Chapter 88: Lin Sanniang’s Modern Outfit
Lin Sanniang tugged at the hem of the white T-shirt and light blue shirt Jian Xingxia had given her, feeling a bit awkward.
The clothes given by the young mistress fit well enough, but they were a little short. The common folk of the Daliang Dynasty wore very long tops, which usually covered the base of their thighs. The clothes here, however, only reached around her lower abdomen.
Even so, Lin Sanniang felt delighted in her heart. She hadn’t taken off her undergarments, opting to pull the T-shirt directly over them, and then threw on the button-up shirt as an outer garment. Despite the layers, she could feel that the clothes from the young mistress were remarkably soft and comfortable.
Lin Sanniang raised her arms and moved around to adjust to the fit. In her heart, she finally understood why the young mistress referred to the cloth she had taken back home as “coarse cloth.” True fine cloth was exactly like this. The young mistress was willing to let her wear such excellent clothing; Lin Sanniang was deeply moved.
She knew that just the day before, the young mistress had mentioned needing to head down the mountain to sell chestnuts to earn money. Lin Sanniang felt touched—the young mistress’s hands weren’t well-off, yet she still treated their hired help this well.
Jian Xingxia was completely oblivious to the fact that she had been labeled as “not well-off.” She was currently in high spirits. The newly purchased electric vehicle was charging right in the courtyard—this had cost 7,700 yuan! A fortune! It exceeded the total sum of her savings before graduation! And she had secured it with a full cash payment after working for barely half a month! Wasn’t that worth being a tiny bit proud of?
Looking at Lin Sanniang, who wore a shirt and T-shirt on her upper body and a mix of trousers and a skirt on her lower body, Jian Xingxia couldn’t help but laugh. “A bit of a mix-and-match style.”
Lin Sanniang looked down at herself and pondered. It seemed that the people on the estate didn’t really wear traditional lower garments! The young mistress regularly wore long trousers but never wore skirts. The previous Miss Chengcheng was even more extreme; she wore a style of pants Lin Sanniang had never seen before, so short it looked like she wasn’t wearing anything. As for Dahei, his calves were bare, and his hemp shirt only covered down to just above his knees.
Looking at it this way, her outfit of a skirt over trousers was indeed a bit prominent. Lin Sanniang steeled her heart, turned back into the storage room, and when she emerged again, she wore only the trousers.
She still felt a bit unaccustomed, so she tied on the apron Jian Xingxia had given her. Although it didn’t cover her as securely as her previous long skirt, it was somewhat easier to accept in her heart.
Lin Sanniang felt a bit bashful as she let Jian Xingxia inspect her clothes. “Miss, is it acceptable for me to dress like this?” Now, aside from her trousers, all her other clothes were modern.
Jian Xingxia smiled. “Perfectly acceptable. It looks very good.”
Those words were true. The ancients might have had silks and satins, but those were worn only by wealthy and noble households. The people who came to work for her looked impoverished and miserable. Their clothes were primarily for keeping warm—as long as they wrapped around the body, it sufficed; there was no aesthetic appeal to speak of.
The New Chinese Style “work uniform” Lin Sanniang had made herself was already considered the best-looking, but it fell far short of the visual enhancement brought by well-fitting modern clothing. At the very least, with modern clothes, shoulders were shoulders and the waist was the waist; there was no need to forcefully wrap a massive excess of fabric with a belt because it was too large. Plus, modern clothes had vibrant colors and smooth, even fabrics. Once Lin Sanniang put them on, her entire demeanor looked far more spirited.
Jian Xingxia spared no effort in praising Lin Sanniang. She wanted Lin Sanniang to take the lead in helping her get the other ancient temporary workers to wear modern clothes too!
Basking in Jian Xingxia’s repeated praises, Lin Sanniang gradually accepted the modern clothes. “To be honest, Miss, these clothes don’t hinder my movements at all while working.”
“The fabric is truly comfortable and cool.”
Jian Xingxia couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re wearing three or four layers, and you still find it cool?”
Lin Sanniang said sheepishly, “I am wearing three or four layers, but the clothes Miss gave me are lighter and thinner than my previous ones, so it is indeed cooler.”
Jian Xingxia could understand; she estimated Lin Sanniang was wearing a bellyband underneath. But a bellyband didn’t offer great coverage and was easily highlighted by a T-shirt, which was why Lin Sanniang hadn’t even taken off her undergarments. She had a mind to let Lin Sanniang try modern undergarments, but that would have to wait; now was not the time. Applying too much pressure blindly would easily terrify these ancient people.
