Chapter 79: Thank You Gift

The person who delivered the gift carried it straight up to the third floor and set it down.

In front of Su Yue’s house, many people crowded into the corridor to watch the excitement. The entire floor was buzzing, even more lively than the last time the family upstairs bought a sewing machine. After all, this time it was different as this machine was given by the regiment commander’s wife herself.

Many people couldn’t help but reach out to touch the sewing machine, their eyes filled with envy and longing, wishing it had been sent to their own homes. At this time, owning a sewing machine was a great thing. It would have been strange if no one felt jealous.

Coincidentally, it was Fang Xiaoli’s day off, so she was at home. With such a commotion right outside her door, there was no way she could miss it. Curious, she stepped out to see what was happening and froze when her eyes fell on the brand-new sewing machine sitting in front of Su Yue’s house.

Wang Lianying, who was also among the onlookers, quickly noticed Fang Xiaoli. Afraid she might not understand the situation, she rushed over to explain in an exaggerated tone, “This sewing machine was given to Su Yue by Commander Yu’s wife. They said it was because Su Yue had helped their family so much that she gave her the machine as a thank-you gift. I really don’t know what kind of help she gave to deserve such a big gift. Ah… why don’t things like this ever happen to me? How lucky Su Yue is!”

Wang Lianying’s words dripped with sourness, and the envy in her eyes was impossible to hide. Lowering her voice, she muttered, “It’s really good to have a close relationship with the regiment commander’s family. She even managed to get a sewing machine out of it. If I had known, I would’ve gone out of my way to get close to them too. Maybe this machine would have been mine instead.”

Fang Xiaoli’s expression darkened instantly. Her eyes nearly burst into flames as she stared at the gleaming sewing machine. Her hands clenched tightly at her sides.

These past few months, Su Yue had suppressed her in every way. Even after her own husband’s promotion, Su Yue had deliberately refused to make cakes for her family, leaving her child crying every day and making her household restless. Fang Xiaoli was convinced Su Yue had done it on purpose.

The only small comfort she had was that, under her interference, Su Yue had failed to buy a sewing machine. Knowing that Su Yue had the money and tickets but still couldn’t buy one gave her a sense of pride and superiority. It was her way of teaching Su Yue a lesson, that offending her would lead to consequences, and a sensible person would know to bow their head and apologize.

But now? Not only had Su Yue not needed to buy one, the regiment commander’s wife had personally sent her a sewing machine! How could Fang Xiaoli not be furious?

She felt as if her lungs were about to explode. The sewing machine gleamed so brightly it was almost mocking her, making her want to rush over and smash it to pieces. But of course, she couldn’t. No matter how angry she was, she had to swallow it down. To lash out now would mean offending the regiment commander’s family and that is something she absolutely could not afford.

Choking on her grievances, Fang Xiaoli ignored Wang Lianying completely. Grinding her teeth, she turned and stormed back into her apartment, slamming the door behind her with a loud bang.

The others hardly noticed. All attention remained on the sewing machine, and no one cared about Fang Xiaoli’s dramatic exit. Only Xu Can caught sight of it, and she smiled with satisfaction.

Once the crowd dispersed, Xu Can and Su Yue carried the sewing machine into the house. Xu Can grinned, “Did you see Fang Xiaoli’s face just now? She must have been fuming.”

Su Yue, who hadn’t even paid attention to Fang Xiaoli earlier, now realized why Xu Can had left the machine outside for everyone to see. Normally, she might have laughed at the idea of getting back at Fang Xiaoli, but at this moment she was unsettled. Pointing at the sewing machine, she asked, “Sister Xu Can, what is this? What are you doing?”

“What else?” Xu Can laughed and patted the sewing machine. “I’m giving it to you. You helped me so much this time. My husband and I were so grateful; we didn’t know how to thank you. We thought about it again and again, and in the end, I remembered you had always wanted a sewing machine but couldn’t buy one because of Fang Xiaoli’s interference. So I asked my mother to get one as a thank-you gift from the two of us.”

Su Yue quickly shook her head. “Sister Xu Can, don’t. If you give me this, then it feels like I only helped you for the sake of a reward. You should take it back. It’s too valuable, I can’t accept it.”

