Chapter 301: Nineties: Spring Water Family Chapter 301 Extra Chapter Nine: Deep Affection, No Regrets

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"That is the plan......"

Lin Xiyu benefited greatly and was very grateful to her; without the slightest concealment, she spoke her true inner thoughts: "My experience is still shallow; whether I can independently complete a fashion show remains to be seen, so realizing this plan will likely be a matter for the distant future."

"Hanfu made of paper-cutting......."

Ge Qiu smiled gently, smiling as she encouraged her: "This idea is very novel; as an elder who has been immersed in the fashion world for many years, I can responsibly tell you it is worth a try — it might produce unexpected results."

"Thank you, Auntie Ge."

With someone supporting her, Lin Xiyu's eyes brightened, and she instantly gained confidence.

"To make clothes with paper-cutting, one must first put effort into the paper's material quality."

Ge Qiu smiled with relief and deliberately offered a pointer: "Just like silk and satin, fabrics of different materials produce clothes of different styles, and the color matching effects also differ."

"Paper material quality......"

Lin Xiyu's mind stirred, and she committed this sentence to heart.

——

The wife wanted paper of different materials, durable and not easily torn, and consulted Ge Qiu.

Guben naturally had no second thoughts; that very day he took a ship off the island, spent a day going around SY City, and bought back every material quality he could purchase.

He bought back four kinds of paper.

Kraft paper, synthetic paper, DuPont paper, wax ester paper.

Kraft paper is the denim of the paper world, exceptionally durable; beneath its yellow-brown rough surface lies a resilient heart.

Synthetic paper looks like paper on the surface but is actually plastic, containing polypropylene components; waterproof, anti-slip, and durable.

DuPont paper, also known as Tyvek, has a very light texture, is durable and not easily torn, and is suitable for high-end handbags and clothing hang tags.

Wax ester paper is waterproof and heat-retaining, suitable for food packaging and labels.

——

"Synthetic paper is plastic, does not meet the requirements of paper-cutting; as for durability, it can only be ruled out."

Lin Xiyu carefully screened them and regretfully excluded synthetic paper.

"Kraft paper and DuPont paper are both good......"

Ge Qiu, widely knowledgeable, had her own view: "Following my personal thinking, I still lean toward copperplate paper; copperplate paper is soft and lustrous, suitable for the high-quality printing requirements of books and magazines."

"Magazine?!"

Hearing "magazine," Lin Xiyu's eyes lit up, revealing pleasant surprise.

In her girlhood she loved reading magazines, and to this day she still remembers the soft, glossy texture of fashion magazines — smooth and delicate to the touch, making one unable to put them down.

"Wanting copperplate paper is easy......"

Guben, doting on his wife in deed: "Tomorrow I'll go around the city again; if Sanya can't get it, I'll have Yun Cheng ask someone in Shanghai to look into it and mail it over."

"Mm-hmm."

Lin Xiyu's face showed delight, and she nodded coquettishly.

Ge Qiu watched the couple's intimate interaction, thought of her own good-for-nothing son-in-law, lowered her eyelids, and sighed softly again.

——

Copperplate paper is soft, durable, and lustrous, very suitable for cutting.

After repeated discussion, Lin Xiyu and Ge Qiu finally settled on copperplate paper.

Three days later, the wedding dress modifications were complete, and the advertisement shoot restarted.

This time, the babies did not run off course again; holding flowers, they ran happily toward Daddy and Mommy.

Guben and Lin Xiyu, wearing wedding dress and formal attire, gazed at each other with deep affection, smiling as they faced the oncoming babies.

Ge Qiu watched the warm, beautiful scene; thinking of Guben's words about leaving no regrets, her mind suddenly opened as if a celestial aperture had been unlocked, and a thought flashed through.

"ICICHE (Zihe), no regrets!"

She blurted it out, using the clothing brand's name plus the four words "no regrets"; it sounded exceptionally flavorful.

