The residential area of the cotton mill was quite large, complete with supporting facilities such as a bathhouse, a vegetable market, and a barbershop, meeting the basic living needs of the employees.
The employee dormitory of the cotton mill was a four-story Tube-shaped Apartment Building. As the deputy factory director, Li Weiguo was allocated a one-bedroom apartment on the top floor, which was considered quite decent among the employee dormitories.
In the narrow hallway, every household had a table placed at their doorstep, with a stove beside it. Next to the stove was a square wooden frame nailed together, filled with coal briquettes.
The space under the table was divided into two layers with wooden planks to store pots, pans, bowls, and utensils. More particular families would even hang a cloth curtain to cover it.
The three of them tried to walk as close to the corridor railing as possible. When they encountered spots too narrow to pass through, they lifted the burlap sacks over their heads.
Upon entering the apartment, Li Qingxiu’s first impression was of dimness and crampedness. A small section near the window in the living room had been partitioned off to serve as Li Qingxiu’s bedroom. The remaining half of the room housed Li Weiguo’s desk on one side, with a small refrigerator placed beside it.
“Brother, you actually have a refrigerator?”
Li Weiguo appeared humble on the surface but was inwardly proud. “It’s second-hand, not worth much. The former factory director moved to Shenzhen and couldn’t take it with him, so he sold it to me cheap.”
Seeing his sister casually open the refrigerator to take a look, Li Weiguo suddenly realized, “Hey, you even know what a refrigerator is?”
Li Qingxiu gave him a faint glance. “Otherwise, do they keep the popsicles at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative in a stove?”
Su Qingyun couldn’t help but chuckle. Li Weiguo felt a bit embarrassed and fell silent awkwardly.
Ignoring him, Li Qingxiu continued to explore the apartment.
On the other side of the living room leaned a small table, with several stools stacked beside it, along with various miscellaneous items.
The inner room was Li Weiguo and Su Qingyun’s bedroom. The door was open, and Li Qingxiu could see two oversized wardrobes inside, with only about a meter of space left between them and the bed. At the foot of the bed stood a desk piled with elementary school textbooks, likely Su Qingyun’s study area.
Although the entire apartment was cramped, it was very clean.
“See if you like it?” Li Weiguo said, as if seeking praise, as he led Li Qingxiu to her small bedroom.
The partitioned room was about four square meters. A 1.2-meter wooden bed was placed horizontally by the window, with a 40-centimeter-wide aisle left beside it for walking.
The remaining 80 centimeters at the foot of the bed were occupied by two Camphorwood Chests. Li Weiguo didn’t mention what was in the bottom chest, but the top one was empty, reserved for Li Qingxiu to store her clothes.
“So, how is it? Do you like it?”
“I like it,” Li Qingxiu said sincerely, feeling genuinely happy. Having a four-square-meter independent space in such an apartment was already quite good, especially since it was by the window.
Seeing that her sister-in-law was satisfied, Su Qingyun felt relieved, and a wave of fatigue washed over her. These two days happened to be Saturday and Sunday. To make a good impression on her sister-in-law, she had gone with Li Weiguo to wait at the train station yesterday. When they didn’t see her, they went again today. Now, she was truly a bit tired.
Noticing Su Qingyun’s pale complexion, Li Qingxiu grew concerned. In the original story, this pregnancy of hers would not be carried to term.
“Sister-in-law, are you tired? You should go inside and rest.”
“Tired? You do look pale. Go inside and rest. I’ll handle dinner,” Li Weiguo said, quickly helping his wife into the bedroom.
Su Qingyun was indeed exhausted and didn't have the energy to chat with her sister-in-law. She only reminded Li Weiguo that if necessary, he could go to the cafeteria to get a couple of dishes, as neither of them were particularly good cooks.
Li Qingxiu organized the things she had brought, putting clothes into the trunk and placing the mountain produce directly on top of it, as there was no other space available.
After tidying up, Li Qingxiu asked Li Weiguo for a bath ticket. Since arriving in this world, she hadn't taken a proper bath—only washing her hair before leaving home.
