Chapter 10

When Zhang Hongying returned home, the sky was already growing dark.

It happened to be Saturday, so Zhang Hongxing was back as well. Dinner was better than usual: steamed preserved vegetables, stir-fried greens, and stir-fried duck eggs with chives.

At the tailor shop, Master Wang would always steam an egg or some salted pork to go with rice, so Zhang Hongying wasn’t particularly craving the food. But just to avoid letting Zhang Hongxing enjoy it all, she deliberately grabbed several chopsticks full, which earned her a side-eye from Li Xiaofang.

Li Xiaofang and Zhang Xiaoshu didn’t really touch the duck eggs; they just watched the siblings fight over it.

In the past, even washing the dishes every day after meals didn’t earn her any praise from her parents. So before Li Xiaofang could say anything, Zhang Hongying quickly said, “Mom, while I was helping with cutting fabric these past few days, some customers asked for a bit extra. There were some leftovers from each order, and today it just happened to be enough for a whole dress.

I already had Master tailor the pattern at the shop. Just wait—I’ll sew it together right now.”

Then she darted into her room and started up the sewing machine.

The oil lamp was dim. After washing the dishes, Li Xiaofang followed her in and warned, “Be careful not to burn the fabric with the lamp.”

Zhang Hongying nodded repeatedly. “Okay, Mom. I know.”

Li Xiaofang grumbled a bit but couldn’t help feeling pleased. “Only city women wear dresses like that. I’m just a country woman—how can I wear something like that out?”

Zhang Hongying coaxed her: “My mom has great presence—just like a city woman.”

That made Li Xiaofang happy. She sat down beside her daughter and even started giving advice: “You better make sure your master doesn’t find out you’re sneaking leftover fabric home. Take just a little from each customer—otherwise, someone might notice.”

Zhang Hongying laughed silently to herself. That’s just how Li Xiaofang was—thrilled anytime she could get something for free. If she had honestly said she bought the fabric herself, her mother would’ve been angry that she was hiding money or wasting it on nonsense. She might’ve even said that Master Wang should be paying her more.

Saying she “snuck” the fabric made her look clever and street-smart in her mother’s eyes.

It was an old habit, left over from the days of collective labor. Back then, adults didn’t dare steal from the fields—too ashamed if caught—so they sent the kids instead. Whoever stole the most would feel proud. Even if a kid was caught, the worst they’d get was a spanking.

If no one saw, the adults would steal too.

Even factory workers stole, and you could never be too careful.

It wasn’t until years later—when someone got caught stealing factory goods worth over a thousand yuan and was sent to the police station—that people began to realize: stealing from factories was risky. That wouldn’t happen for another five or six years. Right now, no one had that awareness yet.

So when Zhang Hongying said she had pinched fabric from customers, it pleased her mother exactly as intended.

Li Xiaofang was just happy her daughter, though unpaid, could still bring fabric home to make clothes. That was already a win.

She even told Zhang Hongying, “Hongxing’s undershirts are all worn out. If you can get more fabric, make him a few new ones.”

See? All she could think about was her precious son—not even considering what would happen if her daughter got caught sneaking fabric.

Zhang Hongying readily agreed, just to get it over with.

Hearing his sister say she’d make him some undershirts, Zhang Hongxing quickly chimed in, “Hongying, undershirts aren’t nice. Make me short-sleeved shirts instead.”

Zhang Hongying agreed without hesitation. “Sure, sure. If I get the chance, I’ll make them for you.

And if I don’t have enough fabric, we can ask Mom to pay for some. Kids don’t need much fabric anyway.”

Just as Zhang Hongxing was getting excited, Li Xiaofang glared at him. Zhang Hongying knew when to stop. It was good to let that affectionate mother-son duo get a little taste of each other’s true colors.

Zhang Xiaoshu came in after locking up. Hearing Zhang Hongying say that, he couldn’t help adding, “All my clothes are patched up. I don’t even have anything decent to wear when visiting people. If you’ve got any leftover fabric, make me something too.”

“Okay, Dad. Got it,” Zhang Hongying replied cheerfully.

Once the dress came off the sewing machine, she snipped off the threads and shook it out. Li Xiaofang couldn’t take her eyes off it.

“This dress is so stylish!”

“It really is!”

“Only a dress like this suits Mom. Just like a city woman.” The three of them were full of praise.

Zhang Hongying smiled quietly on the side.

Li Xiaofang said, “Your godmother came by today. She said you’re working in the tailor shop with no pay and not learning anything. She tried to persuade us to pull you out and send you to work in a factory instead.

She also said Master Wang keeps calling you stupid. Is that true?”

Li Xiaofang’s “godmother” was actually Li Hongxia’s grandmother.

Zhang Hongying was relieved she had delivered the dress in time. Any later, and if her mom had gotten fed up from seeing no results, she really might’ve dragged her out of the tailor shop—then things would’ve gotten tricky.

She put on a show of indignation: “Hongxia is too much. She came to get clothes and made me give her a discount—ended up paying a whole 1.80 yuan less. Master Wang said I’d have to cover that from my future wages.

That’s not all. She kept telling Master Wang how dumb I was, saying I got held back three years in school.

And now she’s trying to turn you guys against me, hoping you’ll pull me out.

Don’t you think she wants to take my place as an apprentice?

Master Wang said he’s only keeping one apprentice. He already sent Yan Xiaoping home.

She knows she can’t convince Master Wang directly to take her in. But if I leave, he’ll need someone new—and then she can swoop in.”

Hearing that, Li Xiaofang was furious. The older one was always stirring things up with her mother-in-law, and now the younger one was stirring up trouble with her daughter.

If she really pulled her daughter out on impulse and cost her a future in tailoring, Hongxia might just take her place. Her daughter would resent her for life.

Seeing her mother in a good mood, Zhang Hongying made another request: “Mom, Dad—now that I’m working, can I get my own bed? So I don’t have to share with Hongxing anymore?”

“Hongxing isn’t home most of the time. There’s no room to set up another bed,” Zhang Xiaoshu objected.

But Li Xiaofang agreed immediately: “We’ve got a bed frame. Your great-grandmother passed away recently—we no longer need the setup. It’s in the storage room. I’ll go get it for you tomorrow.”

Zhang Hongxing protested, “No! I want to sleep with Hongying. I don’t want to sleep alone!”

Zhang Hongying suppressed her disgust and coaxed him: “You’re too old to sleep with your sister. People at school will make fun of you.”

Zhang Hongxing looked at Li Xiaofang. She tried to reason with him: “Your sister is already fifteen—almost a grown woman. It’s not proper for you two to keep sharing a bed.

You slept by yourself at your aunt’s place, didn’t you? It’s the same here.”

Reluctantly, Zhang Hongxing agreed.

But for that night, they still had to share a bed. He kept trying to talk Zhang Hongying out of sleeping separately. She retaliated by deliberately kicking the mosquito net.

There were lots of plants and water around the house, so mosquitoes were everywhere.

She kicked a hole in the net, and in they came. Then she got up, washed up, and went to town, leaving Zhang Hongxing alone, itching and scratching in a bed full of mosquitoes.

The next morning, he blamed her for letting them in. Zhang Hongying apologized, “The bed was too crowded for two people. It’s hot—so I must’ve kicked the net open without meaning to.”

Now it was Zhang Hongxing’s turn to urge their parents to hurry up and give his sister her own bed.