Chapter 76: Whose Shoes? (Revised)

e know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!"So, tonight, everyone must stay quiet."Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!At that time, the village head an...Sleep is truly the best way to restore energy and spirit.

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The next day, Yang Ruoqing woke up feeling refreshed and full of energy. All her strength had returned.

After dressing herself and combing her long, smooth, and glossy black hair into two braids that swung behind her, Yang Ruqing came to the kitchen to fetch water for washing.

Sun was pouring boiling hot water into a teapot made of clay.

Hearing footsteps coming in, Mrs. Sun said without raising her head: "Qinger, you're just in time. The hot water is ready. From now on, wash your face with hot water morning and night. It's almost winter, and it gets colder day by day."

Okay!

Yang Ruoqing responded with a sound, scooped some water, took out a willow branch dipped a little of the green salt she had bought yesterday, and squatted at the doorway outside to brush her teeth and rinse her mouth.

"Well, Fatty, you're really good at rinsing your mouth. Your Uncle Four told me that you didn't brush your teeth before, so all those yellow teeth must have been a real pain to brush!"

The eerie laughter of yin and yang's mockery echoed over.

Yang Ruqing looked up and saw that Aunt Liu, with a large belly, was coming over from the corner of the kitchen.

Mrs. Liu had the habit of getting up early, and these days Yang Ruoqing met her at this time every morning.

Having spat out the last mouthful of water, Yang Ruqing stood up.

"Hey, isn't this Auntie Four Good morning, Auntie Four, are you going back to your mother's house" Yang Ruqing greeted Liu with a smile.

Liu was taken aback, "What's your family Fatty, what nonsense are you talking about My family is in Liujia Village, which is a dozen miles away from our Changping Village, and it's not in this direction at all!"

"Really I've seen Aunt Four, every day at this hour, running to the toilet with your trousers up. You seem so fond of our family toilet, almost like it's your own home!"

“You little brat! Are you insulting me indirectly Your family's house is a latrine!” Liu glared at Yang Ruqing, her teeth gritted.

Yang Ruqing didn't take it to heart, she shrugged, "I am the daughter of the Lao Yang family, my home is the Lao Yang family. If my home was an outhouse, then what would my grandmother be Fourth aunt, you need to think carefully before you speak!"

The Liu family is in turmoil.

If the Lao Yang family were a latrine, wouldn't his in-laws be like smelly stones at the bottom of it Then what would marrying into the Lao Yang family even mean

"You little fat thing, sharp-tongued and mean! I'm not talking to you!"

Mrs. Liu snorted and, clutching her trousers, hurried towards the outhouse.

Yang Ruqing laughed and shouted to Liu's back: "Fourth Aunt, slow down, I know you are eager to return home, don't rush yourself and fall, no one is rushing you..."

From the privy came Liu's curses, "...ill-mannered little wretch..."

Mrs. Sun carried out a clay teapot filled with hot water from the kitchen and shook her head at the sight.

"Qing'er, say less!"

"Hey!"

Yang Ruqing sweetly responded with a sound, walked over to take the tea pot from Sun's hand: "Mother, I'll hold it."

>

"Alright, then I'll continue making porridge!" Mrs. Sun turned and went back to the kitchen.

Yang Huazhong was awakened by the conversation between Yang Ruqing and Liu Shi just now, and he was leaning against the headboard.

"Your Aunt Four, that woman, has a sharp tongue and loves to gossip about everything. Even things she doesn't have anything to do with! Your mother is such a kind person, she's been bullied by your Aunt Four many times before!"

Yang Huazhong said in a deep voice.

He listened very carefully to what just happened, it was Liu shi who came to provoke his own daughter first.

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"Dad, don't worry, no matter how sharp Aunt Four's tongue is, she can't get a word past me!"

>

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Yang Ruoqing put down the teapot and turned her head to give Yang Huazhong a sweet smile.

"Father, would you like some tea I just boiled water."

"I'm not thirsty, I'll just drink porridge later." Yang Huazhong said.

Yang Ruqing nodded and turned to the foot of the bed, taking off the outer garment that was draped over the crossbar and putting it on Yang Huazhong.

A glance at the foot of the bed caught sight of a black object pressing down on a sewing basket.

Yang Ruqing picked it up and examined it carefully. It was a thick piece of black cotton cloth, half a bolt she had pulled back from the town's fabric shop yesterday.

