There’s no hope of relying on her own mother, and her sister-in-law was even less considered, only her second brother, Tang Mingli, and his wife were trustworthy. Tang Mingli, busy as he was, could only trouble his wife a bit.
"Yes, see, the address is very detailed, we’ll definitely find it." Tang Yue said confidently. From this address, she roughly knew where it was. This place, if she remembered correctly, seemed to be the largest clothing wholesale market in the future.
Not only clothing, but also all materials related to clothing could be found there. If her memory served right, they should be able to purchase a sewing machine at this place.
"That’s good." Tang Mingli immediately felt relieved.
Zhang Hualian, who was nearby, listened to her daughter and Tang Mingli discuss business matters she did not understand. Just thinking about her daughter soon heading off to Shenzhen, a far and distant place, she couldn’t help feeling anxious.
Ever since she heard the news, Zhang Hualian had been restless every night, unable to sleep despite Tang Mingli’s reassurances. Deep down, she always felt uneasy.
"Xiao Yue, then I’ll buy some more goods tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, we can buy the tickets for Shenzhen." Tang Mingli planned the schedule; if he bought the goods tomorrow, they could sell for a while longer. They didn’t know how many days they would stay in Shenzhen, so it was always good to have more stock.
"Okay." Tang Yue was eager for the trip to Shenzhen.
That night, excited, Tang Yue woke up and was startled to find someone sitting by the bed. She nearly screamed, until she heard the worried voice of Zhang Hualian and sighed in relief.
"Mom, why are you still sitting up so late?" Tang Yue sat up, rubbed her eyes, still half-asleep and unadjusted to the light.
"I... why did you wake up?" Zhang Hualian evaded the question.
"I wanted some water," Tang Yue mumbled.
Zhang Hualian handed her the water.
After drinking the cold water, Tang Yue’s mind cleared a bit. She asked, "Mom, why haven’t you slept yet?"
"I did sleep," Zhang Hualian, hoping to keep her worries about Shenzhen from Tang Yue, lowered her head and hid her thoughts.
Tang Yue looked at Zhang Hualian, and noticing her clothes and the sewing basket next to her, she realized her usually cheerful mother was also worried about her.
"Mom." Tang Yue affectionately put her arm around her and leaned her head on her shoulder, saying, "Mom, are you worried about me going to Shenzhen?"
Zhang Hualian remained silent; she couldn’t lie, and rather than doing so, she chose to say nothing.
"Mom, you really don’t need to worry. I’m not going alone. Uncle will be with me; he will take care of me if anything happens." Tang Yue comforted her. In the past, she had been blind to her parents’ feelings, totally overlooking them because of the factory business.
Even after getting reassurances from Uncle, Tang Yue thought her parents would be as agreeable as when she went to Provincial City previously.
She hadn’t expected her mother to be losing sleep over it at night.
"But Shenzhen is so far, even by train it takes a whole day," Zhang Hualian finally opened up and expressed her inner worries, "Xiao Yue, you are only seventeen, and it’s your uncle’s first time there too. Ways are far and routes are high, if something happens, we can’t help you."
"And the places along a few provinces, even the language isn’t the same, what will you do?"
"What if you can’t find Deng Lanhua’s elder brother with just an address?"
"What if someone targets the money you have with you?"
It’s said a child traveling a thousand miles causes a mother’s worry. The range of Zhang Hualian’s concerns kept her up at night, fearing her daughter would leave and never return.
"Mom." Tang Yue was at a loss for words but clung tight to Zhang Hualian, giving her a sense of safety, "Mom, it’s not as scary as you think. It’s no different from going to Provincial City, the only difference being that the ride is longer."
"About the language, we all speak Mandarin; everyone can understand that." Tang Yue added, "Also, don’t worry about the money. Even if we plan to buy anything, it will just be a deposit first. Uncle has his ways to hide the money, no thief would find it."
Reminiscing, Tang Yue’s face slightly reddened; those were amounts she wouldn’t dare to touch herself.
"Sigh." Zhang Hualian sighed and said, "Xiao Yue, we’ve earned quite a lot already, and your uncle earns even more. Why do we still need to open a factory?"
According to Zhang Hualian, even without opening a factory, they are talking about borrowing US$ 200 from the loan, not one, not ten!
Zhang Hualian and her husband Tang Zhengde had frequently tried to persuade Tang Mingli out of this idea. If they borrowed the money and couldn’t return it, what then?
However, Tang Mingli was determined to start a factory, and when they could not dissuade him, they could only support him.
"Mom, if we can earn more, why shouldn’t we? We will need money in the future," Tang Yue earnestly said, sitting straight, promising, "Mom, don’t worry, I will definitely take good care of myself while we’re out. And you, take care of yourself too, you shouldn’t sew anymore, my clothes are enough."
"No, I’ve sewn money into the clothes and pants you are taking. There are ten yuan, twenty-yuan ones. You can just cut the thread and wear them," Zhang Hualian disclosed her secret treasure.
In the dim light, Zhang Hualian’s actions moved Tang Yue to tears, further affirming her resolve to provide her mother with a better life.
"Mom, if you’ve sewn it, how am I supposed to wash these clothes?" Tang Yue looked at the clothes; she hadn’t known where her mother hid the money before, but now she was astonished to discover the many pockets sewn. Altogether, these pieces—ten yuan, twenty yuan, five yuan—probably added up to at least US$ 200.
"Don’t worry, the money won’t get damaged in the wash; I’ve tested it. It’s sewn in concealed places; even if you wash them, you can’t tell there’s money from the outside unless you feel it with your hands," Zhang Hualian reassured with confidence in her skills.
This money was also a safety net for Tang Yue and the others. If anything ever happened, it could help them return safely. Holding her hands solemnly, Zhang Hualian said, "Xiao Yue, it doesn’t matter if we lose the money, as long as you all come back safely."
"Mom, rest assured; we will come back safely," Tang Yue reassured with a smile, saying, "I’ll bring back presents for you."
Zhang Hualian instantly smiled at that, saying, "I don’t want presents; I just want you to come back safe."