Everyone inside the house gathered to see the clothes Tang Qiubai had picked out; they were indeed quite nice—simple, bright, cute, and suited well for a young girl like Tian Sisi. Tian Sisi pointed at the designs Old Man had chosen and said to Zhu Aiqing, "Mama, if you use that blue fabric to make this skirt, it will definitely look great on you. Maybe postpone making my clothes and sew sothing for yourself and Granny first."
"Why would I need a skirt for daily chores, Mama? But making a shirt for Granny would be a good idea. Mom, I’ll use that blue fabric to make a shirt for you tomorrow, then I’ll make clothes for Daddy and Uncle Tie Shan."
Zhu Aiqing felt happy hearing her daughter’s words. In fact, she also really wanted to wear those pretty skirts. What woman doesn’t like to wear skirts? But she dared not, as she was certain that wearing such fancy skirts out would definitely stir gossip in the village. She preferred to stay cautious.
"What new clothes would an old woman like need? Make them for Uncle Tie Shan and Qiubai first, then sew yourself sothing new. We didn’t have the ans before, but now that we do, we should make a few more new pieces. Young people should dress up nicely," Granny Zhao gratifyingly declined her daughter-in-law’s filial thoughts with a smile.
"Our family should all get new clothes. Let Man Yin’s wife be busy tonight and sew for everyone. After all, the fabric Xue Wen bought is plenty," Old Man said jovially.
However, Donghua and Qinghua weren’t very fond of new clothes. In their view, it was enough if clothes were wearable, regardless if they were new or old. With that money, it was better to buy more delicious food! They quietly approached Tian Sisi and whispered, "Sister, let all the fabric be used to make your new clothes, and you give us more cookies."
"Let’s have cookies and wear new clothes too. How nice it will be to go out looking all pretty!" Tian Sisi laughed, taking a few cookies out of her pocket. She rarely took pastries from the mall anymore but bought simple snacks from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. He Xuewen didn’t allow her to bring those delicate pastries from the mall, fearing it might pose danger to her.
Since Tian Sisi was accustod to carrying snacks, thus He Xuewen would go to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative every few days to buy cookies—buying several kilograms each ti. Wang Qiuyang even joked last ti she visited that the cookies at the cooperative seed to be displayed just for He Xuewen. What used to last several months now sold out within a month, all thanks to He Xuewen. Of course, Tian Sisi didn’t eat those cookies; she fed them to her brothers.
Following her father-in-law’s order, Zhu Aiqing agreed to first make clothes for Tang Tieshan and his grandson, then for He Xuewen and his son. They couldn’t possibly forget the man who bought the fabric, and finally, she would make for their own family. Tian Sisi added, "Mama, I’m not in a hurry, you can make mine after finishing theirs."
"You wish! You should also start learning these sewing skills. Look at how well Sister Wanhua handles her craft; even the shoes your Uncle Fugao wears are made by Wanhua. She’s coming to learn how to cut clothes soon. And look at you, unable to carry or hold anything properly. No, when Sister Wanhua cos, you should learn to sew with her and . Once you’ve learned, you can sew whatever you want," Zhu Aiqing reiterated, genuinely worried about what her daughter would do when she got married. Tian Sisi, who usually showed reluctance, surprisingly agreed imdiately this ti.
"Okay, I’ll learn with Sister Wanhua. Then I can make my own clothes," Tian Sisi had considered this. Being able to make her clothes ant freedom to create whatever she wanted, saving Zhu Aiqing the trouble of nagging. Plus, she could also make clothes for Old Man, Granny Zhao, Tian Manjin, and He Xuewen to show her filial piety.
"Don’t just talk; don’t start complaining about being tired after three days," Zhu Aiqing said skeptically.
"No, I promise I will stick to it until the end," Tian Sisi raised her hand in assurance.
"Grandpa, when I’ve learned, I’ll make new clothes for you and Granny," Tian Sisi tried to ingratiate herself. Seeing Tian Manjin looking aggrieved, she quickly added, "And for Daddy and Daddy, and also Mama."
