The brocades Xiao Yunying brought over were yellow and light red, colors commonly used by women, while she kept blue, green, and other less delicate colors for herself.
Zhang carefully touched the brocade: "Is this the brocade worn by wealthy families in the city? It feels so smooth."
Wang said, "This brocade doesn't look cheap. Yunying, you should keep it for yourself."
Zhang withdrew her hand: "Your second sister-in-law is right, we can't accept it."
Xiao Yunying put the cloth on the kang (a heated brick bed), divided it into two groups, picked them up and stuffed them directly into the arms of her two sisters-in-law: "You're going to try to refuse me again, aren't you? Don't you know my temperament? Sisters, take it without worry. I told you I won't do any more embroidery, so there's no use keeping this cloth. These two bolts of brocade are brightly colored, so you two can decide how to divide them."
Zhang said, "What do you need? Your sister-in-law will make it for you."
"It's not necessary for now. Sisters, you can use what you need. Don't feel bad about spending money. This was a gift from someone else. It didn't cost any money. I kept a few bolts of brocade. You can make whatever you want to make in the future."
Zhang said, "Even if it doesn't cost me money, I still have to do you a favor."
Xiao Yunying took the dried blueprints from the table, folded them, and put them into Zhang's hands: "I have my own way of returning the favor, sister-in-law, don't worry about it. These are my newly drawn clothing patterns. There are cotton clothes and spring clothes. You can tell whether they are for men, women, or children."
The details are the same as I told you before. I've marked the color schemes for the embroidery and fabric. You sisters-in-law can figure it out yourselves. There will still be some time before spring plowing after the New Year, so you can make clothes for your family when you have some free time.
Wang wanted to put down the cloth in her arms: "I've made quite a few new clothes this year."
Xiao Yunying didn't give her a chance to put it down, pushing the cloth back into her arms and gently pushing them towards the door.
"We're making cotton-padded clothes and undergarments. We haven't made any spring clothes yet. After spring arrives, my eldest and second eldest brothers will be working in the fields and going up the mountain. Their clothes will wear out quickly from all the back and forth. We need to make several sets so they can change into different clothes. The same goes for the children. They're growing a lot. I noticed that my nephews' clothes from last year are too small and they need to be replaced."
Zhang was used to being frugal: "Whose children don't have the older ones wearing the younger ones' clothes? Nobody always wears new clothes."
Children are resilient; they often tear and shred their clothes while jumping around. When they're torn, they can be patched up, and when they're too short, they can be pieced together with fabric of a similar color. They can make do and wear them for another year.
"Why be reluctant to use the fabric we have at home? What if it gets eaten by bugs and rats? It will fade and look bad if left for too long. Why not make it and wear it while it's still in good condition?"
Current color-fixing technology is not as good as modern technology, and cotton fabric will fade over time.
Zhang was left speechless and unable to find a reason to refuse. Xiao Yunying took the opportunity to escort them to the front door: "By the way, sister-in-law, my injuries don't hurt as much anymore, and my wrist is almost healed. I can cook dinner myself. You don't need to watch over me anymore. Help Mother tidy up the house."
Before putting up Spring Festival couplets, a thorough cleaning is necessary. The house and yard of the bride's family home are quite large, and cleaning them inside and out is no easy task.
"Then I'll tell my mother, and if she agrees, I won't come over."
"Don't just relay the message, sister-in-law and second sister-in-law, please help me persuade them."
Helpless, Zhang could only say, "Alright, I understand. I'll try to persuade your mother."
Xiao Yunying waved her hand: "Don't give the brocade to my brothers. They don't need it, and it would be a waste for rough men to wear it. My eldest sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, and mother can use it for their own clothes and belongings."
Wang used one hand to close the door: "I know, it's cold, you should go back inside and not come out again."
After seeing her two sisters-in-law off, Xiao Yunying locked the door and stretched.
"The cotton cloth has all been given away, so I have nothing to worry about. It's really good."
She doesn't know how to sew, so keeping her is useless. It's better to use her to make clothes for her family or something, so as not to waste her time.
I strolled over to the backyard and took out two apples from the supermarket to feed the sheep.
She didn't know what the other sheep were like. A couple of days ago, when she was feeding the sheep, she found that her two goats were eating an apple that Luo Xin had dropped. Today, she thought she would try to see if they would eat it.
The two sheep, with their big lips sticking out and teeth bared, took a big bite out of the apple, and a large piece was missing.
Xiao Yunying turned the apple around so she wouldn't bite her finger: "Baa baa, eat up, you won't get to eat it tomorrow."
She plans to have her father kill the ewe and eat it tomorrow.
Garlic-flavored lamb blood, charcoal-grilled lamb chops, lamb soup, spicy stir-fried lamb offal, braised lamb trotters, lamb spine hot pot—oh my, just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
We'll save the lamb for now and roast it after the New Year.
The ewe finished the apple in a few bites, and Xiao Yunying gave it another one. She took two forks of grass from the haystack that her older brother had cut for her and piled up to the side, put it into the stone trough, poured in some soybeans and peanuts, clapped her hands, and prepared to go to the kitchen to cook a sumptuous dinner.
When Luo Chen went to the front yard, he heard someone knocking on the door. He came out of the study, and Xiao Yunying opened the door: "Go in, I'll open it."
Fang Rou stood outside the door, carrying two cloth bags, and asked, "Did your family bring you food?"
The two families lived close by, and since there wasn't much to do in the winter, Fang Rou would occasionally come to her house to do embroidery and chat. She knew that because of her fall and injury, her mother wouldn't let her do any work, and even her meals were delivered by her family or cooked by them.
Xiao Yunying stepped aside: "No, it's only been a short while and I'm already eating. Besides, I'm almost fully recovered, so I told my mother not to bring me food anymore; I'll cook for myself."
This fall was quite severe, leaving large bruises that are purplish-black and won't fade quickly. However, it doesn't hurt as much as it did a couple of days ago, perhaps because she's gotten used to this level of pain and has become somewhat accustomed to it.
My wrist has been covered with a plaster. The sprain is almost healed, and I can cook a meal without any problem.
Xiao Yunying asked, "What are you holding?"
Fang Rou came in carrying two cloth bags and went into the kitchen with practiced ease: "Your wrist isn't good, so don't take them. I'll bring them in for you. These are sunflower seeds and peanuts that my mother and I roasted this morning. I'm bringing you some to have as a snack when you have nothing to do."
Xiao Yunying followed her inside, opened the cloth bag, peeled some melon seeds and ate them: "They're roasted to perfection. Did you grow these melon seeds yourself?"
"Yes, I planted some by the field, thinking that when people come to visit during the New Year, they'll have something to eat to pass the time. Your house is quite warm, so don't eat too much at once, it's easy to get a sore throat. If you want some, I'll bring you some more."
As Fang Rou spoke, she took two oil paper packets from the cloth bag containing peanuts and placed them on the table: "These are peanut candy and melon seed candy that I made. Give them to the children to eat."
Peanut syrup, melon seed syrup, and pine nut syrup are made by putting the shelled nuts into melted maltose, stirring well, letting it cool, and then cutting it into pieces.
It's simple to make, but it's a rare treat for children from ordinary farming families.
Fang Rou then added, "It can't compare to the food you give our children, so please don't be disgusted."
Xiao Yunying pretended to frown in displeasure, opened the oil paper, pinched a piece of peanut candy and put it in her mouth: "I don't like hearing you say that. What do you mean by 'disdain'? Peanut candy and melon seed candy are fragrant and sweet, and I love to eat them too."
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