Late at night, the streets were deserted.
Although it was not yet nine o'clock, there were hardly any people on the streets. A chilly wind brushed against the face, making the night feel even colder than the day. A group of four or five people followed an old lady, turning left and right, briskly walking through the alleys.
Zhao Guihua was among them. She had made herself a mask to cover her face, preventing others from seeing her features. When she visited Auntie Lian in the evening, Auntie Lian stared at her for a full thirty seconds and exclaimed, "You're really sly!"
Zhao Guihua followed Auntie Lian, not paying attention to the others around her. The others were also acting suspiciously, some with scarves covering their faces. Such activities were best done without revealing one's identity.
No one looked at each other or asked questions; they just followed Auntie Lian. After nearly an hour of walking, Zhao Guihua felt she was sweating. They finally arrived at a factory. It was quite a distance, almost on the outskirts of the city.
Auntie Lian: "Wait here."
She went to knock on the door, and soon an old man came out. He peeked out, nodded, and the two murmured something to each other. Zhao Guihua took the opportunity to look around. There were some residential houses nearby, and since she was unfamiliar with this area, she became even more cautious.
At that moment, Auntie Lian returned and extended her hand: "Money."
Zhao Guihua quickly handed over the prepared one yuan to Auntie Lian. Auntie Lian: "Let's go."
After collecting the money, she led the group inside. The old man led the way, and they quietly made their way to the back, where the warehouse was. The old man pushed open the door, waved his hand, and said, "Choose from this area, don't touch the rest. Six mao per bag. You have twenty minutes."
One of the taller men quickly asked in a low voice, "Isn't it supposed to be thirty minutes?"
The old man glared and said, "Does walking in not count? Does paying not count? Do you understand the rules?"
The tall man wanted to say something but was pulled back by Auntie Lian, who said, "Hurry up! If you're so picky, don't come with me next time."
Upon hearing this, the tall man immediately backed down. The others didn't waste any time and rushed to the fabric scraps. Zhao Guihua noticed Auntie Lian was among them, her movements swift and efficient, even faster than the men.
The room was dimly lit by a two-watt lamp, barely enough to see. Zhao Guihua quickly realized the others with them were all men. She didn't care and swiftly moved to the pile of fabric scraps, which were likely leftover from clothing production, in various colors.
However, this was not the time for extravagance; resources were scarce, so the scraps were small and narrow. Large pieces were rare and had to be carefully searched for. Zhao Guihua felt a bit disappointed but quickly got to work, not wasting a moment. She dove into the pile, searching. If she didn't act fast, she might lose out.
She was quite quick, noticing Auntie Lian was doing the same, so she focused on her own task. Zhao Guihua filled her bag quickly, but time flew by even faster. Among them, Zhao Guihua and the tall man were first-timers.
The others clearly knew what they were doing, not taking much time to select. The tall man, however, was meticulous, and by the time others had filled their bags, he had only a little. Zhao Guihua realized that if she took too much time to select, she wouldn't fill her bag in twenty minutes. She had to settle for what she could get quickly.
She was a first-timer but knew she had to learn from others.
Learning from others ensures a full belly.
Old sayings hold wisdom.
Zhao Guihua wasn't too picky to begin with, and now she was even less so. She glanced at the others and noticed a pattern. Auntie Lian and the others chose by color, not size. Auntie Lian was picking only red, regardless of size, while another with a gray scarf chose only black.
Zhao Guihua didn't overthink it; she just focused on filling her bag, choosing by color as well. This method was much faster. Compared to the tall man who had barely filled his bag, Zhao Guihua had already filled most of hers.
As she filled her bag, she suddenly found a piece of fabric the size of a pumpkin, several pieces stuck together. She quickly added it to her bag, smiling with satisfaction. There were indeed good finds to be made here.
She continued searching and found several large pieces, including some very soft ones perfect for making children's undershirts and underwear. She quickly filled her bag, and just as it was about to be full, she pressed down on it to make more room.
"Time's almost up, you have a couple more minutes to finish up," the old man reminded them in a low voice.
"Ah, I haven't filled much yet," the tall man said, clearly a novice.
