“I can teach you,” Yun Tangyin turned around and poked his forehead with her fingertip, “but if you tangle the silk thread, you’ll have to be punished by giving me a back massage.”
Fu Yucheng immediately raised his hand: "I guarantee I'll complete the task! But you have to tell me first, what pattern should I embroider on the pillowcase?"
"Let's embroider wild chrysanthemums," Yun Tangyin's eyes curved into crescents. "Didn't you say I look good in a red cloth shirt and wild chrysanthemums?"
"Okay!" Fu Yucheng excitedly went to rummage through the sewing basket. "After we get the cotton tomorrow, we'll buy silk thread and get started right away."
Just then, the kitchen door was gently pushed open, and Song Yushuang came in carrying a cup: "Aren't you asleep yet? I left you a bowl of honey water; drink it before bed to calm your nerves."
Yun Tangyin took the cup, and the warm, sweet aroma wafted out: "Thank you, Mom."
"No need to thank me," Song Yushuang said, glancing at the needle and thread on the table. "Are you going to embroider something?"
"I want to embroider a pair of pillowcases," Fu Yucheng said eagerly. "I'll embroider them with Yinyin; she'll teach me."
Song Yushuang laughed out loud: "You're so clumsy, don't ruin the fabric. Yinyin, don't spoil him, make him pay for new ones if he ruins the embroidery."
"Mom!" Fu Yucheng said helplessly, "I'm not that clumsy!"
Song Yushuang tapped his forehead. "Hurry up and drink some water and go to sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow."
After Song Yushuang left, Yun Tangyin sipped her honey water and smiled, "Did you hear that? Even Mom thinks you're clumsy."
“Then I’ll embroider a pattern.” Fu Yucheng leaned in and kissed the honey stain on the corner of her lips. “So sweet.”
The next morning, just as Fu Yucheng was about to leave, Yu Xia came in carrying a bamboo basket: "Yinyin, this is indigo given to me by my sister-in-law. It's for dyeing cloth. Didn't you want to embroider bamboo patterns? This is perfect for dyeing silk threads."
Yun Tangyin's eyes lit up: "Thank you so much, sister-in-law! I was just worried about not being able to buy any good indigo."
"No need to thank me," Yu Xia said, glancing into the courtyard. "By the way, Xu Rong and Xu Runli scolded you for ages yesterday, saying they'd report you to the commune. You two be careful."
Fu Yucheng sneered: "Let her go. Let the Party Secretary judge and see who loses face."
Yun Tangyin didn't care: "Let them make a fuss, they can't cause any trouble anyway. Sister-in-law, can you help me see how to cut this quilt cover?"
Yu Xia leaned over to take a look: "I'll draw a pattern for you, and you can't go wrong cutting it according to it. By the way, I bought a batch of new needles, they're sharper than our old ones, I got you a pack."
While the two were busy working, Fu Yuanshan returned with the cotton, carrying a paper bag.
Inside the paper package were several bundles of silk threads, some green, some purple, shimmering in the sunlight.
Yun Tangyin picked up a bundle of green thread: "This color is really beautiful, it's perfect for embroidering bamboo."
“Of course,” Fu Yuanshan said with a smile as he saw that Yun Tangyin liked them. “I spent a long time negotiating with Sister Wang from the supply and marketing cooperative before I finally picked out these few of the brightest ones.”
Just then, a commotion erupted at the courtyard gate. Xu Rong stood there with her hands on her hips, shouting, "Yun Tangyin, come out here! My daughter was beaten by Jiang Zhicheng, you have to give me an explanation!"
Yun Tangyin put down her needlework: "I'll go take a look."
Fu Yucheng stopped her, saying, "I'll go."
"I'll go instead." Yun Tangyin brushed his hand away. "Some things need to be made clear."
She walked to the door, looked at Xu Runli crying behind Xu Rong, and said indifferently, "What does Jiang Zhicheng hitting her have to do with me?"
