Chapter 2470 - New Life of Female Naturalized Citizens (Part 1)
At five o'clock in the morning, Lingao had already woken up. Inside a naturalized citizen dormitory area outside Chengguan Town, people were coming and going; workers of the morning shift and night shift were intersecting.
The public water room of the dormitory was crowded with people; water stains were all over the floor and walls. Whether preparing to go to work or having just got off work, everyone was in a hurry to brush teeth and wash faces. The dorm matron maintaining order shouted ceaselessly, asking people behind to queue up and not jump the queue on one hand, and urging people washing to "wash quickly" on the other.
He Xiaoyue got up at five and queued here for almost twenty minutes before grabbing a water tap. Washing hurriedly, she returned to the dormitory and changed into a standard skirt uniform.
Don't assume this uniform was no different from other work clothes, also being indigo-dyed cotton uniforms, but its lower body was a skirt instead of trousers, which meant the naturalized citizen wearing this uniform was a "white-collar worker."
Under the Senate's rule, terms like "white-collar" and "blue-collar" were not used, but non-student female naturalized citizens wearing skirt uniforms meant she was a "staff member" who didn't need to do physical work.
"Staff members" actually didn't enjoy much preferential treatment, and their wage treatment might not be better than workers. However, human nature of despising physical labor made staff members vaguely have a sense of superiority from the bottom of their hearts.
He Xiaoyue was naturally no exception. She examined herself carefully in the mirror for a good while, confirming her appearance was impeccable, before slinging a canvas messenger bag over her shoulder and walking out briskly.
The morning sunlight shone on people in twos and threes on the cinder road. A gust of wind blew up He Xiaoyue's straight bangs, making them look a bit messy; she hurriedly smoothed them with her hand.
The new hairstyle was designed for her by Guo Xie'er half a month ago. Guo Xie'er was transferred back to Lingao after the Witchcraft Case. She made mistakes in Guangzhou and was given the comment "unsuitable for working beside Elders," so the road of Life Secretary could be said to have reached the end; even Liu Xiang couldn't help her. She could only return to Lingao.
In Lingao, Guo Xie'er was scolded severely by her sister but was also helpless. Because the General Office had already cancelled her Life Secretary qualification. However, a back door was opened for Mayor Liu, allowing her to stay by her sister's side. Helping to take care of children.
Liu Xiang's home in Lingao naturally didn't lack maids and nannies. So her work was also very little. Besides taking care of children, she cut and tailored, incidentally drawing clothing design sketches—Guo Xie'er had quite some talent in this aspect.
One day, Li XiaolĂĽ's mother, Cao Shunhua, came to visit Liu Xiang's little girl and saw Guo Xie'er bending over the desk cutting and tailoring. Cao Shunhua was a sewing master and couldn't help going up to give a few pointers. The old and the young actually chatted quite congenially. Guo Xie'er paid respects to her as master immediately and followed her to learn sewing techniques all day long.
Cao Shunhua had always been an "Auntie Elder" before, cooking and taking care of children every day, arguably the most soy-sauce (bystander) existence in the Senate. Finally becoming someone's "Master," she was naturally full of joy, teaching her skills unreservedly. From time to time, she mentioned Guo Xie'er's cleverness to her daughter. Li XiaolĂĽ turned around and told Xiao Zishan about this.
Xiao Zishan was originally worrying; Guo Xie'er, this "Second Secretary," had lost the qualification to serve Elders closely. Letting her stay in the "Cold Palace" of the General Office indefinitely was unrealistic, and staying in Liu Xiang's home continued to lack a formal title. Allocating her to a department would be very awkward. This situation could be said to be a pillow coming when dozing off. After some private whispers and treating/being treated at Nanhai Farm, the matter was settled secretly. A recommendation letter from Cao Shunhua was handed to the Ministry of Light Industry, and Guo Xie'er became a "Clothing Designer" just like that. As for accidentally meeting and becoming best friends with He Xiaoyue who worked in the same garment factory, that was already several months later.
He Xiaoyue pressed her bangs and trotted all the way to catch the small train to the garment factory. Theoretically, she didn't need to be so early, but today she had a big thing to do. If this gamble succeeded, her future would be one layer brighter.
Touching the crisp paper in the cloth bag, He Xiaoyue's excited heart thumped. she specifically chose a second-class carriage, guarding the cloth bag tightly all the way, fearing the things inside would be wrinkled—this was the first design draft she drew. The preliminary review had already passed; if it could pass today's re-review, it was expected to be put on the market!
After being rescued from the rectification operation of Guangzhou's custom industry (prostitution), He Xiaoyue, as a woman in her prime, naturally had to "play a full role." In the transformation project of Guangzhou's custom industry, the whereabouts of relevant personnel generally had three paths: one was unified integration into Ziming Building Entertainment Co., Ltd., becoming part of a state-owned enterprise; the second was holding certificates for individual operation continuing the Lingao model; others expressing unwillingness to continue in custom work were uniformly accepted and transformed by the civil affairs department.
