Chapter 29 The Tailor's Profession
"I make puppets."
As the light rain fell and pattered on the river, Su Qiaoniang, sitting in Lin Xiushui's work room, slowly spoke while holding a small cloth bag in her hand.
"Most of us in this line of work come from the twenty-four puppet troupes in Sujia Lane, Lin'an Prefecture. Some of us manipulate puppets on stage, while others, like me, specialize in making these puppets."
“I just told you, young lady, that these are my children. I wasn’t lying to you. It takes a lot of effort for us carpenters to make a puppet. We polish it every day, starting from the head. From the face to the hands to the feet, they all come from my hands.”
“I always say that this is no different from the one I gave birth to myself.”
Lin Xiushui went to see a variety show, where puppetry was performed. The puppets were very lifelike, but they were not quite the same as the ones Su Qiaoniang was using.
I guess it's because they weren't wearing any clothes; being completely naked is something people aren't used to.
Unlike the silk figurine, Lin Xiushui initially thought it was made of silk cloth. It felt heavy in her hand, and she then realized that it was actually a wooden carving of a painted face with slender eyebrows, bright red lips, and an updo. It must be a female role in an opera.
The hands were carved from wood, the legs were stuffed with silk floss and bound with cloth, the shoes on the feet were also carved from wood, and the body was connected entirely by bamboo and wood.
Seeing how vividly the eyebrows and eyes were sculpted, Lin Xiushui was a little curious. "With your skillful hands, tailoring shouldn't be too difficult for you."
Su Qiaoniang truthfully said, "Every profession has its own way of doing things. We carpenters are used to carving wood. When we hold something, it feels right to cut it if it has weight in our hands. Fabric is too light and flimsy, so I can't cut it."
“This is a new kind of puppet I learned to make. It’s different from many puppets on the market. Not many old tailors are willing to take it on. Zhu Qiniang from the opera saw that I was worried and told me to come here to find you. She said you should be able to make it.”
Currently, among the puppets, there are authentic ones such as string puppets, rod puppets about two feet long with no feet and relying on a main pole, gunpowder-powered puppets that use gunpowder to achieve explosions, water puppets that perform on water, and puppets that are made by holding children up in the hands of adults. These are called flesh puppets.
As for hand puppets, which are performed using only three fingers, they are not widely accepted at the time, but they can still be considered part of the category of flesh puppets.
Puppet troupes value authenticity and tradition. The more novel or unconventional something is, the less likely it is to be accepted nowadays. There are tailors who specialize in making puppet costumes and are already accustomed to tailoring clothes to the various sizes of puppets. It is basically impossible for them to make anything else.
This brings us back to the tailoring profession. Apart from someone like Lin Xiushui who takes on any job without hesitation, most proper tailors only make one or two types of clothing. Those who make jackets only make jackets, and those who make wedding dresses only make wedding dresses. They make very detailed distinctions between white clothes, funeral clothes, bedding, men's clothes, women's clothes, etc., and spend their entire lives studying and working hard on the chosen style of clothing.
Therefore, Su Qiaoniang repeatedly encountered setbacks with the tailors who made doll clothes, so it was even less likely that she would be taken on by other tailors who made clothes for people.
But Lin Xiushui doesn't consider herself a proper tailor. Sometimes she says that she takes on jobs that other tailors won't take.
The rain outside the window was getting heavier and heavier, pattering loudly on the river surface. Lin Xiushui didn't say anything, but Su Qiaoniang felt just as damp as the rain on her.
Lin Xiushui asked solemnly, "How many days old is this child?"
When applied to a puppet, this sounds both laughable and comical.
Su Qiaoniang replied seriously, "This one was born five days ago, this one thirteen days ago, and that one is twenty-two days old."
“Then we need to get dressed. My lady, tell me what kind of clothes you want,” Lin Xiushui said with a smile. She took out a measuring tape to take her measurements, but found that the measuring tape was too long and she had to make a new one, just in case someone else asked her to make one in the future.
She was almost certain that someone would ask her to make strange and unusual things, and making a small cloth ruler was quite necessary.
What made Lin Xiushui happy was that the good scraps of cloth she had obtained from Gu Niangzi finally had a use. She had originally intended to make sachets, but the material was indeed quite good. If she asked for too high a price, Yao Niangzi wouldn't be able to afford it, and if she asked for too low a price, she wouldn't be able to make a long-term business with it.
