Chapter 11

Ruan Yuehua wasn’t interested in where the grapes came from. He sat at the table, shaking Sun Xiaohui’s arm, looking miserable with desire, “Mom, I want to eat grapes too.”

Sun Xiaohui, swayed by his shaking, patiently said, “Your grandparents didn’t even let you eat dinner last night, and you still want to eat their grapes? Those are stolen; we don’t eat stolen things.”

Ruan Yuehua, still craving, said, “But I want to eat them, and so does Big Brother.” He started whining, “I want to eat grapes, I want to eat grapes…”

Sun Xiaohui, very patient with Ruan Yuehua, continued to coax him, “Don’t listen to them saying they’re sweet. I’m telling you, those grapes look very sour, sour enough to make your teeth fall out.”

Ruan Yuehua swallowed, still whining, “Even if they’re sour, I want to eat them.”

Ruan Changgui, maintaining his fatherly authority in front of Ruan Yuejin and Ruan Yuehua, couldn’t stand Ruan Yuehua’s behavior. He raised his chopsticks and said sternly, “If you keep whining, I’ll hit you!”

Ruan Yuehua, scared, quickly let go of Sun Xiaohui’s arm and sat properly at the table.

Ruan Yuejin then spoke up, “We’ve already split the family. I won’t eat their things.”

Ruan Changgui felt better hearing this and glared at Ruan Yuehua, “Learn from your brother!”

Ruan Yuehua, pouting, still couldn’t get the thought of grapes out of his mind. That night, lying in bed, all he could see were bunches of grapes.

Sun Xiaohui and Ruan Changgui lay in bed. Before Ruan Changgui started snoring, Sun Xiaohui said, “I’ve thought about it. Ruan Xi must have stolen those grapes. I need to report this to the Jin Guan Brigade’s Revolutionary Committee.”

Ruan Changgui, barely keeping his eyes open, said, “There’s no need to report such a small matter to the committee. Just discipline her at home.”

Sun Xiaohui turned to look at him, “Would she admit it? Stealing needles as a child, stealing gold as an adult, this is no small matter. Your parents spoil her in everything. If we don’t do something, this girl will end up in jail sooner or later.”

Ruan Changgui sighed lightly, “Reporting her would mean she’d be taken to the people’s dictatorship office, have to wear a sign at the criticism meeting, and might even be sent to labor reform. Just leave it. Whether she ends up in jail or not has nothing to do with us.”

Sun Xiaohui retorted, “How can it have nothing to do with us? Now, we advocate for righteousness over family loyalty. We can’t protect her just because she’s family. If she makes a mistake, she must face the consequences. We can’t cover for her…”

As she spoke, she heard Ruan Changgui’s snores. Knowing he had fallen asleep from exhaustion, she stopped talking. She turned over and lay there, thinking for a while, unable to fall asleep. She thought Ruan Xi needed a lesson to curb her arrogance while she needed to relieve her own anger. She imagined Ruan Xi being taken to the people’s dictatorship office, beaten, publicly criticized, and sent to labor reform to suffer more.

Sun Xiaohui tossed and turned, barely sleeping for a few hours. Before the rooster crowed the next day, she got up in the dark. She quietly took the family flashlight, left the house, and walked down the mountain path to Jin Guan Village, finding the brigade secretary’s house.

Seeing Secretary Wang, she directly stated her purpose, “Someone stole grapes from the old tailor in your brigade and took a bunch home. If this bad behavior isn’t corrected, it will shake everyone’s revolutionary spirit!”

She took out a handful of grape skins to show Secretary Wang, “This is the stolen evidence, solid proof!”

Secretary Wang looked at the grape skins in her hand, his expression slowly darkening.

In the morning, after hearing the rooster crow, Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie got up, washed, cooked, and did chores. After finishing their tasks and eating, they went out to their respective activities.

Before leaving, Ruan Xi told Liu Xinghua she wouldn’t return for lunch.

