Chapter 9

Seeing the little fellow looking puzzled, Lin Xi pulled up his small hand, hooked her pinky around his, and said:

“We’ve made a pinky promise, so we have to keep our word! Pinky swear, hang it high, a hundred years no change—whoever breaks it is a puppy.”

Hearing her words and looking at their hooked pinkies, little Gu Yang’s eyes lit up—he’d just learned something new.

Tian Yufen had been watching Lin Xi’s interactions with the two children from the start, and when she saw this scene, she couldn’t help but smile.

Lin Xi turned around, went back into the house, and brought out a tin of snow cream. She dabbed some on the little girl’s dry cheeks, then grabbed little Gu Yang and smeared some on his face as well.

“All right, go dry your radish strips now!”

After making the pinky promise with his auntie and having her touch his face, Gu Yang raised a small hand to feel his own cheek:

That bad woman touched my face (⊙o⊙) … it feels different from when Grandma touches me. The bad woman’s hand smells nice…

The little guy, feeling a bit dazed, immediately shook his head:

No! Even if the bad woman smells nice and it feels nice when she touches my face, I still don’t like her—when she hits, it really hurts.

Once Lin Xi sent the two little ones off, she brought all the things inside her room, laid them out on the bed, and began cutting strips of cloth with scissors. Then she threaded a needle to sew various patterns, attaching them to headbands and hair clips.

The fabric ones were quick to make—by late morning she’d already finished over twenty headbands, some with ruffled edges, some simply wrapped in floral cloth, and others with easy decorative designs.

When her fingers got sore from sewing, she picked up small hair ties and began wrapping yarn around them. This was faster, and she quickly had dozens done.

By the time Tian Yufen had finished cutting the radish strips, she saw Lin Xi busily working in the room.

“Oh! These headbands are so pretty. Xiaoxi, you really have a gift with your hands—Xingxing just loves those two hair clips you made, she’s been touching them all morning.”

“I just learned to make them for fun before. If Xingxing likes them, that’s great.”

“You’re wrapping hair ties now? Are you going to wrap all of these? That’s going to take quite a bit of time. I’ll start lunch, and after we eat, I’ll help you wrap them.”

“You know how to wrap them too?”

“I do. The plain ones snag hair, but wrapping them stops that. It’s cheaper to buy plain ties and wrap them yourself, so everyone does it that way.”

“Great. Then let’s make lunch first, and after eating we’ll wrap them together.”

Lin Xi started to get up as she said that, but after sitting cross-legged on the bed for so long, her legs had gone numb…

“What’s wrong?”

“My legs are numb from sitting too long…”

“Oh dear. I’ll do it—keep working on your things. Move your legs around a bit, or you won’t be able to get up later.”

“Okay. Then you steam the rice first, and I’ll stir-fry the dishes later.”

Tian Yufen had wanted to refuse, but remembering the egg soup Lin Xi made yesterday—and thinking that she probably wasn’t used to Tian Yufen’s own cooking—she nodded.

“All right.”

With someone to help with the hair ties later, Lin Xi picked up her crochet hook and began crocheting decorative patterns directly onto small clips.

She also planned to crochet some pieces to attach to the wrapped ties and make more fabric ones—this way she’d have a nice variety of styles.

“Is your husband’s sister-in-law home?”

A voice came from the yard. Lin Xi looked out the window and saw it was Wang Dama, a neighbor from the village. Tian Yufen had already gone out from the kitchen when she heard her.

The yard wasn’t big, so Lin Xi could clearly hear their conversation. At first she thought the visitor was just here to chat, so she didn’t pay much attention—until she heard Wang Dama say:

“Sister-in-law, I came over today to thicken my skin and borrow something from you.”

“Sister, what do you need to borrow?”

“My little granddaughter’s rice cereal has run out, and the oil jar at home is almost empty. I was hoping to borrow a few jin of rice and some oil.

I really have no choice—things have been busy at home, and I haven’t been able to make it to town to buy more. The adults can manage, but the child is still little—she can’t go hungry.”

Hearing this, Tian Yufen looked troubled. Before she could speak, Wang Dama saw her expression and quickly grabbed her hand:

“Don’t worry—my third son’s wages will come in a few days, and when they do, I’ll buy back everything I’ve borrowed before, plus this time, and bring it to you.”

Tian Yufen still looked uneasy.

“Sister, we don’t have much of those things at home either, and now everything we’re using was bought by Xiaoxi. I can’t make the decision for her.”

Wang Dama’s face darkened at that. She let go of her hand and said:

“So you’re afraid I won’t pay you back? Do you even believe what you just said? I saw with my own eyes yesterday you brought back two full bamboo baskets.

And come on—everyone knows what kind of person your daughter-in-law is. How could she possibly be spending her own money to buy you things?”

“Sister, whether you believe it or not, Lin Xi has changed. And yes, she bought those things.”

“Well then, I’ll ask her directly. This is really something—your family’s the only one where the mother-in-law can’t decide for the new daughter-in-law.

If it were me, and my daughter-in-law dared to not listen, I’d have my son kick her out. Let’s see if she’d still dare to act up then!”

Lin Xi clenched her fists as she listened. This old woman wasn’t just here to scrounge for free stuff—she was deliberately trying to stir up trouble between her and her mother-in-law!

She put on her shoes and walked out, meeting Wang Dama right in the doorway.

“Oh—Qingyan’s wife. Since you’re married to Qingyan, you should call me Wang Dama.

I came to borrow some rice to make porridge for my little granddaughter. She’s been without for two days now. My third son’s wages aren’t in yet, but in a few days I’ll buy the rice and return it to you.

I just told your mother-in-law, but she said you bought the food, so I had to ask you directly. You two are really so formal with each other.”

Lin Xi smiled brightly—eight perfect teeth showing—and then asked Tian Yufen behind her:

“Mom, how much has Wang Dama borrowed from our family in total?”

Tian Yufen hadn’t expected her to ask, but after thinking for a moment, she said:

“Back when Yangyang’s parents were still around, she borrowed about five jin of rice, seven or eight jin of cornmeal, a jin and a half of sugar, four liters of oil, and two bars of soap. Other small things like thread and dried vegetables I didn’t count.

These past two years, when money’s been tighter, I haven’t lent much—just two jin of rice, three jin of cornmeal, half a liter of oil, and a bowl of soy sauce.”

Wang Dama’s face soured.

“Sister-in-law, what’s that supposed to mean? Back then, your Xiaolan and her husband said I didn’t have to return those things. And this little bit from later—it’s been a while already, and it’s not like I’m not going to repay you.

And you, Qingyan’s wife—not that I want to scold you, but you’ve barely been married a few months, haven’t even had a child yet, and you’re already controlling the household? Look around—what other young bride in the whole area acts like you? If word gets out, it won’t sound good at all.”

Her speech was clearly meant to make someone feel embarrassed enough to just hand over the things—because otherwise, she could go around the village spreading bad words, and how would the person hold their head up after that?