BSI Chapter 75 Owning a Dress Again
Chapter 75 Owning a Dress Again
"Mengmeng, do you like these clothes?" Chen Feng strode forward, half-squatting down next to Mengmeng, his eyes full of doting affection.
"I love it!" Mengmeng turned her head, her eyes sparkling as if filled with starlight.
"Dad, these clothes are so soft and beautiful, and they smell so good when you wear them."
Hearing this, Chen Feng felt a pang of sadness.
Since I brought Mengmeng back to the old street, the child has been very sensible. She has never asked to buy any new clothes and has always worn her old clothes.
He turned his head, looked at the saleswoman with a beaming smile, and waved his hand dismissively:
"Miss, could you please wrap up all the ones Mengmeng tried on earlier?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Qiang gave Chen Feng a thumbs-up:
"Fengzi, you're really something! You've really become a domineering CEO now?"
"With these dozen or so outfits, all the shredded pork with garlic sauce we made this morning has gone to this clothing store!"
The sales assistant was overjoyed; such a large order is rare.
Just as she was about to happily agree to take the packaging bag, a soft yet firm voice suddenly rang out.
"No!"
Mengmeng stood with her hands on her hips, her originally smiling face suddenly turning serious.
She ran up to Chen Feng, stretched out her chubby little hand, and forcefully pressed down on Chen Feng's hand, which was about to take out his phone.
"Dad, we can't buy them all!"
Chen Feng was stunned, and somewhat puzzled, he touched his daughter's head:
"What's wrong, Mengmeng? Didn't you just say you really liked it?"
Mengmeng shook her little head like a rattle drum, her voice crisp and clear, carrying a precocious rationality:
"Dad, Mengmeng knows that you work very hard cooking."
You sweated so much this morning, your hands were shaking, and your godfather was so tired he was slumped over the table.
We need to save this money to buy meat, to buy pretty plates for the shop, and to buy delicious tea for Dad.
"One set is enough for Mengmeng!"
She held up her little finger and waved it in front of Chen Feng, her tone extremely serious:
"How about that little cape? Mengmeng likes that one the most."
The rest...we can buy the rest later when we've made a ton of money, okay?
Looking at his daughter's tender face, Chen Feng felt a lump in his throat.
He knew that after helping the child, he had seen how hard it was to earn every penny, which was why he suppressed his own nature at this moment.
"Mengmeng, as long as you're happy, you can earn the money later," Chen Feng said in a low voice.
"I'm so happy just to buy a set of Mengmeng!" Mengmeng stood on tiptoe, gave Chen Feng a quick kiss on the cheek, and whispered in his ear.
"Dad, we should be good store managers who are 'thrifty and frugal,' right?"
Chen Feng smiled helplessly. He glanced at Zhang Qiang, then at Su Chen, and finally could only shrug at the saleswoman.
"This girl is the real manager of our store; she's the one who calls the shots."
"Then... I'll pick that little cloak."
The sales assistant's heart melted at that moment, and she patted Mengmeng's head with a touch of emotion:
"Boss, your daughter is such a sweet and thoughtful girl, so sensible that it breaks my heart."
Just as the sales assistant was about to process the order, Chen Feng's gaze involuntarily fell on Xing Ruo, who was standing at the very back.
Xingruo was standing quietly next to a row of shelves full of dresses.
Her hands were awkwardly folded in front of her, her gaze fixed on a light blue dress on the shelf.
The fabric of the dress looked very light and airy, with a circle of tiny white flowers pressed around the hem, simple yet exuding a cool and lively charm.
That was the first and only time Xingruo saw it after entering the room.
Chen Feng saw all of this, but he didn't know what reason to use to convince Xing Ruo.
An idea popped into Chen Feng's mind.
Yesterday's apprenticeship ceremony was rushed, and I didn't even receive a gift.
"Xingruo, come here for a moment," Chen Feng said gently.
Xingruo suddenly snapped out of her daze and walked forward somewhat blankly: "Master... what's wrong?"
Chen Feng pointed to the light blue dress and said to the sales assistant, "Get this set for this child, in the right size, so she can try it on."
Xingruo's expression changed instantly. She waved her hands repeatedly and even took two steps back.
"No! Master, this won't do! Just like Mengmeng said, we should be frugal. I... I can wear anything."
These clothes are too expensive; they're not suitable for me to wear for work.
"What do you mean by expensive or not?" Chen Feng put on a stern face, deliberately adopting the demeanor of a strict teacher.
"I was in such a rush to become your apprentice yesterday that I didn't prepare any apprenticeship gifts for you."
Consider this a gift from your master to make amends. It's customary in our school to accept gifts from elders.
"But Master..." Xingruo's eyes reddened with anxiety, "Really, it's not necessary. I have clothes to change into."
Mengmeng noticed something was wrong too. She ran over, grabbed Xingruo's hand, and pulled her forcefully towards the fitting room.
"Sister Xingruo, please give it a try!"
Mengmeng also wants to see her older sister become more beautiful!
Daddy doesn't buy cute things anymore, and the money saved is just enough to buy a dress for my older daughter. That's called 'reasonable allocation'!
