Free Web NovelChapter 20: Chapter 20: Knit for Tang Yuanxiao Too?
Little Tang Mo’s tiger-head hat was cute, but it wasn’t warm enough and was also too small. Su Li had been wanting to find a warm hat for him to wear, but there were none at home. freēwebnovel.com
For the past couple of days, Su Li had been feeling a bit guilty, worried that Little Tang Mo might catch a cold. That was why she couldn’t tear herself away when she saw the yarn.
After some consideration, she picked out blue and green yarn. Well, to say she "picked and chose" was an exaggeration. In this era, there weren’t many colors of yarn available—only red, green, and blue.
The blue was for knitting a hat for Little Tang Mo, and with the leftovers, she could also make him an outfit. The green yarn was for herself.
Ready-made clothes were scarce in this era, and in Su Li’s opinion, they were genuinely ugly and shapeless. It was far better to buy yarn and knit something herself.
She was quite skilled with her hands. In her previous life, she had specifically taken on knitting jobs to make money—making clothes, scarves, hats, and shoes. She’d done a lot of it and knew many different stitches and patterns.
Knitting a hat and a sweater was something she could do with ease; for her, it couldn’t be simpler.
Since it was still early in the evening, Su Li started knitting Little Tang Mo’s hat by the light of the kerosene lamp.
An hour and a half later, Su Li was finished. She smiled as she looked at the small, adorable hat in her hands, imagining Little Tang Mo wearing it.
The hat was done, but it was still early. Su Li thought for a moment, and then, on a whim, decided to go all the way. She spent the next three hours knitting a small sweater.
By the time she finished the sweater, it was already past midnight. Her hands ached terribly, and the kerosene in the lamp had burned out.
Su Li rubbed her sore eyes and neck, shook out her hands, and fell straight to sleep.
The next day, Su Li woke up a little late. Mrs. Tang was already busy with chores. When Su Li opened her door, she was unsurprised to see Little Tang Mo immediately patter up to her. "Mama, you’re awake."
Su Li: "...Mhm. Morning."
Having to face Little Tang Mo’s "Mama" greetings and adoring gaze every morning stirred up complex feelings in Su Li that were beyond words.
Feigning casualness, Su Li pulled the hat and sweater from behind her back and handed them to Little Tang Mo. "Try these on."
"What’s this?" Little Tang Mo asked, taking them with a curious look.
"A hat and an outfit. Wear the hat, and your head won’t be cold," Su Li explained. She took off his old tiger-head hat and placed the new one on his head. Seeing his round, curious, excited eyes, she couldn’t help but smile, tapping the tip of the hat. "It’s cute."
Little Tang Mo turned his head from side to side. "Mama, is this for me? Did you buy it?"
"No, I knitted it. There’s an outfit, too. Try it on and see if it fits..." Just as Su Li was speaking, Mrs. Tang entered the courtyard and let out a gasp of surprise the moment she saw Little Tang Mo.
"Grandma, do you like my hat? Mama knitted it for me!" Little Tang Mo ran over, swinging the sweater, his little face flushed with excitement.
"It’s lovely, absolutely lovely." Mrs. Tang couldn’t tear her eyes away from Little Tang Mo’s face. "Su Li, you’re so capable! I didn’t know you could knit hats."
"There’s a sweater, too! A sweater!" Little Tang Mo shoved the garment into Mrs. Tang’s hands. "Grandma, help me put it on."
Mrs. Tang took the sweater, and her face lit up as she unfolded it. "Oh my goodness, this is so beautiful! I’ve never seen anything like it! Heavens... Su Li, you’re so talented! To think you could knit such a gorgeous sweater!"
Most clothes from this era were unattractive, children’s clothing included. They were usually wide and baggy, and a knitted sweater was a rare find. Su Li’s knitting technique wasn’t overly complex, but a sweater this well-fitting and beautiful was simply unheard of at the time. freēwebnovel.com
Mrs. Tang held the tiny sweater, unable to put it down. She turned it over and over, completely mesmerized by how unique it was, her eyes wide.