Su Qiaoniang looked at her fabric rack and carefully selected fabric, feeling as if she were choosing fabric to make clothes for her own child.
Lin Xiushui would say from the side, "This piece of gauze is plain gauze from Lin'an Prefecture, it would be nice for making a skirt. This is light blue fine silk, and that is brocade from Shuanglin, with a light red background and plum blossom pattern."
Even if some scraps of fabric were only the size of a palm, Lin Xiushui handled them very well, hanging them up one by one according to their size and length. She knew exactly what kind of material each piece was made of.
Su Qiaoniang thought the fabrics were all good, and Lin Xiushui was willing to take the job, so she only selected a few kinds of fabric and asked Lin Xiushui to make a dress for her to see how it looked. She insisted that the colors be vibrant.
Lin Xiushui made the silk dolls very crudely. For something more delicate, she initially asked for 68 coins per set. However, she wasn't sure if she could make them very well, so she only made one set for now.
The size of the clothes for a person is different from that for a puppet, so turning up the sleeves is very troublesome. She asked the person to come back in three days to pick them up.
"Can I leave the baby here for now and cover it with a floral blanket?"
Su Qiaoniang looked at her and chuckled softly, "I trust you, young lady."
It was raining heavily outside, so Lin Xiushui found a large oilcloth umbrella, opened it, and escorted Su Qiaoniang to Nanwazi. Then, she took her money bag and went to the Nanhuofang on the other side of the river, looking for the things she needed from door to door.
She needed a small, sharp pair of scissors that could make slits at the armpits of the garment, as well as copper tweezers, preferably fine ones, not too thick. She also needed paper and a pen, as she had to draw a pattern and cut it out to follow. She also needed a fine needle to hold it in place.
The scissors and tweezers were easy to find and buy, costing a total of fifty coins. Lin Xiushui didn't need the best paper and pens; she bought the cheapest kind that was sold at the very end of the line.
On the contrary, fine needles were the hardest to find. In the end, she bought a long acupuncture needle that was longer than her palm. She took it to a blacksmith shop and asked him to cut it into four sections and then grind the tips.
The blacksmith even asked her, "Are you sure you want to cut it off?"
Lin Xiushui replied without hesitation: a needle would cost her thirty coins, plus five coins for cutting. After cutting, she could make four thin needles, which she could then use as beads by attaching some cloth to them.
At night, rain was falling outside the window, and candles were lit inside. Lin Xiushui finished cutting out the paper patterns for the upper garment, the three-pleated skirt, and the wide-sleeved shirt. She rubbed her wrists and closed her eyes for a while.
She was quite skilled at sewing and weaving, but when it came to actually making clothes, Lin Xiushui felt that she wasn't good enough. She didn't really know what kind of fabric was suitable for what kind of clothes, nor did she know much about color matching. She could usually pair white with other colors without making a mistake, and she often paired blue and green with them as well.
Lin Xiushui looked down at her clothes, which were very plain. She usually wore blue or cyan clothes, with a simple top and a more colorful bottom, but never more than three patterns and colors.
She dislikes cluttered colors and patterns, which also means she doesn't know how to coordinate clothes.
Lin Xiushui's strengths are prominent, but her weaknesses are even more so. Even with memories of her past life, she can't salvage the situation. She has no idea why she was able to dress so flamboyantly in her previous life.
She fiddled with a dozen or so scraps of fabric, but whenever there were more than four colors, she couldn't decide which to keep. It was a mess. She scratched her head and buried it under the table.
The next day, when they arrived at the clothing shop, Xiao Chun'e clicked her tongue and said, "Ah Qiao, did you go out to steal last night?"
“Being a thief is worse than being a thief,” Lin Xiushui leaned back in her chair and began to ramble on. “If I were a thief, all I would have to do is make him a black outfit. It’s that simple.”
"Are you confused?" Xiao Chun'e poked her head. "It's not hot."
"I'm not confused. I'm thinking about how to match colors. You can tell from my outfit that I wear simple colors and don't like any mixed colors," Lin Xiushui said calmly but helplessly.
Xiao Chun'e finally understood. "It's no big deal. You wait until noon to rest, and have Da Chunling wait for you. I'll take you out to meet someone."
"who?"
"The young lady from the silk shop next door, Qingliu."
