Transmigrated as My Aunt in the 70s
Chapter 84 - 082 New Clothes

Chapter 84: 082 New Clothes

Ever since Tang Tieshan arrived, the Old Man became happier by the day, smiling daily. As Tang Tieshan’s health improved steadily, he insisted on laboring in the fields, which left the Old Man as the only one idle at home. Finding this unacceptable, the Old Man joined his old friend in the fields. Tian Bajin and Zhong Boqiang had no choice but to assign them the lightest tasks; it was just a way for them to pass the time.

The weather was getting hotter by the day, and Tian Sisi had already switched to lighter clothes. He Xuewen bought his daughter many beautiful fabrics, including the popular Dacron floral cloth, which Tian Sisi didn’t like at all. She asked He Xuewen to buy her breathable cotton and linen fabric, even though her own store had fabrics, albeit not many, that were quality silk and cotton and linen. However, because the printing technology on those fabrics was too advanced, they would definitely draw the villagers’ attention. Tian Sisi didn’t dare take the risk.

He Xuewen had a wide network and managed to get floral cotton fabric and silk. He himself disliked wearing Dacron as well, finding it not breathable and uncomfortable to wear despite it being wrinkle-resistant. The fabrics he bought were of good quality, featuring very attractive small floral or plaid patterns, perfect for making both clothes and skirts.

As for the Tian Family, he bought them Dacron, not because He Xuewen didn’t want to gift them cotton and silk. It’s just that in people’s minds at the time, Dacron was the preferred choice, offering any other material might upset them. So the women of the Tian Family were thrilled with the Dacron He Xuewen brought them, as it meant they could make several new shirts for the summer.

He Xuewen also specially brought from Shanghai a book on fashion tailoring, which included many styles of women’s clothing and directions on how to cut and sew them. Zhu Aiqing loved this book. She was already skilled with her hands, even without formal tailoring training, and in just a few days, she understood the instructions. Her first project was a skirt for her daughter.

Tian Sisi picked out a puff skirt from the book, knee-length with many pleats at the waist, which looked very pretty. The neckline even had a lovely bow tie, and the sleeves were princess sleeves, resembling a lace skirt of a Barbie doll from a later era, giving off a very princess-like vibe. A youthfully charming Tian Sisi was determined to take the princess style all the way.

Tian Sisi chose a white fabric with small pink flowers for her skirt, and Zhu Aiqing made it in just one night. The skirt had a short zipper at the back, which was easy to zip up. Tian Sisi looked very beautiful in this skirt, like a little princess, delicate and dainty, which made the Old Man and Granny Zhao so fond of her that they held her and didn’t want to let go, urging He Xuewen to take photos of their granddaughter right away.

The Old Man, amusingly, grabbed the fashion book, put on his reading glasses, and planned to pick out a few more skirts for his granddaughter so she could dress up beautifully every day, which pleased the eye. He Xuewen was also quite happy, feeling good about being able to dress up his daughter himself.

Seeing a glimpse of Tian Sisi’s fair legs, He Xuewen smacked his head and asked He Chengsi to quickly fetch his bag from home. He had brought several pairs of thin knee-high socks back from Shanghai this time. It was still early May, and the weather was a bit cool in the mornings and evenings, so he wanted Ah Nan to wear socks to prevent catching a cold.

Tang Qiubai looked on coldly as the Tian Family members huddled around Tian Sisi, while that beautiful little girl stood in the center like a true princess, sometimes coquettishly behaving wilfully. The Tian Family’s patience was remarkable; they indulged the little girl in everything.

She was a truly favored girl with a significant stand in this household, Tang Qiubai concluded. However, he was puzzled about why this seemingly innocent and simple girl did not like playing with him. Tang Qiubai’s plan had been to get along well with Tian Sisi, the Tian Family’s little princess, so he could live better in the Tian Family. Although the Tian Family members were already treating him and his grandfather quite well, Tang Qiubai, who liked to think ahead, wanted to further improve his and his grandfather’s life in the Tian Family, and the easiest shortcut was to establish a good relationship with Tian Sisi.

