Chapter Thirty-Six: Superior Leather Knee Guards

When the family arrived, Zhang Huacheng was still filtering wolf oil into a jar.

"Second Brother, Mother is here!" Little Ya ran in, shouting.

Little Ya, who had been about to run back out, caught sight of the wolf oil cracklings on a plate. She leaned in eagerly and wrapped her arms around Zhang Huacheng’s leg.

"Second Brother~"

"Go ahead and have a piece." Zhang Huacheng looked down; the little girl was such a glutton.

Little Ya happily picked out a large piece, then skipped out to play.

In the courtyard, Zhang Huchen was running his hands over the flatbed cart, unable to put it down. Now that their family owned a cart, they wouldn't have to feel the sting of spending a few meager coins to rent one from the production brigade whenever they needed it.

Wang Lin pulled Hua Ling into the house to look at the vanishing cream.

"Where is Mother?" Zhang Huacheng asked after finishing with the wolf oil and wiping his hands.

"She's outside looking at the flatbed cart. Big Brother is here too. I'll go call them." Hua Ling ran out giggling, clutching a jar of vanishing cream like it was a great treasure.

Soon, their mother was brought into the room. She stood stunned for quite a while upon seeing the cloth and cotton on the kang; she had never seen so much in her entire life. Even the eldest brother, who followed her in, was dumbfounded.

"Huacheng, why is there so much cloth and cotton?" Their mother couldn't help but reach out and touch the cotton fabric. Most of it was high-quality plaid and printed cotton.

In the 1960s, cotton was the standard, ranging from coarse homespun and twill to poplin and corduroy. However, color choices were limited by the era, favoring muted tones; printed and plaid fabrics were both practical and attractive.

"Take all of this back later. Make new cotton-padded clothes for Linlin, Hualing, and Little Ya, as well as for Dabao and Xiaobao. This old black cloth is for making cotton shoes, and there is plenty of cotton here—make a pair for everyone in the family." Zhang Huacheng brought over a roll of black leather, used for making shoe soles. Everyone in the family would have some, including Tie Zhu’s younger siblings.

"Mother, there is also a big rooster!" Little Ya ran over and brought the rooster that had been tied up in the corner. She wasn't afraid of being pecked, and she shoved it into her mother’s arms like she was offering a treasure.

"Why buy this? What are we supposed to feed it in the dead of winter?" Their mother hurriedly took it, looking at the bound rooster in bewilderment. Where would one find grain to feed a chicken in the middle of winter?

Zhang Huchen wandered around the house, his eyes widening from time to time. The home was filled with things he never dared to imagine. When he saw the wolf skin and the Type 38 rifle hanging in the adjacent room, he understood where all these things had come from.

Poaching! Huacheng had actually gone into the mountains!

"Brother, take this piece of leather back. Have Sister-in-law sew two pairs of leg guards for Father, and make a pair of cotton-padded trousers so that Father can get off the kang this winter." Zhang Huacheng took out a wild boar hide; it was more than enough for two pairs of knee pads.

"Oh, oh, okay." Zhang Huchen’s heart skipped a beat. He recognized it—it was wild boar hide. Adult wild boars in the mountains were so ferocious that even wolf packs would give them a wide berth.

"Will Sister-in-law say anything?" Zhang Huacheng asked after a moment of thought.

"She won't say anything," Zhang Huchen shook his head, very certain. "Even though your sister-in-law is from the Chen family, she is married into our family now. She understands better than anyone that looking after our own home is what matters most; otherwise, she wouldn't have helped you hide things last time." He knew what his younger brother was worried about.

Hearing this, Zhang Huacheng was completely relieved and began taking out more items.

"This vanishing cream and the red hair ribbons are for Sister-in-law. There are also needles, thread, and this washbasin. Take these two packs of peach blossom cakes back for Dabao and Xiaobao to eat." Zhang Huacheng decided that as soon as he earned more money, he would buy a sewing machine for his eldest sister-in-law. It would make making clothes and shoes much more convenient.

His sister-in-law was a top-tier seamstress, famous throughout the brigade. She had learned the craft from her grandmother since she was a child and had often used her skills to supplement the family income since marrying into the Zhang family. This was also why the Chen family had often berated her.

"Huacheng, it’s best to keep things hidden and only take them out when you need them," their mother whispered as they were leaving, gesturing toward the Chen Youde family next door.

"I know."