Chapter 2412: Ma Mian Skirt Design Draft

Zhou Anqin walked over with several design drafts: "Brother, these are the design drafts for the Ma Mian skirt, take a look!"

Zhou Andong took the design drafts, his eyes were full of expectation.

Zhou Anqin stood beside her brother and said softly: "We designed the Ma Mian skirt starting this morning based on the ideas you provided. However, after the draft came out, we always felt that something was missing."

Zhou Andong looked at the design drafts carefully. There were more than a dozen styles, mainly in black, red, and blue. The skirt hem had ritual patterns such as flowers of the four seasons, Luan birds, flower phoenixes, and lotus tassels. It looked no different from the popular styles of later generations.

"I think it looks pretty good, and I don't see anything wrong with it!"

Zhou Anqin said with a smile: "This is the design draft. We found the problem, but couldn't find it, so we decided to go back to school to ask the teacher for advice and checked some relevant materials, learned about the Ma Mian skirt in detail, and finally found the problem."

Zhou Andong asked curiously: "Where is the problem?"

"Pleats, the pleats we designed have problems!" Zhou Anqin continued: "When we checked the materials, we found that in the "Shiku Yizheng" compiled by the Qing Dynasty local gazetteer scholar Huang Zhao, there is a record: Women wear skirts, surrounded by barrels and many pleats, like the ancient skirt system, called Ma Mian skirt."

The characteristics of this kind of skirt are that the left and right rectangular skirt pieces overlap at the front middle skirt door, and then connect to the skirt waist, forming two pieces sharing the waist, and pleats on both sides forming a flat surface. The shape is very similar to the "Ma Mian" in ancient city wall defense architecture, so it is called Ma Mian skirt."

Speaking of this, Zhou Anqin paused slightly: "And the Ma Mian skirt originated in the Tang Dynasty and prevailed in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Ming Dynasty Ma Mian skirt was mainly based on live pleats, with vertical pleats on both sides of the skirt, usually with five pairs of hugging pleats."

The main feature is that the skirt hem is large and wide. Except for the front and back skirt doors, the rest are pleated. The pleats are large and sparse, and are attached to the skirt waist. The left and right ends of the skirt waist are sewn with ties. The skirt hem is wide and large, and it is woven or embroidered with bottom borders or knee borders. The most representative is the blue intertwined four-season flower woven gold makeup satin skirt.

By the Qing Dynasty, the development of the Ma Mian skirt was more refined. It paid great attention to edging and inlaying craftsmanship, and added railing edges or multiple inlays at the skirt hem, mainly to play a reinforcing role.

Another point is that the dense dead pleats of the Qing Dynasty Ma Mian skirt replaced the live pleats, and the number of fixed dead pleats reached hundreds. When people walked, those pleats were like flowing moonlight, very beautiful.

Later, the Qing Dynasty Ma Mian skirt derived styles such as moon flower skirts, fish scale skirts, pleated skirts, railing skirts, phoenix tail skirts, etc. in terms of shape. It was mainly pleated on both sides of the skirt door. The way the skirt pleats were made continued the characteristics of the Ming Dynasty, but at the same time tended to be flat and complicated.

The material also evolved from the brocade of the Ming Dynasty to pure satin sewing. Its main colors were black, blue, red, and white. And the skirt door and skirt hem of the Qing Dynasty pure color Ma Mian skirt adopted weaving, embroidery, painting, and dyeing crafts, the most representative of which was the Tibetan red jacquard silk applique embroidered orchid pattern Ma Mian skirt."

Speaking of this, Zhou Anqin looked at her brother: "Because we didn't know about the Ma Mian skirt, and you didn't explain the pleats clearly, so our design went wrong at the beginning."

Mu Yun nodded: "Brother, did you neglect it, so you didn't explain it clearly?"

Zhou Andong blinked, gave a dry laugh. In his previous life, the national style craze heated up, and new Chinese-style clothing such as jackets, skirts, cloud shoulders, rosy capes, and hairpin flowers bloomed and appeared in turns.

As a clothing category very popular in the wardrobes of women in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Ma Mian skirt set off a fashion wave again, becoming a new favorite of national new Chinese-style clothing. And a resident female singer in his bar who had a very good figure liked to wear Ma Mian skirts, and he had "deeply" studied it

Zhou Andong looked at the worshipful gazes of the few girls as they looked at him; if he didn't know it himself, wouldn't that make them very disappointed? Furthermore, everyone knew Zhou Andong was highly talented and learned; if he said he didn't know, wouldn't his own reputation be ruined?

"Ah!" Zhou Andong patted his forehead: "I assumed that since you are studying fashion design, you would have some understanding of the horse-face skirt. It was my oversight."

"I knew it!" Mu Yun chuckled: "Big Brother must have been negligent and forgotten to mention it."

Zhou Anqin looked at her big brother suspiciously; although she had her own guesses, as his younger sister, she naturally wouldn't undermine him.

Zhou Andong hurriedly changed the subject: "Has the mandarin-collar shirt design been completed yet?"

"We are currently designing it!" Zheng Weihong opened another bottle of cola and handed it to Zhou Anqin: "If there are no accidents, we can finish the draft tomorrow."

