CHAPTER 188: CHAPTER 188: SELF-RESPECT IS A MAN’S GREATEST GIFT

"Uncle Ning’s younger brother, Ning Jiandong."

Wen Shi explained softly. Yi Chichi responded with a simple "hm," already recognizing him since the brothers looked so much alike, almost as if they shared the same face.

But this big brother and big sister... the hierarchy is clearly off!

"Hey there, big brother and big sister, I finally got you to wait here."

Ning Jiandong was a warm-hearted guy. He immediately reached for the bag in Wen Shi’s hand, saying, "My brother reminded me this morning to come and pick you up. Come, come, let’s talk inside so you won’t feel mistreated."

This level of enthusiasm left Yi Chichi a bit puzzled. Is the Friendship Store really so lacking in embroidery pieces?

Wen Shi held her hand, laughing and chatting as they followed Ning Jiandong into his office at the Friendship Store.

As soon as they sat down, he commented, "Our little sister’s craft is indeed superb. That Guanyin statue embroidery is truly exceptional. Why not come over to my place for dinner tonight?"

"Having a place to eat is the best thing, there’s no ’why not.’"

Yi Chichi wanted to refuse, but Wen Shi agreed with a smile.

There was a flash of realization in her eyes; she understood they needed something, though she wasn’t sure exactly what yet.

But it surely wasn’t about anything outside of the Friendship Store.

Seeing their agreement, Ning Jiandong’s smile became even more genuine and warm.

He poured some tea and offered candy and lychees, then sat down across from them, smiling apologetically at Yi Chichi, "Mind if I call you Xiao Yi?"

"Sure, Uncle."

Then, the two of them began their formal conversation.

Wen Shi sat to the side, eating and drinking, occasionally peeling a lychee to feed Yi Chichi.

Ning Jiandong didn’t forget about him either, ensuring fair treatment for everyone.

Watching him prepare another carambola to feed, the two conversing could only look on helplessly.

"Please, stop feeding us."

Ning Jiandong chuckled, "How about waiting until we finish our business?"

"Alright."

Wen Shi pulled his hand back, popping the carambola into his own mouth, his ears pricked high with attention.

"I’ve seen your Guanyin Statue embroidery, it’s excellent, but I need to see your composition and color matching."

In other words: he wanted to see a sample of the embroidery.

Yi Chichi nodded, "Understandable, though I’ll need Uncle to provide some drawing tools."

A good painter isn’t necessarily skilled at embroidery, but a master embroiderer is often adept at painting.

During the initial learning stages, Yi Chichi needed to conceptualize her embroidery samples, preparing everything from composition to color matching before starting.

Eventually, she abandoned the samples altogether, composing and color-matching directly from her mind.

If existing embroidery pieces are available, this sample viewing step can be skipped.

But right now, she has no choice but to compose and color match on the spot.

After all, the Guanyin Statue is not her original embroidery sample, it was provided by the main client, so Ning Jiandong couldn’t ascertain her skill level from it.

Hearing her request, Ning Jiandong smiled and said, "Wait a moment, I’ll get them for you."

"Alright."

Five minutes later, he returned to the office with a full set of drawing tools.

Wen Shi diligently cleared the table, earning an approving glance from Ning Jiandong, who then laid out the tools on the table and gestured for her to begin.

"You can start now."

Yi Chichi didn’t delay, picking up a paintbrush and asking him, "Does Uncle have any specific requirements for the embroidery pattern?"

Ning Jiandong thought for a moment, "Double-sided embroidery, with a strong contrast."

"How about a giant panda and a red panda?"

One large, one small, one in black and white, the other in reddish-brown and white— the contrast is certainly striking.

Yet they share two common traits.

One: they’re both fluffy.

Two: they’re adorable.

Adorableness equals justice.

Moreover, foreigners have a bit of an obsession with pandas.

Of course, it’s not that everyone loves giant pandas.

But at an expo, as long as you find even one fluffy enthusiast, there’s no worry about it not selling at a good price.

A complimentary gift is another matter.

That’s not her concern; she’s only responsible for creating the work and getting paid.

Ning Jiandong had no clue about her thoughts. He knew what a giant panda looked like; the Yangcheng Zoo had two, and he’d taken his kids to see them.

The cute, round black-and-white creatures were delightful to look at.

The red pandas were lovely as well.

If these two animals were embroidered onto the same piece of fabric, the contrast made him imagine wanting to collect it himself.

"Hurry and draw it so I can see."

"Okay."

Yi Chichi nodded and fell into an immersive composition process.

The paintbrush seemed to come alive in her hands, and as it danced around the paper, the giant panda gradually took form, followed by the color matching.

Next came the red panda...

Ning Jiandong and Wen Shi stood next to her without blinking, Wen Shi growing more and more proud, and Ning Jiandong’s eyes brightening with each passing moment.

"I only knew her embroidery skills were excellent; I didn’t expect her drawing skills to be equally extraordinary."

Wen Shi looked as proud as if it were his own accomplishment, "My wife is amazing; she can even make clothes. This shirt I’m wearing is her creation, and she altered these pants."

When it comes to boasting about his wife, he’s serious.

Ning Jiandong’s attention was piqued by his words, and his gaze fell on Wen Shi’s clothing.

He then focused on the subtle patterns at Wen Shi’s collar.

"Is this pattern part of the fabric?"

Speaking, he extended his hand to touch it, but Wen Shi stepped back two paces, "Uncle, you can talk, but no touching."

His wife had said that maintaining one’s integrity was the greatest gift a man could offer. Not only should single women keep their distance, but unknown men should also avoid close contact.

Unless they’re familiar.

Unfortunately, he and Ning Jiandong weren’t on those familiar terms yet, so some distance was necessary.

"If you really want to see, take a look at the sleeve."

He lowered the sleeve, extending his arm, "This pattern was embroidered by my wife."

Ning Jiandong, already suspecting it, felt a thrill of confirmation, instantly invigorated as he seized the sleeve to study it, murmuring to himself.

"Fine needlework, excellent color coordination, no bumps, perfectly smooth, blending seamlessly with the fabric..."

Placing the sleeve down with satisfaction, he praised, "Ingenious craftsmanship; now it’s all about her composition and color matching."

"She certainly won’t disappoint you, Uncle."

Wen Shi was highly confident in this, his wife was the best when it came to embroidery.

In fact, Yi Chichi didn’t let his words fall short; the embroidery sample she produced ignited Ning Jiandong’s enthusiasm, leading him to express the desire to collect it.

Yi Chichi, "??? Collect?"

"Yes, I love this drawing."

He looked at the adorable giant panda clasping a clump of green bamboo and the smiling red panda with its fluffy tail, his eyes ablaze with unhidden admiration.

"But this is just a sample."

"Once the embroidery is finished, can I have the sample?"

He started strong, but his "Can I?" turned into a plea.

What could Yi Chichi do? She could only smile and nod in agreement.

This also meant that the double-sided embroidery featuring giant pandas and red pandas was almost settled.

Next up was discussing the details.

"Your brother said you’re returning at the end of the month?"

"Yes."

She only had a month’s leave, and with ten days already gone, five days spent on the road each way, it meant she only really had half a month left to spend with Wen Shi.

"Here’s the plan, before you head back, create a fan with one of the four plants: plum, orchid, bamboo, or chrysanthemum. Choose whichever is convenient for you, but make sure the quality is guaranteed."