The Skirt and Third Aunt.
As Qin Shi stood puzzled, the junior high English teacher, Zhang Yanli, walked out of the office, clicked her tongue, and came over to walk alongside her.
“Don’t mind him. He’s just an old-fashioned stick-in-the-mud,” Zhang Yanli said, curling her lip. She explained, “His name’s Wu Youming. He teaches politics and Chinese. He can’t stand it when women dress stylishly. Any female teacher who dares to dress up a bit gets judged as improper. He’ll give you that look—nose scrunched, eyes glaring.”
She glanced at Qin Shi’s attire. “He probably acted like that because you look so stunning. Anyway, just ignore him.” Then, with a touch of admiration in her eyes, Zhang Yanli added, “Your hair is so nice, and your dress looks amazing. I’ve already heard about you—great at cooking, fantastic at making clothes.”
“Thank you for the heads-up, and for the compliments,” Qin Shi replied with a warm smile.
Zhang Yanli’s eyes shone only with admiration and friendliness, which Qin Shi could easily sense.
Encouraged by Qin Shi’s response, Zhang Yanli leaned closer and whispered with a shy grin, “Could you make me a dress like yours?”
She quickly flashed two fingers in the air, then withdrew them just as fast, her intentions clear.
Qin Shi immediately understood. With a subtle smile, she nodded. “Let me know what style you want. Just bring me the fabric, and I’ll handle it.”
Qin Shi had been planning to earn some money by making clothes but hadn’t expected to get business so quickly.
Although the economic reforms had started two years ago, many people were still hesitant about doing business, afraid the political winds might shift again and land them in trouble.
In the military housing compound, almost no one ventured into commerce, but the nearby county already had small vendors selling vegetables, fruits, and snacks.
In the compound, people likely thought doing business was beneath them. After all, military personnel and factory workers were still considered the backbone of society, while commerce—long ranked lowest in the traditional hierarchy—remained undervalued.
Even after the reforms, many still looked down on merchants until, years later, when some made fortunes, and waves of factory layoffs turned many to entrepreneurship.
But Qin Shi wasn’t afraid. As long as she didn’t grow her business too large, she saw no risk. She had deliberately worn her self-made dress today to advertise her skills and attract clients.
“I want one just like yours,” Zhang Yanli said, her eyes fixed on Qin Shi’s dress. “Do you have other styles?”
“Of course,” Qin Shi nodded.
In her previous life, Qin Shi loved dresses of all kinds and had tried nearly every style. Even if she hadn’t made a particular design before, she could picture it in her mind and figure it out with a bit of thought.
The dress Qin Shi was wearing was a deep blue maxi dress that ended just above her ankles.
Though it looked plain with its solid colour and simple design, it was full of subtle details. The skirt’s hem was pleated, and as she walked, the daisy embroidery along the edge of the hem fluttered into view.
When she stood still, the daisies disappeared, hiding among the folds—delicate and intriguing.
The dress seemed unassuming yet had an understated elegance. Zhang Yanli had fallen in love with it at first sight, thinking it far better than anything sold in the nearby cities.
“Show me your other designs sometime so I can pick,” Zhang Yanli said, looping her arm around Qin Shi’s and chatting away as they walked.
Qin Shi couldn’t help smiling at her new friend, who was clearly a chatterbox and naturally warm.
When they reached the junior high building’s exit, Zhang Yanli reluctantly said goodbye and went to retrieve some items from the administrative office. Qin Shi continued on, heading toward the elementary school section.
The junior high entrance wasn’t on the same side as her route home, so she decided to cut through the elementary school grounds to save time.
As she walked, Qin Shi thought idly, I hope I don’t run into Li Qianqian… But just as the thought crossed her mind, Li Qianqian walked out of a building, carrying a stack of books.
Qin Shi clicked her tongue softly. Speak of the devil. Am I cursed? Why does she appear whenever I think of her? Can I think of money next and see if it works?
Deciding to ignore her, Qin Shi kept her face neutral and walked on, pretending not to notice. Her thoughts wandered elsewhere.
Li Qianqian, however, spotted her. Seeing Qin Shi’s elegant dress and flowing hair, a surge of irritation rose within her. With a smile plastered on her face, she stepped forward to block Qin Shi’s path.
“Well, if it isn’t Teacher Qin! What a coincidence,” Li Qianqian greeted warmly.
Qin Shi didn’t want to get involved with her, but since she had stopped her, Qin Shi forced a polite smile and replied, “Indeed, what a coincidence.”
Li Qianqian studied Qin Shi with a smile. “No classes? It must be nice being a music teacher—so much free time.”
Qin Shi mirrored her smile. “It is. Very relaxing, unlike you.” She glanced at the stack of teaching materials Li Qianqian was holding. “English classes are just starting, and the school seems to value them highly. Carrying such an important load must be tough on you.”
“Oh, you’re teaching third grade, right? The kids must be quite rowdy and probably resistant to English, aren’t they? Thank goodness the school had a music teacher opening. Otherwise, I’d have been overwhelmed.”
Li Qianqian nearly choked on her anger. How is she so snide yet so polite? It had to be deliberate. But Qin Shi’s expression remained genuine, her eyes earnest and filled with concern as if she truly sympathized.
Unable to call her out, Li Qianqian could only force a stiff smile and respond, “It’s manageable for me. I can handle it.”
“Impressive,” Qin Shi said with a genuine laugh. “You’re amazing.”
