The next morning, the fabric they had bought the previous day had already been washed and hung out to dry.
As Shen Yao examined it, she began planning how to cut and sew the garment.
After spending some time in this era, she had come to understand it a little better.
Several years earlier, after the political movements had begun, even traditional Chinese clothing had been condemned as part of the “old customs” to be destroyed.
Looking down at the shapeless clothes she was wearing, clothes completely devoid of aesthetic appeal, she could not help feeling a little regret for the beautiful garments of the past.
Even so, turning this piece of fabric into something elegant was not difficult.
The apricot color was naturally refined and understated.
Although it was coarse cotton cloth, simplicity and elegance often met at the same point. There was beauty in returning to basics.
A cross-collar design would have been the most attractive choice, but making such a garment in this era carried significant risks.
In the end, she decided to merely borrow the shape of a cross-collar neckline.
In modern terms, it was essentially a V-neck blouse.
She was clever with her hands. Although she had no contrasting fabrics to work with, she cut two-inch-wide strips from the same apricot cotton and used them to construct the collar.
The sleeves were patterned after contemporary styles but shortened to roughly three-quarter length.
To her surprise, this design actually used much less fabric than the clothing from her original world.
She treated the cuffs the same way, creating detachable cuff pieces.
One pair was two inches wide.
The other was more than four inches wide.
By the time Wang Yunzhi finished washing clothes and came inside, Shen Yao’s trunk lid was covered with fabric pieces of all shapes and sizes.
The sight left Wang Yunzhi stunned.
“You… you already cut it yourself…”
Her mouth hung open.
She swallowed the words, “What if you ruined it?” not wanting to discourage her daughter.
Instead, she hurried over to inspect the pieces.
The main components were the front and back panels and the sleeves.
Wang Yunzhi held them up and compared them, then rummaged through the smaller fabric pieces.
“This doesn’t seem quite right.”
Most people in those days bought fabric and made their own clothes. From young girls and newly married women to elderly grandmothers, nearly everyone knew how to cut patterns and sew garments.
As far as Wang Yunzhi could tell, the body of the blouse had been cut quite well.
The neckline, however, seemed a little low.
The front panel had not been divided into overlapping sections as would be expected for a traditional-style top.
And as for the collar and sleeves, she could not make sense of them at all.
As she examined the pieces, she asked questions.
Shen Yao waited patiently until her mother had finished before smiling and assembling the pieces for her.
“It’s a pullover style.”
“The collar is made from attached fabric strips. Once they’re sewn on, the neckline won’t look low anymore.”
“The cuffs are done the same way.”
“I made two sets of cuff extensions.”
She gestured along her forearm.
“This shorter pair is for summer. The sleeves will be about this long.”
Then she pointed to the longer set.
“When autumn comes, I can switch to these. They’ll reach all the way to my wrists.”
Wang Yunzhi felt as though she had learned something entirely new.
So one garment could actually be worn across two seasons like this.
Looking at the sleeve length, she asked,
“It certainly saves fabric, but won’t you feel hot wearing this in summer?”
Worried that her daughter might overheat, Wang Yunzhi said, “Don’t make yourself uncomfortable just to save a little fabric. Clothes aren’t only worn for one year. They can last several years without wearing out.”
Shen Yao thought that she had dressed this way her entire life. The only difference was that the fabrics she had worn before had been far superior, many of them tribute silks bestowed by the imperial palace. Now, however, there were no fine silks or satins, only coarse cotton cloth.
She explained to Wang Yunzhi, “I’m making the sleeves loose. Cotton is breathable, so it won’t be hot. Besides, it’ll help keep my arms from getting sunburned.”
The explanation sounded quite reasonable to Wang Yunzhi. Only then did she remember that she had never taught Shen Yao any sewing skills.
“Where did you learn to cut fabric like this?”
Shen Yao pointed to one of her blouses lying on the bed.
“I used to watch you cut patterns all the time. Even though I was muddle-headed back then, I still remembered some of it. Then I used my own clothes as a guide when cutting.”
Wang Yunzhi wanted to tell her that she had been awfully bold. What if she had ruined the fabric?
The cloth ration coupons distributed by the production team each year were limited. Older people often went six or seven years before getting a new set of clothes. Most fabric coupons were reserved for children, young adults, and weddings.
Fortunately, her daughter was both clever and skilled.
At seventeen, it was time she learned how to make clothes. Otherwise, once she married, she might not even be able to sew garments for her own family.
Cases like that were not unheard of.
There were women in their village who fit the description. Some were simply lazy. Winter came, and they still had not finished making winter clothes, leaving them to go outside in thin trousers. Others were clumsy with their hands. One woman had sewn her husband’s winter coat so small that it would not button shut, and the poor man had ended up tying it together with straw rope before going out.
Thinking of this, Wang Yunzhi asked, “Why don’t you try sewing it yourself too?”
Shen Yao nodded.
With a serious expression, she picked up a small scrap of cloth and said, “I’ll practice on some scraps first.”
The response delighted Wang Yunzhi.
Sitting beside her on the bed, she personally taught Shen Yao everything from threading a needle to several basic stitches.
