In the afternoon, Chen Suozhu came by again. Seeing Li Zhengguo doing carpentry work outside the courtyard gate, he wanted to help but was refused.
Chen Suozhu felt a bit flustered. Was Big Brother Li looking down on him?
Li Zhengguo glanced at him. "I'm making things for my wife and my mother. You're not suited to help."
"Oh," Chen Suozhu breathed a sigh of relief. "Then, the plastic vegetable shed, do you need my help with that?"
"Not yet."
As Chen Suozhu's head drooped in dejection, Li Zhengguo added, "Ten in the morning, three in the afternoon. If it's cloudy or raining, don't come."
"Okay," Chen Suozhu's head shot up immediately. "I'll be there on time."
"Do you have a watch?"
"Uh, no, I'll watch the sun."
"Alright, you can go back now."
After Chen Suozhu left, more people arrived at the Li family's place.
"Zhengguo, what are you doing?"
"Sister Ma, Sister Dai, Sister Lin, I'm just making some things the family needs."
Li Zhengguo put down his work and called into the courtyard, "Mom, Sister Ma and the others are here."
"Let them in," Li's mother responded loudly, busying herself by pushing her daughter back into the reclining chair to knit a sweater.
Li Min... Her 'injury' should be manageable by now, shouldn't it?
Ma Changying said they could let themselves in and asked Li Zhengguo to continue his work.
Li Zhengguo, however, strode into the courtyard. His Tian Tian hadn't experienced this kind of normal social interaction.
The last time they were startled by Hong Wei and his wife, he had made a decision in his heart to personally introduce Tian Tian to the comings and goings of their home.
Tian Jing heard Li Zhengguo's voice and quickly tidied up inside the house, locked the cabinet doors, and then came out of her room.
She allowed Li Zhengguo to take her hand and introduce her one by one. "You've met Sister Ma yesterday. This is Sister Dai, from Big Brother Yang Jianjun's family. And this is Sister Lin, from Yang Jianxin's family."
"Sister Dai, Sister Ma, Sister Lin, please sit. I'll pour you some tea."
"No, no," Ma Changying waved her hand. "We're just dropping by to look at the fabric."
Li Zhengguo released Tian Jing's hand. "You keep the sisters company while I get the water."
"Alright, I'll get the water," Li's mother took over. "Zhengguo, you go back to your work."
Ma Changying politely refused again. "We're really not being polite. We just ate at home and aren't thirsty. If we were thirsty, I wouldn't be polite with Auntie. We'll be neighbors from now on. Auntie, your health seems to have greatly improved?"
Speaking of her health, Li's mother had a lot to say. "Indeed, I can do laundry and cooking now. Ever since my Tian Tian came into our home, my health has been getting better every day."
"Auntie's prosperity and good spirits are bringing joy. We're busy building our house and moving in, hoping to catch some of that good fortune?"
"Haha, you speak so well. What should I say? Mutual joy, is that it? Hahahaha."
"Yes, mutual joy. Everyone is full of good spirits."
Relieved that her mother-in-law could handle the social interactions, Tian Jing observed Sister Dai and Sister Lin. They both seemed very kind.
Sister Dai was more composed, and Sister Lin was more refined. They would be neighbors from now on, and she really didn't want to encounter any peculiar ones.
Like the fourth and fifth households. The thought of being neighbors with Zhang Fangcao made her slightly headachy.
Sister Dai and Sister Lin were also discreetly observing Tian Jing. They found that the girl's gaze was honest, her smile was friendly, and she had a noticeable air of aloofness.
This aloofness, however, put Sister Dai and Sister Lin at ease. Tian Jing was not someone who fawned over others.
After the pleasantries, Ma Changying expressed her desire to see the fabric.
Tian Jing led them into the room.
On top of the cabinet were a piece of dark cotton cloth, a piece of plain cotton cloth, a piece of blue gabardine, and half a piece of black cotton cloth with red flowers.
Ma Changying's eyes landed on the blue gabardine. "What is this?"
"Gabardine. This is three feet six inches wide, suitable for making trousers. A pair of trousers requires at least five feet of fabric. The two pant legs share a middle section, with the upper parts extending from both ends. The leftover fabric is quite large, meaning there's more waste. It's sixty cents per foot."
