Chapter 28.2

With her mother-in-law’s help, Luo Lan returned home in the evening to find Junfang’s clothes nearly finished, needing only buttonholes and buttons. Junfang was thrilled, trying on the new blouse immediately.

Her rosy cheeks looked even more beautiful against the soft pink, the new blouse enhancing her delicate beauty. She could make anything look good, but the new clothes made her look even more charming.

“Sister-in-law, do I look good?”

“You look wonderful.”

Junfang admired herself in the mirror, reluctant to take off the new blouse. She only removed it when called for dinner, not wanting to dirty it.

Junhui returned and saw her sister’s new blouse with a flash of envy in her eyes. But when she heard that Luo Lan had also made something for her, she happily thanked her sister-in-law.

“Sister-in-law, is mine the same as Junfang’s?”

“The same.”

“I like this fabric too.”

Junhui’s complexion didn’t suit pink as well as Junfang did. Luo Lan had considered changing the color but decided against it after seeing Junhui’s excitement. She clearly loved the fabric.

“Have you two decided when to get married?”

“November.”

“Lunar calendar?”

“Yes, early November, my lucky month.” She turned to her mom. “See, he is really considerate. He even knows about this. Nowadays, people don’t care about these things, but he said he’d buy me a wool coat and leather shoes for our wedding.”

Mother Zhou sighed inwardly. Promises like this were often just dreams. Seeing her daughter’s determination, she knew there was no stopping her. Now, the priority was to find a place for them to live. They couldn’t all squeeze into one house—her daughter and son-in-law, son and daughter-in-law, herself, and her youngest daughter. This arrangement would inevitably lead to conflicts over time.

Mother Zhou silently considered where they might find a suitable place. Even a small room would do. There was a small room in the outer courtyard, but it belonged to the street committee. Maybe she should ask them about it in the afternoon.

While Mother Zhou was making plans, Luo Lan quickly finished sewing the buttonholes on Junfang’s blouse and handed it to her to sew the buttons.

“I can do that.”

The girl was meticulous and serious. Luo Lan thought she might be exaggerating, but it turned out Junfang really knew how to sew. Apparently, Mother Zhou had taught her some skills after all.

“Sister-in-law, can I wear this to school tomorrow?”

“Yes. Don’t rush home after school. I’ll come to pick you up.”

“Sister-in-law, there’s no need. I can go home by myself, it’s not far.”

“Be good.”

The girl obediently nodded. After sewing the buttons, she put on the blouse, too happy to take it off. “Sister-in-law, didn’t you say we had to return this fabric? How come…”

She spoke softly, almost like a whisper. “Of course we have to return it. Here, this is your fabric.”

Seeing Luo Lan take out another piece of fabric, Junfang compared the two and realized the one in her hand was the one she had brought back, while the one she was wearing was of finer quality.

“Wow,” Junfang exclaimed. “Sister-in-law, you’re amazing! Where did you get fabric exactly like mine?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just enjoy your new clothes.”

“Okay.”

Having finished her blouse, Junfang wore it the next morning. With the cool early morning temperature, she layered it with her usual outerwear. Luo Lan had specifically instructed her to remove the outerwear after school.

“No, even at noon, it might be too cold to wear just the blouse. Catching a cold would be troublesome,” Luo Lan thought. “Wait a moment.”

She went inside and brought out her own knitted vest, a recent project made from leftover yarn, which she hadn’t worn yet.

The off-white vest paired perfectly with the pink blouse, with the ruffled collar peeking out neatly. It made Junfang look even more adorable and elegant.

“This suits you perfectly. You can have it.”

“Really, Sister-in-law?” Junfang was overjoyed, not expecting to receive such a well-matched set.

“No, you can borrow the vest for today but return it tomorrow,” Zhou Mama interjected.

“Okay, I understand.”

Junfang, obedient as always, nodded, though she loved the outfit. Such a well-behaved child was endearing to anyone. Luo Lan pinched her delicate cheek, smiling.

“How are you so good? But you’re too skinny. Your waist is less than eighteen inches. Luckily, your cheeks still have some flesh, or people might think we’re mistreating you.”

Junfang liked her sister-in-law and let her pinch her cheek, like a lazy kitten. “Sister-in-law, can I borrow this outfit again for my sister’s wedding?”

