American Adventure: My Uncle is Don Quixote-Chapter 44 - 41: Elizabeth Mellon
When Li Wei woke up the next day, Don Quixote was already ironing his shirt.
"Morning," Li Wei said. "Never seen you this diligent before. Ironing a shirt right before work?"
"Because I didn’t have an iron before, you silly kid," Don Quixote said. "Besides, the construction site and the back kitchen didn’t require me to wear a dress shirt."
Li Wei casually opened the refrigerator and took a quick look. He saw that the food he’d bought from the supermarket was almost gone. He’d have to make another grocery run today.
Li Wei reluctantly opened the box of macarons on the table, only to find it completely empty.
"I thought you could dress however you want," he said, looking at Don Quixote ironing the shirt. "Why are you being so obsessive? It’s like you can’t stand a single wrinkle."
A blast of hot steam shot out of the iron in Don Quixote’s hand with a sharp SIZZLE. He didn’t look up, just skillfully pressed the shirt’s collar.
"That’s one way to put it," he said while carefully straightening the shirt’s cuffs. "But when you walk into an office wearing a wrinkled, yellowed shirt, people’s impression of you won’t just be that you’re sloppy or too lazy to take care of yourself."
He held the shirt up to the light. "They’ll think your life is on the verge of falling apart. Wrinkles imply you might not have had a decent place to rest last night, or that you lack the time to manage the trivial details of life. Have you ever seen a movie called *The Pursuit of Happyness*?"
"Yeah," Li Wei nodded. "The one with Will Smith."
"Exactly," Don Quixote said, folding up the ironing board and putting on his only presentable shirt. "Even when he and his son were sleeping in a public restroom, he made sure to wear a suit and keep it clean."
Li Wei said, "But there are probably less than ten people in your office, even including Susan. I doubt anyone would care about that."
Don Quixote looked in the mirror and noticed a loose thread on the back hem of the shirt. He took the shirt off again and carefully bit the thread off with his teeth.
Hearing Li Wei’s words, for once he wasn’t his usual joking self. He turned and looked at Li Wei seriously.
"I care, Li Wei. I care!" he said, enunciating every word. "I’ve been at rock bottom for too long, but I still have that fire in me, you know? I’ve been given a chance to climb back up, and I’m not going to let it slip away! I will absolutely not allow myself to lose this job, and I especially won’t allow myself to make a mistake on a tiny detail like this!"
With that, he put the shirt down and went into the bathroom to wash up.
A little before 9 a.m., Li Wei rode the subway with the rush-hour commuters and arrived at the entrance of Lady Delores’s boutique.
But to his surprise, Emma, the other sales associates, the security guards, and even Lady Delores, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, had all arrived early and were waiting by the entrance.
The boutique’s windows were shuttered. If it weren’t for the people standing out front, he would have thought it was closed for the day.
"Why’s everyone here today?" Li Wei asked his work buddy, Emma. "Don’t the sales associates usually work in two shifts?"
"An important client is coming, of course. Hurry up, get changed, and come out," Emma whispered, pointing inside. "Remember to watch your expression later. Don’t look like you’re completely out of it and ruin their mood."
"Such a big deal..." Li Wei muttered as he pushed the door open. "I wonder how much they’ll spend..."
After he changed and came back out, he stood next to Emma, joining her in waiting for the important client to arrive.
Madison Avenue was bustling with people. Occasionally, regular customers would pull up to the entrance in Porsches, Bentleys, and other cars, ready to come in and shop, only to be politely turned away by Lady Delores. "I’m sorry, darling. Please come back this afternoon. We have a private appointment today."
Needless to say, these wealthy ladies of the Upper East Side all understood the protocol and drove off pleasantly without making a fuss.
Li Wei and the others continued to wait by the door for a long time. About an hour later, a solid black Range Rover SV slowly pulled up in front of Lady Delores’s boutique, its tall frame blocking the view of all outsiders.
The car was excessively black; even under the Madison Avenue sun, it didn’t reflect any harsh metallic gleam.
Li Wei stared for a while before realizing that all the trim on the car, even the silver nameplate on the rear indicating the engine displacement and model, had been deliberately painted a non-reflective matte black.
The driver, dressed in a dark suit, got out of his seat. He didn’t immediately open the rear door. Instead, he first looked up at the boutique’s facade, then scanned the street to ensure there were no lingering eyes before walking around to the back and pulling the door open.
As the door opened, the latest model Range Rover SV’s power running board automatically extended. A pair of high heels was the first thing to touch the ground.
The heels weren’t very high, and the color was understated. A slender calf appeared next, followed by a graceful figure emerging from the vehicle.
The moment he saw her face clearly, Li Wei finally understood why Emma had told him to "watch his expression."
She wore a cashmere T-shirt of exquisite quality but no discernible brand, the neckline revealing a neck so fair it was almost translucent. On her lower body was a silk skirt with no logo but a stunning drape.
The moment the girl saw Lady Delores, an incredibly brilliant and warm smile bloomed on her face. She didn’t wait for Lady Delores to approach, but hurried forward in a few quick steps and affectionately hugged the stern, mysterious shop owner.
"Good morning, Elizabeth," Lady Delores said politely. "Was the journey smooth?"
"I told you to just call me Liz," the girl named Elizabeth said. "It was very smooth, thank you."
"I’ve prepared the necklaces you requested," Lady Delores said, turning slightly to guide her into the boutique. "It wasn’t easy snatching them from the hands of those Dubai tycoons."
"Oh," Elizabeth offered an apologetic smile. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make things difficult for you—"
"It’s no trouble," Lady Delores replied, a faint smile appearing on her face as well. "We have a deep friendship with the Mellon Family."
Elizabeth nodded, averted her gaze, and walked into the store with Lady Delores. Her driver followed three steps behind her.
Her gaze swept over Li Wei and the others, lingering on Li Wei for a brief moment. Then, after giving everyone a gentle smile, she entered the boutique with Lady Delores.
"So? What do you think?" Emma secretly poked him in the ribs. "I wasn’t lying, was I?"
"Isn’t she gorgeous?"
"Have to admit, she is," Li Wei said in a low voice. "But who is she? Some big celebrity?"
"No. A big celebrity couldn’t get Lady Delores to wait at the door for them," Emma said. "She’s Elizabeth Mellon."
