After seeing off the two major figures from the production team, Li's mother worried, "Will there be any trouble?"
"It's fine."
Tian Jing's nonchalance only made Li's mother anxious, like an ant on a hot pan, "What if they come to search?"
The words made Tian Jing frown. If someone were to report them and officers came to search, it would indeed be difficult to explain.
Li Zhengguo held Tiantian's hand to comfort her, "There's always a way when the cart reaches the mountain."
Tian Jing disliked being passive; she preferred to be prepared.
Glancing at the sky outside, she broke free from Li Zhengguo's hand, "I'm going to the mountain to take a look."
"What are you going to look at at this hour?" Li Zhengguo tried to stop her.
"I'll look for some mountain caves or something. We have too many things at home, I want to hide some."
"I know, I know." Li Min put down the sweater she was knitting, "I heard there are many caves around Eagle's Beak, but..."
"But what?" Tian Jing pressed.
"They are too deep and too high." Li Zhengguo shot his sister a look and continued.
"Deep within Kushan, there's a mountain peak that looks like an eagle, called Eagle Mountain. From the lowest point of Eagle Mountain, which is the rear end, climb up. Traverse the spine, then the neck, and reach the eagle's beak. That is the highest point of Kushan."
"There are several caves at Eagle's Beak, and it's said people used to live there. All this is hearsay, passed down from our ancestors. No one has ever heard of anyone reaching inside."
"Impossible. If it's been passed down, someone must have gone there."
Tian Jing retorted, believing that the first or second generation of people must have gone there, and she could go and see.
Li Zhengguo saw her eagerness and held her down, "There's not enough time, we still have things to arrange. We'll go tomorrow."
"Alright."
"Zhengguo!" Li's mother exclaimed in shock, stopping her son. How could he take Tiantian deep into the mountains?
"Mother, I'll just point it out to Tiantian. Once she sees the distance to that highest peak, she'll give up."
Li Zhengguo secretly tickled Tian Jing's palm.
Tian Jing inwardly chided him for using words to deceive his mother and actions to coax her.
Li's mother believed her son, "Alright, let Tiantian take a distant glance. The mountain looks very magnificent from afar."
Distracted by her son's words, Li's mother temporarily set aside her worries about the trouble caused by bringing things back and forth. "Minmin, start cooking."
Li Min stuck out her tongue, knowing she would be nagged by her mother.
"Mother-in-law, let's have noodles. Ask Li Min to knead and roll the dough."
"Okay, let's have noodles. Minmin will have the black bean noodles."
Li Min: "..."
If she had known, she would have secretly told her sister-in-law about Eagle's Beak. Now her mother was retaliating.
The mother and daughter went to the kitchen. Li Zhengguo stroked Tian Jing's face, "Tomorrow, you take me with you. I want to see too."
"Hehehe," Tian Jing lowered her voice and chuckled, "You haven't been there before, have you?"
"Yes, I have. I walked for almost a whole day, and the distance didn't seem to shorten. It's like chasing a horse that's still miles away."
"Mmm, I'll take you."
...
Li Zhengguo gave up on making a bathtub and started splitting bamboo strips to support the tanned rabbit skins that evening.
Tian Jing ate alone, having plain white flour noodles, while the other three ate mixed grain noodles.
After tidying up the kitchen, Li's mother and Li Min accompanied Tian Jing as they waited.
Not long after it got dark, Sister Ma and the other two arrived.
Ma Changying was very embarrassed, "Each of us wants ten feet of cloth, and to make a pair of pants for your parents-in-law. Who knew my father-in-law..."
"It's okay. I'm just helping everyone this once. If there's a real need in the future, we can exchange small amounts. Large quantities are too conspicuous."
"Thank you, Tian Jing. We've caused you trouble. My father-in-law is too rigid."
"It's alright, it's alright. Secretary Yang is just being upright. The members need a good cadre like him."
After putting down twenty-four yuan, the three sisters-in-law carried the cloth and left.
Li Min looked at her sister-in-law with curiosity, "You not only earned four yuan, but also earned their gratitude and apologies. Sister-in-law, how did you do it? I watched the whole thing and didn't understand."
"That can only mean one thing: you're foolish."
"No, it's that Sister-in-law, you are too smart."
Tian Jing pushed the money to Li's mother, "Keep this money, Mother-in-law. If I'm not home, you can keep it for emergencies."
Li's mother refused, pushing it back, "No, no, I don't manage money."
"I'm not asking you to manage money, just keep it for unforeseen needs."
Tian Jing pushed it back again. Glancing at the envious Li Min, she handed two yuan to her.
"Li Min, take two yuan for pocket money. Mother-in-law, you take two yuan for pocket money too. Keep the remaining twenty yuan. What if there's an urgent need?"
"Mother, just accept it," Li Zhengguo said.
Since her son had spoken, Li's mother stopped refusing, "Okay, I'll accept it. This is enough. Don't put any more money with me. Too much makes me unable to sleep."
"Okay," Tian Jing agreed. Considering the prices of that era, twenty yuan was quite a sum.
"Thank you, Sister-in-law."
Li Min grabbed the two yuan, thanked her joyfully, and then ran back to the east room to hide the money.
Li's mother chided, "This girl, always thinking about money."
Li Zhengguo closed the courtyard gate, lit the oil lamp, and brought out the tanned rabbit skins to work.
Tian Jing offered to help, but he refused, "The smell is too strong, and it burns the hands. I can do it myself."
Since there was no help needed here, Tian Jing returned to her room to do her own work.
When Li Zhengguo finished his work, Tian Jing was still busy. Seeing him enter, she waved him out, "You smell all over. Go wash up and boil some water. I'll be done soon."
As Li Zhengguo exited the room, he caught a glimpse of what Tian Jing was sewing in her hand. His face immediately turned red. He had forgotten. It had been almost a month, and Tiantian's period still hadn't come.
Even though her memories from her past life were no longer applicable, and even though Tiantian's physique was different now, those days for women...
Well, he heard that hot compresses were effective. He should prepare something for Tiantian.
After all, he had never used a needle and thread before. After sewing for so long, he had only managed to make two ugly cotton covers. The original owner could sew and mend, but no one had taught her, so she just sewed haphazardly.
He decisively gave up!
Tian Jing took her creation to find Li Min and explained her idea, then showed Li Min what she had sewn.
Li Min burst out laughing and collapsed onto the kang, "Hahaha, Sister-in-law, so there are things you can't do? I thought you were omnipotent?"
Tian Jing clenched her fists, making cracking sounds, "My best skill is fighting."
"Uh," Li Min immediately stopped laughing, "I'll help you sew it. You say it again."
After Tian Jing described the appearance of a sanitary napkin again, she washed her hands of it, "I'll leave the sewing to you. You can wash the cotton, steam it, and dry it."
"You want me to wash, steam, and dry it too?"
"Yes. To sterilize it. A woman's lower body needs to be kept very hygienic. I'll tell you..."
After a lengthy explanation, which made Li Min's face turn red, Tian Jing turned and left.
Li's mother, however, listened attentively, "Minmin, your sister-in-law might have a bit of a wicked sense of humor, but what she said is true. Many women..."
After being educated by her two caring female family members, Li Min's head was spinning.