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Chapter 4: Envious, Aren't You?

Jiang Yu was truly speechless when she heard this.

She would never be jealous of Jiang Ting.

And she was even less likely to be jealous because Jiang Ting married Fu Xiangyang!

But she didn't argue. Jiang Ting has been acting obsessed lately. Even before meeting Fu Xiangyang, she was already convinced he was perfect.

"Mom, didn't you say we were going clothes shopping this afternoon? You need to give me some money, right?" Jiang Yu said.

Even though it wasn't for her, Jiang Yu wanted to go into the city for a stroll.

Wang Meili stingily took out a ten-yuan note and handed it to Jiang Yu.

"Here, take this. You have good taste, so pick out a couple of nice pieces for your sister."

The pants were all similar, either black or navy, with barely any difference; they could skip buying those.

But they could pick a couple of nice tops.

Jiang Yu grimaced. Ten yuan wasn't nearly enough.

Jiang Ting grumbled, "Why are you giving her the money for my clothes?"

Wang Meili shot her a sharp look. "Given how you are today, how can I trust you with money?"

The issue wasn't that she hit Yang Cuilan. The problem was the timing—she hit her in front of so many people.

In the afternoon, Jiang Yu and Jiang Ting left the house together.

As soon as they reached the village entrance, Jiang Ting held out her hand to Jiang Yu.

"Hand over the money. I don't need you to come with me, I'll go alone!"

Jiang Yu refused. "Mom said I have good taste, so I need to pick out a couple of nice pieces for you."

"I don't need you to pick anything!"

"Suit yourself, but Mom gave me the money, so I'm keeping it." Jiang Yu ignored her after that.

When they reached the commune, they had to take the bus to the city.

Jiang Ting sat with a sour expression; she'd rather stand than sit next to Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu looked out the window, breathing in the outside air. She didn't care; it wasn't her who'd be tired.

By the time they got off the bus in the city, Jiang Ting was feeling nauseous. The ride had been that bad.

Especially in the hot weather, the smell inside was unbearable.

Jiang Yu rarely came to the city, mainly because she didn't have the money.

But she longed for the city. She wanted to be like the girls there, dressed nicely, not having to work in the fields or raise pigs and chickens.

Jiang Ting snorted. "Envious, aren't you? Regretting it? Too late!"

Jiang Yu: "...Where are you going? Do you even know where the clothing store is?"

Jiang Ting didn't even turn her head. "They have it in the department store. I'll head there directly. The clothes there are much nicer."

Jiang Yu paused in her steps, growing even more suspicious.

Jiang Ting had been to the city even fewer times than she had. How would she know where the department store was?

Jiang Yu followed Jiang Ting into the department store and couldn't hide her surprise.

"I'm surprised you know where the department store is!"

Jiang Ting looked rather self-satisfied. Years ago, although the family's conditions were tough, she had still been to the department store a few times.

The department store in the city had three floors, selling all kinds of fashionable goods.

Across the way was the Friendship Store, where you needed foreign exchange certificates to buy things. At first, only foreigners could enter, and she had never been inside.

Pushing aside her doubts, Jiang Yu went to the ready-to-wear shop to pick something out for her.

Jiang Ting's skin was a bit dark, so there were several bright colors she needed to avoid; otherwise, she would look too rustic in them.

"Buy a white shirt. It'll go well with your black pants and look sharp and neat."

Jiang Yu held up a cotton shirt against Jiang Ting.

The store also had polyester shirts, but the lowest price was eleven yuan and eight cents, which they couldn't afford.

Jiang Ting brushed her hand away. "I'm not going for white. I'm going on a blind date, not to a funeral. Why would I wear white?"

The saleswoman, wearing a white shirt, visibly darkened.

Jiang Yu: "...Suit yourself. I'm done."

Jiang Ting eventually chose a pink floral shirt. It cost seven yuan and twenty cents, which wasn't cheap.