But somehow, Tian Sisi, the young girl, despite being seemingly polite on the surface, kept her distance, which Tang Qiubai, sensitive as he was, could detect and found quite disheartening. Of course, he couldn’t fathom it was because Tian Sisi didn’t like him; in his view, it must have been Tian Xinhua or Shou Jianguo who confused her, which made Tang Qiubai even more displeased with these two. Nevertheless, as a man with deep scheming, even when displeased, he showed no hint of it, greeting Tian Xinhua and Jianguo with open cheerfulness whenever he saw them.

"Mama, can you make me a few more dresses? I can wear them when I go to Shanghai for summer vacation." Tian Sisi took off her new dress and cooed at Zhu Aiqing.

He Xuewen had discussed it with Old Man, planning to take Tian Sisi and several other children to Shanghai for the summer vacation. Old Man, of course, had no problem with that. He believed young people should get out more to broaden their horizons and increase their knowledge. Although he would miss his little granddaughter, he still agreed.

"Why do you need to make so many new clothes, child? You won’t be able to wear them next year after wearing them this year; it’s a waste of fabric." Zhu Aiqing instinctively refused, as her daughter already had enough new clothes. The family’s chests were filled with her clothes.

"It’s okay, sister-in-law. I’ll supply the fabric. As long as Ah Nan is happy, we can make as many dresses as she wants." He Xuewen quickly supported his daughter.

Of course, Zhu Aiqing couldn’t say anything bad in response to He Xuewen. She politely smiled and said, "Mr. He, you shouldn’t spoil this girl too much. Of all the clothes in our house, she has the most. Other girls are not like her; they won’t wear clothes with a tiny hole, but you see, which girl doesn’t wear patched clothes these days? Only she is fussy, insisting on new clothes."

"Sister-in-law makes sense. Ah Nan’s habit isn’t good. But other families mainly wear patched clothes because they lack money. Our family isn’t short of money. How about this – I’ll supply the fabric for Ah Nan’s clothes from now on, and of course, for everyone else in the family as well. It’ll just be more work for you to cut and sew," said He Xuewen cautiously.

"That won’t do, Mr. He. Please don’t say that. How much fabric would that use up in a year? Besides, you already buy so much for Ah Nan, that’s not a small amount. I can’t accept that," Zhu Aiqing hurriedly refused. She wasn’t the type to take advantage of others.

"It’s fine, let Xuewen buy it. He has the connections, and the money isn’t a problem for him. From now on, all the fabric for our family will be supplied by Xuewen," Old Man said, amused. In his heart, he thought it was silly to have to consider others when you just want to treat your daughter well. Well, he would give him a chance then.

He Xuewen looked gratefully at Old Man. It’s funny how he couldn’t even give his money away despite having it. Fortunately, Old Man was reasonable. Seeing Old Man agreed, although Zhu Aiqing felt it wasn’t right, she didn’t speak up. In the Tian Family, nobody would question Old Man’s decisions.

Tian Sisi was delighted, leaning on Old Man to see what kind of clothes he was choosing. It had to be said, although Old Man was excellent at warfare, his taste in picking clothes wasn’t great. They were either too old-fashioned or too gaudy. "Grandpa, are you picking out clothes for Granny?" Tian Sisi pouted cheekily.

"How could that be? Granny couldn’t possibly wear these kinds of dresses. The dresses I pick are beautiful. I’ve seen those madams wear them in Beijing. They looked very fashionable," Old Man retorted, blowing his beard and staring, clearly affronted by the doubt cast on his taste.

Tang Qiubai couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Mr. Tian was quite comical indeed. How could the dresses for those madams be suitable for a girl Sisi’s age? Can they wear the same kind of clothes? Tang Tieshan shot his grandson a glance; he also thought the clothes looked nice. What’s so funny?

Tang Qiubai took over the fashion magazine, pointing to the clothes Old Man had chosen, he laughed: "Grandpa Tian, Grandpa, the clothes you two have picked are suitable for Aunt Zhu to wear. Sisi is still young and shouldn’t wear clothes that are too mature. She should choose from these types here, they will look nice."

(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)