Sixty cents a foot? Ma Changying's excitement was dampened by the price. A pair of trousers would cost three yuan, and for someone taller, it would take an extra half foot.
Sister Dai, however, beamed. The supply and marketing cooperative sold gabardine for one yuan twenty cents a foot, and it required a ration coupon. She had never been able to afford it.
Seeing her elder sister's delighted expression, Sister Lin asked with a smile, "Sister, you've taken a fancy to this gabardine?"
"Yes," Sister Dai nodded. "You know how my younger sister always belittles me when I visit my parents. I learned the name 'gabardine' from her. She made a pair of trousers, and they were so stiff and crisp. She bragged about it to me many times."
Ma Changying looked at her elder sister and sister-in-law. "Do you both want some?"
"I do," Sister Lin nodded. "I just don't know how much of it Sister Tian can spare us."
"There are forty feet here. If you all want it, I can spare all of it."
"See!" Ma Changying clapped her hands. "I knew Sister Tian was a straightforward person! You can't judge a book by its cover."
Sister Dai and Sister Lin exchanged glances. They pulled Ma Changying aside and discussed for a while, then each took six feet of cotton cloth.
After paying, Ma Changying scratched her head, then looked at her elder sister and sister-in-law before saying to Tian Jing, "Sister Tian, could you please keep this whole bolt of fabric? We'll come to pick it up tonight."
Tonight? "Around what time?"
"We'll come as soon as it gets dark."
"Okay, I'll save it all for you."
After the three sisters left, Tian Jing locked up the fabric. She never left such eye-catching items out after the cabinet was made.
Li's mother saw the three off and didn't question Tian Jing.
Whatever her daughter-in-law wanted to do, she would do. Everyone was curious, but she was afraid her curiosity might be misinterpreted by her daughter-in-law.
Tian Jing, however, took the initiative to go to the east room to explain.
Li's mother expressed some concern. "One bolt of fabric, isn't that too much?"
"They'll definitely keep it quiet. Who gets a good deal and doesn't hide it? Would they go around telling people they bought discounted items? If anyone dares to talk, will they still have the nerve to come to me for exchanges in the future?"
Her daughter-in-law made sense, and Li's mother was reassured. However, before long, Secretary Yang and Captain Ou arrived.
Li's mother poured them white sugar water and, at her son's signal, sat down as well.
Tian Jing and Li Zhengguo exchanged glances. They really couldn't figure out why these two had suddenly shown up.
After taking a sip of the white sugar water, Secretary Yang spoke. "Zhengguo, Zhengguo, you two are capable and have connections. Have you ever thought about opening a consignment store?"
"I haven't thought about it, and I don't want to," Tian Jing refused outright.
Secretary Yang looked at Li's mother. "Sister-in-law, what do you think?"
"Brother Yang, my home defers to Tian Jing. Ever since she entered our home, our days have been getting better and better. this home should be hers to manage."
Secretary Yang was truly surprised to learn that the rumors circulating about the Li family in the village being managed by the young daughter-in-law, Zhengguo, were true.
He shifted his focus. "Zhengguo, can you explain your reasons?"
"Why doesn't the production team open one, but asks individual members to do this?"
"This..." Secretary Yang found himself unable to speak.
Captain Ou burst into laughter. "Secretary Yang, I told you it wouldn't work, didn't I? Comrade Tian's mind is no ordinary person."
Secretary Yang shot Captain Ou a sideways glance. "You're just spouting sarcasm. Don't I just feel it's too difficult for members to buy things?"
Tian Jing secretly rolled her eyes. If members found it difficult, they wanted to use her as a cash cow? Did she look like a fool?
Captain Ou shook his head. "It's difficult, so they spend sparingly. Your family spent quite a lot this time."
Speaking of his three daughters-in-law's extravagance, Secretary Yang was also helpless.
"Since Zhengguo disagrees, then forget it. However, members will definitely want to exchange non-rationed fabric from you. Once or twice is fine, but if it happens too often, there might be problems. You..."
"Then no one should exchange. I'll use it myself. We're all villagers. If I help out and still get into trouble, then there's no need to invite disaster upon myself."