chapter 11 : Free gift

"Hmm, I'm throwing them away, just a pile of rubbish. Keeping them would only tarnish the name of Suhuan," Ava An expressed her disdain; she truly had no regard for these cheongsams.

Lucy Bai chuckled at her words, finding this young girl quite amusing. While she also didn't think highly of these cheongsams, she didn't consider them trash. Some craftsmanship still went into them. However, this girl had consistently referred to them as rubbish, showing her clear aversion.

Perhaps due to their shared disdain for these cheongsams, Lucy Bai unexpectedly believed in Ava An's abilities. Almost inexplicably, she said, "Alright then, you can make one for me."

"Alright, please wait a moment. I'll get a tape measure to measure your size," Ava An replied with a slight smile before turning to find a tape measure.

Jingmei Ye tugged on Lucy Bai's sleeve and whispered, "Sister-in-law, do you really trust her? Does she look like she's in her twenties? Don't tell me you believe her empty words."

"Try and you'll know. After all, for a cheongsam, I'm not concerned about her trying to scam me for a few coins," Lucy Bai said.

Jingmei Ye thought about it and realized it made sense. She didn't say anything more. If this girl could genuinely make a satisfactory cheongsam, that would be even better. If not, it wouldn't matter to the Ye family.

Ava An brought a tape measure and a pen and paper to start measuring Lucy Bai's size. Jingmei Ye watched and noticed that Ava An's measuring technique was quite skilled, which somehow boosted her confidence in her abilities.

"Madam, do you have any specific requests?" Ava An asked after recording the required measurements.

"None, just design it as you see fit," Lucy Bai replied.

Ava An nodded, "Alright, I'll design a style suitable for you. Please leave me your address and phone number, and I'll deliver it to you once it's done."

Lucy Bai provided her contact details and then asked, "How should I pay the deposit?"

"No need," Ava An waved her hand generously, "I won't charge for this cheongsam; consider it a gift from me."

This surprised Lucy Bai.

Seeming to appreciate Ava An's unconventional demeanor, Jingmei Ye smiled and said, "The boss is really generous."

"I'm in a good mood today, giving back to a loyal customer. Would you like one as well? I can make it together with hers," Ava An said cheerfully.

"I don't need one; I feel like a hotel waitress every time I wear a cheongsam," Jingmei Ye teased herself.

"That's because you haven't found the right one. Everyone has a cheongsam that suits them," Ava An disagreed. Her mother once told her that there were no women who couldn't wear a cheongsam; there were only women who hadn't found the right one.

Lucy Bai was taken aback by this statement, gazing at Ava An's face more carefully. The more she looked, the more she felt like she had seen her somewhere before.

"Well, Madam Bai, I've noted down your address and phone number. I'll start working on it and deliver it to you as soon as it's done. I need to tidy up the store today, so I won't detain you any longer," Ava An said after putting away her notebook, politely ending their visit.

Lucy Bai was brought back from her thoughts and said thank you before leaving with Jingmei Ye.

After the two ladies had left, Lucy Bai was still thinking about where she had seen Ava An before and regretted not asking her name.

Seeing her regrets, Jingmei Ye chuckled and said, "Sister-in-law, what are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about where I've seen that girl before. I forgot to ask for her name," Lucy Bai lamented.

Hearing her regret, Jingmei Ye reassured her, "She's still going to make you a cheongsam. You can ask for her name when she delivers it. She's quite an interesting girl."

"She is quite interesting," Lucy Bai agreed with an elegant smile, unexpectedly looking forward to seeing the cheongsam made by Ava An soon.

Ava An had no idea that her "stubborn" behavior had left a deep impression on Lucy Bai and Jingmei Ye. She spent the entire day cleaning up the store, finally disposing of the "rubbish." Only late in the evening did she lock the store and post a "Closed for Business Temporarily" sign outside.
..