A slight flutter stirred in Li Chuchu's heart.
At this moment, Luo Yingshu was cooking in the outer room, while the two kids, Huzi and Lianjie, were doing their homework. The loud noise of stir - frying in the kitchen drowned out their conversation here.
Although Luo Yingshu had a bit of a fiery temper, she took care of the children and the elderly at home with Liu Xiaocheng every day. By all accounts, she had done nothing wrong.
In this era, even a woman as individualistic as Luo Yingshu could be exploited by her vicious mother - in - law and husband.
Li Chuchu let out a sigh.
It was already difficult for a woman to protect herself, and she also had to constantly be on guard against the person sleeping beside her.
Aunt Wang also sighed, saying regretfully, "This can't go on like this. I'll see if I can drop some hints to her. Liu Xiaocheng is a fake moralist and a true villain. It's really not worth it for a woman to be with such a man. I wonder what the situation will be like when you come back."
Everyone has their own destiny, and fortune lies in the hands of heaven.
Li Chuchu didn't say anything more. She turned around and went back to pack her luggage.
...
After all, this was Li Chuchu's first long - distance trip.
She packed quite a lot of things.
She noticed that Shen Yanshan's old shirt had turned yellow after numerous washes. They were going to a big city this time for business. As the saying goes, a man is judged by his clothes and a horse by its saddle. Wearing shabby clothes would surely invite others' contempt.
So she went to the department store to pick out several new outfits for Shen Yanshan. There were very few styles of men's clothing in the mall, mainly shirts and suits.
Li Chuchu chose a well - tailored white shirt paired with a black tie, which looked very business - like. The other one was a white shirt with thin vertical brown stripes and a looser fit, leaning towards a more casual style.
She also bought a pair of straight black suit pants.
Shen Yanshan was quite tall. Li Chuchu had to visit several counters before she found his size, but she wasn't very sure if it was a perfect fit. However, the salesperson said that they could exchange the clothes for the right size with the shopping receipt later.
The three items of clothing cost nearly fifty yuan.
Li Chuchu couldn't help but sigh: Good - looking clothes also came with a good - looking price.
Thankfully, the quality was decent. They were all made of polyester - cotton, more comfortable and absorbent than polyester fabric.
Apart from the clothes, Li Chuchu also prepared some first - aid medicines that might be needed, such as cold medicine and painkillers.
Next, it was time to prepare some food.
Moreover, the green - skinned trains at present couldn't be compared with the express trains of the future. This journey would take about two days to reach Spring City, so it was necessary to prepare some food in advance.
Besides the food that could be exchanged from the space, Li Chuchu also bought some cold dishes, marinated beef, spiced duck, and several white buns as big as one's face. These were considered top - notch food on the train.
...
When she got home in the evening,
Seeing Li Chuchu looking so tense, as if she were going to war instead of on a trip, Shen Yanshan couldn't help but chuckle softly, "There are food carts on the train. You don't need to prepare so much. When we get there, we can try the local specialties in Spring City."
Li Chuchu gave him a glare, "This is called being prepared for anything. What if the food on the train doesn't suit our taste?"
Shen Yanshan was taken aback by his little wife's scolding. In his mind, the only thing that mattered was filling his stomach. Whether the food was to his taste or not was not something he would consider.
This time, he was traveling with a delicate person, so things would be different from before. He had to be careful about everything.
After some thought, Shen Yanshan extrapolated, "We'll be on the train for two days. Should we also prepare toothbrushes, tooth powder, and maybe two towels?"
Li Chuchu exclaimed, "I almost forgot!"
The train was leaving at noon tomorrow, and it was already getting dark outside. It would be too late if she went out to buy them now. "We'll have to buy them on the way. You must remind me tomorrow!"
Shen Yanshan burst out laughing, "It's okay. I'll ride my bike to the grocery store to buy two towels."
It should still be possible to make it to the grocery store before it closed. Shen Yanshan quickly went out to buy toothbrushes and tooth powder.
