Chapter 193 Building Blocks
The bus stop outside Xidan Shopping Mall was crowded with people. Nan Zhiyi and Zhou Anping finally managed to squeeze onto the bus and returned to the Army Compound at around 2 p.m.
"Anping, want to come to my place for a bit? We can grab something to eat together?"
“Next time, I’ll just go back,” Anping said, shaking the net bag in his hand. “My family will definitely have left me some food.”
Nan Zhiyi nodded: "Okay, come find me when you're free."
The two parted ways at the intersection, and Nan Zhiyi carried the cloth bag home.
I pushed open the door, and the room was quiet except for the ticking of the wall clock.
Sister Zhang peeked out from the small bedroom and whispered, "Xiaoman just fell asleep not long ago."
Nan Zhiyi showed off the newly purchased fabric: "Look at this fabric, I want to make two summer outfits for Xiaoman. The Sun family's daughter-in-law has pretty good handiwork skills, I wonder if she's available recently?"
Sister Zhang touched the fabric: "I'll go ask about it tomorrow. The labor cost is cheaper in the summer. The labor cost is calculated per piece. A short jacket is 50 cents, pants are 40 cents, and if you want to make a more elaborate jumpsuit, it's only 60 cents."
Nan Zhiyi pondered, "Then let's make two jackets and two pairs of trousers first. We should have enough fabric."
Sister Zhang went to the kitchen and brought out a warm meal: a small bowl of rice, a plate of stir-fried vegetables, and a few slices of braised beef. "Please eat first, Xiaoman can sleep for more than half an hour."
Just as Nan Zhiyi picked up her chopsticks, she heard a groaning sound coming from the small bedroom.
Sister Zhang and Nan Zhiyi went in to see Xiaoman. He stood up unsteadily, holding onto the headboard, and reached out his little hand when he saw his mother.
"Mom...Mom..." Xiaoman called out indistinctly.
Nan Zhiyi picked up her son and gently wiped away his drool: "Sister Zhang, why can he still only vaguely call out 'Dad' and 'Mom'? And he walks unsteadily."
Sister Zhang followed with a smile: "It's almost half a month before Xiaoman turns one year old! My two children didn't start talking until they were almost a year and a half old. Children develop at different times, so Xiaoman's development is normal."
Nan Zhiyi felt somewhat relieved: "As long as it's normal, that's fine."
In the afternoon, Sister Zhang was going to clean, so Nan Zhiyi took Xiaoman upstairs.
Gu Xiao had rearranged this study, and a thick carpet was laid out by the window specifically for Xiaoman to play on.
Her desk was by the window; the lower shelf of the bookshelf was crammed with her son's dolls and balls, while the upper shelf held her books and manuscripts.
Xiaoman sat on the carpet playing with a cloth tiger, while Nan Zhiyi stared blankly at the bookshelf.
Gu Xiao has been away from home for five days. There are several newly added military theory books on the bookshelf, which he often reads.
She thought that when Master Zhao came to do carpentry, she might ask him to build another storage cabinet, one layer for toys and another for books.
Then I thought about how Xiaoman didn't have many toys. Besides a cloth tiger and a rattle drum, she only had a few colorful yarn balls.
I heard that the Friendship Store sells imported wooden building blocks, but you need foreign exchange certificates to buy them...
Xiaoman crawled over calling "Mom, Mom" and hugged her leg.
Nan Zhiyi bent down and picked up her son. The little guy immediately rested his head on her shoulder, his soft hair brushing against her cheek.
She gently patted her son's back.
Longing is like the spring breeze in April, silently filling my heart.
Early Saturday morning, Master Zhao arrived with two apprentices, carrying tools and timber on a handcart.
The installation project was more complicated than expected. The wardrobe had to be assembled on-site in the bedroom, and the slide and climbing frame also needed to be adjusted according to the actual situation.
Master Zhao did it meticulously, and his apprentices worked efficiently, but it still took a whole day to complete.
