A few girls walked together. When they came out of the courtyard, they saw Xiao Linzi leading a group of boys running past them.
Several beautiful young girls by the roadside made way for them. Most of the boys lowered their heads, their faces flushed with shyness.
Xiao Linzi’s gaze, as if unintentionally, swept over Meng Yuwu’s small face, only staying for a brief moment. He thought he had acted discreetly, but it did not escape Fu Xinci’s sharp eyes.
Admiration for youthful beauty was a pure sentiment in the hearts of the young, and it was most fruitful in this era.
Fu Xinci murmured to herself, content to wait for the wedding banquet, and would not interfere in anything else.
Fang shi saw her daughter arrive with several cousins and did not think much of it. After the girls paid their respects to Fang shi, they went to the small building at the back.
Before Fu Xinci went out, she had already cut the fabric according to the sizes her friends wanted and soaked it in a large wooden basin with a small amount of laundry detergent and clean water.
The three sisters’ eyes were immediately captivated by the sight of the fabrics soaking in the wooden basin, some vibrant, some simple.
Here, Meng Yuyan was the eldest. As she and her two younger sisters doted on these fabrics, she voiced the question in her heart: “Xinci, where did you buy these fabrics?”
“They were brought by traveling merchants from the south.”
Fu Xinci and her grandfather were now of one mind. Any goods that were difficult to explain were simply said to have been brought by traveling merchants from the south.
After all, everything south of Liaodong was the south, and the Great Ming Dynasty was vast. In those times, travel was slow, and how many officials could have visited many places?
Therefore, this was one of the reasons why the lie woven by the grandfather and granddaughter had not been exposed.
Indeed, upon hearing Xinci’s words, Meng Yusu sighed again, “Why don’t traveling merchants come to our Wei Suo?”
“What if they did? We couldn’t afford them anyway.” Meng Yuwu’s words cast a shadow over the three sisters.
Fortunately, the three sisters were down-to-earth. After a moment of dejection, they were fine.
However, when they smelled the faint fragrance emanating from the water used to soak the fabrics, the eyes of the three sisters changed again.
Especially when they rubbed the fabrics and found that the water was slippery, more pleasant than soapwort, and more effective than soapwort. They then consulted Xinci.
“Sister Xinci, is this water still useful after washing these fabrics?”
“No longer.”
“Sister Xinci, if these basins of water are not used for anything else, can we take them back to wash our clothes?”
“If you sisters wish to wash clothes, then take them back.” Fu Xinci readily agreed without much thought.
With the consent of her two sisters, Meng Yuwu picked up the wooden basin and started to walk out, intending to take the washing water back.
The wooden basin was quite heavy, with more than half of the water still in it, making it difficult for the young girl to carry.
As she finally managed to walk out of the Meng family courtyard, she happened to see Xiao Linzi leading the youths who had just finished their run. Seeing his secretly admired beauty struggling to carry a basin of water, Xiao Linzi couldn’t stand it and immediately ran over to help.
He also helped carry the remaining two basins back, thus earning a good impression from the Meng family matrons.
He also heard his admired beauty say in a soft voice, “Thank you, Brother Lin.”
“…Ah!”
Oh, this made Xiao Linzi float with joy. After returning to the Wei Suo, his comrades in the same squad all noticed that he was acting flirty, and in a very flamboyant way, realizing that something was up with the young man.
However, no matter how they asked, Xiao Linzi wouldn’t say a word.
Of course, this was a story for later.
After the three sisters finished washing the fabrics, they hung them up in the main hall, their eyes shining with renewed brilliance.
Meng Yuyan favored the fabric with small daisies all over it, while Meng Yuwu preferred the one with large peonies. Meng Yusu, with her unique taste, inexplicably liked the pink and blue plaid fabric.
Fu Xinci thought: Only children pick their favorites. As for her, she liked them all.
It must be mentioned here that the winters in Liaodong were very cold, with water freezing into ice. If clothes were left to dry outside, they would freeze in an instant.
Fu Xinci did not want to see frozen fabrics, so she hung long ropes in the main hall.
She did not yet know that her cousins’ eyes became even more fervent as they looked at the fabrics hanging on the ropes.
Meng Yuyan also shifted her affections, now gazing with sparkling eyes at the fabric with the pink strawberry pattern.
Meng Yusu was meticulous. She had a feeling that these brightly colored fabrics were meant for girls.
As for the plaid patterns, she did not think deeply about them. In this era, women were treated harshly, and she did not want her own baseless speculation to tarnish their sisters’ reputation.
After the three sisters helped Xinci finish with the fabrics, they started to pack up to go home.
After all, they were eager to try out the washing water they had gotten from Xinci at home.
Fu Xinci did not stop them, and they agreed to come back and help after the fabrics were completely dry.
Seeing her daughter bid farewell to her three cousins, Fang shi also finished her tasks and leisurely came over to take a look. When she saw the living room, which was supposed to be tidy, turned into a drying ground, she thought her daughter was being extravagant.
As she examined the fabrics closely, her eyes also changed from before.
“Ci’er, where did these beautiful fabrics come from?”
Fu Xinci felt no pressure and repeated to her mother what she had told her cousins.
Fang shi did not think much of it and believed her.
The fabrics were still wet, so she dared not touch them for fear of soiling them.
Seeing her mother’s hesitant desire to touch them, Fu Xinci pulled her into her room.
Fang shi looked at the stack of fabrics of various patterns placed on the cabinet lid and affectionately touched each one.
“Ci’er, this is the first time Mother has seen such good cotton cloth.”
“If Mother likes it, you can take some.”
“Mother taking so much, what would she do with it?”
“What to do with it? These fabrics have many uses. They can be used to make quilts, quilt covers, aren’t they good?”
Fu Xinci thought of some internet influencers from later generations who made clothes from old quilt covers from the 1970s and 1980s and couldn't help but sigh.
“Making quilts with these fabrics?”
“Yes, the small floral ones can be made into jackets, and they will look nice too.”
“Can these fabrics look good for making quilts?” The traditions passed down from the ancestors had lasted for thousands of years, even longer. Even in the 1970s and 1980s, quilts were divided into lining and cover.
Let alone this era. Fang shi couldn’t quite wrap her head around her daughter’s words for a while.
People’s perceptions are not formed overnight. Fu Xinci did not rush her mother to accept it, but instead, she approached it from a perspective her mother could accept, saying, “Mother, they will definitely look good. If Mother doesn’t believe me, just wait until the cousins help me finish making all these quilts, and then you can see.”
Fang shi thought her daughter’s words made sense and nodded in agreement.