No one paid him any attention; everyone started filling their bags indiscriminately. One even stepped on his bag to compress the fabric and fit more in. Seeing this, the others followed suit, including Zhao Guihua.
"Alright, alright! Out you go," the old man said.
Zhao Guihua filled her bag to the brim. Paying by the bag, it would be foolish not to fill it as much as possible. Zhao Guihua carried her bag out to pay, handing over the six mao she had prepared. Among them, the tall man had the least, but he still filled his bag.
Even as a novice, he knew to take what he could get. They paid one by one and followed Auntie Lian out of the factory. The factory gate clanged shut behind them.
Auntie Lian: "Go your separate ways, disperse!"
She hoisted her bag and turned to leave.
The others did the same, scattering. Zhao Guihua quickly followed Auntie Lian's footsteps. It wasn't that she clung to Auntie Lian, but their homes were not far apart, so they were on the same route. Auntie Lian knew the area well and took shortcuts, so Zhao Guihua naturally followed. The others, regulars, knew their way and took their preferred routes.
Or perhaps, Zhao Guihua thought, they didn't travel together to avoid being caught.
A larger group would be more noticeable.
Even the tall man went his own way. Zhao Guihua kept up with Auntie Lian, who said, "Sister, you're quite sly."
This was the second time she had said this.
Zhao Guihua took it as a compliment, saying, "I'm just an honest person trying to get some fabric to make clothes for the kids. I don't want to make a name for myself."
Auntie Lian: "That's right, but... hehe."
This "hehe" was laden with meaning.
Zhao Guihua: "What do you mean?"
Auntie Lian said mysteriously, "Many who come through me for goods start with the intention of just getting some fabric for repairs, but once they see the profit, they can't stop..."
Zhao Guihua thought about it and understood, but she still firmly said, "Even if I'm interested, I'll only use it for my family. I wouldn't dare to engage in speculation."
She really didn't dare to do it, and this was different from selling fish.
How it was different, well, there was no need to go into detail.
Because the nature of the goods was different, and also, during the New Year, when everyone was preparing for the festival, even the Speculation and Profiteering Office would turn a blind eye, after all, who doesn't eat and drink at home?
But fabric, that was different, very different.
Zhao Guihua's family had several workers, so she didn't need to take the risk and bring shame to her family.
Didn't you see, she wasn't even selling fish anymore now.
Zhao Guihua spoke firmly, but Auntie Lian didn't believe her; she had seen this kind of thing many times. However, she joked, "It's good that you don't dare to do it, saves me from having another competitor."
That was what she said, but it was just a joke.
Zhao Guihua smiled and said, "If it works out well, I'll come back to you. I'm not doing business, but why not save money if I can? What good is it for the little ones to wear fancy things?"
That was absolutely true, Auntie Lian nodded, "That's the truth."
Zhao Guihua chatted idly with Auntie Lian, and the time flew by. When they parted at Plum Blossom Alley, it was almost ten o'clock. Their courtyard usually didn't lock the gate at night.
In those days, thieves were rare.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have made such a big deal out of a small theft incident, starting patrols right away.
Another reason they didn't lock the gate was that someone might need to go to the toilet at night, and the noise of opening and closing the gate repeatedly would definitely disturb the Bai family. Zhao Guihua tiptoed home with a sack, gently closing the door behind her when she heard someone ask, "Back?"
Zhao Guihua was startled and then said, "Why aren't you asleep? You have to go to work tomorrow."
Old Man Zhuang let out a long sigh, helplessly saying, "How could I sleep without you? Your courage, oh, it's getting bigger and wilder. What if someone saw you?"
Zhao Guihua put down the sack and said, "You make it sound like I'm doing something wrong. I'm doing this for the family, saving a bit is always better."
She knew Old Man Zhuang was worried about her. Today's matter was known only to the two of them; they hadn't told the kids to avoid causing unnecessary worry.
Zhao Guihua said, "There's no real risk in buying fabric scraps. You think the factory leaders don't know about this? But these fabric scraps are useless, so they sell them cheaply to other factories, like yours that uses them to clean machines. But that's between state-owned enterprises, not much money involved. Selling them like this is still profitable. Besides, do you think anyone can just go to the warehouse? It must be a relative of a leader."
That was true indeed.
