Su Jiaxuan’s movements grew even gentler: “Washing your feet.”
Shen Fujuan wanted to jump off the bed. “I can do it myself.”
Su Jiaxuan had also been exhausted all day, and Fujuan saw it, feeling the ache in her heart.
Such difficult days were still ahead for them for a long time.
Between husband and wife, mutual understanding was even more important. Su Jiaxuan was someone she had lost and regained, and Shen Fujuan didn’t want him to overwork himself.
However, Su Jiaxuan firmly grasped Shen Fujuan’s ankle with a resolute and undeniable strength.
“Don’t do any work tonight. The light at home is too dim—it’ll strain your eyes.”
Su Jiaxuan was already planning in his mind: once they were familiar with Heihe Village, he would find a way to hunt a wild boar in the mountains. Besides having pork to eat, the lard could be used to make tallow candles to light up the room for Shen Fujuan.
Shen Fujuan felt a warmth in her heart, and her gaze toward Su Jiaxuan softened even more.
After washing her feet with warm water, much of the fatigue and chill in her body dissipated.
Shen Fujuan had stayed up most of the night and finally managed to stitch several shoe soles, placing them by the kang to air-dry.
Making shoes was something that couldn’t be rushed; otherwise, the shoes would either be too soft or too stiff.
To prevent their feet from being injured by stones in the fields, Shen Fujuan specifically used thick, multi-layered soles with fine, tight stitches. Even if they stepped on a nail, they wouldn’t have to worry about being pierced.
As for the shoe uppers, this was the part Shen Fujuan found most challenging.
Originally, Shen Fujuan had wanted to make a few pairs of beautiful and dirt-resistant black cloth shoes, but after searching for a long time, she couldn’t find suitable fabric.
Using new fabric would risk drawing attention.
After agonizing over it for a while, Shen Fujuan simply took out a few old clothes in darker colors and asked Su Jiaxuan for his opinion.
Su Jiaxuan gazed thoughtfully at the clothes in Shen Fujuan’s hands.
These were all clothes she had hung in the wardrobe and cherished. One of them was even bought this year, intended for autumn wear.
“Use my clothes,” Su Jiaxuan suggested after a moment of thought, offering a more practical solution.
They spent their days toiling in the fields, and there was no telling when they would return to the city.
There was no use for these presentable clothes now.
“Then let’s use these brown ones. They were bought a few years ago and do look a bit outdated now.”
Shen Fujuan still felt a pang of regret. As she handled the clothes, she couldn’t help but say, “This coat was something you bought for me in Guangzhou years ago.”
The brown trench coat fabric was crisp and structured, perfectly outlining her waist when worn.
Su Jiaxuan furrowed his brow, a wave of indescribable helplessness washing over him. Watching Shen Fujuan’s pained expression, he pressed his lips together.
“My clothes have more suitable colors.”
Shen Fujuan’s hands moved deftly as she began unpicking the coat’s front placket, smiling gently at Su Jiaxuan.
“You hand over all your salary to me. Usually, it’s me and the child who get the most new clothes. How many of your clothes could we possibly use?”
Just mentioning this made Shen Fujuan feel a twinge of guilt.
The two of them had no preference for sons over daughters, and they had never hesitated to provide for Su Lina, even though she wasn’t their biological child.
Considering Su Lina was still a girl, Shen Fujuan always prioritized her when buying new clothes each season.
Who would have thought that all the care and provision would end up raising an ungrateful person?
One windbreaker was more than enough to make five pairs of cloth shoes. Shen Fujuan worked day and night, taking out needle and thread to stitch shoes whenever she had a moment.
In less than half a month, the whole family had received cloth shoes handmade by Shen Fujuan.
They were no worse than those sold in shoe shops outside.
The children were all pleasantly surprised. Upon receiving the shoes, they first carefully stored them away.
Shen Fujuan couldn’t help but urge them, “Hurry up and try them on. If they don’t fit, I’ll make adjustments.”
Su Jianqiang glanced at Su Jianjun, then exchanged a look with Zhao Xiaorou. They all saw embarrassment in each other’s eyes.
After a long day of work, their bodies were smelly, let alone their feet.
Unlike their comfortable life in the city, where they had time to groom themselves carefully, things were different now.
Only after washing their feet did they dare to put on the new shoes.
“Mom, when did you learn this skill? It feels like you could open a cloth shoe shop after returning to the countryside!” Su Jianjun praised loudly.
Su Jianqiang also chimed in with admiration, “Exactly! They feel even more comfortable than the ones I bought at Neiliansheng!”
Listening to their praise, Shen Fujuan’s heart felt as sweet as if she had drunk honey. The exhaustion of the past few days didn’t seem so unbearable anymore.
Only Su Jiaxuan, after trying on the shoes, said nothing. He just looked at Shen Fujuan with heartache in his eyes.
When it was time to sleep at night, Shen Fujuan felt a pair of rough, broad hands grasp her palm. The calluses that had formed over the past half-month had gradually hardened, pressing uncomfortably against her skin.
Su Jiaxuan’s rough hands enveloped Shen Fujuan’s small ones, tightening slightly as his thumb gently stroked her palm.
“Does it hurt?” Su Jiaxuan’s voice was low, revealing neither joy nor anger.
But Shen Fujuan knew he was concerned about her.
“It hurts,” Shen Fujuan softened her voice and nestled closer to him.
Yet Shen Fujuan believed that family members should support each other, and she never felt wronged.
As long as they were together as a family, even the pain felt sweet. Shen Fujuan felt deeply content.
The next day, the whole family wore their new shoes to work in unison.
Compared to those around them, they stood out noticeably.
Huang Wenqiang’s gaze lingered on their feet for a few seconds, a malicious smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
“It seems you’ve learned nothing from your lesson! Even after being sent down here, you’re still indulging in luxury, wearing such fine cloth shoes!”
The light brown shoes stood out starkly against the dark, muted colors worn by everyone else.
In Huang Wenqiang’s eyes, this was a deliberate act of standing out, a refusal to integrate with the collective!
Su Jiaxuan, who was stopped by Huang Wenqiang, wore a cold expression.
It seemed Huang Wenqiang had completely set his sights on their family.
“Is it wrong to make shoes from my old clothes?” Shen Fujuan asked proactively.
“Nonsense! Those shoes were clearly bought!”
Shen Fujuan feigned surprise. “Secretary Huang, is it wrong that my shoemaking skills are too good?”
“Besides, these past few days, we’ve either been in the fields or at home. By the time we return each day, it’s already dark. When would we have had time to go to the city to buy shoes?”
Huang Wenqiang’s reasoning was far-fetched, not only unconvincing but also illogical.
“In any case, our commune is still selecting this year’s advanced workers. We won’t allow you to openly stand out like this! Take off your shoes and hand them over immediately.”
Huang Wenqiang asserted his authority, glaring at them threateningly.
Sensing that Su Jianjun was about to clash with Huang Wenqiang again, Shen Fujuan waved her hand, calming her second son’s fiery temper.
“Of course we can hand over the shoes if the state demands it. But Secretary Huang, you should at least let us know when it was decided that we can’t wear shoes of a different color from others. Show us the regulation so we can see whether you’re enforcing the law impartially or abusing your power for personal reasons.”