Xu Nanxing really needs old clothes, or old fabrics, as a cover now.
She had kept some of the original owner's old clothes and bedding in the space.
But the quantity may be a little insufficient.
Not only did she want to make all the new clothes look old, she also planned to make a few new quilts and make the surface look old.
The temperature in Northeast China can reach -20 degrees Celsius in winter, so she planned to get some new cotton quilts, new quilts, and new cotton-padded clothes, and take them out to her grandfather and his family bit by bit when she had time. These needed to be made of old fabrics to look worn so as to conceal their appearance.
Ye Tian’s grandmother and father still left behind a lot of old clothes.
Xu Nanxing plans to exchange the new cloth with Xiaotian.
Xiaotian felt a little reluctant to leave, as his family had just left and he wanted to keep them as a reminder.
But since Sister Xu had spoken, he still replied: "Sister Xu, if you need it, you can take some away. You don't need to exchange new cloth with me. But, you have to leave one or two pieces for me as a reminder!"
"No problem, Xiaotian, I'll just take a portion!"
Finally, Xu Nanxing found several very worn clothes, as well as worn sheets and quilt covers at Ye Tian’s grandmother’s house.
Seeing the old quilt the old man was using, the cotton inside was a little hardened, so he asked, "Is there anyone in our village or town who can fluff cotton? Let's re-furl the cotton in these old quilts!"
Ye Tian thought for a moment and said, "Yes, Uncle Wang and his family in the village can fluff cotton. Villagers who want to make new quilts or re-fluff old ones will go to their family. They charge 50 cents for fluffing a quilt." (I don't know the price of fluffing cotton, so I wrote it down randomly.)
In those days, the five craftsmen (carpenters, bricklayers, stonemasons, plasterers, and cooks) working on their own were considered capitalist tailwinds. They were severely suppressed in the early years of the Cultural Revolution and were forbidden from "engaging in capitalism." Later, the crackdowns were less stringent, and because people's lives depended on these craftsmen, the authorities turned a blind eye.
Some production brigades were more flexible and allowed those with skills to register with the collective account of the production brigade.
Except for the busy farming season when they had to go to the fields to help with the harvest, they were not required to work at other times. With a certificate issued by the production brigade, they could go out and take on work to earn money. They only had to pay 1 yuan or 80 cents to the production team every day, and they would be credited with 10 points per working day.
Xu Nanxing also searched for related doggerel on the Internet:
Craftsmen during the collective period, including carpenters, bricklayers and other artisans.
If you have skills, people will hire you; if you don’t have the skills, you won’t be able to do the job.
The daily salary is one yuan, including three meals a day.
A pack of cigarettes is essential, and you must be respectful as your ancestors.
The 7 cents paid to the team is counted as 10 points, and the same points are awarded for participating in the final settlement.
The remaining three cents are used for household expenses, which is much better than farm work.
…
These skilled craftsmen are still very popular in rural areas. They earn more than ordinary farmers and live a better life.
Xu Nanxing also went to check on the quilts and cotton batting of the two little ones. They were a bit hardened, and the cotton needed to be fluffed up.
That's a lot of quilts to make, and making too many new cups at once would really draw too much attention.
Xu Nanxing immediately decided to find different bullet makers and do it one bed at a time.
First, make a new quilt in the village, and then re-make the old quilt for the two little ones.
She first went back to her room, got out 6 kilograms of cotton, and put it in a backpack.
The two little guys also carried their own little quilts and walked towards Uncle Wang's house together.
When I arrived at Uncle Wang's house, I saw two people in the yard, one on the left and one on the right, playing with a quilt.
The two people who were busy were skilled. They carried slingshots on their backs. With each hammer and shot, the cotton under their hands became more and more fluffy and delicate.
It was Aunt Wang who greeted them: "Xiaotian! Xiaoyu! Are you here to play with the quilt too?"
Xiaotian: "Yes! Aunt Wang! My sister and I need to re-stitch our old quilts. Sister Xu wanted to make a new one, so she brought some cotton."
Xu Nanxing: "Yes, auntie! I brought 6 kilograms of cotton. Can you please help me make a single thick quilt?"
Upon hearing this, Aunt Wang couldn't help but look at her. Is this the new educated youth?
Now, apart from the educated youth, who could come up with 6 kilograms of new cotton to make a quilt at once? Ordinary people's cotton had been used for decades, and after 7 or 8 years, the cotton would become hardened, so they would just re-fluff it and continue using it.
But Aunt Wang was still very happy that there was business coming to her.
Since July, someone has come to my house almost every day to ask me to restuff my quilt.
If the quilt is not fluffy, it will not keep you warm at all.
The winter in Northeast China is not easy to get through!
This kind of handmade production in their family is time-consuming and labor-intensive. One person can only make 2-3 quilts a day. All three adults in their family can do it, so the speed is quite fast.
Aunt Wang looked at the cotton that Xu Nanxing brought, touched it, and said in surprise, "Xu Zhiqing, where did you get this cotton? The cotton fluff is very long and flexible!"
Xu Nanxing hadn't noticed that the cotton fluff of her cotton was relatively long. She thought that she had bought high-quality cotton seeds, which seemed to be the long-staple cotton seeds from the north.
This northern long-staple cotton has the advantages of long cotton fibers, high strength, good softness and good weaving performance. It is one of the world's highest quality long-staple cotton varieties.
Compared with ordinary cotton, the advantages and disadvantages can be seen at a glance.
Aunt Wang has been in contact with cotton for decades and has seen all the local cotton. She could tell at a glance that Xu Nanxing's cotton was different from the one she had seen before. The cotton she brought was of very good quality.
"Well, I don't know whether this kind of cotton is good or not. Anyway, I asked someone to buy it for me, so I don't understand this either." Xu Nanxing could only say vaguely.
Aunt Wang was a little moved by what she heard. She pulled Xu Nanxing aside and whispered, "Xu Zhiqing, your cotton is really good. Can you ask your friend to bring some of this cotton? I'm preparing a new quilt for my son's wedding. Now that I see the kind of cotton you brought, I want to make a quilt made of this kind of cotton for the couple. Don't worry, I know the rules! I will definitely pay for the cotton and your hard work, and I won't charge you for the labor fee! Is that okay with you?"
They are not allowed to grow cotton in their rural area now. They only have 1 kilogram of cotton coupons per person per year. Several people have to save up coupons for a year before they can go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy enough cotton.
The cotton they brought was of really good quality, and Aunt Wang really wanted to get a quilt like this for her son and daughter-in-law.
They are bullet makers who make money from their craft and are richer than ordinary farmers, so it is normal for them to want to spend some money to buy cotton.
Xu Nanxing was stunned by this sudden order.
But he immediately agreed with a smile, and the two agreed on a price of 30 yuan for 8 kilograms of cotton.
Xu Nanxing then talked about the style of the quilt he wanted to make, and agreed that he could come and pick it up the day after tomorrow.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
