Looking at her daughter's troubled expression, Li Xiangqin burst out laughing,
"It's not about copying her entirely, it's about absorbing her strengths. Everyone has a way to survive that suits them; as long as you find the knack, you can live quite comfortably.
Being too rigid won't work, but being too slick is annoying. This all requires slow exploration; don't rush it. In the future, at school, observe and learn more; maybe one day you'll have an epiphany."
This daughter of hers had a face that looked easy to bully; she needed to be taught slowly.
Over there, Zhang Jianshe carefully finished washing the dishes and returned to the room, only to see a lump on the bed.
Hearing the door open, Zhao Meijuan turned over, her eyes red as she looked at Zhang Jianshe,
"Third Brother~, am I too useless? Always making things difficult for you because of me."
Zhang Jianshe had felt a bit uncomfortable initially, but seeing Zhao Meijuan like this, his heart immediately softened.
"No, everyone knows you have poor health. My mother has an old-fashioned way of thinking; you don't need to pay attention to her."
"It's ultimately me who has burdened you; if it weren't for me, Mother wouldn't have made you hand over the living expenses."
As Zhao Meijuan spoke, she looked at him pitifully,
"After handing over the living expenses, you'll only have six yuan left. You still have to eat at the canteen for work; what if it's not enough?"
Hearing his wife care about him, Zhang Jianshe immediately felt comfortable.
"Didn't Mother say that you can also bring food from home? From now on, I won't eat at the canteen... When I'm home, I'll do our share of the housework. When I'm not here, you'll have to manage yourself.
Of course, if you don't want to move, you can go back to your maternal home. I'll pick you up after I get off work. We can eat dinner after we get back; if we eat less at home, Mother definitely won't nag us."
Listening to Zhang Jianshe's considerate tone, Zhao Meijuan's face tightened, then she gently shook her head,
"You just focus on your job; don't worry about me. Mother is also right; I am a part of this family, and it's right for me to help with some housework. It's already hard enough for you working alone; I can't cause you more trouble."
"I knew it, my wife cares for me."
Zhang Jianshe looked moved, lowered his head, kissed her, and held up the remaining egg from the morning in front of her eyes.
"Hurry up and eat it; it's not cold yet."
As soon as Zhao Meijuan saw this egg, she could picture her mother-in-law's ugly face. In the blink of an eye, Third Brother's salary was more than halved. She had to return to her maternal home three times a month, and each time required buying five or six yuan worth of things.
Without money, how could she go back to her maternal home?
While the couple was murmuring in the room, Li Xiangqin, holding Cloth Coupons and Industrial coupons, pulled Fourth Child straight to the Department Store.
Based on her memories from her previous life, Industrial coupons and Cloth Coupons would basically be useless next year, but the general prices of goods would also increase significantly.
Therefore, before that happened, she had to use the Cloth Coupons and Industrial coupons to their fullest potential.
The Department Store, as its name suggested, had the most fashionable and complete selection of goods. If one wanted to buy a Model 26 Bicycle, one could only come here.
Fourth Child needed a means of transport for commuting to and from work, and a couple of new outfits needed to be made. Once her job stabilized, she would also need to consider looking for a potential partner; settling the marriage early would allow Li Xiangqin to finally feel at ease.
Standing in front of the Department Store, she felt a sense of being in a different world.
"Mother, are we really going in?"
Fourth Child hesitated slightly. The Department Store had everything, and it was good, but the prices were too high. She felt embarrassed even to browse here.
"Of course, we are here to spend money today." Li Xiangqin pulled her and walked directly through the main entrance, heading straight for the fabric counter.
Since it was summer, the counter displayed several small floral Dacron patterns, as well as a thinner blue Twill Cotton fabric, suitable for making trousers and jackets.
"Comrade, how much is one foot of that white-based, blue-flowered Dacron and the blue Twill Cotton next to it?"
The Waiter stopped knitting a Sweater upon hearing the inquiry, glanced in the direction she pointed, and spoke lazily,
"Dacron is five yuan a foot, blue Twill Cotton is eighty cents a foot. How much do you want?"
Waiters during this period generally had poor attitudes, and the scarcity of goods gave them a sense of superiority.
Especially Dacron, which was relatively expensive; only women pursuing fashionable looks dared to spend heavily on it.
But fortunately, their locality had several Textile Factories, so cotton fabric supply was ample, and prices remained very affordable.
For ordinary families living day-to-day, it was new for three years, old for three years, mended for another three years; they saved wherever they could.
In their Family Courtyard, many people were still wearing patched clothes.
Moreover, the width of cotton fabric at this time was generally less than ninety centimeters, which was somewhat wasteful. A jacket required about three feet, trousers about five feet; if cut cleverly, a little fabric could be saved.
The width of Dacron was quite good; one and a half feet was enough for a shirt.
Her Fourth Child had never worn a piece of Dacron from childhood until now; she had to make up for it properly.
Li Xiangqin glanced again at the light blue and Moon white Luo fabric displayed. The light blue would be made into a short-sleeved shirt for herself, and the Moon white for Fourth Child's dress.
"Comrade, how much is one foot of Luo fabric?"
The Waiter glanced at her, "Plain Luo fabric is one yuan fifty per foot."
"Three feet of light blue Luo fabric, six feet of Moon white. Three feet of white-based floral Dacron, fifteen feet of blue Twill Cotton."
As Li Xiangqin announced the quantities, Fourth Child looked at her mother in shock. Buying this much—were they not living frugally anymore?
The Waiter stood up, swiftly cut the three types of fabric, and calculated the cost.
"Luo fabric is thirteen yuan nine, blue Twill Cotton twelve yuan, Dacron fifteen. That totals forty yuan and five mao. Pay the money and take the Cloth Coupon."
Spending over forty yuan at once was equivalent to one month's Salary.
Although Li Xiangqin felt the pinch, she gritted her teeth, took out her Handkerchief, counted the money and tickets, stuffed the fabric into the Cloth Bag, and led the stunned Fourth Child away.
"Mother, why are we suddenly buying so much fabric?" Fourth Child took the Cloth Bag and asked curiously.
In the past, Mother would only be willing to make new clothes for the eldest Nephew and Father during the New Year. Everyone else got new clothes every two or three years.
"It's getting hot. Mother will make you a Dacron shirt later, and a dress from the Moon white Luo fabric."
Passing the shoe cabinet, Li Xiangqin paused, looked at Fourth Child's worn-out cloth shoes with holes, and took a liking to a pair of small black Leather Shoes with buckles. Upon asking the price, they were twenty-five yuan.
So expensive?
"Mother, they are too expensive." Fourth Child looked down at her toes almost poking through her shoes, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Li Xiangqin nodded, "Leather Shoes are indeed a bit expensive. We'll buy them when we are more comfortable. How about those black corduroy cloth shoes? They have frog buttons and fit well."
Fourth Child hadn't recovered from the shock when she saw her mother squatting down, measuring her foot length with a strip of cloth, and asking the Waiter for a pair of size twenty-three-and-a-half shoes.
Li Xiangqin nodded with satisfaction. A pair of black corduroy cloth shoes for five yuan was very acceptable.
"Mother, you..." Fourth Child nervously tucked her toes in. Was Mother going to buy her shoes too?