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.