Reborn in the 1980s: Recapture My Devoted Husband-Chapter 537 - 523: Cooperation

Ye Qing smirked, glancing at Zhang Dandan’s courtyard, plotting in her heart.

Her mom may not be able to outwit that mother and daughter, but that doesn’t mean she can’t.

The enemy’s enemy is a friend. From what Mom says, it seems Liang Weixiang and her daughter hold a grudge against Lin Wan’s family.

It makes sense, given Lin Wan’s character; she can’t tolerate two troublesome relatives by her side. No one would be happy about this, no matter who it is.

They claim it’s a gathering of fellow townsfolk, but Liang Weixiang and her daughter only open their mouths, while Mom does all the work.

Ye Qing dared to bet that when Liang Weixiang and her daughter arrive, they definitely won’t bring any food.

Feeling vexed, Ye Qing muttered, "Mom, you see, as soon as they met, they schemed against you. Look, after one word from her, you went and bought chicken, scurried around, while they only brought their appetites."

Qiu Hualan regretted it too, saying, "At the time, I was just so happy to see a fellow townsman that I forgot what kind of person Liang Weixiang is."

"Next time she comes to our house, remember not to open the door for her, okay?"

"Yes, Mom, I got it."

Not long after, just when their stewed chicken was almost ready, the aroma attracted Liang Weixiang and her daughter.

Sure enough, as Ye Qing predicted, they came empty-handed.

Meanwhile, Liang Weixiang and her daughter bought some fabric and, once home, started cutting clothes according to the ones Lin Wan had given them.

Liang Weixiang had made clothes at home before, so she wasn’t unfamiliar with cutting clothes. With several yards of fabric, the mother and daughter worked together and had already cut two or three pieces.

This delighted Liang Weixiang and Zhang Dandan immensely.

As they stood in the courtyard, they smelled the aroma of chicken. Zhang Dandan craned her neck over the wall towards Ye Qing’s place, confirming it was coming from there, so the mother and daughter quickly tidied up and rushed over.

"This must be Ah Qing, right? We didn’t see you the year before last when you went back. Honestly, ever since you’ve been here for school, it’s been three or four years since we’ve seen you. Such a beauty you’ve become, not the girl you were, growing more and more beautiful. A good-looking girl never worries about finding a husband. I heard from your mom that you got married here, and the groom’s family is quite good?" As soon as Liang Weixiang entered the courtyard and saw Ye Qing, she sized her up, paying compliments without a doubt, and remarked how Qiu Hualan’s daughter now looked every bit a city woman. She continued, glancing towards the house, "Is your husband back?"

Ye Qing twitched her mouth slightly, "He often goes on business trips and is mostly not at home."

After speaking, Ye Qing glanced sideways at Zhang Dandan, her expression not too friendly.

Zhang Dandan knew the two had argued a couple of times before and knew Ye Qing was from their old town, not expecting her to be Qiu Hualan’s daughter.

Today, Qiu Hualan said she got married in the city, but that was different from what she had heard. Last year, she clearly said she got married back home.

Zhang Dandan, sharp as ever, knew Ye Qing was lying but didn’t expose her because last year, the man Zhang Dandan saw in Ye Qing’s yard was clearly a soldier. To her eyes, he looked like an officer.

Although she was curious why Ye Qing was lying, she didn’t want to bring unnecessary trouble to herself.

"Still going on business trips often? That’s quite something," (Back then, if they heard someone’s son was often on business trips, just hearing those two words made them think the son was amazing and had a bright future. Haha, anyone been through something similar like Da Jinzi?)

Ye Qing chuckled awkwardly, leading them into the main hall.

An entire meal, a whole chicken, almost entirely went into the mother and daughter’s stomachs. Thankfully, she tore off two chicken legs earlier, so she and Mom had something to eat first. Otherwise, this meal would’ve been just a few sips of soup.

"I heard you’re sewing clothes for Lin Wan?" After the meal, Ye Qing intentionally asked Zhang Dandan.

She hadn’t heard this; she guessed it when she saw Zhang Dandan selling clothes on the street the other day.

