"Meeting is not as good as hearing about you, right? Are you disappointed?" Zhou Xiang joked.
Zhang Youling shook her head. "No, when I saw you, I thought you looked like a top elementary school student."
Zhou Xiang chuckled and said, "I've lowered the image scores of the top students."
Zhou Xiang's self-deprecating words made Zhang Youling feel that this little girl was cheerful and generous. So she held Zhou Xiang's hand and said, "Come on, let's talk inside. It's cold in the yard."
Ling Ran had already taken the initiative to put the basket into the kitchen and took out the things inside one by one. Seeing the food inside, Ling Ran felt relieved. It was enough to feed so many people.
Principal Li also followed in. When he saw the pancakes and two dishes, his eyes lit up. This breakfast was good.
"I'll make some porridge. I just boiled some water, so it'll be quick. Ling Ran, cut the pancake into four pieces and put them in the basket. You can just use the porcelain bowls for the other two dishes."
Principal Li mixed the batter and cooked porridge, while Ling Ran cut the pancakes and placed them on the small dining table in the kitchen.
"Eat in this room. It will get cold if you take it out."
Principal Li nodded, "Well, it's warmer in this room."
In the main room, Zhang Youling held Zhou Xiang's hand and looked at her clothes. "You're wearing such thin clothes, why are your hands so hot?"
"Oh, my cotton-padded jacket has down underneath, so it's thin and I'm not cold."
"Down? Well, I heard people wear down jackets outside, but we don't sell them here."
"Yes! I bought it when I went to the city! I asked my mom to alter my pants so I wouldn't be cold."
"No, little girl, I heard you were collecting duck and goose feathers at school!"
"Yes! I remembered it when I was altering my pants. I collected duck and goose feathers, washed them, dried them, put them in cloth bags, and steamed them to sterilize them. Now my mother is making down jackets at home!"
"Really? Really? After breakfast, I'll go to your house to see how your mother makes down jackets." Zhang Youling was excited. She finally found someone who knew the business.
"Okay, after dinner, ask Ling Ran to take you to my house."
Zhou Xiang didn't expect that Vice Principal Zhang was so friendly. After all, she was in charge of politics.
Teacher Wang also came over. Ling Ran called for dinner, and Li Shipeng came out of his room. He had to be well behaved in the next two days and study hard, so as not to be outdone by the little girl.
At the dinner table, everyone tasted the pancake and said it was delicious, with a strong egg aroma.
Li Shipeng almost ate a whole pancake, which was nearly two feet in diameter and eight layers thick.
Zhou Xiang looked at his stomach and suspected that it was a bottomless pit because he had only eaten one-eighth of the meal.
Looking at his son who couldn't move after eating, Principal Li was both angry and amused.
Li Shipeng was assigned by his father to wash dishes, under the pretext that it would help digestion.
Zhang Youling grabbed Ling Ran and said, "Ling Ran, accompany me to Zhou Xiang's house. I want to see Zhou Xiang's mother making down jackets."
Ling Ran looked at Zhou Xiang, who nodded. "Please carry the pots and bowls back to my house."
She then mouthed to him to buy ten kilograms of rice and brought it back, and Ling Ran understood.
Vice Principal Zhang was sent to Zhou Xiang's house. Just then, Zhou's mother was making clothes in the front door of the kitchen. The sewing machine was brought to this room because it was warm.
Ling Ran introduced the two people. When Zhou's mother heard that he was the vice-principal of the town middle school and the lover of the principal of the town primary school, she quickly stood up.
Zhang Youling stopped him, "No need to greet me, you're busy. I just heard Zhou Xiang say you were making down jackets, so I came to take a look and learn from you."
Ling Ran put down the basket, took out the things inside and put them back in their original places. "Auntie, Principal Zhang, you guys chat, I'm leaving first."
Mother Zhou nodded, and Zhang Youling waved her hand, "Go get busy!"
Zhou's mother continued to make clothes. Zhang Youling watched, asked questions, and helped to pack the down jackets.
Zhou's mother stopped her and said, "It's too choking. I'll get you a new mask."
He got up and went to Zhou Xiang's bedside to find a pack of cotton masks, took out one and handed it to Zhang Youling.
Zhang Youling put on a mask and packed the down jacket, listening to Zhou's mother explain how to pack it, how to calculate the weight, the choice of fabric, the distance between the lines, etc. She told her everything her daughter said.
After Zhou's mother made a complete down lining for the pants, Zhang Youling picked it up to examine it. It was light, soft, and flexible. If she put it on, her movements would surely be more agile and light.
Zhou's mother took out the inner and outer layers of the sewn cotton trousers, put the down lining on them, and began to sew them by hand, pulling the thread, running the stitches, and then putting on the waistband.
A pair of down pants came out. Zhang Youling picked them up and gestured, "Are these your pants?"
Zhou's mother nodded. "Yes, Zhou wanted to urge me to make a pair of pants for myself quickly, so that I don't have to sit here sewing clothes and get cold legs."
"I don't think your room is cold! It's quite warm."
"Yes! There is a kang in this room, and the north room is warmer than the main room!" Zhou's mother said proudly.
"Heating the kang? No wonder this big north room is still warm. Is there anyone here who knows how to build a kang?"
"Zhou Xiang and Ling Ran were the ones who went to such lengths to buy the materials and find a bricklayer to build the kang. But then the bricklayer took the blueprint away and said he was going to build another one in the county or city."
"Oh, Zhou Xiang looks like a smart kid. My husband Li praises him several times a day. Can I try your pants to see if they're warm enough?"
"Okay, try it. Go inside and try it on the kang. I cleaned it myself. Zhou wanted to use down on it before."
"Yes, there is a kang. If the clothes can't be dried, you can dry them on the kang. I'll go in and try."
Zhang Youling entered the inner room. Although the house was not very good, it was kept clean by Zhou Xiang. There was a kang on the north wall and a bed on the south wall. It was a small room with two big things in it. Instead of feeling crowded, it felt warm.
I took off my shoes and stood on the kang to try on the down pants. Hmm, they were really good, light and warm. I moved my legs and squatted, and it didn't bother me at all. It was so convenient and comfortable.
I changed back into my cotton pants, put on my shoes, and went out. "These down pants are really comfortable. It's easy to stand up and squat, and my legs feel relaxed."
"Yeah! It's a pity there's only so much down. After school starts, there should be more down. I'll ask Zhou Xiang to save some for you. This down jacket must weigh at least 700-800 taels. When the time comes, I'll ask Zhou Xiang to save three pounds of washed and dried down for you. You can wear it next winter."
When Zhang Youling heard this, she felt a little embarrassed, but she really didn't know how to do it. Making clothes was okay for her, but she really didn't know how to wash and steam duck feathers, and it wasn't convenient at home.
"Will it increase Zhou Xiang's workload?" Zhang Youling was reluctant to refuse and asked tentatively.
"It's okay. Doesn't she have to wash and steam the duck feathers after collecting them? It's just a side note. And there's a classmate named Chen Shi whose family makes braised food. They can deliver over a pound of it every week. It's Chinese New Year, so they haven't delivered any."
"That will cause trouble for Zhou Xiang." Zhang Youling agreed shamelessly.
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