This night, Tian Jing slept even more soundly, her nose filled with a comforting scent.
Opening her eyes, she saw a pair of eyes filled with doting and tenderness. The owner of the eyes, seeing her wake up, gently kissed her forehead, "Morning, did you sleep well?"
"I slept very well, very peaceful, no need to worry about sudden awakenings."
"Never again," Li Zhengguo gently patted her back, knowing Tian Jing was referring to the apocalypse. "With me here, you don't need to be afraid."
"Mhm." Tian Jing leaned into this man's embrace, not wanting to move at all.
Li Zhengguo held her like this, enjoying her reliance on him, like a child clinging to home.
After a long while, Tian Jing nudged him, "Time to get up."
"I don't want to. Don't you feel the same?"
"But we still have a lot to do," Tian Jing continued to push.
Li Zhengguo persisted in refusing, "Once we get up, we'll have to do things separately. I like staying like this, quietly nestled together, watching you, content even without speaking."
"Me too, hehe." Tian Jing suddenly chuckled. "In my past life, I hated those clingy, dependent women. Now, I've become one myself."
"This is good. I like seeing you act spoiled towards me, rely on me, lean on me," Li Zhengguo's large hand gently stroked the hair of the person in his arms, coaxing her softly.
"You're so good with your words. How did I not notice before?" Tian Jing didn't fall for it.
"Self-taught. For love, with love, the Ren and Du meridians automatically open."
"You're bragging now?" Tian Jing laughed, pushing his chest. "Get up."
Alright, if they didn't get up now, it would be noon. But before getting up, some interest had to be collected.
After stealing a kiss, Li Zhengguo reluctantly let her go and rolled off the bed.
Tian Jing covered her mouth, this man was so unhygienic.
When the two of them left the room, the sun was already high in the sky. After eating the leftover rice porridge, Tian Jing asked Li Zhengguo to bring out all the newly bought cloth bolts and spread them on the table in the main hall, one by one.
Pointing to the light-colored fabric bolts, Tian Jing explained the method for making duvet covers to Li Mother.
Li Mother nodded repeatedly, "This method is good. It seems to use a bit more fabric, but washing and changing are very convenient. Should we also change the inner and outer layers of the thick quilts in your room?"
"Yes, let's use this plain white cloth for the inner layers. We'll use the current outer layers for now, since we'll be putting on duvet covers anyway."
Washing things was naturally work for the idle who had aching bones.
Tian Jing took the new scissors and snipped off the garlic sprouts with a *ka-chi-ka-chi*. After more than ten days, they had grown as tall as green garlic.
Li Mother, who was tidying up the scrap fabric, felt a pang of heartache. She changed the water daily, watching them grow even faster than they would in soil.
On this day, the Li family's courtyard gate was tightly shut.
Li Zhengguo was by the Ku River, rinsing large swathes of fabric, enough to make others envious.
People wanted to peek into the Li family's yard, but the high walls prevented any view from the outside.
They wanted to knock, but with what excuse? The daughter-in-law of the Zhengguo family was no pushover; one wrong step could lead to compensation.
After lunch, Sister-in-law Niu was called to the Li family by Tian Jing.
When Sister-in-law Niu finished her work and headed home, she encountered many people on the road who asked questions. Sister-in-law Niu answered according to what Tian Jing had told her.
"It's just that Tian Jing and her family were lucky. They stumbled upon the supply and marketing cooperative warehouse clearing out fabric. Four mao per foot without coupons, so she bought several bolts and changed all her duvet covers!"
Four mao per foot? And no coupons!
Upon hearing this news, the wives' eyes gleamed with a different kind of light.
Sister-in-law Niu paid them no mind. She pushed through the crowd and hurried home.
Tian Jing had promised to trade some fabric for her. She had her eye on the black with flowers and the dark blue with flowers, perfect for her mother-in-law to make something. Her mother-in-law hadn't made a new outfit in years; a padded jacket for Lunar New Year would be just right.
Mother Niu smiled sweetly, "No need, no need. My clothes are still wearable."
"Mom, this is a rare opportunity. The two colors I mentioned are what Tian Jing is buying for her mother-in-law. I went to help her sew quilts, and she's willing to spare a few feet for me, right? We farmers can only save two feet of fabric coupons in a whole year, what can that make? Let's exchange for them first, okay?"
These words pleased Mother Niu, "Fine, exchange for them first. Six feet should be enough, no need to make it too long."
"Okay." As long as her mother-in-law agreed, Sister-in-law Niu would agree to anything.
Seeing her mother-in-law about to give money to the elder sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law Niu shamelessly stepped forward, "Mom, such a good opportunity, can you also get me and the baby in my belly two pieces of cloth?"
"Second one," Mother Niu impatiently called to her younger son. "Control your woman. How many years has it been since I bought a bolt of fabric? And now you're getting jealous? If you have money, exchange for it yourself. Let's see if anyone will give it to you."
Brother Niu quickly pulled his wife back, "Mom, ignore her."
"Hmph." Mother Niu flicked her sleeve and went inside. If her younger son hadn't been somewhat sensible, she would have really considered splitting the family.
Sister-in-law Niu, having received the money, hurried to the Li family.
Tian Jing certainly gave Sister-in-law Niu the same price of four mao per foot.
However, she gave Sister-in-law Niu some remnants of corduroy fabric, enough to make three or four pairs of shoe uppers, and returned the shoe last she had made later, as well as the scissors.
Sister-in-law Niu's face bloomed like a flower, "Then I'll shamelessly accept it."
"Look at what you're saying, Sister-in-law Niu. How much help have you given us?"
Tian Jing pushed Sister-in-law Niu towards the courtyard gate, "I won't keep you any longer. In the next few days, I'll be busy tending to the self-reserved land. Come by if you have time."
"Okay, I definitely will."
Sister-in-law Niu left the Li family with a happy heart. The Li family's courtyard gate was once again latched with a *ka-cha*.
Li Min, who had been sewing duvet covers in a lounge chair for a long time, finally got up to move around. When would her "injury" heal? And how much firewood did it cost to boil medicine every day?
All the quilts in the house were fitted with new covers, presenting a fresh new look.
Dinner was left to Mother-in-law and Li Min.
Tian Jing pulled Li Zhengguo into the west room and took out all the seeds she had cultivated.
"These leaves are wrapped around vegetable seeds. This packet is for ginseng seeds that have been germinated countless times. These two are pumpkin seeds and kudzu root seeds. I use them to germinate vines for my convenience in doing certain things."
"Why are you showing me all of this?"
"To tell you that I can have large quantities of ginseng anytime. The essence I extract should have significant medicinal effects. I also plan to extract tree essence. For all of these, I'll need your help in taste-testing and experimentation."
"Okay," Li Zhengguo replied softly, carefully wrapping the ginseng seeds.
"This is not needed for now. The pumpkin seeds and vegetable seeds can be placed outside together. The kudzu root seeds can be put in a place convenient for you, no need to hide them from me anymore."
Tian Jing put away the ginseng and kudzu root seeds. "Shall we use those two large wooden boxes for germinating seedlings? We can keep them in this west room and germinate a little each day, controlling it for planting in three days."
"Okay, I'll listen to you. I'll go chop bamboo to make a bamboo bow tomorrow."
"We also need to go cut trees, to return what we borrowed."
"Okay."
"Tomorrow we also need to go to the back mountain of Zhangshan first."
"Okay."