Tian Sisi should have addressed He Xuewen as "godfather," but whenever she tried, she’d rember the ambiguous modern aning of "godfather" and get goosebumps, so she opted for calling him Daddy. The old man knew about He Xuewen’s role, and hearing his granddaughter call out "Daddy," he sighed inwardly at their natural father-daughter bond and continued calling him that as well.
Granny Zhao felt extrely relieved seeing her granddaughter finally showing ambition. She knew that embroidery was a basic skill every girl should learn. However, each ti Tian Sisi attempted needlework, she would prick her fingers full of holes, which pained Granny Zhao imnsely. Eventually, her husband declared that Ah Nan shouldn’t learn it anymore and, if needed, they’d find a grandson-in-law who excelled in needlework.
Early May in Yuequan Village was the children’s favorite ti, as the wild strawberries on the mountain began to ripen. There were also plenty of tiger roar shoots – those thin bamboo shoots that stood upright like brush pens – Tian Sisi’s favorite dish was these shoots cooked with dried at. Soaked in the at’s juices, the shoots absorbed its flavors and beca delicious, outshining the at itself.
This ti was also the busiest for the village won, who would go up the mountain to gather tiger roar shoots. After peeling and boiling them, they dried the shoots for sale. Previously, they sold to a purchasing station, but this year He Xuewen had declared early on that they should bring the dried shoots to him, promising to buy as much as they could collect and offering a price two cents higher than the purchasing station. Thus, the won stopped going out for other work and focused wholly on gathering shoots, aiming to earn several extra dollars by enduring the hardships of the mountain.
Zhu Aiqing didn’t need to sell shoots for money, but since Tian Aiguo loved to eat them and couldn’t find any in the northern region where he lived, Granny Zhao sent a large package of dried shoots to her eldest son every year. Thus, in the past few days, Zhu Aiqing, along with Jin Wanming and Ma Zhaodi, went up the mountain together to gather shoots. They also planned to collect ferns to dry and cook with at, a delicious preparation despite the now-tough outer ferns. The shady parts of the mountain still bore tender ferns, and with no pressing farm work, Zhu Aiqing intended to collect extra for the winter food shortage.
Ma Zhaodi and Jin Wanming had similar plans. Having earned a good sum from selling liquor these past months, their purses were well filled. They didn’t strain themselves to gather shoots for money as before. With their efforts not directed at earning, the work felt less tedious and more like a spring outing. Jin Wanming even began humming "Nine Jin."
Jin Wanming, in her maiden days, was known in her village for her singing prowess in opera. Sotis when an opera troupe was short-staffed, the villagers would recomnd her as a substitute. Although she hadn’t received formal training, her performances were incredibly lifelike. Nowadays, she would’ve been considered a natural, but in these tis when filling one’s stomach was a struggle, hiring an opera troupe for leisure was unimaginable. Thus, unable to pursue her passion, Jin Wanming resigned herself to marrying and living the life of a typical farmwife.
The other won, busy gathering shoots, heard Jin Wanming’s humming and shouted loudly, "Man Mu’s wife, don’t just hum to yourself, sing us ’Wang Laohu’s Wedding’."
"’Wang Laohu’s Wedding’? What’s appealing about that? Let’s hear sothing from ’Yutang Chun’s court hearings’."
"In my opinion, ’Pearl Tower’ is great. Or how about ’Pan Wife and Wife’?"
"Hey, just let Man Mu’s wife choose whatever she wants to sing. Anything she sings sounds beautiful."
"Yes, let Man Mu’s wife choose."
Generous as ever, Jin Wanming stood up and declared, "Then let’s go with ’Nine Jin’."
"Great! Give us a vocal match."
"My great-grandfather wakes up early, carrying loads to the countryside. From sunrise to moonrise, he gets acquainted with the Moon Grandma. She gives him a lavish fur, hidden here and there, stashed safely away. The cauldron’s handle fits just right, turning my spatula into treasure. With a toss of my spatula, a pot of clean water turns into rice... a lifeti’s supply, uneaten."
Jin Wanming, with her beautiful voice and lively tone, perfectly captured the cheekiness and boldness of Nine Jin. The people around applauded, cheering for more, and Jin Wanming, in high spirits, indulged them with another verse. The entire hillside resonated with laughter and applause, livelier than a modern-day Spring Festival gala. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian) to cast your recomndation and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.)
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