The last rays of winter sunlight slanted through the windows of the Chenji Food Factory's office building, bathing everything inside in a warm, golden glow. The stove fire still burned brightly, its orange flames licking the stove walls with a soft crackling sound, mingling with the bubbling of tea in the copper kettle, creating a gentle winter love song. Lin Wanqiu sat at the pearwood table by the window, clutching the thin telegram tightly in her hand, her fingertips tracing the words over and over again. Each stroke seemed to carry a warm, comforting temperature, soothing her heart, which was filled with joy.
Shen Tingzhou walked over with a plate of freshly steamed osmanthus cakes. Seeing her staring at the telegram again, he chuckled and gently placed the plate on the table: "Still looking? You're probably going to read every word on this telegram."
Lin Wanqiu looked up, her eyes still moist, but a smile she couldn't hide curved her lips. She put down the telegram, picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, and the soft, glutinous cake, carrying the sweet fragrance of osmanthus, slowly melted on her tongue. This taste was a modern flavor she had personally replicated after transmigrating, the very flavor that had sustained her as she climbed out of the mire. Now, this sweet aroma was infused with the joy of soon becoming a grandmother, a rich and intoxicating experience.
"I feel like I'm dreaming." Lin Wanqiu bit into an osmanthus cake, her voice trembling with a mix of sobs and joy. "Yesterday I was hearing Nian'an talk about the good news of the branch opening, and today I received the news that he's going to be a father. Our son has really grown up."
Shen Tingzhou sat down beside her, put his arm around her shoulder, and gazed at the telegram, his eyes filled with a gentle smile. He remembered little Nian'an, who followed behind Lin Wanqiu, thin as a bean sprout, hiding from strangers; he remembered the first time Nian'an held the wooden toy gun he had made, proudly declaring his intention to protect his mother. A mix of emotions welled up within him. Time is a wondrous thing, capable of transforming past hardships into present sweetness.
“Yes, she’s grown up.” Shen Tingzhou echoed softly, his fingertips gently brushing away the stray hairs at her temples. “Yue’e is a good girl, gentle, virtuous, and capable. She will definitely take good care of Nian’an.”
Lin Wanqiu nodded in deep agreement. Nian'an had mentioned in his letter that Yue'e was the daughter of a local Chinese in Singapore, well-educated, kind-hearted, and reasonable. When the branch company was just starting out and there wasn't enough manpower, Yue'e followed Nian'an to the market and negotiate cooperation, staying up several nights in a row, and she single-handedly helped him get things started. Such a girl was a perfect match for her son.
“Yue’e is pregnant, and she must be exhausted from the long journey back.” Lin Wanqiu seemed to suddenly remember something, and stood up abruptly, her eyes filled with urgency. “No, I have to hurry up and prepare things for the baby. Baby clothes, baby blankets, baby shoes, diapers, formula… nothing can be missing.”
As she spoke, she hurried upstairs. Shen Tingzhou watched her rushing figure, shook his head helplessly, but his eyes were full of doting affection. He knew that Lin Wanqiu had channeled all her joy into her concern for her grandchildren.
In the bedroom on the second floor, there was a large camphor wood chest filled with the fine things Lin Wanqiu had accumulated over the years. She opened the chest, and a faint scent of camphor wood wafted out. Inside, several bolts of fine cotton cloth were neatly folded, all taken from her spatial storage. The fabric was soft and the colors elegant, perfect for making clothes for a newborn baby. There were also several silk quilts, also from her spatial storage, light and warm, ensuring the child wouldn't get cold.
Lin Wanqiu carefully carried the fabric out and spread it on the bed. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting shimmering patterns on the fabric like flowing starlight. She reached out and gently stroked the soft texture of the fabric, and an image of a delicate little baby wrapped in this soft blanket involuntarily appeared in her mind, babbling and smiling at her.
"My little darling, Grandma will make you the prettiest little clothes." Lin Wanqiu murmured to herself, her eyes full of gentle smiles. She picked up scissors and needle and thread, sat by the window, and began to cut the fabric. As her fingers flew, fine stitches fell on the fabric, each stitch, each thread, sewn with her overflowing love.
Shen Nianxi skipped upstairs and, seeing the fabric on the bed, curiously approached: "Mom, what are you making? This fabric is so pretty."
"Mom is making clothes for your little nephew." Lin Wanqiu looked up, smiled, and patted her daughter's head. "When your little nephew is born, Xixi will be your little aunt. You have to take good care of your little brother."
“I know!” Shen Nianxi nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling. “I’m going to give all my comic books to my nephew and teach him to sing and draw.”
Looking at her daughter's joyful expression, Lin Wanqiu's heart softened even more. She picked up a piece of pale yellow fabric and held it up against Shen Nianxi: "How about I make you a little dress with this fabric? When spring comes, you can wear your new dress to pick up your brother and sister-in-law from school."
"Yay!" Shen Nianxi cheered, jumped into Lin Wanqiu's arms, and kissed her on the cheek.
The mother and daughter were chatting animatedly when Shen Tingzhou walked in with a cup of warm brown sugar water: "Take a break, don't tire yourself out. There's no rush to make the clothes."
Lin Wanqiu took the brown sugar water, took a sip, and felt the warm liquid slide down her throat, warming her entire body. She looked at the fabric on the bed, but her brows furrowed slightly: "These fabrics are good, but I feel like something is missing. The baby has just been born, and her skin is delicate; she needs the best."
Shen Tingzhou knew what she was thinking and said with a smile, "Don't you have a lot of modern maternity and baby products in your space? Those things are much more exquisite than these fabrics."
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