Chapter 40 Custom Furniture
Old Mrs. Liang and Mrs. Zhu have been quiet for a while and haven't caused any trouble again.
The main reason was that they had been busy looking for a wife for Wen Yong. Finally, they had settled on a family and were arranging for Wen Yong to marry.
Wen Yong was looking for a girl from a neighboring village. The girl's surname was Wang, and her name was Wang Zhaodi. She was 15 years old this year. Wang Zhaodi had two older sisters, and her parents hoped for a younger brother, so they gave her this name. Fortunately, the Wang family finally got a younger brother, named Wang Fuman, who was 13 years old.
Wang Zhaodi's family asked for a betrothal gift of 4 taels of silver, but Old Lady Liang was only willing to give 3 taels. Wang's parents refused to agree, but Wang Zhaodi herself fell in love with Liang Wenyong, so she pleaded with her family, and finally the marriage was arranged with a betrothal gift of 3 taels of silver.
The two families decided on a date and planned to get married in mid-to-late October. Liang Laoer's family naturally also received the notice.
"Dad, Mom, we have sold out all the chestnuts we bought today. Let's buy chestnuts at home tomorrow. It just so happens that my cousin Wen Yong is getting married soon, so I plan to go to the street and buy a gift for my cousin's new wife as a wedding gift."
After deducting various expenses, Qianhuan has saved more than 34 taels of silver during this period.
"Okay, your cousin Wen Yong treats you very well on weekdays. Now that he is getting married, we should send him a gift. Qianhuan, you should also buy yourself another piece of nice-colored cloth. When I have time tonight, I will make you a beautiful dress. You can wear it to attend Wen Yong's wedding banquet."
Liu felt a little sorry for her daughter. She used to have such a pretty face, but because she had to set up a stall in the city, she had to dress like a man every day and didn't look like a girl anymore.
This time I must pick out some nice fabric for my daughter and make her a beautiful dress.
"Okay, mother, I'll listen to you."
The stone blue cloth Qianhuan chose last time, Liu found time to make two sets of men's clothes for her, which she changed and washed every day. She grew up quickly, and the old clothes at home were much shorter, and she really didn't have a decent women's dress.
So the two of them quickly packed up their stall and sent all the things to the firewood room of Zuixianju for storage.
Liang Laoer, who had difficulty walking, sat there waiting for the mother and daughter, while Liu and Qianhuan started walking towards the cloth shop.
When they arrived at the fabric shop, the two walked into the shop. Liu was attracted by a piece of rouge-colored fabric at first sight. She quickly walked forward and picked up the fabric.
"Qianhuan, mother thinks this rouge-colored cloth is very beautiful and suitable for you. How about I choose this cloth for you?"
"Mom, don't choose rouge. Try another color. Rouge is too close to red. It will be bad if it steals the spotlight from the bride at my cousin's wedding banquet."
"You're right. Mother forgot that you were going to wear it to a wedding banquet. Then change the cloth. You can decide which one you like."
Qianhuan looked back and forth among all the fabrics. She pointed at a piece of lake blue fabric and said to Liu: "Mom, this lake blue is very beautiful. Let's choose this color."
Liu followed the direction of Qianhuan's finger and looked at the cloth. The light blue color was indeed very pretty. Liu said, "Yes, it is indeed very beautiful. This color must suit your skin tone. Then I'll listen to you and choose this one."
The family has been eating white rice these days, and from time to time they would bring back some meat to improve the diet. In this month, Qianhuan's skin has become much whiter, and she has also gained some weight.
Liu thought: If I use this light blue cloth to make a one-piece skirt, it will look really good on my daughter.
"Boss, how much is this cloth?" Liu picked up the light blue cloth and asked the shopkeeper sitting at the counter.
"Sir, the cloth you chose is cotton and is more expensive, costing one tael of silver per piece." The boss walked over from the counter, took a look at the cloth and quoted the price.
"Is it so expensive?" Liu didn't expect the cloth to be so expensive, but she gritted her teeth and was about to tell the boss to take the cloth.
Unexpectedly, Qianhuan suddenly said, "Mom, you don't have to buy a whole piece of cloth. Just a few feet will be enough to make a set of clothes. I plan to buy a few more feet of dark red cloth to make a new dress for grandpa, so that he can wear it on the day of my cousin's wedding."
"Okay, I'll listen to you. But since we bought cloth for your grandfather, should we also buy some for your grandmother?"
Although Liu didn't like her mother-in-law, she still wanted to treat them equally to avoid being accused by Old Lady Liang of being unfilial.
"Mom, just buy it for grandpa. Have you forgotten that grandma and auntie came to our house to grab things?"
"Of course I remember, but if we only buy it for your grandfather, your grandmother will probably make a fuss again." Liu was still a little afraid of Grandma Liang.
"Mom, don't be afraid. I'll just go and bring clothes to grandpa when the time comes."
Qianhuan knew that Liu was very afraid of Old Lady Liang, and the ancient idea of filial piety was already engraved in her mind, so she volunteered to deliver the things herself and not let Liu go.
"Okay." Liu now understood her daughter's temper. When she went to deliver clothes and Old Lady Liang made a fuss, her daughter should be able to deal with it.
The two of them bought a few feet of lake blue cloth and a few feet of maroon cloth, spending a total of about half a tael of silver.
Seeing that they were repeat customers, the boss gave them a lot of scraps of cloth as gifts. The scraps of cloth given away for free when they bought cloth before had been made into purses, belts and the like by Liu.
After leaving the cloth shop, the two went to a jewelry store. Qianhuan couldn't afford any jewelry that was too expensive, so she spent half a tael of silver to choose a silver bracelet that was neither too thick nor too thin, intending to give it to her new sister-in-law.
After buying things, the two of them hurried to meet up with Liang Laoer, and the family of three returned home together on a ox cart.
After arriving home, Qianhuan told Liu: "Mom, now that our family has saved some money, you can go to Carpenter Sun to order some furniture. The table and chairs at home are too worn out, so let's order a new set of Eight Immortals tables and chairs, and make a small square table for my room, and make a wooden wardrobe for your room and my room, and a wooden cabinet for the kitchen."
"Okay, I'll go to Carpenter Sun's house and tell him later."
Liu felt that there were indeed many things missing at home. Now that the family had earned money, it was time to replenish the supplies quickly, so she readily agreed.
Qianhuan gave Liu 4 taels of silver. Liu took the silver and went to Carpenter Sun's house to customize furniture before it got dark.
It was a rare occasion for Carpenter Sun to receive such a large job, so he gave their family a lot of discounts. In the end, all the items were sold for 3 taels of silver. Carpenter Sun promised to make the items and send them over as soon as possible.
Liu went home and returned the remaining half tael of silver to Qianhuan.
"Mother, please keep this half tael of silver for your own protection."
After hearing what her daughter said, Liu put away the silver. Originally, she should have kept the money earned by the family, but her daughter was already 13 years old. Although she had been broken off once, Liu still hoped that she could marry into a good family in the future. Now she let her daughter learn how to manage the money and household so that she would know how to live better when she went to her husband's family in the future.
Liu felt a wave of emotion in her heart: her life in the past was really hard, but now it was getting more and more hopeful, and she could say that all the hardship had finally paid off.