The son in her arms began to fuss, wanting to get down. Wu Zheng had no choice but to bend and place him on the ground. He then gently patted the child's little bottom, playfully chiding, "Did you make Mommy angry?"
Lin Xiaoyue looked up. "It has nothing to do with our son. Why are you hitting him?"
Wu Yan, unaware of anything, felt no pain in his backside. He thought Wu Zheng was playing with him, and instead, he grinned, revealing the five or six teeth in his little mouth.
Wu Zheng walked forward with a shameless grin. "If it's not our son, then who else could it be? Tell me, and I'll go give him a good scolding."
Lin Xiaoyue shot him a glare. "Hit yourself instead!"
Wu Zheng was confused. "I've been behaving quite well lately. Did I do something to upset you?"
"How could you not have? Look at this! This is all your doing!" Lin Xiaoyue said, tossing a lab report at him.
Wu Zheng, quick as a flash, caught it. As soon as he saw the words "Lab Report" on it, his face instantly became tense. He sat down beside Lin Xiaoyue, concern etched on his face. "Are you sick? Is it serious?"
He reached out to feel Lin Xiaoyue's forehead, but she smacked his hand away unceremoniously. "Look at the contents."
Wu Zheng picked up the report and glanced at it, then put it back down with a troubled expression. "I didn't study medicine. How could I possibly understand this?"
"Don't you see the plus signs on it?"
"What do the plus signs mean?"
Lin Xiaoyue took a deep breath. "Plus signs mean I'm pregnant. That's what the doctor told me."
"Pregnant? Honey, you're pregnant again?" Wu Zheng excitedly wiped his face. "I'm truly amazing. It's only been this long..."
While he was still reveling in his joy, he looked up and saw his wife's somber expression. He immediately suppressed his delight and smacked his thigh in annoyance. "I've been so careful. How did this happen? It shouldn't have!"
"I'm still dealing with this one. If there's another one in my belly, how can I possibly manage alone? I've told you to be more restrained, but when you get going, you forget everything. I won't have it. If this child is born, you'll raise it. I'm not."
On top of that, she still had a disobedient sister to worry about. No matter what she said, Lin Xiaohui was determined to adopt a child from outside. Lin Xiaoyue was both anxious and angry, and in the end, she simply chased her away.
Out of sight, out of mind. Whatever happened in the future would have nothing to do with her.
"Alright, alright, it's all my fault. You can punish me however you want, but please don't get yourself worked up and harm your body. I'll write home and see if my mother can come over to help take care of things after the busy farming season is over."
Wu Zheng soothed her with kind words and then stood up. "You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll go make something. You're carrying a child now, so don't take your health lightly. What do you want to eat? Your man here cooks fast. I'll have it ready in no time."
...
The next morning, Gu Xingdong went to the brigade. Chen Lishu made millet porridge and steamed some buns. The three of them had breakfast and then returned to the city together.
A week passed quickly. Dong Ji'an also delivered the elastic bands and beads that Chen Lishu had ordered as promised.
Chen Lishu could finally start working on the swimsuits.
Coincidentally, Wang Aixiang had a sewing machine. It didn't take long for her to finish making the ruched bubble gauze swimsuits that were popular in later generations.
"Sister, what is this thing? You've made perfectly good fabric look like pig intestines."
Wang Aixiang looked at the item in her hands and asked curiously.
Chen Lishu couldn't help but chuckle at her description.
"Sister Aixiang, this is a swimsuit. In a couple of days, when the weather gets warmer, people will go swimming by the river. Wearing this will make girls look pretty and prevent accidental exposure."
Wang Aixiang reached out with two fingers and pinched what she considered 'pig intestines,' examining it closely.
The swimsuit Chen Lishu made was a one-piece. Because of its elasticity, even fuller figures could wear it comfortably. Once on, the two straps were tied around the neck, ensuring a snug fit and no worries about exposure.
"Sister, how does your mind work? How do you think of such things?"
Chen Lishu smiled with pursed lips. "Sister Aixiang, why don't you try it on?"
"No, no, no. With just this little bit of fabric, wearing it would show off so much bare skin. I'm already a widow who lost her husband. If someone were to see me, wouldn't they just drown me in their spit?"
Seeing her refusal, Chen Lishu didn't insist. She then made two more.
"Sister, how are you planning to sell these? Do you think anyone will buy them?"
"The tentative price is five yuan each. Sister Aixiang, for now, you can make them according to these two styles. In a couple of days, I'll come back, and we can check out the situation outside the swimming pool together."
She had originally intended to price them at four yuan, but now the cost of fabric had increased. Moreover, she was confident that her swimsuit designs were absolutely unique. Even at a higher price, people would still buy them.
Leaving Wang Aixiang's house, Chen Lishu took a bus back home.
Another two days passed in a flash. Wang Aixiang had already made over thirty swimsuits. As Chen Lishu had no classes that afternoon, she arranged to go to the city swimming pool with her.
At this time, swimming tickets were very cheap, costing only a few cents per entry. If one bought a monthly pass, it would only cost three yuan and sixty cents for the entire month.
For three or four yuan a month, one could go bathing every day. Furthermore, swimming was considered a rather avant-garde recreational activity for some.
Chen Lishu and Wang Aixiang arrived at the entrance of the swimming pool but did not go in. Instead, they waited at a spot not far from the entrance.
Soon, two fashionably dressed girls walked towards them, their hair styled in big wavy curls, wearing puff-sleeved dresses. Chen Lishu quickly stepped forward, took out a swimsuit, and asked with a smile, "Comrades, do you need swimsuits? The latest style from Shanghai. Only five yuan..."
Before she could finish speaking, one of the taller girls impatiently interrupted, "We don't need them."
They claimed it was from Shanghai, but brand-name clothes were available in the stores. How could they possibly fancy such items from small vendors? It was simply beneath them.
"Sorry to have bothered you," Chen Lishu said to the two girls and retreated to the wall where she had been standing.
Before long, another couple, a man and a woman, walked towards them. Judging by their intimate demeanor, they seemed to be dating. Chen Lishu and Wang Aixiang approached them again, but the result was similar. The couple had already prepared their swimsuits, and looking at the swimsuit in Chen Lishu's hand, the woman highly doubted its effectiveness when worn.
As time passed, the sun gradually rose higher, and the shaded spot where the two women stood grew smaller.
Wang Aixiang took off her dark blue outer shirt, revealing the floral half-sleeve underneath. She wiped the sweat from her temples and asked with a hint of worry, "Sister, are our swimsuits going to be stuck with us?"
Chen Lishu felt a pang of uncertainty at her question. The swimsuits that were so popular in her previous life seemed to be unsellable here.