Chapter 23: Learning to Make Clothes
"I said, what did you buy in all those bags?"
Fang Mingyan walked around Jia Jia twice and asked in surprise, saying that the amount of things she brought back was even more exaggerated than what her mother brought back from her parents' home ten times.
Wen Jiajia collapsed on the donkey cart, exhausted, and waved her hand: "Just some daily necessities."
Some?
Come on, a whole carload of aunties might not buy as much as you do.
Wen Jiajia was panting heavily. She really felt that she only bought a few things. After all, she had not spent all the 30 yuan.
Who knew 30 yuan could last so long? I bought everything I wanted and still had 5.80 yuan left in my pocket.
If it was the Wen family's money, she would definitely not spend it like this. After all, making money is not easy. She is not a member of the Wen family, so she cannot take it for granted that she will spend the Wen family's money lavishly.
But she earned this 30 yuan by herself, and she was so frustrated by the word "poverty" that she had to give it a good vent, otherwise what would be the point of living such a boring life.
It was also because there was an archaeological team stationed in the village recently, the police came every now and then, and the militia was hanging around the village entrance all day, that she dared to show off her wealth. Otherwise, even if she was given 100 yuan, she would not dare to spend it like this.
It was noon, Fang Mingyan took Wen Jiajia to eat noodles.
"This noodle is really delicious. I ate it when I was a kid. Now they only make it during the market. We finally come to the market, it would be a shame if we don't eat a bowl of noodles."
Fang Mingyan and Wen Jiajia squeezed through the crowd and arrived at the noodle stall. They spotted an empty seat and sat down immediately. They even took out two bowls from their bag.
Wen Jiajia was stunned with shock.
Fang Mingyan pulled out two pairs of chopsticks, with a look that said, "How can you be so ignorant?" "If you want to eat noodles from this stall, you have to wait at least half an hour if you don't bring your own bowls and chopsticks. You should learn from this."
Just like before, standing in line stupidly.
Why queue? Just squeeze in and sit when you see an empty seat.
Wen Jiajia showed a "taught" expression on her face. She took the chopsticks and bowl and waited for Fang Mingyan to order noodles.
"What do you want to eat? Their mixed noodles are the best." Fang Mingyan introduced, "Of course, mixed noodles and rice ball soup are also OK."
Wen Jiajia was puzzled: "No water on the head?"
"Pouring water?" Fang Mingyan was puzzled for a moment, "Oh, you mean the ingredients, right? No, it's just mixed noodles. At most, I'll sprinkle some chopped green onions on it."
Okay, then mix the noodles and add a bowl of ball soup.
Wen Jiajia thought, just treat it as eating Shaxian.
But when she put the noodles into her mouth, she realized that she had really underestimated this bowl of noodles.
The noodles are very smooth, with oil on the surface, which can be sucked into your mouth with a gentle sip.
The noodles were also very fragrant, and seemed to be made from this year's new wheat, coupled with the brine and lard that were made somehow, which instantly killed all the mixed noodles she had eaten in her previous life.
Wen Jiajia chewed it and was stunned.
Fang Mingyan said happily: "Finally I can eat it again. Isn't it delicious? I've been thinking about it for a long time."
Wen Jiajia nodded and continued eating without raising her head.
The sellers at that time were quite honest. If they said the price was 4 taels, they really meant it.
The ball soup is also very good.
Vermicelli is rice vermicelli. After it is cooked, you can cut it with a knife or grab it with your hands, just cut it into small pieces.
Wen Jiajia tasted mushrooms and ginger in it, and then chewed something that was a bit chewy but extremely fragrant.
What was it? It was pig fat residue. Wen Jiajia tasted it carefully and found out what it was.
She thought this food was very ingenious. A little bit of pork lard made the rice balls more fragrant than meatballs.
Wen Jiajia regretted that she didn't bring a lunch box, otherwise she would have packed two portions to take away.
She synthesized lunch boxes a few days ago and exchanged them for three, all of which she hid at home.
After lunch, the villagers finished shopping.
Wen Jiajia cracked the whip, and there was another "go!" sound, and they returned home with a full load.
Fuyang Brigade.
Perhaps many people had gone to meet up, and those left in the village kept looking towards the village entrance from time to time.
When Wen Jiajia drove to the entrance of the village, many people gathered around her.
Wen Jiajia escaped from the encirclement very flexibly.
Just kidding, she has so many bags, if she was really trapped inside, her things could easily be touched.
So she rushed home without stopping, and after putting the things away, she came out to comfort Daqiang and took him to the cowshed.