Xu Can’s smile faded, and she said firmly, “Valuable? How can this compare to what you’ve done for me? Think about it. The child in my belly; this baby is priceless to us. Without you, I wouldn’t even have the chance. Compared to that, what’s a sewing machine? If you keep being polite, I’ll really be angry, and I’ll never be friends with you again.”

Su Yue was torn. The sewing machine really was too expensive.

But Xu Can cut her off. “Enough, just listen to me and accept it with peace of mind. That’s final. I won’t say more, I’m heading home.”

Before Su Yue could argue further, Xu Can shoved the sewing machine to her and bolted, as if afraid Su Yue might push it back on her.

Left standing there, Su Yue didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She looked at the sewing machine for a long while, and then sighed helplessly. For now, she decided to keep it and wait until Han Aiguo returned to ask his opinion before deciding what to do.

Old Lady Han, who had been quiet all this time, finally spoke after Xu Can left. “What was that about?”

Su Yue explained briefly. As for where the recipe had come from, she only said it was from her hometown. Old Lady Han didn’t doubt her, but she still exclaimed, “No wonder she gave such a big gift. It makes sense now. After all, she’s been without children for so many years, and suddenly she’s pregnant; of course she’d be grateful. But still, this is too expensive. A single machine costs over a hundred yuan. Can we really accept it?”

“I’ll talk it over with Aiguo when he gets back,” Su Yue replied. “For now, let’s put it away first.”

Old Lady Han rarely interfered in her daughter-in-law’s decisions, so the two of them carried the machine into the master bedroom. Originally, Su Yue suggested putting it in Old Lady Han’s room for convenience, but the old woman refused, saying big items like sewing machines should never be hoarded by the mother-in-law. Among all her children and daughters-in-law, only the meanest ones kept everything good for themselves.

Su Yue found it funny; her mother-in-law really thought too much. But since she insisted, they left the machine in the master bedroom.

Later that night, Han Aiguo finally returned around half past nine. His clothes were caked with mud, his face streaked with dirt, looking as if he had rolled straight through a swamp.

Su Yue hurried to pour hot water for him. “Where on earth did you go today? Look at you; you’re dirty.”

Ever since his promotion to battalion commander of Sharp Knife Camp, his schedule had been different. He left early and came home late, often not returning until night. Sometimes he even went into the mountains with his troops for training and stayed away for several days. By now, Su Yue had grown used to it.

When the hot water was ready, Han Aiguo stripped off his muddy clothes and stepped into the tub in front of her. As he washed, he explained, “I led the troops into the mountains for training tonight. It just rained, so the roads were full of mud and water.”

Su Yue shook her head helplessly. She went to the kitchen, brought back two steamed buns along with the dishes she had kept warm for him, placed them on a plate, and carried them into the bathroom. Pulling a small bench over, she sat by the tub and held a bun up to feed him.

Han Aiguo opened his mouth to eat while bathing himself. This saved time. The couple often did this, and he liked this method very much.

“Eat slowly, don’t choke,” Su Yue reminded gently. She poured another glass of water and fed him a few sips. Seeing him wolf down food made her heart ache. Recently, not only had he grown darker, but he had also lost a lot of weight. Because he was a soldier, he trained as hard as his men. The daily drills were so intense that she feared his body might not endure it, so she always tried to cook delicious meals for him and make sure he ate enough each day.

Fortunately, she made more cakes now, and Han Aiguo’s allowance had also increased, so their family life was no longer so tight.

Han Aiguo obediently slowed down his eating speed and looked at her while chewing, his eyes filled with tenderness and joy. It was rare to have time alone without the children, and he cherished these moments deeply. The time he spent bathing at night had become the part of the day he looked forward to most.

Su Yue understood this, so she always waited for him to return, no matter how late. She personally fetched water for him, sat beside him while he bathed, and even fed him during the process. Children needed love, but husbands needed love too. One couldn’t only focus on the little ones and neglect the big one.

But time alone never lasted long. After half an hour, Han Xiaobao’s impatient cries came from the bedroom. It was clear Old Lady Han could no longer coax him.

Now that Xiaobao had learned to call “Mom,” he shouted at the top of his lungs whenever he wanted Su Yue. No matter how much she tried, she couldn’t pretend not to hear.

