CITM - 46

In the past, even when Ye Yun didn’t leave the tube-shaped apartment building, she still had to go to the water room or the bathhouse. She always found ways to stay connected to the world. But during this period, her world shrank to just a few dozen square meters. She didn’t know what others outside were doing, nor did she know what changes were occurring beyond their door.

At an age when life should be filled with anticipation and excitement, she was once again locked into the shackles of fate—only this time, it was her own willing imprisonment.

Within these constraints, Ye Yun conceived an idea. She wanted to design a belt with a metal buckle to wear over winter coats. The leather would be casual, the metal sturdy, and below the waistline, it would flare elegantly. Winter outerwear lacked aesthetic appeal compared to the variety of summer styles, so she sought to break free from the outdated bulkiness of winter clothing by using restraint to accentuate feminine curves.

After this idea took shape, she needed to meet Fang Lizhen to finalize the design and identify any missing materials. She asked Bai Wenfu to pass along the message when he returned home.

Soon, Bai Wenfu brought back the news: Fang Lizhen would meet her at the post office entrance the following afternoon.

Stepping out of the house again, sunlight filtered through thin mist, bathing the earth in its glow. A gentle breeze brushed against golden leaves, causing them to drift lazily in the air. Ye Yun paused mid-step and reached out to catch one. The leaf landed softly in her palm, tickling slightly before being whisked away by the wind. This trivial event, insignificant enough not to qualify as anything amusing, still brought a smile to her brows.

She arrived early and waited for a moment on the street corner. The same streets, the same scenery, yet it felt like another lifetime. In the past, this road was unavoidable when heading to the supply and marketing cooperative. Walking back and forth countless times, she had never found it particularly special. Now, simply standing here and watching the flow of people felt refreshingly new.

Before Fang Lizhen reached her, she waved at Ye Yun. “Sorry, Tailor Ye, I’m late.”

Ye Yun turned, offering a faint smile. “No, I came early.”

“Let’s not stand here. Let’s sit on the stone bench ahead. Honestly, I was surprised when Bai Wenfu came to see me yesterday. I thought you wouldn’t bother with my dress anymore.”

Ye Yun lowered her head, gazing at the ground beneath her feet. “I promised you, so of course I’ll keep my word.”

They stopped at a nearby stone bench where Ye Yun meticulously took Fang Lizhen’s measurements again and wrote down the list of additional materials she needed, handing it to her.

“You know, I don’t go to the tailor shop anymore. Some things are hard to find. If you can get them, have Wenfu bring them to me. If not, you can check with Master Zhang.”

Fang Lizhen folded the list neatly and tucked it into her jacket pocket.

“All right. As long as you’re willing to make my dress, I’ll figure out how to get these things.”

Ye Yun hesitated, then softly asked, “How is his family doing these days?”

Fang Lizhen raised her head, her words heavy with meaning. “You mean the younger brother, right?”

Ye Yun lowered her lashes and listened as Fang Lizhen sighed deeply. “He rarely comes home these days. After that commotion downstairs the other day, his older brother insisted on taking him to the hospital. Everyone says he’s sick, but he refuses to believe it. I heard that the night his brother left, he ran out of the house.”

Wen Bin’s condition clearly required medical intervention. Setting aside whether domestic medical facilities could treat such illnesses, the most pressing issue now was that Wen Bin didn’t think he was sick and refused to accept that there was anything wrong with his mental state. Convincing him to visit a psychiatric clinic seemed nearly impossible at this point.

Ye Yun furrowed her brow. “Where did he go?”

“He spends all his time hanging around with some unsavory young men. He doesn’t come home anymore, and he’s stopped going to work. Every few days, he brings these unruly friends back to the house. Your mother-in-law…”

Fang Lizhen caught herself and stopped mid-sentence. Realizing that Ye Yun couldn’t call her mother-in-law anymore since she wasn’t with the younger son, but then remembering she was with the elder son, she awkwardly corrected herself.

“Tong Dazhuzi has been worn out by her second son. Whenever he brings people home, chaos ensues. There hasn’t been a single peaceful day. She can only breathe easy when the eldest son returns. Thankfully, you don’t live there anymore. Not long ago, public security officers even came knocking on their door.”

Ye Yun’s heart sank. “What happened?”

“The younger son got into trouble outside. Public security officers showed up to arrest him. When he was dragged out of the house, there was blood on him—it scared us all to death. Apparently, he got into a fight with someone. His older brother rushed over to handle it, paying a hefty sum to settle things with the other party.”

An invisible blockage clogged Ye Yun’s chest, making her breathing short and labored.

“Was it last Tuesday?”

Fang Lizhen thought for a moment. “Now that you mention it, it was probably Tuesday. That night, my husband had just finished his graveyard shift.”

An indescribable bitterness surged up her throat, and Ye Yun’s gaze momentarily lost focus.

When Bai Wenfu first proposed being together, he worried about how his complicated past might be received. Having endured the harshness of life, he knew what it felt like to be mocked behind his back. That’s why he worked tirelessly to pave a broad, respectable path for his younger brother, allowing him to live honestly under the sun.

But now, he had to watch helplessly as the future he sacrificed everything for was destroyed by Wen Bin himself, seeing him fall deeper into ruin day by day. Ye Yun finally understood the abnormality she sensed that night.

After bidding farewell to Fang Lizhen, Ye Yun walked home in a daze. Street vendors shouting, children playing noisily, stray dogs chasing each other—none of it stirred her interest anymore.

Just as she was about to turn into the shantytown, her steps abruptly halted. Several men stood at the alley entrance, smoking and spouting vulgarities. One man with a pompadour hairstyle noticed Ye Yun’s attractive appearance and whistled suggestively at her.

