Chapter 117: Buying Fabric to Make New Clothes

Chapter 117: Chapter 117: Buying Fabric to Make New Clothes

Yun Zhen walked back to her dormitory. The closer she got, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. A murder had occurred the previous night, and the killer—a madman—was still at large. Everyone was on edge, terrified of becoming the next victim. Today, Yun Zhen returned to her dorm unusually early. Normally, she would make a round of purchases at the farmer’s market and the flea market before piling the goods in an empty alley. Unfortunately, since the murder happened in that very alley, government officers had already locked it down.

DING!

Her phone suddenly chimed. Yun Zhen unlocked it and saw a message from Brother Zhao: *Go back to your dorm early after work these days. Absolutely do not wander around outside, especially near the farmer’s market and flea market.*

Below his message was a link to a news bulletin: *After brutally murdering a victim, a man with Supermale Syndrome has fled the scene. The police have yet to find any trace of the suspect. Citizens are advised to avoid going out at night and to travel with companions during the day.*

Yun Zhen had no intention of going out at night anyway. She was always one to listen to good advice.

"I understand, Brother Zhao. I’ll definitely head back early," she replied.

GRUMBLE.

For the past two days, she had been eating mutton and beef offal soup back in the village and hadn’t visited the cafeteria. Today, she decided to go see if there was anything good to eat.

"Yun Zhen, how come you haven’t been eating at the cafeteria these past two days?" the cafeteria lady asked with a smile.

"I’ve been eating out," Yun Zhen replied vaguely.

Knowing that Yun Zhen was working part-time and had a bit of money to spend on the better food outside, the lady didn’t think much of it. Instead, she warned, "I heard someone died near our facility. The police are doing everything they can to catch the killer. They say the suspect has Supermale Syndrome and isn’t quite like normal people. For safety’s sake, you should eat in your dorm until he’s caught. Don’t go wandering outside."

Knowing the woman meant well, Yun Zhen nodded. "Thank you for the warning. I’ll keep that in mind."

The cafeteria lady smiled and handed over her food.

After finishing her meal, Yun Zhen took a stroll inside the residential compound. She wandered around the vegetable stalls for a long while before finally spotting some corn.

"Excuse me, how much is the corn?" she asked the vendor.

The vendor listed his prices. "Depends on how much you want. If you’re just buying a few ears, it’s one yuan and fifty cents each. If you buy over fifty catties, it’s one yuan and twenty cents a catty. Over a hundred catties, it drops to one yuan. And if you buy over two hundred catties, it’s only ninety cents a catty.

"My sticky corn is top quality! Once it’s boiled, it tastes sweeter than a cream cake. It’s soft and chewy—the elderly and kids all love it. Whenever folks come to buy my corn, they always take at least fifty catties.

"Even if you can’t finish it, just toss it in the fridge. It won’t go bad."

After praising his own produce, the vendor flashed a thumbs-up. Convinced by his eloquent pitch, Yun Zhen decided to buy some.

"How many ears are in a hundred catties?" she asked. Thinking of the large population back in the village, she knew a small amount wouldn’t be enough to go around. She picked up an ear of corn to test its weight; it was a little less than two catties.

"The prices I just gave you are for medium and large ears," the vendor replied after a moment of thought. "For medium ears, a hundred catties is roughly sixty to seventy ears, definitely no more than seventy-five. For large ears, it’s about fifty to sixty, no more than sixty-five."

As far as Yun Zhen was concerned, large ears were the obvious choice because they were more filling. However, she recalled that the cafeteria usually served medium-sized corn.

"Which ones are sweeter, the medium or the large?" she asked.

"They’re about the same. They all grew in the same field, so they’re equally soft, sticky, and sweet. If the taste were different, I’d price them differently," the vendor explained.

After mulling it over, Yun Zhen decided to go with the large ears. "I’ll take two hundred catties of the large corn."

"You got it! Let me weigh them for you." The vendor dragged over a large scale, hauled two heavy sacks of corn, and dropped them onto it. Pointing at the digital display, he said, "There you go, miss. Two hundred catties." He then untied the sacks. "All large ears."

Yun Zhen did some quick mental math. Two sacks of corn amounted to a hundred and twenty ears at most. Including herself, there were exactly one hundred and thirty people in the village. One ear per person wouldn’t be enough.

