"When my stomach gets big, I definitely won’t be able to do anything. Might as well pass the time with cross-stitching,"
Rong Shaoze couldn’t help but smile, so that was the reason.
Lin Xinlan pulled him along, looking at the dazzling array of cross-stitching kits and laughed, "You help me pick one."
Rong Shaoze caught sight of a pattern featuring cups and had a lightbulb moment. He said to her, "Don’t buy it here. I have a better one for you. Let’s go home, and I will have someone deliver it to you tomorrow for your stitching."
Lin Xinlan asked with curiosity, "What kind of pattern are you going to give me for cross-stitching?"
"You’ll find out tomorrow," the man said, winking mysteriously.
"Alright then," she said with a laugh, conceding, "Let’s go home."
The two turned to leave and had only walked a few steps when Rong Shaoze noticed a couple selecting socks.
The girl said to the boy, "You’re leaving for abroad tomorrow, and it’s cold there. Buy more of these thick socks to take with you. They’ll keep you warm."
There was a smile in the boy’s eyes, but he said, "They have everything there. I’ll buy it after I arrive, it’s too much trouble to carry."
The girl glared at him and said, dissatisfied, "It’s just a few pairs of socks, easy to carry. Besides, will you have time to shop there? And the ones I pick are good quality and warm. I don’t care, you must take everything I buy."
"Fine, I’ll take them all," the boy said indulgently.
After selecting a few pairs of socks, they left.
Rong Shaoze and Lin Xinlan passed the sock section and he stopped in his tracks.
"What’s wrong?" Lin Xinlan asked, giving him a puzzled look and noticing his gaze on a row of socks.
"You want to buy socks?"
"Then, pick a few pairs." Even though he had more than enough socks to wear, if he wanted to buy some, she had no objections.
Rong Shaoze looked at her with a smile and said, "You pick for me."
She realized then, he must have seen the girl give her boyfriend socks just now and wanted her to do the same.
This man’s mind was sometimes just like a child’s.
Lin Xinlan chuckled and picked out two pairs of gray woolen thin socks for him.
"Just these two pairs; it’s just the start of autumn, so they can be worn now," she said.
Rong Shaoze held the socks, smiling happily, "Then is there anything you want to buy?"
She thought for a moment and said, "I want to buy a box of pickled plums. Lately, food hasn’t had much taste for me."
The food section was not far away; just a few steps.
Rong Shaoze glanced over and said, "You wait here for me. I’ll go get them for you."
As he walked away, Lin Xinlan suddenly saw a little boy dash past in front of her.
The clothes the boy wore were exactly the same as Xiaocong’s, and his height and build were just like Xiaocong’s too.
Lin Xinlan’s body shook, and she found herself involuntarily chasing after him.
She saw the boy running further away, her heart growing more and more anxious.
"Xiaocong, it’s Mommy!" she shouted, but the little boy did not hear her.
Lin Xinlan picked up the pace, running faster and faster.
The boy was heading straight for the cashier to buy a pack of snacks, while the cashier was tallying the bill.
Lin Xinlan managed to grasp him before he left.
The boy turned around, looking at her with innocence and confusion in his eyes.
He was cute, but he was not Xiaocong...
Disappointment immediately filled Lin Xinlan’s eyes.
"Auntie, do you need something?" the boy asked.
"...No, it’s nothing. Sorry, Auntie mistook you for someone else," Lin Xinlan released his arm and smiled faintly.