Zhou Meiling didn't have any children.
The couple had a decent relationship, but the only drawback was this aspect.
Normally, she didn't have the desire to be a mother. Mainly because she was tired of hearing people constantly talking about wanting children. Her ears were calloused from hearing it so often. She was living a good life, without any worries about food and clothing. In the future, she would have a retirement pension when she grew old. She wanted to go shopping, travel, and enjoy herself. Why would she want children to burden her? There are plenty of families without children in foreign countries, and they live just fine. Why couldn't she do the same?
Whenever someone brought up the topic, she would lose her temper, and after a while, nobody mentioned it anymore.
But now, as she watched the seventeen-year-old girl step out in a fluffy evening gown, Zhou Meiling felt a sudden realization. If she had had a child during the first two years of her marriage, the child would be this age by now.
Su Xiaoqi, wearing the gown, exuded confidence and looked incredibly beautiful, just the way she wanted to feel.
Xiaoqi looked at Teacher Zhou with sparkling eyes, just like when her aunt used to buy clothes for her.
She had just seen the price of this gown, over 3000 yuan. She definitely wouldn't buy it. It was too big, and she didn't have a place to store it at home. Besides, she didn't have any occasion to wear it to school. It would be too strange.
However, in the mirror at this moment, she looked really good. Like a little princess.
No wonder young girls all have princess dreams. This feeling made her feel dignified, as if she needed to be careful with every move, maintaining her sense of dignity. She couldn't do anything casually, not even walking. She had to stand tall and straight, not run around recklessly.
With the help of the salesperson, she changed out of this outfit.
The salesperson's attitude was quite good. Perhaps it was because Zhou Meiling had been assertive in picking out many clothes as if she were a nouveau riche. The salespeople in the clothing store were not afraid of demanding customers as long as they made a purchase in the end.
Under Teacher Zhou's eager gaze, Xiaoqi tried on several more outfits.
Fortunately, except for that gown, the other clothes were not expensive. They were similar to the prices in Lushan City's shopping malls. But here, there were discounts. One item at 90% off, two items at 80% off, three items at 70% off, four items at 60% off, and five items at 50% off...
Xiaoqi wasn't great at math, but it sounded really cost-effective. Most people would probably buy five items just for the 50% discount, whether they needed them or not.
After trying on clothes and pants in almost half the store, Zhou Meiling finally picky chose two outfits and a skirt.
Xiaoqi felt that although Teacher Zhou's personality was sometimes a bit peculiar, her taste was quite good.
One outfit was a pair of sporty pants, with a bit of a hip-hop feel. They were tight around the calves, but when paired with a T-shirt, it looked playful. The T-shirt wasn't complicated either, just a regular one with a design on the front. One of them was a deep pink T-shirt with a small black elephant on the chest, very cute.
The other pair of pants was a casual straight-cut style with a light checkered pattern. It was paired with a shirt, and when she put it on, it felt somewhat formal. Plus, Xiaoqi applied some lipstick. This outfit actually gave her a professional feeling. She had never tried this kind of casual pants that resembled trousers before, and she rarely had the chance to wear a shirt. The shirt was white with a faint checkered pattern, very clean. When she wore it like this, Xiaoqi almost didn't recognize herself anymore.
There was also a dress that Teacher Zhou insisted on getting. It was a simple black dress, without any excessive embellishments. Just a plain black dress, but the fabric seemed thick and it had a cinched waist and a small hemline. Xiaoqi felt slightly uncomfortable because it was sleeveless, exposing her shoulders a bit. However, it was fine since she went swimming every day and her swimsuit revealed more skin than this dress.
She looked very elegant and had a different style altogether.
What pleased Xiaoqi the most was not Teacher Zhou's sense of fashion, but the fact that these five pieces of clothing, including pants and skirts, were surprisingly affordable. She thought Teacher Zhou would insist on buying the expensive dress that the three staff members had taken off the model in the beginning, which cost over 3,000 yuan.
But that wasn't the case.
The total price for these five items, after discounts, was just over 1,600 yuan. It can be said that it was a very reasonable price, even less than the two sets her aunt bought for her last time.
Xiaoqi didn't argue and quickly paid the money herself.
Zhou Meiling didn't insist either. Although she thought 1,000 yuan was not much and she could easily give it as a gift, she knew the young girl wouldn't accept it. Giving her a lipstick would be nice enough.
Xiaoqi thought that buying the clothes would be the end of it, but Teacher Zhou wanted to get her hair done.
