Chapter 64:- Mending Clothes and the Sewing Machine

Su Yue’s morning sickness had been particularly severe. Even the smell of food or cooking oil made her nauseous, and at every meal she could barely manage to sip down some bland porridge.

Within just a few days, she lost noticeable weight. Her complexion turned pale, so frail she looked as though the slightest breeze might blow her away. Han Aiguo grew increasingly anxious, trying every possible way to make tasty food for her, but she couldn’t stomach any of it.

Su Yue could only joke to herself that she now had the charm of a sickly beauty.

One day, Ma Cuiyun came downstairs carrying her knitting wool. The moment she saw Su Yue’s appearance, she was taken aback. “Sister, are you sick?”

Su Yue poured her a glass of water and shook her head. “I’m not sick, but I can’t eat anything right now. I just feel nauseous all the time.”

Having already given birth to two children, Ma Cuiyun immediately guessed the reason. She glanced meaningfully at Su Yue’s stomach and smiled. “Could it be that there’s some movement?”

Although local custom dictated that pregnancies were not to be announced before three months for fear of instability, there was no need to hide it from close friends. Su Yue nodded. “I just found out. It’s only been a little over a month.”

“That’s wonderful news!” Ma Cuiyun beamed, but then her gaze fell on Su Yue’s pale face and she frowned with concern. “But to be reacting so badly this early… who knows how long you’ll suffer. Some women vomit from beginning to end. Hopefully you won’t be like that.”

Su Yue sighed helplessly. “I never knew pregnancy reactions could be this strong. Now I understand.”

“Women suffer when they carry children,” Ma Cuiyun said, recalling her own experience. “When I was pregnant with my eldest daughter, I had no reaction at all. Everything I ate was delicious. But back then we were still in the countryside, and my mother-in-law was in charge. I couldn’t even eat an egg without being scolded for being greedy. Later, when I carried my second child, we had already split from the family and I could finally make my own decisions. But my luck turned when I was pregnant with Taozi, I reacted badly and couldn’t eat a thing. It was miserable.”

Su Yue laughed softly at her story.

Then Ma Cuiyun suddenly slapped her thigh. “Oh! When I was sick like that, the only thing I could eat was sour food; especially pickled radishes. I could eat several in one go. Sister, I just pickled a jar earlier this year. Wait here, I’ll bring you some to try.”

She bustled out and returned a few minutes later with a large bowl. “I pickled these a little too long, so they turned out very sour. My husband and kids don’t touch them, but maybe you’ll like them.”

Just from the smell, Su Yue felt her stomach churn but surprisingly, this time she didn’t feel the usual nausea. Intrigued, she picked one up with her chopsticks, bit down, and discovered it wasn’t sour at all. Instead, it was crisp, refreshing, and utterly appetizing. Her taste buds instantly came alive.

“Sister Ma, this is delicious, it’s not sour at all!” Her eyes lit up as she quickly picked up another piece.

“Not sour?” Ma Cuiyun laughed. “It tastes plenty sour to me! It’s because you’re pregnant. You’re craving sour flavors, so to you it tastes just right. I was exactly the same when I carried my second child. Don’t worry, I’ll give you the whole jar later. From now on, you can eat some with porridge or rice. At least you’ll be able to keep food down. When you’re pregnant, you must eat.”

Since she could finally eat without vomiting, Su Yue no longer stood on ceremony. “Then I’ll happily accept. But when I have time, I’ll pickle a jar myself and return the favor.”

Ma Cuiyun waved it off. “What’s there to return? It’s just radish, hardly worth anything.”

As she spoke, her knitting needles clicked deftly in her hands. Watching her skilled movements, Su Yue was reminded of the fabric she had bought. With such an expert right in front of her, it would be a waste not to ask for guidance. She hadn’t even known where to begin in making children’s clothes.

“Sister Ma,” Su Yue asked quickly, “do you know how to make clothes? I just bought some fabric and wanted to make something for the baby, but I’m not very skilled. Could you teach me when you have time?”

“Of course,” Ma Cuiyun replied. “Making clothes is easy. Bring out the fabric and I’ll show you.”

After Su Yue brought it over, Ma Cuiyun returned home briefly and came back with her sewing tools. She sprinkled talcum powder to outline the shape of a small garment on the fabric, then cut along the lines with swift, sure strokes of her scissors.

“There,” she said. “Now all that’s left is sewing with a needle and thread. Very simple.”

Su Yue was full of admiration. Women of this era truly were multi-talented; they could knit sweaters, make clothes, and even shoes. Unlike her, who took months to finish a single sweater and was utterly clueless with clothes and shoes.

She watched Ma Cuiyun sew gracefully for a while, and then reluctantly took over to try it herself. But the difference was night and day. While Ma Cuiyun’s stitches were straight and neat, Su Yue’s went crooked and uneven, with gaps everywhere. Worse still, the thread kept tangling into knots, forcing her to stop and painstakingly undo it each time.