Su Chen chimed in from the side: "That's right, Xingruo."
Brother Chen is a stickler for rules; if you don't accept it, he probably won't be able to sleep tonight. Give it a try; we're all waiting to see.
Zhang Qiang chuckled, "Go ahead, Xingruo. I'm also looking forward to seeing your beautiful face."
Xingruo looked at the sincere and enthusiastic gazes of the crowd, and then at Chen Feng's encouraging eyes.
"Then...then I'll give it a try." Xingru lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, but a sweet feeling welled up in her heart.
The sales assistant, watching this scene, even had tears welling up in her eyes.
She worked in this upscale children's and girls' clothing store for three years and saw many parents arguing over buying clothes for their children.
But this was the first time she had ever seen someone so considerate of the older generation, and so loving towards the younger one.
"Boss, to be honest, I've worked here for so long, and you guys have really warmed my heart."
The sales assistant came over, quickly taking off the light blue dress while whispering to Chen Feng,
"I can give you a 30% discount on these two items using my employee discount program!"
Chen Feng hesitated for a moment, then quickly shook his head: "That won't do. Miss, you're also working for someone else, earning money isn't easy."
The sales assistant winked playfully, her eyes, with their meticulously drawn eyeliner, radiating a sense of loyalty.
"I have a brilliant plan!"
To be honest, I have a very close relationship with my boss, so this kind of thing is nothing to me.
Seeing how sensible they were, I couldn't help but want to give them a discount!
Without a word, she shoved the clothes into Xingruo's hands and pushed her toward the fitting room: "Hurry up! Don't dawdle, I can tell the size at a glance."
Chen Feng was somewhat moved when he realized he couldn't refuse.
Watching the saleswoman's busy figure, he suddenly spoke:
"Alright then. Miss, I can't just keep taking advantage of you."
From now on, whenever you come to "Human Fireworks" for a meal, as long as I'm still operating there, you'll get a permanent 20% discount!
The sales assistant's eyes lit up immediately after hearing this:
Wow! Really?
I just checked my WeChat Moments, and that Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce) is being talked about like a god!
"Boss, I've got your word in mind. Don't you dare renege on your debt later!"
"People from our old street, their word is law," Chen Feng said with a smile.
A moment later, the curtain of the fitting room was slowly drawn open.
The moment Xingruo walked out, the noisy store instantly fell silent.
The light blue fabric perfectly hugged Xingruo's slender yet not thin figure.
The perfectly cinched waist instantly made her posture more upright.
The small floral print at the hem of the skirt swayed gently as she walked, like ripples on a summer lake.
Xingruo's long, jet-black hair obediently draped over her shoulders, and her fair skin, set against the light blue background, exuded a sickly beauty with a radiant glow.
"Sister Xingruo...you, you're so beautiful." Mengmeng stared blankly.
Su Chen was also somewhat amazed. He whispered to Zhang Qiang, "Brother Qiang, if this kid were to take better care of himself, his demeanor would be just as good as the daughters of wealthy families."
"That is, and could also be my apprentice Fengzi's apprentice," Zhang Qiang smugly hummed.
Xingruo stood in front of the huge full-length mirror, clutching the hem of her skirt with a somewhat helpless expression.
She stared at herself in the mirror, momentarily lost in thought.
At that moment, memory was like a sharp carving knife, brutally slicing open her calm sea of heart.
She thought back to more than a decade ago.
At that time, she had just been adopted from the orphanage by the Lin couple.
The Lin couple had taken her to the mall and bought her a similar blue dress.
That was the first new outfit that belonged to her.
But what happened next turned into a nightmare that she could never shake off.
Xingruo looked in the mirror, her eyes slowly welling up with tears.
The sadness she thought had disappeared is trying to overwhelm her again.
Just as she was about to sink into the mire of memories, a warm voice sounded behind her.
"What's wrong? Does your neckline feel a little tight?"
Chen Feng stepped forward and naturally reached out to straighten the slightly crooked ribbon on her back.
His hands were large and warm, yet his movements were gentle.
Through the mirror, Xingruo saw Chen Feng's eyes, which were filled with concern, openness, and undisguised pride.
It contains the love of a master for his apprentice and an elder for his junior.
In that instant, the sadness in Xingruo's heart vanished without a trace.
"No...it's not tight." Xingruo sniffed, trying hard to hold back the tears that were about to spill from her eyes.
Chen Feng smiled brightly and purely at his reflection in the mirror.
She understood that Chen Feng was different.
This man is the one who praises her for her hard work in washing the dishes;
She was the one who would give her the shredded meat from her bowl so that she would be full;
He was the one who, after a busy day, remembered to give her a belated apprenticeship gift.
At that moment, Xingruo looked at herself in the mirror, wearing a new blue dress, and felt as if some invisible chains on her body had broken.
"Master, I like it very much." Xingruo turned around and bowed deeply to Chen Feng.
This bow was not only because of her beautiful dress, but also because Chen Feng had helped her rediscover the brilliance of the world.
She thought to herself that she had her own dress again.
And this time, the dress is no longer a chain, but a battle robe leading to a new life.
At this moment, Xingruo felt that she was probably the happiest person in the world.