CHAPTER 191: CHAPTER 191: TAKING ORDERS

Pingyang Town Middle School.

First-year junior high classroom.

A few girls were chattering around Lin Yun and Lin Xia, trying to please them.

"The clothes on Lin Yun look so nice, the best design I’ve ever seen!"

"Lin Xia’s is nice too! Although theirs are different, they feel so similar and look great together!"

Two girls were discussing, with admiration and envy in their eyes.

Sun Qianqian, a girl close to the Lin sisters, felt proud as well.

"You all don’t know, do you? These matching outfits! Xiao Yun made them herself! Aren’t they beautiful? Want one? Hehe, but you can’t buy it anywhere!"

"Qianqian, are you serious? Lin Yun made them herself?" One of the previously speaking girls, Shen Xixi, looked at Lin Yun with disbelief.

"Of course it’s true! My second sister makes beautiful clothes, and we’re wearing them right now!" Lin Xia said with pride.

"Xiao Yun also promised to make one for me! I’m just waiting for my mom to buy the fabric, probably this weekend!" Sun Qianqian said happily.

Shen Xixi looked at Sun Qianqian with envy, then turned to Lin Yun.

"Xiao Yun, I’ll provide the fabric too. Could you make one for me as well? The same as this one! I love it!"

Shen Xixi wasn’t a bad person, just a little competitive, and her family was well-off. In a time when most families had six or seven kids, she was an only child. Her mother had complications during her birth and couldn’t have more children.

So she was spoiled as an only daughter, and whatever she wanted, her parents tried to get her.

Both parents were workers, supporting just one child, and having separated from their parents and siblings, their small family was quite affluent.

"Shen Xixi, I had to provide twice the fabric to have Xiao Yun make a set for me! Don’t just ask for free labor!" Sun Qianqian reminded her.

"Then I’ll provide twice as much too, okay?" Shen Xixi quickly held up two fingers in agreement.

"Second sister, can you manage it? Big sister said you need to get into the top three to fulfill that wish of yours!" Lin Xia reminded.

She knew what her second sister wanted the most, and that big sister promised to buy it if she placed in the top three.

Making a set for Sun Qianqian was fine; she was their best friend and close to the two sisters, but if Shen Xixi also wanted a set, could the second sister handle it?

"No problem, I’ll make time for it! They did say they’d provide twice the fabric!" Lin Yun agreed without hesitation.

There were only eleven girls in the class, and upon hearing Lin Yun agreeing to make clothing for two, the others were tempted.

Those with good family conditions wanted to offer double fabric for Lin Yun to make them a set too.

The sisters were unsure what to do now.

With so many clothes to make, if Lin Yun agreed to all of them, she wouldn’t have time to go home during the weekend, nor much time to review her studies.

But it was double fabric! That was quite a temptation.

After agreeing to outfits for over a dozen people, there would be enough fabric to make outfits for the whole family.

Lin Yun thought it over and couldn’t resist the temptation, so she agreed to all of them.

"Second sister..." Lin Xia looked at her with concern.

"Don’t worry, I’ll just stay up a bit later at night," she whispered to her sister, "We’ll give the whole family a surprise, make an outfit for each of them!"

This made Lin Xia excited too. She knew big sister was holding the family together, and none of the younger siblings could help much after starting school.

Fabric was expensive and required ration tickets, and if they could make an outfit for each family member, big sister would definitely be very happy.

"Alright! Everyone wanting clothes, come sign up with me. It has to be in order, since we need to attend classes and study, we can’t finish all the clothes immediately! First signed up, first served!"

Hearing this, the girls in class became ecstatic! They rushed to sign up, promising to bring fabric over by tomorrow.

Sun Qianqian was anxious now, as it was only Thursday, and if she waited to buy fabric over the weekend, she’d probably be last in line.

She thought to urge her mom to buy fabric as soon as she got home.

The families sending their daughters to study were somewhat well-off, in a time where boys were valued over girls, and there was still some mindset that lack of talent was a virtue for women.

So families with poor conditions prioritized sending sons to study, leaving daughters to help at home and support their brothers’ education.

Now, all nine girls in the class signed up.

It was also the season change, a perfect time for a new set of clothes. Even if a set of clothes cost more fabric, it was worth it for the good looks.

The sisters easily secured nine orders and were overjoyed.

"Xiao Xia, let’s go to the supply store after school. I need to buy some sewing machine thread, I think we’re running out!" Lin Yun said happily, looking at the orders her sister was registering.

"Alright! After school, let’s have Xiao Shan, Little Chuan, and Xiao Shuang head home first, and I’ll go with you to buy the thread!" Lin Xia readily agreed.

With the house being built, their big sister was too busy to visit often, but she made sure each sibling had some money.

This time wasn’t like the present where kids their age ran around the streets without fear of traffickers. People were too hungry to think of snatching kids.

"Everyone quiet down! Class is starting!" At that moment, the homeroom teacher came in.

It was the fourth period in the morning, and since the subject teacher wasn’t there, the homeroom teacher supervised carefully.

The atmosphere in the class felt different; the girl’s occasional excited smiles suggested something was going on.

But as a homeroom teacher, it wasn’t her place to meddle in private matters.

The class ended quickly, and after a morning of lessons, students were hungry, eagerly heading to get their meals.

Day students rushed home.

Lin Shan and Little Chuan came to find their two sisters.

But they waited a long time for Lin Shuang.

"Let’s go to the second-year classroom to find her! Waiting here won’t help," Lin Xia, impatient, suggested.

"Alright, let’s find her! We still need to go to the supply store and cook when we get back!" Lin Yun agreed.

The four then headed to the second-year classroom.

"Second sister, why are you going to the supply store?" Little Chuan asked as they walked.

"To buy some thread!" Lin Yun simply answered his question.

"Sis, I want to eat Cloud Cake!" Little Chuan cheekily squeezed his sister’s cheeks, smiling to please her.

"You glutton! We still have so many snacks left by big sister at home! Why do you still want Cloud Cake?" Lin Xia slapped away his hand from her shoulder, speaking with exasperation.

"Third sister, I’m asking second sister, not you! Busybody!" Little Chuan pouted, rubbing his hand where it hurt from the slap.

"Alright! If they have it at the supply store, second sis will buy some for you!" Lin Yun played peacemaker.

"Second sis, buy less, I don’t want any!" Lin Shan said, walking while still holding a book.

Chattering away, they reached the second-year classroom.