Chapter 35

“Oh dear, you’re too honest, little tailor. You shouldn’t make promises like that so easily—some customers might take advantage of you.”

Jiang Tiantian always worried about small business owners being taken advantage of. In this world, making money wasn’t easy for anyone.

“Alright then, I feel at ease leaving it to you. How long will it take?”

“If I make both pieces together, it might take about a week.”

“A whole week? Can you speed it up? I’ll pay an extra rush fee.”

Jiang Tiantian playfully winked at her.

Xiaofang smiled, flipped through her notebook to check the upcoming orders, and calculated the time in her head.

“If you’re in a hurry, I can finish one piece in two days for you to pick up, and the other will be ready in three more days. How does that sound?”

“That works. Let’s do it that way.”

Jiang Tiantian quickly paid the deposit. She was thrilled that she’d soon have some beautiful new clothes.

The original owner of this body barely had any decent clothing at home—it was frustrating just to look at.

Xiaofang picked up a measuring tape. “Let me take your measurements first.”

“Alright.”

Jiang Tiantian lifted her arms cooperatively and stood still.

“Miss, what’s your name? Where are you from? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

“Oh, my name is Jiang Tiantian. I just got married a few days ago, so you probably wouldn’t have seen me before.”

Xiaofang’s hands didn’t stop moving, but she couldn’t help praising her.

“You have such a great figure.”

“And such beautiful skin.”

“Whoever married you is really lucky.”

Jiang Tiantian responded casually, “You probably wouldn’t know him. I married into a village pretty far from here—Chajia Village.”

“Chajia Village?”

Xiaofang’s hands paused. She straightened up abruptly, staring at Jiang Tiantian in shock.

As far as she knew, there had only been one recent wedding in Chajia Village. Could it be…?

“I’m from Chajia Village too! Which family did you marry into? I’m sure I know them.”

Jiang Tiantian was surprised. What a coincidence!

“You’re from Chajia Village too?”

“Yes,” Xiaofang nodded firmly.

Jiang Tiantian grinned. What a small world.

“Heh, I didn’t expect to run into a fellow villager. My husband is Cha Jiuzhang. Do you know him?”

The color instantly drained from Xiaofang’s face. She gripped the table beside her so tightly that the veins on her hands stood out.

Seeing Jiang Tiantian looking at her, Xiaofang quickly forced a smile, pretending to be delighted.

“So, you’re the sister-in-law!”

“I didn’t even get a chance to go back and have a drink at the wedding.”

“What a coincidence, meeting you today!”

She lowered her head, using the measuring tape to conceal her reddened eyes, and continued taking measurements.

“By the way, where’s Jiuzhang? Why didn’t he come with you?”

Jiang Tiantian couldn’t help but feel that something was off—the girl’s hands were trembling.

“There’s something going on at home today, so I came alone.”

“Oh, makes sense. Jiuzhang is always busy.”

Xiaofang sounded a little disappointed as she jotted down the measurements in her notebook.

By the time she looked up again, her expression was completely composed.

“Sister-in-law, the measurements are done.”

“I didn’t get the chance to give a wedding gift when Jiuzhang got married, so I won’t charge you for these clothes. Consider them a gift from me.”

Jiang Tiantian quickly waved her hands.

“No way, business is business. If you don’t charge me, I won’t dare to accept the clothes.”

“Sister-in-law, don’t be so formal with me.”

“This shop was actually set up with Jiuzhang’s help.”

“I never had a chance to properly thank him, and now I finally do. It’s just two outfits—please, don’t be polite with me.”

Wait, what?

Jiang Tiantian suddenly felt uncomfortable. Something about this situation felt… off.

Her excitement about getting new clothes immediately diminished.

She kept a smile on her face. “Since you put it that way, I really can’t accept it.”

“What if Jiuzhang gets mad at me later?”

Xiaofang saw how firm she was and simply smiled without arguing further. In her heart, she decided she would make an extra outfit for her later.

“Alright, we’ll do it your way.”

After Jiang Tiantian left, Xiaofang sat numbly on the edge of her wooden bed, looking at her sleeping daughter.

Two streams of tears silently rolled down her face.

All the hidden hopes and happiness she had carefully buried shattered in an instant.

—-

One hour before Jiang Tiantian entered the shop…

Cha Yonghao had just returned from the provincial capital after delivering matsutake mushrooms.

On his way through town, he dropped off the latest fashion magazine from the city for Xiaofang and some formula for Chunni.

Casually, she asked about Cha Jiuzhang’s new wife.

But what she heard was that the original fiancée had backed out of the marriage on the wedding night—leaving her younger sister in her place.

And that younger sister stayed.

She couldn’t believe it. With Jiuzhang’s pride, how could he accept something like that from the fiancée he had waited so many years for?

Maybe he only went through with it for the sake of the elders.

But with a sister like that, how good could the younger one be?

From the way Cha Yonghao spoke, it was clear he didn’t like this new sister-in-law at all.

She was also young, and the marriage wasn’t even legally registered yet.

In her heart, a hidden hope stirred. Did she still have a chance?

Once Jiuzhang returned to school, he and his new bride would be living apart.

A girl from the city would never be able to endure the hardships of rural life.

No, she definitely wouldn’t be able to.

Their marriage wouldn’t last.

And when it fell apart, he would become a divorced man.

Then maybe, just maybe, she—a single mother—would have a tiny chance.

—-

Just then, the fabric store lady walked in.

“Xiaofang, I just recommended your shop to a young woman who was buying fabric. Did she come by?”

Xiaofang quickly wiped her tears and turned to greet her with a smile.

“Big sis, you’re here.”

“Yes, she already came. She ordered two dresses.”

The woman nodded, satisfied. “That’s good.”

“Your skills have really improved—lots of my customers are saying they want to get their clothes made by you.”

She took a step closer and suddenly noticed something. “What’s wrong? Why are your eyes so red?”

“Have you been crying?”

Then she immediately grew anxious. “Did that scoundrel from the next street bother you again?”

Xiaofang waved her hands. “No, no! Ever since Jiuzhang beat him up last time, he hasn’t dared to come near me again.”

The woman sighed in relief. “Good. But then why were you crying?”

Xiaofang looked up at her, and her tears started falling again.

“Big sis… do you know who that young woman was?”

The woman frowned. “Who?”

Did the girl give Xiaofang a hard time? She had seemed like a sweet girl.

Xiaofang choked up, “She’s Jiuzhang’s new wife.”

The woman’s eyes widened.

“Oh? So that’s her?”