For children who had never been exposed to English, the resistance to learning it was inevitable. Qin Shi could already imagine that out of ten kids, nine and a half would want nothing to do with it.
And with the school placing such emphasis on English, if Li Qianqian failed to teach it well… *heh.*
*Let her keep pretending,* Qin Shi thought with a sly grin. *Work hard, stress out—it’s not my problem.*
Smiling sweetly, she said, “Well, I’ll let you get back to it. I need to head home. Our eldest started school today, and I promised to make him something special. Goodbye.”
Li Qianqian’s smile froze on her face. “Oh… goodbye.”
Qin Shi flashed her a warm, innocent smile and walked away gracefully. *If you insist on approaching me, don’t blame me for playing along.*
Watching Qin Shi’s retreating figure, Li Qianqian gritted her teeth, her eyes reddening with anger.
“What’s there to be smug about?!”
A rural girl popping out of nowhere, stealing her male lead and acting all proud? What was she? Someone who’d just self-studied a bit of English? Li Qianqian’s eyes gleamed with a sharp light as she glared at Qin Shi’s back.
Once the plot kicked in, she was certain that Lu Zetian, like all the others, would come running to her. Marriage? So what? He’d still clear the way for her.
Let Qin Shi take care of the kids for now, she thought smugly. I can’t stand children anyway. Once she’s done raising them, I won’t have to put in the effort.
Li Qianqian smirked, withdrew her gaze, and turned to leave.
—
When Qin Shi returned home, the twins immediately ran to her. They didn’t like being home alone; even a brief separation made them upset.
“Qin Shi, you’re finally back! I missed you so much,” An’an exclaimed, clinging to her dress and carefully stroking the embroidered daisies.
Pingping looked up and echoed, “Me too.”
“Everyone was busy, and only we were left at home. It’s so sad,” An’an pouted dramatically.
Pingping blinked, adding, “I don’t like being left behind.”
Qin Shi raised an eyebrow. “I’m gone all morning when I go grocery shopping, and you never seem sad or upset about that.”
An’an leaned against her leg, refusing to budge. “That’s different.”
“How so?” Qin Shi asked, genuinely curious.
“It just is,” the twins said in unison.
Qin Shi was left speechless and gave up. “Fine, but you’ll have to get used to being on your own. Your dad and I have to work, and your brother has school. You’ll have to stay home by yourselves sometimes.”
The twins’ identical, adorable faces fell simultaneously. “We don’t want to…”
Qin Shi picked them up and set them on the couch, handing each of them a biscuit. “We’re only busy during the day. We’ll always be back at night. And I have shorter working hours, so you won’t be alone for too long.”
“You’re big kids now, aren’t you?”
An’an sighed theatrically. “Fine.”
Pingping pouted but nodded in agreement.
Qin Shi chuckled, knowing they just weren’t used to it yet. They’d always had someone around, and the sudden change was bound to feel strange.
As for fear? The twins weren’t afraid at all. Growing up in the compound, they knew every household, and the gate was always guarded by soldiers. There was no danger—kids could run around freely.
“To reward you for being so good, I’m planning to build a brick oven. Then we can make all kinds of delicious food,” Qin Shi said, watching their eyes light up. “Once you finish your biscuits, do you want to help me?”
The twins exchanged glances and raised their hands enthusiastically. “Yes!”
“What kind of delicious food?” An’an asked eagerly. “What can we make with an oven?”
Qin Shi pointed to the biscuits they were eating. “We can make biscuits, cakes, roasted sweet potatoes, roast duck, roast meat…”
She rattled off a list, and even though many were unfamiliar to them, the twins cheered with excitement.
In their little minds, everything Qin Shi made was the best in the world. If Qin Shi said it was delicious, they believed it without question.
Quickly finishing their biscuits, they rushed to wash their hands, eager to help. Their enthusiasm was so endearing that Qin Shi couldn’t help laughing.
After changing into more practical clothes, Qin Shi led the excited twins into the yard.
In this era, ovens might not even exist—or if they did, they weren’t something people commonly bought. Qin Shi didn’t plan on buying one anyway. She was going to build one with bricks and clay in the yard.
There was a pile of bricks stacked in the corner of the yard, leftovers from some unknown project. Seeing them unused, Qin Shi had already been eyeing them while tidying up the yard.
After all, an oven could make a variety of delicious treats. For the sake of good food, Qin Shi was more than willing to put in the effort.
As a child, Qin Shi had been sent to the countryside to live with her grandfather, who had once built a brick oven. Although it had been a long time, she still vaguely remembered the process. Her memory had also been refreshed by watching some online videos on the subject.
However, she hesitated. Maybe it would be better to wait until Lu Zetian returned in the evening and have him handle the construction while she supervised. She didn’t want to risk a mishap.
Deciding to delay, Qin Shi grabbed a basket, lined it with old newspapers, and prepared to take the twins outside to dig for some soil.
Before she could leave, there was a sudden knock at the gate. Surprised, Qin Shi looked up to see a woman she had never seen before peering through the iron gate.
“Who is it?” Qin Shi asked, brushing the dirt off her hands as she stood up.
The woman stared intently at Qin Shi and countered with her own question, “Who are you?”
Qin Shi frowned. She comes knocking at my door but asks who I am?
At that moment, An’an tugged on Qin Shi’s hand and whispered, “We know her. Dad told us to call her Third Aunt.”
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