Old Man Zhuang agreed with that.
But he said, "I'm not worried about you getting caught by the factory, I'm worried about you being mistaken for a criminal on your way back."
Walking the streets at midnight with a sack, it didn't look good.
Zhao Guihua laughed and said, "I was with Auntie Lian, she's been doing this for years, do you think she's a fool? Alright, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Come, see what I got today. This was my first time, not much experience, maybe next time I'll do better."
Another time?
Old Man Zhuang: "... " His heart ached!
But he still went over and said, "Let me see what you picked."
Zhao Guihua: "I spent a total of one yuan and six jiao, take a look, is it worth it?"
Whether it was worth it or not, it was hard to say, but Auntie Lian charged one yuan for the tip, which was quite a lot. But was it worth it? Definitely, even if it made two big shorts for Hutou, it was worth it.
Zhao Guihua carefully sorted through the fabric scraps, saying, "Look, there's quite a bit here, I was still a bit inexperienced for my first time. But I did get some good stuff."
She didn't know how much others found, but she had her share of treasures. She quickly found several pieces of fabric, probably cut wrong. She had quickly stuffed them into her sack when she saw them. Now, she took them out and roughly pieced them together, saying, "Look, these four pieces can make a short-sleeved sailor shirt for Hutou."
She looked at the remaining scraps and said, "And these three pieces can make one for Xiao Yanzi."
Thrifting was important too.
Zhao Guihua's eyes sparkled with joy, saying, "See, isn't it worth it?"
One yuan and six jiao, it paid off.
Even if they were all just scraps, it wouldn't be a loss, but finding larger pieces was a delight. She rolled the blue and white striped fabric to the side, saying, "Look how nice?"
Old Man Zhuang nodded, it was indeed worth it.
If it were for adults, the patchwork would look too shabby, but for children, it didn't matter much. Plus, children used less fabric, so it wasn't obvious. Even if you bought clothes from a store, they weren't made from a single piece of fabric, so making clothes for children was perfect, especially the younger they were, the less noticeable the patchwork.
"Just right, Xiao Yanzi can have a couple more outfits, Hutou's clothes, Xiao Yanzi can't really use, the child doesn't have many clothes."
Now, children often wore hand-me-downs from their older siblings, and older children often wore clothes altered from their parents'. It was rare for a family to afford new clothes for all the kids. Even in big courtyard families, many boys wore small military pants altered from their parents' clothes.
In their family, Xiao Yanzi was two years younger than Hutou, so she naturally wore her brother's old clothes. But Hutou was a boy, and boys tended to be rougher, so by the time Xiao Yanzi got them, some were too worn to wear, so she didn't have many clothes.
Hutou had more clothes, not because he had many new ones, but because worn-out clothes from the adults were altered into smaller sizes for him. Since there were more adults in the family, his clothes naturally accumulated more.
As for why they didn't alter them directly for Xiao Yanzi, it wasn't about favoring boys over girls, but because they could alter them to fit Hutou better, and didn't want to waste fabric by making them even smaller. Besides, Xiao Yanzi could still wear Hutou's old clothes, so she didn't have many clothes.
Zhao Guihua said, "This time, Xiao Yanzi gets some new clothes."
Even though they were fabric scraps, they were still new fabric.
She said, "In the future, we don't have to wait for Hutou to wear them out before giving them to Xiao Yanzi, look, will Xiao Yanzi even be able to wear them after Hutou?"
She started muttering to herself.
Zhao Guihua wasn't sleepy at all, she fiddled with the fabric scraps and said, "You go to sleep first, I'll sort this out."
Old Man Zhuang: "Aren't you worried about wasting electricity?"
Zhao Guihua's face stiffened, giving in to the power of saving electricity, she quietly put down the fabric and said, "Then I'll sort it out tomorrow."
After all, they weren't a wealthy family.
But it was good not to be a wealthy family, if they were, they might be in trouble.
Zhao Guihua, having enjoyed a good life before, quickly adapted to the thrifty, penny-pinching life of the 1970s. She turned off the light and got into bed, saying, "We still have to save."
Old Man Zhuang nodded, the room fell silent, and he asked, "Hutou and Xiao Yanzi are both going to school, should we pay their tuition?"