"Aunt, what did you buy?"
After returning home, she asked Wen Chun and Wen Xuan to squat in the main room and stare at her pile of things.
Wen Jiajia didn't tell them.
No matter how sensible the two girls were, they were only three-year-old children. No matter how strict their mouths were, they could not resist the adults' digging.
Tell them what to do if they let something slip.
So he used the ultimate method, took out two big buns from the paper bag and stuffed them in front of them: "Eat quickly, there wasn't enough rice noodles in the pot at noon, and now is the perfect time to eat buns."
Wen Chun and Wen Xuan jumped up excitedly, their little faces puffed up, and they held the buns and sniffed them hard.
The two of them hurriedly sat on small stools and started eating, and even poured themselves a glass of water to go with their meal.
Wen Jiajia started to organize things.
At this moment, she felt the long-lost joy of unpacking a package.
First of all, there was pork, which was raised in a village in Hongji Commune. Wen Jiajia bought two kilograms of the best pork belly, which she planned to roast.
Then there was mutton. When Wen Jiajia found out, she quickly grabbed a pound of it, which was just enough to stew with the radish.
After being hit by frost, the radish becomes sweet and is perfect for stewing lamb.
Wen Jiajia thought about it and took the pork and mutton to the kitchen, put the pork in the cupboard and soaked the mutton in water.
Then turn on the fire, pour the mutton and water into the pot and cook.
The mutton needs to be stewed for a longer time to be tasty. If you stew it now, it will be just right to eat in the evening.
Wen Jiajia went to continue cleaning up.
She took out a bag of old-fashioned French cakes and another bag of peach cakes. Fortunately, the two girls were eating buns, otherwise they would have been extremely excited after seeing them.
The old-fashioned French cookies and peach cakes were locked in the cupboard of the original owner's parents' room. The door of their room was rarely opened, which effectively prevented mice from entering.
She continued to take vegetable seeds out of the bag.
The vegetables for winter had actually already been planted, and she bought seeds for next spring.
Wen Jiajia also bought balsamic vinegar, rapeseed oil, kerosene, a few candles, and some red beans.
The fragrant vinegar of Hongji Commune is very famous. My family was running out of vinegar, so I bought some to try.
After finishing the first bag, Wen Jiajia put all the things in place and started to organize the second bag.
When you open the bag, the first thing you see is some spices, such as star anise, cinnamon and peppercorns.
Under the spices was flour, 8 kilograms of flour, which was more than enough for her to eat until the New Year.
Then there are apples.
The apples were shipped from other places. She bought eight of them. They were only about the size of her fist, quite small.
But is it worth worrying about these now? It’s good enough to have something to eat.
In this way, half a bag was left.
What's in the last half bag?
There is brown sugar, authentic brown sugar made from the first crop of sugarcane this year. There is white sugar, two kilograms, enough to last until next year.
There were also paper and pens, rat poison, dried kelp, shrimp skin, and half a pound of roasted dried shrimp.
Oh, there were two live ducks tied in the bamboo basket. She planned to raise them and eat them during the Chinese New Year.
Everything was ready. Wen Jiajia straightened up and clapped her hands with satisfaction.
Look, the house is full in an instant.
evening.
The blanched mutton has been put into the casserole for stewing. By now the meat has become extremely soft.
As for the white radish, it was also put in an hour ago. The sweet taste of the radish slowly seeps into the soup, just enough to neutralize the greasy smell of the mutton. Wen Jiajia just took a sip and found the mutton soup fresh, sweet and delicious.
Let’s have mutton soup with steamed buns tonight.
The remaining buns were placed in a bamboo steamer to heat up, while Wen Chun and Wen Xuan were waiting eagerly beside them.
"Do you like buns so much?" Wen Jiajia pinched their chubby faces.
Having lived with her for such a long time, I have been eating eggs and meat more frequently than usual, so naturally I am fatter than before.
Wen Chun smiled and showed her small teeth: "I like it, the buns are delicious."
Okay, you can eat it every day when you have money in the future.
It was getting dark.
The back door was not closed, and the evening breeze blew into the kitchen through the back door. The chickens had already been driven into the chicken coop and could only make a few muffled sounds. However, the ducks that had just arrived home were still jumping up and down in the pig shed, unwilling to be tied up.
The temperature dropped sharply. Wen Jiajia put on a cotton jacket and washed her hands with hot water before starting to eat.
After drinking the hot mutton soup accompanied with the tender mutton, Wen Jiajia felt that all the coldness in her bones disappeared.
