Chapter 9 Wearing the same clothes is not a big deal, but the ugliest one will be embarrassed

When they arrived at the department store, Ruan Xiangxiang felt a twinge of disappointment. This so-called shopping mall was rather shabby, with a limited selection of goods, and the styles of clothing and pants were quite outdated.

To her surprise, when they reached the second floor, she even saw the exact same dress she was wearing on display! It looked like Mother Gu had bought it from this department store.

“This dress is really quite nice,” said a female comrade just then, stepping out of the fitting room wearing the same floral dress as Ruan Xiangxiang.

“It really is. Sweetie, let’s go with this one. We’ve looked around long enough, and this is the nicest style available in our whole county. You’ll wear it for the wedding,” said a middle-aged woman with a warm smile, clearly the girl’s mother.

“Exactly, I agree. This one works—the color is fresh and suits you,” another aunt chimed in, clearly part of the same group. They had likely come together to help the girl buy clothes for her wedding.

The girl was very thin, with two braided pigtails. The dress looked somewhat rustic on her due to her petite frame and the hairstyle.

“Ah… Comrade, you look really good in that,” the girl said as she turned and saw Ruan Xiangxiang wearing the exact same dress.

As the saying goes: It’s not scary to wear the same outfit as someone else—what’s scary is looking worse in it. The three of them, who had been smiling moments ago, now looked rather awkward.

Especially the girl trying on the dress—her face turned bright red with embarrassment, and she quickly tried to rush back to the changing room to take it off.

“You look good in it too. Everyone has their own strengths. You have such a slim waist—you just need to cinch it a bit more and tailor it to be more fitted. Change your hairstyle and put on some light makeup, and the overall effect will be completely different,” Ruan Xiangxiang said with a gentle smile.

“Ah, Comrade, you’re not a foreigner? I thought you didn’t understand us!” the girl exclaimed in surprise, laughing brightly.

“Haha, I’m born and raised in Huaguo. My mother is from the Tajik ethnic group, so I inherited her blue eyes,” Ruan Xiangxiang explained happily. She was always glad to educate others about her mother’s ethnicity, especially since this girl didn’t seem jealous or bitter about their matching outfits.

“Wow! I had no idea we even had blue-eyed ethnic groups in our country. I feel so ignorant. Oh right, Comrade, you were saying how to adjust the dress? And about light makeup—can you tell me more? I’m getting married soon and couldn’t find anything better than this dress in the whole county. My name’s Lin Meiqi. What’s yours?” the girl asked enthusiastically.

“I’m Ruan Xiangxiang. And yes, I heard you’re planning to wear this for your wedding?” Ruan Xiangxiang was open and friendly, chatting with her as she helped tie the dress at the waist.

Because Lin Meiqi was so slim, the dress looked baggy on her. Ruan Xiangxiang got an idea—she lifted one side of the dress to create an asymmetrical hem, turning it into a semi-fitted, slightly body-hugging style. Just like that, Lin Meiqi’s figure was enhanced, and she looked much more filled out than before.

“Hey, this looks so much better! What about the hair?” Lin Meiqi said, overjoyed as she looked at herself in the mirror.

“You could do a fishtail braid for the wedding. Make it a little loose and tuck in some floral pins—gives a lazy but elegant charm,” Ruan Xiangxiang suggested warmly.

Lin Meiqi played with her hair for a while in front of the mirror but soon realized she had no idea how to braid a fishtail. She usually just did simple braids—one or two—and tossed them over her shoulders. Fishtails looked easy, but her arms ached just trying, and the braid came out crooked and messy.

“Let me try it for you,” Ruan Xiangxiang offered helpfully. She had a principle: if you’re going to help someone, do it all the way.

Luckily, Lin Meiqi seemed clean and well-groomed—probably washed her hair specially for this shopping trip. Her thick, jet-black hair still carried the scent of shampoo, which pleased Ruan Xiangxiang. If it had been greasy, she wouldn’t have gone near it.

Lin Meiqi was touched and quickly sat down to let her do her hair.

Not long after, under Ruan Xiangxiang’s skillful hands, a beautiful fishtail braid appeared. She gently teased out some strands at the temples to give it a soft, lazy elegance.

“Oh my, that’s gorgeous!”

“Wow, so pretty! Sweetie, wear your hair like this on your wedding day!”

“This young comrade isn’t just pretty—she’s got amazing hands too!”

The compliments flew thick and fast. Ruan Xiangxiang wasn’t bragging, but she did know a thing or two about personal styling. In her past life, she had always dreamed of being a beauty, so she’d studied everything—makeup, hairstyles, fashion, fitness, yoga—you name it.

But no matter how hard she tried later in life, she could never beat natural-born beauties. The most she ever got in her previous life was “you have nice presence.”

“Comrade, thank you! It really does look amazing. But it’s a shame the hairstyle won’t last till Monday. The dress I can take in, but this hair… probably won’t hold up,” Lin Meiqi said with a bit of worry.

She really wanted to ask Ruan Xiangxiang to help on the wedding day, but judging by her clothes and demeanor—not to mention the tall, handsome man beside her—Ruan Xiangxiang didn’t seem like someone in need of money. That man’s presence alone said a lot.

“Next Monday, huh? I’m free then. But just so you know—I don’t come cheap. One da tuanjie (100-yuan note) to cover travel expenses. Can you handle that?” Ruan Xiangxiang smiled knowingly, already having guessed Lin Meiqi’s intentions.

Though Gu Rongqing wasn’t short on money, her money-making instincts from her previous life were still strong. She couldn’t bear letting an earning opportunity slip by.

“Wow! Xiangxiang, you’re really willing to do it? That’s great! One da tuanjie is too cheap—how about this: I’ll give you fifteen yuan, plus cover your round-trip travel costs. Come to my house on Monday morning and help me out, okay? I live in Unit 01, 2nd floor, Building 3 of the Textile Factory Residential Compound—you’ll find it easily if you ask around.” Lin Meiqi happily and decisively made the arrangement.

The two women beside her had nothing to say—after all, hiring someone to do bridal styling wasn’t cheap, and what Xiangxiang did looked even better than what the professionals usually manage.

“Alright, it’s settled then. Oh, but you’ll need to bring your own makeup—I don’t have any with me,” Ruan Xiangxiang agreed with a smile. Fifteen yuan was a great deal, practically pure profit. Back in this era, fifteen yuan was already close to half a month’s salary for some people.

“Done! I’ve already prepared everything,” Lin Meiqi replied happily. Just like that, the deal was sealed.

Ruan Xiangxiang was in such a good mood from closing this little gig that she launched into full shopping mode. After all, it was basically her honeymoon. Sure, the clothes in the department store were a bit rustic in style, but it all depended on who wore them. On her, there was no trace of tackiness—only a strong retro vibe.

Besides shopping for herself, she also bought clothes, shoes, and other items for Mother Gu. She picked up plenty of food and daily essentials as well. Among the goodies was a traditional local snack set called the “Shendu Eight Delicacies,” which included various small treats.

Ruan Xiangxiang loved it—crunchy, sweet and savory, with the rich aroma of peanut oil blending perfectly with the crisp, flaky texture of the baked dough. She munched away like a little hamster, crunch crunch crunch, unable to stop.

Gu Rongqing took care of carrying all the bags and footing the bill the entire time. Watching her so happy made the corners of his mouth curve up in a warm smile. He hadn’t expected that one day his emotions could be so completely tied to another person.

If she was happy, he was happy. If she felt troubled, he’d immediately start to worry.