Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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After breakfast, Tang Tang took Ji Xiaozhuo out to buy the tools she needed for making shoes. Besides a needle left by Aunt Li, there were no other tools at home. It was truly baffling how the original owner, a fashion design major, didn’t even have any sewing tools. Did she rely entirely on machines?
The first step in making shoes was the sole, which required Ji Yue’s shoe size. Tang Tang then asked Ji Xiaozhuo to go undercover and find out Ji Yue’s shoe size, with the strict requirement that Ji Yue not know what he was up to.
Ji Xiaozhuo’s big eyes darted around, and he patted his chest, promising to complete the mission. Then he dashed into the room to carry it out.
No one knew how Ji Xiaozhuo had managed to fool them, but he returned with his spoils in less than ten minutes.
Tang Tang gave the little guy two big kisses on the cheek, making him giggle.
The fabric Tang Tang bought for the shoe uppers was a moon-white embroidered material. It already had embroidery patterns, so she didn’t need to embroider it herself. She only needed to use transparent ribbons to make a few three-dimensional little flowers on the shoe uppers to enhance its beauty.
Tang Tang felt that although there were many styles and beautiful shoes nowadays, many women’s shoes weren’t comfortable, especially high heels, which were practically torture. She didn’t understand why women here liked wearing them so much. Ji Yue seemed to like wearing them too, so she wanted to give Ji Yue a pair of beautiful and comfortable shoes. If Ji Yue was willing to wear them, walking in them would definitely be very comfortable.
Tang Tang was quick; she finished a pair of shoes in less than two days. She was quite satisfied with them herself and showed them to the only man present, asking for his opinion: “Baby, do you think the shoes are pretty?”
Ji Xiaozhuo’s little hand instinctively touched the small flowers on the shoe’s surface, nodding repeatedly, “Pretty! Mommy, these flowers are pretty.”
Tang Tang rubbed the little guy’s head: “Baby, you really have good taste.”
These flowers, though seemingly inconspicuous, were the most time-consuming and labor-intensive part, the finishing touch to the entire shoe, making it look extremely elegant and unique— something that shoes sold outside could never achieve.
Since Ji Xiaozhuo also thought they were pretty, Tang Tang felt confident. She carefully packed the shoes in a box, then went to buy some ingredients, made two portions of pastries for Ji Yue, and also made two jars of her special meat sauce.
“Come on, baby, let’s go deliver something to Aunt Ji Yue to thank her for helping Mommy become more beautiful.”
“OK,” Ji Xiaozhuo led the way for Tang Tang like a big brother. “Mommy, I know what Aunt Ji Yue’s company is called. I’ll take you there.”
Tang Tang followed the clever little devil and arrived smoothly at the company building where Ji Yue worked. Ji Yue personally greeted them downstairs.
Tang Tang felt that Ji Yue looked very differently today. A well-fitting women’s suit hugged her slender figure, her legs long and straight beneath the skirt, and her high heels made her look stunningly tall and elegant. A powerful and confident aura emanated from her every step. Passing employees would nod and greet her, to which she would respond with a faint smile and a nod, exuding an indescribable air of competence and grace.
Is this what a working woman looks like? She’s so charming! No wonder the women here work just like the men.
Tang Tang admired Ji Yue immensely, but unfortunately, she couldn’t do what Ji Yue did. Her only skills were probably cooking and needlework.
Ji Yue led the two to her private office, instructed her assistant to pour tea for Tang Tang and Ji Xiaozhuo, and gave Ji Xiaozhuo some snacks before smiling and saying, “You brought me some delicious food, didn’t you? Thank you for your hard work.”
Tang Tang placed the things she brought on the coffee table. “Making some food is very simple. I didn’t make much, just two kinds of pastries and two kinds of meat sauce for you. See if you like them.”
