Grandma Mao felt that giving such tattered clothes as a gift was really inappropriate. She thought, "Either don't give anything at all, or give something wearable. These few pieces of clothing make her, as the mother-in-law, lose face."
Zhou Fangchun, however, did not think so. Since he was not asking Shu Hui for anything or trying to curry favor with her by giving her gifts, there was really no need to take it too seriously.
If we don't send him tattered clothes, are we supposed to send him new clothes that Mao Xia wears?
Shu Hui is naive and doesn't know much about the world. She tried to fool her by saying that these clothes were bought from a department store. What could she possibly know?
Mao Xia came out of the house carrying books.
She was wearing a polyester dress, had her hair in two braids, and had applied some lipstick with her finger, making her look rosy and healthy.
Mao Xia will be a senior in high school this fall. She is the school beauty at Dezhong High School and likes to dress herself up beautifully to attract attention and gossip.
But her grandmother didn't like her. She always said that she was too young to learn good things and had too many crooked thoughts. Every time she saw her putting on lipstick, she would glare at her fiercely.
Mao Xia didn't want to stay at home facing her grandmother's old face, so she went out with Zhou Fangchun. The mother and daughter went to the department store together.
After getting off the bus, Zhou Fangchun spotted a stall in front of the department store in the distance. Upon closer inspection, it really was Chu Yu.
Zhou Fangchun looked around and, seeing no one she recognized nearby, stepped forward and said unhappily:
"Chu Yu, it really is you! I didn't believe your grandma when she said you were setting up a stall here. You're so young, how come your mind is full of crooked ideas? Why did you have to become a self-employed individual instead of doing anything else!"
To be fair, Chu Yu's stall had a lot of brightly colored buttons, with a wider variety of styles than she had seen at the supply and marketing cooperative.
But what great prospects can one have selling buttons?
What could be more comfortable than finding a man to marry?
A woman should find a good husband and get married and have children as soon as possible. If she thinks about these crooked ideas all day long, she will inevitably be difficult to manage in the long run, and the Qiu family may find fault with her!
Chu Yu hadn't expected to run into Zhou Fangchun here. The original owner of this body didn't have much affection for this second aunt, let alone for her. She didn't want to listen to the Zhou family members, whether it was Zhou Jian'an, Zhou Huilan, or Zhou Fangchun in front of her.
Chu Yu smiled. "Second Aunt, it's my freedom to do what I want. I'm no longer a member of the Zhou family, and the Zhou family has no right to interfere with my choices. Besides, if I don't become self-employed, where will I get the money to support my family? Do you expect me to support you, Second Aunt, so I can ask you for money when I'm broke?"
Zhou Fangchun's smile froze. Did he not have money and had to ask her for it?
Could it be that he's trying to cling to her?
Shu Hui is raising three daughters, so the pressure of life is unimaginable. If Chu Yu comes to her for everything, she'll be in big trouble.
Zhou Fangchun chuckled and said, "Chu Yu, you're joking. How could your second aunt possibly support you? Don't be fooled by the fact that your second aunt lives in the city and your second aunt's husband has a prestigious job. In reality, life isn't easy for us. Your second aunt doesn't have much money at all."
"Don't worry, Auntie, I was just joking. Look how scared you were!"
Chu Yu laughed out loud, seemingly finding her reaction particularly amusing.
Zhou Fangchun gave an awkward smile.
She thought she had married well and could walk with her head held high in the family. Everyone who saw her would flatter and fawn over her. Who would have thought that Chu Yu would not give her any face at all and would even make a few sarcastic remarks that were half-serious, but with a smile on his face, making it impossible for anyone to find fault with him.
“You silly child, it’s been years since I’ve seen you, and you’ve even learned to joke around. I’m not saying this to criticize you, but even if you went to work as an apprentice in a clothing factory, you could still earn more than ten yuan a month. How much money can you make as a self-employed individual? If people knew that my family was running a street stall in Deyang, where would your uncle and I put our faces?”
Zhou Fangchun considered herself to be of high status. If her colleagues at work found out that her niece was setting up a stall in front of the department store, she would inevitably be ridiculed, and she would definitely lose face at work. Thinking of this, she resented Chu Yu even more, feeling that her niece was really selfish, disregarding the lives of others just to earn a little money.
Chu Yu thought to herself that Zhou Fangchun was indeed Jiang Meifeng's daughter; the mother and daughter were equally mean and selfish!
Zhou Fangchun looked down on her for being a self-employed individual, and she, in turn, looked down on Zhou Fangchun's meager fixed salary.
People live their own lives, eating and sleeping, not living in the eyes of others. She earns nearly 400 yuan a day, which is equivalent to Zhou Fangchun's annual salary. What right does Zhou Fangchun have to look down on her?
Chu Yu pursed her lips, revealing a faint smile, and said in a clear, gentle voice, "Then you'd better be careful, Second Aunt!"
Zhou Fangchun was taken aback.
"Quickly find a burlap sack and put it over your head, so no one knows you're related to me. It's best to stay as far away as possible, and don't come near my stall! That way, it's good for you, good for me, and good for everyone! What do you think, Auntie?"
Zhou Fangchun's jaw clenched painfully. When did this girl become so eloquent? She had only seen her briefly at the hospital last time and thought she had just grown up a few years and her appearance had matured, and her interpersonal skills had improved. Who knew she had become so capable in every way!
How dare you talk to her like that!
Zhou Fangchun was used to being flattered, and she had never encountered such a cold shoulder before. What's more, Chu Yu's words implied even more disdain than hers, and she was practically telling Zhou Fangchun to get lost!
Zhou Fangchun almost lost her temper, but remembering Mao Guangyu's instructions, she forced a smile.
Zhou Fangchun smiled and said, "Your second aunt was just giving you a suggestion, and her intentions were good! Look at you, you've misunderstood your second aunt, haven't you? Your second aunt heard that you're setting up a stall here and knows that you're not having an easy time, so she brought you some clothes, all of which your second aunt carefully selected!"
Chu Yu instinctively wanted to refuse, as she didn't have the habit of wearing other people's hand-me-downs, but Zhou Fangchun kept stuffing the clothes into her hands.
"This is a gift from your second aunt. Open it and take a look! It was all bought from the department store. It was very expensive when I bought it. Your second aunt couldn't bear to give it to anyone else, so she saved it all for you three sisters! You, Chu Xiang, and Chu Chu can all wear it. Take a look and see if you like it!"
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