Chapter 58: The Cat's Out of the Bag
The next morning, Chen Fan got up and put on his new clothes – then immediately found himself in a dilemma.
Here he was, dressed head to toe in clean new clothes: a green military uniform that was hard to come by, a brand-new military greatcoat over it, and clean rubber-soled Liberation shoes on his feet. He looked sharp enough to go on a blind date – and now he was supposed to go out and butcher turtles?
What if he got them dirty or smelly?
His old clothes were still wet from being washed that morning. If he hadn’t washed them, Jiang Lili would definitely have done it for him, and he already felt bad about troubling her so much.
He’d even washed the padded jacket he’d borrowed from who-knows-who, planning to return it to Captain Yang once it dried.
So did that mean he had to wear the new clothes?
What a predicament!
Even more embarrassing was the realization that he was actually worried about getting new clothes dirty – something he’d never cared about before!
Back in his later life, everyone had dozens of clothes. Even if a new one got dirty, no one would bat an eye – they’d just buy another.
Had he already been assimilated after just a few days here?
Just then, Jiang Lili walked out of her room holding something, only to find Chen Fan squatting under the eaves with a constantly changing expression. She looked at him curiously. "What’s wrong?"
Chen Fan snapped out of his thoughts, stood up, and smiled. "Oh, nothing."
His eyes shifted slightly as he pointed outside. "I thought I heard some commotion over there – was wondering what’s going on in the village."
In his mind, he decided: forget it, new clothes are meant to be worn anyway. He’d just go in these today.
Even if he looked a bit too dressed up.
When Jiang Lili heard this, she turned to listen carefully for a moment before smiling and saying, "Oh, they’re probably planting utility poles."
That reminded Chen Fan – when he’d gone to Team 7 the day before, many houses had stacks of long wooden utility poles outside their doors. They’d been brought back from the commune for stringing electrical wires and installing loudspeakers.
Too bad he still had work to do at Teams 8 and 9 today – he wouldn’t be able to watch the excitement.
Or maybe he could go watch once he got to those teams.
Jiang Lili looked at him, then took a deep breath and held out what she was carrying. "Chen Fan, this is…"
Before she could finish, there was a knock at the gate, followed by a creak as it was pushed open. Storekeeper Huang walked in carrying a large cloth bag.
Seeing the way Chen Fan and Jiang Lili were standing, he paused mid-step and frowned slightly. "What are you two up to?"
Jiang Lili jumped in surprise and quickly pulled her hand back, hugging the item to her chest and lowering her head without a word.
Chen Fan glanced at her and realized what she was holding – a pair of new cotton shoes, clearly too big for her small feet.
There was no time to think more about it. He stood up and walked toward Storekeeper Huang with a smile. "Storekeeper Huang – come in, come in, have a seat."
He made a gesture of invitation.
Storekeeper Huang chuckled. "No time to sit – we’re busy up at the brigade. We’re planting poles today, can’t leave things unattended. I need to hurry back."
He gestured for Chen Fan to follow him. "Let’s talk inside."
As they walked under the eaves, he looked at Jiang Lili – still with her head down – and then at the cotton shoes in her arms. "For Master Chen?"
Jiang Lili’s face flushed bright red, and she stammered, "I-I…"
Chen Fan quickly stepped in with a smile. "I asked her to help me make them. It’s getting colder, especially at night – my feet get freezing when I sit inside reading. So I asked Comrade Jiang if she could make me a pair of cotton shoes.
"Comrade Jiang’s such a kind person – she took pity on me and agreed. She just finished them and was bringing them over when you arrived."
Storekeeper Huang nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see – that’s good."
After a short pause, he reminded Chen Fan, "No matter who asks, that’s what you say."
Chen Fan nodded repeatedly. "That’s exactly what happened – of course I’ll say that."
Storekeeper Huang walked into the room. "A few days ago we said we’d make some clothes and shoes for you – they’re ready now, so I brought them over. They’ve all been washed and dried, so you can wear them right away."
He walked over to the bed, turned the bag upside down, and poured out a pile of clothes and shoes.
Then he sat down at the table, pulled out a small notebook, and placed it on the table. "Here’s one padded jacket, one pair of padded trousers, one pair of cotton shoes, plus two sets of single-layer clothes and two pairs of cloth shoes. All made from homemade homespun cloth – not worth much, but they’re warm and comfortable. Try them on, and if everything fits, sign your name here."
Chen Fan was grinning from ear to ear. For these pre-agreed items, he didn’t even bother with polite refusals. He nodded immediately and smiled. "Got it – I’ll try them on right now."
He took off his military greatcoat and put on the homespun padded jacket.
Twirling around with his hands tucked into the sleeves, he chuckled. "Perfect fit – just right."
The padded jacket was two-layered: an inner cotton lining and an outer cover that could be washed separately.
Though it was homemade homespun cloth, it didn’t look bad at all – the classic blue-and-gray pattern wouldn’t go out of style for decades. The only downside was that homespun cloth was quite soft, so it wrinkled easily and could lose its shape over time, making it look a bit sloppy.
But for work clothes, it was just right.
Storekeeper Huang stood up to look him over and nodded approvingly. "A bit loose, but if it gets colder, you can add a cotton vest or sweater underneath and it’ll be perfect."
He turned to look at Jiang Lili standing by the door, saying meaningfully, "Xiao Jiang knows how to make clothes, right?"
Jiang Lili snapped back to attention when she heard him speak to her, quickly nodding. "Y-yes, I do."
Ready-made clothes were too expensive in those days, often costing ten or even dozens of yuan each. So most people either bought cloth to have a tailor make clothes for them, or made them at home themselves.
She’d watched her mother make clothes since she was little, and her mother had taught her by hand – of course she knew how.
Storekeeper Huang smiled. "Since you’ve already made him a pair of cotton shoes, and he has cloth and cotton here, why not make him a cotton vest too? It’ll be easier to work in."
Jiang Lili nodded timidly. "O-okay."
Chen Fan didn’t stand on ceremony, grinning as he said, "Then I’ll be counting on you, Comrade Xiao Jiang."
Storekeeper Huang looked at him strangely. "You’re only sixteen, and she’s seventeen – calling her ‘Xiao Jiang’?"
Chen Fan’s face froze – uh-oh, he’d slipped up.
Though Jiang Lili still had her head down, her eyes widened in surprise as she stole a glance at Chen Fan. Sixteen? Not eighteen?
Storekeeper Huang looked between the two of them, then shook his head – he didn’t have time for trivial matters. Turning to Chen Fan, he said, "If everything’s okay, sign here."
Chen Fan quickly went over to sign his name.
After signing, Storekeeper Huang tucked the notebook back into his pocket and strode out the door.
As soon as he was gone, Jiang Lili looked up, her cheeks puffed out like a little goldfish as she stared at Chen Fan.
Chen Fan had been about to explain, but seeing her expression, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Jiang Lili’s cheeks flushed bright red. She shot him a glare, huffily placed the cotton shoes on his bed, and stomped off – letting out a sharp "hmph" as she passed him.
(End of Chapter)
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