"Good!" Zhou Andong said happily: "I'll get off work early tomorrow. If you can finish the design draft, I'll treat you all to a big meal."

Upon hearing about a big meal, Mu Yun's eyes lit up: "What shall we eat?"

"You decide!" Zhou Andong said generously: "Eat whatever you want."

Mu Yun raised her hand and said: "I want to eat Datang Barbecue."

"I have no problem with that." Zhou Andong looked at the others: "What about you?"

Several people nodded one after another, and Zou Hui replied: "We can do that too, no problem."

"Good!" Zhou Andong agreed, glancing at the time: "It's already past ten, let's call it a night, go get some rest early."

August 11, 1994, the fifth day of the seventh lunar month, Thursday!

Early in the morning, the ancient city of the capital was shrouded in a thin layer of mist. Gradually, a fine drizzle began to drift through the mist. These rain threads were as soft as ox hair and as hazy as smoke; they intertwined and wound around each other in the air before slowly drifting down.

The entire world seemed like a few strokes of light ink in a wash painting. The distant Forbidden City, with its pavilions, towers, and flying eaves, appeared even more magnificent and spectacular against the backdrop of the rain. The vermilion walls and yellow tiles, the red gates and golden roofs, also became increasingly vibrant and eye-catching under the nourishment of the rain.

The nearby courtyards were rendered even more tranquil by the fine rain. The pavilions and terraces within the courtyards appeared quite ancient and elegant in the drizzle. The exquisite carvings and delicate paintings revealed their unique charm under the washing of the rain.

The trees and flowers were also exceptionally fresh and tender green under the nourishment of the fine rain. The leaves were covered with crystal-clear water droplets, resembling pearls, swaying gently in the breeze and making a rustling sound. The flowers bloomed with even more enchanting colors, and the raindrops on the petals looked like teardrops, adding a touch of poignant charm to the view.

"How beautiful!"

Mu Yun was the first to wake up. She pulled back the curtains and was immediately enchanted by the scenery in the courtyard; everything before her eyes was breathtaking. The intricately carved railings seemed to tell of the vicissitudes of time, and the vermilion window lattices revealed a faint sense of antiquity. The trees and flowers stretched their branches and leaves, radiating vitality, which naturally made one feel happy.

Mu Yun pushed open the door and walked out, standing in the fine drizzle and taking a deep breath. The scent of damp earth and the fragrance of flowers mixed together to form a very special aroma, making one's mind clearer.

"Mu Yun!" Huang Liming, who was staying in the guest room next door, had also woken up. She walked gently to Mu Yun's side and said with a smile: "I didn't expect the courtyard in the rain to be so beautiful."

Mu Yun nodded and said joyfully: "The Forbidden City next door should be even more beautiful, right?"

"I don't know!" Huang Liming shook her head: "I haven't seen the Forbidden City in the rain, but I imagine it would be very beautiful."

Soon, Zhou Anqin, Zheng Weihong, Liu Zhenyan, and Zou Hui had all woken up, admiring the scenery in the courtyard.

"Sister Ming, Sister Hong..." Zhou Anqin said with a smile: "You haven't been to the back garden yet, let me take you to see it."

Mu Yun widened her eyes and said incredulously: "Your house takes up an entire hutong, and there's a back garden behind it?"

The few girls chattered as they arrived at the back garden. Zou Hui opened her mouth wide: "The back garden is so big! The area is about the same as a small park, isn't it?"

Zhou Anqin tilted her head and then shook it: "I don't know how big the area is either."

"There's a small lake over there, let's go take a look!" Mu Yun took the lead and walked toward that side. The group followed behind her, stepping on the wet bluestone slabs and smelling the air mixed with earth and flowers, feeling inexplicably good.

The girls wandered around the back garden for more than half an hour. Zheng Weihong pointed to a small door at the back: "What place is behind there?"

Zhou Anqin walked over: "Behind the door is the main street, and there is a market not far away. Let's go out and take a look."

…………………………

Zhou Andong crawled out of bed lazily, then stretched, and glanced at the clock on the wall; the hour hand was almost pointing at eight. He put on his clothes unhurriedly, and after washing up, he slowly opened the door. Only then did he realize it was raining.

He stepped out of the door; the fine rain was like silk, sprinkling on the bluestone-paved road and forming a thin layer of water mist. Zhou Andong stood at the entrance, looking up at the sky, feeling the coolness of the fine drizzle hitting his face.

"Damn it, is this the heavy rain the weather forecast reported?" Zhou Andong muttered complainingly: "This rain is indeed heavy enough; I've never seen such heavy rain before."

"Hey!" Gu Bing suddenly appeared behind Zhou Andong and shouted loudly.

Zhou Andong didn't even look at him, walking forward very calmly.

"Eh? Eh?" Seeing this, Gu Bing hurriedly shouted and chased after him: "You knew I was behind you?"

Zhou Andong looked at Gu Bing sideways, his gaze like he was looking at an idiot, then he chuckled and quickened his pace.

"Why are you walking so fast?" Gu Bing jogged to keep up, asking curiously like a curious baby: "What were you muttering about standing there just now?"

