4
Early the next morning, I went to the department store, bought the milk candies and pastries my son had wanted for a long time, and finally walked to the wedding section, pointing at a beautiful, bright red wedding dress for the clerk to take down for me to try on.
After coming out of the fitting room, I looked at myself in the mirror, looking several years younger, and found myself in a daze.
The clerk looked at me and, with even more enthusiasm, complimented, "Are you planning to wear it for your wedding? Bright red is the most festive! Of all the people who come here to buy clothes, you're the first to wear this dress so beautifully."
But I silently took the dress off and pointed to another one in a more subdued color, asking the clerk to wrap it up for me.
Because, as a widow, one cannot wear red for a remarriage.
When I walked out of the department store with bags full, I unexpectedly ran into Zhou Zian, who was shopping with his sister-in-law.
When he saw me, he was first taken aback, then greeted me somewhat awkwardly:
"Sister-in-law, how come you suddenly came out shopping?"
Ever since he faked his death, I've stayed home, not taking a single step outside, let alone having the leisure to go shopping. Seeing me suddenly buy so many things surprised him a bit.
I didn't want to get entangled with him and randomly found an excuse to brush him off.
But as we brushed past each other, he saw the wedding dress peeking out of my bag, and his expression suddenly became serious.
When we got married back then, we also bought our wedding supplies here, but the wedding dress at that time was red.
And now, the wedding dress in my bag had turned into a somber color.
But why was I, a widow, buying a wedding dress?
He stood there in a daze for a long time, making even his sister-in-law beside him notice his unusual behavior.