The soft morning light of early winter filtered through the window and fell on the cotton drying rack in the yard, making the fluffy cotton look like piles of snow. Lin Wanqiu stepped into the yard in the morning light, her fingertips brushing against the dried cotton, its softness like clouds, and a warmth instantly welled up in her heart—today, she could finally make a new quilt for Nian'an.

Shen Tingzhou had already moved the cotton-fluffing tools to the center of the courtyard. The bowstring was taut, the mallet was placed to the side, and a clean piece of coarse cloth was laid out. Seeing Lin Wanqiu come over, he smiled and handed her a pair of newly sewn cloth shoes: "Change your shoes first, so you don't get the cotton dirty." Lin Wanqiu took the shoes and put them on. The soles were soft; Shen Tingzhou had sewn them last night by the light of a kerosene lamp, the stitches fine and even. She looked up at Shen Tingzhou; his eyes were bloodshot from staying up all night, but he still smiled gently, and her heart warmed.

"Mom, Mom! I'll help too!" Nian'an ran in with his little schoolbag on his back, on which hung some wild jujubes he had just picked yesterday. He put down his schoolbag and went to get the small bamboo basket that was placed to the side, wanting to help hand over the cotton quilt. Lin Wanqiu smiled and pulled him to her side, straightening his crooked collar: "Nian'an, be good, go wash your hands first, then help Mom get the spool of thread, let's add some good fortune to the new quilt together."

Nian'an obediently ran to wash his hands, and when he returned, he was holding a small peach wood plaque with a crookedly carved character for "peace" on it—he had learned to carve it with his teacher at school yesterday. "Mom, if we sew this into the quilt, it will protect me and Mom and Dad and keep us safe and sound." He handed the peach wood plaque to Lin Wanqiu, his little face full of seriousness. Lin Wanqiu took the peach wood plaque, feeling a surge of emotion, and carefully put it in her pocket: "Okay, let's sew it into the inside of the quilt so it can always protect our whole family."

Shen Tingzhou picked up a wooden mallet and began to fluff the cotton. The mallet struck the bowstring, producing a buzzing sound that caused the cotton fibers to tremble gently. The cotton fibers, which had been somewhat clumped together, gradually became fluffy and even under the vibration of the bowstring, like unfolding white clouds. Lin Wanqiu sat to the side, holding a bamboo sieve, gently sifting the fluffed cotton fibers to remove the small cotton seed husks. Sunlight shone on them, weaving the white of the cotton fibers, the gray of the coarse cloth, and the blue of Shen Tingzhou's work clothes into a warm scene.

Nian'an sat on a small stool, a spool of thread in his hand, his eyes glued to his parents as they worked. He watched his father's strong arms swing the wooden mallet, watched his mother carefully sifting the cotton, his heart filled with anticipation—once the new quilt was finished, he could sleep wrapped in its softness, no longer having to curl up in a cold ball at night. Occasionally, a breeze would blow by, carrying the sweet scent of cotton, and Nian'an couldn't help but take a deep breath, thinking it was the most wonderful smell in the world.

The fluffed cotton was spread on the coarse cloth, like a thick layer of white snow. Lin Wanqiu picked up a needle and thread and began to sew the quilt. Her needlework was skillful; the thread passed through the cotton, leaving fine stitches that firmly fixed the cotton to the cloth. Shen Tingzhou helped by holding the edges of the cloth to prevent the cotton from shifting. "Wanqiu, who taught you this needlework? It's so good," Shen Tingzhou asked, watching her nimble fingers.

Lin Wanqiu's lips curved into a smile as she recalled the scene of her grandmother teaching her to sew a quilt in her previous life: "I learned it from my grandmother. She always said that sewing a quilt requires care and the stitches must be close together, so that the quilt will be warm and can protect the safety of the whole family." She lowered her head and continued sewing, the stitches becoming closer and closer. She thought about Nian'an sleeping under the new quilt, and that Shen Tingzhou would no longer have to wake up frequently at night because he was worried that she and Nian'an would catch a cold. Her hands sewed with even more care.

Watching his mother sew the quilt, Nian'an suddenly remembered something. He ran back into the house, took out his little paintbrush, and gently drew a small cotton ball on the corner of the quilt. "Mom, I drew cotton on the quilt, so our quilt will always smell like cotton!" he said proudly, tilting his little face up. Lin Wanqiu looked at the crooked little cotton ball, her heart warming. She gently sewed a few stitches along the drawing, securing the little cotton ball to the quilt. "Good, this is Nian'an's gift for the new quilt. We should treasure it."

Before they knew it, the sun was high overhead. The new quilt was gradually taking shape, its fluffy cotton filling firmly sewn into the fabric, like a soft cloud. Lin Wanqiu picked up the quilt and gently shook it; the cotton filling spread out fluffily, emitting a faint fragrance. She held the quilt in front of Nian'an: "Nian'an, try it out, isn't the new quilt soft?"

Nian'an reached out his little hand and gently touched the quilt, a surprised smile appearing on his face: "So soft! Softer than Mother's hands!" He rushed into Lin Wanqiu's arms, hugging the quilt, and said happily, "Thank you, Mother, I finally have a new quilt!" Lin Wanqiu hugged her son, her heart filled with happiness—this new quilt was not only made of cotton from her space, but also sewn with her love for her family; every stitch and every thread held her hopes for the future.

Shen Tingzhou walked over, gently touched the new quilt, and then patted Nian'an's head: "With the new quilt, Nian'an will never have cold feet again in winter. When she goes to sleep at night, she can smell the fragrance of cotton and have a sweet dream." He looked at Lin Wanqiu, his eyes full of tenderness, "Wanqiu, thank you for your hard work."

Lin Wanqiu shook her head and smiled, saying, "It's not hard work. As long as our family is warm and cozy, that's better than anything else." She carried the new quilt into the house and spread it on Nian'an's small kang (heated brick bed). Sunlight streamed through the window, making the white quilt appear somewhat transparent, highlighting the small cotton patterns on it. Nian'an followed her into the house, lay down on the kang, hugged the new quilt, and smiled contentedly.

In the afternoon, Lin Wanqiu took out the remaining cotton and began making a cotton-padded coat for Shen Tingzhou. Shen Tingzhou helped cut the cloth, and the two chatted as they worked. "Wanqiu, in a few days, I'll go up the mountain to cut some bamboo to make window frames for us, and then paste paper on them. That way, it will be warmer in winter," Shen Tingzhou said.

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