Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

Zhao Fengying lovingly touched a piece of dark blue fabric that shone with a crisp luster.

"This polyester feels smooth and cool to the touch, and it doesn't wrinkle no matter how much you rub it. It's really nice, but it's too expensive, and you need so many cloth coupons."

Xu Bei looked over and said with a smile, "Mom, it's okay if it's a bit expensive. It's thick and durable, and can be worn for several years. How about we each make a pair of pants?"

Back in the 1980s, polyester fabric was indeed not cheap at five or six dollars a foot, but he certainly didn't think it was expensive.

After all, this business, which requires no initial investment, generates daily profits that exceed a worker's monthly wage.

The problem is that some money hasn't been properly channeled yet, so I'll have my mother pay for it temporarily, and we can make up for it later.

Xu Juan also reached out her little hand and gently touched the fabric, but since she was still in school and didn't earn money, she felt she had no right to speak and remained silent.

Zhao Fengying shook her head and smiled, "I won't argue anymore. It's a waste to wear such nice clothes if you stay at home. I'll make some for you, your dad, and Xiaojuan."

Xu Bei had anticipated his mother's response, so he said directly, "Mom, if you're not going to argue, then we won't do it either. A family should be together, why are we divided into different classes?"

Besides, you're never staying at home. You earn just as much as a factory worker in a day. If you keep acting like this, you'll always feel unworthy. Even if you earn more than my dad in the future, people will still say you're relying on him to support you!

Zhao Fengying had just had a fight with Xu Dashan a couple of days ago and was heartbroken. Now they seem to have made up on the surface, but how could there be no trace of resentment in her heart?

Xu Bei's words were like striking a snake at its vital point, hitting the nail on the head.

"Okay, then I'll make a pair of polyester pants too."

Just then, the sales clerk finished answering the previous customer's question correctly.

Xu Bei immediately asked the other person, "Comrade, how much is this Dika?"

"Five dollars and fifty cents per foot."

The sales clerk's answer made Zhao Fengying waver in her decision, because making a pair of trousers would cost sixteen yuan and fifty cents if it required three feet of fabric. "Son, how about..."

Xu Bei didn't give his mother a chance to back out, and said directly, "Okay, then give me four pairs of pants."

When the sales clerk heard that they were going to talk about this much, their attitude immediately improved.

After helping to calculate the dimensions, I picked up the piece of cloth and spread it out on the counter.

With her left hand holding down the piece of cloth, she picked up the gleaming wooden ruler with her right hand, flicked her wrist, and the ruler drew an arc in the air before landing precisely on the cloth.

Once the measurements were complete, he took out a piece of white chalk from beside the counter and quickly drew a line on the edge of the fabric.

With a small cut made by the scissors, and then with each hand holding one side of the cut, a slight force was applied, and with a crisp, clean tearing sound, the fabric was ripped apart, sounding sturdy.

After folding the cloth, he tore off a piece of yellowed straw paper and wrapped it around the cloth. With swift and fluid movements, he tied a beautiful knot in just a few seconds.

The sales clerk pushed the cloth bag onto the counter. "Pay up and give me your cloth coupons. The total is..."

Zhao Fengying quickly took out the money and tickets wrapped in layers of handkerchief from her pocket, counted them, and handed them over.

The salesperson didn't do anything, but instead shouted to the side to collect the money.

Xu Bei picked up the money and cloth coupons and walked over.

A young woman took the receipt, quickly counted the money, and then stamped it with a red seal.

Xu Bei took the receipt back to the counter, and the sales clerk checked it before handing him the heavy cloth bag.

"Take this, we are not responsible once you leave the counter!"

Zhao Fengying took the cloth bag and hugged it tightly to her chest, as if she were holding a gold ingot.

Xu Bei was filled with mixed emotions as he watched.

He put his right arm around his mother's shoulder and his left arm around his sister, and said with a smile, "We're going to the tailor shop next. Professional things should be done by professionals, otherwise this good material will be wasted."

These words immediately silenced Zhao Fengying, who was about to say something.

After all, we've already spent a lot of money on the fabric, so there's no need to skimp on the small amount of money spent on the pants.

If it's done badly or inappropriately, it will only cause you distress.

After leaving the store, there were several tailor shops in the alley next door.

Some of these shops were public, while others were privately owned.

Xu Bei, along with his mother and sister, went into a shop that he remembered as a good business and one that had been open for a long time.

The shop was small, the windows were tiny, and because of the time of day, the lighting was somewhat dim.

Directly opposite the door was a large chopping board, piled high with colorful scraps of cloth.

Beside the cutting board, an old-fashioned Butterfly brand sewing machine made a clicking sound.

The tailor, a woman in her thirties, who was working, immediately stopped what she was doing and greeted them.

Xu Bei, in a very familiar manner, explained his purpose to the other party, and then the tailor began to take their measurements separately.

Zhao Fengying and Xu Juan both strongly requested that more allowance be left for the hem when making the fashionable polyester twill pants.

That way, whether Xu Juan grows taller or Zhao Fengying gains weight, they can still have their clothes altered.

Xu Bei watched from the side and did not stop this small request.

After all, his mother and sister don't yet know how much money he can make, and that he can buy beautiful clothes to wear whenever he wants in the future.

By the time the three of them had collected the receipts for picking up their clothes in a couple of days and left the tailor shop, the orange-red sun had already drifted to the west.

"Hurry home, your dad went to visit someone else. If he comes home and doesn't see us, there's bound to be trouble."

"Don't worry, we'll definitely make it in time."

Xu Bei carried two people on his back and hurried home at a decent pace.

When I rode to my house, I saw that the gate was already open.

However, not only was Xu Dashan at home, but Dahei and the sled he brought were also in the yard.

"Da Bei, you're finally back. I was just thinking that if you hadn't come back, I would have left."

Dahei felt a little awkward being in the same room with Xu Dashan, and they didn't know what to talk about anymore.

Therefore, upon seeing Xu Bei and the other two return, they rushed out of the house as if they had seen saviors.

Seeing his childhood friend's expression, Xu Bei guessed what he was thinking and said with a smile, "Why are you leaving? We're already here, it's not like we're not coming back. How many have you booked?"

Dahei scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "20, the same as Guodong's, not as many as before."

No matter how many orders they place, the money collected in the end, after deducting their commission, is still profit, so Xu Bei naturally doesn't care much about it.

"You two even had a competition. It's normal for the results to fluctuate to some extent."

The two walked and talked in the courtyard to the west room, and Zhao Fengying and Xu Juan also went into the east room.

When Xu Dashan saw them return empty-handed, he didn't think much of it, assuming they had just gone off for a stroll again.

"What time is it? You're only just getting back. Hurry up and cook dinner, I have to work the night shift later."

Zhao Fengying felt a little guilty for secretly spending her cloth coupons and money to make pants in advance, and she didn't dare to look her husband in the eye. "I know, it definitely won't delay your work."

After taking off her coat, Xu Juan quickly followed her to the kitchen to help.

Xu Bei, however, acted as if nothing was wrong, chatting and laughing with Da Hei...