Zhao Guihua glared at him and said, "What are you dreaming about? No way."
Old Man Zhuang whispered, "The eldest's life is tight."
Zhao Guihua snorted and said, "Tight as it is, it's self-inflicted. What? Do they expect me to bear the burden for them? Not a chance. Liang Meifen shouldn't think she's the smartest. That's not happening. Besides, their monthly salary plus allowances is close to forty yuan, and they only contribute ten yuan for living expenses. They still have thirty left, so they can't afford to pay for their children's schooling. That's a joke, isn't it? Wang Xiangxiu's family of five has to cover food and expenses with less than thirty yuan. If they were truly in hardship, we, as parents, couldn't just stand by. But they're not at that point yet. Hutou and Xiao Yanzi's tuition is only one yuan and fifty cents each, which doesn't affect their lives."
Old Man Zhuang let out an "oh" and agreed.
He was the type who dedicated himself entirely to his children, like an ox working tirelessly. However, despite being an ox, he was also a compliant one. In this household, he was most obedient to Zhao Guihua. If she said one thing, he wouldn't say another.
Since his wife had made a decision, he wouldn't raise any objections.
Moreover, he thought what his wife said made a lot of sense.
Zhao Guihua's mind was no longer on that topic; instead, it was fully occupied with the sack. She mused that even the cloth strips could be sewn together to make a long dress, which would still look quite nice. It was a win, indeed.
Zhao Guihua thought further that these scraps wouldn't work for winter clothes but were perfect for summer.
She pondered over and over, coming up with several simple yet stylish designs in no time. Before she knew it, she had fallen into a daze and didn't realize when she had fallen asleep. Perhaps it was because she went to bed too late and didn't wake up in time to make breakfast. As a non-working person, Liang Meifen cooked corn grits and steamed buns.
Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei were unaware that Zhao Guihua had gone out the previous night.
Zhuang Zhixi gossiped, "Hey, do you think Bai Fendou fell into a cesspit and ate something that scrambled his brains? Why is he always lingering around the public toilets these days? I wonder what he's up to."
Several people groaned in disgust. Zhao Guihua, without hesitation, gave her son a heavy thump on the back, saying, "I think it's your brain that's the problem. We're eating breakfast here; what are you talking about? Do you want to ruin our meal?"
Ming Mei nodded vigorously, saying, "Mom's right. Your words have made me lose my appetite."
Despite her words, she continued to eat heartily.
"Mom, I'm not very busy recently. I'll have a day off in a few days. Shall we go up the mountain together?"
Zhao Guihua nodded, "Sure!"
Although she didn't think much of Ming Mei's abilities, she didn't see any reason to stop her if she wanted to go. It would be a good chance to see some excitement.
"Alright." Ming Mei quickly finished her meal, slung her small satchel over her shoulder, and said, "I'm off to work."
Ming Mei epitomized the image of a modern female worker: two pigtails, a navy blue cotton jacket, matching trousers, neat and tidy, with a military green satchel that read "Serve the People."
Zhao Guihua glanced up at Ming Mei and said, "Go ahead."
Ming Mei responded with an "Okay," and with a spirited stride, she left the house. Zhuang Zhixi said, "Wait for me, let's go together."
Ming Mei: "Okay."
The young couple made the most of every moment together. Zhuang Zhixi held Ming Mei's hand and said, "I'll give you a ride for a bit, and we'll part ways at the fork."
Ming Mei: "Okay."
Bai Fendou happened to come out and said, "Oh, you two are so clingy."
He hopped onto his large Forever bike and quickly overtook Zhuang Zhixi. Zhuang Zhixi called out behind him, "Fendou, aren't you waiting for your good friend?"
Bai Fendou almost lost balance and turned back to give Zhuang Zhixi the middle finger, saying, "Just shut up."
Zhuang Zhixi smiled innocently.
Ming Mei muttered softly, "They're together all the time anyway; they might as well get married."
Zhuang Zhixi smirked and said, "That's if he's willing. I think he's just being played."
Zhuang Zhixi had no sympathy for Bai Fendou; if he was willing to throw himself into it, who could he blame?
