Chapter 58: Saving a Dowry for My Daughter

She certainly couldn't miss such good news. "Of course I'll buy it! Can I buy a bit more?"

"Of course you can." Wang Ailian winked at her. "How much do you want?"

"I heard this batch of defective fabric is sky blue. I want to make two sets of one-point-five by two-meter quilt covers and linings to save for my daughter." This kind of bargain didn't come around often; it was naturally better to stock up as much as possible.

One set would require twelve feet, so for two sets, she needed twenty-four feet—eight meters in length.

"No problem. Leave it to me; I guarantee it'll be done."

Wang Ailian leaned close to her ear.

"The logistics and warehouse departments are co-handling this batch of defective fabric. My maternal nephew happens to be working there—Wei-zi, you know him. I'll have him set aside the amount we need in a moment."

Li Xiangqin nodded. Wang Wei—she remembered him; he seemed to be one of the warehouse clerks.

"Then I'll have to take advantage of your kindness."

"Oh, please! We've been sisters for decades; helping each other is only natural." Wang Ailian wasn't in the mood for formalities. She gave her a playful glare, picked up her lunch box, and stood up.

"I'll leave you to it. I'm going to wash my lunch box now."

Li Xiangqin quickly stood up and walked a few steps with her, speaking in a low voice, "I only have five yuan on me. I'll give it to you now, and I'll make up the rest when I get home after work."

"No rush. Just give it to me together. Do you think I don't trust you?"

With that, Wang Ailian walked away briskly. Lunchtime was only half an hour, and she had to hurry.

Li Xiangqin washed her lunch box, put it in her toolbox, straightened her apron, and returned to work.

The news about the sale of defective fabric had come out suddenly. Not many people currently on shift knew about it, and the next shift hadn't arrived yet. Taking advantage of this window, Wang Ailian returned in just ten minutes.

As she passed Li Xiangqin's station, she gave her a smiling wink before returning to her post.

Li Xiangqin was delighted to have secured the fabric.

She wasn't even angry when Zhou Dan came by to inspect the cleaning and looked for faults. Seeing Li Xiangqin cleaning submissively, Zhou Dan raised her chin triumphantly and walked away with a sway of her hips.

A higher rank can crush anyone; Zhou Dan was performing a standard inspection, so no one could claim she was intentionally picking on her.

*Think you're so great? Even working under you, you still have to keep your head down.*

*Hmph.*

Li Xiangqin was happy in her heart and couldn't be bothered to care about her. It wasn't until she successfully finished her shift that she and her close friend hurried toward the security gate.

By this time, many people who had heard the news had already rushed there, fearing they would miss out if they were even a moment late.

As the two arrived at the plaza, they saw from a distance that the area where the defective fabric was laid out was already crowded with people.

"Look at that. It's a good thing we acted early, otherwise, we might not have grabbed any even if we fought through the crowd." It was always better to act fast when something was a good deal.

"I'll have to thank Wei-zi later; he really did me a huge favor."

"Oh, he's family. You shouldn't be shy when you can actually use it," Wang Ailian said, completely unconcerned.

Li Xiangqin hooked her arm into her friend's as they walked toward the security office. Wang Ailian went in and came out carrying a thick, folded stack of fabric. Each took one portion and walked out happily.

Having secured their goods, the two didn't delay and headed straight home separately.

Li Xiangqin looked at the fabric in her arms and flipped through it briefly; there were almost no visible flaws or oil stains. Her friend was indeed reliable, having specifically picked out the good pieces.

On her way home, she ran into Auntie Zhao just as she entered the courtyard. "Oh, Sister Li! Why did you suddenly buy so much fabric?"

"It's defective fabric from the factory, so I just took a bit extra," Li Xiangqin replied politely. They were in a machinery plant, so there was nothing to hide.

"Oh, that's wonderful news! You can make so many things with that much."

Auntie Zhao was incredibly envious and leaned in to touch it. "It's twill cotton, too. How much per foot? Can we people from other factories buy some?"

"I doubt it. When I left, the stall was already swamped. To accommodate most employees, they only allowed ten feet per person; they won't give more. These are from some friends who gave up their quotas to me."

"I see. That's such a pity."

Auntie Zhao shook her head regretfully. If this high-quality twill cotton were bought in a department store, it would cost a yuan and ten cents per foot.

Once home, Li Xiangqin put the cotton away in her cabinet. She counted out seven yuan and twenty cents from a box, and took two boxes of mango cigarettes from her drawer.

These were leftovers from when she had asked a favor, and she decided to give them to Wang Wei as a thank-you.

Besides, no one in her house smoked, and they might spoil if they got damp.

With the money and cigarettes in hand, Li Xiangqin borrowed a bicycle from Wang Erying's house. On the way, she bought twenty cents worth of fruit candies and cycled all the way to her friend's house.

Wang Ailian's husband, Luo Wenwu, was also an employee at the cement plant. The factory had assigned them a two-bedroom apartment, where they lived with their son and daughter-in-law.

The couple had two children, a son and a daughter: Luo Jie and Luo Na.

Both children were married, so the couple had fewer burdens and lived a comfortable life.

"Goodness, why are you in such a hurry? Is a few yuan worth a trip? Would I have run away if you waited until work tomorrow?"

Wang Ailian had just finished bathing and came out drying her hair, giving her a reproachful look.

"I happened to be free anyway. I was already out for a stroll, so I just stopped by."

Li Xiangqin chuckled. Her nephew had already done her a favor, so she shouldn't be late with the payment.

Besides, once the fabric was sold, the accounts would need to be reconciled; she didn't have the face to let her nephew advance her the money.

"You're hopeless," Wang Ailian muttered, pouring her some water.

"Where is your eldest grandson? It's summer break; why haven't I seen him?" Li Xiangqin took a handful of fruit candies from her pocket, placed them on the table, and looked around.

"That little monkey was taken to his maternal grandparents' house by his mother; they've been gone for two days. Without the child making noise at home, my ears finally have some peace," Wang Ailian said with a light laugh.

"Among us sisters, you're the lucky one. Your son and daughter-in-law have good jobs and are easy to manage. Your daughter and son-in-law are also filial. You'll have plenty of blessings in the future."

In her previous life, this friend had been much happier than her—living with her son and daughter-in-law for a lifetime, only occasionally staying with her daughter for a month or two. Life was very carefree.

Sometimes she wondered: whether children are filial or not doesn't depend on how many you have.

"Oh, we're just getting by. I just have fewer children, so I have fewer worries. Unlike you two—two people earning, but a whole family spending. Whether it's too much or too little, it's always a headache."

Wang Ailian looked at her. Despite being the same age, this friend did indeed look a few years older.

After all, more children meant more worries.

She had tried to advise her friend subtly many times, but it always went in one ear and out the other; her friend simply didn't take it seriously.

It left her feeling helpless. After all, it was their family; while she was willing to sacrifice for her friend, she had no right to interfere beyond feeling sympathetic.

"You're right, children are just more debts. I must have been out of my mind to keep having one litter after another. Now that I think about it, I really don't know what I was looking for."

(End of Chapter)