Ji Yue didn’t stand on ceremony and directly opened the box containing the food. She immediately saw eight exquisite pastries inside and her eyes lit up. “Wow, they’re so beautiful! These are authentic Chinese pastries! You can actually make Chinese pastries!” She had thought Tang Tang would be making Western pastries.
Ji Yue eagerly popped a chestnut cake into her mouth. The texture was soft, delicate, and sweet, leaving a lingering fragrance in her mouth after swallowing. She couldn’t help but give a thumbs up. “Tang Tang, your pastry is amazing! I’ve had several Chinese pastries made by professional chefs, but none are as delicious as yours.”
While praising it, Ji Yue couldn’t resist popping a hibiscus cake into her mouth.
At this moment, Ji Yue was completely different from her earlier composed self; she had become a glutton, almost as good as Ji Xiaozhuo. Tang Tang found it amusing and advised, “This will fill you up. Eat less, or you won’t be able to eat rice.”
Ji Yue smiled and nodded, “No, no, I’m taking it home for my Gu Chang’an to try too.”
Only then did Ji Yue notice that Tang Tang had also brought a box and asked curiously, “What else did you bring?”
Tang Tang opened the box containing shoes, took out the embroidered shoes, and said shyly, “I made you a pair of embroidered shoes. Don’t be disgusted.”
Ji Yue was stunned for a moment, then took the shoes from Tang Tang’s hand. She was immediately attracted by their exquisite craftsmanship. “My goodness, Tang Tang, I’m really impressed! You can even make these, and they’re so beautiful! If you hadn’t told me, I would have thought you bought some haute couture from somewhere. They’re just too beautiful!”
Ji Yue wasn’t just being polite; she genuinely thought the shoes were beautiful. They were simple and elegant, small and exquisite, possessing both ancient charm and modern fashion. Wearing them would definitely be eye-catching, and paired with a white fairy dress, they would be absolutely ethereal.
Tang Tang was almost embarrassed by Ji Yue’s praise, while Ji Xiaozhuo was extremely proud, his little chest puffing out unconsciously.
Ji Yue simply took off her high heels and put on these embroidered shoes. They felt incredibly light and comfortable on her feet, and she couldn’t resist twirling around a couple of times, admiring herself. “How is it? Does it look good?” Mother and son nodded in unison, “It looks great!”
“Haha…it just doesn’t match my outfit today at all. Next time I’ll wear it with a long skirt. I can also wear these for shopping; they definitely won’t tire my feet.”
Ji Yue happily put the shoes away. Seeing that it was getting late, she said to Tang Tang and Ji Xiaozhuo, “It’s lunchtime. Let’s go downstairs and have lunch together.”
This time, Tang Tang didn’t refuse.
During lunch, Tang Tang went to the restroom, but unexpectedly, she ran into an acquaintance.
A glamorous woman emerged from the restroom. Upon seeing Tang Tang, she paused, then immediately smiled, saying familiarly, “Tang Tang, where have you been all this time? We haven’t seen you anywhere! We wanted to drink with you, but couldn’t find you.”
Tang Tang frowned involuntarily at the woman’s heavy makeup and overly revealing clothes, instinctively taking a step back.
Although she didn’t know who this woman was, she clearly wasn’t a respectable woman; she seemed more like some kind of shady character.
They were on different paths, and regardless of Tang Tang’s past relationship with this woman, she didn’t want to associate with her.
Tang Tang frowned and said, “Don’t ask me to drink anymore. I’m going to stay home and be a good wife and mother.”
“A good wife and mother?” The woman nearly choked on her saliva, looking at her as if she were crazy. “Tang Tang, are you out of your mind? What’s wrong with you?”
“Being a good wife and mother is fine.”
Tang Tang didn’t understand why this surprised her so much. Was being a good wife and mother so terrible?
“Crazy, crazy…” The woman thought Tang Tang had truly gone mad. Had the car accident damaged her brain?
The woman wanted to grab Tang Tang and ask her more questions, but a man nearby impatiently walked over and grabbed her arm. “What’s wrong with you? What are you dawdling about in the bathroom?!”
