C18 The Marriage Between the Tan Family

Gu Fanjin had a thought: why not take the fabric to her sewing machine and work on it there? The stitches would be much neater. Although she didn’t know how to embroider, she had some embroidered bed covers in her stash. She cut out the designs and sewed them onto the clothes, and they turned out surprisingly beautiful. Just one bed cover provided enough embroidery for several outfits.

The two little ones looked quite charming in their new clothes. Junjun’s outfit was a bit big, with sleeves that were slightly long, but kids grow fast, so there was no need to alter it. Rolling up the sleeves a bit would do the trick.

“Big Sis, how come there are even winter coats?” Momo noticed that the clothes weren’t just light; there were thicker ones too, even padded coats and pants.

“We’ll keep these in the closet for winter,” Gu Fanjin replied.

“Big Sis, I want to try them on,” Momo said eagerly.

Junjun grinned and added, “I want to wear them too.”

“Alright, as long as you don’t mind getting warm,” Gu Fanjin said, smiling as their cheers filled the room.

The kids didn’t mind the fuss of trying on each piece, admiring the flowers on their clothes as the best part. Gu Fanjin watched with a smile, occasionally offering her thoughts.

The cotton inside the padded clothes came from the quilts she had in her stash. She had spent quite some effort fluffing it up and stuffing it in. Although she had down jackets, she wasn’t skilled enough to make them. When she tried cutting one open, the down flew everywhere, making a mess. So, she opted for cotton padding instead. It was all new cotton, so it was very warm. This way, even if a snowstorm hit, they’d be prepared.

As the three siblings chatted inside, they heard a voice from outside: “Is Fanjin home?” Momo and Junjun quickly gathered the rest of the new clothes and tucked them into the closet. Gu Fanjin chuckled, realizing these kids had learned to be quite resourceful.

"Hey, Xiuxiu's here."

As Gu Fanjin stepped outside, she saw Gu Xiuxiu entering the yard with a cheerful smile. Glancing at the worn-out picket fence, she thought it was about time for some repairs.

When Gu Xiuxiu noticed the clothes Fanjin was wearing, she was a bit surprised. The three kids from her uncle's family always wore tattered clothes, so how did they afford new ones?

With this thought in mind, she spoke up, though she didn't ask directly. Instead, she warmly linked arms with Fanjin and complimented, "Fanjin, your new outfit looks really nice."

If it weren't for the greed she saw in Xiuxiu's eyes, Fanjin might have actually believed her.

"Nice? It's just some old fabric, probably leftover from when my parents got married. There's barely enough to make anything more."

"From your parents' wedding?"

Xiuxiu hesitated. Grandma loved rummaging through their place, so how did she miss this fabric? But looking at the dull color, if Fanjin had money to buy new clothes, she probably wouldn't choose this.

What Xiuxiu didn't realize was that Fanjin chose this fabric precisely to avoid attracting attention. Anything too flashy might invite trouble. Despite the dull color, the fabric was of good quality, not rough at all, though Xiuxiu clearly didn't recognize its worth.

"Yeah," Fanjin said, steering the conversation away. "Is there something you needed, Xiuxiu?"

"Oh, it's nothing major," Xiuxiu remembered her purpose and said enthusiastically, "I was thinking, and I still believe we should talk about that marriage proposal from the Tan family."