Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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Ji Xiaozhuo watched Wen Wen constantly picking out and trying on clothes, then compared her to Tang Tang beside him, and couldn’t help but tug at her hand, asking in a soft voice, “Mommy, do you want to buy clothes too?”
Tang Tang shook her head, “Mommy doesn’t need to buy any, Mommy has clothes.”
Ji Xiaozhuo frowned in confusion, “But I’ve never seen you go shopping. Don’t girls all like to shop? Why don’t you shop?”
Unexpectedly, the little guy knew that girls liked to shop, and Tang Tang chuckled, patting his head, “Not all girls like to shop. Mommy doesn’t.”
Ji Xiaozhuo looked at Tang Tang with suspicion, remembering how Tang Tang had been reluctant to spend money earlier, and suddenly shook her head, saying, “No, no, Mommy, you’re lying! You like to shop too, right? Mommy, are you just being stingy with money?”
She hadn’t expected the little guy to be so perceptive, even noticing her reluctance to spend money. Tang Tang patiently explained to him, “Part of the reason is that Mom really has clothes and doesn’t need to buy any; another reason, of course, is to save money, because Mom doesn’t work, and we both rely on Dad to work so hard to earn money to support us, so we can’t waste Dad’s hard-earned money, right? We don’t need to spend money that isn’t necessary.”
Ji Xiaozhuo nodded, seemingly understanding, but in his heart he was wondering if their family was really poor, and whether he should eat less in the future.
Just then, Wen Wen walked over in a white fitted dress, twirled around, and asked Tang Tang, “Tang Tang, what do you think of this dress? Is it pretty?”
Tang Tang looked her over carefully. Putting aside any differences in dressing habits caused by their different upbringing, she thought the dress was quite beautiful. She gave Wen Wen a thumbs up, “It’s very pretty, and it suits you perfectly.”
“Really? I think it looks great too! I’ll take it!” Wen Wen decisively asked the sales assistant to wrap up the dress. Only then did she notice Tang Tang hadn’t moved and couldn’t help but advise, “Tang Tang, why don’t you try it on? It’s a rare trip to the city; buy a couple of outfits.”
Actually, Wen Wen thought Tang Tang’s clothes were really outdated. She was so young, yet dressed like a woman in her thirties or forties; it was really uncomfortable to look at. She felt this really needed to be changed, otherwise, wouldn’t Xiao Zhuo’s father, who was so handsome, find it unappealing?
Tang Tang smiled faintly and shook her head, “I won’t buy it, I have clothes to wear.”
Seeing this, Wen Wen’s eyes darted around, and she suddenly leaned close to Tang Tang’s ear and whispered, “Sister Tang Tang, you actually really like Xiao Zhuo’s dad, don’t you?”
Tang Tang was taken aback, looking blankly at Wen Wen, “Wen Wen, you…you…what are you saying?”
Wen Wen grinned and put her arm around her, “Don’t deny it! You can’t hide Xiao Zhuo’s dad’s eyes from my sharp eyes, they’re so soft, almost meltingly tender! I’ve never seen a woman so gentle!”
Were her eyes really that obvious? Tang Tang involuntarily touched her eyes, her face instantly turning red, stammering and unable to speak.
Seeing Tang Tang blush, Wen Wen patted her arm, “Oh, what’s there to be embarrassed about? You’re husband and wife, isn’t it normal to like your husband? It would be abnormal not to.”
Tang Tang remained silent, unable to explain their marital relationship to Wen Wen.
Wen Wen then made a sudden turn, “But, Xiao Zhuo’s dad is so handsome and outstanding, sometimes a wife can’t be too bad, otherwise people will think you’re not a good match. Besides, men are visual creatures. If you want a man to maintain his feelings for you, you have to be pretty first, otherwise he’ll look down on you. So, a woman’s beauty is very important!”
Tang Tang agreed with Wen Wen’s words, but had to tell the truth: “But I really am not a good match for Xiao Zhuo’s dad, because I’m not pretty to begin with.”
This answer almost made Wen Wen vomit blood. She couldn’t help but sigh, then she looked Tang Tang up and down, and asked, “Sister Tang Tang, you should be about 1.67 meters tall like me, but do you weigh half of me?”
Tang Tang felt that her weight was being slighted and retorted, “Why not half? I weigh 78 pounds!”
“My goodness!” Wen Wen exclaimed in disbelief. “We’re about the same height, but I weigh 110 pounds while you only weigh 78 pounds. Didn’t you grow up eating rice?”
Tang Tang said, feeling wronged. “But I’ve been trying so hard to gain weight.”
