Chapter 15: Preparing the Dowry

Lin Xiangyi didn’t care much about the saleswoman’s attitude. In this era, saleswomen were all arrogant and domineering. It was her luck to encounter a nice one, but it was normal to meet those with bad attitudes.

“Okay, take it down for me. I’ll see if it’s my size. If it is, I’ll take it,” Lin Xiangyi said.

The saleswoman stood up straight in surprise. This pair of jeans had been hanging here for several days. The style was good and the design was novel. There were several groups of people who came to ask about it every day, but none of them bought it.

Even the women who really liked it would hesitate for a long time before leaving.

The saleswoman could understand them. Most people’s salaries were only thirty to forty yuan, and a pair of pants would cost nearly a month’s salary. It was understandable that they were reluctant to spend it.

However, after dealing with so many people like this, she inevitably became impatient.

She had seen people as decisive as Lin Xiangyi before, but compared to the customers she served every day, it wasn’t many.

The saleswoman’s attitude finally improved. She took down the jeans and handed them to Lin Xiangyi: “Although you can’t try them on, you can compare them. I think they’ll fit you well.”

Lin Xiangyi lowered her head and compared them to her body. It seemed like they were her size. She handed the pants back to the saleswoman: “Then please wrap them up for me.”

The saleswoman: “…” So decisive?

“Once you buy it, you can’t return or exchange it. You have to think carefully,” she emphasized.

“I know,” Lin Xiangyi said. It wouldn’t be convenient for her to return or exchange it. It was a two-hour drive from the county to here.

“By the way, do all the clothes here not require cloth coupons, or is it just this pair of jeans?” Lin Xiangyi asked, looking around the store.

The clothes in this store were quite pretty. If they all didn’t require cloth coupons, she would buy a few more pieces to change into if she liked them.

Although her father didn’t give Lin Huihui money for daily necessities, he should have given her coupons. Among the coupons she received today, there were very few cloth coupons.

She wanted to save them to buy bed sheets and other things. The more she could save, the better.

“They all don’t require coupons,” the saleswoman said quickly, seeing a chance.

Although saleswomen didn’t have performance requirements, they could usually keep things they couldn’t sell. However, for expensive jeans like this, the price they got internally wasn’t cheap either.

Of course, it was better to sell them if they could.

Lin Xiangyi’s eyes lit up. She smiled: “Then I’ll take a look!”

“Comrade, I think this white shirt would also suit you,” the saleswoman put down the jeans and turned to pick out a white shirt from a pile of clothes hanging on the rack: “It goes well with those jeans. Many people your age in the city wear it like this. It looks really good, nineteen yuan.”

Lin Xiangyi took it and looked at it. It was a loose and lazy white shirt, a style that didn’t pick on one’s figure. It did go well with the jeans she just bought.

“Seventeen yuan, I’ll take it,” Lin Xiangyi said, setting a price.

If Lin Xiangyi had started bargaining right away, the saleswoman would have definitely pulled a long face and chased her away. But now, she looked at Lin Xiangyi reproachfully: “We don’t bargain here. You’re cutting the price so much…”

Lin Xiangyi was just testing the waters. Hearing her tone, it seemed like she could still bargain.

She immediately smiled and said coquettishly: “Oh, not much, just two yuan. I didn’t bargain for those jeans, right? You’re beautiful and kind, sis. Just agree to it, okay? If you agree, I’ll also take that white and blue checkered skirt behind you.”

The saleswoman was already over forty years old. In terms of age, she could be Lin Xiangyi’s mother. But Lin Xiangyi called her “beautiful and kind, sis!”

No one dislikes being praised. The saleswoman smiled so hard that her mouth couldn’t close. She looked in the direction Lin Xiangyi was looking. That skirt was a popular braggi from a decade ago, and it had become popular again recently.

“Okay, okay, take it,” the saleswoman said with a smile, taking down the braggi: “This braggi is twenty-one yuan.”

“Twenty yuan,” Lin Xiangyi said, pushing her luck: “I’m buying three pieces, so give me a discount of three yuan. That’s just right.”

The saleswoman: “…”

“Are you going to refuse and I won’t buy them?” she asked, not in a good mood.

“No way!” Lin Xiangyi said with a giggle: “But I know you’ll agree, sis.”

The saleswoman was amused by Lin Xiangyi again. She took a cloth bag and wrapped up the clothes Lin Xiangyi wanted. She said helplessly: “Okay, okay, I’ve met my match with you. I’ll give you a discount of three yuan, okay?”

“Okay, okay, definitely okay. Thank you, sis,” Lin Xiangyi said happily: “Then altogether it’s…”

“Sixty-five yuan,” a male voice took over her words.

Lin Xiangyi turned to look at Xie Qingxiao. She was so engrossed in buying clothes that she almost forgot that her cheap fiance was here today.

Xie Qingxiao had been silently watching Lin Xiangyi bargain with the saleswoman. He felt like he had met a fake version of her before.

Seeing that it was time to pay, he took out his money from his pocket and handed it to the saleswoman.

“No, I’ll pay myself,” Lin Xiangyi quickly pushed his hand away.

Although Xie Qingxiao had been conveying to her all the way here today that they were about to get married and they didn’t need to be so careful with each other.

But they weren’t married yet after all. Sixty-plus yuan was not a small amount. She was comfortable spending her father’s money, but she wasn’t comfortable spending Xie Qingxiao’s.

She stood in front of Xie Qingxiao. Xie Qingxiao reached around her and handed the money to the saleswoman. He frowned and said: “You’re my wife, what’s wrong with me buying you two sets of clothes?”

“But we’re not married yet after all. This is considered my dowry. What’s the point of you paying for it?” Lin Xiangyi said. She counted seven ten-yuan bills and placed them on the counter. Then she turned around and held Xie Qingxiao’s hand with both of hers, and said to the saleswoman: “Just use mine.”

Xie Qingxiao: “…”

The saleswoman was a little surprised. She thought the two of them were already married.

When Lin Xiangyi was choosing clothes, she noticed that Xie Qingxiao was watching her from behind. His eyes… tsk tsk tsk.

But these two were both very sensible…

The saleswoman smiled and picked up the money Lin Xiangyi had placed on the counter. She said with a smile: “It’s not good to use the man’s money before marriage, but hey, young man, you can keep it. When you get married, just give all this money to your wife to manage, right?”

“That’s fine,” Lin Xiangyi chimed in.

There would be many places to spend money after they got married. She was also pregnant. Even if Xie Qingxiao didn’t say anything, she wouldn’t be polite with him.

Xie Qingxiao finally gave up.

The saleswoman gave Lin Xiangyi her change. Xie Qingxiao and Lin Xiangyi left with the clothes.

“You like wearing skirts?” Xie Qingxiao asked.

“Of course I do,” Lin Xiangyi said. Who doesn’t like to dress up beautifully?

Xie Qingxiao thought for a moment.