Chapter 284 Wishful Thinking
Although he was now liberated and there were fewer nonsense talks, Xu Qingming still heard people say that black cats were evil.
It's normal for little girls to like to keep small animals, but it's a bit strange to keep one like this.
However, he didn't think too much about it. After all, Li Lai Yu was just a classmate of his sister, nothing more.
Lu Chun'e is not going to school today, and Xu Qingming is not leaving either, so the house is very lively.
After noon, the sun became more and more scorching, but the small courtyard was still very cool.
Xu Qingming moved a bench and talked with Lu Dongping outside. Lu Chun'e was also in the room, leaning on the sofa and chatting with Wen Wan.
When talking about school, Lu Chun'e also mentioned the new clothes that Wen Wan made for her last time. The cloth was bought together for Old Mrs. Xu's birthday, and it was Dacron with small blue flowers.
I made a buttoned shirt with a double-breasted collar for the old lady, and I made one for Lu Chun'e.
The doll collar and puff sleeves, and the waist are specially fitted, which suits her temperament very well.
"Several classmates asked me where I bought it. They didn't buy it in the department store."
Wen Wan chuckled softly: "Then next time they ask, just tell them that I made it. If you really want it, you can buy the cloth yourself and I will help you make it, but there will be a labor fee."
She hadn't told Lu Dongping about her plan yet because he was very busy with work and classes, and she didn't want him to be distracted by her thoughts.
The department store wouldn't be easy for a while, so she could slowly take on some private work, helping others make clothes, to build up her popularity and also to make some money. Although Lu Dongping had a salary that was enough for their expenses, she never had too much money.
Lu Chun'e's eyes lit up: "Is this even possible?" Then they dimmed again: "Will there be any problems if we do this? After all, private transactions are not allowed."
Wen Wan said, "I'm not selling clothes. I'm just offering a hand if anyone needs it. I'll charge them a fee for the work, as the materials are their own. It's voluntary, so if they want it, they can come. If they don't want it, I don't need to deliberately recruit them."
"So, how much is the salary?"
Wen Wan hadn't calculated this properly yet. After thinking for a while, she said, "Pants are about three yuan a pair. Clothes would be at least five yuan. A bra or thick coat would be eight yuan."
Lu Chun'e stared at her, her mouth wide open. After a long pause, she muttered, "Sister-in-law, isn't this a bit high?" She didn't even dare to say it. It was more than just a little high. She thought three yuan for a pair of pants was quite acceptable. Eight yuan? Who would be willing to spend that much to make clothes?
She didn't understand Wen Wan, but she knew it all. For example, Lu Dongping's salary was 28 yuan a month. This was because he was just a small police officer in the district police station, which was considered the lowest salary. Those in their 30s and 40s, like Uncle Xu's Wen Shihua, earned even more, and it was incomparable to what they had in Ganling.
There are cheap clothes in the department store, but there are also quite a few expensive ones. A coat costs dozens of dollars, and even a thin blazer in summer costs twenty or thirty dollars. However, they are very popular, and sometimes you may not be able to buy them even if you have money.
So, what does this little labor fee mean to her?
She had no plans to mass-produce it. This was just the beginning, so if someone wanted to make it, she would make it. If no one wanted to make it, that didn't matter. Anyway, the styles she made were all unique.
She hadn't thought about it before, but now her thoughts suddenly became clear. She still had several pieces of cloth at home, and she could continue working on them. She could think of ways to make shirts and bras for the morning and evening wear, as well as clothes for warmer days.
Which girl doesn’t love beauty and nice clothes? If she wears them out, people will definitely notice her.
This way, there is more income.
As he was talking, Dandan had already fallen asleep curled up on the sofa.
She stood up, picked him up and put him back into the house.
After coming out, he called Lu Chun'e: "If you feel sleepy, go inside and rest. The room at the back has been cleaned up and is reserved for you."
Lu Chun'e responded: "Sister-in-law, if you are tired, go and take a rest. I will go later."
Wen Wan didn't bother to be polite with her. She had gotten up early in the morning, so she felt a little uncomfortable at this time.
Lu Chun'e was the only one in the living room. Xu Qingming and Lu Dongping were outside and didn't come in. She stood up and went to the table to refill their cups with water.
Just as I reached the door, I heard Lu Dongping asking Xu Qingming, "I heard Wanwan say that your family has been arranging blind dates for you since you came back. Has anything come of it? When can I drink at your wedding?"
Xu Qingming said, "When fate arrives, it will happen naturally. Blind dates and the like don't count. It has to be something you like. If I like someone, I will pursue them without anyone else having to worry about it. If I don't like someone, there's no point in arranging anything."
After saying that, he glanced at Lu Dongping and said, "I thought we were kindred spirits, but I didn't expect you to be the same as everyone else."
Lu Dongping chuckled: "It's different. I met Wanwan when I was 23, but you are already 25."
Xu Qingming raised his eyebrows and looked at him. This was too much. Don’t think that he couldn’t hear it. This was saying that he was old.
