Chapter 80: Preparing a Gift for Big Brother

“Sister He Hui, Auntie He, are you home?”

After pushing her bicycle into Shen’s courtyard, Shen Chuning asked at He’s door, carrying her things.

“Yes!” He Hui came out of the house, “Ningning, why are you here?”

Shen Chuning shook the basket in her hand, “Sister He Hui, I came to ask you to help make another cotton-padded jacket and a quilt cover.”

“Make another one?” He Hui was surprised.

Because everyone was poor now, families usually made one cotton-padded jacket a year, and family members took turns.

Even poorer families could only make one cotton-padded jacket and trousers every few years, whoever went out had something to wear.

But Shen Chuning had brought so much cloth and cotton.

Four new cotton-padded jackets and quilt covers.

Even the landlords in the past wouldn’t dare to do this.

As soon as He Hui spoke, she realized that what she said was inappropriate, as if she thought Shen Chuning was spending money recklessly.

She quickly smiled awkwardly and asked, “Ningning, who is this for?”

Shen Chuning wasn’t comfortable saying it was for Peng Kaiyuan, so she said, “Sister He Hui, just make it according to my father’s size.”

Peng Kaiyuan was about the same size as Shen Qingsong.

He Hui nodded, “Okay. But it’s the busy farming season, the cotton-padded jackets for Uncle Shen, Big Brother Shen, and Second Brother Shen haven’t been made yet. This one might take some time.

But Ningning, don’t worry, I’ll make it for you before it gets cold.”

Zufeng City was located in the south, it wasn’t cold for long, only about a month a year, it wasn’t time to wear cotton-padded jackets yet.

“Thank you, Sister He Hui.” Shen Chuning thanked her sweetly, and stuffed a basket of eggs into He Hui’s hands, “Sister He Hui, this is the labor fee.”

He Hui quickly tried to refuse.

The last time she and her mother took measurements for Shen’s father and sons, Shen Chuning gave them a basket of eggs as a labor fee.

They usually received eggs as labor fees for making clothes for villagers.

But after Shen Chuning gave them the basket of eggs, they found three kuai under the eggs.

She wanted to return the money to Shen Chuning.

Her mother stopped her, telling her to help Shen Chuning more in the future.

Before she could speak, Shen Chuning saw her intention and held her hand, “Sister He Hui, I won’t take the basket back, if you don’t accept it, just throw it away.”

Looking at Shen Chuning’s cute and playful look, He Hui couldn’t help but smile helplessly.

In the past, she was busy, and Shen Chuning didn’t go out much, she didn’t have much contact with Shen Chuning and didn’t know her well.

After several contacts, she understood why Uncle Shen and the three Shen brothers spoiled her so much, because she was really endearing.

“Okay, I’ll accept it.”

She could give some to the Shen family often after accepting it.

“Hehe.” Shen Chuning smiled with narrowed eyes, and stuffed an oil-paper package into He Hui’s hand, “Sister He Hui, take this, someone asked me to give it to you.”

Hearing the words “someone,” He Hui’s ears turned red.

For a moment, she didn’t know whether to accept it or not.

Shen Chuning didn’t give her a chance to refuse, stuffing it into her hand before saying goodbye and skipping away.

The oil-paper package contained half of her sponge cake.

After finishing her business, Shen Chuning returned to Shen’s house and found Shen Zhengxu chopping wood in the courtyard.

The Shen family had good genes, objectively speaking, the three Shen brothers were all handsome, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and distinct facial contours.

In addition, the three brothers had been doing farm work since childhood, their bodies were well-proportioned and muscular.

When Shen Zhengxu raised his axe, the biceps on his arms bulged, showing his strength.

Shen Chuning went over and helped carry the chopped wood to the base of the courtyard wall.

Seeing his younger sister helping with the work, Shen Zhengxu quickly stopped and started stacking the wood.

Shen Chuning didn’t compete with him, she sat aside, blinking her bright eyes at him.

After putting away the chopped wood, Shen Zhengxu was about to continue chopping.

But Shen Chuning kept looking at him, he felt uncomfortable.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Shen Chuning, “Little sister, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?”

He even pulled up his clothes and wiped his face.

Shen Chuning then discovered that her brother also had eight-pack abs, no worse than her husband’s.

“Big Brother, didn’t you say you would propose to Sister He Hui as soon as possible? Why haven’t you acted yet?

I’m telling you, everyone knows that Sister He Hui is the most skillful and capable woman in our brigade, many men in our brigade want to marry her, if you don’t hurry up, she’ll be taken away!”

Shen Zhengxu’s ears turned red, and he stammered, “Busy… I’ll go after I’m done.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to propose, but the family’s situation…

Proposing required money, and the family had just paid off their debts, using his younger sister’s betrothal gift, where would he get the money to propose.

Seeing the embarrassment flash across Shen Zhengxu’s face.

Shen Chuning instantly understood why he hadn’t proposed yet.

Shen Chuning had dinner at Shen’s house.

After dinner, Shen’s father and sons prepared to chop wood.

Although it didn’t snow in winter here, it wasn’t cold for long, but it was very humid.

And there was almost no sun in winter.

If they didn’t chop and dry the firewood while there was still some sun, they wouldn’t have firewood to burn in winter.

Shen Chuning quickly stopped Father Shen, “Dad, let Big Brother and Second Brother prepare the firewood first, I have something to tell you.”

Shen Qingsong readily agreed to his daughter’s request and immediately sent his two sons away.

Shen Chuning directly took ten ten-kuai notes and gave them to Father Shen.

Shen Qingsong was shocked and quickly tried to return them to Shen Chuning, “Good girl, what are you doing? Dad can still earn money, he doesn’t need your money.”

When his daughter got married, he didn’t prepare any decent dowry for her, and he used her betrothal gift to pay off debts, he already felt guilty enough.

He was planning to give his daughter some money after the brigade settled accounts this year.

He hadn’t given his daughter any money yet, and she gave him money again, how could he accept it.

Shen Chuning said seriously, “Dad, this money isn’t for you. It’s for you to do something for me.”

She explained that the money was for her brother’s betrothal gift, to propose to He Hui.

Father Shen was instantly ashamed, “Ningning, your brothers’ marriage should have been something your father should have worried about.

It’s because your father is useless, he didn’t prepare much dowry for you, and you have to worry about your brothers’ affairs.”

Seeing Father Shen like this, Shen Chuning’s emotions were instantly affected.

She sniffed, holding back her tears, “Dad, don’t say that. If you want to blame someone, blame me, if I hadn’t been ignorant and spent all the family’s money, my brothers’ marriage wouldn’t have been delayed until now…”

Shen Chuning said, feeling even more guilty, her eyes reddening.

Father Shen was about to comfort his daughter when he saw Shen Zhengliang standing at the door with a gloomy face.

Shen Chuning followed Father Shen’s gaze to Shen Zhengliang.

The moment their eyes met, Shen Zhengliang strode into the room and slammed the door shut.