Xu Sangluo smiled. “I’m planning to buy some to make quilt stuffing. Winter is coming soon, and I want to make another quilt.”
The woman looked her up and down in surprise.
Nowadays most people would buy cotton to make quilt stuffing. Using scrap cloth for stuffing did exist, but at least in the county it was rarely seen.
Seeing how fair and neat Xu Sangluo looked, she had assumed her family background was pretty good. She hadn’t expected this.
She said, “Those aren’t worth much. If you want them, I’ll charge you one yuan per bag.”
“Alright, thank you. I’ll take three bags. Can I choose?”
Each bag of scrap cloth was very large, weighing at least more than ten jin.
“You can open them to take a look, but you can’t pick pieces individually—you have to buy the whole bag.”
“Okay.”
Xu Sangluo paid the money, went over to look for a while, and picked three bags with more colorful patterns.
She lifted them and felt they weren’t too heavy, so she carried them to her bicycle.
She intended to place them on the back seat.
But because the bicycle already had many things in the basket on the right side, it had lost its balance.
Even with the bamboo basket leaning against the wall, it was already wobbling precariously.
When she suddenly placed the cloth on it, the bicycle slid forward slightly from the shift in weight, and the rear stand that had been bracing it against the ground snapped up.
Xu Sangluo was startled and hurried to grab the handlebars.
But then she couldn’t catch the cloth bag that was about to fall to the ground.
“Careful.”
At that moment, a pair of well-defined hands suddenly reached out from the side.
One hand pressed down on the seat to steady the bicycle, while the other held the bag that was about to fall.
Xu Sangluo steadied the handlebars and let out a small sigh of relief before turning to thank the person.
The one who helped was a tall young man wearing factory work clothes.
Judging by the embroidered words on the uniform, he was clearly a worker from the textile factory.
However, from his temperament and appearance, he didn’t really look like a worker—he looked more like someone engaged in academic work.
Xu Xingtao gently pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and gave her a slightly reassuring smile.
Then he applied a bit of force, stepped on the bicycle’s rear stand, and pushed the bike back into position, locking the stand firmly down.
“Are there more? If so, you hold the bike and I’ll help you put the rest on.”
Xu Sangluo smiled awkwardly. “No need. Thank you very much just now.”
“It’s nothing, just a small effort. Helping comrades is also a way to promote unity and party spirit. What else is there?”
Xu Sangluo: “…”
It had been a long time since she’d heard such… red, positive-energy words.
Since there were many people around, she didn’t argue further. “Then thank you. There are two more bags—the yellow and blue ones over there.”
“Alright, one moment.” Xu Xingtao turned around and swiftly picked up the two bags of cloth, bringing them over and placing them onto the bicycle seat one by one.
Xu Sangluo thanked him again. With his help, the three bags were securely tied and firmly fixed onto the seat.
Xu Xingtao still wore a gentle smile as he looked at the now crowded bicycle.
“Carrying so many things while riding might be a bit dangerous. Where do you live? If you want, I can help deliver them with you.”
Xu Sangluo smiled politely. “No need. My home isn’t in the county, and it’s quite far away. I won’t trouble you. Thank you again today.”
“You’re welcome. It’s what I should do.”
Xu Sangluo didn’t know what else to say, so she simply said, “Then I’ll head off.”
“Alright, goodbye.” Xu Xingtao nodded with a smile.
Xu Sangluo then rode away on her bicycle.
“Hey, Director Xu, snap out of it.” A hand suddenly landed on Xu Xingtao’s shoulder.
Another young man in work clothes looked at the direction Xu Sangluo had left with a teasing expression.
“I was wondering why you suddenly froze there earlier. Thought you were thinking about something serious—turns out you were dazzled by beauty~”
Xu Xingtao turned his head and brushed the man’s hand off his shoulder.
“Let’s go. Time to eat.”
“Tsk, stop pretending nothing happened. Did you at least get her name?”