When she arrived at the old tailor’s house, she didn’t immediately ask to learn or discuss the craft with him. Instead, she tidied up the house inside and out. Just as she was about to sit down and rest, a woman in a checkered shirt appeared at the door.

The woman stood outside the courtyard gate, looking around and waiting. When a young girl appeared in the doorway, she waved her hand slightly and stepped over the threshold into the courtyard. After entering, the woman in the checkered shirt politely greeted the old tailor, saying she was there to have some clothes made.

The old tailor cleared his throat, got up from his rocking chair, and led the woman and the girl inside.

Ruan Xi, being perceptive, washed her hands and helped with the hospitality. She went to the kitchen, fetched two white porcelain bowls, and poured hot water for the woman and the girl.

Bringing the hot water to the main room, the woman in the checkered shirt drank half a bowl and said, “This is my daughter-in-law. She’s getting married soon, so we need several new outfits. I’ve already bought the fabric and brought it here. Please take a look and make two sets for everyday wear and one for the wedding day. They should all be festive and look nice.”

The old tailor, not one for many words, looked at the fabric the woman had brought and then said to the girl, “Stand up.”

The girl, who was also silent, stood up from the bench, her face showing some shyness and embarrassment.

The old tailor, indifferent to her expression, looked her up and down and then turned to Ruan Xi, “Alright, I have an idea. Help her take the measurements.”

Ruan Xi quickly went to get the measuring tape.

But as she returned with the tape, the woman’s smile faded, and she said somewhat reluctantly, “Can she do it?”

The girl looked like she was only fourteen or fifteen. The woman was concerned because these clothes were for her daughter-in-law to wear at the wedding, and she had spent a lot of money on them. There could be no mistakes.

The old tailor, known for his blunt and often harsh words, said, “She’s my apprentice. If I say she can do it, she can. If you don’t think so, you can go elsewhere.”

The woman in the checkered shirt was taken aback by his words, almost unable to stay seated. If he weren’t the only tailor on Fengming Mountain, she wouldn’t have tolerated this insult!

Ruan Xi realized how difficult the tailor was to get along with, even speaking to customers like this. Seeing the woman’s displeased expression, she quickly smiled and said, “I’ve learned well from my master. Don’t worry, there won’t be any problems.”

The woman regained some composure and said nothing more.

Ruan Xi took the girl’s measurements, noting them down with a pencil. While measuring, she praised the girl as beautiful as a fairy and complimented the woman as a good mother-in-law, saying the girl was lucky. This brought smiles to both their faces.

After finishing the measurements and scheduling a time to make the clothes, she saw them out.

As the woman and the girl walked away with the fabric, the woman said, “When did the old tailor take on an apprentice? I wonder whose girl she is, to be able to put up with him?”

The girl turned back and said, “If I can really learn the craft, it’s worth enduring some hardship.”

The woman agreed, “That’s true. She seems to be learning well.”

Mainly, it was her good temperament and way of speaking that made the woman feel good.

Ruan Xi stood at the gate, watching them leave, then picked up Da Mi and returned to the main room. She said to the old tailor, “Old comrade, you’re really not very polite to people.”

The old tailor snorted, “The sales clerks at the supply and marketing cooperative are ruder than I am.”

Ruan Xi blinked, momentarily stunned, then realized he was right. This era was different from later times. Later, anyone in a service role had to act subservient to customers, but now they were treated like royalty.

Not dwelling on it, Ruan Xi sat on the bench in front of the old tailor, holding Da Mi, and tilted her head slightly, asking, “Master, what are you planning to teach me today?”

Before the old tailor could respond, a few people entered the courtyard.

The old tailor turned to see that it was Secretary Wang from their brigade, along with a few other village officials. Judging by their expressions, they weren’t there to make clothes or chat.

As the old tailor suspected, Secretary Wang and the officials headed straight to the main room. After sitting down, Secretary Wang said, “Mr. Song, we’ve received a report that someone stole a bunch of grapes from your house, so we’re here to investigate.”

With that, he pulled out a newspaper from his pocket and unfolded it in front of the old tailor.

Inside were a handful of half-dried grape skins.