Divorced woman with child travels through time

Chen Wenfang put the child down and greeted Uncle Liu Hai. Aunt Liu smiled and introduced them to Chen Wenfang, "This is Uncle Tian, ​​Aunt Tian, ​​you met them at the market last time, and this is Aunt Lanhua. They go to the market whenever there is one, and usually sell straw sandals in the neighboring villages. They just happened to come to Wangjiazhuang this time."

Chen Wenfang greeted everyone with a smile. Aunt Lanhua laughed and said, "Mrs. Chen is really beautiful. No wonder she is so smart and knows how to make herbs."

Chen Wenfang smiled and said, "Aunt Lanhua is beautiful too. Aunt Liu said that the handkerchiefs you embroider are particularly outstanding."

Aunt Liu glanced at Chen Wenfang and thought to herself, "When did I ever tell you that?"

Chen Wenfang smiled at Aunt Liu, meaning, "I know even if you don't say it."

Aunt Lan Hua gave a wry smile and said, "It must have been Cuihua who told you. Her eyesight was good a couple of years ago, and the embroidery she made was really good. But these past two years, has she been working too hard and her eyesight is failing? The handkerchiefs she embroidered aren't selling as well anymore."

Chen Wenfang comforted him, "It will all pass, don't worry." Then she changed the subject and asked Uncle Tian, ​​"Where are your straw sandals? I'd like to pick out a few pairs."

Uncle Tian smiled and replied, "Okay, okay, it's in the side room next door. I'll go pick it out."

Uncle Tian brought over some straw sandals, and Chen Wenfang squatted down to examine them closely. The straw sandals were very finely woven, smooth and dense, without any burrs, and were made of wheat straw.

Chen Wenfang praised, "Uncle Tian, ​​your straw sandals are really well woven. The ones I'm wearing are ones I bought on a whim when I first went to the market, and they're not as well made as yours. They even have some rough edges."

Uncle Tian smiled and said, "This is a family heirloom. My father was also a straw sandal weaver, so naturally it's better than others'."

Aunt Tian also laughed and said, "That's true. When I married into the family, he wasn't as good at weaving shoes. After my father passed away, the family relied on him, and he started weaving shoes much better."

Chen Wenfang laughed, "Uncle Tian's craftsmanship is really good. I'll take two large pairs and two small pairs. Do you have any slippers?"

Uncle Tian looked at Aunt Tian, ​​then at Lan Hua, then at Uncle Liu Hai and Aunt Liu, and after looking around, asked in a puzzled voice, "What are slippers?"

Chen Wenfang said with a smile, "Slippers, they're the kind of shoes without a heel, so they're easy to drag around in."

"Haha, there really are shoes that drag on your feet," Uncle Liu Hai laughed.

"Wearing shoes while walking? This is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing," Uncle Tian said with a laugh.

"I've never seen slippers before," Aunt Liu said with a laugh.

Aunt Lan Hua smiled and said softly, "Could it be wooden clogs? I once met one at the home of a wealthy merchant's wife with the embroiderer."

Chen Wenfang laughed and said, "Similar to that, your straw sandals only cost five copper coins a pair, but if you make them more exquisite, wouldn't it be easier to make money selling them to rich people?"

Aunt Lan Hua's eyes lit up, and she said, "Father, I think what Madam Chen said makes sense. Wealthy families don't care about the price, they only care about the exquisite workmanship."

Uncle Tian said with difficulty, "But I don't know how to knit slippers."

Chen Wenfang said, "Once you understand one thing, you understand everything. Look at your straw sandals." Pointing to the thin rope in front of the sandals, she said, "Isn't it supposed to come out from the front? Leave the front open and hook it out from the middle, making sure the middle section is complete. Leave the front of the foot open and the back open, and that's it."

Uncle Tian smiled sheepishly, "It's that simple? Won't it fall off while wearing it?"

Chen Wenfang smiled and said, "Don't hook the middle too big, just your normal shoe size is fine."

Uncle Tian turned to Aunt Liu and asked, "Do you have any wheat straw at home? I'll try it now."

Aunt Liu said, half-laughing and half-crying, "I'll have to look for it; we hardly have any wheat straw at home."

Chen Wenfang laughed and said, "Why don't you try taking the ropes off two pairs of straw sandals and weaving them onto one pair?"

Uncle Tian nodded and said, "That makes sense. Madam Chen is indeed clever." After saying that, he immediately began to take apart the straw sandals. His hands were as skillful as a kingfisher, flitting up and down, which was very pleasing to the eye.

Soon, the ropes from the uppers of two pairs of straw sandals were removed, and then, as Chen Wenfang had instructed, they were woven into the middle of the sandals. They were quickly finished. The result was a simple yet aesthetically pleasing design. This modification gave the straw sandals a rather modern feel.

Uncle Tian said with a smile, "Madam Chen, why don't you give it a try?"

Chen Wenfang didn't mind, so she took off her straw sandals and tried them on. Because she was wearing loose socks, they didn't look very good together.

Then he said to Uncle Liu Hai, "Uncle Liu, why don't you give it a try?"

Uncle Liu Hai took off his cloth shoes, put them on, took a few steps, and laughed, "Hey, I must say, these are really comfortable to wear. They're very convenient to wear at home."

Uncle Tian hurriedly took off his straw sandals and said, "Let me try them on too." Uncle Liu then took them off and gave them to him.

"It's definitely much more comfortable without shoelaces." After running a few steps, she said, "It's just a little inconvenient to run, but brisk walking is fine."

Chen Wenfang laughed and said, "That's easy. Just take a straw rope from the front of the shoe where your big toe rests, then cut it in half and tie it to the middle of the back half of the shoe. Use your toe to hold it in place, and it won't easily fall off."

Uncle Tian said, "It wouldn't be good to take these shoes apart any longer. I'll try them on when I get back. But these slippers are really comfortable to wear. It's like not wearing anything at all."

Everyone looked at each other and smiled; it seemed the deal was done.

Tian Bo said to Chen Wenfang with great gratitude, "Madam Chen, I can't thank you enough. How about this, from now on, for every pair of slippers I sell, I'll give you two coins. What do you think?"

Chen Wenfang smiled and shook her head, saying, "That won't do. Your family and Aunt Liu are relatives, so they are my family too. Besides, I'm just offering suggestions and talking; how could I possibly ask for your money?"

Tian Bo insisted, "No, without Madam Chen's idea, how could I make such comfortable shoes?"

Chen Wenfang laughed and said, "Uncle Tian, ​​you should make more slippers next time you go to the market. These slippers are easy to make, and I reckon people will copy them by then. It's not too late to talk about this after you've made some money."

Uncle Tian felt that Chen Wenfang's words made sense, so he stood up, said goodbye to everyone, and said he was going home to weave slippers.