In the book, I was fed by my sister

"Wait a minute, girl."

As soon as the two of them went out, the old aunt hurriedly followed them.

"I forgot to give you the key. The door is locked. It will be safe for you two girls to live in my house." As she said that, she handed the key to Song Ran.

Song Ran took the key and said, "Aunt, I see that your other room also looks like a makeshift bed. How many groups of people are you going to pick up tonight?"

"There are only two rooms, don't worry. We are close to the government office, no one dares to cause trouble."

"Well, that's good. Auntie, I'll go around here and buy some things to put back. You'll be home this afternoon, right?"

My aunt nodded and said, "I won't go out. I'm going to stay home and prepare food for the evening stall."

The two walked to the Central Street in the south of the city. The street was wide, with shops densely lined on both sides. From morning to night, there were people coming and going, and traffic was heavy.

There are all kinds of shops, selling silk, porcelain, and various snacks. The variety of goods is dazzling.

The cobblestone pavement on the street has been polished smooth by the constant flow of people.

The cries of hawkers along the street blend with the laughter and bargaining of customers. The air is filled with the aroma of various snacks, making people salivate.

Several fabric stores were close together, and many people were gathered in front of each store to choose fabrics. Song Ran took Xiaomei's hand and walked into the store with the most people.

The shop owner was an enthusiastic lady who was busy looking at the account book. When she saw a new customer coming in, she immediately stopped her work and greeted her warmly: "Girl, please take a look. The fabrics here are clearly marked with prices. If you have any questions, feel free to call me!"

Song Ran liked to watch it by herself. She hated the feeling of being surrounded by shop assistants as soon as she entered the store.

The price of cotton cloth ranged from four hundred to five hundred wen per batch, while those with embroidery were slightly more expensive.

Song Ran planned to use cotton cloth to make underwear for her younger sister, so she chose cotton cloth of plain color.

Linen is cheaper, costing only two to three hundred coins per piece, and is usually plain in color.

"What color do you like to wear, little darling?"

"This one." Song Li pointed to a light blue one.

"This color looks good on a top. I'll pick a light brown one for below."

A piece of cloth is very heavy, and when rolled up, it can easily make six or seven shirts. Children grow fast, so we make them in larger sizes, and then close the stitches when they are done. When they grow taller, we can make them in larger sizes.

It’s fine to wear the same piece of clothing until you’re in your teens.

One bolt of cloth is just enough to make six tops for my younger sister, two each for summer, spring and winter. Less fabric is wasted on skirts. My younger sister makes six skirts, and the remaining fabric is enough to make a skirt for herself.

After Song Ran selected the fabric, he called the boss over and said, "Boss, I've picked out the fabric. I want two pieces of linen and one piece of cotton."

"coming!"

The boss calculated the price skillfully: "The linen is 270 yuan per piece, and this piece of cotton cloth is 470 yuan per piece, which adds up to 1,010 coins. Girl, I will round off the decimal for you, and you only need to give me one or two taels of silver."

Song Ran took out a tael of silver and handed it to the boss.

After the boss took the silver, he began to wrap the cloth carefully. She asked, "Girl, are you going to make the clothes yourself at home, or do you want someone to do it for you?"

"Is there anyone who does needlework around here?"

"Yes! Go further into that alley, and there are several ladies who can help you make it. The clothes are 40 cents a set, and the scraps of fabric left over can be used to make the uppers for free. If you give her the soles, she can even help you sew them."

Song Ran was delighted. This saved her a lot of trouble. She was not good at needlework. She could embroider a simple flower, but if she wanted to make clothes, the stitches would have to be very thick.

After leaving the fabric store, the two went to the alley, which was full of family workshops, with mothers-in-law, daughters-in-law and even old men all working together.

Seeing someone entering the alley, someone greeted them.

Song Ran passed by the shop at the entrance of the alley and saw the cloth piled up inside. He thought it would take an unknown amount of time for the cloth to be sold out if it continued to be lined up.

She continued to go deeper into the alley, and gradually, it became deserted. Song Ran entered a shop and looked at the samples of clothes hanging on the wall, with delicate stitching.

Aunt Feng was sewing clothes. When she saw Song Ran, she raised her head and asked, "Miss, do you want to make clothes?"

"Make six sets of clothes."

After hearing this, Aunt Feng put down the work in her hands, took a piece of rope and a wooden ruler and walked over.

"Girl, are these clothes made for adults or children?" asked Aunt Feng.

"For children." Song Ran replied.

"Okay, what about the reel?"

"need."

"Then I'll measure your size and make it smaller when the time comes." Aunt Feng said as she began to measure Song Ran.

Song Li, who was standing by, realized at this moment that the three pieces of cloth her sister had bought were all for making clothes for her. "Sister, make some clothes for yourself too."

"I have something to wear."

After taking note of the measurements, Aunt Feng began to ask Song Ran about the style and quantity of clothes he wanted to make, "How many tops and skirts do you plan to make?"

"How much does it cost to make one here?"

"Summer clothes are 30 cents a set, and autumn and winter clothes are 40 cents a set. If you want to make winter clothes, you have to tell me in advance how thick the cotton should be."

"Two sets of summer clothes, two sets of autumn clothes, and two sets of winter clothes. Is there enough fabric?"

"There's enough fabric for the top, and there's still some left over for the skirt."

Song Ran nodded, agreeing with her estimate. "Then make me another skirt."

"Okay, I've got it all written down. I have cotton here, why don't you buy it from me? I won't charge you more. If you're worried, you can go to the market and have a look."

"How much is a pound of cotton now?"

"One pound of cotton is enough for two sets of winter clothes. One pound costs one hundred and fifty coins, and I need another half a pound to make a thinner autumn coat and a thicker autumn coat."

Song Ran calculated in her mind. The price was slightly higher than when she went to the market to buy quilts last year. "Okay, I'll buy it from you."

The lady handed the sign to Song Ran and said, "Girl, keep the sign. Come back in ten days or so to pick it up. Do you plan to take the remaining fabric back or something?"

"I heard you can make shoe uppers for free?"

"Sure, what size shoes do you want?"

"For this child's shoes, gradually add an inch higher, and make as many as you can."

The money for the work will be paid after the clothes are finished. Song Ran returned to the small courtyard holding the cotton cloth.

She found that someone had already moved into the house opposite, but the door was closed and she couldn't see whether it was a man or a woman.

He put the cloth back into the room, locked the door and went out.

The moonlight is like a silk thread, the stars are twinkling, the Milky Way stretches across the sky, and the streets are brightly lit and bustling.

Hawkers set up a variety of stalls, selling exquisite handicrafts and sweet cakes. The air was filled with the aroma of sweets and barbecued meats, making people salivate.

Several people met in front of Grandma Gu’s stall.

Grandma Gu said, "I am selling lanterns here, you young people can go and look around."

The three of them walked towards the market, with their feet close together and shoulders to shoulders. Unlike Song Ran and the other two who walked carefully, holding their stomachs, Su Xiaoxiao seemed very free and easy.

Song Ran had warned them to be careful of pickpockets, but Su Xiaoxiao waved her hand and said, "It's okay."

"There are lantern riddles here. Come quickly. You can get a lantern for free if you solve the riddle." Su Xiaoxiao waved to Song Ran and the others and said loudly.