And this line also became, after the advertisement aired, a classic advertising slogan that built momentum for Zihe Clothing; for a very long time afterward, it was endlessly discussed by the vast audience of onlookers.

——

The advertisement went viral; the babies, just as Ge Qiu had predicted earlier, were exceptionally endearing and became household-name child stars.

Shooting the clothing advertisement was formally put on the agenda; Nuan Nuan also basked in the reflected glory, signing together and becoming the children's clothing model for the fashion brand under Ge Qiu's name.

So that her son would have more opportunities to brush up his presence before his "future father-in-law and mother-in-law," Li Qing had him personally lead the team every time they shot seasonal clothing, coming to the Old House for intimate, warm interactions with the babies.

As time went on, the babies also gradually grew close to this older brother who had no blood relationship.

Dabao especially called him "Brother" at every turn, calling out very cheerfully.

Anan disliked speaking; aside from being exceptionally clingy to Mommy, he was cold and indifferent to everyone.

Wang Jiarui figured out his temperament and, unless necessary, would not actively provoke him.

Xixi and Lele are little girls; knowing full well what little scheme Li Qing was playing, Guben and his wife naturally avoided things more carefully, not letting the daughters have too much contact with him.

Wang Jiarui saw through the couple's intentions and felt not embarrassment but a touch of small happiness.

He is different from his mother; he truly treats the two babies as younger sisters, without a shred of other thoughts.

Having witnessed his biological father's cruelty and coldness toward the two of them, mother and son, he developed a resistant emotion toward romantic love between men and women.

His heart has already gone numb, cold like a piece of ice.

One wonders if there will ever be a day when the cold ice melts and spring brings warm flowers.

——

Guben dotes on his wife; it's truly beyond words.

After returning from Sanya, he personally contacted the factory, using copperplate paper of moderate thickness, benchmarked against high-quality magazine covers, and had it printed and dyed in two colors: crimson and black.

The colors were Ge Qiu's suggestion.

In ancient times, crimson symbolized nobility.

Black is a versatile color.

The two colors paired together are grand yet steady, most suitable for clothing color schemes.

With suitable paper, Lin Xiyu also gained confidence, and once again calmed her mind, devoting all her energy to the operation and preparation of the paper-cutting fashion show.

Time passed quietly; in a blink, another year had gone by.

After a year of repeated modifications, design, and cutting, ten sets of meticulously cut Hanfu were successfully completed.

With the strong support of relatives, friends, and relevant departments, Lin Xiyu finally fulfilled her wish, successfully holding her own paper-cutting fashion show at the International Convention and Exhibition Center.

Jinan Television Station broadcast live; the moment ten slender models walked out from backstage wearing crimson paper Hanfu, thunderous applause erupted at the venue.

The soft, lustrous material, the perfect pairing of red and black.

With a powerful visual impact, it met people's eyes.

"Beautiful."

"Perfect!"

"So beautiful."

"Perfect!"

The foreign teachers from training institutions who came to watch the paper-cutting show extended their thumbs in admiration.

Lin Xiyu became famous from one show, and also seized this opportunity to be hired as a long-term lecturer at the International Exchange Colleges of several universities, and as a visiting art teacher at over a dozen primary and secondary schools, in the folk art entering campuses activities.

——

Gaining both fame and profit, she did not become arrogant or complacent, but continued to ponder how to make paper-cutting fit even more closely into the lives of ordinary people.

After much thought, she still accepted Wang Jiarui's suggestion.

She pasted the cut-out twelve Chinese zodiac signs onto paper fans to serve as the fan surface, and tried selling them at temple fairs during holidays.

The paper fans were affordable, costing only two yuan each.

The twelve zodiac signs on the fan surface were vivid and lifelike; the bright red paper-cutting implied auspiciousness.

The cheap and good-looking paper fans were exceptionally popular; every time she set up a stall, hundreds of fans could be snapped up in less than an hour.