Wen Wen said earnestly, “Sister Tang Tang, I don’t think your features are that ugly. You’re just too thin, and your complexion and skin tone are particularly bad, so you don’t look good. But these are things that can be improved through hard work.”
Tang Tang felt a little better, nodded in agreement, and continued listening to her.
“These improvements take time, and you might not see results immediately. But there’s a quick way to improve things: clothing! A woman’s clothing is very important. The same person can look completely different in different clothes. Clothes can flatter your figure. Tang Tang, look at what you’re wearing now, it’s really awful. How can you attract a man’s attention like this?”
Tang Tang looked at her clothes uncertainly. “Is it really that bad?”
Wen Wen nodded firmly. “It is indeed very bad. So, you need to change your clothing, otherwise how will you win over Xiao Zhuo’s father’s heart? Besides, even if you don’t dress up, others will. You’ll be outshone by them. What if some vixen appears? You know what I mean?”
Wen Wen’s words made Tang Tang hesitate. Did she really have to change her clothing? Would it really work?
“How about… I go take a look?”
Seeing that she had finally persuaded her, Wen Wen snapped her fingers happily and immediately pulled Tang Tang to pick out clothes.
Seeing that his mother was willing to buy clothes, Ji Xiaozhuo was also very happy and enthusiastically began to choose clothes for his mother as well.
Wen Wen chose a white, loose-fitting, knee-length dress with puff sleeves for Tang Tang. The characteristic of this dress was its loose fit, which looked especially elegant on slim people and could also make them appear less thin. Wen Wen thought this dress would definitely suit Tang Tang and strongly recommended that she try it on.
Tang Tang felt that the dress was a bit revealing, with half of her legs and arms exposed. She wanted to shake her head and refuse, but then she thought that all the women here dressed like this. If she didn’t wear it, would her baby’s father think she dressed very unfashionably and ugly? Should she also conform to local customs?
So, Tang Tang gritted her teeth and took the dress to try it on. After a long while, she awkwardly came out of the dressing room.
Wen Wen glanced at it and immediately gave a thumbs up, “Sister Tang Tang, this dress really suits you perfectly! It makes you look less thin, and it elevates your overall style significantly. It looks really good.”
The group leader’s wife also nodded, “Great, great, you look like a completely different person.”
Ji Xiaozhuo stroked his chin and circled Tang Tang a few times, very satisfied, saying, “Mom, this dress looks good!”
Seeing that everyone said it looked good, Tang Tang finally dared to carefully examine herself in the dressing mirror. Putting aside the question of whether it was revealing or not, she really did look like a different person. Since the bruises and wounds on her face had gradually faded, her face didn’t look so scary anymore. Wearing white clothes actually made her skin look a little brighter. Moreover, her figure was really as Wen Wen said; she looked much plumper, at least not as frighteningly thin as she actually was.
Looking at it this way, it really did look good.
Tang Tang’s heart was moved, and she suddenly wanted to buy the dress.
However, when she asked about the price, the dress actually cost eight hundred yuan, which scared Tang Tang so much that she immediately said no, it was too expensive, she wouldn’t buy it.
Wen Wen and the group leader’s wife tried to persuade Tang Tang, but she refused to buy it. In the end, they had no choice but to let her go. However, Wen Wen still felt regretful and kept muttering, “Sister Tang Tang, eight hundred yuan isn’t that expensive. It’s okay to buy something once in a while. Why are you being so hard on yourself? It’s not easy to find clothes that suit you so well.”
Tang Tang smiled and said, “I know, I also really like that dress, but it’s really too expensive. So I can buy the fabric and make an identical one at home. That way, it won’t even cost a hundred yuan.”
Wen Wen’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Sister Tang Tang, you said you can make it yourself? An identical one?”
Tang Tang nodded. “I just saw how that dress was made. It’s very simple. As long as I buy the fabric, I can sew it in a day, and it will be almost exactly the same.”
Tang Tang was confident in this. After all, needlework was one of her strengths.
The troupe leader’s wife was also surprised. “Tang Tang, you can even make clothes? Have you studied it?”
Tang Tang didn’t want to admit that she had studied needlework since childhood, so she used the original owner’s experience as an excuse: “I studied fashion design in college.”
Wen Wen and the troupe leader’s wife suddenly understood. No wonder, it’s quite normal for fashion design students to be able to make clothes.
The troupe leader’s wife said happily, “If you can really make them exactly the same, that would really save a lot of money.”
“Yes, it will save a lot.” Tang Tang asked happily, “Sister-in-law, do you know where I can buy fabric? Take me to buy some.”