At first, Shen Yao’s movements seemed a little awkward.
But after a few dozen stitches, her work became fine, neat, and perfectly even.
The stitching was beautiful.
Wang Yunzhi was convinced her daughter was extraordinarily intelligent. She smiled so broadly that the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes deepened into folds.
Satisfied, she let Shen Yao continue sewing her own clothes.
The only thing she forbade was doing needlework inside the room.
“It’ll ruin your eyes,” she said, insisting that Shen Yao move a stool into the courtyard and work there instead.
He Shi was in an exceptionally good mood that day.
Early in the morning, he went to the township food station and bought some meat. Around ten o’clock, he carried it toward Old Madam Shen’s house.
As he passed the Shen family’s courtyard, he habitually glanced inside.
What he saw was Shen Yao sitting upright in the yard, quietly doing needlework.
This was not the first time he had seen a girl sew.
His younger sister occasionally sewed buttons and mended things.
But he had never realized before that a girl could look so beautiful while sewing.
For a moment, he stood there staring, so lost in thought that he did not even notice he had stopped walking.
Just then, Wang Yunzhi came out of the house.
Spotting him, she greeted him with a smile.
“Educated Youth He, where are you headed? Come in and sit for a bit.”
This was a common rural greeting, much like saying hello or asking whether someone had eaten.
Wang Yunzhi said it casually.
To her surprise, He Shi actually answered, “Sure,” and stepped right into the courtyard.
Curious, he moved closer to see what Shen Yao was sewing and asked, “Yaoyao knows how to do this too?”
The way he called her “Yaoyao” nearly made Shen Yao choke.
She was genuinely bewildered.
Who was he calling Yaoyao?
Were they really close enough for him to address her that way?
Shen Yao felt that He Shi’s thick skin and natural familiarity with strangers were on a level she could never hope to match.
Keeping her head down, she continued sewing and pretended not to hear him call her Yaoyao.
As a result, she did not greet him.
No one considered that rude.
He Shi knew she was a “little fool” and was extraordinarily tolerant of her.
As for Wang Yunzhi, she assumed Shen Yao was simply acting slow-witted again.
Nor did Wang Yunzhi find it strange that He Shi called her daughter Yaoyao.
Everyone in the village called her that.
Ever since discovering that her daughter was so clever and skillful, Wang Yunzhi had been bursting to share the news with someone.
Shen Guozhong was working in the vegetable patch.
Shen Gang was not home.
Now that He Shi had conveniently wandered into the conversation and even asked about it, there was no way Wang Yunzhi could suppress her urge to boast.
Smiling, she said, “This is Yaoyao’s first time making clothes. She cut the fabric herself and plans to sew it herself too. From what I can see, she’s done quite well. A grown girl should learn these skills.”
Her words were modest enough, but the pride in her tone was impossible to miss.
The expression on her face practically screamed, My daughter is amazing.
She looked every bit the proud mother watching her daughter come into her own.
Fortunately, He Shi was more than willing to indulge her.
With a smile, he said, “Yaoyao really is impressive. My sister is about the same age, and all she can do is sew buttons.”
That made Wang Yunzhi beam even more brightly.
Luckily, she did not completely lose herself in praising her daughter.
Instead, she smiled and began asking about He Shi’s sister, how old she was, whether she was still in school, and so on.
Shen Yao found it rather remarkable.
He Shi somehow managed to chat quite comfortably with her middle-aged mother.
After a few more exchanges, Wang Yunzhi finally noticed the meat hanging from his hand.
“You’re taking that meat to my Fifth Aunt’s house, aren’t you?”
He Shi nodded.
Wang Yunzhi immediately grew flustered.
“Oh dear, I didn’t even notice. You’d better hurry. It’s almost time to start cooking.”
He Shi: “…”
He had actually wanted to stay a little longer.
But after Wang Yunzhi said that, he really had no excuse to linger.
With a smile, he agreed that it was getting late and said goodbye.
As he walked past Shen Yao, he glanced sideways at her.
The little girl remained bent over her sewing, not sparing him so much as a glance.
He could not help thinking that she was a bit too heartless.
Just last night she had thanked him.
And now, after only a single night, she seemed to have forgotten that he had rescued her.
He Shi decided that as a grown man, he should not hold a grudge against a silly girl.
Carrying the meat to Old Madam Shen’s house, he handed it over for lunch.
Then, in what he tried to make sound casual, he added, “The team leader has been very good to me. Fifth Grandma, after you cook the meat, could you send some over to Shen Guozhong’s family?”
When the old lady looked at him strangely, he rubbed his nose and hurriedly added,
“I really like braised fish. If Shen Gang could help catch me a fish, that’d be even better.”
So somehow, what had begun as a plan to make Shen Yao indebted to him through his generosity had turned into him supposedly trading meat just to satisfy his craving for fish.
At noon, Old Madam Shen carried a small bowl of meat over to the Shen family and explained the situation.
The moment Shen Gang heard it, his eyes lit up.
Fish?
No problem!
Patting his chest confidently, he declared, “Until school starts, I’ll catch fish for Educated Youth He every single day!”
Fish without oil could hardly compare to meat.