"If you're worried about me, why don't you worry about Chun'e? She's not young anymore, is she? She lives far away from home, so as her brother, you should be careful about her marriage. The little girl is growing up, and she will definitely have many suitors. There are many excellent ones at the Medical University, but knowledge has little to do with character. Finding a partner is a lifelong commitment, so be careful."
If Xu Qingming hadn't mentioned it, Lu Dongping really wouldn't have remembered this incident.
Indeed, Chun'e is not young anymore.
"I can't ask directly about this yet. I'll ask Wanwan later. If there's a suitable one, we should talk about it."
The two people were whispering outside, but Lu Chun'e heard it clearly at the door and almost dropped the teacup in her hand.
She turned back, put the cup on the table, glanced outside the living room, and silently went into the back room.
The room at the back is relatively quiet, without sunlight, and is very dark without lights on. However, Wen Wan cleaned it up very carefully, and everything is complete except for the bed, cabinets, and tables.
Spread on top was the bedding Wen Wan brought back from school. It had just been dried in the sun and was soft and full of the scent of the sun.
Lu Chun'e lay down obediently, thinking over and over again about what she had just heard.
He said that his destiny has not arrived yet. When it does, and he likes the person, he will pursue the person on his own without any arrangements.
Lu Chun'e knew very well that it was all her wishful thinking from the beginning. She liked him silently and secretly, but now she felt particularly uncomfortable.
When did I become so greedy, hoping that my love could be reciprocated, hoping that he could like me a little bit?
It probably started when he made up his mind to take the college entrance examination and come to the capital, a place closer to him.
Lu Chun'e always remembered what he said before. He said that one should set a clear goal and then work hard. Even if one fails in the end, one will not regret having tried one's best.
He didn't know that he was Chun'e's target. Chun'e always remembered his words and followed his footsteps, hoping that one day she would be on par with him and be able to tell him openly that she liked him.
Lu Chun'e had been thinking this way for so long, but at this moment, listening to what he said to Lu Dongping, all her persistence for so long collapsed in an instant.
Xu Qingming was 25, not young anymore, and couldn't afford to waste time any longer. His family was arranging blind dates for him, and although he hadn't yet found anyone he liked, he had said he would pursue her if he did.
When he told his brother about his lifelong affairs, his tone was so calm and nonchalant. He always treated himself like a younger sister.
Be open and aboveboard, without any distractions, otherwise I wouldn't say those things.
She had known this for a long time, but now she felt extremely upset. The hope that had always existed in her heart was suddenly torn apart, and the pain made her almost breathless.
This was the first time she liked someone in her life. She didn’t know what to do, who to tell, or who to ask.
I could only stay in the room, burying my head in the quilt, quietly shedding tears, not even daring to sob loudly for fear of being heard. When I woke up in the evening, I quietly applied cold water to my eyes, fearing that someone would notice something was wrong and I would have trouble explaining it.
The culprit Xu Qingming was completely unaware and actually had lunch here before riding his bike back to the staff housing complex of Hua University.
Later, Lu Dongping still had to go to class, as there were no weekends in night school.
After resting during the day, Wen Wan, who rarely went to bed, was still awake when he came back. The bedroom light was on and she was leaning against the head of the bed knitting a sweater.
It was still very cool at night these two days, and the well water was also cold, but Lu Dongping seemed to be completely unaffected. He simply rinsed himself with cold water, then went into the house with wet hair and locked the door to the main room.
He dried his hair half dry before going to bed. After he went to bed, Wen Wan got up again and reached for the flashlight, wanting to go to the bathroom outside.
After everyone calmed down and turned off the lights, Lu Dongping said, "We'll have to get some more bricks and cement later. That little spot in the back is too shady to grow vegetables well. We can just build a simple room there. It will be more convenient at night and good for taking a shower in the summer."
Wen Wan didn't worry about it: "If you have time, do it. But if you want to make it convenient, do we need to open a door to the back of this room?" It sounds simple, but it is quite troublesome to do: "I'll think about it later. If not, find two people. It will take two or three days at most. I can figure out the rest of the inside by myself."
After she finished speaking, she waited for Lu Dongping to respond before asking, "Now that we've settled down temporarily, should we send a letter home?"
"I'm writing the letter and will send it to you later." Lu Dongping turned over and moved closer to her and said, "I want to tell you something."
"What?"
"As for Chun'e's matter, she's in her early twenties, not young anymore. It's hard for me to ask her. Can you help me find out if she has a boyfriend or something? She lives too far away from home, and Mom can't worry about her. We're the only ones who can ask her."
Wen Wan agreed: "I asked this before, and she said no. I can't say whether it's true or not. Marriage is free now, and it's pointless for others to worry about matters of the heart. It depends on her. The most we can do is to help and take a look, but it won't be of much use."
Lu Dongping knew that what she said made sense, but girls tend to have more thoughts as they grow older, so he couldn't just ignore her!
I don’t know how much time had passed, but the person in my arms’ breathing had long since calmed down. He still had his eyes open, as if thinking about something.
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