213: Chapter 11: The Fine Lady Talks About Understated Luxury 213: Chapter 11: The Fine Lady Talks About Understated Luxury Money indeed can’t solve all problems, but the problems that money can’t solve are generally not the kind encountered by ordinary people.
“How about this set?”
Wendy pointed at the coffee-colored dress in the display window and said, “I think it is quite suitable for the rich and well-behaved girl image you want to portray.”
“Which lady from a prominent family would wear a dress worth twenty-five dollars out without fearing being laughed to death?”
Li Mumu looked at the ignorant girl before her with a disdainful gaze, “You Federal People really don’t understand what is called historical depth.”
“The history of the Freud Family predates that of the Federation by a long stretch.”
“The brick you’re stepping on is older than the history of the Federation, what’s there to boast about?”
“But you are also a native of the Federation.”
“That was in the past.”
Li Mumu did not want to recall her past self, as those were dark times.
Even the experiences since she had time-traveled, she didn’t want to mention a single word about it.
The prime of life, the time of youth.
If young people do not lie flat and slack off, what else can they be called?
Of course, it doesn’t mean she should give up and become a homebody, but she never again wanted to be associated with any of those cow-headed snake gods, demons, and evil spirits.
There were so many experts in the Special Service Bureau, there was no need for her, a frail woman, to fight demons.
Qiao Hongyi’s suggestion that she should first go to school and study was exactly what Li Mumu needed.
Study hard, and after graduating from college, she could still contribute to the country.
This top-notch brilliant brain of mine should be put to more important use!
I might not be able to assemble computer hardware, but writing an operating system for future generations to use is well within my capabilities.
And the high-level AI mental models, that is my real area of expertise.
In these times, true prominent families wouldn’t go to garment stores to buy clothes, they wouldn’t even go out to buy clothes, it’s all done by the maidservants at home sewing and stitching.
Big girls and young housewives, idly shopping around, inviting ridicule.
Those maidservants who can sew represent the problems that money can’t solve, the lineage of old money.
Li Mumu could only settle for the next best option and walked into the busiest tailor shop.
Seeing the shop assistant approach, Li Mumu directly said, “Do you have any good fabric, something plain?”
Top-quality fabric, yet plain, it’s like going to a restaurant to order high-end desserts but asking for ones that aren’t sweet.
Such affectation is typical of the People of Ming.
The shop assistant immediately understood that this would not be an easy customer to please and hastily called the Shopkeeper, inviting the two into the back room.
The Shopkeeper served them tea and asked with a smile, “I wonder if the young lady is only buying the fabric, or would you like to have clothes made?”
Li Mumu nodded with a smile, “My sister and I have just returned from abroad and would like to have a few outfits made for everyday wear.
I’m not very familiar with domestic products; I’ve heard that the silk from the Suzhou-Hangzhou region is quite famous?”
“Oh, you have come to the right place then.
Just the other day, our shop received a batch of satin from Suzhou, all previously supplied to the Inner Court, rare in the market now.
Should I bring some for you to see?”
“Let’s have a look.”
The Shopkeeper beckoned to the shop assistant to bring over two wooden chests, reached inside, and pulled out a length of golden-pink satin, smiling, “Madam, please look at the color, top-notch and fresh.
Such fine material you won’t find readily in the market…”
“Too flashy, something simpler.”
“Then take a look at this one, sky blue after rain, most suited for young students.
But unlike those cotton uniforms, you’ll know once you touch it…”
“Is this all?”
The shopkeeper was stunned.
He thought to himself, ‘Does this young lady want to wear a dragon robe or something?’
Li Mumu sighed, thinking that indeed, those so-called ‘National Style’ trends of the future were either redundant or too advanced for this era.
“Do you have any fabrics with subdued lines, prints or shadow patterns?”
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper knew that this young lady was a fine lady, untouched by manual labor.
He dared not mock and quickly said, “Miss, you might not know, but those types of fabrics would need to be custom made by an embroiderer.
If you have a design, I can help you get in touch with one.”
“Find me the best one.”
Li Mumu pulled out two hundred-yuan Colorful Banknotes from her wallet and placed them on the table: “This is the deposit.
Keep all the simpler fabrics in the box for me.
When can you bring the embroiderer here so I can discuss the specifics with her?”
The shopkeeper thought to himself that this was a great start to the day, with a casual two hundred yuan handed over.
Was she here to make clothes or to buy stock?
But since she could casually dish out those two hundred yuan, that showed she was no ordinary person.
When dealing with such a valuable customer, extra caution was utterly necessary.
After ordering the clothes, Li Mumu went to the neighboring jewelry store and spent a total of five hundred yuan on a pair of white jade bracelets made from Hetian jade, leaving Wendy utterly astonished.
“Are you just buying a single pair of bracelets?
Why not buy gold ones?”
“You don’t understand.”
“You didn’t spend much money then.”
“It’s not time to spend money yet.”
Li Mumu did not want to explain to Wendy that to truly pass as a young lady of stature was not just about these fine silks, satins, and jewelries.
Fortunately, her family did not have many complicated relatives, and there was no immediate worry about marriage; there was no need to perform for anyone.
Being herself was enough.
Wendy always talked about dressing up nicely but, from Li Mumu’s experience, Wendy was not the type to actually spend the money she had.
Her mind was always filled with ideas, yet she lacked action.
I have a good idea, but upon further thought, it’s too troublesome.
Let’s forget it—this was typical for them.
When they arrived home that evening, Li Ya mentioned indifferently, but her eyes were fixed on the jade bracelets on Li Mumu’s wrist, and seeing her unfeeling and unaffected daughter, she turned her gaze towards Mumu.
What could Mumu say?
It was as if he had three daughters at home, and the eldest was the least of his worries.
“I’ll buy you one later.”
“Later?”
“Tomorrow!”
“I don’t really want one!”
After hearing her husband’s promise, Li Ya began acting coyly satisfied, “Such worldly possessions mean nothing to me.”
Mumu sighed and said to Li Mumu and Wendy, “Tomorrow I’ll stop by the company for a bit, then the day after, I’ll look for a school for you…
I’m not sure if you’ll be able to adapt to the schools here, so we can check them out first.
If you don’t like them, I’ll find a way to hire a private teacher for you.”
Actually, both of our school registrations were already arranged…
Li Mumu smiled obediently and said, “We’ll figure out the school stuff ourselves.
Dad, you just got here, so you should focus on work.
Don’t worry about us, I think it’s much safer here than Saifu.”
“That’s not necessarily true.”
Mumu earnestly advised, “Girls should still be cautious when going out.
Don’t go to remote places and don’t trust strangers too easily.”