The woman immediately smiled, reached out and hugged the man’s fat arm, and said coquettishly, “Oh, I just ran into someone I know, so I said hello. Don’t be angry, darling.”
The man glanced at Tang Tang, saw that she was an ugly woman, showed an annoyed expression, and pulled the woman away.
Tang Tang breathed a sigh of relief, praying that she would never run into such an “acquaintance” again.
After washing her hands, Tang Tang turned to walk back, but unexpectedly saw a beautiful young woman standing not far away watching her, seemingly having been watching for a long time.
Tang Tang recognized this woman; she was one of the four people she had met at the restaurant with Ji Yan last time. Last time, she felt that this woman seemed to know her.
However, Tang Tang had some doubts about the four people’s attitude towards Ji Yan last time, so she planned to leave directly. Unexpectedly, as she passed the woman, the woman spoke up, “Tang Tang, I’m so glad you’re no longer living such a muddled life.”
Tang Tang paused; this person really did know her.
Seeing that Tang Tang ignored her, the woman hurriedly said, “Tang Tang, can you listen to me for a moment? My mother is sick; you should go back and see her.”
Mother? Whose mother? What exactly was the original owner’s relationship with this woman? Seeing that Tang Tang remained silent, the woman’s face showed a complex expression. She then said softly, “Tang Tang, I know you resent me for taking your things, and you resent Mom and Dad’s favoritism towards me, but apart from Shi Yue, I’ve never thought of taking anything that belongs to you. And if you hadn’t done those things, Mom and Dad wouldn’t have treated you like this…” The woman paused, realizing that saying these words was pointless, and then said, “No matter what, you are still Mom’s biological daughter. She’s sick, go see her. I believe she’ll be very happy to see you.”
Tang Tang was completely confused, not understanding what was going on at all. It seemed that the original owner had a great deal of grudges and resentment with this woman and her so-called parents. But no matter what, she couldn’t rashly agree to this woman’s request to see her mother.
So Tang Tang could only silently walk past the woman.
Watching Tang Tang’s hurried departure, a very complicated expression flashed in the woman’s eyes.
For the next day, Tang Tang kept thinking about what that woman had said, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t figure out the complicated relationship. She considered asking Ji Yan, the only person who might know, but she put the phone down again.
“Never mind,” she thought, “I shouldn’t ask. It wouldn’t be good if I upset my baby’s father. I have a feeling this is more complicated than it seems.”
If her husband had wanted to tell her, he would have done so when they met at the restaurant. Since he hadn’t said anything yet, it meant he didn’t want to, so she shouldn’t ask anymore. Living her own life was the most important thing.
Seeing Tang Tang holding the phone with a conflicted expression, Ji Xiaozhuo immediately misunderstood and tugged at her sleeve, asking, “Mommy, do you want to call Daddy? Do you miss Daddy?” Tang Tang snapped out of her daze, her face flushed, and she quickly waved her hands, “No, no, Mommy doesn’t miss Daddy.”
Ji Xiaozhuo pointed to the phone screen in her hand and said, “You clearly want to call Daddy, Mommy, don’t be shy. Actually, I miss Daddy too. He’s been gone for so many days.”
Tang Tang didn’t know how to explain anymore.
Ji Xiaozhuo then ran to get his tablet, snuggled into Tang Tang’s lap, and skilfully operated the tablet with his little hands, sending a voice message to Ji Yan: “Daddy, Daddy, it’s Xiao Zhuo. Mommy and I miss you so much! Can we video chat?”
Tang Tang was surprised that the little guy had included her in the message. When had she ever said she missed his dad? What would his dad think? Ah, just thinking about it made her feel embarrassed.
Tang Tang blushed, trying to figure out how to salvage the situation, but Ji Yan had already seen it and immediately sent a video request. Ji Xiaozhuo didn’t give Tang Tang time to react before answering quickly, cheerfully shouting, “Daddy!”
