Since this was about business, naturally they had to change the location to discuss.
The two young men found a teahouse and requested a private room.
After several rounds of tea and some casual conversation, Jiang Mingxi finally brought up her request: “I want to buy fabric.”
Afternoon sunlight filtered through the lattice windows, casting mottled shadows inside the shop. Tiny specks of dust floated in the air.
Qian Laoban of Xingwang Fabric Shop slowly fiddled with the purple clay teapot in his hands, eyeing the young man before him with some surprise.
The young man wore a faded blue cloth long gown, its cuffs worn frayed from frequent use, yet his posture was straight and his gaze clear— not like the usual timid poor scholars.
Qian Laoban found himself somewhat unable to read the young man.
Granted, he was young, with a touch of youthful awkwardness on his face. But when it came to business talk, he was extremely savvy.
Now, he’d made a request that shocked Qian Laoban.
He didn’t ask for funding to support his studies; instead, he wanted to buy fabric?
His idea of business was just buying bolts of cloth? That seemed rather petty.
“What kind of fabric do you want? Coarse cloth or foreign fabric? How much do you want to buy?”
Qian Laoban mentally calculated: if Jiang Mingchuan only bought a small amount of plain cotton, he might not even charge him. After all, a few yards of cotton was just a few yuan, and making a customer happy was worth it.
Jiang Mingxi’s lips curved slightly as she spoke casually, “I want Hangzhou silk, four bolts.”
Qian Laoban’s hand trembled slightly, almost spilling tea from the pot.
He carefully studied the young man before him; the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by the shrewd expression of a businessman.
“Do you know how much a bolt of Hangzhou silk costs?” Qian Laoban’s voice was tinged with probing.
Hangzhou silk, as the name suggests, was a type of silk produced in Hangzhou, a local specialty. Although it wasn’t as expensive as Kuduan or Zhijin Duan, one yard of Hangzhou silk still cost two silver yuan.
A bolt had 33 yards, so four bolts would be…
“Two hundred sixty-four yuan at market price,” Jiang Mingxi smiled, fingers lightly tapping the table. “Any chance of a discount?”
Qian Laoban’s eyes widened in shock. He never expected this seemingly penniless scholar to know the fabric trade’s secret jargon.
“‘Discount’ is the secret code in the trade for bargaining—a phrase only insiders know.”
Qian Laoban’s previously tense expression softened somewhat, and his body relaxed. “If you know the lingo, then you’re in the business yourself.”
He spoke sincerely, “Since it’s your own business, I’ll give you a discount, but you should know there’s no big discount on silk. The most I can do is knock off ten or twenty yuan. Any more and I’ll lose money!”
He eyed Jiang Mingxi’s humble clothes and recalled the cramped, almost unlivable little room he had mentioned. He seriously doubted the young man’s purchasing power.
The cost of four bolts of Hangzhou silk could buy that shabby little place outright — with money left over!
And why would he want so much fabric?
Four bolts could only make about ten garments — not nearly enough for fabric trading; if he was making clothes for himself, that was too many.
As if reading Qian Laoban’s doubts, Jiang Mingxi lowered his eyes, a shy and awkward smile flashing across his youthful face as he hesitated, “To be honest, I’m tight on cash right now. I can’t pay for the fabric upfront. Could I buy on credit for a month and repay you after I get my payment next month?”
The last trace of a smile disappeared from Qian Laoban’s face.
Investing early in a promising young man, spending a mere ten or twenty yuan to support his studies, was a safe bet.
Even if Jiang Mingchuan went abroad to study, Qian Laoban could grit his teeth and come up with a hundred or two.
With this young man’s talent, whether as a translator or teacher, he’d never be short of money and would definitely repay him.
But letting him buy on credit four bolts of silk worth over two hundred yuan… was like throwing money into the wind.
Qian Laoban coldly asked, “Mr. Jiang, what do you want so much Hangzhou silk for?”
Jiang Mingxi smiled, “Of course, to make clothes.”
Make clothes?
This poor scholar wasn’t putting his energy into studying, but was spending so much on clothing? And had the audacity to ask for credit? Qian Laoban was starting to feel like a fool.
A flicker of anger appeared on his face.
He had already noticed that Jiang Mingchuan, despite his cleverness, was reckless, vain, and unlikely to amount to much.
Jiang Mingxi sighed softly, speaking with a troubled tone, “Qian Laoban, you misunderstand. It’s not vanity— I truly believe that in the ups and downs of business, you need to have at least one set of good clothes to do business well.”
Qian Laoban could no longer restrain his anger and snorted coldly, “You’re a scholar, yet you neglect your studies and instead focus on dressing like a wealthy playboy? And you want to buy silk on credit? No way!”