"He brought it on himself; he deserves it," Zhuang Zhixi said, echoing his mother's sharp tongue.
At that moment, Zhao Guihua finished her meal and quickly instructed, "Oldest daughter-in-law, tidy up."
She hurried back to her room and began rummaging through her belongings. Last night had been too rushed to examine things properly. This time, she found that there were indeed fewer good items. Liang Meifen, busy with her chores, sneakily peeked over, only to be stunned.
Zhao Guihua: "What are you looking at? Go wash the clothes you took off from the kids."
Liang Meifen: "Oh."
Her curiosity was eating her up, but seeing that her mother-in-law paid no attention to her, Liang Meifen couldn't say anything. With Hutou and Xiao Yanzi at school, the house was left with just the two of them, making the atmosphere even more awkward.
Liang Meifen silently went to wash the clothes, thinking she might as well clean the windows later. As long as she kept busy, her mother-in-law wouldn't have anything to say. In fact, this was overthinking; Zhao Guihua wasn't paying attention to her at all.
She had no time for such trivial matters. Instead, she preferred to find some good items to make life better. Although the sack was filled by Zhao Guihua herself, rummaging through it now felt like treasure hunting.
"Ah!"
She exclaimed in delight, suddenly thrilled.
Among the cloth strips she had stuffed in a hurry, there was a large piece of fabric. This piece of cloth was military green, neatly rolled into a long strip and thrown among the scraps.
Zhao Guihua excitedly unfolded it, only to gasp again. This piece of cloth was over a meter long.
It was neatly cut and of excellent quality, made of polyester.
Zhao Guihua was thrilled: "How could such a good piece of fabric be thrown among the scraps?"
She caressed it and quickly decided. This material could make a short-sleeved shirt for an adult. It was perfect for making one for her husband. He hadn't had new clothes for several years.
Their family hadn't split up, and there were quite a few people living together. Whenever there were cloth coupons, they were used for their sons and grandchildren. The old couple hadn't added any new clothes for years.
Although the factory provided work uniforms, even in summer, they were long-sleeved and not particularly presentable. They were just work clothes, after all. Now that there was such a piece of cloth, Zhao Guihua was excited and quickly put it away.
As she continued to search, she felt even better.
This time, just with these few good pieces of fabric, she had made more than ten times the profit.
Indeed, one must be bold.
She sorted through the sack again, and by mid-morning, she had finished organizing everything. Zhao Guihua looked at these items with satisfaction and nodded, saying, "Oldest daughter-in-law."
Liang Meifen immediately responded, "I'm here!"
Zhao Guihua: "Go to the supply and marketing cooperative and buy some thread. White, black, and red, one roll each. Here, take the money."
Liang Meifen: "???"
Although she was very confused, obedience was always the right choice.
Liang Meifen hurried off, while Zhao Guihua had already arranged the fabrics. She first sorted the blue and white striped fabric, roughly sketched a design with a piece of chalk, and then cut it at home. She then took the original thread from home and headed to the back courtyard.
Aunt Wang and a few others were sitting at the junction of the front and back courtyards, chatting.
These non-working women and young wives usually gathered together. As the weather warmed up slightly, they would sit in the yard, winding wool, stitching soles, or sewing clothes, all while chatting. It was a perfect way to work and socialize.
"Guihua, what are you...?"
"Aunt Wang, I was just looking for you. Can I borrow your sewing machine?"
This had been discussed before. Aunt Wang nodded, "Sure, I'll take you there."
The other aunties glanced at the fabric in Zhao Guihua's hand, their eyes flickering. Zhao Guihua didn't care what they thought and said, "I brought my own thread; I just need to replace it, right?"
Aunt Wang: "You're too polite. It's just a little thread."
Zhao Guihua: "It's the proper thing to do."
Nowadays, every household lived frugally, and she couldn't take advantage.
Wang Dama also curiously examined the fabric, saying, "This is..."
Zhao Guihua: "This is some scrap fabric a close friend of mine found for me. I thought it wouldn't be suitable for adults, but for children, yes. I plan to make a summer top for each of the two kids."
"Oh, that's really nice. It feels quite soft; it would be perfect for the children."
"Exactly."
Zhao Guihua was also delighted: "I didn't expect it either. I got lucky."