“It’ll be too cold for just a blouse and vest then. I’ll make you a jacket, and it’ll look beautiful.”

“Okay, thank you, sister-in-law.”

Mother Zhou chided from the side, “Lan’er, keep it for yourself. Don’t spoil her.”

“I know what I’m doing.”

You know what you’re doing? Mother Zhou thought, smiling and shaking her head. She pondered how to get more fabric coupons. It wasn’t easy, as these were regulated items. If the family were better off, she would gladly dress her youngest daughter nicely. Since she graduated from middle school and stopped growing, she hadn’t had new clothes.

After breakfast, Luo Lan took Junfang to school, reminding her again, “Wait for me after school. I’ll come to pick you up.”

“Okay, I know.”

Luo Lan was busy at work in the morning, and time flew by. By the time she finished, it was already past noon. She pedaled home quickly, worried that Junfang might have gone home without her.

Today, she had dressed Junfang in the new outfit to see if it might reveal who had been interested in her. She needed to know who was paying attention to her family’s good girl.

As she rode, she wondered if Junfang had waited for her. When she arrived, Junfang was waiting at their agreed spot, looking particularly striking in her pink blouse under the midday sun, attracting many admiring glances.

“Sister-in-law!”

“I thought you might have gone home.”

“No, I promised to wait for you.”

“Come on, hop on.” Luo Lan helped her onto the bike. “Did anyone talk to you? The person who gave you the gift last time?”

“No. Only my classmates talked to me, asking where I got the fabric. They all said it was pretty. But…”

“But what?” Luo Lan urged, impatient with her habit of trailing off.

“One girl said my outfit was bourgeois and deserved criticism.”

“She doesn’t understand anything. It’s just a piece of clothing; how can it be associated with bourgeois ideology?”

“Yes, two other classmates said the same thing. But military green is trendy now. Several of my classmates have made new military uniforms.”

“Do you want one of those?”

“No, I was just mentioning it.”

Giving her the fabric should have led to some follow-up. Even if no one showed up at noon, there was still the evening. If no one appeared then, the next day at noon, Luo Lan finally saw someone.

Even from a distance of a dozen meters, she recognized him immediately. It was the head of the Red Guards, the man with the whip.

He stood with Zhou Junfang, towering over her. His tall, solid frame made Junfang look even more delicate.

“I’m sorry, I really don’t remember you,” Junfang said, her voice carrying a soft local accent.

“That’s alright. It’s enough that you know me now. Let me introduce myself. I used to be called Mu Yunli, but now my name is Xu Hongbing, and I’m twenty-four.”

“Director Xu,” Luo Lan called out, riding her bike over and catching their conversation. Seeing him again, his previously cold features now carried a smile. But no matter how much he softened his expression, Luo Lan could still see the malice in his eyes.

“That piece of fabric was from you, right?” She needed to confirm.

“Yes.” He admitted it openly, his gaze resting on Junfang. “It suits Junfang well. She looks beautiful in it.”

“We can’t accept gifts without merit. Please take it back.”

His reaction to the unexpected return was one of surprise. The fabric, specially brought from Shanghai, was now being returned despite her having worn it. How could her sister-in-law still have it?

Luo Lan opened the outer wrapping to reveal the pink-printed fabric inside, precisely the one he had sent.

“Please check it. There shouldn’t be any damage.”

With that, she pushed it into his arms. Knowing he was after her sister-in-law, they couldn’t accept anything from him. They needed to keep their distance from him, advising Junfang to head straight home after school, ideally with friends, and to have her brother pick her up in the evenings.

“Let’s go, Junfang.”

Obediently, Junfang sat on the back seat of the bike. The sweet girl even raised her hand to bid him farewell, but Luo Lan slapped it down. Silly girl, almost taken by the big bad wolf, and still being polite.

“Wait a minute,” Director Xu called out as Luo Lan was about to leave.

“Anything else?”

“Sister-in-law,”

“Don’t call me that.”

“This was a gift for Comrade Zhou Junfang. Shouldn’t she decide whether to accept it or not?”

“Firstly, my sister-in-law is still a high school student and hasn’t graduated. Secondly, I’m her guardian, and I make decisions for her.”

Ignoring his darkening expression, Luo Lan firmly said, “Goodbye. No, actually, I hope we never meet again.”