Chapter 83: Taking Advantage

But when he turned around for a closer look, he almost didn’t recognize her. Aside from her signature shoulder-length hair, Han Xue was nearly unrecognizable. The trousers she wore clung tightly from the waist down, outlining the athletic form of a young woman, while below the knees, the fabric flared out like two trumpet flowers. The stark contrast between the snug fit at the waist and thighs and the wide bell-bottoms created a look that was both jarring and harmonious. Gazing at the round, pert curves of Han Xue’s backside, Hong Tao couldn’t resist giving it a playful smack. The sensation was quite satisfying—firm and springy.

“Hey, you little rascal! How dare you take advantage of me! If I don’t teach you a lesson today, I’ll change my surname!” Han Xue was in the midst of showing off her new look when Hong Tao, the cheeky brat, slapped her on the rear. That was like poking a hornet’s nest. Though she wasn’t exactly a proper lady, such brazen behavior was still rare. Without a thought for her new outfit, she seized Hong Tao by the collar, intent on pinning him over her knee so she could give his backside a taste of his own medicine. People back then, whenever they talked about disciplining kids, would instinctively aim for the seat of the pants.

“Hahaha! Hey, you know, your waist is actually pretty slender, and you’ve got quite a figure up front too!” No matter how much he trained, Hong Tao was no match for a woman in her early twenties, even if she was just a girl. Soon, Han Xue had him pinned across her thigh. Before her hand could land on his behind, though, Hong Tao wrapped an arm around her waist and, while he was at it, gave her chest a quick squeeze.

“Aaah! … Yumei, your kid is hopeless! How old is he—do you care at all?” Han Xue let out a shriek, springing away as if shocked by electricity. She swatted Hong Tao off her as if he were a cockroach, her face flushed scarlet. She shouted toward her aunt’s bedroom door in a voice worthy of an operatic soprano.

“Hey, hey, don’t shout! Grandma’s sleeping, and besides, calling for my aunt won’t help. In this house, if I say I’m second, no one dares claim to be first. You’ll just have to bear it! Oh, I have a design for you—an undergarment to match this outfit. Look, the seam of your three-way is already showing. If I design it, there won’t be a trace left. And up here, it’ll have a steel wire for support—that way, the shape is perfect and looks even bigger!” As if on cue, the aunt didn’t show her face at all. Hong Tao, at home, feared nothing and started teasing Han Xue relentlessly, saying whatever would get the biggest reaction, even gesturing suggestively.

“I really misjudged you... You little pervert! I’ll show you!” Han Xue had never experienced anything like this. She felt as though she were standing stark naked before this little brat, her privacy laid bare by his words and gestures. Furious and humiliated, she grabbed Hong Tao’s ear and gave it a vicious twist.

“Ow—let go! Let go! Auntie!” This time, Hong Tao was genuinely in pain. He let out a wail and finally remembered to call for his aunt.

“Hey, don’t hit him! Why are you using so much force? Let go, let go!” At last, the aunt came out. Seeing the situation, she rushed over, pried Han Xue’s hand away, and scolded her without even asking what had happened. She truly inherited Grandpa’s way of handling things!

“He… he said… he—!” Han Xue was so furious her face was purple. She pointed at Hong Tao, sputtering, unable to get the words out. For all her streetwise bravado, she couldn’t bring herself to repeat what Hong Tao had just said.

“That’s no excuse to hit him! Think how old he is, and how old you are!” The aunt wasn’t interested in the details; she began arguing with Han Xue, scissors still in hand, nearly poking her in the face.

“All right, all right, it’s just a misunderstanding, just a joke! Purely in fun! Come on, let’s talk inside so we don’t disturb Grandma. Let’s go, let’s go…” Seeing that things were about to escalate, Hong Tao hurriedly squeezed between them, pulling both Han Xue and his aunt toward the room.

“Look at this ear, it’s red from the twisting! How could you be so rough?” Once inside, the aunt was still fussing, gently inspecting Hong Tao’s ear. She didn’t dislike him anymore.

“And you’re blaming me? Do you even know what he said to me? Make him repeat it!” Han Xue, her street-tough façade gone, stood with her hands on her hips, ready to state her case.

“Enough! Let’s drop it! I didn’t say anything much, and since you didn’t like it, let’s pretend I never said it. You’ve had your revenge—my ear’s almost torn off. Let’s call it even, all right? Now, back to business—do you think these clothes will sell? I also have men’s trousers; do you think anyone would want them?” Hong Tao, still holding his ear, played peacemaker and smoothly shifted the topic back to the clothes.

