Lin Wanqiu smiled and said, "It's just some casual embroidery to make the child happy." She knew how important a new cotton-padded jacket was to a child in this era of scarcity, not only for warmth but also for the happiness of being loved. She recalled her past life as a food blogger, always trying her best to surprise her fans. Now reborn, she only wanted to give the best to her family, to this little home she had protected with all her might.

Just as everyone was celebrating, Old Mrs. Shen and Zhang Lan arrived after hearing the news. As soon as Old Mrs. Shen entered, her eyes widened immediately when she saw the new cotton-padded jacket on the table. She quickly walked to the table, reached out to touch the cotton fabric, and muttered, "This fabric looks so good. Wanqiu, you've woven so much fabric, shouldn't you make a cotton-padded jacket for your eldest brother's son, Hu Zi? Hu Zi is the eldest grandson of the Shen family, we can't let him wear old clothes, can we?"

Zhang Lan chimed in, "Yes, sister-in-law, Hu Zi is two years older than Nian An, and his winter coat is so worn out that the cotton wadding is showing. Your fabric is so nice, why don't you make one for Hu Zi too?" She had been itching to make a new cotton coat for her son, thinking that it would make her son look good when they went out.

Lin Wanqiu paused in her needlework, her smile fading. "Mother, sister-in-law, this cloth was specially woven for Nian'an. It's just enough to make one cotton-padded jacket, there's no extra. Besides, shouldn't you make Hu Zi's cotton-padded jacket yourself? I remember last winter, you took a lot of cotton from home, why didn't you make a new cotton-padded jacket for Hu Zi?"

Old Mrs. Shen choked for a moment, her face turning somewhat unpleasant: "I was just thinking of saving some cotton for Nian'an, who knew you would have so much good cotton now! Wanqiu, now that you're living a better life, you can't forget the Shen family. Hu Zi is your nephew too, how can you ignore him?"

“I’m not ignoring him,” Lin Wanqiu put down her needlework, her tone calm but firm. “But I have to take care of Nian’an first. He’s my son, and I can’t let him suffer. As for Hu Zi, if you need cotton, I can give you some, but I don’t have any extra cloth. I also need to make a shirt for Tingzhou and a skirt for myself, so I really can’t spare any.”

Upon hearing that she could get some cotton, Zhang Lan's eyes lit up. She was about to speak when Old Mrs. Shen pulled her back. Old Mrs. Shen glared at Zhang Lan, then looked at Lin Wanqiu, her tone tinged with displeasure: "What's the use of getting some cotton? Without cloth, we still can't make cotton-padded jackets! Wanqiu, you're just biased, only thinking about your own son, completely neglecting the eldest grandson of the Shen family!"

The neighbors around frowned as they listened. Aunt Zhang couldn't help but say, "Grandma Shen, you can't say that. It's not easy for Wanqiu to raise Nian'an alone. She's already very capable, weaving some cloth to make a new cotton-padded jacket for him. Hu Zi is your son, so you should also take care of him. You can't expect Wanqiu to do everything for you, can you?"

Aunt Li chimed in, "Yes, Grandma Shen, Wanqiu is so kind to all of us neighbors, how could she be biased? The main problem is that she really doesn't have enough cloth; she needs to make clothes for Tingzhou and herself. If you really care about Huzi, why not let your sister-in-law learn to weave herself, or go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some cloth? We can't keep eyeing Wanqiu's things, can we?"

Old Mrs. Shen's face flushed red and then turned pale from everyone's comments. Too ashamed to ask for more cloth, she could only pull Zhang Lan away dejectedly. Before leaving, Zhang Lan glared at Lin Wanqiu, thinking to herself: "It's just some cloth! What's the big deal? Sooner or later, I'll make you hand it all over!"

Watching Grandma Shen and Zhang Lan's departing figures, Lin Wanqiu shook her head helplessly. She knew that Grandma Shen and Zhang Lan wouldn't give up easily and would definitely come looking for trouble again in the future, but she wouldn't swallow her anger like before. She wanted to protect her family and the happiness of her little family.

The neighbors also comforted Lin Wanqiu, saying, "Wanqiu, don't take it to heart. They're just jealous that you're living a good life."

"Yes, don't worry, if they dare to bully you again, we'll stand up for you!"

Lin Wanqiu smiled and thanked them, feeling a warmth in her heart. She knew that since her rebirth, not only had her life improved, but she had also won the recognition and support of her neighbors—things she had never dared to dream of before. She picked up her needle and thread and continued embroidering the little rabbit bib, her resolve to make a good life even stronger—not only to provide a good life for her family, but also to help her neighbors prosper, so that everyone could feel the warmth and hope of life in this era of scarcity.

Soon, the little rabbit bib was finished. Lin Wanqiu sewed the bib onto the front of her cotton-padded jacket. The red rabbit stood out against the blue cotton fabric, looking incredibly cute. Shen Nian'an looked at her new jacket and jumped up excitedly, grabbing Lin Wanqiu's hand and saying, "Mom, this jacket is so pretty! Can I wear it now?"

“Not now,” Lin Wanqiu said with a smile, patting her son’s head. “Wait until Mom sews the buttons back on, then washes and dries them. We can wear them when it gets colder. If we wear them now, they’ll get dirty.”

Shen Nian'an nodded sensibly, carefully touched the little rabbit on her cotton-padded jacket, and whispered, "Mom, I will take good care of it and not let it get dirty."

Looking at his son's adorable appearance, Shen Tingzhou couldn't help but smile: "This weekend, I'll take you to the mountain to pick some pine cones and make you a little basket. You can put your little toys in it, and it will look even more impressive when paired with your new cotton-padded coat."

"Great! Great!" Shen Nian'an clapped her hands and cheered happily, her little face full of anticipation.

As the sun set, it bathed the Shen family's courtyard in a warm red glow. Lin Wanqiu hung the newly made cotton-padded jacket on a rope in the yard. The blue cotton fabric shimmered softly in the sunset, and the little red rabbit bib stood out. Neighbors passing by couldn't help but stop and praise the new jacket, envying Nian'an for having such a capable mother.

Lin Wanqiu stood in the courtyard, looking at the new cotton-padded coat hanging on the rope, and then at Shen Tingzhou and Nian'an beside her, her heart filled with happiness.