“Jiaojiao, what are you thinking about? I’ve been talking to you.”
When Gu Xinmin returned after finishing the morning’s work, she found Shen Jiao sitting there with her chin propped in her hand, staring blankly into space.
She called out to her, but Shen Jiao did not seem to hear.
“Sister, were you calling me? Is something wrong? Sorry, I was thinking about something and didn’t hear you.”
“You were missing Xinguo, weren’t you? Tsk, tsk…”
Gu Xinmin winked suggestively at her.
Shen Jiao gave her an open smile.
“I wasn’t missing him that much before, but now that Sister has reminded me, I really am beginning to suffer from lovesickness.”
Gu Xinmin was thoroughly impressed by Shen Jiao’s thick skin.
She wondered whether she would ever see her blush in this lifetime.
What newly married woman was not shy and bashful? Most would turn as red as a festive couplet after being teased even slightly.
Only her sister-in-law was such an oddity.
“Sister, are there still many rumours about me in the village?”
After teasing each other for a little longer, Shen Jiao asked about the slander circulating through the brigade.
She had originally intended to confront people herself.
Ideally, she would find several of the most enthusiastic rumour-spreaders and have a proper argument with them, making an example of them to frighten the others.
However, Gu Xinmin had stopped her.
Shen Jiao had only just married into the village, while her maternal family lived far away. She had no foundation or connections within the brigade.
If she quarrelled with a local, then even if she was in the right, the villagers would probably side with the other person because of clan and family connections.
People in the countryside generally stuck together.
Gu Xinmin told her to leave the confrontation and warning to her.
That morning, Gu Xinmin had not earned a single work point. Instead, she had gone straight to find Li Guaizi and tear into him.
He was a grown man, yet he spent all day spreading malicious gossip about other people. He was an embarrassment to the entire Shuanma Village Brigade.
After that confrontation, Shen Jiao’s reputation had been restored somewhat.
Even so, Gu Xinmin still felt frustrated.
The true culprit, Wang Xiangxiu, had never personally spread the rumours in public, so Gu Xinmin did not have a clear reason to argue with her openly.
A young unmarried woman lusting after someone else’s husband—how shameless could she be?
Still, Gu Xinmin had not let her escape entirely.
When work ended, she cornered Wang Xiangxiu somewhere deserted and thoroughly mocked her.
Wang Xiangxiu might not have personally spread the rumours, but Gu Xinmin knew exactly what she had done.
After all, Wang Xiangxiu’s was the only household that had recently received an unfamiliar visitor.
Gu Xinmin also told her clearly that even if Shen Jiao had never appeared, the Gu family would rather allow Gu Xinguo to remain a lifelong bachelor than permit him to marry her.
She had better abandon that hope.
Wang Xiangxiu’s face had turned as pale as though she had been struck by lightning.
Gu Xinmin felt no sympathy for her whatsoever.
What had her perfectly good sister-in-law ever done to offend Wang Xiangxiu?
Yet Wang Xiangxiu had schemed behind her back to destroy her reputation.
Had she considered the possible consequences?
Of course she had.
She was simply hoping that Gu Xinguo would divorce Shen Jiao and marry her instead.
She was the truly shameless woman.
As expected of Wang Naozi’s daughter, she had learned every one of her parents’ crooked schemes.
The Gu family would never dare marry such a woman.
Gu Xinmin proudly recounted all her achievements to Shen Jiao.
She was not the type to help someone silently without mentioning it.
Whether Shen Jiao appreciated it or not was another matter, but Gu Xinmin wanted her to know that her elder sister-in-law genuinely cared about her.
“Sister, thank you. You can rest at lunchtime today. I’ll cook something delicious for you.”
“You think one meal is enough to dismiss me? How insincere.”
“If one meal isn’t enough, then I’ll make two. I’ll continue until Sister is satisfied.”
“I’ve only just realised how cheeky you are.”
“Hehe. That’s only because I’m with Sister.”
Shen Jiao kept her word.
Since she had promised to reward Gu Xinmin, she did not allow her to help prepare lunch.
However, it was already getting late, and Wang Chengjun, Xiaodong, and Xiaobei would soon return.