"How can it be unrelated?" Xu Rong leaned forward. "If you hadn't stirred up trouble, would Jiang Zhicheng have made a move? Let me tell you, if you don't give Runli twenty yuan for medical treatment today, I'll report you to the commune!"
"Sue me for what?" Yun Tangyin raised an eyebrow. "Sue me for not seeing your daughter flirting with another man?"
Xu Rong's face turned pale instantly: "You...you're talking nonsense!"
"Whether I'm lying or not, we'll find out by asking at the team headquarters." Yun Tangyin's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear. "The other day, Zhou Desheng saw Xu Runli and Jiang Zhicheng transporting fertilizer to the black market with his own eyes. Should I go find him now and confront him?"
Startled, Xu Runli tugged at Xu Rong's sleeve: "Mom, let's go..."
"Where are you going!" Xu Rong was about to throw a tantrum when she saw Fu Yuanshan standing behind her with a hoe on his shoulder, his eyes as cold as ice.
She immediately lost her temper, said "You just wait," and dragged Xu Runli away in a sorry state.
Fu Yucheng walked over and squeezed Yun Tangyin's hand: "Were you frightened?"
“No.” Yun Tangyin smiled. “The more you give in to this kind of person, the more they will take advantage of you.”
Yu Xia came out of the house: "What bad luck! They ruined our good day. Yinyin, don't take it to heart, let's continue embroidering."
Sitting down again and picking up her needle and thread, Yun Tangyin lost her focus.
Fu Yucheng picked up a needle and clumsily tried to thread it, but after a long time, he still couldn't get it through.
Yun Tangyin couldn't help but laugh: "I'll do it."
She took the needle and easily threaded it through.
Fu Yucheng leaned closer to look: "Wife, you're amazing."
"You'll get it with practice." Yun Tangyin picked up the silk thread. "I'll teach you how to embroider bamboo leaves, like this for now..."
Fu Yucheng studied diligently, and although his stitches were crooked, he didn't prick his hand.
Looking at his focused expression, Yun Tangyin suddenly felt that all her previous unpleasantness had vanished.
During lunch, Fu Yuanzheng suddenly said, "The other day when I went to the commune, I saw Xu Rong talking badly about you to the secretary's wife. The secretary overheard it and scolded her."
Yun Tangyin was taken aback: "How did you know?"
“I was just on my way to submit a report when I overheard a few words,” Fu Yuan said, taking a bite of rice. “I almost beat her to death.”
Fu Yucheng smiled: "Really?"
Despite his laughter, Fu Yucheng gave Fu Yuanshan a deep look.
Song Yushuang sighed, "They're all neighbors, it's not a good look for them to make such a scene. Yinyin, stay away from them in the future, don't get yourself into trouble."
"I understand, Mom." Yun Tangyin put a piece of meat into Song Yushuang's bowl. "Try this. Second Sister-in-law's stew is so delicious."
In the afternoon, Fu Yucheng left, and Yun Tangyin and Jiang Jianhua sewed the quilt cover.
Jiang Jianhua suddenly said, "Yinyin, I heard from Runli the other day that her husband wants to divorce her and the bride price has to be returned. Xu Rong is worried about it."
“They brought this on themselves.” Yun Tangyin’s needle and thread continued. “If Xu Rong hadn’t forced Jiang Zhicheng’s family to ask for more dowry, things wouldn’t have turned out like this.”
“Who can argue with that?” Jiang Jianhua sighed. “But speaking of which, it’s just bad luck to have a mother like that.”
Yun Tangyin didn't reply, but she knew in her heart that there was always something hateful about a pitiful person.
As evening fell, Fu Yucheng returned home and called out as soon as he entered the courtyard, "Wife, I'm home!"
Yun Tangyin poked her head out of the house, still holding a half-embroidered pillowcase in her hand: "You're back? Go wash your hands, I've saved some food for you."
Fu Yucheng leaned closer to look at the work in her hands: "These wild chrysanthemums are embroidered so realistically! They're even more vibrant than the ones that bloom in the mountains."
"You're so sweet-talking." Yun Tangyin removed the pillowcase. "By the way, did you hear anything about what happened today?"
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