“Xiao Lin? Is that Xiao Lin?” Xu Ermei asked uncertainly.
Lin Su nodded. A sharp intake of breath sounded, and Xu Ermei hurried over, reached out to pinch Lin Su’s cheeks, then even measured her waist.
“Xiao Lin, how did you get this thin?”
“Thin? What do you mean thin? I didn’t notice.” Lin Su looked completely confused. She had been swamped and exhausted from work, and when she came out, she just wiped her face hastily. She even forgot to apply the Yashuang cream that Qin Zhoucheng bought for her.
This morning when she put on her pants, she did notice they were a bit loose and kept sliding down, but she didn’t have time to alter them, so she tied them up with a rope.
“My goodness, you’ve gotten this thin and you didn’t even notice? Didn’t you measure your waist?”
Lin Su was still wearing her old clothes, but the military-style outfit that used to fit her perfectly now hung loosely on her body, empty enough to fit two of her. Even so ill-fitting, the clothes still made her waist look slim and her legs long. Most importantly, her face was simply too beautiful.
An oval face with a slightly pointed chin, a delicate but straight nose bridge, and very large eyes like black grapes. Her eyelashes were long, her skin pale with a faint pink glow—she looked exactly like a movie star.
Xu Ermei was so shocked she couldn’t even speak.
In the past, Lin Su also had good skin, but she was too fat. Her eyes were squished and always half-open. When a person is overweight, they tend to look dull. In the village, no men fancied her, and people even joked that someone should find a wife like Da Hai-ge.
Because Yu Minghai was preparing for exams and didn’t go out to earn work points, villagers saw him as lazy and unambitious. Before he got into university, he was the village’s negative example, often mocked because of Lin Su, the fat girl.
After he was admitted to a city college and became friends with Jiang Tingting, he decisively divorced Lin Su, even willing to pay her 300 yuan.
She was simply too beautiful now—her black hair casually tied back, clearly not dressed up, with a couple of strands falling beside her cheeks, glowing naturally. Yu Xiuli was considered pretty in the village and liked to dress up in floral blouses, but compared to Lin Su, she was nothing.
It was like heaven and earth.
If it weren’t for the bicycle bags on both sides and the familiar, patched military outfit, Xu Ermei would never have recognized her.
“What… where are you going? Riding your bike to the county again?”
Lin Su nodded. “A young engaged couple in the county ordered clothes from me last time. I’ve finished them, I’m going to deliver the order.”
“Your husband, Comrade Qin, is already the recruitment officer for Qiangdi Village. Why don’t you let him get you into the factory? A stable job with wages would be so much better. I heard ordinary workers at Huigang earn fifty yuan a month, and they even get welfare supplies—chicken, duck, fish, everything.”
That definitely wasn’t Xu Ermei speaking.
Lin Su wasn’t angry. “Precisely because he’s the person in charge, he has to set an example. If people want to get into Huigang, there’s only one way—pass the exam. Even though I’m his family member, I won’t take shortcuts.”
Xu Ermei looked over and realized it was Zhou Cui, a woman who used to bully Lin Su and often made sarcastic remarks after Lin Su married Qin Zhoucheng.
“You don’t need to say that. Everyone knows how Comrade Qin behaves. Xiao Lin, you’ve finished these clothes, but you’re not letting us see them? If they look good, we’ll come to you too.”
Lin Su took the clothes out of the bag, each one neatly hung on a hanger, looking even sharper than those sold at the supply and marketing cooperative.
Even the hangers were made by Qin Zhoucheng. Lin Su hadn’t realized he was so skilled at woodworking. Their small house only had one cabinet, barely enough for storage. She had originally planned to hire a carpenter to make wardrobes, but the next day Qin Zhoucheng found boards, borrowed tools, and made them himself, even painting them—no worse than the expensive “thirty-six-piece furniture sets” sold in cities.
Xu Ermei touched the wool coat and couldn’t bear to let go. “You made this coat too? It’s beautiful.”
The skirts and suits also received unanimous praise. The young wives especially liked the red knitted dress, which had a Hong Kong-style fashion vibe—something that would be trendy even in Haicheng, let alone in a rural village like Yu Family Village, where people had rarely seen anything stylish.
Lin Su even used leftover red yarn to knit a wool hat with a pom-pom.
“Yes, the customers provided the materials. This piece is quite valuable, I just finished ironing it, so I can’t let you try it on. I have other sample pieces at home—come find me when I get back.”
Xu Ermei was reluctant to part with them. Lin Su packed everything back into the bag, got on her bicycle, and headed to the county.
Between Yu Family Village and the county, the Huigang new city area had already been half built. Lin Su could even see the row of newly constructed residential houses in the workers’ compound, with walls already enclosed, seemingly close to completion.
Qin Zhoucheng had been extremely busy; he hadn’t even come home for lunch today, though he had prepared her lunch in the morning just in case she forgot to eat.
The Huigang new factory construction was in full swing, and he was very busy, yet he always accommodated her.
Lin Su felt a little sour in her heart. Since she was getting paid today, she decided to buy some good food from a restaurant and bring it to his workplace.
After finding Wu Jianguo and Shanshan, both of them stared wide-eyed and didn’t recognize her either. Wu Jianguo only had eyes for his fiancée and was completely stunned.
Shanshan, a little annoyed, even began to feel somewhat displeased with Lin Su.
Only after Lin Su took out all the clothes and let her try them on one by one was Shanshan very satisfied. Even though this young tailor had suddenly become so thin and looked like a movie star, her craftsmanship was excellent.
“Comrade Xiao Lin, can we still ask you to make clothes in the future? Your Yu Family Village is a bit far. It would be great if you could stay in the county long-term.”
“I came back this time to see if I could rent a place for a studio, but once the Huigang new district is completed, I might open it there instead.”
“Huigang? Comrade Xiao Lin, you can get into the factory? That’s great. The textile factory isn’t doing well and no longer allows job inheritance. If you can get into Huigang, that’s even better than working in the county.”
Lin Su shook her head. “I didn’t take the exam, so I can’t get in. I’m not sure about the details, but I heard that the Huigang new district will not only have factories but also supporting hospitals and schools, all recruiting staff. If you have qualifications, it’s easier to get in. University graduates are scarce—they take as many as they can get.”
After receiving the remaining payment, Lin Su went to Jinjiang Hotel and ordered several dishes: braised sea cucumber, crispy fried shrimp, stir-fried wood ear with pork, and a roast duck. Seeing braised pig trotters at the canteen, she even bought six—altogether it only cost eight yuan.
She slowly rode her bicycle back to Yu Family Village, turning left onto the newly built cement road leading to the new district factory entrance.
Standing there quietly and gracefully, she attracted quite a lot of attention.