Xiaoqi was dragged along and had her hair cut. Her hair was originally a bit long, and she had planned to cut it. The haircut here was already expensive, costing 120 yuan for just one session. Xiaoqi felt that the hairdresser did a good and efficient job, and now she could let her hair down or tie it up into a small bun, which was very convenient.
But 120 yuan for a single haircut was too expensive. This time, Teacher Zhou paid for it because she had actually gotten a membership card here.
Seeing that her hair looked the same after getting it cut... Xiaoqi didn't know what to say.
After the hair was done, she was forced to change into a little black dress.
Xiaoqi wanted to tie her hair, but she was stopped.
"You just had it cut, and it looks stylish. Don't tie it up. You actually look like a Hong Kong female celebrity, part of a twin duo called Twins. That's Ah Sa, and she's beautiful."
Xiaoqi knew who Teacher Zhou was referring to. Although their classmates no longer followed this celebrity, they still knew a bit about her. The other twin in the duo had a bad reputation, but they both looked good.
In the evening, Xiaoqi insisted on paying for dinner. Teacher Zhou was too polite, and she felt a bit embarrassed. Xiaoqi wasn't used to owing things to others.
In the evening, Zhou Meiling took Xiaoqi to a high-end Western restaurant. There was a young girl playing the piano inside, and the view from the high floor was stunning. Both women were dressed beautifully, one youthful and playful with a hint of sensuality, and the other elegant and professional, perfectly suited for the setting.
They spent over 300 yuan for the meal, in a building next to Guojin.
After finishing dinner around 7 o'clock, Zhou Meiling drove Xiaoqi to the Fucheng Grand Theater.
The newly built theater was spacious and conveniently located for parking. The show officially started at 8 o'clock, but entry was permitted from 7:50. There was a strict security check upon entry, which was evident as Little Qi noticed while waiting in line. It was clear that watching a performance in the theater was different from watching a movie; both men and women in the queue were dressed formally.
Most ladies wore dresses, and the gentlemen were quite elegant in their suits and shirts.
Upon passing the security check and entering the lobby, a huge chandelier caught their attention. It was made entirely of sparkling glass crystals, illuminating the space.
In the center, there was a large screen displaying information about the orchestra for this performance. The conductor, dressed in formal attire, exuded an impressive aura. He was a middle-aged foreigner with receding hair, so only the top of his balding head was visible from the audience's perspective.
There was also a prominent promotion of the clarinet virtuoso Martin Foster, a young man with golden hair, long and straight legs, and a gentlemanly and handsome appearance.
Inside the lobby, there was a dedicated counter with promotional brochures. However, it was stated that only those with tickets priced above 1200 could obtain them. Mr. Zhou and Little Qi each took a copy.
The magazine was quite thick.
It was then that Little Qi realized that different seat categories had different prices. She noticed someone next to her holding a ticket priced at 490 and asking if they could still receive a brochure. The attendant replied that they could purchase one for fifty yuan. Surprisingly, the person actually paid for it.
Little Qi flipped through the brochure, which was filled with colorful pages. It provided more detailed information, mostly in the form of photographs. It also outlined the program for today's performance, consisting of three pieces.
While she was engrossed in reading the brochure, the doors opened, signaling that it was time to enter the auditorium.
"Do you want to use the restroom? We can't leave until it's over. There's a fifteen-minute intermission," said Zhou Meiling.
Little Qi went to the restroom and then they both entered the auditorium together.
The theater had a fan-shaped layout, and surprisingly, there were seats on the second floor as well. There were also seats on the left and right sides, situated between the first and second floors. Mr. Zhou's seat was in the front row of the first floor, providing a clear view of the stage.
After Little Qi took her seat, she noticed there was still plenty of empty space on the left and right sides. However, after a while, the lobby seemed to fill up gradually. Even the upper levels were almost completely occupied.
Suddenly, the hall lights dimmed, leaving only the stage illuminated.
It was then that Little Qi looked up and realized that the stage had already been filled with people, though she wasn't sure when they had taken their seats. The men were dressed in suits and formal attire, while the women wore long dresses or uniforms. Those in the front row held violins, and there were drums and long instruments on either side. The back row consisted of cellos, arranged in an orderly fashion, with several dozen musicians in total.
She turned her head to glance at Zhou Meiling, who sat with an upright posture, attentively focused on the front.
Little Qi followed suit and sat up straight, fully engrossed.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The tremendous sound of the music surged like waves, and suddenly, Little Qi felt as though she wasn't in a concert hall but at the seaside. The seats had transformed into damp sandy beaches...