The mutton was stewed for a long time, and the bone marrow could be sucked out at will. Wen Jiajia stopped only after she had finished four pieces of mutton and put her chopsticks on the radish.
The radish is tender, like the radish just cooked in oden. When you take a light bite, the sweet juice will come out.
The two girls clearly preferred meat to vegetarian food. Wen Jiajia couldn't stand it anymore, so she put a piece of radish in each of their bowls. They actually ate happily.
The moon is above the treetops.
After eating the steamed buns with the mutton soup, his stomach finally felt full of energy and warmth. His whole body felt warm, and even Wen Jiajia's feet were warm when he slept at night.
——
Midwinter is approaching.
Wen Jiajia received a reply from Wei Dai on this day.
The villagers said that this winter would be very cold, so Wen Jiajia went to the commune winery to find Feng An last week.
Wei Dai had probably told him about this, and he sent half a cart of coal to Wen Jiajia before she even opened her mouth.
With half a cart of charcoal, Wen Jiajia tried many times and finally made a stove. It was worth her going to the county town to buy iron twice.
With the stove, the stone pit in the backyard could be retired. The clay pot also began its daily work life, usually cooking porridge or soup, or corn silk water or sweet soup.
As the weather gets colder, farm work in the village gradually decreases.
The tung trees were the first to shed their leaves, followed by the persimmon trees at the gate. However, the bamboo forest remained green, making the winter less bleak.
The village did not organize autumn and winter hunting this year because there were not many prey left in the mountains.
Moreover, this year all the pigs raised in the village were able to be sold out. In comparison, the villagers were not very interested in the smelly and tough wild boar meat.
The villagers gradually began to arrange the sowing of rapeseed. Wen Jiajia then realized that rapeseed was also grown in the village. No wonder rapeseed could be bought at the big market some time ago.
In addition, there is also mountain clearing, which is the work of clearing weeds on the mountains, as well as cutting trees and repairing river dams in the commune.
These jobs are all voluntary, but many people are willing to do it, as they can earn a little bit. After saving for a few years, they can build a house for their family.
Since she can volunteer, Wen Jiajia certainly doesn't want to go. It would be so nice to let the ducks go every day.
Although the work points are not much, but...
She was wondering whether she should marry Wei Dai after her birthday.
After reading the reply, Wen Jiajia fell into deep thought.
To be honest, she liked Wei Dai very much, and the two of them had a foundation of affection. In addition, this man met her aesthetic standards, and after spending some time together, she did not find any flaws in his character.
He is actually very gentle and can get along with anyone. But he is definitely not an honest person and can also show a sharp side.
Wei Dai has a bottom line in everything he does. Just look at how he helps his parents collect debts and you'll know that he has a tough style of doing things.
He is tall. Wen Jiajia was 172cm tall in her previous life, and the original owner was 168cm tall. Many people in the village are not as tall as the original owner. I am so tall, I can't find a short one to drag down my future children, Wen Jiajia thought harshly.
The key is that he is talkative, not a dull person, and can say sweet things to please her and make her happy. He also doesn't smoke or drink, which makes Wen Jiajia very satisfied.
Most importantly, he still has faith. He promised to raise Wen Chun and Wen Xuan with her, so he will definitely do so. His financial situation can also guarantee that he can raise Wen Chun and Wen Xuan, and his work can also bring her a good job.
The letter said that Wei Dai had already found a house and if nothing unexpected happened he would be able to get one.
Facing Wei Dai's question about how to decorate the house... Wen Jiajia thought about it, picked up the pen and began to write seriously.
She thought that she might be willing to build a family with him.
[…If possible, I hope to have a bathroom at home. It doesn’t need to be complicated. If you don’t know how to build one, you can refer to the picture below.]
Wen Jiajia swished and drew a picture of the bathroom.
She didn't make things difficult for Wei Dai. It would be best if there was a squat toilet, but if not, she could build a room for the toilet.
At the same time, I don’t require a shower, I just hope there is a counter to place the wooden barrel.
After all, the water heaters of this era...even if she could buy one, she wouldn't dare to use it, for fear that she would die from it.
[Open up a plot of land in the yard and plant some garlic sprouts, green onions, peppers and common vegetables.] Wen Jiajia continued to write.
Since Wei Dai said there was 50 square meters, it would be possible to grow a lot of things. As for whether it was possible to grow crops, Wen Jiajia had never thought about it. According to what Wei Dai said, it was a remote place, so it was probably possible. Otherwise, what would the family members inside eat?