They entered the house together, where Li Fang was also at home. She quickly greeted, "Aunt Zhao, you're here! Let me get you some water."
Zhao Guihua: "Oh, no need. I'm here to work. Don't bother."
Aunt Wang and Li Fang's mother didn't rush off either; they watched Zhao Guihua work. Zhao Guihua tested the sewing machine and quickly regained her rhythm. At her age, there wasn't much she couldn't do; back in their younger days, ready-made clothes were a luxury they couldn't afford. Everyone made their own, not knowing any fancy styles, but they all knew how to sew.
After all, children didn't need anything particularly special.
Zhao Guihua hadn't used a sewing machine in a long time and was a bit rusty, but she wasn't afraid of making mistakes. Her family didn't own a sewing machine; she always borrowed one, using it infrequently, so it was natural not to be very skilled. Zhao Guihua started working quickly on the sewing machine...
Meanwhile, Liang Meifen had just returned with the thread. As soon as she entered the courtyard, Aunt Su called her over and urgently asked, "Liang Meifen, it seems your mother-in-law is making clothes. Is it for your sister-in-law?"
She couldn't sleep without stirring up trouble.
Liang Meifen: "???"
Sister-in-law? Oh, not her real brother, but her brother-in-law's wife.
She shook her head: "I haven't heard anything about that."
Her mother-in-law hadn't mentioned making new clothes for Ming Mei. Even if she were to make new clothes, it wouldn't be for Ming Mei; she already had so many. The whole family knew Ming Mei had the most clothes. Liang Meifen was jealous, but she didn't realize those were from Ming Mei's family.
Despite Liang Meifen's naivety, she wasn't much of a liar; she was somewhat honest.
She said, "Even if new clothes are being made, it should be for my two little ones, right? My mother-in-law mentioned making something for them when it gets warmer. This doesn't involve my sister-in-law." That's because she helped catch fish.
She didn't say the last part out loud.
"Why make clothes for kids? They don't need new clothes."
"Exactly, adults' old clothes can be altered."
Adults worked hard, and their clothes often wore out in places like the knees, hips, and other spots. When they were too worn to be patched, they'd be altered for the children, which was the most practical. Making new clothes for kids was too wasteful.
Liang Meifen said, "My mother-in-law decided; I don't know."
She couldn't comment on this.
Even if her mother-in-law wasn't the one making the decisions, why would she speak up for something that benefits her? She wasn't crazy; she didn't want the fabric to go to her brother-in-law and Ming Mei.
The thought of that made her feel like she'd lose out.
She wouldn't do that.
"Whatever happens in our family, my mom decides. We just follow her lead; she says what to do, and we do it." At this moment, she even knew how to say nice things. The others exchanged glances, thinking that Liang Meifen was really benefiting from this, her words sounding nicer now.
Liang Meifen was indeed benefiting; she was happy as long as it was for her side of the family.
Although her mother-in-law hadn't said anything, Liang Meifen felt that the clothes were for her kids. After all, her mother-in-law, though harsh, was a person of her word. Compared to Madam Zhou Li, who was always scolding and harsh, her mother-in-law was fierce but kept her promises. Her husband might not necessarily buy her candy, but her mother-in-law would definitely provide meat or fish if she said so.
"Is my mother-in-law at Aunt Wang's? I'll go check."
Liang Meifen couldn't hold back and hurried over to see.
Zhao Guihua saw her coming and said, "Go home and make lunch."
Liang Meifen was stopped in her tracks with just one sentence. She muttered an "oh" and silently left without even entering the house.
Aunt Wang chuckled, "Your daughter-in-law is quite obedient."
Zhao Guihua herself didn't believe that, laughing, "Do you think so?"
Aunt Wang: "Let's leave it be."
Zhao Guihua wasn't particularly attached to this task, knowing the future of society, but she had to make her stance clear. After all, Liang Meifen was the type to push boundaries. She didn't respond well to kind words, but a stern tone could keep her in line and prevent trouble.
For the sake of family harmony, she had to play the role of the strict mother-in-law.
It wasn't easy for her, really.
