Chapter 74.1

However, when he went back home that evening, Li Xiao asked Jiang Rou to take Wang Yan out on Saturday to buy a couple of beautiful outfits and tidy herself up a bit.

Jiang Rou was lying on the bed, kicking her legs, and when she heard this, she turned her head to look at him curiously. “What’s going on? Why are you suddenly concerned about Wang Yan?” she asked.

Based on her understanding of Li Xiao, he never paid attention to anyone unless they were related to him in some way. Although Wang Yan was Zhou Jian’s wife, Li Xiao usually didn’t pay much attention to her. The last time Jiang Rou and he were out shopping and happened to run into her, he saw her from a distance and asked her who she was. She looked familiar.

At that time, Jiang Rou didn’t know what to say to Li Xiao. However, now that she heard he wanted to take Wang Yan shopping for clothes, she found it odd no matter how she looked at it.

Li Xiao was unsure how to explain himself, so he turned over and pretended to sleep, mumbling, “It’s nothing. I just think the clothes she wears aren’t flattering. Let her learn from you.”

He still remembered Wang Yan’s appearance a few days ago. She had cleaned Zhou Jian up and looked presentable, but her clothes were old and unattractive. He disliked those clothes; their style was outdated and rustic. Since she was older than Zhou Jian, wearing such clothes made her look more like his mother than a partner when standing beside him.

Money is meant to be spent; otherwise, why did he and Zhou Jian come south in the first place? Being excessively thrifty only worsens one’s quality of life.

In this respect, it’s better to save money thoughtfully rather than being overly frugal. Jiang Rou saves money by avoiding unnecessary expenses; for example, she sells excess toys at low prices and donates old clothes to impoverished areas. She rarely buys things that aren’t needed.

However, when it comes to necessary items, she prefers to invest in quality. She doesn’t have many clothes, but those she owns are expensive and stylish. The clothes she bought years ago remain presentable, and her skincare products are all high-end. Not only does she use them morning and night, but she also applies them all over her body to ensure her skin remains smooth and tender.

In this regard, Li Xiao is like many men. Although he doesn’t like Jiang Rou drawing attention from others, he enjoys taking her out and feels proud to do so.

He particularly relishes the admiration of others for his wife’s beauty and intelligence, and his daughter’s cuteness, which makes him feel that life is beautiful.

In contrast, Zhou Jian rarely takes Wang Yan out. On one hand, he lacks experience and fears making a fool of himself. On the other hand, he might also feel that Wang Yan embarrasses him.

Sometimes, even if Zhou Jian himself does not dislike it, he finds it hard to endure the disgusted and mocking looks from those around him.

He just can’t directly tell Jiang Rou these things, as it would make him seem like an overly talkative grown man.

Jiang Rou, observing his back, stopped kicking her legs, stood up, and lay next to him, asking, “What’s going on? Tell me.”

She couldn’t help but make guesses, which were actually quite easy to make. If he asked her to take Wang Yan shopping for new clothes, it must be because he was repulsed by Wang Yan’s appearance without proper attire. Since Li Xiao wouldn’t dislike Wang Yan’s appearance and had no personal stake in it, the issue had to be with Zhou Jian.

Jiang Rou’s expression darkened, and she asked sharply, “What? Has Zhou Jian changed his mind? Could he have fathered a child outside?”

Li Xiao knew she misunderstood, so he turned around and hugged her. “That’s not the case.”

After considering it, he explained to Jiang Rou what had happened that day. Having grown up with Zhou Jian, he knew him better than his own mother.

Now that Zhou Jian was earning more, his mindset had become somewhat extravagant. Although he couldn’t act on his impulses, he was somewhat swayed when encountering a young woman with high education and good looks.

Zhou Jian was his brother, and he didn’t want to speak ill of him behind his back. He simply mentioned that Zhou Jian had developed an interest in his assistant, he was a little caring. The assistant happened to be a young woman he had met in the hospital before, who had questionable intentions.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Rou frowned. What did it mean to be “a little caring”? Even Li Xiao had noticed it, suggesting it was more than just a mild interest.

This situation is easy to understand. Not only Zhou Jian but even capable and knowledgeable men often become arrogant once they reach a certain height. After all, there’s a saying that “promotion, wealth, and the death of a wife” often lead to such behavior.

Human desires are incredibly difficult to control.

Zhou Jian is different from Li Xiao. Li Xiao has truly suffered; he has witnessed the darker side of human nature. As a result, he approaches desires with rationality and cherishes what he has. Zhou Jian, however, has never endured genuine hardship. No matter how poor he was as a child, he had Mother Zhou’s support and a group of loyal friends. As an adult, he benefited from Li Xiao’s protection and guidance. The struggles Zhou Jian faced were only echoes of what Li Xiao had experienced first.

Zhou Jian has always been someone who relied on others.

Because he has never truly suffered, his character lacks the firmness of Li Xiao’s.

