"My brother and I need two cabinets and desks in our room. Dad has already contacted a carpenter to help make them. Saozi, don’t worry, we have money. You wouldn’t know, but years ago, my grandma was holding onto my parents’ pay cards, and my parents aren’t foolish. They saved all those coupons the workplace handed out. My parents saved up over two hundred yuan by being frugal this year. Grandma gave us another two hundred. Now we can pay back Grandma, and I have money for school. Today, Mom even said she wants to get some fabric for me to make some clothes. In a few days, Dad will take me to J City for school."
"No need to make clothes, I’ve been making clothes recently, and there’s something that fits you," Lin Wan said, pulling Hu Lijuan into the bedroom and taking out one of the three pieces she made. "Try this on, if it doesn’t fit, I’ll alter it for you." The clothes are all standard sizes, made a bit loose. Nowadays, too tight is hard for some people to feel comfortable wearing out. Lin Wan didn’t make different sizes; otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to tell these dozens of clothes apart.
"Saozi, why are there so many clothes?" Hu Lijuan asked suspiciously.
"I study clothing design. During the summer holidays, I had nothing to do, so I made some clothes to sell. These are just finished, haven’t started selling yet."
"The ones meant to sell for money? ... Saozi, I can’t take them. You should keep them to exchange for money."
"Making money isn’t about these few pieces. Saozi, these are for you, quickly try them on."
Hu Lijuan liked them; she hadn’t had the heart to wear the two pieces she got last time for her and Mom.
Hu Lijuan still tried on the clothes; except the waist of the pants was a bit big, both tops fit very well.
Lin Wan helped her adjust it. With the sewing machine at home, it’s convenient. It was done soon.
"Nothing to thank for. If you really want to thank me, how about coming with me to sell clothes tomorrow?"
Hu Lijuan squinted and nodded, "Alright, I have nothing to do at home anyway. I’ll come help Saozi sell clothes tomorrow. I’m just not good with words, hope Saozi doesn’t mind."
"I’d be thrilled, come over tomorrow. We’ll head out around nine."
Before Hu Lijuan left, Lin Wan gave her the admission letter. Now with a home, she could hide it herself.
In the evening, Shen Qing returned, saw the few new clothes on Hu Lijuan’s bed, sighed, and patted her daughter’s head saying, "Don’t keep taking things from your Saozi, Mom feels most guilty about Brother Xiao Yi. Always taking their things, it makes Mom feel worse."
"Mom, I didn’t want to take them, but Saozi insisted. Don’t worry, our home is better now, and soon we can support Brother and Saozi more. Saozi even said she’d take me to sell clothes tomorrow."
"How can you two girls just run around randomly? Let Xiao Dung go with you tomorrow, tell your Saozi not to go to messy places, okay? It’s been unsafe lately."
These days, the four of them have been the most comfortable they have been in years.
She is grown now, can help Mom with chores, cook and happily wait for Mom and Dad to come home.
There’s no harsh words from Grandma, no bullying by cousins.
Early the next morning, Mom made breakfast for the siblings to eat early, instructing them to head out.
Hu Bin saw his wife urging the two kids, and curiously asked.
"Xiao Wan made some clothes to sell, the kids have nothing to do at home, I’m letting them help Xiao Wan."
"Last time your clothes were made by Xiao Wan too, she’s quite skilled, can rival the master craftsmen at the garment factory."
"Of course, Xiao Wan studied clothing design," Shen Qing said with pride.
"Yes, yes, your daughter-in-law is impressive," Hu Bin teased with a smile.
Shen Qing’s smile suddenly fell, she sighed eerily, "Old Hu, I’m already a mother-in-law."
"Indeed, life was too chaotic for us before, and we lived like that. Xiaoqing, when I married you, I wanted to give you a good life, it’s my fault, I didn’t manage the family well, let you suffer these years, I owe you."