Qingliu was tall and pretty, and her clothes were numerous and stylish. She was definitely a rarity, and Lin Xiushui counted at least seven or eight different colors.
Her clothes consisted of an upper, middle, and lower garment; the upper garment was light yellow, the lower garment was blue and white patterned, and she wore a purple-tinged corset with a green oxalis knot hanging in the front.
Lin Xiushui couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement; she simply couldn't come up with such a color combination.
Aoyagi loved to joke, and upon meeting him, he would say, "If you want me to teach you, just beg me."
"Please," Xiao Chun'e clasped her hands together, "I will pray to you."
"Alright, alright," Qingliu stood up, feeling a chill, as if she were going to a funeral. She glanced at Lin Xiushui and said, "Too plain, too plain. If I were as thin as you, I would wear three different tops in three different colors. If you're thin, you need to wear bright green to make yourself look fuller."
“You should learn from those men. They wear bright red flowers in their hair and like to wear pale yellow bras and yellow belts around their waists. You are too plain compared to them.”
Xiao Chun'e said, "Stop! How can you learn everything? I asked you to talk about color matching, but you're going off on a completely different track."
"Sigh, the truth always hurts."
Aoyuki concluded, "It's really just about looking and imitating. Remember which family's color scheme looks good, or which young lady on the street is wearing a dress that catches your eye. If you don't know how to coordinate a outfit, then just imitate it."
"Also, remember more. My father was a painter, and he had a few proverbs, such as 'Red plus yellow, a delightful combination.' Red and yellow together are sure to be a good match. Purple doesn't stand out without yellow. If you want purple to stand out, you can't do without yellow."
"And light blue and green, a light blue skirt, a light blue top, and a green sash, or a light blue skirt, a green top, and a light pink waistband, whatever you wear, you can't go wrong."
After talking at length, Aoyagi finally laughed and said, "If you really don't know how to match, just buy two or three New Year pictures and paper horses, and make clothes based on them. You can't go wrong."
"Don't offer me anything to eat. I appreciate your kindness, but it's rare for someone to ask me to be their Mr. Color. I have a lot of skills to show off, so I can't. Come find me again later."
Lin Xiushui thanked Qingliu. She finally understood that, not to mention the entire Sangqing Town, even just on Sangling Lane, anyone you randomly picked up had their own skills. Even in the smallest things, there was a lot of knowledge involved. She learned a little bit and was greatly inspired.
So she studied and pondered diligently. After finishing work, she would not rush to leave, but would first look at the colors of the clothes in the clothing store. Like her, Madam Gu liked simple and clean clothes, and the clothes she sold were all the same color.
She was so engrossed in looking at the murals and the clothes people were wearing that passersby stared at her.
But Lin Xiushui came up with a set of clothes, though she couldn't guarantee it, only saying that it would be passable.
She made a light yellow cross-collar lining, and the sleeves were very wide. They had to be carefully pulled out little by little with brass tweezers before being slipped onto the doll, and they fit perfectly.
Then, put on a blue, dark-patterned silk vest with a straight collar and front opening, with red plum blossom and peony patterns on the cuffs and hem.
She wore a loose, flowing orange skirt, paired with a light green bodice adorned with floral patterns, which she secured with two red clover knots.
She put on the clothes one by one, and put the little cloth doll on her hands. Just like a person dressed up, it could move and wave its hands. When it moved its sleeves, it was particularly graceful. Lin Xiushui also added two blue and yellow shawls. She looked herself over, quite satisfied, yet hesitant.
When it comes to things she's not very good at, Lin Xiushui is also a little unsure.
When Su Qiaoniang came to get her things, Lin Xiushui called someone into the room, where the light was best. She fixed the puppet in place, covered it with a cloth, and let Su Qiaoniang pull it off herself.
Actually, Su Qiaoniang had hope, but she wasn't sure. She slowly lifted the cloth, revealing the hem of her skirt first, followed by a shawl. Gradually, she pulled up to her upper body, and the contrasting orange and green colors made her exclaim in surprise. Her gaze then moved upwards, and the blue that was revealed made her relax her brows. The combination was quite interesting.
Then, when everything is fully unveiled, in the best light, the puppet is dressed in extremely exquisite clothes, with lowered eyebrows and eyes, and a flowing shawl. The dazzling effect brought by the mixed colors makes the puppet no longer ordinary.