This situation reminds Jiang Rou of Zhu Qiang, whom she saw during her visit home this year. Zhu Qiang had the best family among his peers, with capable parents and a distinguished uncle. He was willful and insisted on being with his ex-wife Mei Zi despite advice to the contrary. It was only after facing significant losses and hardship that he came to appreciate his present life and embraced a more grounded existence.

Jiang Rou was silent for a moment before speaking again, “Actually, the root of the problem isn’t Wang Yan. The real issue is Zhou Jian’s changing mindset. As your business grows and your wealth increases, you will face more temptations. I’ve mentioned this before. It’s not just about women; there are many other challenges. You can’t always shield Zhou Jian from these.”

She continued, “Take the recent scandal with the milk formula as an example. The original goal of the formula industry was to provide proper nutrition for children. The intention was good, but why are there so many toxic products now? It’s because people’s mentalities shifted, driven by greed, leading them to prioritize profit over safety.”

“In any industry, the most crucial and challenging aspect is to stay true to your original purpose.”

Finally, Jiang Rou said, “I’ll take Wang Yan shopping for clothes this Saturday and have a serious talk with her. But you also need to have a casual conversation with Zhou Jian. Don’t let him follow in Chang Yong’s footsteps.”

Li Xiao turned and held Jiang Rou close, feeling a sense of clarity after their conversation.

He felt a bit guilty for burdening Jiang Rou with his issues, he lowered his head and kissed her cheek. “That boy is just confused. He isn’t likely to stray; he’s simply distracted. I’ll find time in the next few days to set him straight.”

“Don’t scold him; just have a good chat.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Jiang Rou followed her own plan. On Saturday, while Wang Yan was free at home, she specifically invited her to go shopping together. She didn’t even bring An An, leaving her at Zhou’s house to play with her brothers and sisters.

When they were in their hometown, Jiang Rou and Wang Yan often visited each other and chatted, but their interactions had become less frequent after moving here. Since Jiang Rou went to college, she has made many classmates and friends, and their exchanges have dwindled to occasional food deliveries between their families or shared meals during holidays and festivals.

Wang Yan worked in the factory cafeteria and had also made new friends. When Jiang Rou invited her to go shopping, Wang Yan felt a bit excited. Mother Zhou had asked her to bring extra money so she could buy two new sets of clothes.

Wang Yan brought a substantial amount of money, but she didn’t plan to spend it on herself. She felt she already had enough clothes. Instead, she thought she should treat Jiang Rou to lunch, considering how often Jiang Rou had sent her delicious food.

However, she was surprised when Jiang Rou took her to the mall to buy clothes. Wang Yan wasn’t interested in the clothes, so Jiang Rou paid for them herself. The clothes were expensive and tight.

Wang Yan didn’t like to take advantage of others. Seeing Jiang Rou preparing to pay, she quickly offered to cover the cost herself and went to the fitting room to try on the clothes.

The store employees initially looked down on her, but their attitude changed as soon as they saw she had money.

At first, Wang Yan felt uncomfortable, but gradually she experienced a sense of happiness, especially when she saw her transformed reflection in the mirror. She was astonished by how different she looked.

Previously, she had envied Jiang Rou’s ability to dress well. She thought Jiang Rou looked good in any outfit, unlike herself, who had little formal education and didn’t feel attractive. After moving south, her feelings of inferiority grew, leading her to avoid contact with Jiang Rou. She was a college student, and Wang Yan felt they had little in common, so she preferred to stay in the factory cafeteria and converse with the older women there.

She usually tried to avoid attending her children’s parent-teacher meetings.

Wang Yan had a large frame, though she was not overweight. She had been slightly heavier in the past, but her recent hard work had resulted in significant weight loss.

However, her current body type was not well-suited for loose clothing, which made her appear bulkier, particularly since her wardrobe mostly consisted of styles from her hometown several years ago.

Jiang Rou selected several outfits for her: suit jackets paired with shirts and black shorts, tight-knitted sweaters with loose straight pants, and form-fitting dresses. Despite having a good figure with a defined waist and chest, and being tall, Wang Yan did not make an effort to dress herself attractively.

Following Jiang Rou’s advice, Wang Yan tried on a striped, form-fitting dress. The dress was quite conventional, knee-length, with a V-neck and front buttons. Although it was not particularly remarkable, Wang Yan had never worn such a dress before. As she stepped out, she was unsure where to place her hands. Jiang Rou led her to the mirror and she shyly protested, “No, no, I feel too uncomfortable in this.”

Jiang Rou insisted, “What’s uncomfortable about it? It looks so beautiful. Women should dress nicely while they are young; otherwise, when you’re older and want to wear beautiful clothes, it won’t be appropriate, and people might even call you an old witch.”