Zhou Andong looked up at the sky again, sighed, and said: "This rain is too heavy, our plans have to wait!"

After hearing Zhou Andong's words, Gu Bing looked up in confusion, feeling the coolness brought by the fine drizzle, and said with a blank face: "Are you still not awake? You call this drizzle heavy?"

"Sigh!" Zhou Andong sighed helplessly again and shook his head: "Gu Ban-jin, oh Gu Ban-jin, you really live up to your reputation!"

Gu Bing's face turned black instantly. He grabbed Zhou Andong's arm, widened his eyes as if he were about to spit fire, and roared in a low voice: "What do you mean? Say that again!"

"You can't even understand this!" Zhou Andong brushed off Gu Bing's hand: "Your IQ has been washed away by another ounce by this drizzle; I can only call you Gu Si-liang now."

"Damn it!" Gu Bing couldn't hold it back anymore. He exploded with a curse in a fit of rage, then pointed at Zhou Andong aggressively: "Zhou Dongzi, I must duel with you today. Let's see if I don't beat you to a pulp!"

A wicked smile appeared on Zhou Andong's face. He pressed his knuckles with both hands, making a light cracking sound: "You—really want to duel with me?"

Gu Bing took a step back, pointing at Zhou Andong with a fierce look but a cowardly heart: "You... what do you want to do?"

"Didn't you ask me to duel?" Zhou Andong sneered and said sinisterly: "I haven't fought anyone in a long time. It's just right that I can move around today and loosen up my muscles and bones."

"Heh... hehe..." Gu Bing chuckled dryly and took two more steps back: "I was just joking, don't take it seriously. Given our relationship, you are my brother-in-law and I am your brother-in-law, how could I fight you?"

"Secretary Gu!" Zhou Andong remained unmoved, his face serious: "I didn't take this as a joke, especially since it's raining so hard today, which makes me feel very depressed, so I can only ask you to help me relieve my boredom."

"Fine, fine, fine!" Gu Bing shook his shoulders and learned to press his fingers like Zhou Andong, but no matter how he pressed, they wouldn't crack: "Zhou Dongzi, I warn you, you'd better not force me, otherwise I really won't be polite to you!"

Zhou Andong grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, then stepped forward and raised his fist to strike.

Gu Bing suddenly turned around and ran away, shouting at the top of his lungs while running: "Great Aunt, Qiuqiu..."

Zhou Andong's mouth twitched fiercely: "How old are you, you're already a secretary, and you're still telling on me to the family."

"Sigh!" It was early in the morning, and Zhou Andong didn't know how many times he had sighed. He turned and left, arriving at the second courtyard and entering the dining room.

Gu Bing ran to the fourth courtyard like a gust of wind. It wasn't until he confirmed that Zhou Andong hadn't chased after him that he let out a sigh of relief. Zhou Andong's appearance just now didn't look like he was joking at all; that bastard really wanted to use him to loosen up his muscles and bones. Therefore, Gu Bing made a prompt decision and ran away without saying a word, fearing that if he ran slowly, he would be caught by Zhou Andong.

"Phew... fortunately there's no one here, otherwise I would have lost face!" Gu Bing patted his chest while secretly rejoicing.

Just then, he suddenly heard a crisp shout: "Brother Bing!"

Gu Bing looked up abruptly, only to see Zhou Anqin and Mu Yun and the other young women appearing from some corner, which made him stunned, and his heart suddenly became a little nervous.

"Anqin, just now you... didn't see anything, right?"

Zhou Anqin noticed Gu Bing's strangeness. Although she was very curious, she answered quite simply: "We didn't see anything."

Hearing Zhou Anqin's answer, the heavy stone in Gu Bing's heart fell to the ground. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and a look of relief appeared on his face: "That's good, that's good.

By the way, where did you go? Although it's just drizzling, if you don't use an umbrella and your clothes get wet, you'll catch a cold."

"It's just a little rain, it's fine!" Zhou Anqin blinked her big eyes and stared at Gu Bing's face.

Gu Bing felt uncomfortable being stared at by Zhou Anqin's direct gaze, and his heart felt even more uneasy. He subconsciously raised his hand, touched his face, and asked uncomfortably: "What's wrong, is there something on my face?"

"There's nothing on your face." Zhou Anqin shook her head and said softly: "I wanted to say that although I didn't see anything, I heard it. You were calling for Great Aunt and Qiuqiu, and that voice... was quite miserable."

Speaking of this, a trace of doubt appeared in Zhou Anqin's eyes. She looked straight at Gu Bing, as if she wanted to see something from his expression: "Brother Bing, did you encounter something terrible?"

"Ah? Ah!" Gu Bing's heartbeat accelerated involuntarily, and he hurriedly denied: "No, no, no one was calling, you must have heard wrong. Besides, what terrible things could happen at home?"

"No one was calling?" Zhou Anqin frowned and looked at Mu Yun unwillingly: "Did we hear wrong?"

Mu Yun and the other young women looked at each other and nodded one after another. Mu Yun said: "With such a loud voice, how could we not hear it?"