While packing, Li Chuchu casually placed the clothes she bought at the mall on the table and forgot to let Shen Yanshan try them on.
...
When Shen Yanshan came back, he immediately saw two brand - new men's shirts on the table.
The price tags were still attached.
Shen Yanshan's heart sank in an instant.
Who were these shirts for?
Hearing the footsteps outside, Li Chuchu quickly came out of the room and explained, "I saw that your clothes were old, so I went to the department store this afternoon and bought you two shirts. Try them on to see if they fit."
"For... for me?"
The haze in Shen Yanshan's eyes dissipated, replaced by a look of helplessness like a puppy.
"Of course. Who else could it be for? Hurry up and try them on!" Li Chuchu urged him to change into the new clothes so she could have a look.
Shen Yanshan hesitated for a moment and then took the new clothes.
The clothes felt light in his hands. Just like his mood, it was floating and he couldn't find a foothold.
Was this really for him?
Wasn't she just lying to him?
Shen Yanshan almost hoped that Li Chuchu was lying.
If so, at least his mood wouldn't be like this, filled with a sense of helplessness and being overwhelmed with favor he had never felt before, like a stupid dog being toyed with. But deep down, he secretly hoped that this was true. If so, he would be happier than winning a hundred thousand yuan.
...
It had to be said that Li Chuchu had good taste.
Shen Yanshan had regular features and a relatively deep facial contour. More formal and darker - colored clothes suited him better.
The two shirts had very different styles, but both matched his temperament perfectly.
Especially the dark - brown vertically striped shirt, which combined leisure and a sense of stability. When he put it on, he looked like a different person, a bit like what was often said on the Internet - a "father with a youthful air".
There couldn't be anyone more suitable for this shirt than him.
Looking at himself in the mirror, Shen Yanshan had never felt so presentable. It was like a dog that had been wandering for more than a decade being adopted by a kind and well - off family.
It felt like a dream, and his legs went weak.
"How do you like it?" Li Chuchu asked with a smile.
"I like it very much. Thank you."
Shen Yanshan pursed his lips slightly and gently rubbed the buttons on the sleeve with his index finger, almost obsessively savoring this feeling.
In fact, more than the clothes, he wanted to rub his lips against the person who bought the clothes for him.
But unfortunately...
"I'm glad you like it! I noticed that most of the clothes in your closet are old. We'll buy two new coats when it gets colder in autumn. I'll pick them for you!" Li Chuchu stared intently at his wasp - like waist tightened by the belt, then up at his broad shoulders, and finally at his long and straight legs that could rival those of a Victoria's Secret model.
There was no desire in her eyes, only appreciation for her own taste.
Having a husband with a male - model figure made her want to turn life into a dressing - up game.
Li Chuchu was already eager to do so.
Shen Yanshan helplessly rubbed his forehead, "Okay, we'll see when we come back. We'll be on the train tomorrow, and the next two days might be quite tiring. Go to bed early."
Li Chuchu reluctantly withdrew.
Alright.
Shen Yanshan took off the shirt, touched it again and again, and finally reluctantly folded it and put it back in the closet. Li Chuchu happened to see this and said, "Take these two shirts with you. They'll come in handy for business talks."
When traveling, a man's appearance matters.
Shen Yanshan thought for a moment and then put the two shirts and the suit pants into the canvas duffel bag.
His wife was right. He should listen to her.
Suddenly, Shen Yanshan remembered something and reminded her, "But wear shabby clothes tomorrow. There might be pickpockets on the train..."
Before he could finish, Li Chuchu made a gesture indicating that she understood. Then she turned over, covered herself with the quilt, and faced the wall to sleep.
Shen Yanshan didn't dare to repeat himself for fear of waking her up.
He didn't know if she had listened to him.
He silently packed the remaining things. Only after he heard Li Chuchu's gentle breathing did he tiptoe onto the bed and wrap his arms around her from behind.
A soft whisper came in the night:
"Thank you, whoever you are."