Chapter 51: Thoughts

What caught his eye was a beautiful figure.

The woman had exquisite eyebrows and eyes, her skin was as white as snow.

 She was breathtakingly beautiful, like someone who had walked out of a painting, ethereal and elegant.

At this moment, she was smiling, her shimmering eyes as bright as stars, radiating intelligence.

Those eyes made Lu Qingyun feel a sense of familiarity. They were very similar to the Ling Yao in his memory.

 But this was impossible. In just a few months, Ling Yao couldn’t have changed so much.

He calmly looked away and walked towards the gift section.

Ling Yao felt a gaze on her. She turned her head and saw only a tall figure disappearing around the corner.

Wu Xin came out of the fitting room and saw Ling Yao staring in a certain direction. She walked to her side, “Ling Yao, what are you looking at?”

“Nothing. I’m going to change out of this dress.” Ling Yao walked towards the fitting room.

After buying clothes, Ling Yao and Wu Xin bought shoes and bags.

Finally, they came to the gift section. But they walked around for a few rounds and still couldn’t find a suitable gift.

“It’s so hard to buy gifts for boys. I’m about to go crazy.” Wu Xin complained. Her feet were hurting so much that she could barely walk.

“Why don’t I just get my cousin a belt? It’s simple and practical.”

“Okay.” Ling Yao nodded in agreement. Wu Xin was Wu Ziyu’s cousin. She could give him anything, but Ling Yao couldn’t.

She was just a regular friend with Wu Ziyu. It wouldn’t be appropriate to give him something personal.

“So that’s settled then.”

Wu Xin bought a belt and asked the salesperson to wrap it in a gift box, “Ling Yao, have you decided what to buy?”

Ling Yao shook her head, “I still have two days. I’ll think about it again.”

She parted ways with Wu Xin and walked towards home. Wuque Alley wasn’t far from here. It was only a twenty-minute walk.

She had just reached the front of her house when she heard voices talking in the courtyard. She smiled slightly and walked in.

In the courtyard, Ling Xuemei was chatting with Li Ling’s mother, Chen Xiaojian.

After Li Ling’s mother was discharged from the hospital, Ling Xuemei prescribed some medicine for her to help her recover, and now Li Ling’s mother was completely healthy.

Her mother and Li Ling’s mother often got together to chat, and they became friends.

Her relationship with Li Ling was also very good. The two families often visited each other.

The neighbors around them saw that their family and Li Ling’s family were so close.

 They often advised them to stay away from Li Ling’s family. But she and her mother didn’t care about that.

The one who had made the mistake was Li Ling’s father, not them. They shouldn’t be isolated and looked down upon because of prejudice.

“Yaoyao is back.” Ling Xuemei smiled gently when she saw Ling Yao come back.

Chen Xiaojian also smiled at Ling Yao.

“Mom! Auntie Chen!” Ling Yao walked to them and handed a bag to Ling Xuemei, “Mom, I bought some pastries.

 You and Auntie Chen can try them.” She had bought these pastries on her way back from the ‘Yuan Ji’ pastry shop.

Wu Xin said the pastries at Yuan Ji were very good, so she bought some.

Ling Xuemei took the box and opened it. A sweet aroma wafted out. She handed the box to Chen Xiaojian, “Xiaojian, try some.”

“No, no, I don’t eat sweets.” Chen Xiaojian waved her hand embarrassedly.

 Xuemei and Ling Yao had helped their family enough since they moved in.

 She didn’t know how to repay their kindness, let alone eat their food.

“Don’t be so polite with me. Take one and try it.”

“Thank you!” Chen Xiaojian reached out and took the smallest pastry. She lowered her head to hide the tears in her eyes.

Since her husband had been locked up, the neighbors around them would avoid them whenever they saw them.

 It was as if they were all murderers. Xuemei and Ling Yao were the only ones who brought warmth to their family.

 They were like a ray of light in the darkness, illuminating their hearts.

Chen Xiaojian sniffed her slightly sour nose, “Yaoyao, do you have any clothes you need to alter? I can help you.”

She used to be a tailor. After her husband committed a crime, she had to pay for everything she had.

 Now, besides the house, she only had an old sewing machine.

“Okay. I have several clothes that are too big.” Ling Yao was fatter before, and those clothes couldn’t fit her now. She planned to alter them into pajamas.

“Then give them to me. I’ll alter them for you when I get back.”

“Okay.”

Ling Yao went into the house, took out her old clothes, and then drew a few sketches for Chen Xiaojian, “Auntie Chen, just alter them like this.”

 Of course, she wouldn’t let her alter them for free. When the clothes were done, she would pay her for her work.

Also, she wanted to see Chen Xiaojian’s skills. If she was good, she wanted to collaborate with her.

She had a lot of money now. She didn’t want to keep it all in the bank.

This was a time of economic reform and rapid development. In the future, she wanted to invest in various industries.

Medicine, clothing, cosmetics, real estate, and education were all among the best industries to develop in the next few decades.

 She wanted to invest in them all if she had enough money.

As for the internet, it wouldn’t develop for another ten years. She wouldn’t consider it for now.

Chen Xiaojian took the sketches and looked at them carefully. She smiled and nodded, “I’ll bring them to you when they’re done.”

She had been learning tailoring from her master since she was ten years old. She was very confident in her skills.

“Then I’ll trouble you, Auntie Chen.”

“What trouble is there? You’re letting me alter your clothes. It means you think highly of me.”

 A hint of helplessness and bitterness flashed in Chen Xiaojian’s eyes.

 Now that she was healthy, she originally wanted to take on some work to help support her family.

 But she asked several people, and they were all unwilling to give her clothes to alter.

They would rather go to the tailor shop across the street, even if it meant going further.

“It’s getting late. I have to go back.” Chen Xiaojian folded the clothes, hugged them, and said goodbye to Ling Yao and Ling Xuemei.

“Xiaojian, take these pastries back for the kids to eat.” Ling Xuemei stood up and stuffed the pastries into Chen Xiaojian’s hands.

“I can’t take them. Don’t give them to me. I really can’t take them.” Chen Xiaojian quickly pushed the pastries back.

 Such expensive pastries, she was already being extravagant by eating one. How could she take a whole box back?

“Just take them. Yaoyao and I can’t finish them. Don’t keep pushing them back and forth.

The pastries will be ruined if they get scattered.” Ling Xuemei stuffed the pastries into Chen Xiaojian’s arms.

“Xuemei, you…” Chen Xiaojian was so touched that she could hardly speak. How could there be such good people in the world?

 Not only did they not dislike them, but they were also so kind to them.

“Alright, alright. Go back quickly. The kids must be hungry.”

After seeing Chen Xiaojian off, Ling Xuemei walked into the kitchen and started to get busy.

She had bought a crucian carp and some mushrooms today. She planned to make a crucian carp and mushroom soup for Yaoyao.