Before he could finish his grand declaration, Shen Guozhong smacked him on the back of the head.
“You little brat! Are you planning to trade fish for meat every day?”
Shen Gang immediately protested his innocence.
“Who said that? I meant that because Educated Youth He gave us this bowl of meat today, I’ll catch fish for him every day until school starts!”
His father was seriously underestimating him.
How could he think so little of his character? It was outrageous.
The truth was, Shen Gang idolized He Shi at the moment. Even without that bowl of meat, if he knew He Shi wanted fish, he would happily catch some for him.
Shen Guozhong had not hit him hard anyway. Smiling, he said, “That’s more like it. Do you think Educated Youth He is someone who lacks fish to eat? He’s looking after our family. A person ought to know gratitude and repay kindness.”
Then he turned to Old Madam Shen and asked her to pass along his thanks to He Shi.
Which was why He Shi’s little maneuver was completely ineffective in front of Shen Guozhong.
The only reason Shen Guozhong never suspected anything was because he never connected it to his own daughter.
In most matters, Captain Shen was extremely shrewd. It was only when it came to romance and relationships between men and women that he seemed to be missing a crucial piece.
In fact, it was not just him.
No one in the Shen family had considered that possibility.
The old Shen Yao had certainly been beautiful, but while plenty of boys had wanted to bully or tease her, none had ever genuinely liked her.
People tended to think according to established patterns, and for the moment, nobody’s thoughts had gone in that direction.
Shen Yao did not feel her family was taking advantage of anyone.
Fish were valuable too.
Sending a few extra fish was only fair.
After discussing it with Wang Yunzhi, she suggested using the one jin meat coupon He Shi had previously given them to buy pork and render lard.
That way, future meals would at least have some oil in them.
If they caught fish, they could even braise them in soy sauce.
That was far more economical than using everything on a single meal of braised pork.
Wang Yunzhi had been thinking the same thing.
She said they would wait until the oil jar was nearly empty before buying the pork, otherwise the rendered lard might sit too long.
Because of Shen Yao’s suggestion, Wang Yunzhi promised Shen Gang that if he caught enough fish that day, she would make braised fish for him and his sister that evening.
The boy was thrilled beyond words.
As for He Shi, after lunch, he headed back while thinking that if he happened to run into Shen Yao this time, the little girl would surely at least spare him a glance.
The corners of his mouth kept lifting.
Before he even reached the Shen family’s gate, his back had straightened a little more than usual.
With his hands in his pockets, he strolled leisurely along.
Who could have guessed that when he looked into the courtyard, Shen Yao was nowhere to be seen?
Instead, he saw Shen Gang cheerfully carrying a fish basket out the door.
The boy’s face lit up when he saw him.
“Educated Youth He! Thanks for the meat at lunch! I’m going to catch fish for you!”
He Shi’s eyes drifted toward the house several times.
Even after passing the courtyard gate, he still did not see Shen Yao.
The disappointment in his heart was difficult to describe.
He absentmindedly responded to Shen Gang with a few vague acknowledgments before casually asking,
“You didn’t bring your sister along to catch fish today?”
Shen Gang waved his hand.
“My sister likes taking a nap after lunch. Besides, the sun is too strong at noon.”
He Shi smiled and agreed.
But inside, his disappointment only deepened.
Xu Xiangdong, who had come along with him, nearly laughed.
After all, he had witnessed every tiny expression crossing He Shi’s face during the short walk from Old Madam Shen’s house.
The performance had been remarkably entertaining.
He Shi still had not realized how obvious his emotions had become.
That evening, when he went to Old Madam Shen’s house for dinner and once again passed the Shen family courtyard, Shen Yao still was not there sewing.
An empty feeling settled in his chest.
Even the braised fish tasted bland.
After finally finishing dinner, he passed the Shen family courtyard again.
This time only Shen Guozhong was sitting outside enjoying the evening breeze.
Shen Guozhong greeted He Shi enthusiastically and invited both him and Xu Xiangdong inside.
He even called for Wang Yunzhi to brew them some tea.
He Shi actually sat down.
Using the fish Shen Gang had caught as a conversation starter, he said, “The fresh river fish tonight was excellent. I haven’t even thanked Gangzi yet. Is he around?”
Mentioning his son immediately made Shen Guozhong laugh.
“He’s inside teaching his sister how to read. It’s only a fish, hardly worth mentioning. Doesn’t cost any money, just a bit of effort from the boy, and he’s happy to do it. At lunch he even boasted that he’d catch fish for you every day until school starts. We’ll see if he can keep that promise.”
Hearing that neither of the siblings had gone to the educated youth residence that day made He Shi quite happy.
After repeating himself so many times, the girl had finally listened to him.
Xu Xiangdong was not someone who could sit still for long.
After chatting for a few minutes, he headed off to the educated youth residence on his own.
He Shi, meanwhile, sat in the courtyard and talked with Shen Guozhong for quite some time.
One cup of tea disappeared.
Then another.
Yet the brother and sister never came outside.
The happiness he had felt gradually transformed into a faint sense of disappointment.
Which was exactly why He Shi disliked people who loved studying.
Why did a silly little girl have to be so diligent?