“You’re not unattractive, and you have a great figure. If you dress well, you’ll not only feel happy, but others will also enjoy looking at you. Just like Zhou Jian and Li Xiao—why do they wear suits and dress well when they go out for business meetings? It’s because people tend to look down on those who dress poorly. As Zhou Jian’s wife, you’re part of a prominent family. If you dress well, it will also reflect positively on him.”

The clerk, noticing the situation, quickly added, “That’s right, men notice appearances, sister-in-law. I’m not exaggerating—when you walked in earlier, I thought you must have come to the wrong place. If it weren’t for this beautiful woman with you, I might have asked you to leave. Now that you’ve changed, you look completely different. Men will appreciate it, and you can see for yourself in the mirror how much better you look. Dressing well will boost your confidence and make you feel good about yourself, right?”

Wang Yan glanced at herself in the mirror, then at Jiang Rou, and asked hesitantly, “Does it look good?”

Jiang Rou nodded enthusiastically, “It looks a hundred times better than before.”

Wang Yan laughed.

Jiang Rou then encouraged her to try on more clothes, and Wang Yan grew less shy as she did so. Jiang Rou purchased all the items she thought would suit Wang Yan, paying for them herself to ensure Wang Yan wouldn’t hesitate to buy them later due to concerns about spending.

When Wang Yan saw that Jiang Rou had bought everything, she felt a pang of distress. Jiang Rou then suggested that Wang Yan change into new shoes and mentioned that she would accompany her to get her hair done, covering the cost once again.

Uncertain of how to respond, Wang Yan changed into the flat shoes Jiang Rou had chosen for her and went out with her.

As they walked out, Wang Yan felt a newfound sense of confidence. For the first time, she didn’t feel out of place in the city.

The two of them then went to get their hair done. Wang Yan’s hair was in good condition but was too long, and she usually wore it in a large braid down her back. After years of wearing it this way, her hairline had receded slightly at the front.

Jiang Rou spoke with the hairdresser, who then designed a short haircut tailored to Wang Yan’s face shape. The new style, with straightened hair, instantly transformed her appearance.

Afterward, Jiang Rou found an excuse to take Wang Yan for a maintenance treatment. Following this, they had their makeup done by the salon’s clerk.

As they left the beauty salon, Wang Yan glanced at her reflection in a glass door on the street and felt a profound sense of change. She could hardly believe how beautiful she looked.

Jiang Rou smiled and asked, “Do you like it?”

Wang Yan nodded and replied, “Thank you.”

Wang Yan was not naïve; she understood that Jiang Rou was here solely to support her today. As she looked at Jiang Rou and then at her own reflection in the glass, something seemed to click in her mind.

After a full day of shopping, both women were exhausted. Jiang Rou took Wang Yan to a nearby Western restaurant for dinner. Wang Yan had never dared to enter such an upscale place before, but feeling more beautiful and confident today, she followed Jiang Rou in with her back straight and head held high.

The restaurant’s waiter smiled as he guided them to their table, saying, “Two beauties, please follow me.”

Throughout the day, Wang Yan had heard the word “beauty” more times than she could count. Since changing her clothes, people had called her a beauty everywhere she went, a stark contrast to the days when she had been referred to as “aunt” while shopping near the vegetable market with Mother Zhou.

They chose a table by the window. Jiang Rou ordered two steaks and then said to Wang Yan, “Don’t go back to your old clothes. Wear the ones I bought you today, and dress nicely even at home. We’ll buy some skincare products and cosmetics later. You should take better care of yourself in the future.”

Wang Yan was silent for a moment before asking, “Has Zhou Jian been involved with someone outside?”

Jiang Rou shook her head, “No, it’s just that I’ve heard there are many young women in the company trying to get close to Zhou Jian, and it bothers me a little. You have a pretty face and a great figure—you’re just as good as Zhou Jian. So why isn’t anyone pursuing you?”

“I’ll tell you this: Zhou Jian and Li Xiao will face many temptations in the future. Since we can’t keep an eye on them all the time, we should make ourselves stand out by dressing beautifully. Even if the marriage doesn’t last, it’s fine. If someone wants them, we can find someone else, maybe even someone better.”

Wang Yan sighed with relief and nodded in agreement with Jiang Rou’s words.

After dinner, Jiang Rou took Wang Yan to buy skincare products and cosmetics. Wang Yan did not resist, listening attentively to the sales clerk’s explanations on how to use them.

When they returned home, Mother Zhou, Aunt Shi, and the three children were all stunned by Wang Yan’s transformation. It was Zhou Chen, the youngest son, who reacted first. He eagerly ran over, hugged his mother, and exclaimed, “Mom, you’re beautiful!” He really liked having a beautiful mother.

Wang Yan was delighted to hear this and then raised her hand to touch her short hair, still feeling a bit uncomfortable.

Mother Zhou was also pleased. “It looks so beautiful! You just need to freshen up a bit. Look how energetic you are now. When you stay with me, your wife, for long periods, you become a bit unkempt. You’re still young and should dress like this.”

Wang Yan smiled, feeling slightly embarrassed.