Mrs. Sun cut off a piece of fabric as large as a washbasin, then she spread the scraps of cloth she had gathered evenly on the black cotton fabric.

On top of the scraps of cloth, there was another piece that resembled animal hide. It was very thin, but also a little hard.

The animal skin was coated on both sides with rice paste, and some scraps of cloth were glued on top. Several thick layers were piled on, and finally covered with a piece of black cotton cloth.

Finally, press it down under the bedding to make it flat and firm.

When the rice paste has firmly glued the cloth pieces together, use scissors to cut out the shape of the shoe sole. Use a needle and hemp thread to sew layer upon layer of these pieces tightly together, this is the "thousand-layer bottom".

"Father, is this the shoe sole that my mother made" Yang Ruoqing asked curiously.

This thing feels heavy in your hand, just like holding a small blackboard.

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Worn on your feet, it's sure to be warm and durable.

“Your mother stayed up all night and pressed out the soles of these two shoes, saying they could be cut into two pairs.”

Yang Huazhong fastened his coat, and said to Yang Ruqing.

Yang Ruqing nodded. "My mother is really skilled. This shoe sole is pressed so well!"

“Hee hee, when your mother was a young girl at her parents' house, she was famous throughout the villages for her needlework!”

When the man spoke of these things, his eyebrows lowered, and a flush of red crossed his dark complexion.

That girl who used to be so skilled at embroidery, is now a woman on her own...hehe...

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Yang Ruqing wasn't in the mood to pay attention to her father's thoughts. She bent down, took off her shoes, and compared her foot to the insole.

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Based on the size of your feet, you could make more than just two pairs.

I took another look at Yang Huazhong's feet, hmm, this should be one pair for himself, one pair for his father, just right.

"Father, is this dowry from mother for the two of us" she asked.

Yang Huazhong looked up and shook his head, saying: “Your father is lying in bed under the covers. Wearing shoes wouldn't make sense, would it”

"Who was she married to" Yang Ruqing asked again.

Fifth Uncle Second Cousin

“It’s for Tang YaZi!” Yang HuaZhong said.

"Huh"

Yang Ruqing was stunned.

At this time, Mrs. Sun's voice came from behind.

“When Tang Ya Zi returned, he brought a plump wild rabbit as a gift. I've felt guilty ever since and wanted to do something for the child. When you pulled out some cloth from Cloth Shop yesterday, I thought I'd make a pair of cloth shoes for Tang Ya Zi."

Yang Huazhong nodded: "Luo Tiejiang is pulling the cart alone, with two old and young masters, no woman in the family. It must be infuriating to live like this!"

Mrs. Sun nodded and continued, "Well, the blacksmith Luo is a good man. Back in the day, our family's knives and hoes were all made by him. Your father also had that oxcart he overturned on the riverbank repaired by Luo the Blacksmith. He didn't even ask for money!"

Yang Ruqing looked at her parents’ harmonious performance, as if afraid she, the daughter, wouldn't agree. She couldn't help but smile.

"Father, Mother, you both don't need to say any more. I'm not that unreasonable. If others are kind to us, we will definitely repay them tenfold. Anyway, when I get back, I'll give someone a good gift!"

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“My Qinger is such a good girl!”

"Hee hee, let's have dinner then!" Yang Ruqing said with a smile. "Mom, what are you going to do after lunch"

In recent days, Yang Ruqing accompanied Lady Sun in digging up both pieces of dry land they had received.

With the help of Guihua and Dayun, they planted the rapeseed.

There are still two plots of paddy fields, which are intended to be used for planting rapeseed. However, the paddy fields were left behind by Old Yang's family after the autumn harvest last year. The fields haven't been plowed and there are still clumps of rice straw in them!

Our family had no ox, no plow, and no strong laborers to till the land, so we were left with nothing.

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Hearing Yang Ruqing's question, Mrs. Sun, who was helping Yang Huazhong wash his face, paused her hand.

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Yesterday, your fifth uncle came to say that we should wait a few more days. Those grandmothers are busy plowing the fields and planting rapeseed and wheat right now. When they're all done, your fifth uncle will bring the ox and plow to help us till the land," said Mrs. Sun. fuss...” he said.Let me know if you have any other text you'd like translated!Yang Ruqing said, "Silly younger brother, how can this be called making a big fuss We should celebrate as we should."“Wai...