I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

Fenglin has completely recovered from the pain of losing her child, and she is very busy.

I brought home scraps of cloth, selecting the larger pieces and those in similar colors, to make shorts for Jintao.

Fenglin bought two cents worth of erasers from the supply and marketing cooperative and made them all into hair ties.

Red, green, gray, black—a small piece of rag has been transformed into a beautiful hair tie.

"Jin Tao, look, isn't it beautiful?"

Fenglin made ten hair ties in one night and showed them to Zhao Jintao.

"Fenglin, you have such skillful hands! You've made such a beautiful hair tie from such a small piece of cloth."

Zhao Jintao's praise was somewhat biased, but it must be admitted that Fenglin has a talent for needlework.

"These black and gray ones are for our mentor; she's too old for red. The red ones are for the foreman; she has a little girl who's only about ten years old. These are for our colleagues, Jin Tao; I hope they won't mind?"

Feng Lin asked worriedly, "These are all small, insignificant things that I can't even show them off."

"Of course I won't mind! Where else can you find such a pretty hair tie?"

"Hmm, if my little sister were here, I would give her the red one," Feng Lin said unexpectedly.

Zhao Jintao didn't reply. Fenglin sat down next to Zhao Jintao and muttered to himself, "We left without saying a word. Will Mother... go and make a scene with Qiaoqiao?"

"Uncle Zhou said no, maybe he went to make a scene, but he didn't tell me. Fenglin, at the time I only wanted to save your life and didn't want you to go back and face the gossip, but I overlooked whether Mother would cause trouble for the Yang family."

"If I hadn't miscarried, Qiaoqiao and I would have spent the whole summer together." Fenglin lowered his head.

"There's plenty of time in the future for you two to reminisce together. Fenglin, I was selfish back then. I was afraid, afraid of losing you, and I didn't consider anyone else at all."

"Jin Tao, I am so happy to marry you."

"But I failed to protect you." Zhao Jintao put his arm around Feng Lin, filled with guilt.

"Jin Tao, it's not your fault. I was too strong-willed and failed to protect our child. I was thinking of earning more money so we could build a few houses and live separately from my mother-in-law, then she wouldn't be able to scold me."

Having been back in the provincial capital for so long, this was the first time they had frankly mentioned the child, and Fenglin burst into tears.

"Fenglin, thank you for your hard work. Building a house is something a man should consider. My mother's mouth is sharper than a knife. I was too naive. I thought she would let you off the hook for the sake of her grandson, but who knew she would treat you like that."

"Jin Tao, I'm not afraid of hardship or fatigue, but my mother keeps telling me to divorce you, and it breaks my heart."

"My dear Fenglin, there are countless women in the world, but I, Zhao Jintao, only love you. I will never be separated from you. I cannot live without you."

Zhao Jintao choked up. What had his mother done to such a good woman?

"Jin Tao, I've thought it over. If I can't get pregnant again, we'll get a divorce. I can't be a burden to you."

The mere mention of the word "divorce" caused Fenglin such intense chest pain that she could hardly breathe.

"Fenglin, children aren't everything; you are everything. If we can't have children, let's just live happily together. If you like children, we can adopt one. If you insist on divorcing me, I'll get a tubal ligation."

Zhao Jintao held Feng Lin tightly, calmly uttering a deafening vow.

"Jin Tao..."

"Okay, stop overthinking. Put the hair tie away and give it to your colleague tomorrow. Remember, don't work overtime and come home on time to cook for me."

"Okay, sure." Feng Lin wiped away her tears and gave a knowing smile.

In fact, she was only 22 years old. She was still a child who needed her parents' support and love, but she experienced a lifetime of insurmountable suffering.

In this colorless era, the hair ties made by Fenglin were warmly loved by her colleagues in the workshop.

Red and green, in particular, are colors that everyone likes.

"Fenglin, you're so skillful! You wrapped the rubber band in red cloth, making it not only strong but also beautiful."

"Like bows, Fenglin, make a few more, we'll buy them."

"Yes, we'll buy them, one cent each, is that alright?"

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, saying they could do it too, but none of their attempts were as beautiful as Fenglin's; they could never sew a skirt hem that looked like a flower.

"You're making me feel embarrassed. What money do you need? If you have nice fabric, I'll make a few more, and you can choose whichever you like."

"Fenglin, you're so kind. Next time, make me a red one."

"Fenglin, I want the blue one. My daughter is all grown up, and red is too flashy. Blue is prettier."

"Feng Lin... thank you."

Unexpectedly, a small hair tie could be so well-received by her colleagues, which immediately boosted Fenglin's confidence. She was not entirely useless after all.

At lunchtime, Fenglin gave her master, Yang Xiue, a few hair ties and a handkerchief: "Master, these are for you."

"Oh, Fenglin, you're so thoughtful. Master is getting old, and he doesn't like those bright red and green things. Black is good, and the lace trim is beautiful." Yang Xiue was overjoyed.

"A handkerchief is fine too, it's soft pure cotton. It's perfect for the hot workshop in the summer when you're constantly sweating." Yang Xiu'e said, clearly delighted with the handkerchief.

"Sir, I'll sew you a cloth bag next time; it'll be great for buying groceries."

"Oh, Fenglin, you're so skillful! It's a pity your master can't afford a sewing machine, otherwise he could buy some fabric and sew some small things. Don't underestimate these things, they're all treasures."

Yang Xiu'e happily accepted Feng Lin's gift.

Once this opening was made, things got really complicated. Every week, Fenglin would bring more than ten hair ties to the workshop, and they almost got into a fight over which one looked good.

Finally, squad leader Hao Jianying said, "It's one cent per hair tie. If you need any, order from Fenglin. She also bought her own scraps of cloth. She works all day and still makes hair ties for you. I'm not saying she'll make any money, I'm just giving her enough to cover her costs."

Colleagues responded, but Fenglin felt that one cent per hair tie was too expensive. Finally, after everyone discussed it, they decided to price the hair ties at one cent each, with a buy-two-get-one-free offer, and the free hair tie could not be chosen by color.

When everyone learned that Fenglin could sew cloth bags, handkerchiefs, and underwear, his colleagues became obsessed and all wanted to have some.

Fenglin's small business began: a handkerchief cost two cents, a cloth bag cost five cents, and a pair of underwear cost one cent.

Fenglin took her work very seriously, carefully selecting and matching fabrics, and orders came in like snowflakes.

Not only do my colleagues want it, but I also recommend it to my friends and family.

These pure cotton underwear are soft and comfortable, cost only a penny, and can last for ten years—it's such a great deal!

After a month, Fenglin made a total of six yuan after deducting costs.

She didn't work overtime at the garment factory. She made two sets of clothes a day and earned six cents. In a month, with her salary and extra income, Fenglin earned thirty yuan.

She was overjoyed. Thirty yuan was more than she and Jin Tao could eat. Jin Tao's student allowance and assistant fee totaled 32 yuan, which they could all save.

Feng Lin worked with increasing enthusiasm, but Jin Tao objected: "Feng Lin, I don't want you to work overtime because I'm worried you'll work too hard. You work just as hard making hair ties at home every day."

"It's different. With you at home, nothing feels tiring. You read, and I make hair ties. We're a perfect couple, isn't that wonderful?"

"You just can't sit still."

"I'm not tired at all. I'm protected from the sun and rain, and I still make so much money. I'm full of energy!"