After watching her struggle for a while, Ma Cuiyun couldn’t help laughing. “Sister, you’ve never made clothes before, have you? My eight-year-old girl sews better than this.”

Su Yue scratched her head in embarrassment. She really had no talent for this.

Ma Cuiyun reached out to take the half-sewn piece. “Here, give it to me. I’ll finish it in a minute.”

But Su Yue quickly shook her head. “No, I need to learn. There will be plenty of clothes to make in the future. I can’t trouble others to sew them all for me.”

Seeing her determination, Ma Cuiyun nodded and continued to instruct her patiently.

Su Yue listened carefully, but her hands never seemed to follow her intentions. The stitches still turned out crooked and sparse. Sometimes the thread knotted so badly she couldn’t fix it, and she had no choice but to bite it off and start again. By the end of the day, she hadn’t even finished half of the small garment.

Frustrated, Su Yue wanted to smack herself. She hadn’t expected to be so hopeless at needlework.

When Han Aiguo came home, he found her sitting on the sofa looking utterly dejected. He walked over, slipped an arm around her shoulders, and glanced at the fabric in her hands. His eyes flickered with amusement. “Are you sewing clothes for the baby?”

Su Yue instinctively tried to hide the piece, not wanting him to see her messy stitches. But Han Aiguo’s sharp eyes had already noticed. He found it endearing rather than embarrassing as his wife could cook marvelously, but when it came to sewing, she was truly helpless.

Noticing the teasing smile in his eyes, Su Yue blushed and pushed him away lightly. Trying to save face, she huffed, “I’ll just take my time. I still have nine months to learn. Once I’ve practiced enough, my sewing will look just fine.”

Han Aiguo chuckled and took the fabric and needle from her hands. Sitting down, he began sewing smoothly along the line where she had left off. “You’ve been busy all day. Rest for a while; I’ll sew this for you.”

Su Yue was about to say, How could a grown man sew better than me? But the words stuck in her throat the moment she saw his practiced movements and the neat row of stitches forming under his fingers.

Good heavens! This man could actually sew clothes! And his work was not only decent; it was leagues better than hers. Who was the woman between them now?

Staring in disbelief, Su Yue stammered, “H-how do you know how to sew?”

Without pausing, Han Aiguo explained matter-of-factly, “I’ve been in the army for so many years. If something tore, I had to mend it myself. It’s normal to know a bit of sewing.”

Su Yue couldn’t help but look at him with newfound respect. Truly, this man had every skill imaginable.

That evening, Han Aiguo finished sewing the tiny garment all by himself. Su Yue, who had been the one meant to sew, ended up with nothing to do except nibble on pickled radish while watching her husband deftly stitch away.

Fortunately, no outsiders saw this scene. Otherwise, they would have laughed at Han Aiguo; after all, which man in those days would sit at home sewing clothes? Most couldn’t even step into the kitchen.

But Su Yue felt guilty. He trained all day in the military camp, and after coming home, he still helped her with housework. Now, he was even sewing clothes for her. He had no time to rest, and she worried he was wearing himself out.

So she brought it up carefully, “Aiguo, I think we should try to buy a sewing machine. When the child is born, we’ll need to make and alter clothes constantly, and I’m really not good at this. I can’t keep relying on you. If we buy a machine, I can practice on it and at least the clothes I make won’t be so ugly.”

Han Aiguo nodded without hesitation. “I’ll ask around tomorrow. Maybe one of my comrades has a sewing ticket. If so, I’ll borrow it for now and return it once we get our own.”

After a pause, he added, “By the way, I sent a telegram home today and told my mother about your pregnancy. She’ll definitely be overjoyed.”

Su Yue missed the old lady as well. The mother-in-law had always been open-minded and kind. “When you have time, bring Mother and Fourth Brother here for a visit. I haven’t seen them in so long. I just don’t know if Mother will be free. The third sister-in-law is about to give birth, so she might need to stay and take care of her during confinement.”

As expected, a letter from home arrived within a few days. It was from Han Aimin. He wrote that their mother was overjoyed to hear of Su Yue’s pregnancy and had already started saving eggs for her.

He also explained that the third sister-in-law was due in two months, and after helping her through confinement, Mother planned to travel over to take care of Su Yue as well.

Han Aimin also shared about his studies. He was now in fifth grade at the brigade elementary school, among the top students in class. By June, he would graduate, and in September he could attend Zhenshan Commune Middle School. He wrote proudly that he even spent his evenings teaching Hehua what he learned in school, and the younger girl was diligent and eager to learn.

Reading the letter filled Su Yue with joy. She noticed that Aimin’s handwriting had improved greatly since she last saw him, a clear sign of his hard work.

