Xiao Jin felt she was doomed this time. When she was trying on clothes inside, she secretly looked at them and saw that each piece had a price tag, and each one cost several hundred yuan, with one piece costing over a thousand yuan.
She glanced at Zhou Yue's wallet; it wasn't very thick. If she bought everything, she'd probably need a sack to carry the money.
Strangely, she had never seen the money Zhou Yue took out before.
The salesperson didn't seem to mind and accepted it without hesitation.
"What kind of money is this?"
"Here's a foreign exchange certificate. Here, have one?" Zhou Yue said, pulling out a hundred-yuan note and handing it over. But then she suddenly remembered being scolded by Deng Jianyan last time, so she immediately took it back and shut her mouth tightly.
Xiao Jin dared not accept it. She said timidly, "Won't my dad beat me to death? He'll be furious if you buy me so many clothes."
"Then let him beat me to death too," Zhou Yue said irritably.
The sales clerk found the relationship between the two strange; no matter how she looked at it, Zhou Yue couldn't possibly have a daughter that big.
"Is this your sister?"
“My daughter,” Zhou Yue said openly. Xiao Jin bit her lip and didn’t refute.
They came out of the shop with bags and packages. Zhou Yue didn't take them directly back to the hotel, but instead went to the teahouse next door.
Zhou Yue ordered a table full of food, and while she ate and drank heartily, she didn't forget to tell Xiao Jin, "Eat more, you won't be able to taste such authentic flavors when you go home."
"Aunt Zhou, you're so kind to me," Xiao Jin said awkwardly.
"Xiao Jin, I'm being nice to you for a reason." Zhou Yue put down her chopsticks, took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth, and said seriously.
Xiao Jin was taken aback by her bluntness. She looked up at her, speechless.
“I love your dad, even in his current cowardly state. I guess there’s no way around it. I love him, so I want to be a part of his life. The most important people in his life are you and Lisheng, and I can’t get around that, nor do I want to. So I hope to receive your love. Of course, this isn’t something that can be achieved overnight; there’s a long road ahead. I hope that one day I can hear you call me ‘Mom.’ That will be a real success for me. The revolution is not yet complete, and I still have to work hard. Come on, eat your fill so you’ll have the energy to keep going.” Zhou Yue waved and ordered another basket of crab roe buns.
Xiao Jin also buried her head in her food and stopped talking.
"Aunt Zhou, why do you like making clothes? Drawing patterns every day is very tiring." This was something Xiao Jin never understood. If she could live a good life without doing anything, she would definitely choose not to work.
“Fashion is not just clothes, it’s an element,” Zhou Yue said patiently.
"element?"
"Yes, your life is made up of various elements, such as food, clothing, housing, and transportation. These elements determine your quality of life."
“I get it. We’re eating well now, but we were eating garbage in the shelter. Is it determined by the elements?” Xiao Jin blurted out.
"What you said is interesting, but it also makes sense. What looks like a simple piece of clothing contains a lot of information—humanities, history, and the influence of various disciplines. A piece of clothing is a miniature world. If you delve into it, you'll find it wonderful." Seeing Xiao Jin's confused expression, Zhou Yue knew she had been too vague and Xiao Jin didn't understand.
"Let me tell you something interesting, about Pierre Cardin. You've met some foreigners in Guangzhou these past few days, haven't you?"
“Yes, very fair-skinned and very tall.” Xiao Jin gestured with her hands.
"In 1979, Pierre Cardin brought his fashion to China. When he saw the Chinese people, he was a little dumbfounded because the Chinese were shorter than Europeans. It was a matter of overall proportion, and the question became whether the fashion he brought could be suitable for Chinese people to wear."
"What should we do then?" Xiao Jin asked, completely engrossed.
"He wanted a Chinese female secretary to help him try on the clothes. This girl was short and a little chubby. She was worried she wouldn't look good in them and kept refusing. She was finally persuaded, and then a miracle happened." Zhou Yue left everyone in suspense.
"What miracle?" Xiao Jin's eyes lit up.
"The girl took off seven or eight different colored clothes—red, blue, green, and yellow—and then she became a slender person."
"Hahahaha!" Xiao Jin burst out laughing, and Zhou Yue, imagining it, couldn't help but laugh too.
This is probably what it means for life to have a sense of ritual. Back then, people's dressing was indeed quite complicated, and it took at least ten minutes to get dressed and undressed every day.
Especially in winter, women wear a cotton-padded coat under a coat, an outer coat under the cotton-padded coat, a wool vest under the outer coat, a sweater or cashmere sweater under the wool vest, a shirt under the vest, and then the famous thermal underwear under their long underwear. Underneath that, there's a slightly thinner sweater, and then, of course, a vest. In this situation, 80% of women don't wear bras.
"And then?" Xiao Jin asked, having finished laughing.
"After taking off all her armor, the girl's figure was slender enough. When she came out in her new clothes, everyone was stunned. In a word, she was beautiful." Zhou Yue's face was radiant when she talked about her profession. Xiao Jin suddenly realized that this woman, who usually didn't look beautiful and was even a little ugly, was actually quite attractive.
As Xiao Jin expected, when Deng Jianyan saw the dozens of bags they carried back, he angrily smoked a cigarette, right there in Zhou Yue's room, and wouldn't leave no matter how hard he tried to get rid of him.
"Anyway, I've already bought it. Go ahead and return it if you dare." Zhou Yue wouldn't budge an inch. Xiao Jin sighed, gave Wang Jian a look, and left the room.
Although the people in the inner room were arguing, they looked exactly like a couple, exuding the sweet and sour smell of being in love.
Wang Jian had been avoiding Xiao Jin, not daring to even look her in the eye, especially since she had changed into a new T-shirt and jeans today, and her hair was no longer a messy mess with two silly little braids, but a high ponytail, making her look refreshed.
"Wang Jian, let's go home and study hard so we can get into a good university." After this experience, Xiao Jin's life has changed, and she has grown up quickly in the juvenile detention center.
"Hmm." Wang Jian only responded with a single word before quickly slipping into his room and closing the door.
Xiao Jin stood dejectedly in the corridor, feeling as if they could never go back to the past. This trip out had shown them the outside world and made them realize the preciousness of home.
Although her father couldn't provide her with a perfect life, he had already done a great job of sheltering her from the wind and rain.
And then there's Zhou Yue. Although she's carefree and easygoing, she's very sincere. Maybe I should try to accept her.
Xiao Jin was lost in thought outside when it finally dawned on her that there was no sound coming from inside. She considered knocking, but then stopped herself. Maybe there was still an argument going on inside, and she didn't want to invite trouble.
Her legs were aching from standing for so long before the door finally opened. Deng Jianyan looked unwilling and didn't want to come out, but Zhou Yue kicked him out and then dragged Xiao Jin inside.
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