Chapter 78: Dacron Fabric

After informing the apprentices at the blacksmith’s shop, Zhou Can hoisted the iron plow onto his shoulder and headed toward the nearest field. Liuxing led Guazi and Little Dot, following behind.

On the ridge between the fields, Zhou Can waited a moment before receiving the ox rope from an old man. He then fitted the yoke onto the ox, tied the rope to the plow’s hook, and with a gentle flick of the bamboo whip in his hand, began to plow the field.

At first, he felt a bit anxious, having previously experienced the plow falling apart. But as the iron plow worked its way through the soil, overturning the earth, his worries gradually dissipated. The feeling in his hands was unmistakable: under Liuxing’s supervision, the iron plow was as steady as a mountain. Even when encountering hard stones, it easily sliced through, utterly unlike the old, rickety implements.

The villagers watching from the field’s edge began to shower him with praise, some even giving him a thumbs-up. After all, the difference between the iron plow and the wooden plow was now plain for all to see.

Zhou Can, busy at the plow, found himself both amused and exasperated. Only now did he realize it was best not to care about others’ opinions when making the iron plow. Otherwise, he would drive himself mad. After all, it was these very villagers who had criticized his iron plow before, and now it was these same people singing its praises. It was enough to make one believe in ghosts.

After making five laps around the field and seeing that the iron plow held up, Zhou Can called the ox to a stop, carried the plow up the ridge, and began to clean it.

Seeing this, Liuxing asked, “So, have you mastered the technique for making the iron plow now?”

“Yes,” Zhou Can replied with a sheepish grin.

“In that case, I’ve got some things to take care of, so I’ll be going.” With that, Liuxing turned to leave with Guazi and Little Dot.

“Master, why don’t you stay and have a meal before you go!” Zhou Can, casting aside any sense of embarrassment, shouted after him.

At this, many villagers looked at him as if he were a curiosity, but most of their attention shifted to Liuxing. After all, for Zhou Can to call this young man “Master,” he must have something extraordinary about him.

“No need, maybe next time,” Liuxing called back without turning, ignoring the stares of the villagers. Having lived through this before, he was used to the reactions of curious onlookers.

But Guazi and Little Dot were different. They were quite intrigued by the attention and admired Liuxing even more. It wasn’t until Liuxing walked into the blacksmith’s shop that they hurried to catch up.

For now, Liuxing didn’t leave the black market. He needed to buy tools for making shoes. If possible, he also wanted to get himself some new clothes. Tomorrow, after all, he was going to have dinner at the Donghe police station, and if he didn’t dress well, it would be an embarrassment for Chief Wu.

Unfortunately, after searching for the better part of the day, he couldn’t find a place selling shoemaking tools. He did find a tailor’s shop, but to have clothes made, he’d have to pay a deposit and wait for a custom fitting. In other words, even if he paid now, it would be at least two or three days before he could get any clothes.

After all, in the 1980s, tailor shops were booming. There were more than a dozen people just lined up to pay deposits. Considering this, Liuxing decided to give up. He simply didn’t have the time to waste at the shop. Checking the time on the wall clock, he led Guazi and Little Dot back toward Zhou Can’s blacksmith shop.

He could do without new clothes for now, but he absolutely needed the shoemaking tools. Zhou Can would surely know where to get them, so asking at the blacksmith shop was the best course. Otherwise, if his aunt and elder sister had no tools to use, he’d be the one losing money.

Along the way, he spotted a butcher’s stall and bought four or five pounds of pork belly and three pounds of ribs. He thought about buying some bones for broth, but they didn’t look fresh, so he passed.

Seeing how eagerly Guazi and Little Dot eyed the freshly made sesame flatbreads at a roadside stall, Liuxing bought one for each of them. The crispy, sweet flavor was excellent—far tastier than the machine-made flatbreads he remembered from decades later. To make sure he wouldn’t miss out, he bought another ten in one go.

Guazi and Little Dot cheered, their eyes narrowing with delight as they volunteered to help carry the flatbreads. Liuxing, knowing exactly what the two girls were thinking, handed them over with a smile.

Just as they quickened their pace toward the blacksmith’s shop, Zhou Can came charging out the door, angrily chasing a shirtless boy with a broom. In no time, the two of them—one in pursuit, one fleeing—ended up right in front of Liuxing.

Guazi and Little Dot, startled, quickly hid behind Liuxing.

“What’s going on?” Liuxing couldn’t help but ask, used as he was to Zhou Can’s mood swings.

“This brat wiped off the iron plow template I drew on the ground in the backyard! That was my reference for making plows in the future—now it’s gone! How could I not give him a beating?” Zhou Can tried to chase after the boy again, but Liuxing held him back.

“My good Zhou,” Liuxing said in surprise, “after all the hands-on teaching I gave you, do you still need a drawn template to make an iron plow?”

“What else can I do? What you taught was so complicated, and I haven’t had much schooling. If I don’t copy from a template, how could I learn the technique so quickly?” Zhou Can scratched his head with an embarrassed grin.

