Jiang Yingying’s small face stiffened slightly, her fingers twisting restlessly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think it through properly.”
Her long lashes drooped, but the faint redness around her eyes was still visible. Even her bitten lower lip showed traces of grievance, tinged with blood.
Before Li Xuelian could speak, Shen Qinghong interjected, “Shen Yao, is that any way to talk to your wife? Family should help each other!”
Shen Xiaoyun quickly added, “Sister-in-law, don’t be upset. My brother is just talking nonsense. I’m not tired at all today. After eating so much rice, I need to work to help digest it!” She then shot a reproachful glance at Shen Yao. “Brother, why are you making decisions for me?”
Shen Yao stood up, his face cold.
Fine, so he was the villain!
But before his long legs could step out the door, Li Xuelian called out from inside, “Where are you going? Let Xiaoyun help Yingying. You go wash the dishes!”
Shen Yao’s face was not only cold now but had also turned dark…
Dinner had been early, and the sky outside hadn’t completely darkened yet.
Shen Xiaoyun followed Jiang Yingying into the room and immediately spotted the smooth, beautiful fabric.
She gasped, reaching out to touch it but quickly pulling her hand back, afraid she might dirty such lovely material.
Jiang Yingying brought over the needle and thread along with the cut fabric. “I’ve only sewn this dress once, but it’s not sturdy. Your needlework is excellent, little sister. Could you help me sew it again with finer stitches?”
Shen Xiaoyun nodded eagerly. “Don’t worry, sister-in-law. I’ll sew it well!”
She then clasped her hands behind her back. “Wait a moment, let me wash my hands first!”
By the time she returned with clean hands, Jiang Yingying had already started cutting another new dress.
Seeing Xiaoyun enter, Jiang Yingying pushed the snowflake cream toward her. “Rub this on your hands first. Otherwise, you might snag the threads, and the dress won’t look as good.”
Shen Xiaoyun understood this principle well.
She carefully applied the cream before daring to take the fabric.
“Sister-in-law, did you cut this?” Shen Xiaoyun sounded doubtful, though Jiang Yingying still held the scissors.
“Yes, what do you think? Does it look nice?”
Jiang Yingying nodded, holding up the partially finished dress. “If you have any other ideas, feel free to suggest them. We can still make changes.”
It was a peter pan collar dress with a white base and scattered floral patterns, reaching down to the calves. The cuffs featured a ruffled design, the waist was cinched to accentuate the curves, and there was a row of buttons down the front.
It was a design that would be commonplace in modern times, but in this era dominated by black, blue, and gray, it was stunningly eye-catching.
“It’s so beautiful, like something the young ladies in picture books would wear…”
Shen Xiaoyun’s eyes sparkled, but then her expression dimmed. “It’s a shame it can’t be worn for work.”
How many rural girls were like Jiang Yingying, who didn’t do manual labor? Most wore black trousers—who had the chance to wear dresses?
But her target customers weren’t rural girls anyway.
Jiang Yingying smiled faintly but didn’t explain. “Xiaoyun, I want to finish two dresses before it gets completely dark. Let’s speed up.”
Shen Xiaoyun hadn’t been exaggerating—her needlework was both fast and exquisite, even and delicate, far surpassing Jiang Yingying’s skills.
After all, when Jiang Yingying had designed clothes in the past, she only used needle and thread for samples. The actual garment production relied more on sewing machines.
Ah, if only she had a sewing machine…
Jiang Yingying sighed inwardly, her needle moving even faster.
When the sky had completely darkened, the two dresses were finished.
They were identical in every way, with only one difference: the buttons on the front of one were wrapped in floral fabric, while the other’s were wrapped in pale yellow cloth.
Jiang Yingying had salvaged the buttons from one of her old blouses—two buttons per dress were just enough.
Shen Xiaoyun couldn’t stop running her hands over the dresses. “Sis, these dresses are so pretty! But why did you make two identical ones?”
Jiang Yingying patted her head. “I plan to sell them.”
“Huh?”
They weren’t for her to wear?
Shen Xiaoyun widened her eyes and lowered her voice. “Sis, they won’t sell easily!”
It was the first year of the reform and opening-up policy, but private trading was still prohibited in inland areas. However, bartering one’s own possessions was no longer uncommon. Many villagers would take eggs or grains into the city to exchange for other goods.
Jiang Yingying smiled faintly. “When I earn some money, I’ll buy you candy.”
Shen Xiaoyun blushed. “I’m not a child anymore…”
But she had heard that there was a kind of candy in the city, wrapped in pretty paper, that tasted delicious…
After Shen Xiaoyun left, Shen Yao finally entered the room. Without a word, he lay down on the straw mat on the floor, ready to sleep.
But before he could close his eyes, a small foot nudged his shoulder.
“Brother Yao, let’s go to the city tomorrow!”
Jiang Yingying leaned over, looking down at him.
In the darkened room, Shen Yao could still make out her sparkling eyes and her strikingly pale neck.
“What are we going to the city for?”
As soon as he spoke, his voice inexplicably turned hoarse.
Shen Yao turned his back to her, refusing to look. “We didn’t work in the fields today, and now you want to go to the city tomorrow? What about the crops?”
Jiang Yingying sat cross-legged on the bed, her tone turning more serious. “Shen Yao, let’s cooperate.”
She hadn’t called him “Brother Yao” but used his full name instead.
Shen Yao found it grating, and his voice turned cold. “What do you mean?”
“You take me to the city to sell things, and we’ll split the earnings.”
Jiang Yingying tilted her head, gesturing toward the two dresses beside her. “But let’s be clear—I’ll take eighty percent, and you get twenty. After all, the goods are mine.”
She was his wife, yet she wanted to split the money so clearly!
Shen Yao couldn’t quite describe the feeling in his heart, but it was somewhat unpleasant.
“What are you selling?”
“Clothes!”
Clothes?
Shen Yao thought of the Dacron fabric and felt a stir of interest. “Clothes won’t sell easily.”
From the darkness, Jiang Yingying’s voice drifted over, soft and insistent. “So, are you coming or not?”
He had been planning to visit the black market anyway, to find some way to earn money. His father’s medicine for next month still wasn’t accounted for.
Shen Yao lowered his gaze. “I’ll go.”
Jiang Yingying chuckled lightly, her voice turning sweet again. “Brother Yao, you’re so kind!”
Hah, so she wasn’t calling him “Shen Yao” anymore? Back to “Brother”?
“If we’re going to the city, we need to start early tomorrow. It’s hard to borrow a bicycle, so we’ll have to walk.” Shen Yao’s voice was cool. “We leave at five.”
So early?
Jiang Yingying frowned, her delicate brows knitting together. “It won’t even be light out by then! How about I ask my dad to lend us his bike? We can ride there.”
In the entire village, fewer than five households owned bicycles. Her family treasured theirs dearly—her father only rode it when he had meetings in the county town. Usually, it was kept like a precious heirloom. Even Jiang Yingying, as doted on as she was, wasn’t allowed to touch it.
Shen Yao snorted, “People from the village go to the city every day. Have you ever seen anyone riding a bicycle? So spoiled!”
Jiang Yingying rolled her eyes in the darkness. “Fine, we’ll walk there tomorrow.”
Once she earned some money, she would first buy a sewing machine, then a bicycle, and finally get a television set…