To be honest, shopping in this era is quite boring. It lacks the liveliness of the 21st century and the wide variety of shopping options, but it does have a touch of tranquil simplicity.
Inside the department store, when the sales clerk saw the two of them walk by, she stood up smartly and smiled.
"What would you two like to buy?"
Cheng Ran took out various tickets from his pocket, placed them on the counter, and gestured to Jiang Wanqing.
"Get her two pairs of shoes first."
"Okay."
She paused, looked down at her cloth shoes, and realized, well, he had noticed again.
“Hung Hing didn’t handle things well this time, they just did one thing at a time. But you have to try on shoes to know if they fit, so don’t mind.”
Jiang Wanqing smiled and said, "You've already brought me here, haven't you? Hong Xing doesn't often buy things for female comrades, so it's not his fault."
The two had only known each other for three days, from when they first met until today when they got their marriage certificate, but the atmosphere was like that of an old married couple in a stable period. There was a lot of politeness amidst the care, and Jiang Wanqing didn't dislike this feeling.
The salesperson quickly brought over two pairs of fashionable leather shoes from the display stand.
"These are our two best-selling shoes. Would you like to try them on?"
The red heeled leather shoes were shiny and stylish for that era, but unfortunately, they didn't suit Jiang Wanqing's taste; she thought they were too gaudy.
The salesperson was very enthusiastic, so she wanted to take a look. Before she could even get her hands on it, a hand reached out from the other side.
"I want these shoes!"
It was Jiang Xiu; she had actually entered the city, followed by Yuan Zhong.
Jiang Wanqing glanced at it twice, raised an eyebrow, and her eyes were full of sarcasm.
"Excuse me, this lady was here first. If you want, I can get you another pair to try on. We also have other colors."
"I want these two pairs! She hasn't paid yet, why won't she sell them to me!"
She would snatch anything that belonged to Jiang Wanqing, holding the shoes in her hand while her eyes couldn't help but glance at Cheng Ran.
This was her husband, whom she had only met once in her previous life. He was tall and strong, but unfortunately, he died young. In her previous life, she had never even left the courtyard before receiving news of his death. In this life, however, he actually took Jiang Wanqing out shopping!
Jiang Xiu gritted her teeth, her resentment and unwillingness almost overflowing.
"Hmph, Jiang Wanqing, don't think you can live a carefree life just because you married a military officer. You'll never surpass me!"
She continued to treat Jiang Wanqing as a rival, both in marriage and in life.
Jiang Wanqing rolled her eyes silently, and just as she was about to retort, Cheng Ran pulled her back, forming a protective posture.
A shadow suddenly fell in front of them, and Jiang Xiu nervously took a step back and pulled Yuan Zhong out.
"Brother Yuan Zhong, hurry up and pay! I want these shoes, buy them now!"
"Xiuer, these shoes..."
She insisted on having shoes that cost over ten yuan, without any regard for his current financial situation, which made Yuan Zhong very uncomfortable.
"What's wrong with these shoes? You can't even win a shoe fight? Are you even a man?!"
Jiang Xiu stood with her legs crossed and arms crossed arrogantly, attracting the attention of everyone around her.
Yuan Zhong's face turned a little ugly. He looked at Jiang Wanqing, who stood behind Cheng Ran with a calm and disdainful expression, and his competitive spirit surged. He gritted his teeth and bought the ticket.
He reluctantly handed the shoes to Jiang Xiu, saying, "I can afford what others can afford. Just because I'm an official's wife doesn't make me superior. The people she looks down on now might not be so in the future!"
Tsk tsk, this sullen resentment is truly awful. Jiang Wanqing raised her hand and fanned herself.
"Cheng Ran, can you hear opera playing nearby?"
He had intended to stand up for her, but upon hearing her seemingly indifferent yet subtly sarcastic remark, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"I heard it, it sounds awful. I guess he's having a bad life and can't sing well."
"Pfft..." Jiang Wanqing put her arm around his arm: "Yeah, let's leave after we finish shopping. She can have the shoes."
One was reasonable, the other was a shrew; the saleswoman glared at Jiang Xiu with disdain.
Then, as if she had just thought of something, she said to Jiang Wanqing, "Wait a minute, I'm going to get something. Please wait for me, I'll be right back."
"Okay, let's go take a look over there first."
Jiang Wanqing smiled faintly, her hand still on Cheng Ran's arm, looking very natural, and he also leaned his shoulder towards her.
"Comrade Cheng, you don't know this, do you? The woman next to you is a gold digger who dumped someone else for you. Not only that, she'll bring bad luck to her husband in the future. I advise you not to be too nice to her. Just give her some food so she won't starve. There's no need to be sincere."
Although she knew Cheng Ran was about to die, Jiang Xiu just couldn't stand him being nice to Jiang Wanqing. Why should others have what she didn't have in her past life?
Not wanting to get entangled with her, yet she insisted on walking right into the line of fire. Jiang Wanqing turned around and asked her meaningfully, "Who did I dump?"
"You..." Jiang Xiu blurted out, putting Yuan Zhong in the eye of the storm. She tried to make up a name for herself, but when she met Cheng Ran's fierce eyes, she was speechless.
Are you talking about him?
Jiang Wanqing pointed at Yuan Zhong, taking a step forward with each sentence she spoke.
Yes, it's him.
"Oh, then how do you explain being together now?"
"I……"
"Jiang Wanqing, is it meaningful to humiliate someone like this! Don't underestimate a young man's potential!"
Yuan Zhong's face flushed with embarrassment, but his strong sense of self-respect compelled him to regain some dignity.
"You're not just poor in your youth, you'll be poor in middle age and old age too. There's no way you'll ever turn your life around. Just wait until you're in your coffin!"
She originally wanted to maintain her gentle image in front of Cheng Ran, but thinking of everything that happened in her past life, she didn't give Yuan Zhong a kind look or say anything nice. Every word she uttered was like a curse.
"Jiang Wanqing! You're asking for it!"
Yuan Zhong cared most about his dignity. When provoked, he raised his hand to hit someone, but his skinny arms and legs made him no match for Cheng Ran.
"You're asking for it!"
"ah!"
Yuan Zhong's wrist was twisted backward, and the pain caused him to collapse to the ground, unable to speak.
"Brother Yuan Zhong, are you alright? I... I'll call the police right away!"
Seeing her beloved being beaten, Jiang Xiu felt as if she had been slapped in the face.
The sales clerk came out and saw this scene. She was startled and didn't know what to do. At this moment, Cheng Ran showed his ID.
"Call the police. One is accused of provoking trouble, and the other of spreading feudal ideas."
"Ah... okay, I'll go make the call now."
"no!"
Having a criminal record would be detrimental to Yuan Zhong's future studies, and she would also have to go in and suffer for a few days, so Jiang Xiu quickly got up and stopped the saleswoman.
"I...I can apologize, but I can't call the police!"
"Comrade, what do you think?" The saleswoman, still holding the shoes, asked Cheng Ran.
He asked Jiang Wanqing, "How do you plan to handle this?"
"Since you don't want to go in and be lectured by the police, then make a verbal apology here in front of everyone. The people have discerning eyes; they can definitely tell right from wrong." She gave Cheng Ran a sly smile.
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