The purpose of transformation was to convert these non-productive women into qualified productive forces. The formulation of specific policies mainly referred to the transformation policies of the old timeline, i.e., conducting work skill training to remove old habits and adapt to new life. While increasing the population of the labor army, it also balanced the severely imbalanced population ratio on Hainan Island.
Most people were registered and transported to Hong Kong in batches for purification, and served as cutting apprentices in the logistics clothing factory there, fully contributing to the logistics work of the Two-Guang strategy.
He Xiaoyue unintentionally became the spark that ignited the great fire of custom industry rectification, so her treatment was naturally different. her own experience was also legendary enough: widowed before seeing her husband's face, escaping from the chastity institute unwilling to submit to fate, actively cooperating with the police after being abducted into Fangchun Garden, saving herself and also becoming the key to solving the case.
Such experience was immediately fancied by Du Wen, and she was absorbed as a "Women's Work Staff," engaging in women's work in the civil affairs shelter at Huanghua Temple.
As the widows of the chastity institute were settled properly and the rectification of the custom industry was gradually completed, her workload decreased suddenly. Du Wen then sent her back to Lingao for training, "further learning and tempering."
He Xiaoyue had several months of women's work experience and possessed a certain level of culture herself. Although she was a young lady who never touched spring water with ten fingers (never did housework) before marriage, she learned good needlework and learned spinning and weaving in the chastity institute. Upon arriving in Lingao, she was arranged into the textile system. Zou Biao felt "talent is rare," so he sent her to the "Clothing Craft Training Class" of the Women's College of Arts and Sciences for short-term study.
After three months of study in the short-term training class, she was formally assigned to work in the textile system. In the training class, He Xiaoyue gained a somewhat superficial understanding of Lingao's system, knowing that this place was different from Great Ming. A woman like her with no possessions and no home could also find a job to support herself, and her heart instantly felt much more at ease.
Her future was very bright: beautiful, relatively high education, no family burden, no bride price needed, and a virgin. She was a "Goddess" at factory matchmaking events. Unknown numbers of naturalized cadres wanted to marry her, but all were rejected by He Xiaoyue flatly: now, being an ordinary clerk and marrying someone to spend an ordinary life was no longer her pursuit.
He Xiaoyue had gambled many times in this life. The first time was in the chastity institute; she bet Australians wouldn't send her back, and this time she gained freedom. The second time was on the pleasure boat; she bet the police wouldn't collude with the madam. The third time was that day; she summoned up courage to talk to Guo Xie'er by the roadside...
This simple action allowed her to take the first step of her splendid life.
Now Lingao's clothing industry had developed many branches. Enterprises in the clothing system, besides producing ordinary work clothes and taking uniform orders, also produced various fashion clothes. Among them, besides "Australian styles" moved from the old timeline, they also produced "Improved Hanfu" and "Han Element Clothing" similar to the old timeline.
Apart from practical needs, the fueling by many male and female Elders also contributed significantly to this. Especially many female Elders—it's understandable; everyone loves beauty. Moreover, arriving in a new timeline with power and influence, they wanted to let themselves fly even more.
Traditional Hanfu used flat cutting and was not complicated to make. In the old timeline, an enthusiast who never learned clothing knowledge could also make it relying on patterns and a sewing machine. Lingao's industrial system producing it was naturally a piece of cake.
But the shortcomings of traditional Hanfu were also obvious: for example, wasting material. In the eyes of the stingy Senate, this was a sin—unless it could be sold at a high price. Secondly, it was not three-dimensional cutting, so it didn't show the figure much when worn. Therefore, local improved "improvements" didn't tangle with traditions derived from insufficient ancient productivity like joining sleeve center seams as in the old timeline, but established two basic directions: "simplify process" and "beautify effect." Using high-grade fabrics more and selling partly in the form of "Haute Couture." The sales targets were local commoners who continued to wear old attire—this group still existed in Lingao and Hainan. Although the absolute number wasn't too large, they were mostly middle and upper classes under Ming rule and had strong consumption power.
As for "Han Element" improved clothing, it simply preserved the form. The length of the traditional lower skirt was shortened, divided into three styles: long, medium, and short. Long to ankles, short to below knees; the tie design was retained. Besides this, there were styles recognized as convenient for life and production such as buttoned jackets (Duijin Shan) and long/short sleeveless jackets (Beizi). Sleeves of tops were generally narrowed to the extent of allowing work while wearing. Because materials used were cheap and they were very beautiful, they were quite popular among young people.
However, Lingao's clothing industrial level didn't even meet the standard of OEM for Taobao hot-sellers in the old timeline, and the fine cutting required for "Haute Couture" was even more impossible. Raising the grade of clothing was obviously not something those straight men in the Senate cared about; it wasn't even established in the Second Five-Year Plan. So "Haute Couture" was still hand-sewn by tailors among naturalized citizens, just that they had received training in modern cutting and sewing techniques.
After graduating from the training class, He Xiaoyue was assigned to such a workshop specializing in making "Haute Couture" clothing: Myriad Purple Pavilion (Wanzige).
Note: He Xiaoyue in the Technical Team in original section 66 has been changed to Li Guo.
(End of Chapter)