Farmer Lady of Fortune, Imperial Concubine, Don't Be Too Sweet

126

"Grandma, the mattress that you and grandpa are using is so hard. I've bought everything, so just make the whole mattress cotton-padded. Use the rest of the cotton to make jackets, enough for everyone in the family." Liu Yusheng hugged her grandmother's arm and acted like a baby. "The muslin cloth that Young Boss sent before has been useless all this time right? It's just right to use it to make cotton overcoats. This year's winter is particularly cold. My brothers may be shivering in the school, so they won't be able to concentrate on their studies."

The grandma was originally a bit distressed, but the thought of sewing a small overcoat for the child and saving the rest for later use, and hearing that the two brothers at school might be freezing, she was immediately swayed.

"Listen to Nannan. We'd be idle nesting at home and unoccupied the whole time, so just take Xiulan and Du Juan to make new clothes for the New Year." The old man gave the go signal. "We're not short of this money now, so eat better and wear better. Let the children be happy."

Otherwise, the child's filial piety would be wasted.

"Fine. I'll bring out the muslin cloth later. Xiao Jinzi gave away a dozen or so of them, in all sorts of patterns – enough for the purpose." The old woman didn't dwell on it, nodding her head in agreement.

A piece of jujube cake was immediately stuffed in her mouth. "Grandma, the next step is hard work for you, mother and second aunt. Here's a piece of jujube cake reward!"

"Hahaha!"

Qian Wanjin wasn't about to be left alone. "Grandma, mine too. I want a new cotton coat too, make me one too!"

"Okay, I'll take your measurements later."

"Young Boss, you're not short of cotton overcoats, are you?" Liu Yusheng was between tears and laughter.

"Why isn't there a shortage of them? There's a shortage of grandma's craft!" Qian Wanjin audaciously reasoned out, "I'm also a family member. How can you leave me out in the open like that? How sad would I be? Am I right, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle, Auntie? Isn't it?!"

"Yes, yes, that's right. We're all family. Here, jujube cake, have a piece." The old lady happily handed over a small piece of jujube cake.

Qian Wanjin lifted his chin and speedily stretched out his hand.

The whole family laughed and chatted around the burning brazier, eating the snacks that the young child had bought. The house was overflowing with happiness.

Outside the house, the wind was bitterly cold. A whiff would sometimes blow in and instantly sweep away the warmth inside.

Time passed quietly as the family worked together to sew cotton quilts and clothes.

"Hand me the scissors."

"This corner is sewn, just flatten the cotton core."

"Stitching, have you stitched it? I'm missing a sleeve here."

"Nannan, don't move. Don't hold the scissors, or you'll cut yourself! Let your Dad bring it!"

The only thing that Yusheng could do was to bake a warm charcoal fire and watch her family work vigorously. She didn't get bored at all.

The pictures before her were so vivid that even a shout at the top of their lungs and a small gesture of threading a needle and stitching, made her feel good. She wanted this beauty to last forever.

The weather was getting colder and colder. The sky was grey and the wind was whipping around outside the house, clanging the unclosed windows.

The three old men were ordered around by the women of the house. They occasionally stole a spare moment to go and roast their hands, and started to sigh whenever they saw the weather outside.

"It's freezing cold and it's probably going to snow."

"It's been raining for a few days and it's just stopped. If it snows again, we may not get out for a month."

"Why else would you call it a cat winter (hiding at home for the winter)? Don't worry, there's enough food piled up in the cellar for us to eat for a long time. We won't starve if we don't go out."

As soon as the words fell, their little girl suddenly pointed outside and yelled, "Look! Look! It's snowing!"

Everyone immediately peeked out and saw that the sky was pressed extremely low. It was as if they could reach out and touch the gray canopy.

In that gray canopy, a patch of dark shadows, shaped like goose feathers, fell silently to the ground and turned into snow. Soon, the layers wrapped the earth in silver.

Note this is for Offline reading/purpose only credits to the authors, publishers, editors and translators.