NOVPUB
Chapter 153: Chapter 153: Putting on the Dragon Robe Still Doesn’t Look Like a Crown Prince
This time, Si Boyi changed his clothes a bit faster, but coming out of the fitting room, he still felt uncomfortable. His whole body felt as if it were covered in bugs and didn’t know where to place his hands and feet.
Especially when everyone’s gaze turned to him, his face turned uncontrollably red. He was used to the dull routine of farming in the village, and wasn’t accustomed to everyone focusing on him.
"Wow! Big Brother, you’re like a walking coat hanger. Every piece of clothing looks great on you." Si Xiaohui walked around Si Boyi, her eyes sparkling. She was utterly dazzled by her older brother. Who knew that Big Brother, usually so plain and rustic, looked good in anything he wore.
By contrast, she struggled with style – even dressed in regal clothes she couldn’t appear as princely. She always failed to exude the kind of grace that Tong Yao did. Sometimes, this discrepancy made her angry. Why was the gap between people so big?
Could it be because Tong Yao was more slender?
For the first time, Si Xiaohui thought of losing weight.
Si Boyi’s face turned even redder from praise, becoming as red as a cooked shrimp. When he tried to speak, he started to stutter, "Si... sister-in-law, just buying one set of clothes will do. There’s no need to buy so many."
Tong Yao replied, "You should have at least two sets to alternate."
Hearing the siblings both call Tong Yao ’sister-in-law’, the store owner looked at Tong Yao a few times more. She was such a well-behaved girl, even though her face was swollen, it wasn’t difficult to see her good looks. She was also young, but surprisingly married so early. She looked totally out of place compared to Si Boyi and his sister; perhaps Tong Yao had married beneath her.
Sigh!
The girls of today were too naive. If they were her own daughters, she’d never agree to a marriage between mismatched classes. That was demeaning.
Just as she was thinking about it, she heard Tong Yao say, "Shopkeeper, I’ll take both sets. Please pack them up for me."
Only then did the shopkeeper notice that Si Boyi had already changed back into his clothes. She quickly stepped in to help pack, "Young girl, our shop has a variety of styles and good quality clothing, and above all, they’re not expensive. If you like our outfits, be sure to come back again!"
"Next time we need to buy clothes, we’ll definitely consider your shop first."
Tong Yao was sweet, and the words she spoke were even sweeter, making the shopkeeper beam with delight. Tong Yao pointed to a white sweatshirt and grey casual pants hanging by the door, and chimed, "Shopkeeper, please pack up that set too in the same size. We’ll take that too."
"Sister-in-law, you’re buying 3 sets for Big Brother?" Si Xiaohui pouted, somewhat unhappy. If her sister-in-law bought her two sets, why did Big Brother get three? It seemed unfair.
The shopkeeper was already smiling ear to ear at the purchase of two sets. Hearing Tong Yao request another set took her by surprise. Such easygoing customers were rare. Hoping to retain a regular customer, she chirped, "Feel free to try anything on. Would you like to have your younger brother-in-law try it on first?"
Hearing Si Xiaohui and the shopkeeper’s words, Si Boyi was ready to refuse, but seeing Tong Yao shake her head and smile sweetly, "No need, this set is for my husband to wear."
Si Chen wasn’t as bulky as Si Boyi, but his wide arms could fill out shirts nicely. She had taken note of Si Chen’s clothing size, which happened to match Si Boyi’s. From the moment she entered the store, she fancying this outfit. She had already pictured Si Chen wearing this outfit in her mind.
He would look very nice.
Although Si Chen’s suitcase was half-filled with clothes, most of them were several years old and inappropriate to wear now. He only wore two different sets every day, so she had wanted to buy new clothes for Si Chen for a long time. /p>
Tong Yao was so caught up thinking about clothes, she didn’t notice the changes in Si Boyi and Si Xiaohui’s faces. When Si Boyi heard the word "husband," his ears turned red. He had never seen a woman address her husband as such, except for in TV dramas.
Si Xiaohui also blushed, mumbling under her breath, "Shameless." She thought Tong Yao lacked tact for casually calling Si Chen ’husband’ in front of others.
"Oh! You’re from the Capital City, aren’t you?" The shopkeeper burst out, speaking in the Capital City dialect. From the moment she heard Tong Yao speak, she thought that Tong Yao sounded like someone from the capital, but she wasn’t sure until she heard her use the term ’husband’.
In Li City, people usually referred to their husbands as their ’man,’ or ’the father of my child,’ never as ’husband.’ They thought calling their husband ’husband’ was shy and uncomfortable.
"You’re from the Capital City too?" Tong Yao immediately replied to the shopkeeper in the Capital City dialect. The two started conversing in Capital City dialect, leaving Si Boyi and Si Xiaohui puzzled. All they understood was that the shopkeeper had given them a two yuan discount.
It wasn’t until they left the store that Si Xiaohui regained her senses. "Sister-in-law, what did you and her just say? I didn’t understand a single word."
"It’s all right if you didn’t understand. Let’s go and buy kitchen supplies quickly and then get back home. It’s too hot out."
It was almost noon, and the sun was baking everything like a furnace. Tong Yao was sweating profusely and longed for the large electric fan at home. She wished she could return and lie down right away.
The heat made the streets deserted. The trio went to the place where they had bought pots and bowls before and bought some kitchen utensils. The stove from the milk tea store turned out to be functional for cooking, which saved them some money.
Si Boyi followed behind Tong Yao, playing the role of a porter. Watching her spend money like water, he was more convinced than ever he couldn’t afford to maintain Tong Yao, a beautiful city wife. He was better suited to marry Zhang Lijuan, a modest person who knew how to manage a household. To each his own, he wasn’t a match for Tong Yao.
Thinking of Zhang Lijuan, Si Boyi’s face reddened, sweeter than eating a jujube honey.
"Big Brother, keep up! Why are you standing here and smiling so foolishly?" Seeing his silly grin, Si Xiaohui was puzzled. He hadn’t smiled when buying clothes, so why would he grin while buying kitchenware? He wasn’t getting hungry, was he?
"No... nothing." Only then did Si Boyi realize Tong Yao had already paid and was ready to leave. His face turned red and he quickly picked up the items and hurried out. As he left, he stumbled, almost falling over, startling Si Xiaohui who yelled from behind.
"Big Brother, watch your step. These bowls aren’t shatterproof, don’t break the new bowls before we get a chance to use them."
Hearing this, Si Boyi, who was walking in front, quickened his pace.
Tong Yao looked at Si Boyi’s hurried steps and felt that he was acting differently, always giggling for no reason, rather like an adolescent boy experiencing his first love.
"Did Big Brother find someone in the countryside?" Although she had never been in love herself, she had watched enough idol dramas to be quite certain that Si Boyi was smitten with someone. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be smiling like a blooming Azalea.
"All of Big Brother’s blind dates have been unsuccessful. Those women looked down on us because we are poor and won’t be with Big Brother." Speaking of this, Si Xiaohui scowled, "Those women have no taste. They look down on Big Brother now, but in the future, Big Brother will be beyond their grasp."
She could find Big Brother dull, but she didn’t like others looking down on him.