"This, this dress," Su Qiaoniang exclaimed in surprise. She wanted to touch it, but then realized she hadn't washed her hands. She looked around at it for a while before she could finish her sentence. "This dress is so exquisite. I'm afraid everyone on stage will be staring at it."
"Young lady, could you please make me two more sets quickly?"
Su Qiaoniang's love for the dress was beyond words, but Lin Xiushui was powerless to do so. "Making the dress is not a problem, but I can't match it well. You'll have to wait for me to learn more. I can't make it right now."
She kept altering the outfit, thinking about it every day, and even asking Xiao Chun'e and Da Chunling if it looked good. As a result, the two of them would immediately close their eyes whenever they saw her.
Su Qiaoniang was somewhat disappointed, no, very disappointed, but she still had to rely on Lin Xiushui, so she had no choice but to compose herself and carefully carry the doll back home.
The next morning, he came over to invite Lin Xiushui to watch a variety show.
"Invited me?" Lin Xiushui was still half asleep, wondering who had come so early again. She wasn't fully awake, but when she saw it was Su Qiaoniang, her sleepiness immediately vanished. "Is there something wrong with the clothes?"
No way, every stitch she sews is extremely meticulous, the kind that would only break if you pulled hard.
Su Qiaoniang immediately shook her head and denied it repeatedly, "Of course not, it's just that this dress is really exquisite, and it looks especially good on my rag doll. I looked at it for most of the night and couldn't sleep. I was unwilling to give up, so I asked someone to bring a stage and asked the master craftsman to put on a show to celebrate."
"Where is it done? Is anyone watching?" Lin Xiushui asked, intrigued.
Su Qiaoniang looked somewhat dejected. She said, "These puppets aren't recognized by the puppet troupes in the theater, so I can't set up a stage there. I can only set them up in my own yard. Please come and see them by yourself."
Lin Xiushui pointed to herself and said confidently, "If you set up the stage, I guarantee a lot of people will come to watch."
Even if her singing isn't great, she can still give everyone a patchwork performance.
"real?"
Su Qiaoniang was somewhat skeptical, as there were only a few figures at the mouth of the mulberry tree.
Lin Xiushui didn't boast, "Just come over at 5 PM."
Of course, she had her own connections. She had done so many businesses. In the morning, after setting up her stall, she would say to everyone, whether they were just spectators or people coming to mend clothes, "There will be puppet shows here at dusk. If you're interested, bring your children to watch and support us." "Hey, why are you leaving?"
Lin Xiushui was a little confused. She called out from afar, "Let's go back and get our things to reserve a spot. Otherwise, if everyone comes to grab a place later, we won't have anywhere to sit."
She felt that everyone was being a bit too enthusiastic; there weren't that many people. But when she came back from work, she closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again, and saw a huge crowd of people, probably fifty or sixty.
"Come on, Sister Xiu, please sit down. We've been waiting for you."
"Here's a seat for you in the very center. We just saw it; the clothes are beautifully made."
Lin Xiushui's mind was filled with praise. She was pressed down to sit by the lotus pond. Then, the sound of drums rose, and a canopy with a lintel and a small screen was erected on the open ground next to the mulberry tree. The puppet she had made appeared on the stage.
As soon as she came out, she flicked her long sleeves, causing a group of children to jump and shout in surprise. When she lifted her skirt and walked away, there was more cheering.
At first, the puppet just walked and jumped, but later it held a long red rope in its hand, nimbly flipped and swung it, the long rope flying and the shawl swaying, and the clothes on its body were surprisingly beautiful as it moved.
Even Lin Xiushui was surprised that the clothes she made for the first time had such a good effect.
“I’ve been watching plays for years and I’ve never seen anything like this before. Look at that outfit. It’s obviously made with a lot of money. I heard it was made by Ah Qiao. It’s really amazing. The folds sway so beautifully when she swings the dress. It makes her figure look just like the real thing.”
"I watched the dancing, I looked at the clothes, I didn't know where to look. It's strange, the puppet shows in Nanwazi are long, but here there is only movement and no sound, and I was completely engrossed in watching. Their skills are really amazing."
Every compliment she received from the crowd stirred Lin Xiushui's heart. She felt that her work was being recognized as good, and that all her hard work over the past few nights had been worthwhile.
