Liu Qinshi handed the fabric to her cousin, "Look how beautiful this material is!"
Wang Zhangshi took the cloth from her cousin Liu Qinshi and nodded repeatedly, "This crimson fabric has a perfect color. I see it's a small bolt, enough for one outfit, and if it's cut well, there'll be enough left for a bodice!"
What she said was no different from what the shopkeeper who sold her the fabric had said. Her eyes were as precise as a ruler, and her words weren't an exaggeration. Now Zhao Jiaqi believed her.
Meng Sunshi, on the other hand, looked at the sky-blue fabric. People in farming families bought durable, dirt-resistant fabrics. This young couple bought such expensive, light-colored material. If they weren't from a wealthy family, who would believe it? Kuai Shu Ge.
She smiled cleverly and said, "Sisters, now that everything is ready, let's get started. Otherwise, it will be dark soon, and our eyesight isn't good. We'll have to light kerosene lamps, which wastes money. Moreover, if we stay for a meal, it would make us seem thick-skinned!"
Zhao Jiaqi knew the old woman was joking, but she wasn't someone who lacked manners. She immediately replied, "We will have dinner, and the kerosene lamps will be lit. Otherwise, if you ladies' eyes get tired, who will do the sewing for me in the future?"
These simple words made them burst into laughter. "This young wife has such a sweet tongue! Even if we don't eat, we old folks are willing to work for you!"
Wang Zhangshi and Meng Sunshi said in unison, "That's the way it is."
The women started to divide the work while chatting and laughing. Wang Zhangshi was skilled with her hands. She measured Zhao Jiaqi and began cutting the fabric.
Liu Qinshi and Meng Sunshi were mainly responsible for dividing the cotton. Zhao Jiaqi, with her good eyesight, helped them thread needles. Even with this amount of work, they managed to finish in a little over an hour, working diligently.
In winter, it got dark early outside, and the room was also dim. Zhao Jiaqi lit two more kerosene lamps. These aunts were getting on in years, and their eyesight wasn't very good. If she didn't light an extra lamp, they would get very tired while working!
The three old women noticed her small gestures, and their hearts were warmed.
After finishing her work in the room, Zhao Jiaqi went to the kitchen. The roe deer meat was still frozen in the water bucket. This was lean meat, so to make it taste good, the lean meat needed to be tenderized in advance to make it softer.
In the kitchen, Zhao Jiaqi tenderized the roe deer meat, planning to make boiled meat later. She would substitute garlic paste for chili peppers, so it wouldn't be too fragrant, but at least it wouldn't be so spicy that they couldn't eat it!
Afterward, she minced the slightly fattier parts of the roe deer meat for dumpling filling, added some cabbage, and made steamed dumplings.
As darkness fell, the people in the kitchen finished preparing the food. Fan Zehao arrived just in time for the meal. After washing his hands, Zhao Jiaqi sent him out.
Inside the room, the three aunts had finished stuffing the red jackets with cotton and sewing them into shape, preparing to go home. Just as they were about to leave, they heard the voices of their husbands outside.
Meng Sunshi slapped her thigh. "Oh dear, could this Fan's wife have called those good-for-nothings?"
Liu Qinshi heard her husband's voice and exclaimed, "Don't say it, I heard my husband's voice. With his rough voice, no one could imitate it!"
Wang Zhangshi got up and put on her shoes, smiling. "This young wife must have prepared a good meal. Let's go see!"
The three women came out of the room and saw the three men washing their hands.
"Aunts, my wife has prepared dinner. We can eat soon!"
Fan Zehao looked at the aunts, who were about his mother's age, and respected them from the bottom of his heart. His tone softened as he spoke, unlike his stern expression!
"Why are you being so polite, child? I was just joking!" Meng Sunshi said, blushing a little, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Zhao Jiaqi smiled and went to help her toward the dining table. "You're being too polite, aunt. This roe deer meat was hunted some days ago, and it's been sitting for a few days. If we don't eat it soon, it will spoil. Since you and the uncles are here today, we can finish this meat. It's better than throwing it away."
Though she said that, one had to consider that in the depths of winter, meat left outside would freeze. It wouldn't spoil for at least half a month, let alone a month. So, what the young wife said was just to comfort the older women.
The women sat at one table, and the men at another, each talking about their own matters.
The men drank wine, and their conversations always revolved around significant issues. The women's table was filled with gossip about family matters.
"This sliced meat is delicious. It doesn't taste like roe deer meat; it tastes like pork instead," Liu Qinshi said, having tasted the roe deer meat she had sent before. It was a bit tough and had a gamey smell that couldn't be masked, no matter how much oil she added.
Zhao Jiaqi replied, "I beat this meat and then coated it with egg white. I also added some seasoned water, so it's definitely soft. And that gamey smell is gone!"
So that's how it was done. The women understood, but they thought that making meat like this required wasting an egg, so they decided it was better to eat it with the gamey smell, as long as it tasted like meat.
During the meal, Liu Qinshi mentioned village affairs. "I wonder how that old woman Li is doing. I haven't seen her for a few days!"
Meng Sunshi sighed softly. "I saw her yesterday. She was returning from outside the village with a bundle. I guess her embroidery didn't sell!"
The three women took turns talking about Old Woman Li. Zhao Jiaqi didn't quite understand at first but eventually got the gist of it.
Basically, Old Woman Li used to be an embroiderer. Later, she married a man from the village, but her husband cheated her out of all her money, and she was divorced. The village chief, feeling sorry for her, as she had no parents or relatives to rely on, allowed her to register as a resident of the village.
She made a living by selling embroidery. Although she had food, her life was not easy.
Without a husband, everything fell on her shoulders. Not only that, but her ex-husband found a young wife, who would come to her house to cause trouble from time to time. Whenever they found her with more grain, they would claim her ex-husband had given it to her.
Hearing this, Zhao Jiaqi found it unbelievable. "Does Granny Li just endure it silently?"
Liu Qinshi said, "What else can she do? My husband tried to intervene, once or twice it worked. But after many times, that heartless man insisted it was from him. Granny Li didn't argue. What could you do?"
"Exactly. As soon as Granny Li sold something and saved some money, that heartless man would snatch it away. Sigh, I say, Granny Li is too soft. If she were a bit tougher, she wouldn't be in this state!"
Despite saying this, Liu Qinshi still couldn't bring herself to eat the steamed dumpling in her bowl. Instead, she wrapped it in her handkerchief.
"Fan's wife, I won't eat this steamed dumpling. I'll give it to that old woman. She's had a bitter life!"
"That's right. I'll save mine for her too, so she doesn't starve to death in this cold weather," Wang Zhangshi also packed hers up.
Meng Sunshi didn't say anything, but her actions spoke for themselves.
Zhao Jiaqi saw that despite their harsh words, their actions were very heartwarming.
"Aunts, please eat. There's still plenty in the pot. I'll pack some steamed dumplings and vegetables to send to Granny Li later!"