As the morning light pierced the autumn mist, painting the fields of the Red Flag Production Brigade a golden-red hue, Lin Wanqiu had already entered the space, her steps glistening with dew. The warm light in the warehouse remained soft. The small loom stood quietly in the corner, its wooden table beside it neatly stacked with carding machines, bobbins, and various colored cotton yarns, like a group of old friends awaiting inspection. Her fingertips brushed against the pale blue cotton yarn, and the weaving tutorial from the space's skill panel last night vividly appeared in her mind. Even the pressure of the pedal and the angle of the shuttle were meticulously marked, gradually calming her initially anxious heart.
“Let’s start by combing the cotton yarn.” Lin Wanqiu picked up the bamboo cotton comb and selected the fluffiest ball of white cotton yarn, placing it on her lap. The comb’s teeth were evenly spaced, and the edges were polished smooth. Following the instructions, she gently laid the cotton yarn on the comb teeth, applying slight pressure with her wrist, and combed from the base of the cotton ball to the tip. The fine white cotton fibers slowly unfolded as the comb teeth moved, like clouds scattered by the wind, landing on the coarse cloth that had been laid out beforehand, exuding a faint scent of sunshine. As she combed, she recalled the key points from the tutorial—the pressure should be even when combing, without breaking the cotton fibers, and the tiny impurities inside should be picked out so that the woven fabric would be delicate and smooth.
At first, her movements were a little clumsy; she would occasionally break the cotton thread or miss the small knots hidden in the cotton balls. But as she combed them more often, her wrists gradually found their strength, and her movements became smoother and smoother. Sunlight streamed in through the virtual window of the spatial warehouse, falling on her focused profile and turning her loose hair a pale gold. She looked at the cotton balls that were gradually being combed in her hands, as if she were holding a ball of soft moonlight, her heart filled with joy—it turned out that this seemingly complicated weaving process was not difficult at all, as long as one calmed down and learned.
After combing the cotton yarn, the next step was winding the bobbin. Lin Wanqiu picked up a small wooden bobbin, twisted the combed cotton fibers into fine thread, fixed one end in the groove of the bobbin, and gently turned the bobbin. With her movements, the cotton thread flowed around the bobbin like water, gradually forming a full bobbin. The light white cotton thread shimmered softly in the sunlight, like it was studded with tiny starlight. As she wound, she calculated in her mind: Nian'an's undershirt would need two bolts of fine cotton fabric, Shen Tingzhou's shirt would need one bolt of slightly thicker fabric, and she could use the light pink fabric for her dress. It seemed she would need to wind at least twenty bobbins.
"Take your time, you'll get it done eventually." Lin Wanqiu put down the wound bobbin, stretched her slightly sore wrists, and looked at the warp spools of the loom. According to the tutorial, the next step was to thread the warp threads—one of the most crucial steps in weaving. The density of the warp threads directly affected the texture of the fabric; too dense a thread would make the fabric stiff, while too sparse a thread would make it look loose. She carefully secured the bobbin to the warp spool, picked up a fine needle, and threaded the cotton thread one by one through the small holes in the heddles. After threading each thread, she gently combed it with a wooden comb to ensure the thread was taut and knot-free.
The cotton thread weaved between her fingers like tiny white streams, gradually forming a fine net on the warp spool. The sunlight rose higher, and the temperature in the space became warm and comfortable. The vegetables in the field were thriving; emerald green cucumbers and bright red tomatoes hung heavily on the vines. The occasional chirping of birds added to the tranquility of this focused moment. Lin Wanqiu was so engrossed in the process of threading the warp threads that she didn't even notice when Chen Tingzhou entered the space until his hand gently touched her shoulder, startling her as she turned around.
"Why didn't you call me? You were so busy you didn't even wipe the sweat from your brow." Shen Tingzhou handed him a clean handkerchief, his eyes full of concern. He had gone to the brigade headquarters that morning to inquire about weaving, but he hadn't seen Lin Wanqiu when he entered. He guessed she must have gone into her spatial dimension, so he followed her in. He hadn't expected to find her so focused that she didn't even notice him. He knelt down, looking at the warp threads already threaded on the loom, and couldn't help but exclaim, "You've already threaded so many warp threads in just half a day? They look even neater than the old weavers I've ever seen."
Lin Wanqiu took the handkerchief and wiped her sweat, a blush rising on her face: "It's all thanks to the excellent tutorials in the space. They even marked the angles for threading the warp threads. I just need to follow them." She took Shen Tingzhou's hand and let him touch the taut warp threads. "Look, with this density, the fabric weaves should be just right, perfect for making Nian'an's little jacket."
Shen Tingzhou's fingertips touched the fine cotton thread, feeling its softness yet firmness. His admiration for Lin Wanqiu grew even stronger. "I went to the brigade headquarters today and asked. Aunt Li's mother-in-law used to be a weaver at the commune's textile factory. She was very skilled. She said if you have any questions, you can ask her anytime." He paused, then took out a cloth bag from his pocket. "Aunt Li asked me to bring this for you. She said it's the shuttle her mother-in-law used to use for weaving. It's easier to handle than ordinary shuttles. She wants you to try it."
Lin Wanqiu opened the cloth bag, inside was a bamboo shuttle, slightly larger than the shuttle in her space. The shuttle was engraved with delicate intertwined branches, and it felt warm and smooth to the touch, clearly an old object that had been used for many years. She picked up the shuttle, weighed it in her hand, and found the weight just right, feeling exceptionally comfortable in her hand: "Aunt Li is so thoughtful. Once I weave my first piece of cloth, I must send some to her first."
"No rush, let's finish making clothes for our family first." Shen Tingzhou helped her adjust the angle of the warp spool to make the cotton thread straighter. "If you're tired, take a break. Don't push yourself. Weaving is delicate work, so take your time." He knew Lin Wanqiu was impatient and wanted to make new clothes for her family as soon as possible, but he was also worried that she would overwork herself, since she had already worked hard enough building the house these past few days.
Lin Wanqiu nodded, but her mind was still focused on learning to weave as soon as possible. She looked at Shen Tingzhou and suddenly remembered that Nian'an was still at home. She quickly said, "I was so focused on weaving that I forgot Nian'an was still outside. Let's go out quickly, so the child won't get impatient."
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