Chapter 89 1/2

“Master, I need these things urgently. Can you make them today?” Qiao Wei showed the tailor the drawing she made, “And I don’t have suitable fabric. Can you provide it for me? Any scraps will do. But I need it to be thick.”

The old tailor pushed up his glasses and examined the drawing closely, asking, “What are these for?”

This military spouse always seemed a little different from others.

After all, he thought, she came from the city.

The old man missed those big cities, with their bright lights and bustle.

Qiao Wei explained, “You see that little chair on the outside of the car? It’s too hard and uncomfortable to sit on. I want to make a cushion for it, and this is the backrest cushion. I need all of them to be sewn with straps so I can use them to secure them to the chair.”

“Can you make it today? I need it tomorrow.”

“Just a cushion, and in such a hurry…” the old tailor muttered, heading into the inner room of the tailor’s shop.

Qiao Wei followed, with Yan Xiang tagging along to play.

“Wow~” the child exclaimed in amazement.

So many fabric scraps.

The room wasn’t large, with a cupboard on one side and two large tables against the walls, likely the tailor’s workstations.

Qiao Wei spotted the iron, not electric but pure iron, probably heated on a stove for ironing.

There were heaps of various fabric scraps everywhere, piled up like mountains, though chaotic, it gave the child a bit of an Alice in Wonderland feeling.

And children loved such things.

The old tailor rummaged and found suitable fabric scraps. After cutting many pieces into the same shape, he started sewing on his old-fashioned sewing machine.

Making cushions was much simpler than cutting clothes; it wouldn’t take much time. Qiao Wei just watched from the side.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Yan Xiang quietly glanced at the pile of fabric scraps that looked like a mountain. Unable to resist, he lunged forward.

Wow~ Soft like a mountain caught him.

Hehehe.

In no time, the two cushions were done. The old tailor handed them to Qiao Wei and said, “Take a look.”

Qiao Wei felt them, quite thick and soft. Yan Xiang’s little butt would be comfortable.

Just as she was about to praise him, they both heard a “thud.”

Turning towards the sound, they couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time.

Yan Xiang lunged at the pile of fabric scraps again, this time with more force, and slipped under the worktable.

A white cloth covered the worktable, now hanging all the way to the floor. Only Yan Xiang’s two little legs were visible, kicking about.

Qiao Wei moved to help, but the old tailor had already rushed over in three quick steps and pulled Yan Xiang out, “Oh my, did you hit your head?”

Yan Xiang rubbed his head, pouting, “So hard…”

“Of course, it’s hard,” the old man said, “Don’t cry. Let me see if you’re a real man. You’re the son of a soldier! Your dad is a soldier, don’t embarrass your dad.”

Being told this way, Yan Xiang held back his tears and said, “I’m not crying!”

Tears welled up in his eyes nonetheless.

It was both amusing and exasperating.

“Thank you, Master! I’ll come to you for clothes next time!”

Qiao Wei settled the bill and left with Yan Xiang.

The old tailor followed them out, standing at the door, hands on hips, watching as she tied the two cushions to the seat and backrest of the chair.

The bicycle was brand new.

“Your husband…” the old tailor started to say something but shook his head and chuckled, “He really spoils his wife.”

Then he looked at the child seat again and praised, “And he spoils his son too.”

Qiao Wei had already put Yan Xiang on the child seat and smiled, “Of course, he spoils his own son.”

“Not necessarily, when you have many children, it’s different,” the old tailor approached and patted Yan Xiang’s head, asking, “Is he your only child?”

“Yes.”

“Then that’s it,” the old tailor sighed, “An only child, how could he not spoil him.”

There was a loving light in the old tailor’s eyes.

Qiao Wei didn’t dare to ask about his lack of children.

Riding home with Yan Xiang.

Wow, there were people riding bicycles everywhere in the town, all brand new.

Did all thirty bicycles come out for a ride?

Whether they were showing off, Qiao Wei wasn’t sure, but almost all the town’s residents seemed to be out, looking interested and pointing.

Of course, they were envious, “Being in the military is great.”

Qiao Wei was surrounded all the way.

Bicycles weren’t common at this time, and who had seen a child seat like this?

It was so rare.

“Whoever’s the dad here, he really spoils his kid.”

“Must be his only child.”

The words drifted into Qiao Wei’s ears. In just a short while, it was the second time she heard the term “only son.”

Many children ran around chasing bicycles, laughter echoing through the streets.

Some children were dirty, neglected by their families. Some wore tattered clothes, others wore oversized ones that looked like hand-me-downs from older siblings.

When there were too many children, it was like this.

When there were too many children, they lost their value.

Give birth to ten, and five die young, leaving five to take care of in old age.

They were all worthless, all cheap.

Returning home, Yan Lei stood up from his beloved vegetable garden. “You’re back,” he said.

Qiao Wei pushed the bike in, propped it up, and gave a faint “Mm.”

Yan Lei asked, “What’s wrong?”

Qiao Wei ignored him, not even looking at him properly.

Yan Xiang happily approached Yan Lei. “Dad, my chair is so comfortable!”

“Okay, go play,” Yan Lei said, patting Yan Xiang’s little head, wanting to quickly check on his wife.

His wife was not okay.

Little did he know, Qiao Wei would erupt, “Why are you patting his head like that! Don’t touch his head!”

Yan Xiang had bumped his head earlier today.

Qiao Wei hugged Yan Xiang, squatting down to blow on him.

Yan Lei thought to himself, he only lightly patted him, not smacking the child.

What’s going on?

Qiao Wei glared at him, picked up Yan Xiang, and said angrily, “Let’s go, we’re not talking to Daddy!”

Yan Xiang puzzledly followed his mother into the house.

Yan Lei was left baffled.

What happened on this trip out?

He hadn’t done anything wrong, so why the sudden change in attitude?

They were so close last night, almost inseparable.

What’s going on?

Yan Lei didn’t know. In this life, he hadn’t done anything wrong, but in the past life, or maybe in a parallel universe… who could say?

The more Qiao Wei thought about it, the angrier she became.

Yan Lei loves Yan Xiang deeply, and she can feel it profoundly.

But why, in the original text, does Yan Xiang still turn into a quiet and reserved teenager?

Is it true that where there’s a stepmother, there’s also a stepfather?

She rode her bike and thought all the way, finally understanding.

In the original text, the original female lead, Lin Xixi, was solely married to Yan Lei for the sake of gaining advantages.

In order to tie down this man who would likely rise to power in the future, Lin Xixi tried her best to bear children for Yan Lei.

She bore many children for Yan Lei, resulting in a bustling household and a prosperous lineage.

Yan Xiang wasn’t Yan Lei’s only son anymore!