Bracing herself, she asked cheekily, "Sir, since I’m buying two hundred catties, could you throw in a few extra ears for free? I promise I’ll come back and buy more from you in the future."

The vendor paused for a moment before waving his hand. "Alright, alright. I’ll give you twenty medium ears on the house."

He picked out twenty ears from his stall. "These have been sitting here for five or six days, but they’re still fresh. They’ll be just as sweet once boiled."

"Thank you!" Yun Zhen smiled brightly. Those twenty medium ears would be perfect for the children under five.

The vendor grabbed a large bag, packed the twenty medium ears inside, and grunted with effort as he heaved the two hundred catties of large corn into her cart. Having a cart was incredibly convenient. Pushing hundreds of catties of corn, Yun Zhen barely felt the weight.

"Two hundred yuan received," the payment app announced.

This was Yun Zhen’s first time paying by scanning a QR code. Once again, she marvelled at the sheer convenience of this world. With her corn secured, she pushed the cart, ready to head back.

At a nearby street stall, a "talking clock" was blaring non-stop. Thanks to Sister-in-law Liu and Li Mei, Yun Zhen knew this device was actually called a loudspeaker.

The speaker’s volume was so loud it echoed through the entire compound: "Special clearance on factory fabrics! Lower than wholesale prices! Pure cotton fabric for five yuan a meter, knitted cotton for eight yuan a meter, and imitation silk satin for ten yuan a meter! Come take a look, come buy! Quantities are limited—first come, first served!"

Fabric?

Currently, the only new clothes the villagers possessed were the single set she had previously bought for them. Everything else they wore was old, drab, coarse garments. From a distance, she could see that the fabrics on the stall were brightly colored with a wide variety of patterns.

Yun Zhen was tempted. There were plenty of people in the village who knew how to sew. Instead of spending a fortune buying ready-made clothes, it would be much better to buy a pile of vibrant cotton fabric and let the skilled seamstresses make new clothes for everyone. The New Year was less than a month away. She could have a couple of new outfits made for everyone in the village to celebrate.

She mentally calculated her funds. Excluding the twenty-two yuan in her payment app and fifty yuan in cash, and subtracting the two hundred yuan she had just spent on corn, she still had 135,400 yuan in her bank card!

A customer was asking the stall owner, "How’s the quality of this fabric? Can it be used to make dresses?"

The owner unrolled a bolt of bright purple cotton printed with butterflies and cherry blossoms. "The quality is outstanding! Just look at this color and feel the texture. No matter how hard you pull or crumple it, it won’t run or wrinkle. It’s not just good enough for ordinary dresses—you could even use it to make a cheongsam!"

Another person voiced their doubts. "Are these fabrics really straight from the manufacturer? You didn’t just buy some old scrap material for cheap, wash it, and try to resell it to us, did you?"

The owner instantly became defensive. "These are brand new fabrics! My family runs a dedicated cloth factory. It’s only a twenty-minute drive from Sister Zhang’s charity organization. It’s called the Mei Fang Cloth Factory.

"My own older sister, Zhao Meifang, opened the factory!

"I specifically handle the clearance of unsold stock for her before the New Year."

Sounding reliable enough to Yun Zhen, she stepped forward and felt the material. The cotton was delicate and soft, coming in a dazzling array of colors—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple—all with exquisite patterns. Besides the cotton, there was also fabric that gleamed with a faint luster like silk, feeling incredibly smooth to the touch. Another type was a sheer, transparent chiffon, also available in various colors. It felt light and airy draped over her hand and had absolutely no weird chemical smell. It would be perfect for making summer clothes.

She asked the owner, "Is the cotton fabric five yuan a meter?"

"Pure cotton is five yuan a meter, with a width of one hundred and fifty centimeters. I also have this premium knitted cotton for ten yuan a meter, and the imitation silk satin is ten yuan a meter as well. They’re perfect whether you use them to make clothes or tablecloths. Just look at how vibrant these colors are!"

The owner picked out a bolt of pink cotton fabric for her, then pulled out a bolt of goose-yellow knitted cotton that looked richer in texture and more intricate in pattern.

Yun Zhen ran her fingers over it. The patterns didn’t seem to be embroidered on; there were no raised threads or stitching marks. The design blended seamlessly into the fabric.

It was far too exquisite! She had never seen such fine cotton before.

Without a second thought, Yun Zhen decided to buy it.