Feast of Flowers

Chapter 40: Mistake

"That's alright, Mr. Mark. What is this inspiration you had?" Hua Jin got straight to the point.

Mark's laughter came through again. "I suddenly thought, many of our Huafeng garments often draw inspiration from flowers, birds, insects, and fish. Why not change our thinking?"

Hua Jin stayed silent, waiting for Mark to continue.

"For example, we have inherited a splendid culture for thousands of years, even mythical stories and legends, each of which is a national treasure," Mark said. "Have you read 'Huainanzi' before, Miss Hua?"

"I'm sorry," Hua Jin's tone was gentle. "Mr. Mark, you may not know, but I started working at a young age, and my educational background is not high."

Mark seemed taken aback by the topic ending in this way. After a moment's pause, he said, "Then I'll draw the designs and send them to you. Appreciation of beauty has nothing to do with diplomas. In my eyes, Miss Hua doesn't need those certificates to prove her charm."

Hua Jin smiled. "I'm looking forward to your creative ideas, Mr. Mark." She hung up the phone and chuckled inexplicably before getting up to apply a face mask to herself.

When she first met Mark, he may have claimed not to dare to dream of stunning everyone, but in Hua Jin's eyes, he was an ambitious man. His ambition was not just in his words, but in his actions. Moreover, he had a boldness to him. The various strange and mystical legends in the "Huainanzi" might have a unique appeal to foreigners. But incorporating these elements into fashion design would be a risky decision.

Working with someone ambitious wasn't necessarily a bad thing. At least, she could take advantage of this momentum to make more people aware of embroidery.

Sitting by the embroidery frame, caressing the embroidered patterns on it, Hua Jin's turbulent heart gradually calmed down.

To others, embroidery was merely intangible cultural heritage, a traditional craft. But for her, embroidery was redemption and hope.

In her darkest moments, the colorful embroidery threads were the light in her life.

When Tan Yuan returned home, her parents were still sitting on the couch watching a melodramatic family drama. She flopped onto the couch and said, "Hua Hua wasn't here today, but I'm so exhausted."

"There's soup your dad stewed in the pot. Serve yourself," Gao Shulan glanced at her daughter. "Now you know how tiring it is to run the shop alone. How many times did Hua Hua run the shop alone when you were out on dates with someone?"

Feeling a bit deflated, Tan Yuan went to the kitchen to get herself a bowl of soup. She cheerfully praised Tan Qing's cooking skills, "Dad, you could open a restaurant with your cooking."

"You know, I won your mom over with my cooking skills back in the day," Tan Qing boasted a little. "Your uncles and aunts can't cook as well as me. That's why I always say being good-looking isn't enough. It's about being able to eat and drink. Cooking skills are what really matter."

"Yes, Dad, you're absolutely right," Tan Yuan nodded repeatedly. "I'll find a boyfriend like you in the future."

"Speaking of Cao Yi, has he contacted you recently?" Gao Shulan had always had reservations about Cao Yi. Such a big young man who couldn't cook and lacked strength. If they got married, would her daughter be left to do all the household chores alone?

"He contacted me, but I ignored him," Tan Yuan didn't want to discuss that person. Whenever she thought about the things he said about Hua Jin, Tan Yuan felt there was something wrong with her own judgment. Otherwise, she wouldn't have had such an ex-boyfriend.