Educated Youth in the Countryside: She is the Village's Embroidery Queen!-Chapter 503: As Strong as a Bear

Yi Chichi was already used to his silly father’s antics. After he rambled on about how much the child loved him, she remembered something.

"When you went to Yangcheng to pick someone up, was it a new recruit?"

"No."

He shook his head, not elaborating on those people, and simply said, "Why did you think to ask this?"

"I saw them wearing army uniforms."

Wen Shi paused for a moment, then said helplessly, "Haven’t had time to change uniforms yet."

Not wanting to continue on this topic, he asked about the medicinal powder.

"Can it be done before the end of the year?"

"It’ll be ready in a few days."

The old man was very interested in the enhanced version of the medicinal powder. Initially, he was willing to let her help, but later he didn’t even let her assist, undertaking it all himself.

The reason was quite justified: it wasn’t good for her body to be in contact with too many herbs in her late pregnancy.

Thus, she became a person without tasks.

However, when necessary, the old man would call her over to discuss proportions.

"Should I give it to you directly then?"

"Did you make a lot?"

"Not a lot, but Grandpa Zhang helped purchase enough for three portions."

"How much is one portion?"

"Two pounds!"

Three portions equal six pounds, and one person’s use is fifty grams...

He calculated silently in his heart, "Prepare three pounds first, and leave the rest at the medical team, whoever needs it goes to the doctor for a prescription."

Yi Chichi got the idea.

"Okay, I’ll package it and give it to you, and you can handle the rest as you see fit."

She had no use for the medicinal powder, after all, she didn’t have the chance to stay in dark and confined spaces for long periods, nor was she likely to get rashes.

So, it was good to let Wen Shi distribute it.

And with that, the topic ended.

Time passed quickly, and mid-December came around, with the package from Beijing finally arriving late.

There were several large packages, not only did Grandpa send her things, but Mr. Song and the others also sent stuff.

The Beijing Eight Treasures, milk powder, malted milk essence, White Rabbit candies, and Melin canned food were essential in every package.

Next were books and drawing tools.

In addition, there were foreign currency coupons, some industrial coupons, and food coupons.

All loaded up in one envelope, bulging.

As soon as the envelope was torn open, the coupons fell out.

Wen’s mother, coming back from the seaside with a cheery smile, saw the fallen coupons, her eyes widened suddenly, and she rushed in swiftly, closing the door with a bang.

The sudden darkness made Yi Chichi pause before she reacted, then she was both amused and annoyed, "Mom, your response is a bit too dramatic."

"Don’t flaunt wealth."

Wen’s mother shot her a glance as if facing a great enemy, quite displeased with her oversight, "You’re not thinking, though this isn’t cash, if seen in quantity, it makes people envious, don’t you know?"

The implication: take precautions, better safe than sorry.

Yi Chichi nodded obediently, "Okay, Mom, you’re right."

She bent down to pick up the coupons, but Wen’s mother darted over quickly, "Don’t move, I’ll pick them up."

With such a big belly, bending over is uncomfortable.

Yi Chichi agreed with an "oh," turned to continue unpacking the packages, and before she finished, Wen’s mother handed the envelope back, "Take it and keep it safe."

"Mom, you take it, you’re the one who goes to the department store now; if I take it, you’ll have to come to me when you need it, it’s troublesome."

This made sense too.

So, Wen’s mother kept the coupons.

"Why did they send clothes too?"

When she came back, Yi Chichi was pulling out a coat from the package, a bright red cashmere coat, the fabric and cut unmistakably from the overseas Chinese shop’s export re-import line.

"Grandma Song bought it."

The sender of this package was the Song couple, she set the coat aside and continued digging, pulling out another coat, same long style, navy blue, but not cashmere, instead woolen fabric.

The cut was good, a classic double-breasted style.

"This one looks good."

Wen’s mother praised it endlessly, "Looks more understated than the red one."

The red coat was too dazzling, too flashy for everyday wear in the current social milieu, unless for special occasions.

Yi Chichi stuffed the clothes into her hands, "This one’s yours, it’s got to be more low-key."

Wen’s mother was surprised, "This isn’t yours?"

"Grandma Song bought it for you, to thank you for taking care of her in Kao Shan Village!"

Worried that Wen’s mother wouldn’t believe it, she also took out the letter from Grandma Song for her to read, "It’s all written here, this model was bought according to your size."

Wen’s mother inspected the coat reluctantly, "It’s too thick; I can’t wear it here."

"The temperature will be lower around the New Year, you can wear it then."

Even if it’s not for many days, although their location was on the northern part of the island, making it cooler than the southern part, it wasn’t by much.

But a coat could indeed be worn.

Wen’s mother acknowledged with an "oh," then started getting busy preparing return gifts for Grandpa and them.

She was a doer, disliked owing people.

Receiving a gift meant returning one as quickly as possible, or she’d lose sleep.

So, after reading the letters from several people and helping tidy everything up and keeping the seashells brought back from the sea in water to spit out sand, she pocketed money and coupons and went out.

"Chichi, stay at home, I’m going to the market!"

"...Okay."

No sooner had Wen’s mother left than Yang Qing came in, her first sentence being—"Aunt just came back from the sea, why’s she out again?"

"She has something to do."

Yi Chichi didn’t elaborate, and Yang Qing didn’t ask further, instead inviting her, "I’m going next door, you want to come?"

"For what?"

"To borrow Ji Jian’s sewing machine."

They were talking at the door, and Ji Jian’s house and Yi Chichi’s house were separated by a hibiscus hedge, which didn’t really insulate sound.

Ji Jian, who was getting water outside, heard them and grumbled, "You’re not even willing to call me sister-in-law now, huh?!"

"I called you sister-in-law before, and you said it made you sound old. Now I call you by your name, and you complain I don’t call you sister-in-law; why are you so hard to deal with?"

Yang Qing was even more disgruntled, and Yi Chichi just watched Ji Jian looking dumbfounded, "Did I say that?"

"You did!"

Yi Chichi raised her hand, "I can vouch for it, you said it when you found out you and Yang Qing are only a few months apart."

That was last year.

Ji Jian, "...Okay, my bad, if you need the sewing machine, come over quickly, I have to go to work later."

Got it, she’s got the late shift again.

Not wanting to delay her night shift, Yang Qing hurriedly grabbed the cut fabric and squeezed through the hibiscus hedge, with Yi Chichi following closely.

Then, she and Ji Jian looked at the fabric Yang Qing had cut and frowned simultaneously.

"Did you cut this yourself?"

Ji Jian picked up a piece of fabric and asked her.

Yang Qing was adjusting the machine’s needle and nodded, "Yes, why?"

"Are you making it for Old Huang?"

"Of course not, this is for my brother, he’s getting married and doesn’t have new clothes to wear, and the family couldn’t gather enough fabric coupons, so they telegraphed here."

No wonder the size was obviously off.

But—

"How tall is your brother?"

Yang Qing’s face wrinkled with distress, "Don’t even mention it, he grows no matter what he eats, shooting up like a bean sprout; when I left, he was 185, a few years later he’s 193, and that’s barefoot, with shoes he’d be taller."

"And built like a bear, my mom says his arms are thicker than my dad’s legs. Because he’s so tall and buff, he keeps having trouble finding a partner; whenever a match is suggested, the girl’s side takes one look and thinks he’s too big a fabric expense, can’t marry him."