Chapter 35

“Your pajamas have a hole again. I can’t mend it this time, so I’ll make you a new set one of these days,” He Guijuan said, carrying a pair of pajamas as she walked in. She looked at Lin Youqing, who was sitting at the desk drafting plans and sighed helplessly.

“How did it tear again?” Lin Youqing, hearing this, put down his pen, took the pajamas, and glanced at the hole with a bit of frustration.

“What do you think? How many years have you worn this? It’s been washed so often that it’s become thin and fragile. Every time I wash it, I’m afraid to scrub too hard, worried I’ll rip it to shreds. I’ve mended it at least ten times. Even though you’re a civil servant, you don’t have to be this frugal.”

Lin Youqing inspected the worn-out fabric of the pajamas, pressed his temples to relieve the discomfort from bending over his books for so long, and said, “Fine, let’s just throw it away.”

“I have half a day off this Saturday. I’ll go to the supply store, get some fabric, and take it to Master Xie. He can make it in a day or two.”

“Whatever you think is best,” he replied.

He Guijuan left the house, naturally taking Jiang Jiang with her.

The two of them went to the state cafeteria for breakfast first. The freshly made sweet soy milk was still steaming, along with three fried dough cakes, crispy and golden, with a hint of meat filling inside. Jiang Jiang ate one of the cakes and drank a bowl of soy milk, thoroughly satisfied from tongue to stomach.

Master Yang, the tailor, lived in a small alley off Yan Cheng Street. His family used to run a tailor shop, but the shop was shut down after production resources became publicly owned. Master Yang had only one daughter, who worked at the county supply station. Since his retirement, he hadn’t had much to do, but familiar neighbors and relatives would bring him fabric, asking him to make clothes for a small fee, and Master Yang rarely declined.

“Master Yang, are you home?” He Guijuan raised her hand and knocked on the door.

The old, weathered wooden door let out a creaky sound. Master Yang, a man in his fifties or sixties, appeared, wearing a pair of reading glasses. A measuring tape hung around his neck, and he wore a pair of yellow leather shoes. His hair was already very sparse.

Master Yang was a kind man. “Come on in,” he said.

It was a modest single courtyard, meticulously clean and giving a sense of order and neatness. Inside, a sewing machine sat in one corner, and scissors, rulers, thread, and other tools lay on the table. Master Yang was working on a blue uniform.

He Guijuan explained her purpose for the visit, “I came to ask you to make a set of men’s pajamas. Here’s the measurement; you can make it in the usual style.”

Master Yang unfolded the fabric, gave it a quick glance, and nodded in understanding. “Come pick it up in a couple of days.”

“Is this your daughter?” Master Yang’s gaze fell on Jiang Jiang.

He Guijuan nodded. “Yes, this is my daughter, Jiang Jiang. Jiang Jiang, say hello to Master Yang.”

Jiang Jiang gave a slight bow. “Hello, Master Yang.”

“That outfit she’s wearing is the one you helped make last time. It fits her perfectly. You did a great job,” said He Guijuan, appreciative.

“No problem. The young lady is beautiful, so she makes the clothes look good, too,” Master Yang replied with a warm smile.

After some more small talk with Master Yang, He Guijuan took Jiang Jiang and headed back home.

A couple of days passed, but He Guijuan became busy with overtime at the hospital and couldn’t find time to pick up the pajamas. Jiang Jiang then offered to go after school and pick up the clothes for Lin Youqing.

“Are you sure you remember the way?” He Guijuan asked, concerned.

“I remember it very clearly! You go past the storefronts from the market, keep walking down, and you’ll get there.”

“Alright, but remember, don’t push it if you feel unsure about the way. I can always go and pick it up later. Just don’t get lost.”

Jiang Jiang nodded, “I got it.”

Seeing the lingering doubt in her eyes, Jiang Jiang raised her hand in assurance. “Don’t worry, Mom! I absolutely won’t get lost.”

He Guijuan sighed. “If you want to go, then go ahead. I’ve been busy at the hospital these days, so dinner might not be on time. I bought some egg cakes and left them in the cupboard. If you get hungry, just have some of those.”

“I know.”

The next day, after school, Jiang Jiang headed straight to Master Yang’s house.

When Master Yang opened the door and saw only Jiang Jiang, he looked a bit surprised. “Why are you the only one here? Where’s your mom?”

“She has something at the hospital.”

“Take this home and let your dad try it on. If it doesn’t fit, you can bring it back for adjustments,” Master Yang said as he handed her the complete set of pajamas.

Jiang Jiang nodded. After Master Yang gave her the clothes, he went back to his other tasks. Jiang Jiang examined the pajamas; they were cardigan-style and needed buttons to fasten them. Since He Guijuan had made her a set of pajamas for sleeping after they moved to the city, it made sleeping more comfortable and prevented her wearing her everyday clothes. Initially, Jiang Jiang found it cumbersome to change into pajamas before bed and back into her clothes in the morning. However, over time, she realized that wearing pajamas indeed made for a more comfortable night’s sleep.

The fabric of this set was similar to her other pajamas, both made from soft and breathable material.

Just as Jiang Jiang was about to say goodbye to Master Yang, she noticed him cutting a piece of red fabric with scissors.

Master Yang didn’t even use a ruler while cutting; he measured with his palm and then snipped the scissors at the marked spot, pinning the cut fabric in place with pins. Before long, the outline of a garment took shape.

Master Yang was a seasoned artisan with years of experience. As long as the measurements were correct, the clothes he made fit perfectly, and he produced very little waste. That’s why everyone preferred to have Master Yang make their clothes.

With a needle and thread, Master Yang skillfully outlined a few strokes at the cuffs of the garment, creating a vivid red flower. He added metallic buttons as accents. Although it was a common style of the time, the attention to detail showed Master Yang’s dedication, making the whole piece look fashionable and elegant.

This appeared to be a dress for a young woman to wear at her wedding, with a color that was quite festive.

Seeing Jiang Jiang lost in admiration, Master Yang smiled and asked, “Are you interested in making clothes, little girl?”

Jiang Jiang marveled, “It’s like the scissors and thread come alive in your hands.”

“Would you like to learn?”

“Me?” Jiang Jiang asked, uncertain as she pointed to herself.

“My daughter isn’t interested in sewing, but you seem like you have a knack for it. If you want to learn, come by on weekends to help me out a bit, and I’ll teach you some sewing skills. What do you think?”

“Even if you struggle in school, you can always rely on your skills as a seamstress to support yourself,” he added.

Jiang Jiang’s heart raced a little; she was indeed interested in making clothes. “Um… I need to go ask my mom and dad first. I’m not sure if they would agree.”

Master Yang took a sip of tea from an enamel cup. “Alright, go ask them.”