The children's short-sleeved shirts were made quickly. Zhao Guihua had already cut the fabric before leaving, and the sewing machine was faster than hand-sewing. Once done, she shook the clothes and asked, "What do you think?"
"Really nice."
Li Fang smiled, "This looks just like the striped shirt the young protagonist wears in 'Children of the Fishing Island.'"
Because of this movie, many kids in their city wore such blue and white striped shirts every summer.
"Mine is a bit simpler. I thought, for kids, just keeping cool is enough, so I made the collar a bit larger."
In reality, it was to make the most of the fabric.
"Yes, a high collar would make the child too hot."
At this point, Aunt Wang also noticed, "You made one for each of the brother and sister, you're really generous."
Zhao Guihua smiled, "To be honest, I only had this much fabric. Making two larger ones wouldn't be enough, so I made two smaller ones. This way, neither is jealous of the other. Every time I altered clothes for Hutou, Xiao Yanzi would be so envious. You can't treat a girl too poorly; otherwise, she might be easily swayed by a boy's small favors when she grows up. That wouldn't do."
"Oh, where did you get that idea?"
Zhao Guihua: "It's the truth. Think about it, isn't it true?"
Aunt Wang and Li Fang's mother thought about it and found it quite reasonable, laughing.
Zhao Guihua finished her work and said, "I'll head back now. I'll come by to use it again this afternoon."
She herself felt a bit embarrassed, adding, "I still need to make some shorts."
Aunt Wang: "Sure, don't be so polite. Feel free to come by."
Zhao Guihua nodded in agreement and took the finished clothes home. As soon as she entered, Liang Meifen immediately fixed her gaze on Zhao Guihua's hands, hesitating to speak.
Zhao Guihua rolled her eyes and said, "Speak up if you have something to say. Here, take it."
Liang Meifen: "Ah?"
She looked at her mother-in-law in surprise, excited: "For me?"
Zhao Guihua: "What good fortune are you thinking of? These are for the two kids, one each. Keep them for now; I'll make them some shorts later. Once everything is done, wash them all before putting them away. Wait until it's warmer to dress the kids in them."
Liang Meifen: "Why wash new clothes?"
Zhao Guihua glared, "Just do as I say. Don't ask so many questions. If you don't want to wash, don't take them!" She knew that people usually wouldn't wash new clothes, as washing made them wear out faster. Clothes were precious then, rarely bought, so they were treated carefully. But Zhao Guihua thought otherwise.
This fabric was pulled from the warehouse and wasn't clean; children shouldn't wear such things.
She said, "Don't rush; wait until the other clothes are done together."
"Okay!"
Liang Meifen moved as fast as a rabbit that had just been caught, quickly storing the clothes. She quickly said, "I'll follow your instructions."
Zhao Guihua didn't explain further, asking, "Did you put the thread I asked you to buy on the cabinet?"
Liang Meifen nodded.
Zhao Guihua nodded and went into the inner room.
As Zhao Guihua entered the room, Liang Meifen unfolded the clothes to inspect them. She could tell that the larger piece was made from four pieces of fabric sewn together, but it didn't look shabby at all. In fact, it was quite good. Even ready-made clothes sold in stores wouldn't be seamless like this.
Looking at her daughter's piece, she deeply felt that making new clothes for Xiao Yanzi was a waste.
However, since it didn't cost anything and was made for her own family, it was a big gain!
A huge gain!
She certainly wasn't going to turn it down.
Liang Meifen happily folded the clothes and hummed a little tune. Her mother-in-law was indeed a woman of her word. She said she would make clothes for her children, and she did.
Although... she would have preferred to make money from fishing, she knew her mother-in-law wouldn't give her any.
She sighed, feeling quite misunderstood. Why couldn't they understand her desire to impress her family back home?
She, was in a tough spot, feeling quite the burden!
Liang Meifen's thoughts wandered off, while Zhao Guihua had already cut out the little shorts. She was now realizing the benefits of the same color scheme, really making the most of it. At the warehouse, she hadn't noticed, but now that she had brought it home, she found the fabric was quite generous, at least for children.
Zhao Guihua: Very excited!~
She picked out a few soft fabrics and pondered for a moment, realizing she could make two pairs of underwear and two little vests for each child. Zhao Guihua: This haul is just awesome!