A few days later, Han Aiguo returned with a borrowed sewing ticket from a comrade. That comrade had originally bought it in preparation for marriage, but since he had been stationed away from home, the bride-to-be married someone else. Heartbroken, he gave up on the purchase and lent the ticket to Han Aiguo instead.

Su Yue took the ticket straight to the supply and marketing cooperative. The salesperson told her that there was no stock at the moment, but in two days two new sewing machines would arrive. If she wanted one, she could leave the ticket to reserve it.

Su Yue hurriedly handed it over, asking the salesperson to write a note to confirm the reservation. Relieved, she thanked her and left; only to run into Fang Xiaoli on her way out.

Fang Xiaoli, the cooperative’s accountant, was someone with backing. Her family held power, and she had close ties with the leadership. Because of this, everyone treated her with extra respect. Curious, she asked the salesperson casually, “What was that woman here for just now?”

Not daring to hide anything, the salesperson replied, “She came to reserve a sewing machine.”

Fang Xiaoli’s eyes narrowed. “That won’t do. Only two machines are coming. What if one of the leaders wants one and we’ve already sold them to ordinary people? How would that look? Leaders should come first, don’t you think?”

The salesperson instantly understood and nodded hurriedly. “You’re right. I’d forgotten. I’ll return her ticket when she comes back. She won’t get the machine.”

Fang Xiaoli smiled in satisfaction and left, leaving the salesperson muttering apologies in her heart but unwilling to disobey her. No matter what, Su Yue would not be allowed to buy one now.

Unaware of the behind-the-scenes scheming, Su Yue went home happily to wait. On the appointed day, she rushed back to the cooperative, only to have the salesperson toss her ticket back coldly.

“Only two came. They’re already sold. Come back next time.”

Su Yue’s face darkened. “But you told me I could reserve one. I clearly gave you the ticket so why are you saying there’s none left?”

The salesperson sneered. “You can make a reservation, and so can others. Someone else booked before you. Of course, it won’t be your turn.”

Su Yue clenched her fists. “If others reserved first, why didn’t you tell me? Why did you take my ticket then? I think you’re deliberately refusing to sell it to me.”

The woman’s patience ran out. She waved Su Yue away. “Don’t make a fuss. This isn’t a fish market. Leave now, or I’ll have someone throw you out.”

A crowd gathered to watch the spectacle, but no one spoke up for Su Yue. Not even a cooperative leader appeared.

Su Yue stood her ground. “Then call your leader. Let him come out and decide this fairly.”

The salesperson rolled her eyes and spat, nearly hitting Su Yue’s face. “Who do you think you are? Our leader isn’t someone you can just demand to see. You’d better leave now before I call people to deal with you.” With that, she summoned a few men and glared menacingly.

Su Yue’s chest burned with anger, but with a child in her belly, she dared not risk a confrontation. One push or shove could end in disaster. Swallowing her grievance, she took back the ticket and left in silence.

Still, doubts gnawed at her. Had the machines truly sold out? Or had the salesperson deliberately blocked her? If it was deliberate, why? Everything had been fine just days ago.

But after today’s quarrel, the salesperson would surely never sell to her again. If she wanted to find out the truth, she’d have to ask someone else to try.

So she went home, explained everything to Ma Cuiyun, and asked her to use the ticket instead.

The next day, Ma Cuiyun set out with the ticket and money, pretending to know nothing. It was the same salesperson. She looked Ma Cuiyun up and down, then told her to wait a moment before disappearing into the back.

When she returned, her face was cold. “We’re sold out. No stock. You can go.”

Ma Cuiyun immediately felt something was off. “Why didn’t you say that earlier? Why tell me to wait, and then change your answer? Are you deliberately refusing to sell to me?”

The salesperson slammed a folder down. “Out is out. There were only two. People like you from the countryside can forget about it. Now hurry up and leave, or I’ll call someone to kick you out.”

Ma Cuiyun had a fiery temper. She quarreled loudly with the woman, but no matter how much she argued, she left empty-handed. She returned to the family compound fuming and told Su Yue what had happened.

“I’m certain that salesperson is lying. At first, it seemed like she was about to sell it to me, then she disappeared and came back with a different attitude. Something’s wrong.”

Su Yue felt the same unease but couldn’t figure it out. Since both of them had failed, she finally sighed. “Forget it, Sister Ma. If I can’t buy one this time, I’ll wait until the next batch arrives at the cooperative.”

Ma Cuiyun patted her hand. “If we can’t buy one, then just sew by hand. It’s for children and it’s not that much trouble. Honestly, I thought that little dress you made last time looked pretty good. You’ve made progress.”

Su Yue: …That wasn’t me. That was Han Aiguo. But she could only keep the thought to herself.