[…to separate the two bedrooms, I hope the kitchen can be a little bigger, the living room layout is as follows.]
Wen Jiajia quickly drew a layout of the living room, even drawing the sofa, for fear that Wei Dai would be careless and make a long wooden chair for her.
After finishing, Wen Jiajia counted and found that she had written six pages. She was satisfied. If Wei Dai didn't write seven pages next time, she would definitely point it out.
The next day, Wen Jiajia went to the county town to mail a letter.
After sending the letter, she finally remembered what she had done some time ago to find a teacher, so she took needlework and some old clothes to find Fang Mingyan.
Fang Mingyan snorted, "I thought you were going to forget about me as your master."
Wen Jiajia stuffed two bags of dates into her hands and said, "How can I do that? I'm busy. I'll come to see you as soon as I'm done."
The honey dates at this time were very sweet, so sweet that they were sickening, but almost everyone liked them, and Fang Mingyan was no exception.
But Wen Jiajia was not at all grateful. If Wen Chun and Wen Xuan didn't like her, she wouldn't have bought it.
However, Wen Chun and Wen Xuan probably ate too much sweets recently and started to have cavities, so Wen Jiajia began to strictly control their sweets intake. Of course, the sweetest dates were confiscated and they were not allowed to eat them anymore.
Fang Mingyan put a candied date in her mouth and said with a smile: "Okay, let's start now."
Her sewing skills may not be the best among her peers in the village, but she is more than capable of teaching Wen Jiajia.
"You... don't you know how to cut clothes?" Fang Mingyan looked puzzled. "Then didn't you make your own clothes before?"
Wen Jiajia nodded.
The original owner had never worn new clothes. She only wore clothes discarded by her adoptive parents, so naturally she had never been exposed to sewing skills.
And she would never do that.
"Okay! Then I'll teach you from the beginning." Fang Mingyan sighed, feeling that Wen Jiajia had a very difficult life in the past.
She spread out the clothes that Wen Jiajia brought and told her in detail how to tailor them according to her body shape.
After teaching how to make clothes, she taught how to make pants. She only taught the simplest styles. She didn't know how to make the most difficult ones, so Wen Jiajia had to learn them slowly.
As for sewing some flowers and plants, forget it. Fang Mingyan said that she could sew the threads neatly and densely, which was the result of her hard work over the years.
Okay, that’s actually all Wen Jiajia wants to learn.
So she spent her time practicing needlework. When she had nothing to do at home every day, she would take out old clothes to practice.
There isn't much else in the house, just a lot of old clothes.
The old clothes were made into new ones, but she didn't wear them. Instead, she gave them to Wen Chun and Wen Xuan.
Each person makes a new cotton shirt and a new pair of cotton pants.
I also made them each a pair of overalls that can be worn when the weather is warm. They are so beautiful that the two children want to wear them now.
I also made small pillows for them, filled with buckwheat shells. They are warm in winter and cool in summer, and they like them very much.
As for her own new clothes, of course they had to be made with new fabrics and skilled craftsmanship.
This morning, Wen Jiajia happened to use a pound of new cotton and some other waste cotton products to make a piece of cotton cloth and a piece of cloth with colorful patterns. She decided to use this piece of cotton cloth to make herself two new sets of clothes.
Wen Jiajia asked Fang Mingyan to help her measure the size, and then put the cotton cloth on the long table to cut it.
Fang Mingyan tilted her head to look at it and asked curiously, "What kind of clothes are you going to make? They're weird."
Can you wear this outside? It's so tight around the waist.
Wen Jiajia said proudly: "I want to make a piece of clothing that is easy to wash."
Then he patted the cotton cloth under his hands and said, "I am making the inner lining now. You will know when you see the finished product."
The inner chamber, that is to say, there is also the outer shell.
Fang Mingyan became interested and helped to cut it, wanting to see the finished product as soon as possible.
The sunlight flooded into the main room from the patio and soon reached Wen Jiajia's toes.
At the end of the year, the nursery closed down.
Wen Chun and Wen Xuan are on vacation, and they wander around the house every day looking for food, playing with their two puppies who are wagging their tails and running around.
In order to consume their energy, Wen Jiajia would put peach cakes or old-fashioned French biscuits in corners and let them find them.
A small piece is hidden here, and a small piece is hidden there.
They ate one piece of food and then found another, just enough to digest what they had eaten before, without worrying about food accumulation.
