She knew that the country now allowed private businesses. There were people selling fruit by the roadside, others selling melon seeds, some pushing tricycles loaded with big steamed buns, and even vendors propping up iron racks to hang and sell clothes.
Su Yian didn’t quite approve. “You’re going to sell them by yourself?”
Ever since that incident of falling into the water, Jinle rarely went out. Even when she did, she kept her lips tightly sealed, speaking as little as possible. His leg was injured; in his current condition, he definitely couldn’t accompany her.
Su Jinle nodded heavily. “By… myself!”
She wasn’t a child anymore. Girls her age were already working in factories by twenty. But because of her stutter, she didn’t dare mingle with crowds. Her parents felt sorry for her and were reluctant to let her go out as well.
Her personality was simple and pure, and she had been protected too well by her family. It was only after marrying Gu Jingxiu that she tasted a bit of hardship. Yet even after becoming a wife, she seldom went out. In her previous life, her dream had been so simple—to be a good wife and a good mother.
Across from her home, just past two alleys, stood the department store. Opposite it was a small street full of peddlers. Su Jinle decided to try her luck there first. But the moment she stepped out the door, she saw someone leaning against the wall.
It was Gu Jingxiu.
Su Jinle walked past him without looking sideways, not sparing him a single glance.
A hand suddenly shot out and grabbed her. Gu Jingxiu’s gaze darkened as he spoke. “Su Jinle, I didn’t know you had such a temper.”
She glared at him fiercely. “Let… go!”
Her chin was lifted high, anger blazing in her eyes. Her fair face was flushed red from fury—and she had clearly been crying; her eyes were swollen. Seeing her like this, Gu Jingxiu felt momentarily dazed.
Back then, he had married Su Jinle partly because she resembled Mu Qing in some ways. But after so many years living together, he had long since realized the two of them were nothing alike in personality.
Mu Qing was a spoiled and willful girl. She came from a good family and was beautiful; it was only natural for her to be bold and flamboyant. Su Jinle, on the other hand, was the complete opposite—soft and timid. Because of her stutter, she always looked at him cautiously.
She admired him, depended on him, trusted him completely—treated him as her whole world.
After a lifetime together, this was the first time he had ever seen her lose her temper.
“Lele…” Gu Jingxiu sighed softly, his gaze softening. “Be good. I’ll still marry you. Mu Qing is going abroad. Being with her is only to make up for past regrets. Just listen to me.”
Taking advantage of the moment, Su Jinle quickly pulled her hand free and stepped back two paces. “No.”
Gu Jingxiu grew faintly irritated. “Can you be a little more sensible? I don’t have that much time to coax you. If you don’t marry me, who else will you marry? Even an ordinary worker—do you think he’d be willing to marry you? If you want to imitate Mu Qing, at least look at your family’s actual situation first!”
Not to mention Su Jinle’s stutter—just her burden of a disabled older brother. Who would fancy such a family? In their previous life, if he hadn’t supported her, how could she have enjoyed the privileged life of Mrs. Gu?
Su Jinle bit her lip and turned to leave. She couldn’t form a complete sentence, and she didn’t want to continue arguing with him.
Gu Jingxiu instinctively reached to grab her again. He disliked how she always pretended to leave him. She was his wife—how could she be so disobedient?
Su Jinle dodged his hand. In the scuffle, the kraft paper bag she was holding was tugged loose and fell to the ground, revealing half of a white shirt.
“You!” Furious, Su Jinle forgot about speaking and hurriedly picked up the shirt, afraid it would get dirty.
Gu Jingxiu’s gaze fell on it, and a smile slowly formed in his eyes. “It’s for me.”
He remembered this shirt. She had given it to him the day after their engagement. It fit perfectly, and he liked it very much. It was also then that he discovered his wife could make clothes.
For a long time afterward, everything he wore—from inside out—was made by her. He enjoyed her love as a matter of course. Until one day someone casually remarked that Professor Gu’s wife was not only beautiful but also virtuous—the kind of wife every man dreamed of.
He had felt uncomfortable. Su Jinle rarely went out, and he didn’t like other men’s gazes falling on her. When he returned home, he had scolded her impatiently. “Stop making clothes in the future. Why waste time on something so useless? Doesn’t the department store sell clothes?”
After that, she rarely made clothes for him again.
Thinking of this, Gu Jingxiu felt a trace of nostalgia. He released her hand and took ten yuan from his pocket, placing it into Su Jinle’s palm.
“I know you’re angry. But you also know I always keep my word. If I say I’ll marry you, I will. But this time you need to wait a year. Mu Qing will go abroad in a year. Take this ten yuan and spend it. Your family isn’t well-off—buy yourself something good to eat.”
He felt he had already lowered himself enough. Now there was an indescribable vitality about Su Jinle—she was unlike before, yet still herself. He couldn’t help feeling a flicker of delight at this version of her.
“No!” Su Jinle flung the money back at him in disgust. She quickly packed away the shirt, turned around, and left without another word.
This time, Gu Jingxiu didn’t stop her. He merely stared at her retreating figure for a long while before letting out a soft scoff.
“It’s clearly my size.”
…
At first, Su Jinle only jogged. Then her strides grew larger and faster. She didn’t stop until she reached her front door.
She stood there quietly for a long time. Finally, she sniffed, wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, and muttered softly, “Idiot.”
It was unclear whether she was scolding herself or Gu Jingxiu.
The shirt had been tugged and wrinkled. It wouldn’t be good to sell it like this. So she had no choice but to go back inside and iron it again. Afraid it might have picked up an unpleasant smell, she hung it outside to air.
Through the window, Su Yian called out, “Lele, why are you back already?”
It had only been about ten minutes. He guessed his sister probably hadn’t dared to go alone.
After steadying her emotions, Su Jinle replied, “The clothes were a little wrinkled. I’m fixing them.”
Under the sunlight, the white shirt looked beautiful. Su Yian watched for a while and smiled gently. His sister truly had talent for making clothes. Unfortunately, he, as her older brother, couldn’t enjoy it for now. Back in the army, he could only wear uniforms. Now that he was home, lying in bed all day, whatever he wore felt like a waste.
Su Jinle had her own ideas about clothing design. Since she didn’t like going out, she spent most of her time at home studying fabrics and styles. The clothes she made were different from those sold on the street.
Take this white shirt, for example. Though the fabric was indeed dacron, it differed from the somewhat transparent, dull ones sold outside. She had starched it several times, making the material appear much more refined. The finished shirt was crisp yet well-fitted.
The cut was different too. She had her own thoughtful touches—the hem wasn’t a stiff, straight shape but slightly curved, giving it a flowing feel when worn. Xu Ran was 1.75 meters tall; wearing this style would make his proportions look excellent.
The collar was slightly larger than usual, and even the chest pocket was enlarged. At the back, she had added two pleats, making the shirt less rigid and more casual.
If not for that unexpected fall into the water that had frightened her so badly, his sister would surely have gotten into university and become a fashion designer in the future.
At this thought, Su Yian’s gaze dimmed. No one wished more than he did for his leg to recover. But if he could only be a burden to the family, it might be better to leave and fend for himself somewhere far away.