Chapter 9: Buying Fabric to Make Clothes

Finally, after cleaning up the tangled hair, Huang Yuelan used a towel to dry most of the water from Wang Jianguo’s hair.

Huang Yuelan used one hand to wipe his hair with a towel, while the other hand held Wang Jianguo’s shoulders.

At this time, the collar of Wang Jianguo’s shirt was tucked into his clothes, revealing a large area of skin. Therefore, Huang Yuelan’s fingers accidentally touched Wang Jianguo’s neck and shoulders…

Wherever her fingers touched, Wang Jianguo felt a burning sensation. In short, sparks flew everywhere, and Wang Jianguo felt that Huang Yuelan was playing with fire. His face, which had just calmed down, turned red again.

After Huang Yuelan finished drying Wang Jianguo’s hair, she poured out the water and swept up the cut hair with a broom, filling half a dustpan.

Seeing Huang Yuelan acting as if nothing had happened, diligently busy with her chores, completely unaware of the torment she had just inflicted on him, looking exactly like a virtuous wife and mother, Wang Jianguo felt incredibly happy and fortunate.

He thought Wang Jianguo would go to work on the house after washing his hair, but unexpectedly, he remained standing behind her. Huang Yuelan, not paying attention, bumped into him. Wang Jianguo quickly caught her, afraid she would fall. Their eyes met, and the atmosphere became very subtle.

“Wife, are you alright?” Wang Jianguo asked.

Huang Yuelan quickly stood up, “I’m fine, I’m fine. How many cloth coupons do you still have?”

“Plenty of cloth coupons, enough for however much you want, wife,” Wang Jianguo said proudly.

“I was thinking of making new clothes for you and your brothers. About twenty-five feet should be enough. Do you have enough coupons?” Huang Yuelan knew that not only was money hard to earn, but coupons were even harder to come by; twenty-five feet was definitely not a small amount.

Wang Jianguo smiled, “More than enough. I’ll get them for you now.”

Soon, Wang Jianguo brought out money and some cloth coupons; together, they were enough for thirty feet.

Actually, twenty-five feet would have been enough. Although his two younger brothers were six or seven years old, due to long-term malnutrition and irregular meals, they hadn’t grown much and looked like three or four-year-olds, so they wouldn’t need much fabric.

Upon arriving at the supply and marketing cooperative, the staff looked at Huang Yuelan with strange eyes.

Although no one said anything, Huang Yuelan understood their meaning from their gazes.

It was the village gossip again, saying things like she was infertile. Now there was another rumor: that she had hooked up with a wild man right after her engagement was broken off, and that they were living under the same roof just two days later, implying that they had been having an affair before the breakup.

“Serving the people! What would you like to buy?” the saleswoman said.

Huang Yuelan looked at the fabric counter; there were only a few colors available, all quite drab. But there was no other choice; everyone wore similar clothes, and not many people could afford new clothes.

“Humility makes one progress. Give me twenty-five feet of that blue fabric,” Huang Yuelan pointed to the sky-blue fabric.

Huang Yuelan thought this color was suitable for Wang Jianguo, and the fabric looked sturdy. Wang Jianguo chopped wood and hunted, spending his days running in the mountains, sometimes even chasing wild rabbits. If the fabric wasn’t sturdy, and his pants ripped during a hunt, it would be a disaster. So durability was the priority.

The saleswoman was a little incredulous, “Pride makes one fall behind. Are you sure you want twenty-five feet? I need to cut it.”

Huang Yuelan handed over the money and coupons, “Speak frankly and honestly. Yes, twenty-five feet.”

The saleswoman took the money and coupons, used a measuring tape, and then used large scissors to cut the fabric.

“Embezzlement and waste are serious crimes. Here’s your fabric,” the saleswoman handed the wrapped fabric to Huang Yuelan.

Huang Yuelan took it, “Without investigation, there can be no right to speak. Thank you!”

As soon as Huang Yuelan left the supply and marketing cooperative, several staff members gathered to gossip.

“Isn’t that Huang Yuelan from the First Production Team? Did you hear she was jilted?”

“Your news is outdated. That’s old news. Now she’s living with that wild man from our commune.”

“What? I heard it was only recently that her engagement was broken off. How could she move in with that wild man so quickly?”

“Well, that’s why her engagement was broken off. Not only is she infertile, but she’s also not proper. You wouldn’t keep such a wife, would you?”

“She’s really extravagant, buying twenty-five feet of fabric at once.”

“She must have gotten the money from her grandmother. A spendthrift woman, she can’t keep a penny. A woman like that, whoever gets her is unlucky!”