Fang Mingyan laughed when she saw it: "Chun'er and Xuanxuan are much more lively. Back then..." She paused, "It was also like this when your sisters were around."
They are about the same level of liveliness, but to be honest, they look more robust now.
Everyone in the village said that Wen Jiajia had really treated the two children well, and now the two children were showing signs of becoming as successful as their peers in the village.
Wen Jiajia just curled the corners of her mouth and said nothing.
It's the same old saying. She occupied the original owner's body and took over the Wen family's inheritance. She is a human being, not an animal. How could she ignore two three-year-old girls?
Besides, Wen Jiajia also has selfish motives.
At first she thought that if she didn't get married in this life, Wen Chun and Wen Xuan would be able to take care of her in her old age.
Having a child without a man, and a child with close blood relationship, if this happened in her previous life, she would wake up laughing in her dreams.
Now, although she has the intention to get married, after spending so much time together, it is hard for Wen Jiajia not to develop feelings for the two well-behaved and sensible girls. Her feelings are much deeper than her feelings for Wei Dai. How can she bear to treat them harshly?
Fang Mingyan was afraid of hurting Wen Jiajia's feelings, so she stopped talking and the two of them continued to cut the clothes quietly.
After cutting, start putting the cotton on.
Wen Jiajia thought about it and decided to put in one pound of cotton.
She was tall, so the clothes were medium-length. She had originally decided to use 60-80 taels, but she thought that she might not be in Fuyang Brigade in a few years, but go to a place further north. The snow was white, so she might need a thicker cotton quilt.
The lining of the cotton shirt was finally finished, and Wen Jiajia started to make the outer shell.
Fang Mingyan finally understood and said with a smile: "This is just a smock. My mother and my nephew wear it every day."
How can it be the same as what you said?
The outer shell of the clothes is made exactly like ordinary clothes. If the weather is warmer, you can remove the lining and wear just the outer shell.
Most importantly, you can wash the outer garment separately in winter. Cotton becomes less warm the more you wash it. If Wen Jiajia washes and changes clothes as often as she does, this cotton jacket will be thrown away in two years.
Wen Jiajia also has a pursuit for the beauty or ugliness of clothes.
You don't need to spend much time on the lining, just sew it tightly and make it fit.
But for the outer shell, Wen Jiajia used a material with a white background and small floral patterns. When Fang Mingyan put it on, her eyes lit up.
She blinked and asked, "Where did you buy this fabric?"
Wen Jiajia said calmly: "I bought it in the county, not in the supply and marketing cooperative, you know..."
I understand. I understand.
Fang Mingyan asked again: "Anything else?"
Wen Jiajia nodded: "I can cut a piece for you." After giving it to her, there would be enough left to make a skirt.
Fang Mingyan was very happy, but she didn't take advantage of Wen Jiajia. After Wen Jiajia gave her the flowered cloth, she also gave her some cotton.
"My family has no shortage of cotton," she said.
Wen Jiajia thought about it and accepted it.
The cotton planting was organized by Fang Mingyan's mother, and her family would do whatever it takes.
Looking at this bag of cotton, Wen Jiajia's hands itched, so she made three more cotton vests, which are just right for wearing during the day.
She was thinking about getting some wool and knitting a few sweaters, so that she wouldn't have to worry about anything at home this winter.
It’s just that wool is hard to buy.
Wen Jiajia was scratching her head in annoyance. If she couldn't buy it, she would have to go to the sheepfold in the commune to gather wool. She didn't know how much wool she would need to gather to make wool yarn.
It's the end of the year in a blink of an eye, and time is passing by in the cold wind.
Every morning the frost grew thicker and thicker, and the mountain water became icier and icier. Fortunately, the amount of mountain water did not decrease much, and was still enough for the Wen family's daily use.
Today is Laba, and after Laba it will be the New Year.
There is no local custom of eating Laba garlic, but Wen Jiajia still pickled some Laba garlic, which is the best dish to go with noodles.
She also pickled radishes.
Cut the radish into small pieces, dry it in the sun and shred it. After it is completely dry, put it in a jar, add soy sauce and cooking wine, marinate it for seven or eight days and then you can open the lid and eat it.
After eating too much, Wen Jiajia found that it tasted better than Laba garlic, and the key is that you don’t need to brush your teeth.
She cooked yam porridge this morning, paired with the rice cakes she made yesterday, and planned to go queue up after eating.
From time to time, the sound of pigs howling could be heard in the distance. The village was about to start distributing the meat. If you didn't go early, you would miss out on the good meat.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