Han Aiguo chuckled, touching her face softly. “Alright, I’m full. Go see the children.”

Su Yue handed him clean clothes and then returned to the bedroom. As soon as she entered, Han Xiaobao, lying on the bed, yelled loudly, “Mom!”

Su Yue went over to pick him up, patting his little bottom. “Yes, Mom is here. You silly little thing!”

“Huh!” Xiaobao grinned and shouted again. Afterward, he kicked his legs proudly, looking very satisfied with himself.

Just then, Han Aiguo came in while toweling his hair. When Xiaobao saw him, he immediately stretched out his arms, calling eagerly. Although he could call “Mom,” he still couldn’t say “Dad,” always replacing it with a drawn-out “Ahh.”

Han Aiguo smiled and carried him up, kissing him before trying once more, patiently teaching, “Xiaobao, call Daddy. Daddy—”

Xiaobao giggled and kicked happily, only shouting “Ahh—” again.

Han Aiguo sighed in defeat.

Meanwhile, Dabao, who had been in Old Lady Han’s arms, blinked his large dark eyes. Seeing his father playing with his younger brother, he quietly stretched out his chubby arms toward Su Yue, clearly asking to be held.

Though he didn’t speak much, Dabao was smart. Whenever he noticed his mother’s arms were free, he wanted her to hold him. But if Xiaobao was already in her arms, he wouldn’t fight for it and would settle in Old Lady Han’s embrace.

Su Yue picked him up, planting a kiss on his cheek. Dabao immediately nestled against her chest, rubbing his round face against her and clutching her skirt tightly with his tiny hands.

Su Yue pinched his soft cheeks and coaxed him, “Dabao, call me Mommy too. See how your younger brother calls me? Learn it—Mommy, Mommy…”

Dabao fiddled with the fabric of her clothes, looking up without speaking for a long while and just as Su Yue was about to give up, he suddenly shouted, “Mom—!”

Su Yue’s eyes widened with joy. This was the first time he had called her Mom. No matter how much she had coaxed him before, he never made a sound. She had even worried that he might be late in learning to speak. But not only could he speak, his pronunciation was so clear, far better than Xiaobao’s.

Overcome with delight, Su Yue kissed his forehead repeatedly. “My Dabao is amazing and so clever and articulate!”

Old Lady Han chuckled. “I guess, Dabao has always understood. He just didn’t want to say it before.”

Encouraged, Han Aiguo leaned closer after hearing him call his mother and tried as well. “Dabao, call Daddy. Daddy—”

But Dabao immediately yawned, and then buried his face into Su Yue’s chest, ignoring him completely.

Han Aiguo froze. “…Two brats!”

Su Yue and Old Lady Han laughed heartily. No matter what, both children simply refused to call him Daddy, leaving Han Aiguo both baffled and disappointed. Every day, he poured his heart into teaching them, but neither showed him any mercy.

After a while of playing, the two children grew sleepy and soon drifted off. Old Lady Han also felt drowsy, so she rose and said, “I’ll go back to my room and sleep.”

Su Yue quickly said, “Mother, don’t get up too early tomorrow. I’ll wake up to make breakfast.”

“I know, I know,” Old Lady Han replied casually, closing their door as she left.

When the children had fallen sound asleep, Han Aiguo noticed the sewing machine in their room and asked about it.

Su Yue explained the situation and finally asked, “Will accepting this cause you any trouble?”

Han Aiguo understood her concern. Stroking her hair, he reassured her, “Since Commander Yu’s family insisted on giving it, it’s best to keep it. If we refuse, they may feel indebted and uneasy. As for other people, don’t overthink it. We didn’t bribe anyone, so others won’t talk nonsense.”

Su Yue nodded, her last worry eased. In that case, she decided to keep it. After all, if she refused, Xu Can would probably be upset.

Remembering she had planned to buy a sewing machine before, Su Yue quickly fetched the sewing ticket Han Aiguo had borrowed from his comrade. “Now that we already have a sewing machine, there’s no need for this ticket. Take it back and return it to your comrade.”

Han Aiguo slipped the ticket into his uniform pocket. Since it was late, the two turned off the lights and went to bed.

—

The next morning, Su Yue was still asleep when a loud voice outside the door startled her awake. She blinked groggily, listening for a while before the conversation outside became clear.