Ji Yan’s face appeared on the screen, and Tang Tang could only awkwardly smile and call out “Husband,” while secretly observing Ji Yan’s expression for any unusual reaction. She found that he was acting normally, seemingly unconcerned about Ji Xiaozhuo’s words.
Tang Tang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Ji Xiaozhuo was completely oblivious to his mother’s nervousness, continuing to chat happily with Ji Yan. Before long, he shared what had happened that day with Ji Yan, “Daddy, let me tell you, Aunt Ji Yue loved the pastries Mommy made, and she also really loved the shoes! She said Mommy is amazing!” The little guy’s expression was incredibly proud.
“Really?” Ji Yan glanced at Tang Tang, surprisingly agreeing with the little guy’s words, “She is amazing.”
Tang Tang blushed, explaining shyly, “It’s not as exaggerated as you say, baby.”
Ji Xiaozhuo puffed out his little chest, “Yes, Mommy is incredibly amazing.”
Ji Xiaozhuo was now his mother’s biggest fanboy, mainly because everything Tang Tang made was incredibly delicious. For a foodie, this kind of caretaker was the most charming person.
Tang Tang covered her face, seeing she couldn’t stop Ji Xiaozhuo’s enthusiastic praise, she could only shamelessly let him be.
After Ji Xiaozhuo finally finished talking, Ji Yan looked at Tang Tang and said, “My application for military dependents has been approved, and I’ve also received the house.”
“You got the house?” Tang Tang was pleasantly surprised, not expecting it to be so fast. So, they could move in soon?
Ji Yan nodded and said, “But there’s no furniture inside and everything needs to be rearranged. I’ll take some time off to go out and buy some. I’ll pick you and Xiao Zhuo up after I’ve finished.”
Ji Xiaozhuo understood and immediately cheered, “Daddy, does that mean Mommy and I can live with you every day after you’ve finished?”
Ji Yan nodded with a smile.
“When will you be ready, Daddy? I miss you so much.” Ji Xiaozhuo couldn’t wait to be with his father.
Ji Yan thought for a moment and gave the little one a specific date: “Wait another half month, and Daddy will come to pick you up.”
When Ji Xiaozhuo heard it was half a month, he immediately pouted, “Daddy, half a month is so long! Can’t you come tomorrow?”
“But there’s nothing in the house. If you come, there will be no food, no water, and no place to sleep. How will you live?”
Ji Xiaozhuo thought about how he wouldn’t be able to eat, drink, or sleep, and instantly wilted.
Tang Tang felt that it was too much for Ji Yan to train and decorate the house at the same time, so she tentatively asked, “Honey, can Xiao Zhuo and I go over first? You’re so busy, and it will be very tiring for you to find time to decorate the house. Anyway, the baby and I have nothing to do at home. I’ll have time to buy things, and I can decorate while you’re busy. It will definitely be done in less than two days.”
Ji Yan remained silent. Although Tang Tang’s suggestion was not bad, buying furniture and decorating the house was a big project and very tiring. He had never thought of entrusting such a task to her.
Ji Xiaozhuo, finally able to go ahead early, was afraid his father would disagree, so he immediately pleaded, “Daddy, Mommy and I are very capable. I can sweep the floor and wipe the table, so please let us go.”
Tang Tang chimed in, “Yes, yes, baby is very capable. We can do everything.”
Seeing the mother and son like this, Ji Yan felt both amused and exasperated. After thinking for a moment, he agreed, “I can’t leave here for the time being and can’t go back to pick you up. I’ll have Gu Chang’an send someone to bring you. Pack your essentials in the next couple of days.”
The mother and son clapped their hands happily when he agreed. Ji Xiaozhuo even forgot about his father and rushed back to his room to pack his things.
Seeing Tang Tang’s eager expression, Ji Yan had no choice but to hang up the video call and let the mother and son pack.
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