The man and woman, who had been exchanging glances and talking across the street without ever approaching each other, ended their somewhat tedious standoff. She tried to disgust Fang Jie in a peculiar way, but Fang Jie returned the disgust with an almost vicious shamelessness. Turning and walking into the shop, Fang Jie was filled with questions. What puzzled him was... Mo Ningzhi must have used some means to bewitch those innocent men, and it certainly wasn't because of those men's own lustful sense of justice.
Could the Daoist sect possess such a somewhat inferior technique?
Fang Jie couldn't figure it out, so he decided to ask Xiang Qingniu sometime.
The shop was very clean. Several tailors who were eating dinner saw Fang Jie push open the door and walked in. They were stunned for a moment, then stood up. Overwhelmed with emotion, one tailor even had tears welling up in his eyes. Several of them dropped their bowls and ran around the table, surrounding Fang Jie with extreme eagerness, even fervor.
"Boss, you're finally back!"
The tailor, his eyes brimming with tears, tugged at Fang Jie's sleeve like a wronged child.
"You didn't miss me that much, did you?"
Fang Jie asked, somewhat surprised.
"No..."
The tailor, still clutching his sleeve, sobbed, "It's been over half a year, and basically nobody's paid any attention to us. We signed that damned contract with you, so we can't just leave this shop. There's always that guy in the flying fish robe watching us at the door—you're so cruel! And that fat guy in the black Taoist robe came up and gave us a good beating... We've already run out of money... If it weren't for the kind owner of the hot noodle shop at the door who was willing to give us food on credit, we'd either starve to death or have to run away at our own risk."
Fang Jie glanced back at Big Dog, who scratched his head sheepishly: "I used to come here often, but then you sent a message to us saying we couldn't easily leave the Jinhou Mansion..."
"You've suffered."
Fang Jie patted the tailor's shoulder: "I'll go check the finished garments first. If they're acceptable, I'll pay you double as compensation."
Having finally welcomed Fang Jie, the tailors were overjoyed, like they'd seen the light at the end of the tunnel. They led him straight upstairs. The moment Fang Jie pushed open the door, he was stunned to see the thirty-odd outfits hanging on the wall. Memories of his past life flooded back.
It took half a year to make just thirty-odd pieces of clothing; the craftsmanship was exquisite. Fang Jie had recreated almost every style of clothing he could remember from his past life. Although they differed slightly from his expectations, the beauty characteristic of this world added a touch of elegance to the garments.
Women have an innate love of beauty. Shen Qingshan paused for a moment when she entered, then quickly walked over, carefully examining these clothes she had never seen before. "Can I... try this on?"
Shen Qingshan asked, pointing to a set of clothes.
Fang Jie nodded and said, "You can wear whichever clothes you like in this room."
Shen Qingshan surprisingly showed a hint of girlish excitement, taking off the one she liked and slipping into the inner room. Fang Jie walked to the wall, stroking the clothes in front of him, his heart filled with emotion.
When Shen Qingshan came out of the room, all the men were stunned.
It was a modified business suit, the skirt reaching her knees, topped with an exquisite lace-trimmed blouse. White, similar to a women's shirt but slightly different. The collar was a small stand-up collar in the style of the Republic of China era, the buttons a row of extremely beautiful agate stones. The blouse was perfectly fitted at the waist, outlining Shen Qingshan's slender waist to its fullest extent. Because of this, her breasts appeared exceptionally high and firm. The skirt below was very form-fitting, revealing the curves of her hips.
Temptation, allure.
Fang Jie couldn't help but sigh, clicking his tongue in admiration, "Just missing a pair of high heels."
He turned to the tailor and asked, "Have they been made?"
The tailor hurried over, opening a wardrobe, and said, "The clothes aren't difficult to make, but these shoes are incredibly difficult. Where can you find a style like this? Almost the entire foot is exposed, and the heels are so high! Can anyone even walk in these?"
"Don't underestimate a woman's adaptability,"
Fang Jie said with a smile.
He picked up a pair of calfskin high-heeled sandals and handed them to Shen Qingshan, "These definitely won't fit right now, but you can try them on."
Shen Qingshan took the shoes, hesitated for a moment, and then sat down to put them on. Even with her considerable cultivation, she still struggled to steady herself after putting on the shoes.
"Isn't this just torture?"
She asked, somewhat puzzled. Fang Jie helped her to the large bronze mirror, pointing to the tall, slender figure reflected within, and said, "This is a woman's height-enhancing weapon! With this, a woman's confidence will be boundless. And wearing these shoes will make your buttocks even more perky. Of course, from a health perspective, these shoes aren't good. But… women have always been creatures willing to torture themselves for beauty."
"It definitely makes you look much taller."
Chen Qingshan looked at Fang Jie beside her. Before, she only reached Fang Jie's ear; now, she was almost the same height.
Fang Jie was very satisfied with the finished products. He turned to the tailors and said seriously, "We've signed the contract, and you will receive a very high reward. But you must also abide by the contract. After you take the money and leave this room, forget about these clothes and shoes. If any of you leak these designs, I guarantee you'll face more than just bankruptcy."
"We've been here for over half a year… facing these things every day, how can we just forget them?"
The head tailor looked at the clothes with difficulty and said. "I don't care what methods you use, how you forget is your business. I will pay you in full, double the amount stipulated in the contract. With such a high fee, you should know to abide by moral obligations."
The tailor glanced again at the clothes on Shen Qingshan, his eyes filled with reluctance: "From now on, we can never make clothes like these again?"
"No."
Fang Jie nodded. "However..."
