Liu Yulan and Wang Miaomiao returned home happily at noon.
Wang Pandi had already prepared the meal. Looking at the dishes with little oil or meat, Wang Miaomiao was glad that she insisted on buying some meat, so they could have a better meal in the evening.
At the dining table, Liu Yulan mentioned the worry of Wang Miaomiao’s forehead scar not fading and praised her for not buying malted milk and instead buying meat, thinking that everyone could enjoy it together.
Wang Baoxing, upon hearing this, felt both concerned about her injury and pleased with her understanding, and couldn’t help but praise her a few more times.
Liu Yulan took the opportunity to say she had bought fabric to make new clothes for Wang Miaomiao, thinking that as the girl grew up, she should dress more appropriately.
Wang Baoxing nodded repeatedly, saying, "Indeed..."
Listening to all this, Wang Pandi’s eyes flashed with a complex, indescribable expression, but she remained silent, focusing on her meal.
Wang Zhaodi, however, huddled over her bowl with her head almost buried in it, eating quickly without taking any vegetables.
She only hoped everyone would forget her presence. But that was wishful thinking; the substantial, cold stares almost made her shake like a sieve.
In the afternoon, there was some time to rest, and Wang Miaomiao took the opportunity to pull Wang Zhaodi aside while Wang Pandi started tidying up the room. She didn’t have the original owner’s memories, so she had to figure out which items in the house belonged to her.
The items she packed appeared quite pitiful. She had never paid attention to her dressing style before, so none of her clothes fit; they were either too small or too large.
However, there were a few pieces with decent style and material that looked still almost new; how could they be tucked away in the trunk? Such a waste—they could easily be altered to look great...
Alas, this original owner surely was lazy, focusing only on eating, with no care for anything else.
Wang Miaomiao looked at the pile of clothes with some worry, wishing to alter the newer ones, but unfortunately, she hadn’t honed any skills in tailoring or sewing.
Thinking hard, she looked up at her two sisters and noticed that the second sister’s outfit was notably more fitting and appropriate than the eldest sister’s.
"Second Sister, your clothes look really nice."
Wang Pandi’s heart tightened; what did she mean by that? Does she want to wear her clothes? Holding her breath, Wang Pandi said, "They’re just old clothes that cousin doesn’t want anymore, what’s so nice about them? We’ve tried them, and you found them too small to wear." She had been wearing this outfit for years, and as cousin grew, there were almost no fitting and pretty clothes left for her to pick.
Wang Miaomiao’s eyes sparkled, unexpectedly gaining valuable information from casual talk. Clothes from her cousin? Which cousin? She needed to clarify...
The Wang Family’s three sisters—Wang Zhaodi should resemble her late mother, being 1.7 meters tall, with well-defined features, certainly a beauty, no wonder she was the protagonist in the original book.
Wang Pandi stood 1.58 meters tall, unclear whom she resembled. Perhaps due to poor nutrition during childhood, she didn’t develop well? Her features mostly resembled Wang Baoxing, not unattractive, but she knew how to dress; with three parts beauty and seven parts grooming, she was just barely a little beauty.
Wang Miaomiao naturally resembled Liu Yulan, standing at 1.65 meters, with a devilish figure hidden beneath the oversized clothes, well-developed with all necessary curves. Her skin was particularly nice, with a clear face, but her small nose was a bit chubby, adding a touch of cuteness. She was still young; as her face matured, who knows what she might turn out to be. But her good genes promised she’d definitely grow up to be a beauty.
"Oh, cousin... she surely has a lot of clothes..." Wang Miaomiao said leisurely, her face filled with envy and jealousy.
That sentence resonated with Wang Pandi; she envied too... "Who’s to blame that she has good parents? Heard that uncle got promoted to department head a couple years ago. Aunt and cousin Hong Xia both work at the supply and marketing cooperative, so there’s no lack of good stuff at home."
As she spoke, Wang Pandi regretted a bit, complaining, "I don’t understand what mom is thinking; she never takes us to uncle’s place in the city, always going alone and coming back by herself. I have no idea what life is like at uncle’s." She couldn’t quite imagine it, only thinking that in the city, life must be wonderful, a place she’s yearned to visit since childhood...
This was quite a lot of information... Seeing Wang Pandi lost in thought, Wang Miaomiao brought the topic back, "Second Sister, I’m not good with sewing, can you help me alter these clothes?" She pointed to some oversized items and then to some clearly too-small ones, "I’d rather not wear these small ones, not sure how long they’ve been tucked away in the trunk. Do you want them?"
When Wang Pandi heard this, she snapped back to reality, relieved that her clothes weren’t the ones Miaomiao wanted. Looking at the too-small clothes Miaomiao mentioned, she recalled the past—over the years, the sisters didn’t have a good relationship.
The eldest sister was almost like an invisible person in this family, also resembling an outsider. With a bunch of relatives in the village, she had a good childhood, seldom hungry, just circling around and returning with a full belly. She also had hand-me-down clothes from relatives’ kids.
Her younger sister was pampered by their parents and knew how to act spoiled; she didn’t refuse food and never went hungry, so she lived well.
Only Wang Pandi was overlooked in this family, without external aid. She couldn’t remember much from her early childhood, only that by age eight, mom had taught her to cook, and she slowly learned to sneak bites; as no one cared for her, she cared for herself.
Those few pieces of clothing came five years ago from uncle’s place when mom visited during cousin’s wedding. Her sister fought for them but found them too large and didn’t wear them, leaving them tucked away and forgotten.
"Sure..." Wang Pandi smiled, recalling when cousin got married two years ago, mom visited again, bringing back fewer clothes, mostly larger and older ones, none almost new, which she didn’t take.
It made sense; cousin had grown, settled into her body size, and wouldn’t have anything too small; new clothes that fit wouldn’t be easily given away.
Wang Pandi was analyzing the situation accurately.
Upon hearing Wang Pandi agree, Wang Miaomiao beamed, picking up the clothes to discuss how to alter them with Wang Pandi.
Though Wang Miaomiao couldn’t personally tailor or alter clothes, her mind was full of ready styles, suitable for the period—not too revealing, but subtly tapering the waist, tightening cuffs, adding puff sleeves, and ruffled hem to make them stand out beautifully.
Wang Pandi listened, her eyes bright with interest, as she loved exploring these since childhood; her skills were decent, and sewing was easy for her. She immediately picked up the clothes, found scissors, tape measure, chalk, and sewing supplies, starting to work in the living room.
Wang Miaomiao felt quite satisfied watching, then left assured. She had other important things to attend to.