“Hey, sister-in-law, where’s your daughter-in-law? Why haven’t I seen her?”

Old Lady Han replied, “She’s still sleeping. Please wait a moment.”

The woman outside sounded surprised. “It’s already past eight o’clock and she’s still asleep? That’s far too late. My daughter-in-law was up at five this morning, she already made breakfast and nearly finished tending the vegetable garden.”

Old Lady Han explained calmly, “The two children cry at night for milk, and she doesn’t sleep well so she needs to make up for it in the morning.”

The other woman snorted. “Oh, back in our day, women had to work in the fields even during confinement. No matter how many children we had, there was still endless work. If we dared sleep late, the old women would scold us to death.”

Old Lady Han countered firmly, “Times are different now. There’s no need to be that harsh anymore. Taking care of children is already hard work, not to mention she has two at once.”

The woman gave a short laugh. “You’re too kind as a mother-in-law. Your daughter-in-law is really lucky. But you can’t be too soft or obedient; otherwise she’ll stop respecting you and even ride on your head. You won’t know what trouble you’re in until it’s too late.”

At that, Old Lady Han fell silent and quickly changed the subject.

Inside, Su Yue had already guessed who it was; Ma Cuiyun’s mother-in-law. The family had returned home to visit relatives, and it seemed the older woman had insisted on coming back with them, leaving Cuiyun no choice but to bring her along.

Worried her mother-in-law might not be able to handle the situation alone, Su Yue quickly dressed and stepped out. She smiled politely as she greeted the visitor. “Good morning, Aunt Sun.”

Old Madam Sun’s expression softened at the sight of her. Instead of scolding about her late rising, she smiled kindly. “Xiao Su, you’re awake.”

Su Yue glanced at what she was holding and asked, “Aunt Sun, what brings you here so early in the morning?”

Old Madam Sun lifted the bundle in her hands. “Oh, I heard your family got a sewing machine yesterday. I shamelessly came over to borrow it. We have many torn clothes at home that need mending, and a machine makes them look much better than stitching by hand. You and my Cuiyun are such good friends, so you won’t mind, right?”

With her words framed like that, how could Su Yue possibly refuse? She smiled graciously. “Of course not, Aunt Sun, please come in. The sewing machine is in this room.”

Old Madam Sun followed her in happily. As soon as she entered, she glanced around several times, her eyes full of envy. “Xiao Su, your room is so beautiful. It’s much nicer than mine. One day, you should teach my Cuiyun how to arrange things like this.”

Su Yue only smiled and gave a vague response.

Old Madam Sun then noticed the cradle and immediately walked over, touching the cheeks of Dabao and Xiaobao, who were sleeping side by side. With a broad grin, she exclaimed, “Oh, what a pair of fat, lucky boys! If only our family had one like this; I’d wake up smiling every day. What a pity my daughter-in-law hasn’t given me such blessings.”

Su Yue frowned slightly, unwilling to hear more, so she quickly diverted the topic. She opened the sewing machine’s cover, set up the body, and moved a stool in front of it. “Aunt Sun, please sit down. Do you know how to use a sewing machine?”

The older woman’s attention shifted immediately. Sitting down with confidence, she said, “Yes, yes! When I was back in the village, another family had one. I learned to use it then. It’s really quite handy.”

She stepped on the pedal, and the machine whirred to life, making a loud clacking noise.

The sound was so loud that Su Yue worried it would disturb the children, so she carried Dabao and Xiaobao to Old Lady Han’s room to let them continue sleeping peacefully.

Old Lady Han tucked quilts around the two little ones, and then whispered to Su Yue, “She knocked on our door early this morning saying she wanted to borrow the sewing machine. Imagine that; the machine hasn’t even been used by us yet, and she’s the first to touch it. This mother-in-law is really…” She trailed off, unable to find the right words.

Su Yue only waved her hand. “Mother, just let it be. Let her use it.”

Old Lady Han sighed and said nothing more.

Not long after, Ma Cuiyun came rushing in from outside. Spotting Su Yue, she asked anxiously, “Su Yue, is my mother-in-law here? I just came back from the vegetable field, and on the way, I heard from Taozi that she went out carrying several pieces of clothing. I figured she must have come to your place.”