She knew that the country now allowed individuals to run their own businesses. There were people selling fruit and sunflower seeds by the roadside, others pushing tricycles to sell large steamed buns, and of course, some selling clothes propped up on iron racks.
Su Yi’an didn’t quite agree: “You’re going to sell things all by yourself?”
Ever since the incident where she fell into the water, Su Jinle had rarely gone out. Even when she did, she kept her mouth tightly shut, avoiding speaking whenever possible. His leg was injured, and in his current condition, he certainly couldn’t accompany her.
Su Jinle nodded firmly: “By myself!”
She wasn’t a child anymore. Other girls her age were already working in factories at twenty, but because of her stutter, she was too afraid to interact with crowds. Her parents also doted on her and couldn’t bear to let her go out.
Her personality was simple, and she had been overly protected by her family. It was only after marrying Gu Jingxiu that she tasted some hardship. But even after becoming a married woman, she rarely went out. In her previous life, her dream had been so simple—just to be a good wife and a good mother.
Across from her home, two alleys away, was the department store. Opposite it was a small street filled with vendors. Su Jinle decided to try her luck there first. But as soon as she stepped out of the house, she saw someone leaning against the wall—it was Gu Jingxiu.
Su Jinle walked straight past him without even glancing his way.
Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed her. Gu Jingxiu spoke with a heavy gaze: “Su Jinle, I never knew you had such a temper.”
Su Jinle glared at him fiercely: “Let… go!”
She looked up, her eyes blazing with anger. Her fair face was flushed red from rage, and it seemed she had been crying—her eyes were swollen. Gu Jingxiu couldn’t help but feel a moment of daze as he looked at her.
He had married Su Jinle back then, indeed because she bore some resemblance to Mu Qing. But after living together for so many years, he had long since realized that the two had nothing in common in terms of personality.
Mu Qing was a rather spoiled and willful girl. She came from a good family and was beautiful, so it was only natural for her to be bold and assertive. Su Jinle, on the other hand, was the complete opposite—soft, timid, and always looking at him with cautious eyes because of her stutter.
She adored him, depended on him, and trusted him completely, treating him as her entire world.
After a lifetime together, this was actually the first time he had ever seen her lose her temper.
“Lele…” Gu Jingxiu couldn’t help but sigh, his gaze softening slightly. “Be good, and I’ll still marry you. Mu Qing is going abroad. Being with her is just to make up for past regrets. Be sensible.”
Seizing the opportunity, Su Jinle quickly pulled her hand back and took two steps back: “No… want.”
Gu Jingxiu felt a hint of irritation: “Can’t you be more sensible? I don’t have that much time to coax you. If you don’t marry me, who else would you marry? Even an ordinary worker—do you think he’d be willing to marry you? Even if you want to imitate Mu Qing, you should first take a look at your own family’s actual situation!”
Leaving aside Su Jinle’s stutter, just her burden of a brother alone—who would want a family like that? In her previous life, if he hadn’t supported her, where would she have enjoyed the privileged life of being Mrs. Gu?
Su Jinle bit her lip, turned around, and walked away. She couldn’t utter a complete sentence and didn’t want to continue arguing with him.
Gu Jingxiu instinctively reached out to pull her back. He didn’t like how she always pretended to leave him. She was his wife—how could she be so disobedient?
Su Jinle avoided his hand, and during the struggle, the kraft paper bag she was carrying was pulled down, falling to the ground and revealing half of a white shirt.
“You!” Su Jinle was furious, too angry to speak, and quickly picked up the shirt, afraid it would get dirty from the mud.
Gu Jingxiu’s gaze fell on the shirt, and a smile gradually appeared in his eyes. “It’s for me.”
He still remembered this shirt—it was a gift she gave him the day after their engagement. It fit him perfectly, and he had liked it very much. It was also then that he learned his wife knew how to make clothes.
For a long time after that, all his clothes, from the inside out, were made by her. He took her love for granted until one day, someone casually remarked, “Professor Gu’s wife is not only beautiful but also virtuous—truly the ideal wife every man dreams of.”
He felt deeply uncomfortable. Su Jinle rarely went out, and he disliked the attention other men gave her. So when he returned home, he impatiently scolded her, “Don’t waste your time making clothes anymore. Why bother with such useless things? Aren’t there clothes for sale in department stores?”
After that, she rarely made clothes for him.
Thinking of this, Gu Jingxiu felt a pang of nostalgia. He released her hand, took ten yuan from his pocket, and placed it in Su Jinle’s palm. “I know you’re angry, but you also know I always keep my word. I said I’ll marry you, and I will, but this time you’ll have to wait a year. Mu Qing will be going abroad in a year. Take this ten yuan for now. Your family’s situation isn’t great, so buy yourself something good to eat…”
He felt he had already humbled himself enough. Now, Su Jinle seemed to have an indescribable vitality about her—different from before yet still herself. He couldn’t help but feel drawn to this version of her.
“No!” Su Jinle threw the money back at him in disgust, quickly packed up the shirt, turned around, and left without another word.
This time, Gu Jingxiu didn’t stop her. He simply watched her retreating figure, and after a long moment, chuckled softly. “It’s clearly my size.”
…
Su Jinle started off jogging, but soon her strides grew longer, and she ran faster and faster, not stopping until she reached her doorstep.
She stood quietly for a while, then sniffled and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, muttering softly, “Idiot!”
It was unclear whether she was cursing herself or Gu Jingxiu.
The shirt had gotten a bit wrinkled from the struggle, and it wouldn’t sell well in that condition. So Su Jinle had no choice but to go back inside and iron it again. Afraid it might retain any unpleasant odors, she hung it outside on a hanger to air out.
Su Yi’an looked over from the window and called out, “Lele, why are you back?”
It had only been about ten minutes since she left, and he guessed his sister must have been too nervous to go alone.
Su Jinle steadied her emotions before replying, “The shirt got a bit wrinkled. I’m just tidying it up.”
Under the sunlight, the white shirt looked beautiful. Su Yi’an watched it for a moment and smiled gently. His sister truly had a talent for making clothes. It was a shame he, as her brother, couldn’t enjoy it for now—back in the army, he could only wear uniforms, and now that he was home, he spent his days lying in bed, so wearing anything nice felt like a waste.
Su Jinle had her own unique ideas when it came to making clothes. Since she didn’t like going out, she spent most of her time at home studying fabrics and clothing styles. The clothes she made were different from those sold on the streets.
Take this white shirt, for example. Although the fabric is Diquliang, it differs from the kind sold outside that tends to be somewhat transparent and dark. She starched it several times, making the entire fabric appear much more high-end, and the resulting garment was crisp and well-fitted.
The cut was also different—she had her own little touches. The hem wasn’t a strictly rectangular shape but had a slight curve, giving it a more graceful feel when worn. Gu Jingxiu stood at 1.75 meters tall, and wearing a shirt of this style would accentuate his proportions.
The collar was made slightly larger than that of an ordinary shirt, and even the chest pocket was enlarged considerably. Two pleats were specially added at the back, making the shirt less rigid and more casual in style.
If it weren’t for the shock of accidentally falling into the water back then, his sister would surely have gone to university and become a fashion designer in the future.
At this thought, Su Yi’an’s eyes darkened. He wished more than anyone for his legs to recover, but if he could only become a burden to the family, it would be better to leave and fend for himself.