Chapter 39: Second Update

Lin Xuexia did not yet know Fu Wei’s tactics and assumed he was treating her like an elementary school student.

She thought to herself, I’m much more experienced at this game than you are. However, she didn’t bother to refute him; she let the guy put on his act.

Fu Wei rode his motorcycle and took her to the busiest pedestrian street in the city. Since it was dark, it was the perfect time to see the brilliant lights. The street was filled with a dazzling array of colorful neons and a sea of people, making it feel as if they had entered another world.

It was a bustling commercial district where all kinds of people mingled—those in tailored suits walked alongside those in rags. It was a hub of activity filled with diverse architecture; on the roadside, one could find low-end street vendors sitting right next to large department stores and high-end restaurants.

There were hundreds, if not thousands, of shops here. The rent was far beyond what Lin Xuexia could afford—though, perhaps not necessarily, as the rent prices for storefronts varied wildly; some differed by more than a hundred times per square meter.

She and Fu Wei first went to a well-known clothing building. It had seven floors, with the first three dedicated to mid-to-low-end apparel. Even so, it was packed with shoppers. The clothes she had worn from the village didn't look out of place here.

Many female students wandered the second floor at night, shopping for clothes. If one searched carefully, the second and third floors offered trendy, inexpensive, and attractive items suitable for young women. They were much more fashionable than the local farmers' market, though the materials and craftsmanship were average.

The fourth and fifth floors housed professional suits and sportswear, while the sixth and seventh floors featured mid-to-high-end fashion. The higher they went, the fewer people they encountered.

The first three floors were a labyrinth of racks and displays. Shopping here was like looking for a needle in a haystack, and eighty percent of the stock was women's clothing, with very few men's items.

This was Fu Wei’s first time seeing so many colorful women’s clothes piled together. Previously, he had thought he could offer some advice to Lin Xuexia, but now he decided... it was best to let his wife choose.

Lin Xuexia felt a headache coming on, so she simply pulled Fu Wei up to the fourth floor to pick out a formal white-collar professional outfit.

Fu Wei: "..." He wanted to see his wife in a pretty floral dress!

The professional wear section was dominated by black and white, and there were more men's clothing shops here, too. To Fu Wei, it felt like the colorful world had suddenly turned into shades of gray.

That wasn't entirely true; there were plenty of colors, but the shops near the stairs mainly sold cheap black-and-white business attire. The prices were low, and they looked professional enough for a fresh hire, though many of them made the wearer look like a door-to-door salesperson.

Lin Xuexia quickly picked out a ladies' V-neck casual suit in peacock green—a shade slightly lighter than forest green. It was fresh, vibrant, and eye-catching. The jacket had a single button and a deep V-neck, paired with a white crossover-collar shirt underneath and a matching slim-fit skirt.

She put it on in the fitting room and let her hair down, sweeping it to one side. When Lin Xuexia walked out holding her coat, the shop assistant couldn't help but gasp, "You look absolutely stunning in that!"

It was a complete transformation!

When Lin Xuexia had walked in, she was pretty, but her outfit made her look like a plain country girl. Now, she looked like a polished professional who had just walked out of a high-rise office building.

"This outfit really suits you, it's so beautiful!" the assistant said sincerely. "I recommend you wear our store's high heels with it..."

Lin Xuexia looked at herself in the mirror, her demeanor suddenly three degrees more elegant. She gave a faint smile. The skirt sat just above her knees, revealing her slender, straight calves. In the mirror, she looked tall and beautiful, and she was very satisfied.

It was only when Fu Wei appeared behind her that she realized, by comparison, he made her seem a head shorter.

Lin Xuexia frowned slightly and asked in a teasing tone, "Fu Wei, what do you think of me in this?"

Fu Wei replied reservedly, "Buy it."

"Wrap it up," he said to the assistant. "The whole set, plus the shoes."

The assistant was ecstatic. "You two have such great taste! Miss, is this your boyfriend? I think you shouldn't even take this off. It looks so good on you, just keep wearing it while you shop with him."

Lin Xuexia: "????!!!!" She hadn't even had the chance to haggle yet.

However, the shop's prices were reasonable, so hearing that the cost was fair, she didn't say much. The assistant helped her pack her old clothes and shoes, and she walked out of the store with Fu Wei, wearing her new outfit and high heels.