"You selling these for two yuan each is too cheap; it doesn't even cover the cost."

Wu Meng felt the pinch for her: "And you have to cut them out one by one, paste them; it's time-consuming and laborious. What are you doing this for?"

"Just for that touch of worldly vitality."

Lin Xiyu looked at the sold-out stall, full of a sense of accomplishment: "I hope paper-cutting can enter the daily lives of ordinary people, so they can see it, touch it, use it, and it's no longer just an artwork hanging in a museum."

"You..."

Wu Meng laughed and teased her: "Like men and women trapped in a love net, obsessively entangled, already bewitched."

"Yeah..."

Lin Xiyu self-deprecatingly joked: "Entered the heart, confused the eyes, unforgettable for a lifetime."

"A lifetime is very long..."

Wu Meng felt a surge of envy: "Having something you truly like to do is pretty good too. I'm a vulgar person; I only like struggling for money. I hope you can keep your original intention and persist."

"I will..."

Lin Xiyu breathed in the fresh air by Daming Lake after the rain cleared, her eyebrows raised in delight, smiling leisurely.

——

The babies are 4 years old.

Aunt Da has been in a very good mood lately; Female Cousin and the Doctor's relationship is progressing smoothly, and they've entered the stage of discussing marriage.

The Doctor's surname is Hao, named Hao Yu, thirty-three years old, two years younger than Female Cousin, a PhD graduate assigned to work at a top-tier Grade-A hospital.

Speaking of it, the two really do have a bit of fate.

Ever since Lele finished surgery in the hospital, Female Cousin has been like she "won the lottery," always running into unexpected things that make her go to the hospital.

Today a good friend is giving birth, tomorrow a company employee broke their leg, the day after a family member has a headache and fever and needs an inspection...

It's also strange; every time she goes to the hospital, she runs into Hao Yu.

The two had a tug-of-war at the Operation Room doorway, leaving a fairly deep impression on each other.

Female Cousin also has a lively and cheerful personality; she greets everyone with a three-part smile, specializing in being instantly familiar.

After meeting many times, Hao Yu also got used to it; when they met he no longer kept a cold face, would give her face and listen to her chatter a few sentences, occasionally echoing a couple of times.

The real matchmaker who pushed the relationship a step further was still Maternal Grandmother.

Before Maternal Grandmother passed away, she was hospitalized for a heart attack, and stayed in the department where Hao Yu worked.

Female Cousin tended to her at the bedside without removing her clothes; how gentle, considerate, respectful, and filial she was, he saw it all with his own eyes.

Maternal Grandmother stayed in the hospital for a week, but ultimately could not be rescued, and regretfully left the world.

A fortunate misfortune: in her final days, she also fulfilled the biggest wish of her life.

She personally watched the maternal granddaughter who worried her most finally bloom, finding a beloved.

Maternal Grandmother was extremely comforted, and closed her eyes with a smile.

——

Hao Yu isn't particularly handsome; he's not tall, and wears glasses.

In my female cousin's words, his forehead is especially large; one look and you can tell he belongs to the high-IQ, very smart type.

As for why at 32 he still hasn't found a partner, it's because he's too smart, putting all his energy into studying.

IQ and EQ are severely imbalanced.

Communicating with people, especially women, he has emotional barriers; this is why from university, to graduate school, to doctorate, he's been single all along, single for so many years.

It doesn't matter that Hao Yu isn't good at socializing; my female cousin is adept at all things, and what she excels at most is communicating with people.

Without anyone else opening their mouth, she can talk on and on by herself for three days and three nights, without a single pause in between.

Ever since getting to know my female cousin, Hao Yu feels his language function has a trend of accelerated degradation.

The reason is none other than: my female cousin speaks too fast, too much; he simply can't get a word in edgewise.

——

Golden autumn September is precisely the good season for weddings in a year.