He had decided not to give him a single coin, instead trying to reason patiently, “Little Jiang, with your talent, you should continue your studies. You will surely achieve great things. The business world is full of uncertainties. Even someone like me, with a considerable fortune, worries every day— one misstep and I could be bankrupt…”
He shared some of his hardships and setbacks, hoping to scare the hotheaded young man into turning back, treasuring his talent and studying hard.
Jiang Mingxi nodded obediently, very cooperative.
When Qian Laoban finally finished his little lecture, she quietly said, “I understand now, business is hard— it’s not just about making money.”
Qian Laoban was extremely pleased, thinking, “Little Jiang, it’s good you understand.”
Jiang Mingxi smiled, “But I have customers and connections.”
Qian Laoban blinked, puzzled.
Jiang Mingxi pulled out a letter, the British Embassy’s postal stamp clearly visible. “This is an Invitation Letter from the British Embassy. Would you like to take a look?”
Qian Laoban respectfully examined the letter. Just as he reached out to take it, he hurriedly wiped the sweat from his hands with a handkerchief, then carefully accepted the letter.
Though he couldn’t read foreign writing, the embassy’s postmark was unmistakable.
Suddenly, Qian Laoban no longer held his usual condescending attitude. His expression became noticeably more reserved, and he addressed Jiang Mingxi more formally.
“Mr. Jiang, you have connections with the British Embassy?”
“They’re my teacher’s connections,” Jiang Mingxi lowered her head slightly, seeming embarrassed. “I also read in the newspaper that on the train to Shanghai, I happened to meet a refined English gentleman named Lewis Beaumont in First Class. He didn’t look down on my poverty. He kindly taught me English and introduced me to his friends at the British Embassy to help with my business.”
“I don’t know any of the guests at this business banquet, but since you’re a senior in the business world, could you help me take a look?” The young man pondered slowly, then began listing names— famous foreign merchants, political elites, academic authorities, well-known socialites…
Qian Laoban’s face changed again.
Now he stared at Jiang Mingxi like a starving wolf eyeing a juicy piece of meat.
Suddenly, Qian Laoban became very amicable.
He was even generous enough to offer the four bolts of fabric to Jiang Mingxi for free, with only one condition.
“Mr. Jiang,” Qian Laoban rubbed his hands, a broad smile on his face, “may I accompany you to the banquet?”
Jiang Mingxi hesitated and politely explained that while invited guests could bring friends, certain other guests had already requested to attend, and she didn’t want to play favorites.
Qian Laoban grew anxious.
After a series of soft and hard negotiations, Qian Laoban succeeded in bidding for the right to attend the banquet at the price of ten bolts of Hangzhou silk.
Feeling that he’d gotten a huge bargain, he left triumphantly.
What Qian Laoban didn’t know was that the banquet rules allowed each invited guest to bring four servants.
Jiang Mingxi was auctioning those servant spots.
Next, she repeated the trick, auctioning off two more spots and netting over a thousand yuan.
Together with the ten bolts generously gifted by Qian Laoban, she had earned more than two thousand yuan before even attending the embassy banquet.
Jiang Mingxi sighed.
Sigh.
Making money the honest way was really tiring. After all that effort, she’d earned just over two thousand yuan.
But… it was steady and satisfying.
In her previous life, Shen Mingming had made her first fortune after joining Yaomen by organizing a commercial banquet.
She had carefully designed a scam.
She hired some foreign sailors to pretend to be business tycoons, then advertised in newspapers that an international business banquet would be held on a certain date, exclusively for members of a certain club.
To join that club, of course, one had to pay a hefty membership fee.
When businessmen spent money to join, finally attending the banquet, they found it was a charity event. The host generously auctioned off antiques at low prices, and the proceeds would fund a charity dedicated to supporting small start-up merchants.
She exploited domestic businessmen’s admiration for foreigners and made tens of thousands of yuan in one go.
Shen Mingming had dreamed of becoming rich. Now the dream had come true.
With that money, she no longer worried about her next meal. She could live in a beautiful Western-Style House, wear high-end clothes, and live like a respectable merchant.
But Shen Mingming could not smile.
She began to suffer from sleepless nights and developed a drinking habit to cope.
Later, she didn’t buy new clothes or a big house, and never became a respectable merchant.
She didn’t spend a single cent of that fortune.
Because that same year, famine struck her hometown again. She lost her head and donated all the money away.
Strangely, after becoming penniless again, she no longer needed alcohol to fall asleep and finally slept peacefully.
Later, Shen Mingming wandered for a long time before realizing why she wasn’t happy despite having money.
Because—
She felt she shouldn’t be this kind of merchant.
Her intelligence shouldn’t have been wasted on such things.
She had done wrong and deserved to be betrayed and left with a bad end. It was her punishment.
Fortunately, heaven had mercy and gave her a second chance.
This life, Jiang Mingxi was determined to be a good merchant, to earn clean money.
So, this embassy banquet was real— it wasn’t a forged letter to cheat anyone. If she really wanted to scam, she wouldn’t have stopped at just one letter; she would have set up a whole scheme.
