Chapter 16.4

On Luo Lan’s side, the man took her straight to the supply and marketing cooperative on his bike. Today, they were buying wedding supplies, starting with the fabric counter.

The small town didn’t have much variety. There were only a few patterns of cotton fabric. Luo Lan didn’t buy anything for herself but selected a piece of deep blue, thick fabric to make clothes for him.

“I have enough to wear, you pick something for yourself.”

She turned and smiled brightly, “I already have clothes, no need to buy more. This fabric is perfect for making a Zhongshan suit^[1]The Zhongshan suit, also known as the Mao suit, is a style of male attire named after Sun Yat-sen (Sun Zhongshan), the founding father of the Republic of China. The suit was designed to be a modern … Continue reading. Pair it with a white shirt, and it’ll look great.”

The man turned and smiled warmly, “I have enough fabric tickets. You should pick out something for yourself as well.”

She didn’t ask where the fabric tickets came from; borrowing them was fine, they could be repaid later. What mattered was his genuine attitude and that he didn’t treat her any less because she was in a second marriage.

With enough fabric tickets, they both chose fabric for their clothes. For lunch, his mother invited them over. Upon entering, she greeted Luo Lan very warmly.

“The house is furnished. I’ve prepared a set of bed linens and bedding. I didn’t buy a thermos, washbasin, or teacups since my colleagues will surely give those as gifts. Let me know if you need anything else, and I’ll get it.”

“This is enough; no need to buy anything else.”

The woman smiled and poured her some water. “We have a radio in the living room, you can listen to it together.”

“Okay.”

The woman thought her future daughter-in-law was easygoing and not picky. While serving noodles, she decided to buy a few new dishes and chopsticks for the newlyweds, thinking new items were always better. She noticed some festive double happiness-patterned white porcelain bowls at a neighbor’s house, which were very celebratory.

For lunch, they had spicy noodles with eggs, tofu, tomatoes, and green spinach and coriander for garnish. The dish looked colorful and tasted very good.

After lunch, Luo Lan went to wash the dishes, but the woman insisted her son handle it. “I know where things go. I’ll wash them with her, don’t worry.”

“Just wash them.”

“Alright, I’ll do it.”

The man, smiling, added water to the pot, and Luo Lan reached for the pot brush, only to have him lift his hand. Meeting his dark eyes, he raised an eyebrow and smiled.

“I’ll wash, you just keep me company.”

Suddenly realizing how close they were, nearly pressed against his chest, Luo Lan blushed and quickly stepped back, trying to regain some distance. She wanted to say something but couldn’t, her face burning.

She heard his light laugh, then the sounds of washing dishes. She was already feeling awkward, and the system wasn’t helping.

System: “Ah, are you shy now?”

Luo Lan: …

System: “Isn’t it odd to be shy when you’ve personally caught a husband in an affair and embarrassed them?”

Luo Lan: (gritting her teeth.)

System: “Alright, alright, don’t be embarrassed. I won’t say anything more.”

Luo Lan: Sigh. It’s great that this guy can earn points and exchange things, but his mouth is just too loose.

Zhou Qingshan noticed that his future wife’s expression was back to normal, but he was silently wondering if he had done something wrong. Did he say something inappropriate?

He lowered his head and reviewed all their previous interactions and conversations. He hadn’t done anything out of line, had he?

One was angry with the system, the other was worried she was angry. They stayed silent, each preoccupied with their thoughts. He washed dishes while she handled the water, drying and putting things away. They worked well together.

The future mother-in-law watched the scene from the doorway, finding it harmonious but also noting her son’s somewhat wooden demeanor. After he took Luo Lan home, she returned and pretended to deliver water to his room.

“Son, sometimes men need to be bolder and more proactive.”

“I know.” Zhou Qingshan looked up, his features serious. He had an earnest expression with a hint of righteousness, appearing overly upright.

“You know what? Haven’t you heard the rumors about you? You need to be gentle with girls when necessary, and the other things too. Otherwise, people might misunderstand.”

Zhou Qingshan furrowed his brow, his dark eyes showing confusion. “What do you mean by ‘the other things’? The rumors are not reliable. Luo Lan is a very sensible person and doesn’t believe them. Don’t worry, she’s not an ordinary woman.”

Well, it seems like mother and son were speaking past each other. His mother smiled helplessly and stopped arguing. They were getting married soon, and she saw that her future daughter-in-law wasn’t superficial. Over time, everything would become clear.

The wedding was set for autumn, with October 1st being a good date, but it was also a busy farming season. Luo Lan hurried to prepare her dowry before the autumn harvest. Her sister took time to help her make quilts, and they sacrificed an hour of sleep each night to knit sweaters.

Their village had no electricity, so they relied on an oil lamp at night. Some households saved lamp oil by extinguishing their lights early, but Luo Lan and her sister kept their lamp on, which led to some criticism from her mother-in-law. Luo Lan agreed to visit her sister’s house in the evenings.

The small shed was cozy and allowed them to do whatever they wanted in private. They finished sewing the quilts and set aside the pillowcases and sheets. The new fabric and patterns delighted her sister, who handled them with great care. Though her sister said the fabric wouldn’t snag like silk, she was still very careful with it.

“It looks really good. The fabric is so nice, thick, and beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Sister, if you like it, I can have someone get you a similar one. You should have a new quilt too.”

“No need, I still have the quilt from my wedding. It’s just plain floral fabric, not as nice as yours. But it’s new and has new cotton.”

“I’ll get you a quilt just like mine, with new fabric and new cotton. What color do you like? I’ll arrange it.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

It’s just a quilt swap; if the system is unhappy, I’ll just exchange mine for yours. Seeing how much her sister liked the velvet fabric, Luo Lan thought it would be nice to use some points to make her sister happy.

“Then try it. If it works, I’d like a pink floral quilt, preferably with plum blossoms.”

“Okay.”

In the small shed, a candle as thick as a wrist was lit. The wick was much thicker than usual, so the room was quite bright. The sisters quietly finished preparing all the dowry and even completed knitting their sweaters without anyone noticing.

Luo Lan’s sweater was red with beige, and Zhou Qingshan’s was deep blue. The women’s sweater was a cardigan, while the men’s was a V-neck to showcase the shirt collar.

They exchanged the quilt for the plum blossom design her sister wanted, and her sister happily spun around with it, touching and admiring it. When she saw Luo Lan had even managed to buy a 26-inch women’s bicycle, she was even more delighted, thrilled for her sister.

“This is wonderful. I was regretting not being able to get a bicycle ticket, but with this, let’s see who dares to look down on us at the wedding.”

Her sister’s feelings weren’t unwarranted. Recently, people in the village had been gossiping about her, speculating on what would happen. If Luo Lan went to her new home with the bedding taken from her former in-laws, it would be a source of ridicule. The groom might also be displeased, and they would be mocked by petty people.

“I’ll keep my quilt here to save face. The Wang family is waiting to see you make a fool of yourself. Hmph, let’s see who’s embarrassed this time.”

Although Luo Lan thought it wasn’t necessary, she didn’t want to disappoint her sister’s good intentions.

With the brand-new sweaters, the new quilts, and the fresh bicycle, Luo Lan moved everything into the small shed the day before the wedding. When everything was set up, the small shed was suddenly vibrant and full of life.

***

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