Tangtang bared her teeth as she spoke, waving her tiny fists around as if she were imitating Grandma Luo beating someone up.
Su Yu couldn’t help laughing.
Children really were full of strange and amusing ideas.
“Thank you, Tangtang. Let’s go see Village Chief Grandpa’s house first.”
The two followed the narrow path straight ahead.
By the time the sun had climbed higher into the sky, Su Yu spotted a house made of yellow mud at the end of the road.
Outside stood a large tree shedding its leaves.
A strip of red cloth was tied to one of its bare branches.
“Mommy, the red cloth is hanging up there. Someone’s home! Let’s go!”
Su Yu nodded and silently remembered the significance of the red cloth.
As they approached, they saw a wooden gate made from several planks nailed together.
Some of the nails had bent over time.
Two of the boards hadn’t been secured properly, leaving a large gap in the middle.
Through the gap, Su Yu could see a woman sitting on the stone steps.
The woman was sewing the sole of a shoe.
For some reason, Su Yu felt a little nervous.
In her previous life, she had hardly interacted with Grandma Luo.
She only knew that the old woman had an extremely strong personality.
Meanwhile, Tangtang boldly knocked on the door.
“Grandma Luo! My mommy wants to talk to you. Can we come in?”
Hearing the voice, Grandma Luo put down her awl and slowly walked over to open the door.
Her back was slightly bent.
“You are…?”
Her eyesight seemed poor.
Su Yu quickly stepped forward to support her and smiled.
“I’m here hoping to get some vegetable seeds. Grandma Luo, could you help me out?”
Although Grandma Luo’s back was bent, her steps were still steady.
“That old fool is just a village chief, yet he came up with all these troublesome rules. If you want seeds, just take them.”
As she lifted the cover over the storage shed, Grandma Luo continued cursing the village chief under her breath.
In truth, Su Yu could have bought seeds at the market.
But today’s market was likely empty.
The supply cooperative also had very limited stock.
That was why she had come to the village chief’s house instead.
Listening to the old woman’s nonstop complaints, Su Yu felt somewhat awkward.
She quickly pulled Tangtang closer and covered her ears.
“Alright. The seeds are all here. I take care of them every day, so the mice haven’t gotten to them. Hurry up and take what you need.”
After saying that, Grandma Luo coughed twice.
Su Yu immediately stepped forward and gently rubbed her back.
“Are you alright? Why don’t I help you sit down? I can find the seeds myself.”
A look of surprise flashed through Grandma Luo’s eyes.
The villagers usually avoided her whenever they saw her.
Yet Su Yu had actually approached her willingly.
Su Yu was already used to such looks.
She had long believed that a person’s character couldn’t be judged solely by their temperament.
Inside the storage shed, she gathered seeds for string beans, tomatoes, and leafy greens.
They already had wheat at home, so she didn’t need any of that.
Once she had collected everything, she wrapped the seeds inside her clothing.
After leaving the shed, she saw Grandma Luo still sitting outside sewing shoe soles.
Because her eyesight was poor, she held the work extremely close to her face.
The rusty needle looked as if it might poke her eye at any moment.
“Grandma Luo, let me help you.”
The needle was rusty and difficult to thread.
Even Su Yu had to try several times before finally getting the thread through.
Throughout the process, Grandma Luo stared at her without blinking.
Deep within her cloudy eyes was a trace of emotion.
It had been many years since anyone had shown her this kind of warmth.
After finishing everything, Su Yu prepared to leave.
Holding Tangtang’s hand, she waved goodbye.
“Grandma Luo, I’ll come visit you again when I have time.”
The bright smile on Su Yu’s face caused Grandma Luo’s eyes to flicker.
After the mother and daughter disappeared into the distance, the old woman slowly raised her hand.
“If fate allows it, we’ll meet again.”
Now that she had the seeds, all she needed to do was plant them in the space after everyone had gone to sleep.
As Su Yu approached her house, she noticed someone sneaking around nearby.
From behind, the figure looked almost like a thief.
“Who are you? What are you doing?”
It was broad daylight.
Su Yu wasn’t afraid.
If she shouted, the entire village would hear her.
The suspicious figure immediately spun around.
Only then did Su Yu realize it was a young woman.
The woman was holding a pair of cloth shoes.
After glancing at the size, Su Yu could tell they were men’s shoes.
“I… um…”
The woman stammered for a long time without managing to finish a sentence.
She looked extremely nervous and gripped the shoes tightly in both hands.
Tangtang tightened her hold on Su Yu’s hand.
She stared anxiously at her mother’s expressionless face.
She was terrified that Su Yu would suddenly explode.
Whenever Su Yu encountered a young woman near their home, she would immediately become like a hedgehog covered in spikes.
No one could get close.
And once Tang Chen returned home that night, a huge argument would follow.
It had happened before.
Remembering those occasions made Tangtang nervous.
Tang Chen wasn’t here right now.
What if the two women started fighting?
The young woman before them looked pale.
Su Yu felt she looked familiar.
She was certain she had seen her somewhere before.
“Those shoes are for Tang Chen, aren’t they?”
If she wasn’t mistaken, the shoes had been handmade by this young woman.
Tang Chen really did attract attention wherever he went.
A faint scent of jealousy seemed to fill the air.
The woman looked much younger than Su Yu.
If this were the early 2000s, she would probably still be in high school.
“Yes.”
The woman nodded nervously.
“But… please don’t misunderstand. I don’t mean anything by it. Last time I saw Brother Tang Chen working in the fields, there was a hole in his shoe. So I made him a pair.”
She lowered her head.
“Sister-in-law, I hope you don’t mind.”
Mind?
The shoes weren’t even for her.
Why would she mind?
Su Yu widened her eyes.
Hmph.
Tang Chen could deal with his admirer himself.
Without another word, Su Yu took Tangtang’s hand and walked straight into the house.
She completely ignored the stunned expression on the woman’s face.
Tangtang was equally shocked.
This was unbelievable.
Her mother hadn’t started a fight.
“Mommy… aren’t you angry?”
She couldn’t hold back the question any longer.
Looking at Tangtang’s cautious expression, Su Yu suddenly felt a pang in her heart.
Her negative emotions shouldn’t become something Tangtang had to carry.
“No.”
She gently shook her head.
“Mommy isn’t angry.”
“It’s just a pair of shoes.”
Then she added confidently,
“I can make shoes too.”
Even if it might be difficult, Su Yu believed she could learn.
After all, she already had a little experience.