…Really, was Qian Laoban just too easy to fool?
She only showed him one letter, he saw the postmark and immediately believed it!
What about all the other plans she’d carefully prepared?
Jiang Mingxi puffed out her cheeks childishly.
Sigh, stupid people have stupid luck.
—Such a fool and yet so rich. She was getting angry!
But she would be rich soon enough.
Thinking about her new business, Jiang Mingxi brightened again.
These ten bolts of Hangzhou silk were indeed for making clothes— but not for herself.
They were for making qipaos for the ladies accompanying her to the banquet.
–
“Mr. Jiang, you really want to make garments like these?”
The female tailor pinched the pattern Jiang Mingxi handed her, fingers trembling slightly. Red clouds flushed her cheeks, even her ears pinked.
She stole a glance at the refined-looking gentleman in front of her, heart pounding nervously— how could such a proper young man come up with such shameless designs?
Jiang Mingxi’s expression was calm, a faint smile on his lips. “Yes. This is my newly improved qipao design.”
The tailor almost dropped her soft measuring tape at the words.
She looked at Jiang Mingxi again, her eyes now a mixture of suspicion and disdain.
Though she didn’t say it aloud, her thoughts were clear: he must be some frivolous playboy, designing such indecent clothes for his lovers to wear in private.
Seeing her reaction, Jiang Mingxi sighed inwardly.
It was no wonder the tailor thought that way— the times were still conservative.
The qipaos popular in the market were mostly the two-piece style inherited from the Qing dynasty: a jacket over a skirt, wrapping the body tightly.
Even the few fashionable girls wearing one-piece qipaos mostly wore straight-cut styles with hems covering their ankles and in very plain colors.
But the pattern Jiang Mingxi handed over was clearly the style that would only become popular ten years later.
By then, Shanghai’s modern girls all wore colorful qipaos that beautifully outlined their figures, boldly exposing their arms and calves.
The qipao’s length grew shorter every day, until finally rising above the knee with side slits that allowed a graceful, swift step.
For Chinese women, it was truly a clothing revolution.
Their legs and arms had always been tightly covered by clothing before. If their limbs were exposed to outsiders, a pure and virtuous maiden would instantly be mistaken for a fallen woman doomed for humiliation.
“Master Tailor,” Jiang Mingxi deliberately put on a serious face, “can you make this garment or not? If it’s too difficult, I’ll have to look elsewhere.”
The tailor hastily clenched the pattern and replied, “Of course, of course! I’ve been a tailor for so many years. What haven’t I seen?”
Though she said it confidently, her cheeks flushed even more. After a pause, she blurted, “This kind of qipao… actually saves fabric. One bolt of Hangzhou silk might only be enough to make one garment.”
That was true. Jiang Mingxi smirked inwardly. The popularity of cool, body-hugging qipaos in later years was not unrelated to the fabric merchants’ encouragement.
Using less fabric, the price of the garments went up, and merchants made a fortune. Naturally, they supported this new trend in women’s fashion.
Jiang Mingxi understood that the times were not ready for such a change and didn’t want to challenge public opinion head-on. So she devised a roundabout approach.
She planned to have her female companions wear these new-style qipaos to the foreign gentlemen’s banquet.
In just a few years, the qipao would spread beyond Chinese women— many foreign ladies would fall in love with the Oriental style, and the trend would even reach America and Europa.
“Master Tailor, don’t worry,” Jiang Mingxi said warmly. “These clothes aren’t for any disreputable women. They’re to show the foreign ladies that our Chinese garments can be both beautiful and fashionable.”
The tailor eyed the pattern skeptically, then suddenly exclaimed, “This waist is cleverly tailored. If a girl with a good figure wears it, it’ll fit perfectly.”
As a Master Tailor, she immediately recognized the design’s advantages.
A well-designed qipao could both flatter the figure and look elegant and beautiful, which was why it sold so well worldwide.
Jiang Mingxi smiled, “Exactly. Our Chinese girls’ figures are no worse than foreign girls’. Why should they always be wrapped in straight-cut robes?”
The tailor pondered for a moment and finally nodded, “Since you insist, Mr. Jiang, I’ll give it a try. But… these sleeves are so short, and the skirt slit so low— are you really going to have them wear this out in public?”
Jiang Mingxi smiled meaningfully, said nothing more, but took a silver yuan from his sleeve and placed it on the table.
“This is the deposit. Please take care, Master Tailor.”
The tailor stared at the silver yuan for a long time, then bit her lip.
“Alright! I’ll break the rules and make this new-style qipao for Mr. Jiang. I promise it’ll catch the eyes of all those foreign ladies!”
A smile curved Jiang Mingxi’s lips.
Under the current atmosphere of China’s awakening and eagerness to learn from the West, the trend among foreign ladies was bound to be quickly imitated by Chinese women.
Soon, the new qipao would become all the rage in China.