Chapter Thirty-Eight: Fabric
It was nearing midnight, and the two children had to visit the academy the next day, so they couldn’t stay up late.
After reluctantly sending off Qianzhi, who didn’t want to leave, and coaxing Leia, who felt anxious yet excited, Yifu finally had time to sit down and carefully study the dress she was preparing for Leia.
Although the dress seemed to use very little fabric with its off-shoulder design, bare arms, and exposed legs, making it was still not that easy.
Every stitch was meticulous, and simply hiding the seams to make the entire dress look dignified and elegant was a difficult task.
Fortunately, Yifu had maxed out her domestic skills, and if worse came to worst, she could rely on a bit of magic. As long as she had the materials ready, it wasn’t considered too difficult overall.
After studying Leia’s measurements for half a day and quickly sketching a rough design to determine the materials needed, Yifu went to her room to sleep.
The next morning, after preparing breakfast for the two children, Yifu got ready to head out to buy materials.
She bumped into Qianzhi, who was standing at her door. Today, Qianzhi was wearing a dignified academy uniform, with a lightweight pleated skirt and white over-the-knee socks, looking youthful and very cute.
“Are you going out so early?”
Seeing Yifu rush out, Qianzhi’s tone contained a hint of disappointment.
To be honest, every time she went to Yifu’s house for a meal, Yifu’s delicious cooking was one reason, but wanting to see Yifu’s stunning beauty was another reason.
However, Qianzhi had never dared to voice the latter.
“Yes, I need to go out early to buy the fabric. Breakfast is ready, so hurry and eat.”
“By the way, you look really good today, Qianzhi.”
Yifu waved at Qianzhi and hurried out the door.
Leaving Qianzhi standing there, unable to help but reveal a lovely smile, she bit her lip and didn’t rush to eat breakfast. Instead, she returned to her room and changed out of the sheer little white dress.
She hadn’t planned on wearing that to the academy; she had dressed like that specifically to show Yifu in hopes of receiving compliments.
…………
Although it was morning, the nearby commercial street was bustling.
All sorts of people came and went; after all, it was the most prosperous area of the Imperial Capital.
Faced with the crowded people, Yifu momentarily lost her direction. To be honest, she really didn’t know where to buy fabric.
After all, there were countless tailor shops on this street, some looking very luxurious, while others were tucked away in narrow corners and not very noticeable. If she wanted fabric and some special tools, those tailor shops were the first choice.
Of course, she could also go to a dedicated fabric store, but those places generally didn’t cater to individual customers.
Yifu only had ten silver coins, so she needed to budget carefully.
However, Yifu’s image as a soft and delicate-looking lady with melancholy white hair was clearly not a local, making it hard to avoid being taken advantage of by opportunistic merchants.
While Yifu was troubled, she passed by the store where she bought beef the day before.
At that moment, the store owner was adjusting the sign outside. Seeing Yifu, her eyes lit up.
“Hey, you’re back again! Oh, you still look so beautiful, even more so than yesterday.”
“What would you like today? For someone as lovely as you, I’ll give you a discount.”
The shop owner enthusiastically approached Yifu, her fluffy apron failing to hide her beautiful figure. She couldn’t be much older than Yifu, smiling, with a beautiful mole at the corner of her eye.
With a bit of makeup, she could be quite an eye-catching beauty; however, her straightforward personality made Yifu feel a bit awkward.
“Um… I’m not buying meat today.”
“What? Really? So, I’m just a passerby in your heart, huh? Such sentiment and sincerity are as cheap as the fine beef brisket from yesterday.”
“…”
Yifu stared at the shop owner, who suddenly started acting out a scene from a romantic drama, momentarily at a loss for words.
“I was hoping to buy some fabric to make clothes, but I’m not sure…”
“Oh, then you’ve come to the right person. This field is pretty deep. I know exactly which shops on this street have good fabric, but…”
The shop owner’s expression changed rapidly as she sized up Yifu, as if implying that she’d find it hard to help without receiving some benefit.
“Please, I beg you…”
Yifu slightly bowed her head, her delicate and pitiful demeanor, along with her soft “sister,” instantly made the shop owner’s eyes become dreamy.
She was just so beautiful!
“Alright, alright, just for you calling me sister, I’ll give you a tip. Do you see the largest shop ahead? That’s owned by the richest man in the empire; their fabric quality and craftsmanship are the best, just the prices are a bit high.”
“I wouldn’t recommend going to the others because they’re too shady. They could take advantage of someone like you three times over.”