Li Weiguo was a bit concerned. "Are you sure you can manage on your own? Should you wait for your sister-in-law to wake up and go together?"
Li Qingxiu found this amusing. She was 24 years old, not 14! If anything, Su Qingyun was two years younger than her, though she still called her sister-in-law.
"What's the problem? It's just a short walk—it's not like I'll get lost. Besides, sister-in-law has had a long day. Don't bother her."
In the end, his wife took priority over his sister. Li Weiguo nodded. "Alright, go ahead. At this hour, most of the cotton mill workers should have finished bathing, so it won't be crowded."
Li Qingxiu gathered her clothes, picked up her newly purchased washbasin and toiletries, and headed to the bathhouse.
The bath took nearly an hour. By the time she came out, it was almost dark, and Li Weiguo was waiting for her at the entrance.
"Big brother? What are you doing here?"
Li Weiguo smiled warmly. "The cotton mill is quite large. I was worried you might get lost."
Li Qingxiu was momentarily taken aback. From childhood to adulthood, no one had ever waited specifically to pick her up.
Her parents had remarried separately and paid little attention to her. Her grandparents were elderly and had to care for other cousins, leaving them with little energy to spare for her.
Growing up, having enough to eat and wear was already something she was grateful for. She had never asked for more. But today, her brother had come specifically to pick her up, even though she had only gone to bathe somewhere nearby…
Li Qingxiu walked up to Li Weiguo. "Big brother…"
Just as she was about to share a heartfelt moment with him, someone greeted them.
"Deputy Director Li, who is this young lady?" An elderly woman carrying a basket passed by.
"This is my sister, Li Qingxiu."
"So this is Deputy Director Li's sister, no wonder she's so pretty."
Li Weiguo chuckled. "Auntie, going to buy groceries?"
"Yes, the fish these past couple of days is fresh. You should buy some for your wife to nourish her. I noticed her belly is a bit small, and your sister is thin too—she could use some nourishment as well."
"Alright, I'll go buy some tomorrow."
Li Qingxiu had only noticed that Su Qingyun looked thin and pale, but she hadn't paid attention to her belly.
"Big brother, how many months along is sister-in-law now?"
"Seven months. She'll give birth in a little over two months." Perhaps influenced by the auntie's comment, Li Weiguo's smile faded.
"Her belly does seem a bit small." Back when her colleagues were pregnant, their bellies were already that size at five months. Su Qingyun was indeed too frail—no wonder she had lost her first child.
Li Weiguo scolded her lightly. "What do you, a young girl, know about such things? Don't talk nonsense."
This time, Li Qingxiu rolled her eyes dramatically. "Haven't I seen a pig run even if I haven't eaten pork?!"
With that, she quickened her pace toward home, while Li Weiguo followed behind, watching her back.
Over the past year or so, his sister seemed to have changed quite a bit. Though she still had a bit of a stubborn streak, she had become much more sensible.
The air in Suzhou in March was cool, with a gentle breeze—truly a comfortable time of year.
In the end, the chicken wasn’t stewed. Li Weiguo was afraid he’d waste it if he tried to cook it himself, so he brought dishes from the cafeteria, even making a special effort to get Braised Pork Belly.
Suzhou cuisine tends to be sweet, and since all three of them were from the north, they weren’t quite used to it. On top of that, the cafeteria-style cooking was rather plain. Aside from Li Weiguo, the other two didn’t eat much.
Besides the two dishes from the cafeteria, there was also a plate of pickled chili peppers and a bowl of shredded pickled vegetables on the table.
She tried the shredded pickled vegetables—they were unbearably salty, enough to kill a salt merchant. Su Qingyun ate quite a few of the pickled chili peppers, pairing them with plain rice. The spiciness even brought a healthy flush to her cheeks.
“Sister-in-law, you like spicy food?”
Su Qingyun, who had been about to reach for the pickled chili peppers, paused her chopsticks and changed direction to pick up some pickled vegetables instead. “Not exactly. Sometimes I prefer something sour.”
Li Qingxiu:…
That’s not what I meant!
I wasn’t hinting at “sour for a son, spicy for a daughter”!
I was just asking about your taste preferences!!