These fabrics, in their colors, patterns, and textures, were unlike anything Mrs. Fang had seen before, captivating her attention.
Fu Xin Ci was pleased to see this. Humoring her mother, she grasped Mrs. Fang's arm and pouted playfully, "Mother, take whichever piece you fancy."
"..."
These fabrics were bought by her daughter, and presumably, they were also her daughter's favorites. Mrs. Fang felt a bit embarrassed to voice her desires, especially since she liked so many.
Fu Xin Ci, understanding her mother's temperament, didn't press the matter. She selected several pieces based on Mrs. Fang's usual preferences and handed them over. She also picked out a few pieces in colors suitable for her father and Yu'er.
Mrs. Fang accepted the fabrics her daughter had chosen, her smile beaming. These patterns and colors were exactly what she liked; her daughter truly understood her.
This little padded jacket was both warm and thoughtful.
However, upon leaving her daughter's room and seeing the main hall looking like a drying ground, Mrs. Fang couldn't help but shake her head.
"Fortunately, the floor is paved with bluestone bricks. Otherwise, the water dripping down would turn to mud."
Fu Xin Ci offered no explanation, her lips simply curving upwards as she let her mother ramble.
Eventually, Mrs. Fang grew tired of her own complaints and retreated to her room with a stack of fabrics.
In the main hall of the Meng family's eldest branch, Meng Yu Yan was with her two younger sisters, soaking their family's soiled clothes in wooden basins.
From the east room, Li Shi's voice could be heard, "Back then, I heard Yu Wu ask that little Lin Zi to help carry back three basins of water. What was that about?"
"Those three basins of water smelled like flowers, better than the incense we used to burn in our room," added Little Li Shi, who had been sitting on the edge of the kangs, helping to take apart old padded jackets.
Liu Shi had heard Little Li Shi mention it several times. As she was heading to the outhouse, she deliberately went over to sniff. "Indeed, the scent is much better than incense. You got this from Xin Ci, didn't you?"
"Yes. We saw that the water was only used to wash clean fabrics, and it felt like a waste to pour it away. It felt so silky, better than soapwort, so we asked Xin Ci for it."
Upon hearing her daughter's words, Liu Shi felt a mix of heartache and pride. Her daughter, who once paid no heed to the outside world, now understood how to manage the household's finances.
Liu Shi, her mind preoccupied, returned to the east room after using the outhouse and discussed with her mother-in-law, "Old Madam, should we go to your second uncle's place again and buy a few more pounds of cotton?"
"Why buy more cotton?"
"Old Madam, I was thinking of making for..." Liu Shi glanced around, ensuring no one from their second uncle's side of the courtyard could overhear, then pointed north.
Li Shi immediately understood. However, she cast a glance in the direction of their second uncle's house and asked nervously, "If your second uncle finds out, he'll surely be angry. We're alright, but what about the girls? They're not married yet; how can they manage without your second uncle's protection?"
Liu Shi pondered. Her mother-in-law's words held truth. However, thinking of the harsh cold in Liaodong, where even the young men in the garrisons struggled, she worried even more about her husband's health and age.
Liu Shi, increasingly uneasy, returned to their second branch's living quarters and secretly consulted with Tao Shi and their two daughters.
The two girls were quick-witted. "Mother, at worst, we can make our padded jackets with a thinner lining, and use the extra cotton to make a jacket for Father."
"Yes, I think Sister Yan's idea is feasible."
Liu Shi also thought it was a good plan.
However, Tao Shi disagreed, "If we only make one jacket for our husband, what about the others? Others might be alright, but we wouldn't be able to justify it to the Old Master."
Tao Shi's words deflated Liu Shi like a popped balloon.
After a long pause, she said with a crestfallen face, "What can we do? Even if we women endure the cold ourselves, we can only spare one jacket for our husband. We truly cannot spare any more."
Seeing Liu Shi weep, the two girls and Tao Shi also felt disheartened. Just as the family was at a loss, they heard the main gate open, followed by Yu Lin's voice calling, "Brother Da Bao!"
Upon hearing that her prospective son-in-law had arrived, Liu Shi quickly got up, put on her shoes, and went to greet him.
As she stepped out of the room, she saw Wang Da Bao standing at the doorway with a bundle of cotton.
"Da Bao, it's quite cold outside. Come in and sit."
Wang Da Bao was a little disappointed not to see his fiancée, but he handed the bundle in his hand to Liu Shi without delay.
"Auntie, I won't come in. This is cotton I just bought. You and the family can each make a jacket."
"Da Bao, this is too much. Your parents..."
"Auntie, don't worry. My parents have also bought some."
Wang Da Bao, a straightforward young man, chatted with his prospective mother-in-law about his family's affairs.
Today, his mother and two sisters-in-law had discussed it and bought twenty catties of cotton all at once, saying they wanted to make new padded clothes for everyone in the family.
The old couple's quilts were no longer warm, so they had also made up their minds today to make two new sets of bedding.
His two sisters-in-law, upon seeing the new cotton they had bought, kept praising it, saying that the cotton their mother's family gave them for their weddings wasn't even half as good as what Grandpa Meng's family sold.
Hiding behind the main hall door, the Meng sisters, Meng Yu Yan and Meng Yu Su, who had been eavesdropping, covered their mouths and giggled.
It wasn't until Liu Shi escorted Wang Da Bao out of the courtyard that the sisters dared to laugh out loud.
Meng Yu Su: "Mother, I only realized today that Second Sister's fiancé is also a mill."
Meng Yu Yan: "He's a silly mill then. He drones on about small matters for so long."
Tao Shi pretended not to hear and began tidying her sewing basket.
Liu Shi shot her second daughter a look and then chided her disapprovingly, "Da Bao is a good boy. Why else would he stand in the cold wind babbling to me for so long? He just wants to see his fiancée."
"Mother, didn't you say it's not appropriate for us to meet before we're married?"
Meng Yu Su: "Usually, I think Sister Yan is quite smart, but why can't she figure this out at a crucial moment?"
"Me?" Meng Yu Yan thought of what Yu Su had just implied about going to the opposite side... and her face immediately flushed crimson.
Meng Yu Su: What good is it to realize it now?
Meng Yu Yan also regretted her slow reaction.
Liu Shi: There's nothing more to say. Children and grandchildren have their own fortunes. Let them figure out the rest themselves. Otherwise, no matter how much she, as a mother, says, it will be of no use.
A moment of silence fell in the second branch's room. It wasn't until Meng Yu Lian returned with another bundle of cotton that laughter filled the room again.
"Mother."
"Oh, Yu Lian, you're back. Why are you out in this cold weather? Come in quickly and warm up." Although her eldest daughter's home was nearby, Liu Shi still didn't encourage her to visit her maiden home too often.
"Big Sister."
"Big Sister."
"Yes, yes."
"Yu Lian is back."
"Mhm."
Meng Yu Lian greeted everyone in the family before entering the room with Liu Shi and her sisters.