Huahua called out weakly.
"What’s wrong?"
"Grandma, I’m not really sure if I can find that place again."
Though they had prepared for it, Jin’er still didn’t want her father to go, after all, it was disguised.
"Really can’t rember?" Grandma Hua sighed with regret.
It was understandable; her granddaughter was still a child, and just managing to pick so many things and bring them down the mountain was already very difficult. How could she still be mindful of anything else?
Jin’er quickly shook her head, her face showing a bit of frustration.
"It’s alright, sweetheart, if you can’t rember then so be it! Our Jin’er is already very impressive, gathering so much and bringing it ho."
Seeing the expression on the child’s face, Grandma Hua’s heart ached imdiately, and she quickly went forward to comfort her.
Grandpa Hua also felt for her and promptly chid in supportively from the side.
With grandma’s little distraction achieving its goal, Jin’er swiftly switched from cloudy to sunny, and a smile spread on her face once more.
"Alright, let’s move the things into the house and have a al."
Old Man Hua spoke up; these days, thanks to his granddaughter, the family had three als a day. He reckoned the child must be hungry by now.
At the ntion of food, Little Four’s eyes brightened imdiately, and even Jin’er couldn’t help but pat her stomach.
After dinner, the family sat in the main room, looking at a pile of stuff on the table, discussing what to do with it.
In the end, Grandma Hua made the decision to first try making a piece of cotton clothing. If it was warm, everyone in the family would make one; there were dozens of pounds, more than enough.
But before making it, she had to pick out the black seeds from the white pile.
They felt the things; they were quite hard. Wearing them in clothes might be uncomfortable, but they were worried about the seeds sprouting if they got damp, which wouldn’t be good.
To be safe, it was best to pick them out first.
They were all seasoned farrs, and they leaned toward believing these were seeds, so while picking them out, Grandpa Hua kept all the black seeds, thinking that if they truly could keep warm, they could be planted in the field next year to see if they worked.
Jin’er watched with a secret smile as Grandpa carefully stored away the seeds; indeed, he was a good farr, needing no further explanation.
She was worried that saying too much would lead to mistakes, so this was just right.
The whole family spent over an hour picking clean the forty or so pounds of cotton seeds, turning them into bundles of pure white.
There was no need for Jin’er to say more after that; Grandma Hua and Mrs. Qi were both adept at household chores. Seeing that it was still early, they took out fabric, one cutting and the other tidying up the cotton.
It’s truly said that the working people are the wisest; after a little consideration, Grandma Hua found a slender wooden stick and started pounding on the cotton bundles, which soon rged into one.
Jin’er watched with admiration and joined her grandma in pounding with a stick.
Before going to sleep, a set of thin cotton clothes for Grandpa Hua was completed.
It felt different to the touch, exceptionally soft and supple, so much so that Grandma Hua was reluctant to let go.
Just unsure of how well it insulated, everything would be known the next day.
If it worked out, it would indeed be a big surprise; there was enough for everyone in the family and still plenty left over.
As for the fabric, there was no need to worry; aside from what the daughter-in-law had quietly prepared for the winter, the granddaughter had bought several bolts of cloth, so even of good quality, though she had kept them aside.
For a farming family, wearing fine materials would only ruin the clothes, wouldn’t it?
The next day.
Feeling a chill as he lifted the quilt, Grandpa Hua, without waiting for Grandma Hua to speak, proactively took the new clothes neatly folded by the bedside.
Though it wasn’t yet deep winter, the mornings and evenings were very cold, causing even Grandpa Hua to shiver a few tis as he quickly put on the clothes. He even put them on directly, unlike in the past, where several layers would be worn inside the cotton clothes for warmth. But with not much work in the fields during winter, it wasn’t feasible to wear so many layers for work.
Grandma Hua, waking up as well, quickly dressed and looked at her husband with anticipation, asking impatiently, "How is it, warm?"
Putting on the top, Grandpa Hua paused without speaking but hastened his movents, then sighed comfortably.
At this point, Grandma Hua needed no further explanation but still wanted to hear the old man’s feelings firsthand, hurriedly asking, "How is it, really? Speak, you old rascal, are you trying to worry to death?"
Then she saw the corners of the old man’s mouth stretch wider, and he suddenly held her hand tightly.
"You old..."
The warmth in her hand cut off the remaining words at Grandma Hua’s lips.
In cold weather, aside from when sitting by the charcoal stove, when had the old man’s hands ever felt so warm?
Grandma Hua couldn’t help grinning too; this was just a thin layer. How warm would it be with thicker cotton clothes?
"Old man," Grandma Hua looked at her husband, moved.
"Jin’er really discovered sothing good!" Grandpa Hua couldn’t hide his excitent either, his sleepy eyes suddenly awake and glowing.
"This child is truly blessed."
At these words, Grandma Hua nodded along.
Her granddaughter was definitely blessed.
She had survived despite the doctor’s grim outlook after such serious injuries; if that’s not luck, what is?
Even her mountain trip led to the accidental discovery of such an important thing; isn’t that fortune?
"Alright, you tidy up, I’ll go out for a walk," Grandpa Hua, unable to contain his excitent, was eager to go outside and test the warmth of the clothes.
Seeing the old man so spirited was rare, and Grandma Hua couldn’t help but laugh.
Indeed, looking at him now, he seed a bit like he did in his younger days.
Shaking her head, she no longer minded the old man. Grandma Hua quickly took out the new cotton clothes she had just made for herself and her husband from the chest, preparing to remake them.
With a better insulating material discovered, one would be foolish not to use it.
There were no worries.
When making the cotton clothes for the old man, Jin’er had ntioned seeing signs of animal movent, gnawing, and compressions in the area.
Animals have strong instincts and generally avoid toxic plants.
Thinking about not having to endure the biting cold this winter, Grandma Hua felt a surge of enthusiasm, vigorously dismantling the barely finished winter clothes.
Elsewhere, Grandpa Hua glanced at his son doing chores in the courtyard and wandered out.
With fewer layers, his whole body felt much lighter, and not feeling cold, the sensation was simply wonderful; even his strides felt different.
After taking a loop to experience it, he returned shortly. At this mont, it wasn’t fully light; most in the village hadn’t risen yet, and there was no one to show off to. But as the village chief, he knew that even if he wanted to boast, he couldn’t.
Moreover, he hadn’t planned to spread the word about the white bundles in the village yet. The child didn’t rember where they ca across it; finding it again was uncertain. And whether the seeds at ho were real seeds remained to be seen. It was best not to give the villagers false hope about sothing uncertain.
Suffering from the cold is as unpleasant as going hungry!
Grandpa Hua placed all his hopes on the basket of seeds at the bottom.
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