Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Buying Fabric
"By the way, where did your brother go?"
"Jianlin, ah, Jianlin, come take your little sister to school."
The old woman grabbed Wang Yi, who was standing beside her, and pulled him over.
"You have to watch your little sister carefully. Don’t let any bad guys snatch her away."
Wang Yi: ’...So now she’s my little sister again?’
Yun Jiao: ’I’ve been demoted.’
After Wang Jianlin and his family finally managed to coax the old woman away, Yun Jiao’s group said their goodbyes and left the Wang family’s home.
Since they had come all this way, they naturally had to buy a few things to take back with them.
Yun Jiao wheedled three dollars out of Yun Linhai and then ran off toward the area with all the street stalls.
The private economy was beginning to develop, and small, privately-owned stalls were gradually popping up.
The place Yun Jiao went to was the entrance of the county’s No. 1 Middle School. There were a lot of street vendors there, selling all sorts of things.
First, she bought some small snacks. The spicy snack strips only cost a few cents each, and they were quite large. She bought fifty cents’ worth.
"How much are these ice pops?"
A man with an insulated box hanging from his chest was hawking ice pops, and Yun Jiao was immediately captivated.
An ice pop on a day like this would be amazing.
"The brown sugar and white sugar ones are three cents each. Mung bean is five cents. Want one?"
"Yes, I want...!"
Yun Jiao counted the people in her group, then held up one hand, spreading all five fingers. "Five of the mung bean ones!"
’Sorry, Momma, Uncle, and my other brothers,’ she chanted silently in her head. ’There are no ice pops for you.’
If you didn’t eat them quickly after buying them, the ice pops would melt. It was impossible to bring them all the way back to the village.
’Next time my brothers come along, I’ll buy some for them then.’
Buying five ice pops cost another twenty-five cents.
Yun Jiao quickly took the ice pops and handed them out to everyone.
"Hurry and eat! They won’t be good if they melt."
"How much money do you have left?"
Yun Jiao licked her frosty mung bean ice pop, looking as content as a pampered little kitten.
"I have two dollars and twenty-five cents left."
She then bought a dollar’s worth of sponge cake, which she could take back for everyone to eat.
’There’s not enough money today, so I won’t buy toys for my brothers.’
With her last dollar, her eyes fell on a pile of brightly colored strings at one of the stalls.
It was the same kind of string her fourth brother used to weave bracelets for her.
"How much are these strings?"
"One cent each. You can pick any color you want."
Yun Jiao spent ten cents to buy several beautiful strings in different colors, making sure to get mostly red ones.
She had also spotted a fountain pen. Her third brother loved to read and write; the pen would be perfect for him.
But she didn’t have enough money.
She used the last of her money to buy cookies to take back for everyone to share.
After Yun Jiao finished her shopping, Yun Linhai and the others took her to the supply and marketing co-op.
The co-op wasn’t as popular as it used to be, but it still carried a good number of items.
"Jiaojiao, what color fabric do you like?"
Yun Jiao tilted her head and looked at them.
"Are you going to make pretty clothes for Jiaojiao?"
Yun Linhai nodded. "That’s right. Jiaojiao is a growing girl. Your momma specifically told me to buy fabric in the county to make clothes for you."
"What about my brothers?"
Yun Linhai replied, "Your brothers’ clothes can still be worn for a while longer. Besides, they’re always running around outside. They’d just get new clothes covered in mud or tear holes in them. It would be a waste."
But in truth, any of them would have treasured new clothes and wouldn’t have dared to get them dirty.
He only said that because there were too many children in the family, and they simply couldn’t afford that much fabric.
Yun Jiao chose a blue fabric.
Yun Linhai asked, "Why not the floral one? That blue one with the small flowers is pretty. It would suit you."
Yun Jiao said, "Okay, then."
’I have to work harder to make money, and get my brothers to make money with me. Then everyone can have new clothes to wear!’
Of course, she wasn’t going to refuse new clothes now, either.
The little girl liked to look pretty, after all.
They bought the fabric, as well as some things they were running low on at home, like salt, soy sauce, and other seasonings.
They were also almost out of rice and flour at home, but it wasn’t cost-effective to buy them in town.
After the autumn harvest, they could just buy some from their in-laws.
By the time they returned to Bailong Village, the sun had completely set.
Yun Xiaowu and the other boys were waiting for them at the village entrance, playing with marbles.
The moment they saw them, they immediately put away their marbles and came running over as if their legs were powered by motors.
"Grandpa, Dad, Jiaojiao..."
"WOOF WOOF WOOF..."
His loud shout set off a chorus of barking dogs throughout the village, accompanied by the squawking of chickens, ducks, and geese. The cacophony of sounds was incredibly lively.
Whenever someone came back from the county town, the children’s attention was always immediately fixed on the adults’ hands.
They were looking to see if any tasty treats or fun toys had been brought back.
"Dad, Dad, what did you buy? Let me see."
"Big Brother, what are you carrying? I think I smell spicy snack strips! It smells so good! Did you buy some? Quick, let me see!"
"Sponge cake! There’s sponge cake again!"
"There really are spicy snack strips, hahaha..."
Seeing the delicious food, the group of children immediately started jumping for joy.
Yun Jiao announced, "I bought them! I bought them!"
Yun Xiaowu cupped Yun Jiao’s little face in his hands and planted several kisses on her forehead.
"I knew it! Jiaojiao knows best what we like."
Yun Jiao puffed out her chest with pride.
The adults discussed serious matters while the children huddled together and began sharing the snacks.
A single spicy snack strip was passed around, each person taking a bite. A great war was sure to break out if anyone took too big of a mouthful.
Her little mouth bright red from the snack, Yun Jiao ran to find her fourth brother.
Yun Chenbei wiped the grease and spices from her mouth.
"Fourth Brother, this is for you."
She took out the strings she had bought.
Yun Chenbei’s eyes lit up when he saw the beautiful strings.
Yun Jiao pulled him down into a squat and whispered in his ear.
"Brother, I saw a lot of people selling things, but none of the toys or bracelets were as pretty as the ones you make."
Yun Chenbei looked at her, not understanding what she meant at first.
Yun Jiao said, "You’re so silly, Brother. The beautiful wind chimes, little animals, and bracelets that Fourth Brother makes could all be sold for money!"
Hearing this, Yun Chenbei shook his head repeatedly. "I can’t."
He could make things, but he couldn’t sell them.
Yun Chenbei was usually quiet and reserved at home and didn’t like talking to people. Asking him to sell things was truly putting him on the spot.
Besides, he wasn’t very confident in himself.
’The things I make are all from unwanted ’trash’—stones, shells, pieces of wood... Who would want things like that?’
"What are you talking about?"
Yun Xiaowu suddenly leaned in. "What’s the secret? Let me listen, too."
Yun Jiao explained what she had just said all over again.
Yun Xiaowu rubbed his hands together, his interest piqued.
"We can give it a try! Fourth Brother, if you don’t have time, I do! I’ll sell them for you!"
"What time do you have? You have to go to school, too."
Shen Yunlian walked over just in time to hear the end of Yun Xiaowu’s sentence and immediately twisted his ear.
"All of you are going to school."
Yun Xiaowu shot back, "Fine, I’ll go to school! Can it be any harder than foraging in the sea?"
At that moment, he had no idea that once school actually started, he would regret his words so much he’d wish he could go back in time and give his present self a few good slaps.
’That’ll teach you to run your mouth!’
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