Avoid detours, start by running a nursing home.

In the blink of an eye, several months have passed.

As the novelty wore off, Zhang Yang gradually began to feel bored with his current life.

Meanwhile, as the tailor shop's business of making detachable collars grew and the number of customers increased, the old lady also expanded into a new business—custom-made clothing.

However, in the 80s, suits were not yet mainstream and were mostly displayed in the windows of photo studios for rent.

Therefore, the old lady's main focus was still on the Zhongshan suit.

However, she still strictly follows the tradition of Fengbang tailors in the overall production process, and measuring, cutting, trying on, modifying, and making are all indispensable.

Take measurements to select materials, determine the style and cut the garment; first, produce the rough pattern, also known as the pattern.

The fleece jacket has no sleeves or lining; it's just the most basic design. After the customer tries it on, they can check where it might not fit and needs adjustment.

After modifying the garment pattern several times based on the effect of the outer shell, and confirming that it fits well, the production of the outer shell, also known as the light pattern, begins.

Except for the lack of buttonholes and sew-on buttons, the shell is basically complete, requiring only minor adjustments.

Finally, there's the finished garment.

Before shipping, the product must be carefully ironed to ensure it is crisp and smooth before being handed over to the customer.

A single handmade garment like this would take at least half a month to make, but the old lady would only earn a few dollars or ten dollars in processing fees.

Fortunately, after a period of instruction, the youngest daughter-in-law gradually mastered some basic sewing skills.

At least the basic processes of measuring and cutting are now largely no longer needed for the elderly woman.

More than half a month later, Zhang Yang watched as the old lady put down the iron, completing the final step of the process.

When that brand-new, crisp woolen Zhongshan suit appeared before his eyes...

Time stood still, and then the small tailor shop gradually became transparent in his eyes until it finally disappeared.

He felt his vision go black, and when he opened his eyes again, he was back in his room, still in the same position, leaning against the headboard.

Hey~

『Acquired skill: Clothing alteration and pattern making (intermediate)...』

Familiar with basic clothing styles, able to propose customized modification plans based on client needs and image, and create patterns based on body measurements…

Before Zhang Yang could fully recover from the time-space transition, he heard a soft sound beside his ear.

Then a flood of knowledge rushed into his mind.

Suits, Zhongshan suits, shirts, overcoats, trench coats, skirts, cheongsams; collars, shoulders, sleeves, pockets, buttons; men's and women's styles...

Various styles of clothing flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

He was so dizzy from looking at it that it took him almost half an hour for the information to gradually disappear.

Somewhat bewildered, Zhang Yang blinked and belatedly glanced at the prompt he had just received.

Redesign? Plate making?

Why are you forcing so many clothing styles on me?

Thinking this, he looked down and saw the white shirt he had just bought from the department store yesterday.

Changing the collar to a smaller, more pointed shape would make it more lively; or changing it to a wide, square collar would be more formal when paired with a double-breasted suit, and the cuffs...

Almost instantly, several modification plans popped into his mind.

Zhang Yang blinked, got up, walked to the wardrobe, opened the door, and looked at himself in the full-length mirror inside...

After a while, he closed the cabinet door with a look of disgust.

This shirt is so ugly!

Sure enough, items bought for a dozen yuan or so in stores are rarely of good quality.

"So, does that mean I can make my own clothes from now on? Wouldn't that save me a lot of money?"

After closing the cabinet door, Zhang Yang opened the system, looked at the previous task rewards, and stood there stroking his chin thoughtfully.

Raise your hand and tap lightly...

Hey~

『Acquired skill: Sewing (Beginner)...』

"To gain a basic understanding of sewing skills and how to use various sewing tools such as rulers, scissors, needles, and sewing machines..."

"Acquired skill: Fabric Appraisal (Intermediate)..."

"Understanding fabric knowledge, by carefully touching the fabric, you can learn about its composition, weaving techniques, and what types of clothing it is best suited for making..."

With two soft sounds, a flood of knowledge poured into his mind.

What dimensions need to be measured with a measuring tape before making clothes? What are the different ways to thread a needle? How to use a sewing machine? How to hide stitches?

There are also all kinds of fabrics: silk, cotton, linen, wool, and synthetic fibers, each with its own feel and suitability for different parts of the garment...

Another wave of dizziness and headache hit me.

When he opened his eyes again, he felt something was different.

Good grief, I specifically chose a shirt that could be washed by hand or machine, but it turns out to be made entirely of synthetic fibers. It's like I'm wearing a plastic bag.

Touching the shirt he was wearing and feeling the texture on his fingertips, Zhang Yang's face immediately showed even more disgust.

Open the system again, collect the sewing tools, collect the sewing machine...

Okay, once the items arrive, I'll buy fabric and make my own clothes. It'll save money and make me feel more comfortable!

After collecting all the props, there's still the cash reward of 75,000...

With a soft "ding," the cash arrived in my account, and three notifications popped up one by one.

Both are after tax, and there are no discounts!

Upon seeing the numbers in the notification message, Zhang Yang felt his heart leap into his throat.

A full 75,000!

If we take inflation into account, it could be two or three hundred thousand or even more in later years.

For the previous twenty years, he had never seen so much money.

As a result, in just a few hours this morning, I inexplicably got my hands on it!

At that moment, he felt a sense of lightness throughout his body.

Having money in hand means you won't panic.

Then I thought about raising the favorability rating of all the elderly people in the facility to 100...

He was even more excited; that was over a million.

With housing prices in 2005, that should have been enough to buy an apartment in Songhai city center, right?

I'm hesitant to invest in stocks because of their volatile price movements, but surely housing prices won't change too much?

The thought of the outrageous housing prices in the city center in the future stirred a sense of unease within him.

But once the excitement subsided and he looked at the notification, he suddenly lost his previous interest.

With little interest, he walked to the bedside, buried his head in his hands, and lay down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling.

Grandma Zhang and her family were finally able to get together again...

Tailor shops are doing just fine, aren't they?

What exactly happened that caused things to turn out this way?

Even if the old lady has lost her memory and is unable to take care of herself, we can't just leave her alone in the nursing home, can we?

They never come except for holidays like Chinese New Year. Is that acceptable?

Thinking back on what he had witnessed, Zhang Yang felt sorry for the old man.

The old lady did everything she could for her children, and tried her best to treat them all equally.

But how did it turn out like this?

He couldn't help but be curious about this, since the old lady's family seemed to be doing quite well before he left.

Although the three children occasionally had some minor disagreements, they never completely fell out.

Furthermore, once the tailor shop's business improved, the old lady would also contribute money to subsidize each household, which reduced the amount of conflict.

How did the conflict arise later?

The money earned from the tailor shop? Or from the house?

All I see there are old houses. Is it because of demolition?

Zhang Yang thought about it for a long time but still couldn't figure it out. It was a pity that he came back too early, otherwise he might have been able to figure out where the problem was.

Perhaps we can find a way to help mediate.

but now……

In the end, he could only shake his head.

He can't interfere in other people's family affairs; the only things he can concern himself with are this nursing home and the elderly people living there.

As long as Grandma Zhang is still in this courtyard, we will take good care of her.

Consider it as repaying the favors received from these task rewards.

Looking at the skill icons on the interface and the notification that 75,000 yuan in cash had been deposited, Zhang Yang shook his head and sighed.