Chapter 20: I Knew You'd Be a Difficult One

She worked busily until dusk, and finally, the two sets of clothes for Lao Si were finished: a set consisting of a Dacron shirt paired with blue "boss pants," and a moon-white dress with a blue belt added at the waist, made from the leftover fabric of the pants.

She smoothed out the ironing board and called Lao Si over to try them on.

"You finished them so quickly?"

Lao Si took them excitedly. She tried on the dress first, and Li Xiangqin helped her tie a bow, letting her look at herself in the mirror.

"It looks so beautiful. This is the first time I've ever worn a dress." Lao Si spun around in front of the large wardrobe mirror, her young face flushed with excitement.

Afterward, she tried on the shirt and pants—fresh, elegant, simple, and capable.

Looking at the new clothes on her body, Lao Si turned and hugged Li Xiangqin.

"Mom, thank you."

"Why thank me between mother and daughter? As long as you work hard, I'll be at peace."

Li Xiangqin patted her daughter's shoulder. Since she owed her daughter so much, providing appropriate compensation helped ease some of her inner guilt.

A good mood leads to good health, after all.

However, looking at the clothes on Lao Si, Li Xiangqin was very satisfied with her own craftsmanship; it was not inferior to ready-made clothes sold outside.

At this time, department stores already sold ready-made garments, but the downside was the high price, which ordinary people couldn't afford.

If people wanted new clothes, they tended to buy fabric to make them themselves or take them to a tailor. If they found a skilled one, the leftover fabric could even be patched together into something like a short-sleeved undershirt.

Therefore, at this time, fabric was more popular than ready-made clothing.

"Alright, it's getting late. It's time to make dinner."

Li Xiangqin brushed the lint off her clothes and pushed the door open, only to see Lao Wu standing there, his eyes as red as a rabbit's.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Mom, you're biased! I don't have a single piece! You made two outfits for Fourth Sister, wahhh..."

Lao Wu tilted his head back, mouth wide open, wailing loudly with tears streaming down his face. It was clear he was truly heartbroken.

Seeing him crying with his mouth wide open, Li Xiangqin couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth. She turned to the cabinet, pulled out a piece of clothing, and stuffed it into his hands.

"I knew you'd be hard to deal with. Luckily, I prepared in advance."

She had anticipated that Lao Wu would be difficult. When she was buying the fabric, she had specifically taken measurements for two pieces, intending to give it to him as a birthday gift in a week.

She hadn't expected this brat to cry harder than when his father was being buried.

"I intended to give it to you on your birthday, but since you can't wait, just take it. From now on, don't ask me for anything other than a bowl of noodles."

Lao Wu looked down at the Dacron stuffed in his arms and blinked. The surprise came too suddenly; losing control for a moment, a bubble of snot even popped from his nose.

"Wahhh... thank you, Mom! This is the best birthday gift I've ever received!"

"Go wash up quickly. Who are you trying to disgust?" Li Xiangqin looked away, indicating she couldn't bear to watch.

Watching Lao Wu run off to wash his face, Li Xiangqin glanced toward the door of the third child's room; those two seemed to have disappeared after rushing out earlier.

Just as she stepped into the kitchen and hadn't even tied her apron, Lao Si snatched it from her.

"Mom, you rest. I'll cook."

Her mother had been working non-stop all day without a moment's rest; if she let her mother cook again, she wouldn't be able to swallow her food.

"It's just the four of us eating. No need to make much, just some egg soup and some warmed-up steamed buns will do."

"Okay!" Lao Si agreed and immediately got to work.

Li Xiangqin turned to pour herself a glass of water and sat in a chair, sipping it slowly. After working like this all day, she felt like a donkey turning a millstone.

Fortunately, she was satisfied with the outcome. Once the family was divided, there would be less heartache in the future.

In about half a year, she would officially retire. During this time, she had to think carefully about how to save more money to ensure her security in her old age.

Since she couldn't rely on her children, she had to rely on herself.

Furthermore, Lao Wu and Lao Liu were still in school, and it was uncertain whether the old man's pension would last until then. She couldn't just sit and consume her savings; she had to find a way to bring in more income.

Although she had been reborn, her entire previous life had been consumed by family matters. External affairs were somewhat foreign to her, but she understood the general trends and needed to calm her mind to plan properly.

*Knock, knock~*

Just as she was lost in thought, there was a knock at the door.

Before she could get up, Lao Wu darted out of his room and opened the door.

"Mom, Auntie Wang is here."

"Fifth girl, did your mother make you new clothes again?"

"Yeah, just made."

Li Xiangqin stood up and saw Wang Erying walking in with two eggplants.

"I went to the market today and saw these eggplants were fresh, so I brought two for you to try."

"Thanks to Sister Erying for thinking of me. I haven't been to the market in days; I haven't even decided what to get for tomorrow morning's groceries yet."

Li Xiangqin poured her a glass of water, invited her to sit, and gave a light laugh.

"We've been friends for so many years, why are you being so polite with me?"

Wang Erying glanced at her.

"I heard from the neighbors that you lost your temper again today?"

"It wasn't much. I just called all the children over and laid everything out on the table—dividing the family assets... Unfortunately, there's a lot of demand and little supply. Aside from signing a verbal agreement and a few scoldings to vent some anger, no real benefits were gained."

In any case, whether the property could be divided equally after she died was something she wouldn't be around to see.

Wang Erying was stunned. Looking at her calm expression, it took a moment before she couldn't help but laugh.

"Haha... dividing the family? I can't believe you thought of that. Our generation suffered so much, raising children and the elderly, starving ourselves until we were dizzy, only to eat full for a few days?"

Family assets? It was a blessing they weren't in debt.

After her exclamation, Wang Erying turned to look at Li Xiangqin and asked worriedly, "Are they eyeing Old Zhang's pension?"

That was real, tangible money. Even if the son was willing to part with it, the daughter-in-law wouldn't agree.

"Yes, but Lao Wu and Lao Liu are still minors. I explained the situation to them in great detail, and everyone was quite reasonable. They all agreed to leave it as education funds for the two little ones. It wasn't just a verbal promise; they signed an agreement and left thumbprints. I'm quite satisfied with that."

Looking at her cheerful tone, Wang Erying blinked her slightly drooping eyes.

"You've changed."

This old friend was indeed different. Previously, she had worked herself to death for her children, busy as a spinning top, talking so fast she'd trip over her words, and no amount of persuasion would work.

She hadn't expected that after Old Zhang passed, she would actually find peace of mind.

"I suppose so. I feel it too."

Li Xiangqin curled her lips into a smile.

"Those three have already established their own families and careers, but I still have three more who haven't. I have to plan ahead."

"That's true. Your burden is still very heavy."

Wang Erying nodded; managing three children alone was no easy feat.

"From what you're saying, Brother Jianguo and the others are quite reasonable. It's a good thing they didn't start a fight."

"Exactly. I'm very satisfied with their attitude this time," Li Xiangqin echoed. After they chatted for a while about domestic matters, Wang Erying headed home.

(End of Chapter)