Upon arriving at the department store, he led Jiang Si straight to the cosmetics counter.
Jiang Si didn't think too much about it. During the ten years Huo Tingzhou served in the army, he rarely returned to Shanghai to visit his relatives.
But whenever he went on a mission to a new place, he would buy some local specialties or little trinkets that girls like and send them to her.
Jiang Si guessed that the place he went to this time was relatively remote, so he didn't buy anything when he came back.
This is to make up for it for her on the spot.
Jiang Si didn't stand on ceremony; Beijing had already officially started providing heating during this period.
It's warm, but she grew up in the south and isn't used to the climate here yet.
During the first few days of heating, Jiang Si would wake up with a dry and itchy throat every morning, and there would be blood crusts in her nose.
There were no humidifiers in this era, and she couldn't stay in the space all day.
Having no other choice, Jiang Si had to fill two basins with water and place them on her bedside table every night before going to sleep, which provided some relief.
The skin on my arms and legs is the same; it feels incredibly dry if I don't apply anything for a day.
She'd only been in Beijing for a little over a month, and she'd already used up almost all the face cream she'd stockpiled.
Just like in Shanghai, there are quite a few varieties of face cream here.
Jiang Si selected several bottles of colorful face cream, a well-established brand from Jinshi that is rarely seen in the south.
I also received several bottles of Gongdeng brand almond honey. The texture is somewhat like lotion from later generations, and it's quite moisturizing, suitable for application all over the body.
Finally, I picked out two bottles of locally produced Violet brand face cream.
Turning around, I saw Huo Tingzhou staring intently at the clam oil in the counter.
Jiang Si then bought him a few boxes and also asked the sales clerk if they had any face cream suitable for men.
"Yes, take a look at this one."
The sales clerk smiled and took a white porcelain bottle from the glass display case.
"This 'Beihai' brand face cream is also an old brand in Beijing."
"It's particularly effective at preventing chapping and cracking, and the fragrance is quite mild, making it very suitable for us men."
"This is bottled, it costs 1.2 yuan a bottle, but we also have loose ones here."
"When you're done using it, just bring the can over and buy the loose stuff. The ingredients are all the same, but it'll be 40 cents cheaper."
As the salesperson spoke, she scooped out a little loose product from the side and let Jiang Si smell it.
The flavor is indeed quite faint; you can't smell it at all unless you sniff carefully.
"What do you think of this?" Jiang Si asked him.
After all, most gay men don't like to put this kind of stuff on their faces, especially Huo Tingzhou.
Surprisingly, he agreed this time, and very quickly at that.
Jiang Si looked over with a suspicious expression, but ultimately said nothing.
Since they were already there, Jiang Si pulled him to the wardrobe counter on the third floor.
Huo Tingzhou simply didn't have enough clothes. Apart from the military uniform issued by the army, he only had about two sets of clothes for everyday wear.
When the family divided the property, her mother-in-law gave her a lot of cloth coupons, and Jiang Si was a woman who was not short of money.
So I picked out several outfits for him, from the inside out, and also bought three pairs of shoes for him to wear every day.
As an art student, Jiang Si naturally knew that for a man with striking features like Huo Tingzhou, dark colors would be the most suitable.
Therefore, when choosing clothes, she mostly picks charcoal black or navy blue.
The fabric chosen was textured, which ensured both quality and visual appeal without being monotonous.
Jiang Si held up the clothes to Huo Tingzhou several times before nodding in satisfaction.
She is quite confident in her own aesthetic sense.
At this moment, Huo Tingzhou tugged at his shirt collar and asked a question that was half doubtful and half certain.
"Honey, do I look too old-fashioned in this?"
They are already eight years apart in age, and if they dress like this, even more people might mistake him for an uncle.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Si did not answer directly, but instead took a step forward.
Her slender fingers traced his shoulder line and finally landed on the top button of his shirt.
Huo Tingzhou was right about one thing: Jiang Si really didn't like those hot-headed young men in their early twenties.
Whether before or after transmigrating into the book, she has always been attracted to men like Huo Tingzhou, who have a cold and aloof appearance, and are even slightly oppressive.
Especially these well-tailored clothes, which make him look both ascetic and refined, make people want to tease him.
Just like now.
While tidying her clothes, Jiang Si subtly touched his chest muscles.
After a while, she spoke in a clear voice with a hint of girlish charm, in a volume that only the two of them could hear.
"Where is it old-fashioned? This is called mature, okay?"
"What others think is not important; what matters is that I like it."
After saying this, Jiang Si raised her head and met his astonished yet profound gaze.
"I like you wearing clothes like this. Wear this whenever you're at home, okay?"
Upon hearing this, Huo Tingzhou's breath hitched slightly.
He couldn't even remember what happened next.
He was still in a daze until the two of them got on the bus with their bags.
Jiang Si had no idea that her few words, which weren't even sweet talk, would be so damaging.
Seeing that Huo Tingzhou was still in a daze, she subconsciously assumed that he hadn't rested well, so she took the car keys from him.
It was already past 2 p.m. when I got home.
When the door opened, Huo Tingzhou held it shut with his hand. After Jiang Si went inside, he carried his bags and packages into the living room.
Seeing the young couple return together with smiles on their faces, Grandma Huo's wrinkles deepened with joy.
"Have you had lunch yet? If not, I'll heat it up for you."
Just as Jiang Si was about to say no, Huo Tingzhou had already rolled up his sleeves.
"I'll go heat up the food. You and Grandma can sit and rest for a while."
Jiang Si nodded, noticing that only her grandmother was home.
"Grandma, where is Grandpa?"
Grandma Huo patted the sofa and waited for Jiang Si to sit down.
He then smiled and said, "Since he had nothing to do at home, he went to the senior activity center to play chess with his old friends."
Playing chess was just a pretense; in reality, Grandma Huo had assigned him a task.
That means everyone in the compound must know within three days.
Si Yatou is the third brother's wife, and they're even legally married.
The old man was quite helpless, so as soon as he finished lunch, he started wandering around the whole courtyard.
He would talk to anyone he met, even stopping to chat with the military dogs guarding the compound.
"That fair-skinned girl is our third son's wife, the one with the icy face."
"Next time you see her, don't bark at her, understand?"
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