Xu Xingtao ignored his noisy chatter and walked toward the state-owned restaurant across the street.
Meanwhile, on Xu Sangluo’s side, after leaving the textile factory, she went to the supply and marketing cooperative.
She bought several bundles of nylon rope, a few packs of colored and black elastic bands for tying hair, and some needles and thread.
By the time she rode back to the production brigade with a large pile of things, she attracted quite a few curious glances again.
“Well now, Da Qin’s wife, where have you been? Buying so many things?”
One of the aunties called out loudly.
Xu Sangluo didn’t slow her bicycle, but her voice rang clearly into everyone’s ears.
“I went to the town to deliver food. Just happened to run into the textile factory clearing out scrap cloth, so I bought some to make quilt filling.”
As soon as everyone heard that, they immediately lost interest.
Watching Xu Sangluo’s departing figure, they wore all sorts of expressions.
Unlike in the city, people in the brigade rarely used cotton—at least in Luoxi Brigade.
After all, Luoxi Brigade was the poorest brigade in Gaoshui Commune.
In the past, when the brigade planted cotton, every household could still receive a small share each year.
But since it wasn’t much, most families simply traded it for grain.
If they wanted to make quilts, they usually used reed fluff or scraps of cloth as filling.
For example, the heavy but not very warm quilt in Xu Sangluo’s room was filled with scrap cloth.
Nowadays, cotton cost three yuan per jin, and cotton coupons were hard to obtain as well. Only city people could really afford it.
For one yuan, you could buy more than ten jin of scrap cloth. Add some reed fluff, and it would be enough to make two quilts.
Still, thinking about how Xu Sangluo was originally a girl from the city, it was surprising that she now had to use a quilt stuffed with scrap cloth.
“So it goes to show, it doesn’t matter if a girl comes from a good family. What really matters is whether she marries well.”
“That’s right. No matter how good her parents’ home is, once a daughter marries out, she’s like spilled water. She can’t keep going back to rely on them.”
“Anyway, my Dafeng will definitely marry into the city in the future.”
“Your Dafeng will surely manage it. She’s getting prettier every day and works quickly too.”
When Xu Sangluo returned to the Qin house, she noticed the courtyard seemed rather lively.
Little Qin Yan, the clever one, heard the bicycle bell and immediately ran out on his short legs.
Sure enough, it was Xu Sangluo. He instantly broke into a grin, showing a row of little teeth.
“Auntie Sang, you’re back~ Wow, so many things!”
Hearing the noise, Qin Zhiyu also ran out to look, followed by several young girls.
Everyone first looked at Xu Sangluo, but their attention was quickly drawn to the small mountain of goods behind her.
“Sister Sangluo, what did you buy? Let me help you.”
Qin Zhiyu hurried over and helped push the bicycle into the courtyard.
The other girls also stepped forward to help.
Qin’s mother had already returned to her room and wasn’t in the courtyard.
Xu Sangluo parked the bicycle and thanked everyone with a smile. As she untied the ropes, she answered Qin Zhiyu’s question.
“On the way back, I happened to see the textile factory selling off scrap cloth, so I bought a few sacks.”
People in the village were no strangers to scrap cloth, and since winter was approaching, some people would even wander around the entrances of textile factories hoping to buy some.
The girls stepped forward and helped carry the sacks down, bringing them to the door of Xu Sangluo’s room.
Xu Sangluo took out a packet of peach pastries from the bamboo basket and handed it to Qin Zhiyu.
“Xiaoyu, help me share these pastries with everyone as thanks for helping.”
“Sister Sangluo, that’s not necessary. We just lent a hand,” one of the girls about Qin Zhiyu’s age quickly waved her hands.
Xu Sangluo smiled. “It’s only a little snack. Go ahead and take it.”
“Okay.” Qin Zhiyu took the paper package and opened it, ready to share the pastries.