Although the puppet show had its flaws, its beauty made up for them. When the show ended, everyone cheered, some gave coins as tips, and children ran up to see the puppets. Some children shouted, "I want to learn how to do this too!"
"I want a plush toy like that! I'll study hard."
Upon hearing this, Su Qiaoniang's face was streaked with tears, but she was overjoyed and came over to thank Lin Xiushui. "I had originally given up on this line of work. There are too many rules in the puppet troupe. If you go out of line, you will be ostracized. I haven't had a puppet on stage for a long time."
She was ostracized to the point that she had no place in the team. All the wooden puppets she had carved were thrown back to her, and she was rejected by the tailor who made the puppet bodies. She was ridiculed and mocked, but all she wanted was to make clothes for the puppet she had painstakingly carved.
Originally disheartened, Su Qiaoniang had given up on this profession. In fact, there were very few women who made puppets. She endured years of beatings and ate cold food in Su Family Alley, but suddenly found it difficult to survive in Sangqing Town.
But right now, Su Qiaoniang smiled and said, "I will continue to do it well."
What she has wanted for so many years has been acknowledged by everyone, even if only a few dozen people have done so.
Lin Xiushui couldn't help but feel a little emotional. A new thing or a new craft has to go through many roads from its birth to its recognition before it can reach the public eye, and then gradually disappears after a long time until it needs to be protected.
She said, "If we don't walk, there will be no road to walk on."
"Keep going, there's always a way. Look, the way has come."
Some people bring their slow-witted children to inquire about learning puppetry, not as a game, but as a serious craft to be learned.
When it comes to a craft, if even one person learns it, they've already taken a big step forward.
Su Qiaoniang was surrounded by people. Lin Xiushui slowly walked out with a smile. Su Qiaoniang waved to her from afar, her expression complicated.
Xiaohe said earnestly, "I also want to learn puppetry."
“But you said last time that you wanted to learn tailoring from me,” Lin Xiushui said, dissatisfied.
Xiaohe giggled, "I want to learn this again now, it's fun."
“If it’s fun, I’ll have someone make one for you, and I’ll also make a nice outfit for your child,” Lin Xiushui patted Xiaohe’s head. “But learning a skill requires a lot of hard work; it’s not just for fun. You only see it on stage for a short while, but the people on stage have been practicing for over ten years.”
"Your older sister doesn't want you to learn tailoring either. When you grow up, you can learn something you like. There are so many professions, so there are thousands of paths you can take."
Here, sweeping street garbage is a legitimate business, emptying chamber pots, collecting swill, wiping tables and objects are livelihoods, running errands and giving directions are livelihoods, and these many livelihoods represent the paths walked by many people.
Xiaohe didn't quite understand. She tilted her head and said, "But I just want to play."
There are ways to have fun, but you have to learn them.
Lin Xiushui didn't sleep well again that night. She started having dreams again. In her dream, she said she really liked being a tailor. She had never been able to understand how anyone could be willing to stick to one path and one craft for more than ten or even decades.
But over the course of so many days, she has come to understand something. Perhaps it was a choice made out of helplessness, or perhaps it was a choice made with unwavering resolve.
She remains lost and confused in her profession as a tailor, but perhaps one day she will understand.
The next day, after setting up her stall, Lin Xiushui returned to the clothing store with a sallow face. Only Da Chunling was there. She wiped her face and asked curiously, "Where's Xiao Chun'e?"
"Are you still half asleep?" Da Chunling looked at her. "Didn't Xiao Chun'e say yesterday that there were new stoves and charcoal available? She hired someone to help her at home for a day, but she couldn't figure out how to burn them properly. She plans to burn these for the next few months until she understands them better."
Lin Xiushui said sincerely, "To be honest, I really admire her."
She can find enjoyment and understand even something as tedious and boring as burning charcoal, which is something she can't compare to. Lately, she's even started to feel a bit annoyed by sewing.
The main problem was that she had to mend the cuju ball every morning and evening, practicing her needlework on the ball until she could do it without any stitches or cracks. Then she would go to the tailor shop to mend and change the yarn. She would stay up all day, her eyes would ache, her back would be sore, and her hands would tremble continuously, becoming more and more shaky with each change.
Many times, she sat in front of the gauze for a long time in silence, without saying a word, but her heart was never at peace. Many times, she stood up to leave, but then turned around and sat down again, forcing herself to mend it. For the three years since she could remember, she had never stopped practicing sewing techniques, making sure that she could master them.
