"Little Niangao, you don’t need to teach chicks how to crow; it’s in their nature. They’re just too small now. They need to grow up quickly before they can crow." Lin Xiaoguai didn’t mention that only roosters crow, and that her chick might be a hen.
You can’t dampen a child’s enthusiasm.
Shen Chi shook his head at her imperceptibly, and sure enough, Little Niangao insisted stubbornly, "I know, but if I teach it more, it will learn. Just like I’m only four but I’ve learned more than Brother Junzi."
Lin Xiaoguai was silent. Should she praise her son’s clear logical thinking or worry about his lack of common sense?
"Let’s go shopping today," Lin Xiaoguai suggested after breakfast.
Shen Chi looked at her, "Do you want to buy anything?"
"Get some cloth and cotton. The cotton-padded jacket is from the year before last, and it’s time to make a new one. Buy a bit more; grandpa, grandma, and Xiuxiu’s need to be made as well. I’m also making knitted socks for them, which we can send along." Lin Xiaoguai was calculating, "Plus, next month is grandma’s birthday. We can’t make it back, so I plan to buy her something."
Shen Chi was also stunned, "What do you plan to buy for grandma?"
"Let’s buy her a pair of golden earrings. The old folks believe in these things. And also buy some malt extract, oatmeal, and the like," Lin Xiaoguai pondered.
It wasn’t that she was stingy, but the elderly always believed in not flaunting wealth. Even if she sent a gold necklace or bracelet back, the old folks would certainly not dare to wear them out.
Shen Chi thoughtfully replied, "Alright, we’ll do as you say."
The family’s first stop was at a century-old jewelry store in the Capital. Despite the scarcity of materials in this era, the jewelry store’s business wasn’t bad at all. After all, there was always a small special group in the big environment. While others were still worried about food and drink, they were concerned about which clothes to wear and what jewelry to wear tomorrow.
Since it was privately owned, the sales associates at the jewelry store weren’t as poor in attitude as those from state-owned enterprises, perhaps because the family of three was well-dressed.
"How about these?" Lin Xiaoguai pointed at a pair of simple hoop earrings and asked.
Shen Chi frowned and pointed at another pair of earrings, "I think these are better."
Lin Xiaoguai followed his finger and paused, "Those are too ostentatious; grandma definitely won’t wear them." She wondered about Shen Chi’s taste. Those golden earrings were big and heavy, but didn’t he see the flashy nouveau riche vibe they gave off?
After thinking about grandma’s character, Shen Chi felt that Wanwan was right and had to compromise.
After paying and putting away the box with the golden earrings, Lin Xiaoguai was ready to leave, but Shen Chi pulled her hand, "Wait."
"What’s wrong?" She was puzzled.
"Let’s look some more." Shen Chi touched his nose, "I see you don’t have much jewelry."
"It’s not necessary," Lin Xiaoguai declined subconsciously.
She had a heap of jewelry in her space; why spend money buying more?
Shen Chi thought she was worried about the expense and insisted, "Aren’t you going to a banquet with sister-in-law? You can’t go without jewelry."
After that, he pulled her over to the counter with bracelets.
"How about this gold bracelet?" Shen Chi pointed to a pair of bracelets that were even more tacky than the previous golden earrings.
Lin Xiaoguai’s mouth twitched and she replied, "I prefer silver jewelry, pearl jewelry, jade jewelry, gemstone jewelry over gold jewelry."
Upon hearing this, Shen Chi was stunned and looked at Lin Xiaoguai in disbelief.
At this time, many people took pride in owning a piece of gold jewelry. How could Wanwan be so different?
Feeling that his wife had an unusual aesthetic, Shen Chi was glad he hadn’t decided what to buy for her on his own. Considering his wife’s temperament, he told himself: If Wanwan likes those non-luxurious pieces of jewelry, let her be. If anything, he can secretly come back later to add a couple of pieces of gold jewelry for her.
In the end, Lin Xiaoguai chose a pair of old pit glass species jade bracelets, an A-grade pearl necklace, and a pair of ruby earrings. Whatever she took a fancy to was of good quality; together they cost nearly twenty thousand yuan.
Shen Chi looked on with a pang of heartache, not because he begrudged the money but because he felt it wasn’t worth it. He still thought gold jewelry was better.
Lin Xiaoguai thought the opposite; at this time, the prices of jewelry had not yet risen. Spending less than twenty thousand yuan for those three pieces today, she would be considered lucky if she could buy them for twenty million yuan in the future, not to mention that such good items would be hard to find.
Feeling pleased, Lin Xiaoguai thought about Little Niangao, who had worn a longevity lock for only two years after birth and never had anything personal to wear since then. So, she chose an old pit glass species monkey jade pendant for him, strung it with a red rope, and the little guy cherished it immensely.
The family then went to a department store. Lin Xiaoguai picked out a black leather jacket for Shen Chi, and chose a white mink fur for herself.
Thinking about the banquet, she couldn’t wear ordinary clothes. At last, she could wear her beloved qipao, and pairing it with the fur in winter would be perfectly fitting.
Little Niangao took a liking to a life-sized imported teddy bear and wouldn’t let go. If he hadn’t been dressed so neatly and looked adorable, the sales associate might not have been able to resist pulling him away.
Lin Xiaoguai naturally didn’t mind the cost of a life-sized teddy bear, but the key was that the toy was just too bulky. Her son definitely couldn’t carry it, and she and Shen Chi already had plenty to carry today. (To be continued. If you work, you are welcome to vote at Qidian, with monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)