Educated Youth in the Countryside: She is the Village's Embroidery Queen!-Chapter 385: Not the Sharpest Tool in the Shed

Chapter 385: Chapter 385: Not the Sharpest Tool in the Shed

Wen Shi’s letter was divided into two parts, with the first part addressed to Wen’s mother.

It mainly expressed his concern for her health, sleep quality, and so on.

He then reminded her to eat and drink well, not to skimp on herself to save money, and not to treat his wife harshly either.

She needs to take good care of herself; otherwise, if she becomes a grandmother, she won’t be able to keep up with the kids.

Wen’s mother read it and found it both amusing and exasperating, venting to Yi Chichi, "I keep saying that his head sometimes really doesn’t work. If he said this to a less understanding mother, she’d scold him for forgetting his mother now that he has a wife, and it could affect in-law relationships."

"That’s because he knows your personality, so he dares to remind you like this."

Wen Shi is just straightforward, not thoughtless; besides, his intelligence is normal.

He does have some know-how when it comes to dealing with in-law relationships.

Wen’s mother realized this, so she stopped complaining and continued reading with Yi Chichi. As she read on, her face turned red, and she handed the letter to Yi Chichi, "The rest is all yours; I won’t read it."

Yi Chichi, having thick skin, was used to Wen Shi’s sweet talk and felt no embarrassment whatsoever.

She took the letter, "Mom, are you sure you won’t read it?"

"I won’t."

The heartfelt expressions of young people are not for her eyes.

"I’m going to make some dumplings."

"Make some with pickled cabbage filling."

"Alright!"

Then, Wen’s mother returned to the kitchen, and Yi Chichi finished reading the letter. She took some paper and started writing a reply.

Halfway through writing, a meowing sound came from the door. She looked up and saw two furry creatures strutting in with their tails up, walking joyfully.

Behind them were Qin Jiu and the brothers Dazhuang and Er Zhuang.

And a little girl named Niu Niu.

This girl really wasn’t shy; she ran right up to Yi Chichi after entering the house, grinning at her.

"Auntie, I’m here at your house to do my homework!"

Yi Chichi responded by giving her a piece of candy, "Write well, I’ll be checking."

The little girl’s smile suddenly faded; she wanted to say she only came back with Brother Xiao Jiu because she didn’t want to do her homework.

"What, you don’t want to do your homework again?"

Yi Chichi knew her too well. Just by looking at her expression, she could tell what was on her mind, so she gave her a stern look.

The little girl got a shiver down her spine and shook her head vigorously, indicating no.

She even solemnly promised she would write well.

However, Yi Chichi didn’t believe her, so she told Qin Jiu and the others, "You all supervise her and make sure she finishes. You can help her with questions, but absolutely don’t do her homework for her. If I find out, I’ll deal with you, understood?"

"Understood!"

The three, overwhelmed by her authority, answered in unison.

Yi Chichi was satisfied with this; she led them to her workspace, which was as warm as spring and felt like a different world compared to the outside.

The kids, full of energy, felt a wave of warmth as they entered.

"So warm."

Dazhuang squinted in contentment, looking thoroughly pleased.

Er Zhuang didn’t say anything but reached for the buttons of his thick coat. Yi Chichi quickly stopped him, "Don’t rush to take it off, wait a bit."

In such a hot-to-cold situation, taking off clothes too quickly isn’t wise; the body needs to adjust first, or it’s easy to catch a cold.

"...Okay."

Er Zhuang obediently complied, pulling his hand back from the buttons and standing with his backpack strap, looking a bit constrained.

Yi Chichi gave Qin Jiu a look, reminding him to take good care of the kids, and then stepped out.

Before she fully left, the group started chatting happily.

Yi Chichi chuckled and silently left. After a few minutes, she returned with shrimp crackers, squid slices, chestnuts, hazelnuts, and other snacks, along with glasses of jam water prepared for each of them.

The jam was made by Wen’s mother using honey and some small red berries, the name of which she didn’t know, but the taste was sweet and sour, quite delicious.

She made ten jars in total, sent three to the elders, gave Uncle Yaozi and his wife two jars, and kept the remaining five for themselves.

Previously, when Liu Lan and the others visited, she used some to entertain them, finishing nearly two jars.

Now there were about two and a half jars left, and Yi Chichi occasionally drank some but typically avoided it since jam water was too sweet for her taste.

But for kids, it was just right.

The jam water Yi Chichi brought in elicited excited cries from Niu Niu and the others.

"This is yummy!"

Niu Niu praised it cheerfully, taking another sip and holding it in her mouth, unwilling to swallow.

The brothers Dazhuang and Er Zhuang had similar reactions.

Qin Jiu tried hard to suppress a smile, "If it’s good, have a bit more, but you still need to do your homework."

"I’ll do it after drinking."

"Alright."

Then the four kids started a tea party, sipping on jam water and munching on shrimp crackers.

Yi Chichi didn’t worry about them; they often came over to do homework and knew their limits.

She didn’t need to monitor them closely, just needed them to call her for a check once they finished their homework.

So, after finishing her reply to Wen Shi, she peeked in on the four kids, heads together, diligently doing their homework before returning to her embroidery work.

When Qin Jiu and the others finished their homework and wanted to find her for a check, they saw her still busy working.

Dazhuang scratched his head, looking at the threads flying in her hands, and whispered, "Auntie is embroidering, should we call her?"

"No, don’t."

Qin Jiu shook his head, "My aunt gets very absorbed in her work. Let’s not disturb her. We can go play outside for a bit. She’ll probably take a break soon to rest her eyes."

The Dazhuang brothers had no objections, but Niu Niu didn’t want to go; it was too cold outside, and she was very interested in Yi Chichi’s work.

"I want to watch Auntie embroider."

Qin Jiu was momentarily surprised. He glanced at Yi Chichi, immersed in her work, then at the bright-eyed Niu Niu, and softly said, "Then just watch quietly, don’t disturb her, okay?"

"Okay!"

So, Qin Jiu and the Dazhuang brothers went out to play.

Niu Niu tiptoed over to Yi Chichi’s side like a little thief, and when she looked at the embroidery, her eyes widened, and she took a sharp breath.

"A big tiger!"

Her voice trembled slightly, waking Yi Chichi up. Noticing her nearby, with a small pale face, Yi Chichi gently comforted her, "Niu Niu, don’t be scared, it’s fake."

"...I-I know it’s fake."

But those eyes are kind of scary.

She hesitantly asked, "Auntie, can I touch the big tiger?"

Yi Chichi said, "Let me see your hands."

Niu Niu extended her small hand, which was cracked, red, and frostbitten.

"Haven’t you applied any cream to your hands?"

"No, I haven’t."

She sighed, took out some ointment from the cabinet, and called Niu Niu over to wash her hands with warm water, "Does it itch?"

"It itches when it gets warm."

Looking up at Yi Chichi, the little girl asked with bright eyes, "If I wash my hands clean, can I touch the big tiger?"

"No."

The hands are too rough; it’s not quite right to describe a child’s hands like this, but Niu Niu’s hands were really rough.

Finger tips were full of cracked skin.

She must have put up with a lot.

While her face was well-protected, her hands were neglected.

Silk can’t handle rough contact; it might fray.