"Ah." Throughout the meal, Ye Qing hadn’t talked much with her, and she thought Ye Qing was still mad at her. Realizing this, she quickly replied, "Yes, I was helping my cousin make clothes a few days ago. But when I went to deliver them, my cousin first nitpicked this and that, docked a lot of money from us. Then she said directly she wouldn’t let us make them anymore. Sigh... You’re at someone’s mercy; how could you not bow your head? My mom and I sought my cousin’s help, but who would’ve thought she looked down on us so much, constantly making things difficult, refusing to associate with us poor relatives. First, she kicked me out to live on my own, then wouldn’t let my mom work at her store. She found another excuse to kick me out. Now, she doesn’t even let us make clothes. How are we supposed to live?"

Ye Qing inwardly mocked Zhang Dandan but said on the surface, "She may look sweet and kind on the outside, but she’s actually quite vicious. Did you know, when I first came here for school, I also worked at her store, and guess what happened afterward..."

"What happened?"

"She thought I was too close to her mom, blocked me in the street once when I was going to work, and directly kicked me out. Even though I only worked two days on weekends because I had classes, she couldn’t stand me. To say the least, we used to be good friends, girlfriends indeed."

"Money changes people; that’s exactly my cousin’s family. Just making more money than others; who can’t do that?" Zhang Dandan felt a sense of empathy after hearing Ye Qing.

"Exactly, who can’t? Just wait; in a few months, we’ll be thriving too." Liang Weixiang thought of the clothes they had cut at home, feeling smug.

"...Oh, you?" Ye Qing’s eyes sparkled, and she had made a plan.

"Lots of women know how to sew clothes. Back home, ask your mom, which housewife doesn’t know how to make clothes?" When Liang Weixiang said that, Ye Qing immediately understood what they intended to do.

She worriedly shook her head, "Aunt Liang, you’re wrong. Making clothes isn’t simple. The clothes you take out to sell aren’t casually made for home use; in the city, they prioritize decency. Clothes made must, first and foremost, look good and be classy. It’s not as easy as making them from a random piece of floral fabric at home. You need to know color coordination, style coordination. It’s quite complicated, or else why would schools now have a dedicated fashion design course? Designing clothes requires a professional designer. Otherwise, your clothes won’t sell."

"Yes, our Ah Qing is studying design, and the drawings she makes are beautiful." While Qiu Hualan didn’t know what her daughter had in mind, she knew her daughter had more ideas than she did, so she quickly chimed in, reminding the two.

"Oh, I forgot Ah Qing studies this." What Ye Qing had just said instantly deflated half of Liang Weixiang’s enthusiasm as she thought of that floral fabric at home and felt less confident.

"However, making clothes really is a money-making venture. If done well, it can earn big bucks." Ye Qing, with a smile on her face, glanced at Liang Weixiang and her daughter and then said, "However, with your limited vision, you can’t make nice clothes. I also know you don’t have much money. If you want to make money, you have to aim big, like Lin Wan. Just making that little bit of clothing won’t work."

"What’s your idea, Ah Qing girl?" Liang Weixiang, tempted by Ah Qing’s words, quickly asked.

Ye Qing grinned at Liang Weixiang, "I have money, I have taste, and I can design. You can cut and sell. If we combine our strengths, isn’t that a win-win?"

Zhang Dandan understood what Ye Qing meant—they wouldn’t need to pay, only have to sell after making. How convenient!

Under the table, she nudged Liang Weixiang’s arm, and the two exchanged excited glances.

"Sister Ah Qing’s idea is great! Mom and I indeed don’t have much money. If Sister Ah Qing joins us, it’s surely good."

Ye Qing was confident; she had anticipated this outcome before they even arrived. "When partnering in business, money matters must be clear. First, I provide the money and the designs, so I’ll take the larger share—70 to your 30."

Liang Weixiang’s face fell immediately, "Ah Qing, that’s not very fair. We might not invest money, but we do contribute labor. Thirty percent is too little."

"Aunt Liang, you’re mistaken. Cutting and making clothes—I can do that, and so can Mom. If we had time, it wouldn’t even come down to you. To be honest, I know more about the clothes Lin Wan sells than you two do. I dare bet, the clothes you made for sale today won’t find any buyers tomorrow, mark my words."