It was the second day in the capital.
The stepmother offered to take her shopping, and Hua Qingqing's eyes lit up instantly.
"Thank you, Aunt Wu. I'd call you my real mom!"
Hua Qingqing put on the clothes she had dried last night, which made Wu Yunhua feel pity all over again.
Hua Qingqing stuffed a chocolate into Hua Miaomiao's hand, then took her by the hand and went out.
Many families of military officers lived in the compound. Seeing Wu Yunhua coming out with a girl, they were all curious and asked about her.
"Yunhua, who is this? A relative's kid of yours?"
Wu Yunhua introduced her with a smile, "This is my eldest daughter."
Not wanting to say more, Wu Yunhua simply greeted them and left the compound.
But the discussions behind them didn't stop. Some who had inquired about it yesterday were sharing the gossip with each other.
"Where did Teacher Wu get an eldest daughter? That girl looks like she's in her teens. She doesn't seem to be Teacher Wu's child. But her features do bear a bit of resemblance to Miaomiao."
"Hey, you don't know. She's Minister Hua's eldest daughter. I heard Minister Hua used to have a first wife. Then they got divorced, and the daughter lived in the countryside. Now that the child has grown up, they've brought her here."
"That's so heartless. They didn't take the child in when she was young. What's the use of bringing her here now that she's grown?"
"Who knows? It's their family business. But I can tell Teacher Wu really likes this girl. It's rare that Miaomiao lets her elder sister touch her."
...
Her husband had taken 500 yuan from his mother's room last night and given it to her.
Wu Yunhua's hands trembled a little when she took the money. She wanted to say something, but her husband just waved his hand and told her to buy more nice things for the eldest daughter.
Wu Yunhua thought, well, if that's the case, don't blame her for splurging.
Since she married into the Hua family, she had never received so much money. Every time her mother - in - law asked her to buy groceries, she was so stingy. Usually, getting a ten - yuan bill was already a large amount.
Wu Yunhua took her two daughters straight to the Capital Department Store.
Since the policy of reform and opening - up, there had been more and more new things in the city.
Normally, without much money in hand, Wu Yunhua didn't dare to buy things casually. But today, with a large sum of money, she could take her daughters to look around freely and buy generously.
"Qingqing, do you like this dress?"
Hua Qingqing looked at the dress Wu Yunhua was talking about. It was made of calico dacron, a very popular style at that time. It must be quite expensive.
Hua Qingqing wasn't polite at all and nodded.
Then, in return, she also picked out a dress for Hua Miaomiao and Wu Yunhua. The one for Hua Miaomiao was a little red - polka - dotted dress, and the one for Wu Yunhua was a steady and elegant style, not very eye - catching but the most expensive.
Wu Yunhua liked it but declined.
"I'm this old. It's not suitable for me to wear dresses. You're young. You should buy more."
Hua Qingqing asked the saleswoman to take the dress down.
The saleswoman was a bit reluctant at first. Seeing Hua Qingqing so insistent, her attitude wasn't very good, but she still took the dress down.
Hua Qingqing smiled and said, "Don't be angry, sister. If these dresses fit well, we'll definitely buy them all."
The saleswoman was amused by her generous tone.
"If you buy a lot, I'll give you something as a gift."
Hua Qingqing laughed, "You promised!"
Then she picked up the dress and held it up against Wu Yunhua.
"Aunt Wu, a woman can wear the clothes she likes at any time. Besides, you're only 30. Is that really old? You've only lived less than a third of your life. We should satisfy ourselves more in life."
Wu Yunhua was convinced. Even though she was still worried about being scolded by her mother - in - law, she decided to buy the dress.
Seeing that they bought a lot, the saleswoman gave them a comb.
Among the three, Hua Qingqing bought the most clothes, a total of five sets, including two pairs of shoes and a watch.
She didn't dare to wear the Rolex the man on the train had given her for fear of it being stolen. When they passed by the watch counter, she just took two curious glances.
But Wu Yunhua caught her eye immediately and insisted on buying her a watch.
Hua Qingqing wanted to refuse, but Wu Yunhua was very firm on this and bought the watch, saying it would be convenient for her to check the time for studying.
After all, the fun of shopping isn't just about buying for oneself but also about the process of buying, choosing, and strolling.
Before they were about to leave, Hua Qingqing stopped Wu Yunhua.
"Auntie, it's rare to come to a big department store. We can't just buy things for ourselves. We should also buy something for Dad and Grandma. Otherwise, if they see we've bought so much and they have nothing, they'll feel uncomfortable. Only when people feel comfortable in their hearts can they be easy to get along with."
Wu Yunhua understood the hint.
So the three of them happily continued shopping.
Finally, they returned with a full load.
Of the 500 yuan they had taken out, only 50 yuan was left.
After the extreme excitement, Wu Yunhua was a bit scared.
If her mother - in - law found out about this, she wouldn't blame her son but only her, the daughter - in - law.
But this was all necessary spending. Qingqing had been living in the countryside, not having enough to eat or wear well. It was only right to compensate her.
Moreover, they had bought something for everyone this time.
Thinking of this, Wu Yunhua wasn't so scared anymore. She even stuffed the remaining 50 yuan into Hua Qingqing's hand.
"Qingqing, you take your sister to play first. I'll come find you after I finish cooking. This child may seem unresponsive usually, but she can understand a bit. Take her to the square. There are other kids there, and people are playing basketball. It's quite lively."
Hua Qingqing nodded. She took Hua Miaomiao back to the room first. Seeing the little girl staring straight at the new dress, she couldn't help but put the new clothes on her and tied two cute pigtails for her. Afraid that she would cry when they went out, she also brought two chocolates.
Hua Qingqing didn't know where the square was, so she asked Hua Miaomiao. Hua Miaomiao responded a bit slowly but didn't resist the question. She pointed in a direction.
Hua Qingqing didn't ask anymore. She took her by the hand and walked in that direction.
The facilities in the military compound were okay. There was a basketball court on the other side of the square. People were having a game there, and the cheers were deafening.
Hua Qingqing took a couple of glances and wasn't interested. She took Hua Miaomiao to where there were more kids and let her play.
At first, the little girl seemed not to understand what she meant. Hua Qingqing showed her how to play with the sand.
When Hua Miaomiao found the fun in the sandcastle, Hua Qingqing stepped aside to rest. A woman came over and talked to her.
"What's your name? Teacher Wu walked so fast today that I didn't have time to ask her."
Teacher Wu?
Was her stepmother a teacher?
Hua Qingqing smiled at the young woman, "Sister, my name is Hua Qingqing."
The young woman was not only very friendly but also talkative. She introduced herself as Liu Ning, the wife of Minister Liu from the house three doors down. Without waiting for Hua Qingqing to ask, she told everything.
For example, about her stepmother Wu Yunhua.
"Teacher Wu is a college graduate. Before she got married, she was a high - school teacher. But after she got married, she quit and started to focus on being a wife and mother at home."
Liu Ning's tone sounded a bit regretful.
Hua Qingqing asked, "Then why did Aunt Wu stop being a teacher? Being a teacher is so good. She's a college graduate. It's so suitable for her to educate students."
Liu Ning sighed. Just as she was about to say something, a child's cry came from the front.