That evening, when Lin Wanqiu checked her space, she discovered that the cotton seedlings had begun to bud. The tiny buds were pale purple, like little bells hanging from the branches, and a faint fragrance could be smelled if you got close. She quickly called Shen Tingzhou and Nian'an to come and see. Shen Tingzhou looked at the buds and said with a smile, "They'll bloom in a few days, and then it'll be a beautiful sight with all that white cotton." Nian'an, on the other hand, lay by the edge of the shed, staring at the buds for a long time, and whispered, "Mother, don't cotton flowers look like clouds in the sky? After they wither, will cotton grow?"
Lin Wanqiu nodded and patted his head: "That's right, after the cotton flowers wither, cotton bolls will form. When the cotton bolls are ripe, they will split open, and inside will be white cotton. We'll pick the cotton together then, fluff it until it's soft, and make a new quilt for Nian'an." Nian'an nodded vigorously, his little face full of anticipation.
A few days later, the cotton field in the space indeed bloomed with white flowers. Large swathes of white blossoms dotted the green leaves, like snowflakes falling on the branches. A gentle breeze blew, and the petals swayed lightly, carrying a faint fragrance. Lin Wanqiu stood by the cotton field, looking at the scene before her, her heart filled with satisfaction. She remembered the grievances she suffered with Nian'an in the Shen family when she first transmigrated. Back then, they couldn't even afford a decent meal, let alone make new quilts for the child. But now, she could not only provide her family with enough to eat and wear, but also create a better life for them with her own hands and the space itself. This was her greatest happiness.
Shen Tingzhou entered the space and saw Lin Wanqiu standing in the cotton field, lost in thought. He walked over and hugged her from behind, saying, "What are you thinking about? You seem so engrossed." Lin Wanqiu leaned against him and whispered, "I was thinking about the past. Life was tough back then, and I was always afraid I couldn't give Nian'an a good life. But now it's better. With you here and with this space, our lives will only get better." Shen Tingzhou tightened his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "I'll always be by your side from now on, and I'll never let you and Nian'an suffer again. After the cotton harvest, we'll make new quilts for Nian'an and seal the windows tightly. This winter, we'll definitely have a warm and cozy time."
Nian'an ran in, holding a cotton flower in her hand, and handed it to Lin Wanqiu: "Mom, look, this flower is so pretty! I'm going to put it in my book so that when the cotton is made into a quilt, I'll know it came from such a pretty flower." Lin Wanqiu took the cotton flower and carefully tucked it into Nian'an's textbook, smiling as she said, "Okay, let's keep it as a souvenir. When the cotton bolls ripen, we'll start picking cotton and making new quilts."
As the cotton flowers gradually withered, cotton bolls began to appear. The small cotton bolls were bluish-green, like little lanterns hanging from the branches. As time passed, the cotton bolls slowly grew larger, and their color changed from bluish-green to light brown. Lin Wanqiu knew that the cotton bolls were almost ripe, so she began to prepare her cotton-picking tools—she rummaged through the warehouse for bamboo baskets and cloth bags, and found a cotton-fluffing bow, preparing to personally fluff the cotton after it was picked.
Shen Tingzhou also began preparations. He set up a cotton drying rack in the yard, washed and dried the old cloths in the house, and prepared them to make quilt linings. Nian An would go to the space every day to check on the cotton bolls and talk to them: "The cotton bolls are ripening soon, I'm waiting for Mother to make me a new quilt."
Finally, on a clear morning, when Lin Wanqiu entered the space, she saw that the cotton bolls had split open, revealing the white cotton inside—the cotton was ripe! The split cotton bolls looked like little open mouths, and the cotton inside was as white as snow, fluffy and soft, shimmering faintly in the sunlight. Lin Wanqiu happily called over Shen Tingzhou and Nian'an, and the three of them, carrying bamboo baskets, began to pick cotton.
Shen Tingzhou moved swiftly, holding the cotton boll in one hand and gently pulling it off with the other, placing the cotton into the bamboo basket. Lin Wanqiu carefully picked out the cotton seeds from the cotton boll; these seeds could be saved for the next planting and could also be pressed for oil. Nian'an followed their example, carefully picking cotton. Although her movements were slow, she was very serious, clutching the cotton in her little hands, her eyes narrowing into slits with a smile.
"Mom, look, I've picked so much cotton!" Nian'an said proudly, holding up the cotton in his hand. Lin Wanqiu walked over, put the cotton in his bamboo basket, and said with a smile, "Nian'an is so capable. After we finish picking all the cotton, we'll start fluffing it and making new cotton quilts."
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the shed, illuminating the three people and the baskets full of cotton. The white of the cotton, the brown of the bolls, and the green of the leaves intertwined in the sunlight, creating a warm scene. Lin Wanqiu looked at Shen Tingzhou and Nian'an beside her, then at the field of cotton, her heart filled with anticipation—in a few days, they would be able to sleep under new cotton quilts, and this winter would surely be exceptionally warm.
After picking the cotton, Lin Wanqiu took it to the rack in the yard to dry. Shen Tingzhou, following Lin Wanqiu's instructions, fixed the bowstring for the cotton carding tool. Nian'an sat on a small stool nearby, looking at the cotton drying on the rack, and whispered, "Mother, now that the cotton is dried, can we make a new cotton quilt?" Lin Wanqiu nodded and patted his head: "Yes, once the cotton is dry, Mother will use the bowstring to make it soft, and then sew it into a quilt. Then Nian'an will have a new quilt under him, and his feet won't get cold at night."
As the sun set, golden rays streamed down the cotton drying racks and bathed the family of three. Lin Wanqiu gazed at the fluffy cotton, her heart filled with anticipation—she could almost see Nian'an sleeping soundly under the new quilt, and she could see herself and Shen Tingzhou nestled together on the kang (heated brick bed), watching their child, their faces beaming with happiness. This winter, with this soon-to-be-made new quilt, would surely be exceptionally warm.
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