She therefore did not make anything too complicated.
Seeing potatoes and chicken in the cupboard, she prepared Xinjiang-style Big Plate Chicken. She also cooked minced-meat porridge with vegetable juice for Grandma.
She had barely finished when Wang Chengjun returned with his two sons.
As the saying went, half-grown boys could eat their fathers into poverty.
The two boys had not even put down their schoolbags before they began shouting that they were hungry.
Seeing this, Shen Jiao hurriedly brought out the food.
“Wow! There’s so much meat! Auntie is the best!”
The moment Xiaobei saw the enormous plate of chicken, he nearly began drooling.
Eating at his uncle’s home for the past few days had been wonderful. They could have meat every day.
“Keep dreaming,” Gu Xinmin said. “You’re only eating meat every day because your uncle just got married.”
“Then Uncle should get married every day from now on.”
His mother immediately smacked him on the head.
Gu Xinmin truly did not want to admit that such a foolish child had come from her own belly.
Wang Chengjun and Xiaodong also collectively ignored Xiaobei’s pleading gaze.
They did not recognise such a foolish son and younger brother either.
The adults barely ate any of the Big Plate Chicken.
Almost all of it entered the stomachs of the two boys.
Xiaobei in particular ate until his stomach hurt from being too full, making Gu Xinmin want to beat him again.
He was already seven or eight years old, yet he possessed less self-control than a three-year-old.
“Jiaojiao, your cooking is extraordinary.”
Wang Chengjun’s praise was sincere.
“I can’t believe you made Xinjiang Big Plate Chicken so authentically. It looks like I’ll have to surrender my position as the brigade’s banquet chef to you.”
He genuinely believed Shen Jiao was an excellent cook.
Compared with him, her cooking also possessed greater creativity. She was perfectly capable of handling wedding and funeral banquets.
“Brother-in-law, please stop praising me. I know my own abilities.”
“I can manage meals for a small family, but I couldn’t handle cooking in enormous pots for a banquet.”
What Shen Jiao said was only half true.
She could cook large quantities.
In her previous life, she had once worked in a canteen and secretly learned from the head chef. Her skills were fairly good.
However, she had no desire to cook for rural weddings and funerals.
Apart from spending the entire day surrounded by smoke and flames, there was little money to be earned.
Unfortunately, because of Grandma’s health, she could not yet go into town to open her tailoring shop.
That business would be far more stable and profitable than preparing rural banquet food.
There was a saying that whatever one thought about would eventually appear.
At noon, Shen Jiao was still worrying about earning money.
That very afternoon, business came directly to her door.
The customer had been brought by Master Lin’s wife, Director Jiang.
“Auntie Jiang, what brings you here? I was just telling Brother Gu that we should visit you and Uncle Lin.”
“I couldn’t wait any longer.”
Director Jiang smiled.
“Otherwise, with you and Little Gu still being newlyweds, I wouldn’t dare disturb you.”
“How is the old lady? The last time I saw her was when she was still in the hospital.”
“Thank you for asking. Grandma’s condition remains about the same, but she’s currently taking an afternoon nap.”
“Then let her sleep. We won’t go inside and disturb her.”
Director Jiang appeared slightly embarrassed.
“I came today because I have something I’d like your help with. I’m sorry to interrupt you and Xinguo so soon after your wedding.”
“Auntie Jiang, just tell me what you need. We’re not outsiders, so how could it be an interruption?”
“No wonder the two of us get along so well. I like your straightforward personality.”
Director Jiang introduced the young woman beside her.
“This is my niece from my maternal family, Jiang Ailian.”
“She recently became engaged to a soldier. Her fiancé has only a short period of leave, so they had to arrange the wedding in a hurry.”
“She couldn’t find a properly fitting wedding outfit at the department store.”
“That made me think of the clothing you wore for your own wedding.”
“I was wondering whether you have time to make Ailian an outfit in the same style as yours.”
Only then did Shen Jiao look carefully at the young woman standing beside Director Jiang.
Jiang Ailian had fair skin and a tall, slender figure. She was naturally built to display clothing beautifully and would be extremely easy to sew for.
