Although she had been lucky the past two times selling clothes, luck couldn’t last forever in business. She had bought new fabric again, but without advance orders, she could only make one-size pieces. And when she hung them out to sell, that meant being even pickier about customers.
Lin Yun smiled. “You’re already amazing. In just a few days you’ve earned dozens of yuan. It’s hot lately—why not rest at home for a couple of days?”
“I’ll keep making more,” Su Jinle said, pointing at the new fabric, rallying herself again. “And sell other things too.”
The little gifts she’d given away had sparked a new idea. High-priced clothes wouldn’t always meet such lucky buyers—but small accessories like headbands, keychains, and little cloth pouches were different.
They were cheap and didn’t require sizing. If someone liked them, they could just buy them. The only downside was lower profit compared to clothing.
At most, those small items could sell for a few mao. A cloth pouch might fetch one yuan. Even selling over a dozen in a day would only bring in a few yuan. But they were low-cost and easy to make. Su Jinle figured she could make more of them and spend longer hours at her stall.
That evening, when Su Weihua came home from work, he entered grinning. “The factory director came to see me this afternoon. Said the quality inspection issue was probably a misunderstanding. They’ve already told the team leader to recheck the records. The bonus will be paid back to me.”
An honest man through and through, he truly believed it had all been a misunderstanding. “Lele, see? I told you it had nothing to do with you. The director isn’t that kind of person.”
Su Yian smiled faintly. “Dad, as long as the misunderstanding is cleared up, that’s enough.”
Su Jinle couldn’t help glancing at her brother. His expression was calm, with no intention of mentioning the union. She quickly understood. Yes, they had gone to the union—but only to ensure the bonus was returned. Nothing more would come of it.
Whether the cannery director truly knew about the incident didn’t matter. What mattered was that no one would be punished.
Yang Muqing was the director’s daughter. With a single word from her, there would always be people willing to shield her.
This was already the best possible outcome.
Even so, Su Jinle still felt a bit stifled. She took the initiative to head into the kitchen. “I’ll… cook today. Let’s celebrate!”
Lin Yun felt much lighter too. “Lele’s cooking is delicious. I’ll wash the vegetables.”
That night, Su Jinle didn’t stay up working. She went to bed early, then got up early the next morning to work on clothes again.
There was no way to finish a garment in just one morning, so she only drew designs and made patterns without cutting the fabric. She planned to try selling the small accessories in the afternoon. But just after lunch, the sky darkened.
Rain began to fall.
Su Jinle had no choice but to keep sewing.
Su Yian sat on a stool watching her work. As a grown man, he couldn’t really tell what clothes were pretty or not. He picked up a pink little lamb and examined it. “Is this stuffed with cotton? It’s kind of interesting.”
Su Jinle handed him a wad of cotton. “Brother, help me.”
She had stitched the edges of the keychains with a sewing machine, but stuffing them evenly with cotton so they looked full and smooth was delicate work. They were small, but meticulous.
Su Yian flexed his long fingers and chuckled. “Alright. Your brother doesn’t eat for free.”
Her little face turned serious at once. “Of course you don’t!”
Before his injury, most of the monthly allowance from the army had been sent home. Back then, their mother hadn’t needed to work outside; she stayed home to care for Su Jinle and manage the household. If anyone had eaten for free, it had been her.
Seeing she was a little upset, Su Yian smiled gently. “Alright. I misspoke.”
The rain outside softened, but the siblings worked enthusiastically.
Su Yian had never done this kind of task before. His refined face showed faint embarrassment. Watching his sister suppress laughter, he said helplessly, “Half an hour just to stuff one. Selling this little thing for fifty cents is a loss.”
Su Jinle replied, “But… the cost is only five cents.”
A bit of scrap fabric, some old cotton, a few wires—that was it. One careful piece could earn forty-five cents in profit. By profit margin, they were actually more lucrative than clothes.
Su Yian inhaled deeply and continued with a furrowed brow.
The rain gradually lightened. Someone knocked at the door.
“I’ll see who it is,” Su Jinle said quickly.
Outside stood a round-faced girl wearing a long-sleeved shirt, two braids hanging down her chest. She glanced at Su Jinle. “Is this Su Yian’s house?”
Looking for her brother?
Su Jinle frowned slightly. “Yes.”
The girl narrowed her eyes, sizing her up. The small-faced girl before her had big eyes, fair and rosy skin—the kind of appearance that easily stirred protective instincts in men.
Her tone carried a hint of hostility. “What’s your relationship with Su Yian?”
Su Jinle was taken aback but answered obediently, assuming she might be a friend. “His sister.”
The round-faced girl visibly brightened and warmly took her hand. “So you’re Yian’s real sister! I’m your brother’s blind date.”
Blind date? Chen Chunxin?
Suddenly, Su Jinle remembered.
Two months ago, when her brother had been rushed into the hospital covered in blood, it had felt like the sky was collapsing. At night she could hear their mother crying quietly; by morning, she would force a smile and say everything would be alright.
After a full month in the hospital, he had barely survived. The doctor had even said he might need crutches for life. Somehow, that news spread.
The Chen family never even showed their faces. They only sent word through someone else, acting as though the two had never met.
Lin Yun had been furious. The two had only met once in the first place. After returning from the army, Su Yian had been indifferent, not especially warm. Yet the Chen side had been urging to settle the engagement quickly.
Lin Yun had said they would wait for Yian to return and see what he thought. But once news of his injury spread, the Chen family hurried to distance themselves, as if afraid of being entangled.
And now Chen Chunxin was here again—calling herself his blind date—and she had come alone. Wasn’t she worried about damaging her reputation?
Chen Chunxin had already stepped inside. “Where’s Yian?”
Thinking they might truly be courting, Su Jinle pointed obediently. “In there.”
Chen Chunxin walked in gracefully. The moment she saw Su Yian sitting there, her expression softened. “Yian.”
He looked up, taking a moment to recall her name. “Chen Chunxin?”
She carried a few boxes of pastries and set them on the table with a smile. “I came today to discuss our marriage.”
The words stunned both siblings.
Setting aside the fact that they had only had a blind date and never formally agreed to anything—and that the Chen family had previously distanced themselves—what kind of young woman came alone to propose marriage?
A faint blush colored Chen Chunxin’s cheeks. “I heard you were injured before, but the factory’s been busy and I couldn’t come. I finally had time today.”
Su Yian’s expression remained calm. “As a young woman, you shouldn’t visit casually. It’s not appropriate. You should go back.”
She bit her lip. “Are you still upset about what my parents did before? I apologize for them—that was wrong. But I’ve set my heart on you. Even if your leg never fully recovers, I’m willing to marry you.”