The three of them went to the cafeteria at noon, and soon came back to work.
By mid-afternoon, only some finishing touches remained.
Nan Zhiyi brewed some hot tea and then brought out the jujube cake that Sister Zhang had steamed that morning: "Master Zhao, take a break, have some tea and then continue working."
Master Zhao wiped his sweat with a towel and said with a smile, "You're too kind."
While drinking tea, Nan Zhiyi took out paper and pen and drew a few simple pictures: "Master Zhao, have you ever seen wooden toys sold in the market? Like building blocks, small wooden guns or the like?"
The experienced craftsman took the blueprints and examined them: "Toy factories mostly produce plastic toys, rarely wooden ones. Some cooperatives, however, carve their own small animals and cars to sell. These are simple; Xiao Sanzi could make them."
He pointed to his young apprentice beside him, "This kid is skillful, and he's happy to earn some extra money after get off work."
Nan Zhiyi then asked her young apprentice to help make a set of building blocks and some toys, and specifically instructed: "Don't use paint, just do a simple treatment as you see fit."
Xiao Sanzi scratched his head: "You can just call me Hu San. I can also make little animals. I'll rub them with walnut oil for you, so they'll be shiny and safe..."
"Okay, I'll do as you say."
“Just give me three yuan for the labor,” Master Zhao said. “I guarantee it will be polished smooth and glossy, without a single splinter.”
Nan Zhiyi prepaid five yuan and instructed her apprentice: "With the extra money, you can make any small animals you like, it's up to you. Don't rush, take your time, and make sure they are made with great care."
Nan Zhiyi then asked Master Zhao to take a look at the study and suggested building a shorter, grid-style storage cabinet. Master Zhao readily agreed, drew up the plans, and said he would come to install it for her in a few days.
By evening, all the work was completed.
The wardrobe is exquisitely made, with separate hanging and folding areas inside;
The climbing frame has rounded edges and corners, and an old military blanket is laid underneath. The slide has a gentle slope and guardrails on both sides.
After seeing the three of them off, Nan Zhiyi held Xiaoman and tried out the slide.
Although the little one can't play by himself yet, he giggled non-stop and kicked his little legs excitedly when his mother lifted him up by his armpits and slid him down.
"Xiaoman likes it a lot? Why don't you try climbing the little stairs yourself?"
Nan Zhiyi placed him at the bottom of the slide and pointed to the climbing ladder next to him to encourage him.
Xiaoman looked up at the top of the slide and began to climb up without hesitation.
He used both his hands and feet, and although his movements were clumsy, he wasn't afraid of heights at all, and he climbed up to the platform with great effort.
Nan Zhiyi quickly followed to protect him, praising him repeatedly: "Good baby, so brave."
To her surprise, Xiaoman remembered this incident.
As soon as she woke up in the morning, she called out "Mama, Mama" and kept pointing her little hand toward the stairs.
Nan Zhiyi carried him downstairs to eat, but he refused to sit still in the dining chair, always turning his head to point outside, and occasionally trying to stand up.
"You little rascal, don't cry if you fall." Nan Zhiyi said with a smile.
After finally finishing feeding him breakfast and putting him on the ground, the little guy immediately scurried out.
The usual obstacles were no longer a problem. Xiaoman climbed towards the slide with a clear goal in mind, not caring at all that her little hands and trouser legs were covered in dust.
He climbed up to the slide, stood up holding onto the railing, looked up at the top of the slide, and babbled.
Nan Zhiyi followed behind, feeling both amused and heartbroken.
She protected her son as they climbed up and down, but her mind was preoccupied with the story.
As International Workers' Day approached, Hu San brought his junior apprentice to install storage lockers.
The young man first delivered the finished toys to the living room: dozens of smooth building blocks, twelve zodiac animal carvings, a little duck that could move, and a small wooden gun, each one polished smooth.
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