Fang Jie paused, then said, "If you're willing to take only half of your payment this time, I'll consider having you all join my guild. The pay and the silver you'll earn each month will definitely be more than if you ran your own tailor shop. Once you've trained qualified apprentices, you'll be promoted to managers of the guild. I believe you all understand that some of these clothes are perfect for this season; if you take them out, the ladies of wealthy families will be green with envy. And by next summer, the most beautiful sight in Chang'an will no longer be those monotonous gauze skirts."
He pointed to his head: "Here, there are many more ideas. Through your skillful hands, they will be transformed into exquisite garments." He smiled and said, "Go home and reunite with your families first, and give me your answer tomorrow."
The head tailor hesitated for a moment, then stamped his foot sharply: "I'm willing! I'll only take half the payment. I want to join your guild, but I want the position of manager!"
"Alright."
Fang Jie nodded, like a wolf in sheep's clothing tempting a little rabbit: "Do you know that goods travel the world? I'm good friends with the Marquis of Sanjin. If I'm willing, by this time next year, all the men and women of the Great Sui Dynasty will be proud to wear clothes made by your own hands."
...
...
The number of customers at Hongxiuzhao was somewhat frightening. Looking at those radiant, wealthy patrons, the saying "Chang'an is full of the super-rich" was truly proven. It's known that the prices at Hongxiuzhao were staggering; a simple meal could cost an ordinary family a year's worth of food, clothing, and other necessities.
Even so, the business here was incredibly booming, inspiring envy. To deal with Hongxiuzhao, it's said that the brothels in the east and south of Chang'an had almost formed an alliance, but even with all their efforts, they couldn't defeat Hongxiuzhao, which didn't engage in prostitution. If it were any other business, it would have been vandalized countless times. But this wasn't a place where just anyone could cause trouble. Of course, some daring individuals did try to set fire to it under cover of darkness, but the next morning, the perpetrators would be publicly displayed outside Hongxiuzhao.
When Fang Jie entered Hongxiuzhao, the first thing he saw was the old cripple leaning against a corner, drinking with half-closed eyes. This guy seemed so out of place in Hongxiuzhao, but over the past year, everyone had come to know that the old cripple was a very special figure there; even Xiao Dingdian, who had taken over managing affairs from Aunt Xi, treated him with utmost respect.
Aunt Xi rarely appeared in front of outsiders anymore, leaving all the affairs inside and outside to Xiao Dingdian. This fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl displayed remarkable shrewdness and competence. Even the girls didn't think she was incapable; no one doubted that Xiao Dingdian would succeed her as the next leader of Hongxiuzhao.
Sitting on the second floor watching the business below, Xiao Dingdian spotted Fang Jie entering. A slight smirk appeared on her lips, but quickly faded.
"That damned guy, he actually showed up!"
She muttered angrily, then hesitated for a moment before getting up and going downstairs.
Fang Jie first approached the old cripple, bowing respectfully and calling him "Master." The old cripple, his eyes slightly narrowed, grunted in response, seemingly unsurprised by Fang Jie's arrival.
"Nothing to say to me?"
Fang Jie asked, unwilling to give up. The old cripple curled his lip and said, "You didn't come here specifically for me, what am I supposed to say to you?"
Fang Jie, unfazed, took two wine pouches from the large dog and said, "Fine wine stolen from the Sanjin Marquis's mansion, supposedly from the Western Regions. It's certainly not as pungent as your Northwest liquor, but it's a different kind of enjoyment. Savor it like tea, a nice change of pace."
"Stealing from others to do favors, only you would do that."
The old cripple snatched the wine pouches away, pointing behind him, "Young Master's eyes can eat you alive, you'd better watch out."
Fang Jie turned and looked at Little Dingdian approaching, smiling, "Don't worry, I'm not her heartless man, what resentment could she possibly hold against me?"
After saying this, Fang Jie turned and waved to Little Dingdian with a smile, "Little... Ouch, why did you bite me!"
Little Dingdian grabbed his waving hand and then bit him hard on the back of his hand.
"Speak!"
The little one, having just finished biting someone, glared at Fang Jie. "What have you been doing all this time?!"
Fang Jie flicked his wrist, revealing a crystal-clear bead. "I've been stuck in the Martial Arts Academy, unable to be free. I couldn't even come to see you, my little one."
"Get lost! Who asked you to?"
The little one blushed, looking at the bead in Fang Jie's hand. "Did you buy this especially for me?"
Fang Jie shook his head seriously. "No… this was specially taken from a piece of jewelry belonging to the Marquis of Sanjin and given to you."
The little one glared fiercely at Fang Jie, his eyes practically murderous.
"Don't want it?"
Fang Jie asked. "Why shouldn't I take it!"
Little Ding snatched the bead, examined it closely, and said, "Consider it payment for your tea today."
"It's not just about tea."
Fang Jie, shamelessly, leaned forward: "Could you please perform a flowing sleeve dance for me, Master Xi?"
Seeing him flirting with the young master of Hongxiuzhao, the guests in the hall were all curious about who this guy was. Not many people in Chang'an knew Fang Jie to begin with, and after not appearing for over half a year, people had forgotten the outstanding student of the Nine Gates who had caused a sensation throughout the Sui Dynasty six or seven months ago.
While people were discussing this, a window on the second floor opened, and Aunt Xi appeared at the window, saying a few words calmly.
"Fang Jie, come up."
The moment these four words were uttered, the entire Hongxiuzhao fell silent. Everyone turned their gaze, thinking, "So this handsome young man is the top student of the Martial Arts Academy?!" Seeing the surprised expressions on their faces, Fang Jie couldn't help but mutter smugly, "I can't even keep a low profile, sigh..."