This made Little Tang Mo frantic. Mrs. Tang was holding the sweater up, and he couldn’t reach it. "Grandma, help me put it on! I want to wear it! Mama gave it to me..."
The sight of Little Tang Mo eagerly tugging on Mrs. Tang’s hem, standing on his tiptoes trying to reach the sweater... it was just too adorable. Watching him, Su Li spoke on impulse.
"Little Mo, don’t worry. If you like it, I’ll knit more for you later."
"Okay!" Little Tang Mo’s reply was wonderfully crisp.
Mrs. Tang beamed, unable to close her mouth. She carefully helped Tang Mo put on the sweater. "Oh, my dear grandson, you look so handsome."
For once, Su Li silently agreed. ’He really does look good. So adorable he could conquer the world, so handsome he could pierce the heavens.’
Little Tang Mo could sense it himself, and he was ecstatic. He jumped up and down twice with excitement, then charged toward Su Li like a little cannonball.
"Mama, Mama!" His voice was filled with pure excitement as he hugged her leg, repeating her name to express his sheer joy.
Su Li steadied herself and looked down at Little Tang Mo. "It’s just an outfit. Is there any need to be this happy?"
Little Tang Mo thought there was, and so did Mrs. Tang. Beaming, she walked over and looked at Su Li with affection. "Su Li, thank you for all your hard work."
She was grinning from ear to ear. Su Li gave a faint smile in return. "It was no trouble."
"Su Li, how much yarn did you buy?" Mrs. Tang loved the sweater so much that she couldn’t help but ask, her face full of hope.
In the past, no matter what Su Li bought, she would never forget to get something for Mrs. Tang. So, Mrs. Tang waited with a hopeful expression, expecting a pleasant surprise.
Unfortunately, she was doomed to be disappointed this time.
Su Li had never considered buying any yarn for Mrs. Tang, nor had she ever thought of knitting anything for her.
"Not much. Why?" Su Li replied nonchalantly, straightening Little Tang Mo’s sweater.
"Oh... no reason. I was just asking." Mrs. Tang tried to hide the shock and disappointment on her face, but no matter how hard she tried, traces of it still lingered.
Su Li saw it all clearly from the corner of her eye. A flicker of mockery crossed her gaze, but she said nothing.
Mrs. Tang looked at Su Li, who suddenly seemed so much more like a stranger. After a long moment, she forced a smile and asked brightly, "Su Li, when will Tangyuan’s be ready? Could you perhaps knit his first? Once it’s done, it still has to be mailed, and that takes several days."
The Tangyuan Mrs. Tang spoke of... was Tang Yuanxiao. It was his unique nickname.
Tang Yuanxiao was born on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the day of the Lantern Festival. Thus, his formal name was Tang Yuanxiao, and his nickname was Tangyuan.
It had been a very, very long time since Su Li had heard the nickname ’Tangyuan’—a name so utterly ill-fitting for Tang Yuanxiao’s actual personality. Hearing it again felt like a lifetime had passed.
But she had no time to mock the name. She stared at Mrs. Tang in utter astonishment. "What?"
’She wants me to knit a sweater for Tang Yuanxiao? Impossible! Is she dreaming, or have I gone crazy?’
"What do you mean, ’what’?" Mrs. Tang chided. "Now that Little Tang Mo’s is finished, you have to knit one for Tangyuan. Don’t tell me you didn’t buy any yarn for him." To her, it was only natural. It was understandable that she herself didn’t get anything, but if Little Tang Mo had something, Tang Yuanxiao absolutely had to have one as well.
Tang Yuanxiao was Su Li’s husband, after all!
Mrs. Tang smiled, waiting for Su Li to look flustered or shy.
She waited and waited, but all she saw on Su Li’s face was a bizarre, unreadable expression. Then, she heard Su Li’s reply, "I didn’t."
Mrs. Tang’s expression froze, and her voice suddenly shot up. "You didn’t buy any for Tangyuan?"
