Chapter 145: Torn Down! Relocation!

The shop staff and the masters clicked their tongues in amazement, their eyes full of excitement.

The fresh wave of fashion blowing from the South made them feel both a stir and pressure, but more so an urge to give it a try.

"So," Jiang Ran concluded, "our Chongsu can't stay where it is."

"Next, Su Ruan will launch a batch of designs infused with new inspiration, and our craftsmanship must keep up, turning these new materials and ideas into a new flagship for our shop!"

"No problem! Boss Jiang, Boss Su, point us where, and we'll hit it!"

Master Wang took the lead in expressing support, and the others quickly followed suit.

Having gone through lows and rises, they hold deep affection for Chongsu and also yearn to see it improve.

In the days that followed, Chongsu's backyard seemed to become a bustling experimental workshop.

Su Ruan fully digested the sights and inspirations from Guangzhou, combined with the body traits and aesthetic preferences of northern customers, and designed an entire South Breeze North Rhythm series.

It features the sleek elegance of Guang‑style cheongsam while incorporating the crisp, tidy lines of northern clothing.

In color, it boldly adopts the brighter hues seen in Guangzhou, but adjusts the saturation to appear more upscale and refined.

In the details, Cantonese embroidery and bead embellishments are cleverly used as accents.

Jiang Ran is responsible for bringing the designs to life.

He compares Su Ruan's blueprints, and together with Master Wang and other senior masters repeatedly refines cutting and manufacturing techniques, ensuring the new styles both embody the design essence and suit northern wearing habits, with craftsmanship pursued to perfection.

At the same time, he begins to streamline the shop's management processes, preparing for possible future collaborations and expansion.

On the other side, Su Ruan hasn't forgotten to keep in touch with the Chen Family.

She carefully selected several design drawings from the South Breeze North Rhythm series that are most representative and best suited to southern aesthetics, attached detailed craft explanations and fabric concepts, and together with Jiang Ran's compiled local market observation report, sent them all to Guangzhou.

The letter also expressed gratitude and formally responded with willingness to discuss cooperation.

After the letter was sent, it was a matter of patient waiting.

But the work in the shop has already been fully rolled out.

After the first batch of ready‑made clothing of the new series was produced, it was not immediately launched on a large scale.

After discussing with Jiang Ran, Su Ruan decided to first hold a small internal preview event, inviting the core group of longtime Chongsu customers and a few locally fashion‑savvy ladies to preview.

The preview was set in the newly rearranged shop, with soft lighting and soothing music. When Jiang Jiaojiao and a tall longtime customer

walked out wearing the new series garments, a low murmur of awe rose from the audience.

"This dress… is so beautiful! The waist, the color, Boss Su, I want to order this one!"

"The frog‑button design on this jacket is so special! It has southern delicacy yet remains grand."

"The fabric feels great to the touch, the style is fresh, not at all inferior to what I saw in Shanghai!"

The enthusiastic response from the longtime customers gave Su Ruan and Jiang Ran great confidence.

The new series achieved unprecedented success, orders poured in, and even attracted more new customers who heard the buzz.

Chongsu once again became the fashion benchmark of the small town, and this time the direction it leads is even clearer and more upscale.

Just as Chongsu's new wave surged and everything seemed to be going well, a thunder‑like piece of news suddenly exploded across the town, striking dead‑on the core of the risky investment Jiang Ran and Su Ruan had made!

The municipal government issued an official announcement: to improve the city's appearance and develop the economy, the Chengxi Lao Cheng Qianggen Pianqu will undergo unified planning and demolition redevelopment! All houses within the planning zone will receive monetary compensation or relocation elsewhere according to the latest standards!

The day the notice was posted, the entire Chengxi Pianqu boiled over.

Some rejoiced, hoping to exchange the money for a new home.

Some worried anxiously, unsure of the future.

Even those with inside information and prior plans began to silently calculate their gains and losses.

And the Jiang Family, after the initial shock, fell into an almost stagnant silence.

At the dinner table, even the liveliest Jiang Jiaojiao held her breath, eyes wide, glancing at her parents, then at her younger brother and sister‑in‑law.

Li Huijuan's hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly, while Jiang Jianguo set down his bowl, brows knit, looking at Jiang Ran and Su Ruan.

Grandma Jiang twisted the Buddhist beads much faster, muttering something silently.

"Ranran, RuanRuan," Jiang Jianguo began slowly, his voice carrying a barely perceptible tension, "the buildings mentioned in the notice… on Qianggen Lu… are those the few dilapidated houses you bought for a high price not long ago?"

The whole family's gaze, like spotlights, converged simultaneously on Jiang Ran and Su Ruan.

Su Ruan's heart had already been racing like a furnace when the notice went out.

At this moment, under the family's stare, she oddly calmed down.

She set down her bowl, inhaled deeply, and looked at Jiang Ran.

Jiang Ran also inhaled deeply, his face no longer showing his usual carefree expression, but a complex mix of excitement, tension, and relief.

He nodded heavily, his restrained voice a bit dry, "Dad, Mom, Grandma, sister… that's it. The ones we bought are exactly the three buildings the notice says will be demolished."

"Sss—"

Even though there had been speculation, hearing the confirmation with their own ears made everyone involuntarily gasp sharply!

Three buildings!

In that old district about to become a Golden Land, three buildings belong to the Jiang Family!

No, to be precise, the property deed lists Su Ruan's name!

But that makes no difference; RuanRuan and they are one family.

RuanRuan's stuff is RuanRuan's, and the family's stuff is also RuanRuan's!

Li Huijuan's chopsticks clattered "pat" onto the table; she covered her chest, seeming a bit breathless, "My heavens… three buildings… how much compensation is that supposed to be?"

Jiang Jianguo's complexion shifted repeatedly, from shock to seriousness, then to deep worry.

"Ranran, RuanRuan, when you bought them… did you hear any rumors?"

That's too coincidental, eerily so. If they truly knew the inside story beforehand, that's a huge taboo!

Jiang Ran quickly waved his hand, "Dad! Absolutely not!"

"We just thought the area was quiet, the house, though old, had a decent structure, the price was right, and RuanRuan especially liked the old‑building vibe there…"

"We just thought about buying it, and later if we get a chance we'll renovate it, or just hold onto it and wait for appreciation. We really didn't expect it to be demolished!"

His words were half true, half false; the core motive, of course, could not be mentioned.

Su Ruan also interjected, her tone sincere: "Yes, Dad. We just went by feeling, thinking the city must keep developing, and that the old district's redevelopment is inevitable, but we had no idea when exactly. This time was purely luck."

Hearing them say that, Jiang Jianguo's tense complexion eased a little.

If it's just a matter of foresight and luck, then it's fine.

But this luck was indeed a bit too great!