Chapter 12: Breaking the Deadlock

“You... you're all in this together, all trying to bully me!” Li Ailian extended her finger, cursing loudly at Li Luo and her companion: “Bah! You bunch of rats in a nest, you're just trying to make me waste my money on something useless.”

“I’m telling you, no way! A piece of junk cheongsam costs a hundred yuan? Why don't you just go rob someone?” Li Ailian reached out to grab the cheongsam, but the shop owner was quick-handed and pulled it back.

The shop owner, Tang Qiqi, knew exactly what Li Ailian was up to. Many ready-to-wear shops had been targeted by this kind of scam before. Whenever a piece of clothing was worn out, Li Ailian would sit on the ground, throwing a tantrum and rolling around, demanding that people compensate her for the clothes.

She would take clothes that originally cost a few dozen yuan for just a few cents, then sew them up along the seams to make them look like new again.

Other shop owners might fall for it, but Tang Qiqi was not one of those people who feared trouble. At worst, she’d stop doing business, but she wouldn't let someone ruin her shop's reputation.

“Miss, from what I see, she simply can't afford it, so she has to shout and make a scene. She ruined someone's clothes and is now slandering them. Looking at how practiced she is, she must be someone who uses these tactics habitually, right?” Li Luo frowned, speaking up to defend the shop owner.

The surrounding crowd began to point fingers at Li Ailian, causing her face to flush red instantly.

She had never failed before; had she finally run into a tough customer today?

“Who... who says I can't afford it! I am going to become the owner's wife of the farm today, so let's see who says I can't afford it!” Infuriated, Li Ailian threw the hundred yuan onto the ground.

“Change it to a size that fits me! That one is too small, I don't want it!”

“No way. You ruined the clothes and you want to exchange the size?” Tang Qiqi rolled her eyes at Li Ailian, showing no intention of backing down.

“If you really want it, how about this: I'll give you the clothes to mend, and you can take them home to wear.” Tang Qiqi didn't want to keep stressing herself out and intended to settle the matter peacefully.

She bent down to pick up the money; making money wasn't undignified.

“No, I want a new size! I can't fit into this one!” Li Ailian remained relentless. She had paid for this with great heartache, and besides, she intended to wear this new outfit to bring food to Brother Ling—how could she wear something tattered?

Furthermore, this hundred yuan had been taken from home without her sister-in-law or mother knowing; otherwise, they would have beaten her half to death.

“Li Ailian, don't go too far! You spend all day dreaming; I wonder who could ever fancy a big fat pig like you!” Tang Qiqi pointed at Li Ailian's nose and cursed.

“You girl, if someone mends the clothes for you, just take them and go. You ruin someone's clothes and then demand they give you a new one—aren't you just bullying people?”

“I reckon any family that marries a daughter like you is doomed. We'd better keep our eyes peeled; if any family mentions a daughter from the Li family, we should ask if her name is Li Ailian and immediately call off the engagement.”

As the crowd pointed and jeered, Li Ailian finally snapped: “You bunch of old fossils, just wait until I use a needle and thread to sew your mouths shut!”

She immediately reached for a needle and thread lying nearby, but Tang Qiqi blocked her: “Using our things requires payment.”

Stifled with rage and unable to break free from the situation, Li Ailian could only say, “Then tailor this outfit so I can wear it, otherwise give me my money back!”

“Li Ailian, are you being unreasonable?” Tang Qiqi stood with her hands on her hips, fuming. Her entire morning's business had been ruined by this one woman.

Li Luo glanced at the cheongsam and noticed that although it had been stretched, only the side seam had opened. Without a word, she took the cheongsam and used scissors to undo the waistline stitching on the side.

For a moment, Tang Qiqi felt a pang of heartache, but since Li Ailian had paid, even if it couldn't be fixed, Li Ailian would still have to foot the bill. She might as well let this beautiful girl try.

Besides, she could afford to lose a hundred yuan.

Li Luo carefully trimmed away the loose threads and selected an extremely fine invisible zipper from the side, securing the stretched-out side around the waist.

“It's fixed.” Li Luo was quite satisfied with her work; fortunately, her hands were steady.

Only then did everyone notice the girl behind them, who looked as beautiful as a celestial being. For a moment, they all forgot to breathe.

“Whose daughter is this? She looks like a college student, yet she actually knows needlework?” Suddenly, Li Ailian was no longer the center of attention; instead, all eyes were fixed on Li Luo.

“Hmph, you just added a zipper and you're calling it fixed?” Li Ailian squinted suspiciously, looking unconvinced.

“Why don't you try it and see? Your waist shape isn't suited for a cinched waist to begin with,” Li Luo explained, spreading her hands.

“She's fixed it for you, just try it on,” someone spoke up on Li Luo's behalf.

Still skeptical, Li Ailian took the cheongsam, pulled a piece of black cloth around herself, and changed into the cheongsam right there in the shop.

To her surprise, the waistline was suddenly spacious, and the side zipper could be easily pulled up. She no longer had to worry about the side seam bursting open. This young girl certainly had some skill.

Li Ailian looked up and saw it was nearly ten o'clock. She didn't want to linger; she had to go to the pharmacy to buy some potent medicine later, otherwise, how could she win over Ling Zhuoqun in one fell swoop?

Like a proud hen, Li Ailian pulled back the curtain. The cheongsam looked quite strained on her two-hundred-pound frame.

“I'll be merciful and forgive you this time. If you give me the wrong size again, watch out, or I'll tear this shop down!”

With that, Li Ailian held her head high like a victorious rooster, completely ignoring the pointing gazes of others as she swaggered away.

Seeing that the show was over, the crowd dispersed instantly.

Only then did Tang Qiqi have time to talk to Li Luo.

“Beautiful lady, which fabrics in our shop caught your eye? Just name them, and I'll give them to you for free!” Tang Qiqi waved her hand grandly, acting incredibly generous.

Li Luo let out a bright laugh: “As expected of a shop owner, so magnanimous!”

“I'm not the owner, I'm the boss!” Tang Qiqi corrected her sternly, pointing a finger. “Since your skills are good, how about it? Want to sell yourself and work with me? I'll pay you ten yuan a month.”

As she spoke, Tang Qiqi familiarly threw an arm around Li Luo's neck.

Li Luo's gaze, however, was fixed on a piece of soft silk nearby, unable to look away for a long time.

This was the best silk fabric for making cheongsams. She hadn't expected such high-quality material to be in such a small ready-to-wear shop!

Tang Qiqi noticed Li Luo's gaze and thought to herself: *I didn't expect this girl to have such sharp eyes. She's eyed the only expensive piece of fabric in my shop.*

This fabric, even without being made into a garment, would cost three hundred yuan just for the material alone—an ordinary family could never afford it.

But she had already promised that whatever the girl picked, she would give it for free.

“What? You've taken a liking to my silk? I'll get it for you!” Tang Qiqi let go of Li Luo's neck, her hands trembling slightly as she went to fetch the silk.

“No need. I only brought enough money for groceries today. I'll come back for this fabric in a few days. I have to go home and cook for my husband now.”