Although Director Jiang’s maternal Jiang family was not particularly wealthy, they were a long-established working-class family in Linqing County and possessed plenty of useful connections.
Shen Jiao decided that she had to demonstrate every bit of her ability and make the outfit perfectly.
If she succeeded, she could establish her reputation as a tailor in Linqing County.
Even before officially opening a shop, she would still be able to accept orders.
During the past few days without any income, she had been unable to sleep peacefully.
“I haven’t started working for work points in the village yet, and Brother Gu returns to work tomorrow.”
“I was just worrying about how I would occupy my time after he left.”
Shen Jiao’s answer pleased Director Jiang greatly.
She could not help thinking that Gu Xinguo had chosen a clever wife this time.
Not only was Shen Jiao perceptive, but she also possessed an excellent skill.
Director Jiang had met his previous wife before.
Whenever An Qing visited the transport team, it was usually to demand money from Gu Xinguo. Even while asking him for money, she wore a cold expression as though she were collecting a debt.
Director Jiang had heard that An Qing had been accepted into a university in the capital and now possessed excellent prospects.
Even so, in her opinion, a woman like that should never have been married.
Wasn’t the purpose of family life to enjoy warmth and companionship?
If someone wore an icy expression every day, even the happiest home would eventually become cold and desolate.
An Qing and Xinguo had never belonged together.
It was better that they had divorced early.
“You’re always so considerate.”
Director Jiang smiled.
“Auntie Jiang truly has to thank you this time. If there’s ever anything you need my help with, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“I was waiting for you to say exactly that.”
Shen Jiao smiled and stood.
“Come, let me take Comrade Jiang’s measurements.”
At that moment, Shen Jiao felt particularly grateful for her foresight.
When purchasing supplies, she had already bought a measuring tape, tailor’s chalk for marking fabric, scissors, needles, thread, and other sewing tools.
After Director Jiang and Jiang Ailian left, Shen Jiao informed Grandma, who had already awakened.
She then set up her workspace in Grandma’s room and began cutting the fabric.
The material was identical to that of Shen Jiao’s own wedding outfit.
Jiang Ailian had deliberately purchased the same cloth after seeing what Shen Jiao wore.
Shen Jiao had never expected that after travelling through time, she would become a fashion model.
In her previous life, she had been merely pleasant-looking, with a thin and almost curve-less figure.
This time, travelling through time had rewarded her with fair skin, a beautiful face, and long legs.
For this appearance and figure alone, the journey had not been a complete loss.
In addition to the long fitted coat, Jiang Ailian had brought other fabric.
She wanted two shirts and two pairs of tapered trousers like Shen Jiao’s.
Shen Jiao could already tell that Jiang Ailian was not short of money.
She needed to maintain a high-quality customer like this properly.
“Oh no! How did it get so late?”
Shen Jiao suddenly looked outside.
“This is terrible. I haven’t made dinner yet.”
“They won’t starve if they eat a little later. It isn’t as though you forgot deliberately,” Grandma said.
She was delighted that Shen Jiao had obtained business so quickly, especially when city residents had personally travelled to find her.
Her grandson earned a salary, so the family did not lack food or money.
But who would ever complain about having too many capable people in the family?
If Shen Jiao possessed a useful trade, she could help her grandson support the household and lighten the burden upon his shoulders.
“Why is there so much fabric here?”
As they spoke, Gu Xinmin’s family returned.
Seeing all the cloth spread around the room, Gu Xinmin asked curiously.
Grandma explained what had happened that afternoon.
After clicking her tongue in amazement, Gu Xinmin looked at Shen Jiao with undisguised envy.
“Jiaojiao truly is capable. People from the city are travelling all the way here specifically to ask you to make their clothes.”
Shen Jiao noticed the envy in her voice.
So did everyone else present, with the probable exception of the carefree Xiaobei.
In this era, possessing tailoring skills was enough to support almost an entire extended family.
How could anyone not feel envious?
“Sister, if you’d like to learn, I can teach you.”
Shen Jiao’s tone was calm and completely ordinary.
Yet all three adults present froze in shock.
Gu Xinmin was especially stunned.
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