Wen Bin glanced over at her, the playful smirk on his face gradually turning sarcastic and mocking.

Ye Yun stared blankly at him. After not seeing him for a while, she almost didn’t recognize him. He wore flared pants, grew sideburns, and stood among the group exuding a thuggish demeanor.

The man who whistled saw Ye Yun glance their way and called out flirtatiously, “Hey, pretty girl, come over and say hello!”

Wen Bin removed the cigarette from his lips and sneered, “That’s my wife.”

The others didn’t believe his nonsense and laughed mockingly. “Your wife? You call every pretty girl you see your wife. If she’s really yours, call her over!”

Ye Yun lowered her head and quickly tried to bypass them. Wen Bin threw away his cigarette, stubbed it out, and blocked her path.

His tall figure loomed before her. Ye Yun looked up sharply. Wen Bin grabbed her hand and turned to the group, saying, “Why would I lie to you? We’ve slept together. Ask her yourself if she’s my wife.”

The sudden sight of Wen Bin grabbing a stranger’s hand shocked everyone. Hearing his claim, they all cast suspicious glances at Ye Yun. Even the elderly bystanders were watching the spectacle unfold.

Ye Yun lowered her lashes, hiding the trembling in her eyes. Her voice was distant and icy. “Let go.”

The smile on Wen Bin’s face vanished, but his grip tightened instead. His rowdy friends teased him, “Didn’t you hear her tell you to let go? Be careful, or she’ll call the police on you.”

Wen Bin chuckled coldly and released Ye Yun, though he still blocked her way. Bending down, his eyes filled with mockery, he said, “Big Brother must really be keeping you hidden somewhere. Where did he stash you?”

Without responding, Ye Yun cautiously changed direction and continued walking down the street.

As the mist cleared, sunlight pierced her eyes. The biting wind swept up dry leaves, and she no longer felt inclined to catch them with her hands.

A car slowly approached from across the street. It slowed down, and Su Hong leaned out the window, calling to Ye Yun on the opposite side of the street. “Girl!”

Ye Yun lifted her head in confusion, looking toward the voice across the street.

“The cloth ration coupons have been abolished!” The car wheels rolled slowly past, and Su Hong’s voice became muffled in the wind.

Ye Yun stretched her neck, asking, “What did you say?”

“Haven’t you heard? Cloth ration coupons have been abolished!”

The car disappeared at the end of the street, leaving Ye Yun rooted to the spot.

On December 1st, the Ministry of Commerce announced nationwide that cloth ration coupons were abolished, and all textiles would now be freely available.

This news hit Ye Yun like a thunderclap, reverberating through her mind and leaving her stunned for a long while.

Ma Jianliang had once mentioned that ration coupons would gradually be phased out, but at the time, Ye Yun found it hard to believe. Even if true, she thought it would be a distant reality. She never imagined it would happen so suddenly.

Ye Yun quickened her pace, taking another route home through a different alley. Along the way, her emotions fluctuated wildly.

In the past, she painstakingly advised customers on suitable styles and modern designs. Most customers couldn’t envision the results and, considering how rare it was to make new clothes, ultimately chose conservative, fail-safe styles.

With the abolition of cloth ration coupons, fabric could now be purchased freely without being constrained by those small pieces of paper. No longer limited by customer-supplied fabrics, she could buy whatever materials she desired and create diverse styles of clothing.

This idea spread and blossomed in Ye Yun’s mind, igniting her very veins. Every cell in her body seemed to dance with excitement.

She could transform her bold ideas and inspirations, the styles she never had a chance to try before, into ready-to-wear garments. Instead of passively waiting for orders, she could take control, showcasing finished products for customers to choose from, try on, and purchase immediately—no more waiting ten days or half a month.

However, she soon realized a problem. The clothes she envisioned wouldn’t appeal to many customers in Erwei Alley. Only a small group of fashionable young women liked her designs. She needed a larger market and a trendier clientele.

She thought about the city center. Perhaps opening a shop there would be more suitable than staying in Erwei Alley. But she quickly dismissed the idea. While the city center did have fashion-conscious people, most preferred department stores. They cared more about the prestige associated with a garment’s origin and bragging rights rather than its style. Although this city ranked relatively high in provincial prosperity, its cultural foundation wasn’t strong enough to embrace new trends widely.

Unless she went to a more developed city, where customers had a higher tolerance and acceptance of diverse styles. More importantly, they valued innovation and progress in aesthetics, willing to pay for her creativity and breakthroughs.

But as she walked home, this idea gradually dimmed.

Whether in Erwei Alley or the city center, she couldn’t escape the judgmental gazes of others. She no longer wished to live under those comments. Just stepping out of the shantytown, even a passing glance from strangers made her anxious. Thinking of the malicious gossip behind her back, her enthusiasm was utterly crushed.

She couldn’t force Bai Wenfu to choose between her and his family, leaving this city.

For now, Bai Wenfu couldn’t even distance himself from Erwei Alley. He had too many people to consider, too many things to balance. Wen Bin’s unpredictable episodes, Tong Mingfang’s suffering—no matter how dire things became, they were still his flesh and blood. Even settling in this shantytown was a carefully considered decision. Here, no one disturbed them, providing Ye Yun with relative peace. And if something happened at home, he could rush back immediately.

“No matter what situation arises, in the end, the burden will always fall on him.”

Su Hong’s words echoed repeatedly in her mind.

Stepping inside, closing the door, Ye Yun locked herself back into the small room of barely a dozen square meters, sealing away those fleeting, hopeful fantasies along with her.