As they spoke, Dahei finished his bath and stepped out of the bathroom. This time, he was truly clean. Following Jian Xingxia’s requirements, Dahei had conscientiously used the soap to scrub every single inch of his skin, as well as his hair, ears, fingers, and toes, which Jian Xingxia had specifically emphasized. It was no exaggeration to say that the spaces between Dahei’s toes had never felt this light and comfortable.
Having changed into the tank top and swim trunks, Dahei didn’t look like a Kunlun slave at all. Paired with his wet hair, he looked like a foreigner who had just finished swimming. Fashionable, truly fashionable.
Jian Xingxia offered Dahei a couple more compliments, and only then did she realize that Dahei’s clean face would actually flush red when he heard praise!
Dahei scratched his head. “Master, I am going to work.”
“Go ahead. There’s a new road being paved over there, and other people are working on construction. Don’t go near them, and don’t disturb them.”
Dahei nodded, not finding anything wrong with this requirement.
Lin Sanniang, however, caught the underlying meaning. “Miss, did other people come to work on the estate today? Do we need to cook meals for them?”
Jian Xingxia stroked her chin. The previous installation crew hadn’t eaten anything, but that had lasted only a single afternoon and ended very quickly. The two construction crews this time were going to work for three days. Could she really just ignore their meals?
“No need to cook for them for now. Just cook what we eat ourselves.”
“As for the construction crew… boil some mung bean soup. Put in rock sugar, and add a tiny pinch of salt grains. I’ll deliver it later to take a look.”
Following Jian Xingxia’s instructions, Lin Sanniang quickly slipped into the kitchen. Jian Xingxia, meanwhile, packaged the remaining chestnuts, preparing to head to the market in a couple of days to sell the final batch. The old chestnuts in the chestnut grove had been completely cleared out. The rest would have to wait until September, which would yield fresh chestnuts. Jian Xingxia looked forward to it.
By the time she finished packing the chestnuts, Lin Sanniang’s mung bean soup was ready. She poured it into the stainless steel insulated barrel Jian Xingxia had previously used to sell chestnuts. Jian Xingxia scooped a few shovels of ice cubes from the refrigerator’s ice tray and tossed them into the barrel. The temperature of the mung bean soup dropped. When the final shovel of ice cubes went in, a few pieces of crushed ice remained unmelted, floating in the soup.
Jian Xingxia and Lin Sanniang sampled a small bowl.
To Lin Sanniang, it tasted like drinking nectar. “So sweet! And it’s ice-cold!”
Lin Sanniang couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. “The last time I tasted ice was when Taoya’s father was still around. The harvest was good that year, and the family carried no debts. In August, after harvesting the grain, Taoya’s father bought me a bowl of ice curd.”
Jian Xingxia asked curiously, “What is ice curd?”
Lin Sanniang smiled. “It is also a summer delicacy to dispel the heat. It is an icy slush made from fruit syrup, milk, and shaved ice. Honey can be added, but that costs extra.” At that time, Lin Sanniang couldn’t bear to spend the extra money. But having the fruit syrup—the juice pressed from fruits—combined with milk and ice cubes was enough for her to remember it for a very, very long time. Under the scorching heat, being able to drink a bowl of ice curd made one feel as blissful as an immortal.
The Lin Sanniang of that time could never have imagined that she would now be able to drink icy slush and ice curd at will. The young mistress was generous, stating she would ensure they ate their fill, but it went far beyond just filling their stomachs; they ate well, and even what they drank was excellent. For such a massive barrel of mung bean soup steeped with ice cubes and rock sugar, the young mistress said she could drink as much as she wanted.
A sudden wave of bittersweet sorrow welled up in Lin Sanniang’s heart. If only Taoya’s father were still around.
But she quickly reined in her emotions, suggesting to Jian Xingxia, “Miss, the remaining mung bean soup can be steeped in the well first. It will remain very cool even without adding ice.” Although Lin Sanniang didn’t know how the refrigerator and freezer produced ice, she assumed it used the “lightning” from the sky, which surely wasn’t a mundane thing. If she could save a bit for the employer, she would save it.
Jian Xingxia affirmed Lin Sanniang’s suggestion. “That’s exactly how it should be. From now on, whenever the weather is hot, the first thing you do when you arrive is boil a pot of mung bean soup and steep it in the well.”
“Aye! Understood.”
Lin Sanniang grew even happier. The young mistress had accepted her idea and hadn’t blamed her for speaking up!