Liuxing felt an urge to kick him but, thinking it over, realized he was expecting too much from Zhou Can, given his background and limited education. What seemed simple to Liuxing was actually quite difficult for Zhou Can. After all, the new-style plow was something from decades in the future, and some of the basic techniques, simple as they seemed to him, were likely unsolved problems in the 1980s.

Moreover, as Zhou Can himself said, he hadn’t been to school much, so the technical terms Liuxing used were meaningless to him—like playing music to a cow. The only way for Zhou Can to learn quickly was through the most straightforward, hands-on methods, so he could imitate and practice directly.

With this realization, Liuxing refrained from scolding Zhou Can. Instead, he patted Zhou Can’s shoulder and said, “Never mind. Don’t blame your apprentice for your own shortcomings. I need you to help me with something. Once that’s done, I’ll set aside time to teach you how to make iron plows properly. Is that all right?”

Since he’d accepted Zhou Can’s gifts of tobacco and wine, he had to see things through. Otherwise, people might say he was only in it for the free meals and drinks.

“Of course! Of course!” Zhou Can quickly agreed, seeing how easygoing Liuxing was.

“Take me to buy the cobbler’s tools. Brother Xie helped me get them once, but I don’t know where exactly. And also, the location of Boss Zhong’s grain and oil shop. We’re out of oil at home—I need to buy some vegetable oil.”

Life at home had improved a lot, but they still lacked enough oil. The last batch he bought had all gone to his elder sister. Since he was back at the black market, he’d better stock up.

“All right, follow me,” Zhou Can said, setting aside his broom and leading Liuxing, Guazi, and Little Dot toward the eastern part of the black market.

After passing through a narrow alley, they arrived at a shabby shed. Several rough-looking youths were patrolling the entrance. When they saw Zhou Can and Liuxing approach, they exchanged glances but didn’t interfere.

“Everything sold in here is banned from circulation outside the supply and marketing cooperative. If you get caught, you could end up in jail,” Zhou Can explained in a whisper. “Of course, it’s not as serious as I make it sound. Our Brother Xie has connections, so as long as we don’t openly challenge the cooperative, we’ll be fine.”

“The cobbler’s tools you need—Brother Xie gets them from this shed. They’re not contraband, but nowhere else in HY City sells them,” Zhou Can added.

“Oh!” Liuxing finally understood why Brother Xie had made him wait out on the street last time. This shed was off-limits to the general public. The only reason he and the girls could enter now was because they were known and trusted not to reveal what went on inside.

“Why don’t you wait here? I’ll go get the cobbler’s tools for you,” Zhou Can suggested, noticing the shopkeepers eyeing Liuxing and the girls suspiciously.

“All right, get me five sets. And anything else—White Rabbit candies, biscuits, twisted pastries, laundry soap, and any new clothes suitable for me, my sister, and my niece. Grab a few sets of each for me,” Liuxing said, scanning the shed’s wares. There was a dazzling variety—much more than at the cooperative.

“If you want clothes, it’s best to have them tailored. The sizes here might not fit,” Zhou Can replied, a little troubled. “But everything else is easy. If you’ve got the money, you can buy anything here, and there’s no need to return it.”

“You know I don’t have time to keep coming back. I can’t be running to the black market tailor’s every few days, can I?” Liuxing explained. There was another reason behind his words: everyone in the 1980s knew how busy tailors were. Even with Zhou Can’s help, it would be ten days, maybe half a month, before a custom order was ready—maybe even longer, judging by the crowds. So subconsciously, Liuxing had no intention of going that route. He’d rather buy ready-made clothes. If they were available, he’d buy them; if not, he’d just buy fabric and make them himself at home.

He was quite skilled at sewing before his rebirth, and there was a sewing machine at home. Making a few simple outfits would be no problem at all.

“That’s true. You can’t keep coming here just for a few clothes,” Zhou Can said, checking the time. “Come, follow me, and keep your sister and niece close.”

“Right,” Liuxing replied, picking up Guazi and Little Dot and following Zhou Can.

Soon, they passed through the back door of the shed and arrived at a small bungalow. The worktable inside was piled high with Dacron fabric and some woolen cloth. Clothes of all sorts hung on the walls, their colors much brighter than the usual cotton garments—mostly white, blue, and red, with a few black and purple pieces.

Seeing no one inside, Zhou Can called out, “Auntie Li, are you there?”

“Coming, coming,” answered a middle-aged woman in reading glasses, emerging from the back. She looked at Zhou Can in surprise, then smiled. “What brings you here at this hour? My daughter’s out buying supplies and probably won’t be back for a few days.”

“I’m not here for your daughter—I’ve come to buy clothes,” Zhou Can said, blushing as he pulled Liuxing forward. “See if you’ve got anything that would fit him—give him two sets, money’s no object.

“And for these two little ones as well,” he added, pointing to Guazi and Little Dot.

“Auntie, hello!” Guazi waved energetically.

Little Dot, shy, immediately buried her head in Liuxing’s arms.