Chapter 18: Flared Tempers

“Got it.”

Xiao Qianqian whispered softly in response to Wei An.

She didn’t have the heart to tell Wei An that she was already wearing one.

Seeing her blush, Wei An suddenly remembered she should be blushing too.

She forced her own face red and spoke hesitantly, “I’ve only heard about them before, never seen one. I want to buy two to try on.”

As she spoke, her eyes casually glanced at Xiao Qianqian’s chest.

She could tell that Xiao Qianqian was indeed wearing a bra, as her bust was much fuller and firmer than hers.

Xiao Qianqian nodded to show she understood, then looked around.

“Do they have them at the department store?”

The one she was wearing had been bought at the Friendship Store while she was still in the commune, but she wasn’t sure if the department stores or Friendship Stores in Sichuan carried them.

Wei An didn’t know either; she had never asked Qu Xiurong or Su Yuping before.

She hesitated, wondering whether to ask her mother at the logistics department.

Just then, a friendly saleswoman approached and said, “What are you looking for? Our department store always has a complete selection. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll show you the counter.”

Wei An and Xiao Qianqian exchanged a glance.

Xiao Qianqian, feeling like the elder sister, leaned toward the saleswoman and whispered.

“They have them here, over there. I’ll take you.”

Wei An thought to herself: Those old novels are all lies. Who says department store or supply and marketing cooperative saleswomen have bad attitudes?

Look how enthusiastically this saleswoman is helping!

“Thank you so much,” Xiao Qianqian said, blushing as she thanked the saleswoman.

Wei An thought to herself, Wow, my sister is impressive!

Xiao Qianqian straightened her back in an instant, winked at Wei An, and pulled her along behind the saleswoman toward the deeper counters.

Only then did Wei An realize that bras were displayed inside the counters, not just hung openly like other clothes.

Across the counter from the bras were various colors and styles of menstrual belts.

Wei An had thought that if there were menstrual belts, there should also be sanitary pads.

But the saleswoman had never even heard of sanitary pads!

Wei An selected several thin bras with cups of different styles, as well as two menstrual belts in plain colors.

She didn’t notice that while she nonchalantly browsed, Xiao Qianqian beside her was blushing so hard she looked like she might burst into flames.

“Do you want to pick two?” the saleswoman asked.

Bras at this time didn’t have many styles, but the quality was really good—at least they were all pure cotton, and the fabric felt especially comfortable.

“I have some,” Xiao Qianqian whispered so quietly only Wei An could hear.

Wei An looked up and saw her face was as red as a sunset, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

“If you blush any more, I’ll have to blush with you.”

The saleswoman giggled.

Wei An was speechless.

Well, she might as well blush too, or else she’d be the odd one out.

So, shyly, she handed over the money and then shyly accepted the paper bag the saleswoman gave her, filled with bras and menstrual belts.

The two girls didn’t know that after they left, the saleswoman told her colleagues about them—one truly shy, the other pretending to be nonchalant but actually shy—like a funny story.

...

Because she needed to go to the Du family with Su Yuping, Wei An asked Xiao Qianqian to carry the purchases home. She herself took a bag of pastries and a netted sack of apples to Su Yuping’s workplace.

By the time the two sisters took the bus to the Du family, it was already past seven in the evening. The Du family of four had just finished dinner.

“Wei An, come here and let Auntie have a good look. Oh my, it hasn’t been long, and you’ve grown into quite a young lady!”

Su Yuping’s grandmother-in-law, Liang Meizhen, was from Shanghai. Although she had lived in Sichuan for most of her life, she still spoke with a Shanghai accent.

While directing Du Haijun and Du Qingyan to bring noodles for Wei An and her sister, she looked Wei An up and down.

“Not bad, not bad. You look lively and healthy, much better than your sister.”

As expected of a doctor, she couldn’t help but relate everything back to her profession.

Wei An pursed her lips to maintain her reserved demeanor while Su Yuping chatted with her in-laws about job openings at the textile factory.

“Wei An said Haijun might have a way. I thought I couldn’t explain it clearly, so I brought her back with me.”

“No problem, come visit often. Your Uncle Du and I are at home every day with no one to talk to.”

Liang Meizhen still held onto Wei An’s hand without letting go.

But when it came to Su Yuping’s mention of job openings at the textile factory, she was especially attentive.

“We’ve also heard that the hospital is hiring nursing assistants; we’re thinking of having Qingyan try for that.”

Now with a chance at the textile factory, of course, that would be the preferred choice.

“Wei An, you said Haijun has a plan—what kind of plan was it?”

Wei An glanced at Du Haijun, who had just come out of the kitchen after hearing his name, then thought it better not to say in front of Liang Meizhen and her husband.

Du Haijun raised an eyebrow.

“Come with me to the kitchen and talk.”

...

There was a small room behind their kitchen, hidden and free from eavesdroppers. Of course, if the kitchen door was open, people outside could still see their shadows.

Su Yuping thought to herself: ...They can’t even let me hear? And since when did Wei An and Haijun get this close?

Unknown to Wei An, her second sister was suspicious in her mind.

Wei An followed the casually smoking, carefree Du Haijun into the kitchen’s small room.

Du Qingyan tried to sneak a listen by peeking at the door but was slapped by Du Haijun and pushed out of the kitchen.

“Speak. What’s the plan?”

Leaning against the door between the small room and the kitchen, Du Haijun took a long drag of his cigarette.

“Ahem…”

Wei An rolled her eyes and coughed, stepping back.

“Could you maybe put out the cigarette first?”

Du Haijun was speechless.

This girl has grown bold!

He hesitated, thinking of his carefree little sister, and finally crushed out the cigarette.

“Now you can speak?”

He held the remaining half of the cigarette under his nose, sniffing it indifferently.

Wei An didn’t care about his attitude and sighed.

“Isn’t Sister Xie from the Xie family an accountant?”

Du Haijun’s sharp eyes suddenly glared at Wei An. Half squinting, his tone turned dangerous.

“What else do you know?”

Wei An smirked, utterly unconcerned by his anger.

“If you don’t want others to know, don’t do it. What you thought was very secret, more people know than you realize.”

Otherwise, why would you, Du Haijun, get into trouble and drag your own brother to be executed?

Du Haijun’s face darkened.

He thought his affair with the Xie girl was well hidden—only he and the Xie family knew.

He even kept it from his parents and sister-in-law.

But now, not only does Su Wei An know, but from what she implied, many others know too?