The troupe leader’s wife knew the place well and immediately took Tang Tang to a fabric store. It had all kinds of fabrics, and Tang Tang got excited as she browsed. After finding the fabric she needed to make a dress, she also took a liking to a pair of denim and a pair of white shirt fabric, and really wanted to buy them.
Seeing Tang Tang looking at the two fabrics so intently, the troupe leader’s wife asked, “Do you want to make some other clothes?”
Tang Tang nodded, “Sister-in-law, I want to use this denim to make a pair of pants for Xiao Zhuo, the kind that’s a one-piece, with two straps hanging on his shoulders.”
Tang Tang had seen many children wearing these on the street and thought they were quite cute, but Ji Xiaozhuo didn’t have any, so she wanted to make one for him too.
The troupe leader’s wife understood. “You mean the denim overalls for kids? They do look quite cute on kids. Since you can make them, just buy them. A handmade item is much more meaningful than a store-bought one.”
Then, she pointed to another shirt fabric and teased, “So this is definitely for Ji Yan, right?”
Tang Tang nodded slightly, a little embarrassed. She noticed he didn’t have many clothes to wear regularly, so she wanted to make him a shirt that all the men here wore. She had been observing how shirts were made for a long time, staring at the mannequins in shop windows to make sure she could make it.
The troupe leader’s wife patted Tang Tang’s shoulder. “Then buy them all. It’s a rare trip; it’ll be troublesome if you have to come again next time.”
Tang Tang thought it made sense, so she bought all three fabrics before heading home.
When Tang Tang returned to the military base, all the furniture she had bought had been delivered. The young soldiers even helped carry everything back home, which was a huge help to her. Tang Tang thought the military base was a wonderful place, so warm and hospitable, and she was really happy living there.
Even after helping carry everything, the young soldiers stayed to help. Tang Tang only needed to give directions on where to put things, and they would move quickly and efficiently. They even helped with the cleaning. By evening, the house had been completely transformed, becoming comfortable, cozy, and full of homely warmth.
Looking at the home she had decorated herself, Tang Tang was overjoyed.
When Ji Yan returned, covered in dust, he was stunned by the state of the house and didn’t enter for a long time. He hadn’t expected Tang Tang to decorate the house so warmly and beautifully; it was clear she had put a lot of thought into it.
Hearing the door open, Tang Tang peeked out from the kitchen. Seeing Ji Yan, she immediately greeted him with a sweet smile, “Honey, you’re back? Dinner will be ready soon.”
Ji Yan hummed in response, took a pair of brand-new men’s slippers from the shoe cabinet by the door, put them on, and walked around the house, looking at Tang Tang’s busy figure. Finally, he stood at the kitchen doorway, watching Tang Tang’s busy back, and said, “Thank you for your hard work. The house is beautiful.”
Tang Tang turned to look at him, her smile so bright it was dazzling, “It’s no trouble at all, this is our home.”
Our home? These four words left Ji Yan silent for a long time before he finally asked, “Where’s Ji Xiaozhuo?”
Tang Tang pointed outside, “He was just taken out to play by some young soldiers. He should be back soon.”
As soon as Tang Tang finished speaking, there was a commotion at the door. Several young soldiers had brought Ji Xiaozhuo back, handed him to Ji Yan, and then said goodbye.
Ji Xiaozhuo ran to the kitchen and excitedly shouted to Tang Tang, “Mommy, I’m back!”
Tang Tang feigned surprise, “Oh, my baby’s back! Did you have fun?”
Ji Xiaozhuo nodded vigorously, rushed over, hugged Tang Tang’s leg, and rubbed against her, “So much fun! I saw a big tank! It was so cool!”
The little guy was clearly very excited. Tang Tang ruffled the little guy’s tufts of hair and then asked Ji Yan with a smile, “Where are those little soldiers? Have they left?”
Ji Yan nodded.
Tang Tang pursed her lips and thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, “Honey, I’d like to invite Dong Li and the other young soldiers over for a meal sometime. They’ve helped us a lot, especially this afternoon. They were carrying all the things and were sweating profusely, and I didn’t even get to invite them for a meal. I feel so bad about that. Honey, what do you think?”
Ji Yan looked deeply at Tang Tang and nodded, “Sure, you can arrange it.”
Actually, it was a custom to invite guests over when someone moved into a military base. He was worried she might find it troublesome and not want to entertain guests, but she brought it up herself. She was really quite thoughtful.
Tang Tang became happy and immediately made arrangements, “How about we invite them tomorrow night? I’ve bought a lot of groceries anyway, so let them have a good meal to celebrate our move.”
A smile flashed in Ji Yan’s eyes.
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