But I did have thoughts of escaping and giving up.
However, thanks to Su Qiaoniang's matter, Lin Xiushui's worries gradually dissipated these days. Sitting in front of the gauze this day, she no longer needed to comfort herself or force herself, and could change the gauze naturally.
There were things she herself didn't notice, but others did. For example, Da Chunling, who helped her adjust the gauze, or Gu Niangzi, who came to check on her, were all attracted by her actions and gradually became surprised.
Before, when changing the yarn, she would stumble and stagger, having to stand up, take a few steps, shake her arms, and exhale deeply before she could change it. But this time, from the moment she started pulling out the yarn, she did it all in one go, changing the yarn as smoothly as flowing water, as if it were done in the blink of an eye.
Changing yarn is faster, and the hands are more steady.
After Lin Xiushui finished changing, Madam Gu exclaimed in amazement, "Your skills have improved even more in just a few days!"
Lin Xiushui exclaimed in surprise, she herself hadn't really noticed much.
She couldn't feel the difference in the mending herself; it was something she did every day, so the feel for it was already there, and speed was to be expected.
When she went back to set up her stall, she would specifically take on difficult jobs. As soon as she took on a difficult job, the area around her would be crowded with onlookers, just like when someone was buying something and choosing a good spot.
"Come here, about that dress you asked me to mend before," Lin Xiushui wiped her hands, "I might be able to mend it this time."
She used to say that the holes in fine silk were like the eye of a needle, impossible to mend clearly, unless she wanted to lose her eyesight. This time, she thought she had made some progress, and she estimated that she could mend it clearly now.
The woman with the fine silk jacket said, "I've come here so many times, but I just can't give up. This is the first garment my daughter gave me. I've never been willing to wear it, so I kept it at the bottom of that trunk. Who knew it would get a hole? I'm so regretful."
"The young lady said at the time that it couldn't be mended and told me to go elsewhere to look for a replacement. I went everywhere, but every shop said it couldn't be mended and told me to make a new dress. How could I bear to do that? So I've been waiting every day, and finally, my wait has been rewarded."
The woman spoke with a mixture of heartache and joy. Her daughter had been gone for many years, and she had never worn this dress before. How could she bear to change the fabric?
Lin Xiushui took the silk garment. She used to think that the holes were too small and that it wouldn't be worth thirty or fifty coins to mend it.
This yarn has been patched for many days, patched every day. Even the holes in the fine silk have become clear and neat, it's a piece of material that can be patched.
She took the needle and thread, shook her hands, wiped them again and again to make sure there was no sweat, and put them on the embroidery hoop. The hole was not small, and the stitches were very fine. Anyway, those people who came in fine silk were pulling at their clothes to see if the needle could go in.
Lin Xiushui quickly and decisively took the thread, placed the long and short filaments, and then, without any unnecessary movements, began to sew. She was already completely familiar with this plain weave structure, whether it was yarn or silk, and did not need to look at it carefully again and again.
The others dared not make a sound, for fear of disturbing her, but Lin Xiushui herself sewed the thread stitch by stitch without hesitation, as if she knew where the holes in the silk were. Thanks to her daily practice of Cuju (ancient Chinese football), her hands were now much steady, and she wove the warp and weft threads quickly and steadily.
The fine silk was no problem for her either. With each up and down movement of her hand, like a butterfly fluttering, the original hole was covered by the thread and gradually disappeared without a trace as she smoothed it out.
Just like when my wife's daughter had just bought it.
The woman looked at it repeatedly, from both the front and the back, before finally lowering her head to wipe away her tears.
For many years, she has held a grudge about why she didn't wear this dress and why she only wore it after her daughter passed away.
For many years, she had been looking at the hole, but from that day on, the hole in her dress was mended.
The woman gave the money, and walked away crying. Thinking she should let it go, she put the clothes back on.
Lin Xiushui thought to herself, "Luckily, I know how to sew."
Then I thought, needle and thread can only mend holes, but they can't mend the sorrow in my heart.
But later, the woman came to tell Lin Xiushui that she used to see the hole and think about the hole, but now she can't see the hole anywhere. She no longer thinks about it every day, and she really wants to live her own life.
The woman thanked her and her needlework at the end.
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