Unable to refuse, Shiyue went to the department store with He Lixuan.
The department store to the east is right next to the city government and not far from the university; it's only a half-hour walk away.
He Lixuan had already been here once yesterday, so he was quite familiar with the place. Knowing that Shiyue wanted to buy clothes, he took her directly to the ready-made clothing window.
Unfortunately, it's almost the end of the year, and all the good stuff has already been sold out. The clothes hanging in the counter are all those grayish-blue cotton-padded jackets and blouses that are so unrecognizable you can't even tell if they're gendered. They're not only ugly, but also incredibly expensive.
One piece costs seven feet of cloth ration coupons and twelve yuan!
Shiyue was absolutely stunned.
Without hesitation, she took two steps back and said, "I don't want it."
Seeing her like this, He Lixuan wanted to persuade her.
Shi Yue looked at him with a firm gaze and said, "He Zhiqing, these are things I want to buy myself, you shouldn't get involved."
He Lixuan immediately fell silent.
After leaving the wardrobe counter, Shiyue went to look at shoes, and then immediately saw the corduroy cotton shoes that Shen Ningning had mentioned to her before. She fell in love with them at first sight.
These cotton shoes have a chemically-coated sole①, which is very thick and sturdy, and looks like it should be waterproof. The upper is made of thick corduroy and is filled with cotton.
It looks thick and sturdy, but feels soft and fluffy in your hand; it really makes you feel warm just by looking at it.
Shiyue asked about the price; the shoes cost eight yuan, plus two industrial ration coupons. Shiyue felt a pang of heartache, but she gritted her teeth and decided to buy a pair.
Seeing that she had decided to buy them, He Lixuan came over again and said, "The red ones look better, I want the red ones."
Shiyue turned to look at him, then said, "No, I want the black one."
The shoe saleswoman was a young woman in her early twenties, still quite enthusiastic.
Perhaps because they were good-looking and seemed well-matched, I couldn't help but offer some kind advice.
She said, "There are only two pairs of these red cotton shoes left. You really don't want them? Your boyfriend is right, these red ones are really pretty!"
Shiyue stared at the shoes again.
The red cotton shoes weren't bright red, but a darker maroon color, with scattered small white flowers, making them stand out among the sea of blue, gray, and black.
It is indeed eye-catching at a glance.
But Shiyue didn't want to be so conspicuous.
She just wants to live a quiet and honest life in the village, so why should she attract attention?
So she shook her head firmly and said, "I want these black ones. Please wrap them up for me."
Hearing her say that, the saleswoman glanced at He Lixuan.
The meaning is clear: this is all I can do to help you; there's nothing else I can do.
She thought she would see displeasure on He Lixuan's face, but to her surprise, she saw a hint of joy.
It was as if something very happy had happened.
This left the sales staff quite puzzled.
He Lixuan is indeed very happy now.
He didn't care at all that Shiyue had rejected him; his mind was filled with nothing but—
This time, when people said they were a couple, Shiyue didn't deny it!
You know, last time on the train, as soon as the old lady started to speak, Shiyue immediately explained.
He Lixuan knew, of course, that Shiyue had overlooked this, but he felt that this also proved that Shiyue was slowly getting used to this identity.
This subtle influence is effective.
This realization gave He Lixuan even more confidence in his future with Shiyue!
After buying the cotton shoes, Shiyue went to the fabric counter, but still didn't find anything she liked.
The reason is still the same: it's just too expensive!
Moreover, she didn't have enough cloth coupons.
Each person is currently issued 2.7 feet of cloth ration coupons per year, and Sister Ningning gave her a total of 8 feet. Without a doubt, this means she received all the ration coupons her entire family hadn't used in a year.
Even if you're tight on your resources, it would take seven feet of cloth to make a cotton-padded jacket, not to mention that Shiyue is only making cotton-padded jackets, and you still have to consider the lining cloth.
These cloth coupons are definitely not enough.
Shiyue had considered buying fabric through a group-buying group.
But now she knows that she lives in a different era than the people in the group, which is sixty years apart!
The level of development there can be seen from the food they send over.
Shiyue dared not imagine how high-class the fabrics were over there.
Even if she bought it, she wouldn't wear it out.
Last night, Shiyue posted a purchase request in the group and then bought four kilograms of Xinjiang cotton.
When Shiyue received the cotton, she was amazed by its feel.
That's wonderful!
But precisely because of this, she dared not ask to buy fabric in the group.
Seeing Shiyue standing in front of the counter with a troubled expression, He Lixuan really wanted to hand her some cloth coupons.
But he didn't dare.
He didn't want to be rejected by Shiyue again.
He thought for a moment and said, "I'll take you somewhere, come with me."
As he spoke, he grabbed Shiyue's wrist through her cotton-padded coat and led her out of the crowd.
Shiyue freed her hand and asked, "Where are we going?"
"Textile factory".
Upon hearing the words "textile factory," Shiyue's eyes lit up! How could she have forgotten such a place?
Although the Forward Brigade was in a remote area, they had heard about some of the benefits that city dwellers could obtain, including the purchase of defective cloth.
I've heard that city people with connections can buy a lot of defective fabric every year, enough not only for their own family but also sometimes for their relatives and friends.
She immediately said, "Let's go! You know the place, right? Let's go now."
He Lixuan didn't know where the textile factory was either, but that didn't matter; they could ask.
Fortunately, Donglin City wasn't very big to begin with. They asked around as they walked, and finally arrived at the textile factory before the end of the workday.
Looking at the still-closed factory gate, Shiyue looked at He Lixuan with some suspicion: "Do you know anyone here?"
"No."
"How can you be sure they'll give you the cloth if you don't have it?"
He Lixuan confidently raised his chin at her, his eyes filled with high spirits.
He said, "I have my own clever plan."
Then, fearing that Shiyue might not understand, he added, "I have my own way."
Shiyue pouted and ignored him.
What He Lixuan could think of, Shi Yue could naturally think of as well; it was nothing more than throwing money at it.
Anyway, as long as enough money is offered, someone will naturally be willing to give it up.
Shiyue is not short of money, and she can afford to spend it, so she doesn't want He Lixuan's help this time.
She said, "I'll buy it myself this time, you don't need to worry about it."
He Lixuan's smile faded. He looked at Shiyue and said, "I'll buy it for you, and in return you can go back and continue leading us to find wild vegetables, okay?"
Shiyue rolled her eyes: "I already promised to take you to find wild vegetables, so of course I won't go back on my word. You don't trust me?"
He Lixuan pursed his lips, unable to find any other reason for the moment.
He paused for a moment, then decided to tell the truth: "But I want to buy it for you. Just thinking about you wearing clothes I bought makes me happy."
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