Chapter 53 - 53

Chapter 53 Buying Defective FabricYun Ting ignored him and went directly to find someone to help her register the bicycle.Han Yang didn't linger because he had something to do, and it seemed like the other person didn't really want to talk to him.After Yun Ting finished her business, she went to the post office to send dried goods home, including a lot of red dates. She told her mother, Yun, that the women in the family should eat these red dates regularly to replenish their qi and blood. She didn't send them separately; she told her mother to take her eldest sister's share as well. Fortunately, her newlywed sister-in-law was a nice person and not troublesome.There was no letter from home today. The courier delivered the package to the village a few days ago, and she was about to leave after mailing it.Wen Jing quickly called out to her." Yun Ting, do you need any fabric? My mom works at a textile factory, and she said they have a batch of defective fabric to get rid of, no coupons required," Wen Jing said to her in a low voice."Yes, I want it!""Okay, wait for me a moment, I'll be off work soon, then I'll take you to pick one out.""Okay, I'll wait for you outside!"Yun Ting didn't have to wait long, about ten minutes, before Wen Jing came out and said, "Let's go."Wen Jing took Yun Ting by bike to the textile factory. Their post office closed earlier, so the textile factory was still open.The security guard recognized Wen Jing, so he told him and went in to call for help.A short while later, a woman with short hair and wearing work clothes came out." Yun Ting, this is my mom."Then she turned to her mother and introducedYun Ting." Hello, Auntie.""Hey, Xiaoyun, hello! I've often heard Wen Jingmention you. It's great to finally meet you today. You really are beautiful."" Auntie, you're praising me so much, I'm almost embarrassed, haha...""Alright, Mom, you're still at get off work! Hurry up and take us to pick out some fabric.""Oh dear, I almost forgot about the important matter."Wen Jing's mother greeted the gatekeeper familiarly and led the two of them to the defective fabric warehouse."Come in quickly, the defective fabrics here are the ones the factory didn't pick out. They're not considered regular goods, so you don't need fabric coupons, and they're very cheap!" Wen Jing pulled her along and followed her mother into the warehouse piled with bundles of fabric.The air was filled with the mixed scent of cotton and dye, and rolls of fabric were piled on the shelves against the wall, their colors much more vibrant than those in the Supply and Marketing Cooperative counter.Wen Jing casually pulled out a roll of lake-blue fine cotton fabric, unfolded a corner to show her: "Look at this, there's a light mark about two fingers wide on the side, like it wasn't laid flat when it was dyed. If you cut that off, you won't be able to tell at all when you make a shirt."Yun Ting's fingertips brushed against the fabric; the cotton threads were fine and dense, making it exceptionally comfortable to the touch. She then picked up a pale yellow piece of fabric next to it. The edges of the fabric had a few centimeters of slightly messy weave, but the middle section was smooth and even. "These flaws are so inconspicuous!" she exclaimed."That's right," Wen Jing's mother said with a smile, pulling out a piece of apple-green corduroy. "Look at this one, it only has a few white threads mixed in with the pile, you can't even tell from a distance. It would make a really smart pair of pants. The factory is afraid of ruining their brand, so they don't dare put these kinds of slightly flawed pieces on the shelves. We've got a great deal!"" Auntie, can we have a few more?" Yun Tingasked in a low voice.Seeing this as a rare opportunity, she wanted to pick out several bolts of fabric. She would use some herself, and even if she didn't use them all, they would still be useful. She would also send some home. Although her mother, Yun, also worked in a textile factory, their defective fabrics had really big flaws and weren't as good as these."Okay, but don't tell anyone when you go out! You choose, Auntie is going to work now."Yun Ting nodded, and she began to carefully select her items.Yun Ting picked out only fine cotton fabrics, in several colors, and also took a piece of corduroy.Wen Jing helped put the selected bolts of fine cotton cloth together and greeted the warehouse manager familiarly: "Uncle Zhang, can you weigh these pieces?"Uncle Zhang weighed each piece one by one with an old scale, noting the numbers in his notebook as he muttered, "This lake blue piece weighs three jin and seven liang, the yellow one weighs two jin and nine liang, and this moon white one weighs four jin..." He then looked up and announced the numbers, "They are all fine cotton cloth. Those with defects are priced at eight cents per foot. These pieces together cost five yuan and twenty-six cents."Uncle Zhang then picked up the corduroy and hung it on the scale. The weight slid and came to a stop. He glanced at the scale and said, "The corduroy is thick. Even though it has flaws, it still has to be counted as one cent per foot. This piece weighs two and six ounces, which is three dollars and twelve cents. Together with the previous one, it's eight dollars and thirty-eight cents."Yun Ting held the heavy roll of fabric, its substantial weight making her arms feel slightly heavy, but her heart was filled with joy—she had bought nearly seven lengths of fabric for just over five yuan, enough to make three or four shirts with some scraps left over. It was much more cost-effective than carefully calculating and using fabric coupons. And the corduroy had such a solid texture; you could tell it was durable just by touching it. These minor flaws were simply insignificant compared to the affordable price. This bargain was definitely worth it."Uncle Zhang, here, this is the money, thank you."Wen Jing picked out two pieces, then stopped looking, paid, and the two left." Wen Jing, thank you so much, Auntie! These fabrics are half the price of those from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative!""Hey... don't be so polite. You always bring me things, don't you?""Let's go to State-run Restaurant, it's my treat today," Yun Ting said generously."No need, right? I'll eat at home, so don't bother.""Come on! I'm serious, I'm not kidding."Seeing that she was determined, Wen Jing could only follow her on her bicycle, but she felt that Yun Ting was riding her bicycle in a curved path.Yun Ting felt that the 26-inch bike was just right for her, preventing her from falling. She felt she was riding very steadily, thankful that there were few cars on the road these days, otherwise her riding skills would have been truly worrying.When they arrived at State-run Restaurant, it was packed with people, mostly educated youth. Yun Ting greeted several familiar faces and then led Wen Jing to a table to sit down.The glass counter at State-run Restaurantdisplays a sign indicating what's available today, written clearly in red: braised pork (80 cents a serving, meat coupon 1 ounce), stir-fried greens (20 cents a serving), scrambled eggs with tomatoes (40 cents a serving), radish stew with vermicelli (30 cents a serving), egg drop soup, and staple foods: steamed buns, rice, and corn cakes." Yun Ting, there are only two of us, so don't order too much. Just two steamed buns and two dishes will be fine."Yun Ting didn't hesitate and ordered the food from the waiter: "One order of braised pork, one plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes, two steamed buns, and two bowls of egg drop soup." At the same time, she counted out the money and handed it to the waiter.The waiter wrote it down in his notebook and called out, " One order of braised pork and one plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes!" The sound of stir-frying came from the kitchen, mingling with the aroma of the restaurant's food, making the two who had just bought the fabric suddenly feel hungry.The food was ready in no time. At this point, you have to go to the window to get it yourself. There's no such thing as a customer being treated like royalty."Xiao Yun..." Just as Yun Ting was engrossed in eating, a voice came from behind her.