Su Meier stared at the wrinkled banknote in her hand, momentarily stunned. “Mom, I—”
“This month is a little less because it’s the busy farming season. Sometimes I have to work with the production team too. On top of that, after the foolish thing you did, I haven’t had the heart to take on much sewing work lately.
When next month comes and things quiet down, I’ll have more free time. I’ll make a few more clothes and save some extra money to make up the difference for you.
As for your father, the money he gets from exchanging his work points each year—after covering the necessary household expenses—the rest is being saved for you and your second brother’s future weddings.”
She had every cent of the family’s money carefully allocated.
Su Meier felt the money in her hand burning hot, weighed down by a deep sense of guilt. But the guilt only lasted a few seconds before she shamelessly tucked it away.
At worst, she could return to her old trade and work harder. She would also do whatever she could to contribute more to the family.
“Auntie, that’s not a small amount. You can buy a hundred eggs with one yuan,” Su Dabao said. He had often heard his mother mention that Grandma gave his aunt one yuan and fifty cents in pocket money every month.
“You child, always talking about eggs. Have we ever let you go without food?”
“Mom, it’s fine. One yuan is enough. You don’t need to give me more.”
If what Dabao said was true and one yuan could buy a hundred eggs, then this was already a considerable sum.
She was certain that among everyone in the village, there wasn’t a second person living as comfortably as she was.
“Our Su family only has one precious daughter. Of course we have to raise her like a treasure. We can’t let some poor boy trick her away.”
Mother Liang looked at her daughter’s figure and face, feeling more satisfied the longer she looked.
What a pity that young man from the city was unreliable after all. He had actually abandoned her beautiful daughter. What a waste of a pair of eyes!
“Meier, why are you wearing this old outfit again? Do you not have any clothes to wear?”
Mother Liang carefully looked her up and down. She had always thought the sizing was just right, but her daughter had preferred loose-fitting clothes in the past no matter how much she tried to persuade her otherwise.
“I do have clothes. They’re just all too big, so I picked a smaller one.”
No wonder most of her clothes had no patches. It turned out she had a mother who knew how to make clothes.
Mother Liang nodded.
Her daughter had grown up. Perhaps after the emotional blow she had suffered, she had become more concerned about her appearance.
She didn’t think much of it.
“I had some leftover fabric scraps from work a few days ago. I can make you a new outfit.”
Su Meier did not refuse. She genuinely needed smaller clothes.
“Mom, if you have time, just alter the larger clothes in my wardrobe. There’s no need to make brand-new ones.”
“Alright. I’ll alter them for you next month. For now, I’ll use my spare time to make you a new outfit first.”
She wanted to dress her daughter beautifully.
“Grandma, Grandma! Dabao wants new clothes too!”
Su Dabao tugged at his patch-covered shirt.
Su Meier also noticed that her mother seemed a little too biased in her favor. After all, Su Dabao was her eldest grandson.
“If you want new clothes, have your mother make them when she has time. I’ve already taught her all my sewing skills and given her plenty of fabric. Is she really lacking enough material to make you one outfit?”
Her daughter-in-law was far too frugal. She couldn’t keep taking advantage of her forever. She still had a daughter to support.
Relieved, Su Meier realized her mother wasn’t some wicked mother-in-law. She had provided everything she should. The sewing skills alone were highly valuable in this era.
“Mom, when I earn money, I’ll buy you a sewing machine so you won’t have to stitch clothes by hand one stitch at a time anymore.”
This was the first small goal that had appeared in her mind since arriving here.
“Then we’ll be able to make clothes easily, production will go up, and Dabao will have more clothes than he can wear.”
Dabao believed every word she said. The gloomy expression on his face immediately brightened.
“Auntie, I want endless new clothes!”
Mother Liang’s nose stung with emotion.
“My daughter has grown up. She even knows how to care for her mother now.”
At that moment, all the years of sacrifice suddenly felt worthwhile.
Others often told her she was wrong—that daughters were worth less than sons, that once married off they belonged to another family, and that sons were the true support in old age.
But she never cared.
She had always done things her own way.
She had never expected anything in return from her daughter.
This was the youngest daughter she had carried and given birth to with great hardship. Was it wrong to raise her own daughter with love and responsibility?
A bunch of jealous busybodies, all of them!
Su Meier quickly finished her porridge and egg, casually wiping her mouth.
Now she not only needed to earn money for that man’s snacks but also save up for a sewing machine. Her burden had suddenly become much heavier.
She needed to get back to her room and start working.
“Mom, half of this candy is for you and Dad. The other half can be divided between Xiaobao and me.”
With that, she poured the candy onto the table.
“Auntie! What about me? Me too!”
Xiaobao nearly jumped up in panic.
“There’s plenty for you.”
Su Meier poured a small portion from the jar into his hands.
“Eat sparingly, or you’ll get cavities.”
She didn’t forget to remind him.
“Meier, your mother isn’t greedy for sweets. You should keep it all for yourself.”
Mother Liang grabbed a large handful and tried to pour it back into her jar.
Su Meier quickly covered the opening and dashed out of the kitchen.
“Mom, once I’ve given it to you, it’s yours. How can I take it back?”
“That child.”
Mother Liang shook her head helplessly, though the smile on her face refused to fade.
“Grandma, do you want it or not? If not, I want it!”
Su Dabao stared at the candy in her hands with shining eyes.
Mother Liang packed the candy from the table into a bag.
“Children shouldn’t eat too much candy. How about Grandma keeps yours safe too and gives you two pieces a day?”
The moment Dabao heard that she wanted to confiscate his candy, he clutched it tightly and bolted out the door just like Su Meier had.
“Grandma, Dabao will keep it himself! I’ll only eat two pieces a day and definitely won’t get cavities!”
“That child. I wonder who he takes after.”
After putting away the candy, Mother Liang turned back to washing vegetables.
Back in her room, Su Meier began organizing the professional knowledge she had brought with her from the modern world.
That was right.
She was a weapons systems designer.
The night before she transmigrated, she had been studying the design of a light machine gun.
After working on it for several nights, she had finally completed the design.
Then she woke up and found herself here.
The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to cry.
In this remote and impoverished place, even if she had the knowledge to make a handgun with some lethality, gathering the required materials would be impossible.
But a simple wooden compound bow?
That she could make.
It had been her university graduation project.
She had hands-on experience, making it much easier to handle.
Moreover, the killing power of a true compound bow was enough to penetrate a bear’s hide and flesh.
Of course, the simplified version she planned to build would be nowhere near that powerful.
Once she made up her mind, she got to work.
She began sketching on paper, drawing the initial design.
As long as she wasn’t lazy, her ability to execute ideas was actually quite strong.
Soon, a detailed blueprint appeared on the page.
Three pieces of wood would be connected into a lever structure.
Two rubber bands would be attached to provide maximum elasticity.
A bamboo tube would be placed in the center to launch the arrows.
The only thing giving her a headache was the rubber bands.
Got it.
She could use the elastic from a pair of pants.
No, wait.
There was no need to take apart clothing.
Her mother was a tailor. She surely had spare elastic on hand.
She could ask for some later.
For now, she needed to head into the courtyard and start shaping a few pieces of wood.
If she was lucky, she should be able to finish making the compound bow by tonight.