Chapter 50 : Learning to Make a Quilted Jacket

Li Yue’e originally wanted to come over to teach Su Mo how to make a cotton-padded jacket, but when she saw her watering the fields, she decided to help water the rest of the fields first.

After finishing with the land, Su Mo quickly welcomed Li Yue’e into the house, took out an enamel pot, and made a cup of brown sugar water for her.

Su Mo had three 2-jin cans of old brown sugar in her space, and she had taken out one can yesterday.

Li Yue’e was a little surprised to see that it was brown sugar water, but she felt relieved in her heart. However, she still said, “It’s not a festival, and we are family. There’s no need to drink brown sugar water. Brown sugar is precious, you can save it for when you really need it in the future.”

The third brother’s family is good to her, and they are willing to spend money on their elders, but it feels a bit too extravagant.

“It’s okay, i can buy more after you finish drinking it. Mom, you’ve worked hard for the autumn harvest, and it’s time to replenish your energy. When you go back later, take some with you,” Su Mo said with a smile.

“Well, we are farmers, so we’re used to it. We don’t need brown sugar to replenish ourselves. We can come back after a break. You can keep it and drink it yourself. If anyone comes over, you can make them a cup to show off.”

“Good things should be given to one’s own family. No matter how good something is when given by others, it will only get one word,” Su Mo replied.

Li Yue’e really agreed with Su Mo’s words, and she looked at her more intimately.

Since the beginning of collectivization, her family has always been the home of the branch secretary. Both Lu Boming and Lu Qing’an are relatively selfless, so Li Yue’e often sacrificed, giving good things to others.

Li Yue’e, who is often known for her selflessness, decided to be selfish for once.

“You are right. Then I won’t be polite with you. When I go back later, I’ll take some for your father and grandfather to replenish their nutrition,” Li Yue’e said with a smile.

She really hadn’t had brown sugar water for a long time, probably about a year.

Brown sugar tickets are hard to come by, so she usually saves them for her daughter-in-law to use during her confinement after childbirth.

“Okay,” Su Mo nodded with a smile.

Li Yue’e rested for a while, drank a few sips of brown sugar water, and then said, “Alright, now Mother will teach you how to make a cotton-padded jacket. Can you make regular single clothes already?”

Su Mo shook her head.

“Okay, then I’ll teach you from the beginning. Apart from anything else, you’re the best at making clothes in the whole brigade.”

Li Yue’e’s father used to be a tailor. Although the skills were passed down to men, not women, she often watched her father and brother make clothes when she was a child, and learned a lot. Unfortunately, her father and brother were killed by the invaders for the sake of the revolution during the difficult days of occupation.

Thinking of that period, Li Yue’e’s eyes became a little moist, but she soon recovered. She is now a nurse, and her life is stable, which is good.

Her father and brother in heaven would also feel comforted.

Li Yue’e taught in great detail, starting with measuring the size, how to cut fabric to save, how to sew the edges, how to thread the stitches, how to lay the cotton, and how to sew everything together, all while explaining as she did it.

Because she had a sewing machine and was quite experienced, she worked very quickly. By noon, the cotton-padded jacket was roughly finished. All that was left was to sew a few more times at the seams and in the middle.

“It’s getting late. I have to go back to cook for your grandfather and father. I’ll come back after dinner to teach you how to make pants,” Li Yue’e said.

“Mom, don’t cook anymore. I’ll do it here and you can take it back later. You’ve been tired all morning, you should rest,” Su Mo said. “I still have some steamed buns from yesterday. I’ll heat them up, stir-fry some vegetables, and make some egg drop soup.”

Li Yue’e thought of the taste of the buns from yesterday, and her body nodded before her mind.

“Thank you for your hard work. I’ll tell your father when I get home so he won’t think something’s wrong when he sees that there’s no food.”

“Okay.” Su Mo nodded vigorously.

As soon as Li Yue’e left, Su Mo immediately took eight or nine buns stuffed with leek filling and placed them in the steamer, boiled water in a pot, and then removed the steamer once it was heated.

Next, she took out two tomatoes and two eggs to make tomato egg drop soup. She also washed a handful of greens and started stir-frying them.

When Li Yue’e arrived with the basket, she saw Su Mo had already begun stir-frying the vegetables. She thought to herself that the third son’s wife worked quite efficiently.

After Su Mo finished stir-frying the vegetables, she scooped three-quarters of the vegetables into the bowl that Li Yue’e had brought, and then put the remaining portion into her own bowl.

She then poured most of the egg drop soup into the covered enamel basin that Li Yue’e had brought, and took another bowl, placing six buns in it.

“Oh, you don’t need so much, just three buns will do,” Li Yue’e said. There was some corn porridge left over from the morning, so three buns would be enough.

“It’s fine, Mother. I still have eight or nine left. They won’t last in this weather.”

Li Yue’e looked at the remaining buns and saw that there were indeed eight or nine left, so she accepted them.

When Li Yue’e returned, Lu Guihua was cooking. Seeing her bring food back from the third brother’s house again, she couldn’t help but curl her lips.

The new daughter-in-law wanted to show off, giving food every day. Lu Guihua was curious to see how long the third brother’s family could continue this.

—-

While Su Mo and Li Yue’e were making cotton-padded jackets, far away on the border, Lu Changzheng was leading a team deep into the border. Due to the major incident in mid-September, the relations between the two countries were very tense at the moment.

After Lu Changzheng arrived at the county seat yesterday, he received another call from the army, instructing him to go directly to the city, where a helicopter would pick him up. So, he left by helicopter just three or four hours after leaving home.

The team arrived at the designated location and stopped to rest. Lu Changzheng bit his dry, hard food and wondered what his wife was doing.

He took out a solo photo of Su Mo from his shirt pocket, looked at it, and then prepared to put it back, treating it like a treasure.

A sharp-eyed comrade standing nearby saw this and asked, “Captain, is this your girlfriend? She’s so pretty.”

“No, she’s my wife.”

“When did you get married?” the comrade asked, shocked.

“Two days ago,” Lu Changzheng replied.

The comrade fell silent, not knowing what to say for a moment, and after a long pause, he finally managed to say, “Congratulations.”