Chapter 31: Ji Ling Shines with Confidence
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Ji Ling followed Shen Silan back to the apartment assigned to her family by the textile factory.
It was a two-bedroom unit with simple furniture in the sitting room, much of it decorated with floral-patterned cloth. The kitchen and bathroom were shared, but with only four households on each floor, it was relatively manageable.
When Shen Silan opened the door, her father was sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, while her mother held a small piece of floral fabric, a thimble on her finger, and murmured, “This would make a nice cover for the sewing machine. That way it won’t get dusty.” Without looking up, Shen’s father replied with a distracted, “Mm-hmm.”
“Dad, Mom, I brought some friends home.” Shen Silan hurried over to her father and clung to his arm, wheedling, “Dad, my friend needs a favor from you.”
Shen’s father set down the newspaper, frowned, and cast a sharp look at Ji Ling and Shen Yi.
“Dad.” Seeing his expression, Shen Silan quickly pouted unhappily.
“What kind of favor?” Shen’s father withdrew his gaze, folded the newspaper in his hands, and placed it beside him on the table.
“They’re getting married and want to have a wool blanket made. They were hoping you could help arrange it. She can provide the wool herself, and she draws beautiful patterns.” Shen Silan relayed everything Ji Ling had told her.
“Patterns?” Shen’s father looked at Ji Ling. “Would you mind showing me some?”
The textile factory had recently been burdened with a large inventory. Every year, they had production quotas to meet, but after making the goods, they often could not sell them. He had been racking his brains trying to find a solution. Shen Silan’s words immediately caught his attention.
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Ji Ling never went into battle unprepared. Whenever she left home, she carried a few things she might need. This time, she and Shen Yi had gone to the supply cooperative originally to seek out Lü Suzhen, hoping to get acquainted with Shen Silan through her. She had never expected things to fall into place so perfectly.
Calmly, Ji Ling took paper, a pen, and paints from the little shoulder bag she carried.
“Uncle, why don’t I draw one for you right now? You can tell me what you’re looking for.”
Shen’s father was taken aback. The little girl truly had the boldness of a newborn calf unafraid of tigers. He found himself intrigued.
“All right. The holidays are coming soon, so why don’t you make it festive?”
Ji Ling thought for a moment, then began drawing on the table. She understood what Shen’s father was after and immediately presented him with her finest design.
Shen’s father stood silently behind her, watching. Shen Silan tried to edge closer for a look, but one glare from her father sent her back. He was afraid she might disturb Ji Ling’s inspiration.
Scratch, scratch, scratch.
Before long, a magnificent peony bloomed in the center of the paper. Its petals were layered richly, the color shading from deep pink to pale rose, with a faint white blur along the edges. Its golden stamens stood in delicate clusters, so lifelike they seemed real.
A phoenix circled the peony in flight. Its body was sleek and powerful, its head held high, its crest magnificent. Its feathers were brilliantly multicolored, blazing red like fire. Swirling cloud patterns flowed gracefully around them, complementing the peony and phoenix at the center and giving the entire composition a vivid, animated quality.
“Wow, that’s beautiful.” Shen Silan poked her head out from beneath her father’s arm, staring intently at Ji Ling’s drawing.
“It’s very good indeed. Little girl, can you draw anything else?” Shen’s father could not hide his excitement. An eye-catching design meant better sales.
And it would be especially fitting for the New Year.
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“Dad, how can you be like this?” Shen Silan protested, displeased. “Are you actually going to agree to help her or not? She’s already drawn something for you.”
Shen’s father felt like tapping his daughter on the head. He had spoiled the girl rotten; she understood nothing. Seeing Ji Ling calmly take supplies from her bag and draw with such confidence, he did not believe her intentions were truly as simple as they seemed.
Ji Ling smiled reassuringly at Shen Silan. “Don’t worry.”
Then she turned back to Shen’s father. “Uncle, how about I draw a few more designs suited to the occasion?”
In the end, Ji Ling drew three more pictures: one showed a newlywed couple in ceremonial robes bowing to one another, surrounded by hearts; another showed several chubby children with bubbles of snot at their noses, playing with spinning tops; the third depicted a dragon dance and a lion dance, bursting with festive cheer.
“Uncle, the peony in the first picture symbolizes wealth and prosperity. The phoenix represents good fortune and happiness, while the cloud patterns signify that everything will go smoothly. The second picture represents a blissful marriage and a sweet life together. The third symbolizes a flourishing family and the preservation of childlike innocence. The fourth represents warding off disaster and inviting blessings, favorable weather, and prosperity.”
“People getting married around National Day could use these, and they would work just as well for the festive atmosphere of the New Year. Uncle, what do you think?” Ji Ling asked with a smile, looking at Shen’s father.
“Old Shen, I hear you’ve got an artist here.”
Just as Shen’s father was about to speak, Lü Suzhen strode in from outside with her father.
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