Deng Min went around to the back window of their house and called out, "Jiaojiao, brother-in-law? Are you alright at home? Are you okay?"
Deng Min knocked on the windowpane, which woke Shen Heng up.
He was initially startled and angry at being woken up, but upon hearing Deng Min's voice, he could only frown and lift a corner of the curtain: "Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"
"Have you eaten yet? I'll bring you some food, but you didn't answer when I knocked."
“We were asleep. Sister-in-law, I’ll open the door for you.”
Shen Heng got off the kang (a heated brick bed) and went to open the door for Deng Min.
Deng Min said, "Where did you go? Was it that far? You look so tired."
"It's a bit far, and it's not good for these two to stay at someone else's house." Bai Jiaojiao was also woken up and looked at Deng Min sleepily from her bed.
Seeing her like this, Deng Min found it a little funny: "Then you two should hurry up and get some sleep. I won't disturb you."
"Ha... Thank you, sister-in-law..." Bai Jiaojiao said, then threw herself onto the pillow and closed her eyes again.
Shen Heng saw Deng Min out the door and saw that Bai Jiaojiao was asleep again, so he had no choice but to put the food that Deng Min had brought in the pot and cover it to prevent flies and insects from getting in.
Then he got onto the kang (heated brick bed) and continued sleeping, cuddling Bai Jiaojiao.
The two of them didn't eat dinner that night, but slept until the next morning, and their stomachs were so hungry they were a little sore.
"Brother Heng, I feel like I'm going to starve to death if I don't eat soon."
Bai Jiaojiao lay on her back, her gaze seemingly too weak to focus due to extreme hunger.
Shen Heng kissed Bai Jiaojiao on the cheek and served her food.
Now that the weather is warm, people sometimes eat cold food. Shen Heng didn't heat up the food that Deng Min brought yesterday; he just brought it in like this.
"I need to wash my face first."
Shen Heng was both amused and annoyed: "Aren't you starving to death? What's with all the fuss about being poor?"
"Let's wash our faces first."
Bai Jiaojiao got up from the kang (a heated brick bed). Now that she had slept well and her muscles were relaxed, she quickly got up to wash her face, brush her teeth, and eat. She regained her energy and spirit.
"I'm going to my sister's house to deliver the soup to her later. Yesterday was so embarrassing; I actually fell asleep in front of my sister-in-law."
Bai Jiaojiao thought back to last night, wondering if Deng Min would laugh at her older brother if he told her about it when she got back.
Shen Heng gently pinched Bai Jiaojiao's nose: "Your sister-in-law almost knocked down our door yesterday, but she couldn't wake you up."
Bai Jiaojiao touched the bridge of her nose: "It's okay, you haven't woken up either, have you? My sister-in-law is my own sister-in-law, it's okay for me to lose face a little, but you are the one who is more embarrassed."
Shen Heng: "..."
Shen Heng only took three days off, and he has to go back to work today.
Bai Jiaojiao gave the old duck soup to Bai Shiqing and also handed her a bag of duck down: "Sister, you can sew it yourself after you finish your confinement. You know my skills are really not good enough. You can sew a double quilt for yourself and your brother-in-law, and leave the rest for Dad. We brought back two bags, each weighing eleven pounds. Four pounds is enough to sew a single quilt for Dad. Any more and he'll get irritable."
"Is four catties enough to get through the winter?"
Bai Shiqing couldn't resist reaching into the downy fabric and touching it.
It's fluffy and smooth, really nice.
It hasn't been washed yet, and it smells like duck manure.
"Of course it's enough, this stuff keeps you warm."
"Alright, you can leave these with me, I'll get one for Dad."
After Bai Jiaojiao left, Bai Shiqing thought to herself that she couldn't just sew quilts for her own father. She was now living with her husband's family, and if Li's mother saw her sewing quilts for her father, she would definitely have some thoughts about it.
After much deliberation, Bai Shiqing decided to divide the remaining seven catties of duck down into two portions, giving one bed each to her parents-in-law.
At worst, we can make it thinner and add another layer in winter.
Bai Shiqing definitely wouldn't touch the four jin of food given to Bai Zhiman, since it was Bai Jiaojiao's filial gift to her father, and she had no right to arrange it.
When Li's mother heard this, her eyes crinkled with laughter: "Oh, no need, why are you bothering us? Your sister would be angry with you if she knew. It's not easy to get these things; she wouldn't even use them herself, so she brought them over for you. Just make sure you get a good quilt, and as long as you two are happy!"
It doesn't matter what kind of blanket you use; Li's mother isn't at the point where she can't get through the winter without this blanket, so she's not going to invite trouble.
"Mom, let's each have our own bed."
"No need. With your share, there won't be enough for any of us. The purpose of this quilt is to make it light and easy. Why would you add another layer of cotton quilt? It's like taking off your pants to fart!"
Bai Shiqing didn't give away the cotton quilt, but Li's mother received her sentiment.
Bai Shiqing is currently in postpartum confinement, and since Li's mother has nothing else to do, she helped her wash and dry the duck down. The rewashed duck down is clean and fluffy, and feels even more comfortable to the touch.
Li's mother didn't ask for anything else. In the end, her son would have to use this quilt anyway, so she had to take good care of it.
Li's mother is like that; as long as her children are doing well, she is unwilling to enjoy anything herself.
Bai Jiaojiao kept ten catties of duck down for herself. Besides planning to make a seven-catty quilt for herself and Shen Heng, she wanted to use the remaining three catties to fill two duck down pillows, which Shen Heng would then give to the older brother at the supply and marketing cooperative in the county.
After all, they did us a huge favor. Duck down is something that ordinary people like us can't get our hands on these days. We can't just forget about them.
Bai Jiaojiao wasn't in a hurry to sew the quilt. After all, it was only July, and it wouldn't be too late to sew it after the autumn harvest.
She first processed the three pounds of duck down, making two pillow cores, and wrapped them in brand-new white cotton cloth.
"Brother Heng, when do you have time to go to the county town and bring these two pillow cores to Brother Duan?"
Shen Heng reached out and pressed the two pillows; they were very well-padded, making them a very presentable gift.
His wife really knows how to make him look good in public.
"Okay, I was just thinking about when to buy him something to thank him."
Shen Heng thought to himself, no matter what good things he buys, they are not as good as the two pillows that Bai Jiaojiao sewed.
Now that Duan Qiming is in charge of the supply and marketing cooperative's allocation, to be honest, he has nothing. Even if Shen Heng buys a lot, they won't care.
But this down pillow is different; as far as he knows, none of the supply and marketing cooperatives in the county town sell it.
“Tell them that my skills aren’t very good. If they think the sewing is too bad, they can take it apart and replace the cover themselves.”
Shen Heng laughed upon hearing this: "How much more beautiful could this pillow core be? I think it's excellent."
He just couldn't get time off lately. He had only been gone for three days when Zheng Xu kept nagging him.
Zheng Xu knew perfectly well that Shen Heng definitely hadn't gone back to his mother's family home.
We'll definitely be keeping a close eye on him lately.
But good things come to those who wait. He'll go to the county town in two months. If all else fails, he'll have Wang Fushun find someone to bring it over.
Hearing Shen Heng say this, Bai Jiaojiao took the pillow she had sewn and examined it carefully. She thought it wasn't so bad after all: "Okay, then it'll be like this!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