She was very fond of it. In her previous life, she had never been able to buy herself a red piece of clothing before she passed away.

Even for her wedding, there hadn't been a proper banquet, let alone red clothes.

Jiang Yu had wanted to remind her several times, but seeing how much she really liked it, so she paid for it.

After buying the clothes, after subtracting the bus fare, they each had exactly one yuan left.

Jiang Ting snorted. "You must have taken a good amount of our parents' money when you come to visit Aunt Grandma, huh?"

Jiang Yu ignored her sarcastic remark. "If you don't want the shirt, give me the money back."

Of course, Jiang Ting wanted it. She didn't have any money with her, and if she married Fu Xiangyang, Wang Meili definitely wouldn't provide a dowry.

She needed to save some money herself.

"I'm going to the Second State Cotton Mill. Don't follow me." Jiang Ting said this and then left.

Jiang Yu was speechless again. Jiang Ting's attitude made it seem like she was very familiar with the city.

Had she even been to the Second State Cotton Mill before? Probably not.

Jiang Yu gave a small smile and didn't think much more about it, turning instead to the nearby neighborhood committee office.

Arriving at the entrance of the neighborhood office, Jiang Yu stood there for a moment.

"Hello Comrade, I'm looking for Director Yao Xiangling, is she here?"

The functionary she had stopped took a look at her, "Hello, who is Director Yao in relation to you?"

"She's my great-aunt. I've visited her before. Are you new here? I've never seen you."

Jiang Yu would visit Yao Xiangling whenever she came to town and had gotten to know the folks at the street office.

The man smiled at her and let his guard down.

"Yes, I'm a new hire, let me check for you."

The guy went inside and soon came back out to call her.

"Comrade, Director Yao is asking to see you."

Jiang Yu smiled brightly, "Thank you, you're really kind."

The guy was momentarily dazed by her smile, his ears even turning red.

Jiang Yu didn't pay him any more attention and entered Yao Xiangling's office like she was familiar with the place.

"Great-aunt!"

Yao Xiangling was Jiang Yu's grandma's cousin, though they weren't very close.

She had been married, but her husband cheated on her, so she decisively divorced him, leaving him penniless.

Perhaps that marriage had hurt her, or maybe she decided marriage wasn't for her, but she had remained single since, with no children.

When Jiang Yu and Jiang Ting were born, she had helped out at the hospital and wanted to adopt Jiang Yu, but Wang Meili refused.

A girl can be married off for a dowry when she grows up, why would I just give her away?

Since Wang Meili refused, Yao Xiangling didn't push the matter.

Over the years, she occasionally looked out for Jiang Yu.

"What's bringing you here today?"

Yao Xiangling was a serious person, wearing black-rimmed glasses, a shirt, and black pants, doing things by the book and speaking without a hint of softness.

Jiang Yu said, "Jiang Ting is going on a blind date, and my mom asked me to come with her to buy some clothes."

Yao Xiangling arched an eyebrow, "Who is she going on a blind date with for your mom to be so concerned?"

Jiang Yu briefly mentioned the situation of the Fu family.

Yao Xiangling pushed her glasses up, thinking. "The Fu family?"

Jiang Yu's eyes sparkled, "Great-aunt, is there any issue with this Fu family?"

Tell me fast, maybe we can still pull Jiang Ting out of this mess.

Yao Xiangling thought for a moment and shook her head.

"The Fu family from the Second State Cotton Mill has good conditions, they are a double-income family, and their younger daughter is studying in a technical secondary school, probably about to graduate... maybe already graduated, and will be assigned a job soon, making them a three-worker family."

A family with three workers, that's quite good conditions.

Jiang Yu grumbled, "Heard some rumors that Fu Xiangyang isn't doing too well health-wise?"

"Uh-huh, that's true, but nothing serious, as far as I know."

Jiang Yu didn't press further. She reckoned if there was really something wrong, they wouldn't be spreading it around for their son's sake.