She dragged Fu Wei to the corner of the stairwell. Relying on the height of her heels, her elegant white shirt, and the jacket draped over her arm, she reached up, grabbed Fu Wei’s handsome face, and started rubbing it vigorously to vent her frustration. "In the future, when I'm buying clothes, don't you say a word!"

"…Wasn't it you who asked me first?" Fu Wei’s eyes held a smile. With her in heels, from his perspective, she seemed to have grown taller, and their lips were closer—making it much easier for him to lean down and kiss her.

When Lin Xuexia was slightly angry, her cupid's bow was prominent, and her lips puckered upward, looking incredibly tempting.

Fu Wei gave her a quick peck, confirming that, yes, she was truly wonderful to kiss.

Lin Xuexia glared at him—he dared to kiss her!

Fu Wei suppressed his smile and said seriously, "The price was quite fair, wasn't it? Don't worry, your future husband isn't a fool."

Lin Xuexia kept a straight face. Yes, she had checked the quality carefully, and the price was indeed quite good.

Could it be Fu Wei’s "handsome man" tactic?

Actually, Lin Xuexia knew that there was room to haggle on the first three floors, but for the mid-to-high-end clothes upstairs, the merchants wouldn't bother with bargaining. You get what you pay for; as long as the price felt right, that was enough.

But since they were out shopping, haggling was part of the fun. Lin Xuexia dragged Fu Wei down to bargain, the two of them coordinating with glances, and they quickly bought several more suitable outfits.

Fu Wei used to buy clothes with lightning speed—if he liked it, he bought it. Lin Xuexia, however, picked and chose, compared shops, and analyzed everything in detail with him. Although Fu Wei felt internally that it was unnecessary—thinking, *silly girl, just buy whatever you like*—he didn't say it out loud because he loved listening to Lin Xuexia chatter away.

She talked about how certain styles were similar, what the person they just passed was wearing, which colors made one look fairer, which skirts made one look taller, and what was durable enough to wear while working a street stall...

Once they started shopping, his wife’s mouth simply wouldn't stop.

Lin Xuexia’s throat started to feel dry from all the talking. She looked up at Fu Wei and found that there wasn't a hint of impatience on his face; instead, he was listening intently to every word. This made her feel incredibly happy.

In her past life, Fu Wei, like those big bosses, would just have that "buy whatever you want" attitude. It was a decent posture, but it felt dull and poured cold water on her excitement.

Perhaps it was also because, at this moment, they were both poor.

Many wealthy wives didn't like shopping for clothes or bags with their husbands for the same reason. Shopping with other women was just more fun—the back-and-forth, the picking and choosing.

Lin Xuexia took Fu Wei’s left hand and scratched his palm. "I hope you can keep this up and accompany me shopping whenever you have time in the future."

Fu Wei promised, "Of course."

For summer and autumn clothes, they could pick cheaper options, but for winter gear, they had to choose quality. Lin Xuexia took Fu Wei upstairs and picked out two high-quality winter coats. She bought one for Fu Wei that cost over three hundred yuan—nearly a month's salary for an average person.

Of course, it wasn't exactly luxurious; a truly high-end custom suit at this time would cost several thousand.

After buying a few more outfits in the building, they went downstairs and wandered through the street-level shops one by one. There were many boutique jewelry and leather bag stores. Lin Xuexia bought a pair of earrings, two bags, two pairs of shoes, pantyhose, and various hair accessories, all of which she made Fu Wei carry. He didn't have a single hand free.

Shopping really was a joy that just kept growing!

Tired from walking, Lin Xuexia bought a bowl of fish balls. She ate one and fed one to Fu Wei. Looking at the neon lights reflecting on the street, she wondered to herself when she would finally own a shop here.

"Spent a lot of money today." Lin Xuexia felt like shedding tears in the wind; she couldn't bear to think about it. Her one thousand yuan... forget it, don't mention it.

Food, clothing, shelter, and transport—it was only natural to improve one's attire once one had money, right?

Fu Wei wanted to rub his nose, but he had no free hands, so he gave up. "Money is meant to be earned after it’s spent."

After finishing the fish balls, Lin Xuexia planned to have Fu Wei take her back. Having a motorcycle was convenient; she also wanted to buy a tricycle. Right now, she had to buy tens of pounds of meat every day.

Once she had a shop in the future, she would do the cooking there, master the recipes herself, and hire a dedicated procurement officer.

"Wait—let's go check out that shop." Lin Xuexia tugged at Fu Wei, who was heading off to find the bike, and gestured with her chin toward a shop not far ahead.