Guben and his wife also received an invitation, accepting it to attend my female cousin's wedding.

Lin Xiyu and my female cousin have deep sisterly affection; my female cousin getting married, naturally she must attach extra importance to it.

Thus, she worried again, not knowing what kind of congratulatory gift to give that could express her most sincere blessings for her own sister.

"Don't think about it......"

My female cousin heard about this and made a request herself: "I don't want any gift; just lend me your family's Ping'an Xile for one evening......"

"What do you want Sibao for?"

"The day before the wedding, let them sleep on the wedding bed."

Lin Xiyu was a bit bewildered: "Let the babies sleep on you two's wedding bed?"

"Haven't you heard of it?"

My female cousin covered her mouth and laughed: "Many places have the custom of pressing the bed; having a virgin boy sleep on it before the wedding can ward off evil and ensure peace."

"I know this......"

Lin Xiyu still didn't understand: "Everyone uses little boys; where would there be little girls sleeping together?"

"I just want all four babies to sleep together."

My female cousin's little calculator clicked away: "We both inherited Grandfather's genes; you could give birth to quadruplets, so I should have this possibility too. To be safe, let your four treasures all sleep one night on the wedding bed; even if I can't have four, one litter of two treasures works too."

"Huh?"

Lin Xiyu teasingly glanced at her, smiling as she bantered: "Are you my real sister? Did someone steal your body and swap your core? I remember someone saying they disliked children; what's this about, not even married yet and already thinking about it?"

"Uh."

My female cousin quibbled: "This isn't a case of different times, different circumstances; who let your four babies be so cute, making people's eyes greedy? Guben is a dead miser, refusing to let me adopt one; if he were willing to give me one, why would I go to such trouble having my own? I'd just bring one home directly."

"Just admit it."

Lin Xiyu found it funny listening, continuing to needle her: "You've already been bewitched by Hao Yu until your soul is upside down; no need to guess, I know it must be that he likes children, so you racked your brains wanting to have twins."

"You guessed right."

My female cousin had her worry spoken aloud by her, touched her nose, and embarrassedly laughed herself.

"Fine then."

Lin Xiyu sincerely thinking for my female cousin, readily agreed: "Since you want to have them this much, I'll fulfill your wish; let the babies go stay one night in your new room the day before the wedding."

"Good younger sister, I'm truly too moved."

My female cousin excitedly opened her arms, giving an incomparably domineering bear hug.

——

Perhaps the babies are innately possessed of the Jinli Carp Constitution, bringing their own good fortune.

Not long after my female cousin's marriage, she truly became pregnant with twins.

After ten months of pregnancy's hardship, in June of the following year, she gave birth to a pair of twins.

Unable to have dragon-phoenix twins, my female cousin felt sour again.

Glancing at Xixi and Lele, pink and jade-carved, growing as cute as little glutinous rice balls, then glancing at her own two coarse, big, stupidly sturdy stinky little boys who only know how to scream and cry, the corners of her mouth twitched violently a few times; with disdain she averted her gaze.

"Wanting a daughter isn't hard, just keep having them......"

Hao Yu held back a smile to comfort her: "Our incomes are both that high; it's not like we can't afford to raise them."

"What dream are you dreaming in broad daylight?"

My female cousin didn't take his words seriously: "In the only-child era, being able to have two sons is already very lucky; still want to have another? You're a civil servant; dare say this kind of thing, do you still want your job or not?"

"Who knows, maybe someday the policy will change and allow births again?"

Hao Yu accompanied her with a smiling face, deliberately coaxing her to be happy.

At this very moment, the couple never imagined he actually also had the potential to be a charlatan; a casual remark became prophecy.

In the year Ping'an Xile turned 10, that is January 1, 2016, a new policy was truly issued, fully opening the second child.

For a time, the trend of having a second child prevailed.

My female cousin also got her wish and gave birth to another lively, adorable daughter.