making the thread anyway.

Finally, all the entries were completed. Looking at these works that embodied countless hours of hard work, I felt a great sense of accomplishment.

The day of the fashion competition arrived. I wore a modernized Chinese-style cheongsam of my own design. The cheongsam was a light blue, embroidered with exquisite phoenix patterns. The phoenix feathers were made of gold thread, shimmering under the lights. My hair was styled into an elegant bun, adorned with a jade hairpin. I looked both noble and graceful.