It was a specialized lingerie store with a pretty good brand.

Lin Xuexia finally remembered what she was missing. The lingerie she was currently wearing was still handmade by her.

Fu Wei hadn't looked closely at what the shop sold. He walked in with long strides right alongside Lin Xuexia, until he saw the wall covered in countless... A whole new world opened up before his eyes.

Lin Xuexia watched as he turned bright red from his cheeks down to his neck. Fu Wei, unaware of his own state, pretended to be calm and said, "Wife, you go pick yours out. I'll wait for you outside."

This time, Fu Wei didn't even dare to rush to pay; he turned and ran, not looking back once.

Lin Xuexia: "..."

She pursed her lips tightly to keep from laughing. She thought, people these days are so pure. Actually, she had been the same way in the past—the first time she bought these things, she had been incredibly embarrassed. But the brand’s staff were well-trained and very enthusiastic, teaching her how to try them on properly and how to choose the right size. Over time, she had become nonchalant about it.

Lace was quite popular at the time; many people had white lace doilies spread over their televisions and tables.

Lin Xuexia picked out a few sets. After trying them on to ensure they fit, she walked out of the store carrying the bag. Fu Wei was standing under a distant streetlight, looking up at the stars.

"Here, help me hold this." Lin Xuexia nudged him with the bag.

Fu Wei reacted as if he had been handed a hot potato. He stiffly refused, "You carry it yourself."

Fine.

When they reached the motorcycle, Fu Wei packed the items away. He hung what he could and let Lin Xuexia hold the rest in the back seat. He sat down first. Before Lin Xuexia sat behind him, she leaned into his ear and whispered, "Do you want me to wear them for you to see?"

"???!!!" Fu Wei’s eyes widened, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

Lin Xuexia watched him change expressions while struggling to hold back her laughter. She thought, *this is what they call a 'steamed crab.' Let’s see if you dare to act so bold again.*

What goes around comes around!

"I bought you two sets as well. Do you want to take them back yourself, or should I leave them with me to wash?"

Fu Wei: "..."

He closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. "I'll take my own clothes."

"Wife, you’ve been talking all night. Be quiet for a bit."

Lin Xuexia smiled. She was satisfied. She sat securely, and because her hands were full, she had to lean against him to steady herself.

After he dropped her off at her building, Fu Wei didn't say much. He took his "clothes" and sped off like lightning, not staying for even a second longer.

Lin Xuexia put her things down and only then remembered that Fu Wei had forgotten to teach her what message to send.

She thought to herself, I’ll give him a surprise tomorrow. I’ll send: *You look so cute when you blush. Love, Xuexia.*

*

"Lin’s boyfriend is really tall."

After the food was sold out, Zhao Huirong helped Gao Chunyan clean up, and then she headed home too.

"Mom, you're back." Once she got home, her son, Zhou Shengyong, immediately told her his plan: he wanted her to steal Lin Xuexia’s secret recipe so they could sell braised meat rice too.

Zhao Huirong refused without a second thought. "You just focus on your own work, why are you thinking about such things?"

Zhou Shengyong didn't expect his mother to refuse so bluntly, almost without hesitation. "Can’t we earn that money ourselves?"

"She does it all at home by herself; how could I possibly learn the recipe? She's not a fool." Zhao Huirong continued, "That’s all expensive meat. Do you know how much money would be wasted if we ruined a batch?"

Neither her son nor her daughter-in-law had any talent for cooking, and doing this was just a pipe dream.

On this point, the daughter-in-law agreed with her mother-in-law. Life was going well enough; why go looking for trouble?

Zhou Shengyong could only give up in frustration. He curled his lip, thinking that if he didn't learn it, someone else would. Once someone else mastered it, those two women would be waiting to regret it.

Seeing that her son was no longer persistent, Zhao Huirong let out a sigh of relief.

She hadn't refused her son so firmly because of what she said to him, but because she remembered Lin Xuexia’s words. If she worked for her son and daughter-in-law, she got no salary; if she worked for Lin Xuexia, she got paid.

Five yuan from Lin Xuexia wasn't much, but was she supposed to work for her son and daughter-in-law for free for the rest of her life?

Lin Xuexia’s cooking was so good—even the dishes she whipped up at noon were delicious. She wasn't a fool; it was obvious who offered a better future.

When Lin Xuexia eventually opened a proper shop, she would become a manager, others would look up to her, and she wouldn't have to worry about her wages not increasing.