Chapter 50: Learning to make a cotton shirt
Li Yue'e originally wanted to come over to teach Su Mo how to make a cotton shirt. Seeing that she was watering the land, she helped her water the rest of the land.
After handing over the land, Su Mo quickly welcomed Li Yue'e into the house, took out an enamel pot, and made Li Yue'e a cup of brown sugar water.
She had 3 2-jin cans of old brown sugar in her space, and she had taken out a can yesterday.
Li Yue'e was a little surprised to see that it was brown sugar water, but she was also relieved in her heart, but she still said: "It's not a festival, and we are family, there is no need to drink brown sugar water. Brown sugar is expensive, you can save it for when you need it in the future."
The third brother's family is a good one, and they are willing to spend money on their old friends, but they feel that they are a little too extravagant.
"It's okay, you can buy more after you finish drinking. You've worked hard in the autumn harvest, and you should make up for it. When you go back later, take some back." Su Mo said with a smile.
"Hey, we are farmers, we are used to it, we don't need brown sugar to make up for it, we can just take a break and come back. You keep it and drink it yourself. If someone comes, it will be decent to make a cup."
"Good things should be given to family members. No matter how good others give, they can only say a word." Su Mo said.
Li Yue'e really agreed with Su Mo's words, and looked at Su Mo with a closer look.
Since the beginning of collectivization, her family has always been the home of the branch secretary. Lu Boying and Lu Qing'an are both selfless people, so Li Yue'e has suffered a lot and often gave good things to others.
Li Yue'e, who was often sacrificed for others, decided to be selfish for once.
"You are right. Then mother will not be polite to you. When I go back later, I will pack some for your father and your grandfather." Li Yue'e said with a smile.
She really hadn't drunk brown sugar water for a long time, probably a year.
Brown sugar tickets are hard to come by, so she usually saves them for her daughter-in-law to use during her confinement.
"Okay." Su Mo also smiled and nodded.
Li Yue'e rested for a while, drank a few more sips of brown sugar water, and said, "Okay, mother will teach you how to make a cotton shirt now. Before, can you make ordinary single clothes?"
Su Mo shook her head.
"Okay, then I'll teach you from the beginning. Apart from anything else, mother is the best at making clothes in the whole brigade."
Li Yue'e's father used to be a tailor. Although the skills are passed down from father to son, she often watched her father and brother make clothes when she was a child, and she learned a lot. Unfortunately, her father and brother were killed by the invaders for the revolution during the difficult days of occupation.
Thinking of that time, Li Yue'e's eyes were a little wet, but soon recovered. She is a nurse now, and now her life is stable, which is good. The spirits of
her father and brother in heaven will also feel relieved.
Li Yue'e taught in detail, starting from measuring the size, how to cut and save fabric, how to sew the edges, how to sew, how to lay cotton, and how to sew the edges, all while explaining.
Because she had a sewing machine and was quite experienced, she worked very quickly. By noon, she had finished the cotton-padded jacket. All that was left was to sew a few more times at the seams and a few more times in the middle.
"It's getting late. I have to go back to cook for your grandfather and your father. I'll come back to teach you how to make pants after dinner." Li Yue'e said.
"Mom, don't cook. I'll do it here and you can take it back later. You've been tired all morning. Take a break." Su Mo said, "I still have the steamed buns from yesterday. I'll heat them up, stir-fry some vegetables, and make some egg drop soup."
Li Yue'e thought of the taste of the buns from yesterday, and her body nodded before her mind.
"Thank you for your hard work. I'll tell you when I go back, so that your father won't think something's wrong when he sees that there's no food."
"Okay." Su Mo nodded vigorously.
As soon as Li Yue'e left, Su Mo immediately took eight or nine steamed buns stuffed with leeks and put them in the steamer. She heated the steamer and took it out.
Then she took out two tomatoes and two eggs and made a tomato egg drop soup. She washed a handful of green vegetables and started frying them.
When Li Yue'e came over with the basket, she saw that Su Mo had already started frying the vegetables. She thought to herself that this third daughter-in-law was quite efficient.
After Su Mo finished frying the vegetables, she scooped three-quarters of the vegetables into the bowl that Li Yue'e brought over, and then scooped the rest into her own bowl.
Then she poured more than half of the egg drop soup into the enamel bowl with a lid that Li Yue'e brought over, and then took another bowl and put six steamed buns in it.
"Oh, you don't need so much, just give me three buns." Li Yue'e said. There was still some corn porridge left in the morning, and three buns were enough.
"It's okay, mother, I still have eight or nine left, and they won't last long in this weather."
Li Yue'e took a look and saw that there were indeed eight or nine left, so she took them.
When Li Yue'e went back, Lu Guihua was also cooking. Seeing that she brought food back from Lao San's house again, she couldn't help but curl her lips.
The new daughter-in-law wanted to show off, so she gave food every day. She wanted to see how long Lao San's family could hold on.
*****
While Su Mo and Li Yue'e were making cotton quilts, far away from the border, Lu Changzheng was leading a team of people to lurk and penetrate deep into the country. Because of the major incident that happened in mid-September, the border relations between the two countries were very tense at the moment.
After Lu Changzheng arrived at the county town yesterday, he received another call from the army, asking him to go directly to the city, where a helicopter would pick him up. So, he left by helicopter only three or four hours after leaving home.
The team arrived at the designated location and stopped to rest. Lu Changzheng bit the hard dry food, wondering what his wife was doing now.
Lu Changzheng took out a photo of Su Mo from his underwear pocket, looked at it, and was about to put it back as a treasure.
The comrade next to him was sharp-eyed and asked after seeing it: "Captain, is this your girlfriend? She's so beautiful."
"No, she's my wife."
"When did you get married?" The comrade was shocked.
"Two days ago." Lu Changzheng said.
The comrade was silent, not knowing what to say for a while, and after a long while, he managed to say the word "congratulations".