"Alright, you all stop talking! Listen to your eldest sister!" Wang Cuihua looked at the third daughter and couldn't help but laugh.
This third daughter had the most straightforward personality, was a bit of a foodie, and not as clever as her siblings, but her simplicity was endearing.
"Xiao Shan and Little Chuan, go bring over the sack that your eldest sister brought back!" The kids were very well-behaved; whatever Bai Xue brought home, unless she handed it directly to them, they wouldn't rummage through it.
In the afternoon, when cooking, she had already taken out the steamed buns, meat, cabbage, and milk powder, and now there were only pastries and sewing supplies left inside. There were also four sets of textbooks, which were the heaviest; thankfully, Zhang Yuan helped her, otherwise, she would have been exhausted carrying them back on her own.
Soon, the two younger brothers brought the sack over.
"Mom, I bought ten feet of cotton fabric with some minor flaws without needing any tickets, and these ten feet are coarse linen. The old lady asked me to bring them back and make sacks for her, saying she wants to make grain sacks, one pound and five-pound ones, and pays a penny per piece sewn. I thought, since I only go to town every other day, when I have time, I'll sew them and earn some money, so I brought them back."
"Oh, it's a pity to use such nice linen to make grain sacks; it would be better for clothes!" Wang Cuihua put the sleeping child down and came over to look, expressing her regret.
"Mom, this ten feet of cotton fabric is what I bought back, we'll make everyone a coat, so we have new clothes to wear for the New Year, right? Also! Did you see the cotton shoes I'm wearing? They are a new style that the old lady's son brought back from the big city. But they didn't fit, and since they fit me perfectly, I bought them. I even asked him to bring back a pair for everyone in the family."
"Eldest sister, I noticed your shoes a long time ago, they look great, and they must be warm, right?" Bai Ruyun said as she looked at the shoes.
"Yes, especially warm. Even walking in the snow doesn't make my feet cold. They say you can only buy them in big cities, but soon each of you will have a pair!" Bai Xue said, patting her younger sister's head.
"But how much does it cost?"
"Don't worry, your eldest sister has money now!" Bai Xue patted her chest, feeling like she had become much more childish since coming to this era.
"There are still some pastries here, but since everyone had a big dinner, we'll save these for tomorrow morning!" Bai Xue took out the pastries and poured out all the books from the sack.
The little ones all watched but didn't say they wanted to eat now; they had already eaten enough, and it was a blessing to feel so full.
"Eldest sister, are these textbooks for us?" Bai Rushan flipped through the things poured out and held the textbooks in his hands.
"Yes, the ones for the first year of junior high are for your two older sisters, and the third-grade ones are for you two! Stay at home and read more when there's nothing to do, and after the New Year, I'll send all four of you to school!" Bai Xue told them.
"But Grandma on her side..." Bai Rushan expressed his concerns.
"You three go study! I'll stay home and protect you, and when Grandma comes, I'll kick her out!" Bai Ruchuan said, puffing up his chest.
Smack...
"Do you think you can just kick people out? She's an elder; what about your reputation if it gets ruined? How will you find a wife?" Bai Daliang smacked Bai Ruchuan's head, causing him to shrink back.
"Don't worry, I have a way to deal with Grandma! You just focus on studying and when you become successful, take care of Dad, Mom, and your eldest sister!" Bai Xue laughed as she looked at Bai Ruchuan, who had just been smacked.
"Xiao Xue, these ten feet of fabric are enough for each of you to have a top. Mom will start making them for you tomorrow!" Wang Cuihua was mainly concerned about the fabric and was delighted to pick up the black and white threads, asking Bai Daliang to help start bundling them.
But it was already dusk by then. Bai Xue went outside and quickly returned with the child arm-thick red candle she had previously taken out and put away. She used a match to light it and brought it inside.
"Is that a candle?" Wang Cuihua immediately saw the candle Bai Xue had brought in, while the others were still engrossed in their books.
The sudden brightness made everyone look up, and they were all surprised.
"Yes! The last time I saved the old lady, she gave it to me, telling me to put it away for now. Mom, it's so dim for you to see the thread clearly while sitting postnatal confinement; it's bad for your eyes!" Bai Xue said as she dripped some wax on the table to fix the candle in place.
"This candle is really thick and long; it's the first time I've seen one!" Wang Cuihua said with amazement.
"I can't believe our family is using candles now; it would have been great to have this candle when you were giving birth!" Bai Daliang expressed as he held the thread with both hands for Wang Cuihua.
"Isn't it so? This candle works much better than a kerosene lamp, with no oil smoke and it's easy on the eyes! Now I can sew clothes for the kids at night; this is wonderful!" The couple said as they talked.
The little ones had already each taken a book to read, amazed by the candlelight and excited about being able to read at night.
Bai Xue packed up the sack, listening to her parents and siblings' happy chatter, feeling a sense of happiness.
She's only been here for a few days, and she gradually felt herself fitting into the family and getting used to it.
"Mom, you shouldn't be sewing clothes! You're still in postnatal confinement! Do you want to damage your eyes? I'll take the fabric and sewing supplies to Second Aunt tomorrow to ask for help with sewing, give her some money or grain, their lives aren't easy either, let it be a way to support them. Second Uncle's straightforward nature, if I just give it to them, he won't take it, but if we ask for their help, it's different! And it's a good way to return those ten bucks!"
Bai Xue suddenly remembered the ten bucks she'd placed alone on the supermarket counter that she hadn't returned to Second Uncle yet.
Earlier, she thought simply of returning the ten bucks for grain, but after considering that there were grain tickets and money involved and Second Uncle's straightforward attitude, she realized it was better to indirectly offer help.
"Xiao Xue is right, the old man's nature is straightforward and won't take advantage of us. Having Second Aunt sew clothes and then giving them some grain is different! You really thought things through as a child! You just need to focus on resting and taking care of your health and looking after the kids!" Bai Daliang agreed, nodding.
You could see life looking better, all thanks to the eldest daughter!
"Xiao Xue, maybe you should give the job of sewing sacks to Second Aunt too! You can earn ten bucks a month and rest at home, as all that traveling back and forth is tiring!" Wang Cuihua suggested, always thinking one step ahead.
She got along with Second Sister-in-law; they had similar personalities, unlike Third Sister-in-law, who liked taking advantage, was bold, cunning, always figuring out ways to gain benefit, and would even incite trouble from the mother-in-law.
"Alright! Then I'll visit Second Aunt tomorrow! We've got millet and cornmeal that Dad brought back; let's take some to share with them! I'll buy more when I go to town!"
"Xiao Xue! Dad will keep this one hundred bucks; you keep the remaining fifty bucks and these tickets yourself! You can go to town every other day, spend as you see fit, the New Year's coming, if you find some clothes or cotton fabric without needing tickets, buy them too! You're almost a sixteen-year-old young lady, even your cotton coat and pants are getting too small for you!" Bai Daliang pushed the fifty bucks and tickets over to her.
He kept the one hundred bucks, probably planning to find a safe place to hide the money tomorrow.
He probably never saw so many big bills at once before.
"Alright, Dad, I'll buy clothes or cotton fabric if I see any without requiring tickets and get new cotton clothes for the younger siblings; your clothes are also no longer warm, and the bedding too!"
Bai Xue said as she put the money away again.