CHAPTER 273: CHAPTER 273: ENCOUNTER AGAIN

Yang PeiMin had carved out time at noon to run to the mall with Sister Liu, recognizing that if she wanted to grow her business big, she needed a large sales platform.

Armed with sample products, she managed to convince the manager and secured an order for 200 pieces, but she was cautious, deciding to see the results before making further comments.

After nailing down the deal, Sister Liu had to leave; she was now busier than ever, hardly having a moment to touch the ground.

Yang PeiMin, however, was ready to browse the mall. With the weather turning colder by the day, and with snow having fallen just yesterday, she, a pseudo-Northerner, found her feet especially cold. She needed to buy another pair of warm shoes, and although she previously bought a bunch of wool to knit a sweater and scarf, she now lacked the time for that endeavor and would have to purchase them instead.

Actually, the large scarves here looked quite nice, with plaid patterns and flowered fabrics, but she wasn’t fussy about these things; warmth was the priority now.

She casually picked out two thick ones, one long and one short, and handed them to the sales assistant nearby. She would pay for them together later. As she was talking to the sales assistant, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar figure heading toward the clothing section on her left front. Yang PeiMin hastily put down what she was holding and took a few steps forward, raising her eyes to see that it was Nurse Ding and Shao Hui.

Shao Hui hadn’t been discharged from the hospital, as he was in a wheelchair. He was dressed in a military coat, while Nurse Ding was carelessly wearing her nurse’s uniform, seemingly taking a patient out for some fresh air. They chatted and walked toward the clothing section, apparently to buy clothes.

This scene felt odd to not only her but also to the bystanders, who were intrigued by whether this was just a normal patient-nurse relationship or that of a couple. However, it was clear that the two didn’t care about the onlookers as they picked out a men’s sweater in the clothing section, with Nurse Ding gesturing to show it was for Shao Hui.

Turning away, Yang PeiMin didn’t know what was going on but decided it was none of her business; after all, she wasn’t close with Du Juanjuan and had no interest in meddling in her affairs.

After buying the scarves, she planned to look at shoes, but when it came to shoe shopping, she only found cloth shoes and leather shoes—no boots. She was someone who dreaded the cold, and during winter, her feet would become exceptionally stiff and cold. She was now deeply yearning for snow boots and wool socks.

Seeing as she already had a pair of leather shoes and didn’t find any suitable ones, she was reluctant to make another purchase. Instead, she noticed some cotton-padded shoes nearby that were particularly thick and bright in color. She had a pair back in the dorm, made by Zhang Minghua, but in snowy weather, a single pair got wet easily, so it was wise to have a couple more to alternate between.

However, since they weren’t made to size, she wasn’t sure if they would fit properly.

After she told the salesperson she wanted to try them on, the salesperson—who recognized her—readily agreed and even brought her a small stool to sit on while she changed.

She continued speaking to Pei Min as she tried on the shoes, "These shoes are something many families would make themselves, not many people would spend the money to buy them. This pair was actually left here by an old employee’s mother, who needed money urgently because her grandson fell ill. As it happens, her shoemaking skills are famously good for miles around. Take a closer look at this craftsmanship—the stitching is dense, tight, and even. The quality surpasses that of machine-made shoes out there. What’s more, she’s cleverly added an extra couple of layers of fabric and stuffed a ring of thick cotton around it. They’re just perfect to wear now, very warm..."

Pei Min nodded her head, indicating she had noticed too. Indeed, they were nice. She felt comfortable and warm in them, and couldn’t help but smile, grateful to finally have a warm pair of shoes to wear.

"Let me tell you, even a pair of leather shoes aren’t that expensive nowadays, just fifty or sixty yuan. What’s that in the grand scheme? Going out in cotton-padded shoes instantly outs you as a country bumpkin. Do you really want that?"

"Yes..."

Around the corner at the counter, two women walked in. Pei Min didn’t look up, as she recognized from the voice that it was Du Juanjuan speaking. How coincidental, she thought; she had just seen her husband a quarter of an hour ago, and now here was his wife. She wondered if they had come together.

Meanwhile, Du Juanjuan, apparently sensing something, glanced over at Pei Min. On seeing her trying on cotton shoes, Du Juanjuan’s lips curled downward dismissively as she said to her companion, "See that? That rural woman over there, even when they make it to the big city, they still fancy wearing these ugly, old-fashioned cotton shoes. Drag a cow anywhere, and it remains a cow—that’s something unchangeable no matter where they go." Her tone was saturated with derision. Last week, when she returned to the military compound, she hadn’t run into Pei Min, but she had heard from others that this Yang woman had somehow incredibly gotten into university. Du Juanjuan thought it must be some dumb luck that such a low-quality person got into college. Now, seeing Pei Min again and remembering the humiliating incident at the hospital, anger flared in her chest.

Pei Min heard her but didn’t respond. After trying on both pairs of shoes and finding them quite satisfactory, she picked them up, prepared to buy them.

Having listened to Du Juanjuan’s rant, her colleague glanced at Pei Min again and then asked her in a quiet voice, "Juanjuan, how do you know she’s a country girl? She doesn’t look it to me."

"Who says she doesn’t look it? Someone from a rural background wouldn’t know the first thing about dressing up. The clothes she’s wearing are far too casual. That trench coat, I bet she had it made on the sly at some little tailor shop—just saw that wearing these has recently become trendy and got envious. She must have spent her man’s half a month salary just to play dress up. But even so, you can’t hide that inherent bumpkin aura, clashing and conspicuous like some kind of clown."

The colleague’s expression grew complicated. "Juanjuan, do you know her?" glancing again at the trench coat Pei Min was wearing, noting that it was well-made yet still different from those trendy ones outside.

With a cold snort, Du Juanjuan did not reply. To say she knew such a country girl would tarnish her own reputation, but to deny recognizing Pei Min after declaring her so confidently as a rural person felt wrong too.

Pei Min looked up and greeted Du Juanjuan with a smile, "Mr. Du, what an incredible coincidence! I thought I had misheard. I was thinking, the Military Wife of the Shao Family from the military region’s compound, a teacher and a city person, wouldn’t speak ill of someone behind their back, right? Oh my, it really is you. What were you just saying? I can hardly believe my ears. Wasn’t it just the other day when Camp Commander Shao was in the hospital and my husband and I went to visit you? How in the blink of an eye have I become a despicable person in Mr. Du’s mouth?"