Chapter 53: Spendthrift Woman

On the morning of the 27th of the twelfth month, Qiu Yinuo was abruptly woken up by Cheng Hongying pulling off her blanket.

“The sun’s already up, it’s past time to get up. How long are you going to sleep?”

Qiu Yinuo buried her face in the pillow, grumbling with a bit of morning grumpiness, “I’ll get up in a minute, let me sleep for ten more minutes.”

“Ten more minutes, again? It’s already eight o’clock, get up now. I made you some new clothes, come try them on.”

At this point, she couldn’t help but boast a little, “I made two red little cotton jackets for the little ones, and they look so cute on them.”

Qiu Yinuo, still half-asleep from Cheng Hongying’s constant talking, finally woke up. She lazily stretched and yawned. “Alright, I’ll get up now and wash my face. Let me see what kind of cotton jacket you made for me.”

Outside in the yard, Qiu Qianjin was squatting next to the water well sharpening a knife, following the tradition of the 27th day of the twelfth month.

When he saw Qiu Yinuo come out, he immediately began showing off his new clothes. “Sis, you really have good taste. Look, this dark blue is perfect for me.”

Sometimes, even she admired Qiu Qianjin’s ability to talk—he could converse with anyone, smoothly switching between conversations like a pro.

Wasn’t this just an ordinary dark blue color from this era?

A color that everyone, young or old, had to have. But the way Qiu Qianjin made it sound, it seemed like it was something unique in the world.

Qiu Yinuo half-heartedly said, “It’s pretty, really pretty.”

After washing up, she eagerly rushed into Cheng Hongying’s room, where she froze for a moment at the sight of her two red-faced sons lying on the kang.

Dabao had an expression that seemed to scream: “My grandma’s taste in fashion is terrifying.”

Erbao, however, showed no reaction and was happily sucking on his little fist, completely oblivious to how festive he looked.

Unable to hold it in, Qiu Yinuo burst out laughing.

Well, she couldn’t set her standards too high when it came to the aesthetic preferences of this era.

Cheng Hongying came in from outside and picked up the unhappy Dabao. “What are you doing? Why are you laughing so loudly? You scared Dabao.”

“Mom, look at Dabao, all red. Doesn’t he look like a sausage?”

Dabao was so upset that he almost cried. His image had been completely ruined.

Cheng Hongying was furious and gave Qiu Yinuo a slap on the back. “Ouch, Mom, that hurt! My back is killing me.”

“Serves you right for laughing at Dabao. Dabao, don’t listen to your mom, this outfit your grandma made for you is cute. Your little uncle even said you look like one of those chubby kids in New Year pictures—festive and adorable. Your mom just doesn’t have the appreciation, so we won’t pay her any attention.”

“Alright, you two enjoy, but where’s my outfit?”

“It’s in the cabinet on the kang. Go try it on.”

Cheng Hongying pulled out two sets of cotton jackets, one oversized and one a bit smaller.

“That one is Qingqing’s. She tried it on this morning, and it fits perfectly. She said she’s going to wait until New Year’s to wear it. The bigger one is for you. Honestly, after you finish breastfeeding, you really need to lose some weight. Making clothes for you uses up so much fabric and cotton.”

Qiu Yinuo: That really hit deep.

If she didn’t lose weight, this body was her shame.

Though Qiu Yinuo was on the chubbier side, in the last couple of years, her in-laws had fed her well, making her rounder. Wearing the red cotton jacket, she looked both pretty and plump, almost like a wealthy lady from the past—she looked full of good fortune.

Qiu Yinuo looked at herself in the mirror. “Mom, you’re really skilled. This cotton jacket fits perfectly.”

But the fabric was so typical of this era, a bit old-fashioned.

Being able to buy fabric is already a blessing, who needs a bicycle?

Qiu Yinuo was quite satisfied. “Mom, where’s your outfit? Try it on and show me.”

Cheng Hongying was momentarily stunned. “I’m already so old, what do I need new clothes for? My cotton jacket isn’t torn, so I didn’t make a new one. The fabric I saved will go toward making another set for my two grandsons.”

“They’re still so young, no need for such frequent new clothes. Who knows, they might outgrow them next year.”

“Then I’ll make them bigger.”

“They can’t stay this small forever, they’ll outgrow them soon. I think you’re just being stingy. Where’s the fabric and cotton?”

“What do you need that for?”

“None of your business!” Qiu Yinuo immediately started rummaging through the cabinet, pulling out the unused fabric and a large bag of cotton.

Hugging these two items, she headed outside. Cheng Hongying, in a panic, held the children and stomped her feet. “Hey, hey, where are you going?”

The cold air hit as the door opened. Dabao shivered in her arms, and fearing the child might get cold, she quickly pulled him back inside.

She shouted, “Jinzi, come over and keep an eye on the kids!”

“What’s going on with you and my sister?”

“That girl’s lost it! Now she’s like a mad dog, ready to bite anyone who crosses her. Keep an eye on the kids; I’m going to see what she’s up to.”

Wearing cotton shoes, Cheng Hongying dashed out of the house. After asking around along the way, she finally found her at Aunt Ma’s place. Aunt Ma used to be a seamstress for a wealthy family and was known for her exceptional sewing skills.

Cheng Hongying instantly guessed what the girl was planning and rushed over without another thought.

Just in time, she heard Qiu Yinuo saying, “I’m making a cotton-padded coat for my mom. It needs to be ready by New Year’s Eve. Aunt Ma, name your price!”

“What price? I can sew a coat myself. Why are you bothering Aunt Ma?”

“If you could do it, you’d have made one for yourself by now. Aunt Ma’s work is top-notch, and everyone in the village knows it. Please make a coat for my mom. It has to be ready to wear on New Year’s Eve. Will two yuan be enough?”

At the mention of two yuan, Aunt Ma’s eyes went wide with shock. She stared at Qiu Yinuo in disbelief. “Really?”

When Cheng Hongying heard the price, her eyes nearly popped out. “Are you out of your mind? How can you spend money like that? Two yuan is a lot! I could make it myself. Aunt Ma, don’t listen to her—this girl is just joking.”

Aunt Ma gave an awkward laugh. It really was too good to be true.

“It’s real. Aunt Ma, if two yuan isn’t enough, I can pay more. Three yuan, three-fifty, even four. As long as it’s ready by New Year’s Eve, I’ll pay whatever it takes.”

When she raised the offer to four yuan, Cheng Hongying looked absolutely pained.

Why was the girl so reckless with money? Qiu Yinuo simply slapped four yuan onto the table, grabbed Cheng Hongying’s hand, and pulled her toward the door.

“Aunt Ma, you’re an experienced seamstress. You can gauge my mom’s measurements just by looking. I’ll come pick up the coat on New Year’s Eve.”

Before stepping out, she winked at Aunt Ma, who gave a slight nod to show she agreed.

Even after they returned home and shut the door, the sound of Cheng Hongying yelling about how wasteful she was could still faintly be heard.

Aunt Ma smiled knowingly. “This girl’s got spirit. Who says raising daughters isn’t worth it? She’s wonderful.”

Meanwhile, Cheng Hongying was still brooding over how her daughter had just casually slapped four yuan on the table. Her heart ached from the thought alone.

“Go ahead, keep wasting money. One day you’re going to be flat broke.”

“Who’s really wasting money here? If you had made yourself a coat, none of this would’ve happened. This money was wasted because of you.”

Cheng Hongying huffed in frustration. “Qiu Yinuo, what kind of sin did I commit in my past life to give birth to such a maddening little spendthrift?”