Chapter 37: Foreign Fabrics

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hao reacted quite strongly. He first jumped back, and then his face flushed red. He couldn't help but raise his voice, "Who cares about her anyway!?"

It seemed the boy was truly a person with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Shen Qingyao smiled slightly and patted Xiao Hao on the head. "Alright, the teacher is leaving now. See you tomorrow."

Dachun followed Shen Qingyao as they left, while Xiao Hao stood at the doorway of his home, watching them go. Back at the shop, Shen Qingyao immediately shared the news of her new job with Xie Meiyi.

"Eighty yuan a month? That’s quite a lot." Xie Meiyi gasped. Which family could be so generous?

"Auntie Xie, do you know the family living at the very end of the alley?"

Xie Meiyi shook her head. "I don't. There are many people in Qingtian Village I don't know." She wasn't one for gossip, and she was even less familiar with the younger generation.

"That woman was dressed so stylishly, and based on her manner of speaking, she doesn't seem like an ordinary person."

"I'll ask around for you, and see if it might be a scam. There are many swindlers these days, so you need to be careful," Xie Meiyi warned, concerned for Shen Qingyao.

Time ticked by, and as Shen Qingyao glanced at the clock on the wall, she suddenly thought of Jiang Yan. Just as she was wondering if he would be coming soon, Xie Meiyi handed her a letter.

"Oh, right, Jiang Yan just had someone deliver this. He’s been sent on an urgent mission, so tonight’s dinner might..."

"It’s fine, he should focus on his work." Shen Qingyao’s hands moved quickly, and she tore open the envelope in a few deft motions.

There was nothing particularly extraordinary in the letter. Jiang Yan simply explained why he had sent it and mentioned that he would be away for a week. At the end, he wrote that he would miss her. He also added a note for Shen Qingyao not to miss him. Seeing those lines, a warmth rushed to Shen Qingyao’s face. What kind of person was he? Could he miss others, but not allow them to miss him back?

Seeing the change in Shen Qingyao’s expression, Xie Meiyi chuckled. She looked closer and noticed something unusual about Shen Qingyao’s clothes. She reached out to touch the fabric. "This is imported material, isn't it?"

"Oh, it couldn't be... how could it be from abroad..." The garment was indeed very comfortable to wear, and some of the design details were things Shen Qingyao had seen in her daily life. Only after looking at the cuffs did she realize the true value of the clothing.

Could Su Shang really be some wealthy young lady who had returned from overseas? Shen Qingyao was shocked by her own thought. But that house was clearly a simple mud-brick dwelling; she was certain of that. There must be some misunderstanding.

"I’m not mistaken. This is foreign fabric. Madam Wang loves wearing clothes like this." Xie Meiyi’s confident tone made Shen Qingyao feel a bit panicked. Did this mean she had traded an old cloth garment for an expensive foreign item? "My clothes got dirty, and that family asked me to change into this. I had no idea..."

The clothes were already on, and it wasn't practical to take them off now. Besides, Su Shang seemed to be a clean freak; even if Shen Qingyao washed them and returned them, Su Shang probably wouldn't want them back. But where could she possibly find another garment like this?

"Auntie Xie, can you do custom tailoring here?"

Xie Meiyi saw right through her. "You want to make one exactly like it?"

Shen Qingyao nodded vigorously, her eyes filled with sincerity.

"It’s impossible. How could I ever get my hands on this kind of fabric? It’s something you can't buy even with money and ration coupons. Everything is strictly controlled these days." Xie Meiyi poured a bucket of cold water over her, complete with ice cubes. She had thought the clothes were just expensive, but now it seemed she wouldn't even have the chance to buy them.

So, what exactly was Su Shang's background? Shen Qingyao didn't know, and she didn't want to overthink it. She had to go home to pack her things and take them to Qiao Yufen’s place. In her spare time, she planned to learn how to make some things from Qiao Yufen to eventually furnish her new home.

Jiang Feng arrived to pick up Xie Meiyi and exchanged greetings with Shen Qingyao. Shen Qingyao said goodbye to both of them and slowly walked home.

As soon as she walked through the door, she saw Lu Shaojun and Shen Mengyi. The two were sitting at the table, waiting for something—though certainly not for her. Shen Qingyao pretended not to see them and was about to head to her room when she was stopped by Shen Dongsheng.

"You haven't been home for days. Don't you even know how to greet people when you return?"

Shen Qingyao felt a surge of anger at his words. "Greet you? If I called you 'Shen Dongsheng,' would you even answer?"

"You...!"

Wang Guihua stepped in to play the peacemaker. "Old Shen! Yaoyao is grown up now; don't just resort to hitting her. Think of the children."

"I’ll spare you this time for the sake of Auntie Guihua, otherwise..."

Shen Qingyao sneered. "Otherwise what? Divorce Wang Guihua and find me a more cunning stepmother?" It was laughable; such threats were not to be feared at all.

"Sister, how can you talk to my mother like that? Even if she isn't your biological mother, she has still raised you," Shen Mengyi said. Her words stirred Shen Dongsheng’s conscience, and he agreed with her fervently.

"Us?" Shen Qingyao walked up to Shen Mengyi. "If you dare to mention me and my brother again, I don't mind finishing what we didn't finish last time."

Shen Qingyao raised an eyebrow, and Shen Mengyi retreated two steps in fear. She hid behind Lu Shaojun, who could only offer an awkward smile at Shen Qingyao, not daring to utter a single word.

Shen Dongsheng tried to maintain his authority. "What happened? What happened last time?"

Wang Guihua coughed lightly. "It’s nothing..." She feigned difficulty, exchanged a glance with Shen Mengyi, and continued her act. "It’s just that I heard Xiao Ye was being gossiped about, so I went to check on him. Who knew Yaoyao would be at the factory, holding a piece of glass and threatening to ruin Mengyi’s face..."

Shen Qingyao looked at Wang Guihua, whose eyes held a trace of triumph. Looking at Shen Mengyi, it was clear she had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Only Lu Shaojun tried to defend Shen Qingyao.

Shen Dongsheng already had his own conclusion. He raised his hand, intending to strike Shen Qingyao again, but she dodged him easily.

"The last time you hit me, it was because I was careless. Do you really think I’m that stupid this time?" Shen Qingyao slid past him and stood beside Wang Guihua.

Shen Dongsheng was furious, asking if she had only come back today to make him angry. "If you’re so capable, learn from your brother and get out of this house! Don't eat my food or spend my money!" He was breathing heavily, looking like a man driven mad by rage.

Shen Qingyao had come back today to pack her things anyway; even without Shen Dongsheng’s outburst, she would have left.

"Don't trouble yourself; I’ll leave on my own. Besides, my brother and I are both very capable. As for you, you can keep guarding this dilapidated house!"

"If it weren't for my mother, Shen Dongsheng, you would be nothing."

Shen Qingyao left these three sentences behind and slammed the door as she entered her room. She didn't have many belongings in the house; other than the photo of Du Tang, there was nothing worth taking.

She held the yellowed photograph in her hand, her fingers tracing the woman’s face. Shen Qingyao made a silent promise to Du Tang: "I am not the original Shen Qingyao. I will live a life that is truly my own."