“Hmph!” Han Xue ignored him and turned to admire herself in the wardrobe mirror.

“Can you really wear that outside? It’s almost showing your whole backside…” The aunt glanced at Han Xue, then muttered with a disapproving pout.

“What do you know? This is called fashion! Have you ever been to the Beijing Hotel? The foreigners there dress just like this, only with better, patterned fabrics. Don’t worry, I’ll bring a few friends tomorrow, and each will want a set. You’d better get ready—you’re so out of touch!” Han Xue shot back, twisting her body even more dramatically, and gave her aunt a new label.

“Let’s stick to the point—it’s about the clothes, not you two! So, was I right or not? Are you taking the job? Give me a straight answer!” Hong Tao had no time for their bickering. He still had a design to finish, and his uncle said the workers were coming today—he needed to get back to work.

“Only a fool would turn this down. When do we start counting?” Han Xue was direct.

“From tomorrow. The trousers sell for twenty-five each, tops for twenty. If you bring your own fabric, I charge ten per piece for the tailoring. How’s that for a price?” Hong Tao didn’t care about paying her one yuan a day. At the time, a white long-sleeved shirt cost 9.8 yuan in stores, a pair of men’s trousers went for 11, but he doubled the price—he wasn’t just selling clothes, but a way of life.

“Ten yuan for tailoring?” The aunt’s jaw dropped. She only charged fifty cents to make a pair of trousers for neighbors and friends. This was a huge leap.

“You’re ruthless! Buying a full set would cost a whole month’s wages!” Han Xue was stunned by the price. She knew it would be expensive, but not this expensive.

“It’s one of a kind in all of Beijing, like a scorpion’s droppings—absolutely unique! Would it feel right if it were cheaper? Besides, you can hang around with those kids from the compounds, right? That’s my price to you. Sell it for whatever you want—I don’t care. Or bring them here and we’ll set the price together. We only take ten, the rest is yours. Not expensive now, is it?” Hong Tao didn’t budge, patiently breaking down the business logic for Han Xue.

“Now I see, you’re just using me as a pawn! Good thing you’re still little—if you were grown, we’d all be out of luck!” Han Xue wasn’t stupid; she immediately caught on. She gritted her teeth in frustration—the risk was all hers, while Hong Tao would profit no matter what.

“Why do you always think the worst of me? This is called a win-win, get it? Everyone gets what they want! You get to bring in trendy clothes and become someone in your circle, and you still make money. Where else would you find a deal this good? You wouldn’t expect me to help you for free, would you?” Hong Tao was full of persuasive arguments and twisted logic; any one of them could leave Han Xue puzzled for half a month.

“I can’t out-talk you. Whatever you say goes. I’ll come find you tomorrow morning. By the way, do I really get to keep these clothes?” Han Xue’s mind was spinning. Try as she might, she couldn’t figure out where Hong Tao’s words went wrong, but she still felt he was getting the better end of the deal.

“Of course! Even if you don’t come tomorrow, they’re yours. It’s just a set of clothes. You’re a known figure on the street—could you really cheat me, a kid? Oh, and you don’t need to come looking for me unless there’s work. Don’t come here, either. Come on, I’ll walk you out and show you where our shop’s going to be.” Having achieved his goal, Hong Tao didn’t want Han Xue lingering. A girl like her was a lightning rod for trouble—it was best to see her off quickly.

“You should really get a new pair of shoes, preferably with a bit of a heel. If you don’t have any, I’ll lend you money to buy a pair—they’ll look so much better!” Along the way, Hong Tao bombarded Han Xue with tips on matching clothes, including advice on undergarments, leaving her completely bewildered. She couldn’t deny his points, but listening to a little brat talk lingerie with a grown woman—how could she stand it?

“No need, I have some! I’m leaving now!” After Hong Tao showed her the future shop’s location, Han Xue hurried off as if fleeing the plague.

“Hey, what’s the rush? I’m not finished! I’m not just good at tailoring—I can do perms and haircuts too. See that place next door? It’ll be a hair salon soon. I’ll give you a perm like those foreign movie stars—now that’s the full package. Your hair has no style at all. And if you’re free, let me treat you to a movie. We can talk about three-way seams at the theater. I’ll design one for you… Hey, watch out for the car! Hahaha!” Hong Tao started off serious but quickly veered into mischief. Han Xue stopped listening altogether—her mind was a muddle, unable to tell truth from nonsense. She just wanted to get away from this kid, and was already regretting ever agreeing to meet him.