Chapter 22: I Never Expected My Side Hustle to Take Off So Soon

The next day, Old Liu came knocking on the door before dawn, his expression anxious. Wen Zongfu had gone out for a while and then returned, putting on his coat to leave again.

Jiang Mi, half-awake and half-asleep, was aware of what was happening. At breakfast, Mrs. Wen asked her, “What does Zongfu think? He went out again so early before dawn.”

Her son was unreliable, and she felt a bit awkward facing her daughter-in-law.

Jiang Mi, however, was good-natured. “Mom, he must be busy. I asked him, and I feel like Zongfu has a solid plan in his mind.”

Mrs. Wen glanced at Old Wen and thought to herself, “The new daughter-in-law hasn’t opened her eyes properly yet. She actually thought she could persuade Wen Zongfu to find a job.”

After Mrs. Wen and Director Wen left for work, Jiang Mi tidied herself and went out as well. Aunt Cai saw her leaving and snorted coldly—she hadn’t learned anything else but how to imitate the master’s airs.

Jiang Mi did have something important to do. She carried her sketchbook with her, filled with drawings of flowers. She remembered that at this time, Hong Kong stars were already very popular, and families with good means had televisions. Entertainment was gradually opening up.

A few days ago, when she went shopping, she saw many young men and women wearing leather jackets and bell-bottom pants. So she drew some patterns, intending to send them to a newspaper. Whether or not they got published didn’t matter; it was just to keep herself busy. She had only recently returned and hadn’t decided what to do yet.

She wanted to focus on her studies, so she could only do some light side work. Doing nothing and not increasing her savings made her anxious.

So Jiang Mi first went to a newsstand and bought a magazine. Sure enough, she found a submission section, took note of it, and then went to the post office to mail her drawings. They were simple and elegant floral designs, but embroidered on a shawl, they would stand out beautifully.

At that moment, she was wearing the shawl she had worn home the day before. A woman standing in line to mail a letter tapped her on the shoulder and asked, “Comrade, where did you buy this shawl? I haven’t seen this style at the department store.”

Jiang Mi looked at the woman—she was well-dressed and carried herself with grace, clearly from a good background. But Jiang Mi never judged by appearances and smiled, “I made this myself.”

“Made it yourself? The pattern too?” The woman was surprised.

“I just sketched it casually and then embroidered it,” Jiang Mi said simply.

The woman looked a little disappointed. If it had been bought somewhere, she could have gone to get one, but since it was handmade, she could only watch Jiang Mi walk away helplessly.

But then she hesitated and called out, “Comrade, comrade.”

Jiang Mi stopped and turned. Seeing it was the same woman, she had an idea but pretended not to know and smiled, “Yes? Do you need something?”

The woman looked embarrassed but made up her mind after a moment. “Comrade, could you make one for me? I’ll pay whatever you ask. I’m visiting my sister-in-law’s home in Kyoto in a few days and was worried about what to wear. Your style looks perfect!”

She had been to Kyoto before and honestly felt a bit inferior, so this time she wanted to present herself well. No matter how much Jiang Mi asked, she would accept it.

Jiang Mi was a little taken aback. A side job came so quickly. Making a shawl was fast; the patterns were ready, but the embroidery was time-consuming. She hesitated, “I haven’t done this before. Embroidering the pattern would take three to five days…”

“Thirty yuan! I’ll pay thirty and provide the materials.” The woman held up three fingers.

Thirty yuan was quite a sum these days. Jiang Mi didn’t agree immediately. Seeing her hesitate, the woman bit her lip, “Thirty-five, how about that?”

Seeing how determined the woman was, Jiang Mi finally said, “It’s not impossible, but I’ll make the same style for you. That way, if you don’t like it later, I won’t take returns or exchanges.”

“Deal! No problem. I’ll give you a deposit first.” The woman promptly took out twenty yuan and handed it to Jiang Mi, her generosity evident.

Jiang Mi smiled, “Alright then, come to the post office entrance at two o’clock noon five days from now. If you’re worried, I live in the chemical factory’s staff housing.”

Hearing it was the chemical factory’s staff housing, the woman was even more reassured. With Jiang Mi’s decent appearance and manner, she hadn’t wanted to hire her at first, but she was definitely not a fraud.

Seeing the woman leave with peace of mind, Jiang Mi felt a bit helpless. People’s hearts were still simple in these days.

She had taken an order and was in a good mood. Earning thirty-five yuan in five days was really not bad. With some income, her spirits lifted. But that good mood lasted only until she returned to the Wen household.

“Old Wen, hurry to the station! Your young master has been reported!”