The morning breeze was rather mild.
Jiang Mianmian opened her mouth wide, then closed it again.
Seeing the young lady being so polite, she actually felt a little embarrassed.
She felt that her and elder sister's mischief had gone a bit too far.
But she wouldn't say anything about it.
She stood next to elder sister Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu also lowered her head.
However, Jiang Wan only took a sip, praised it, and then put down the bowl.
She opened up her package, and showed Jiang Yu what she had brought.
Jiang Mianmian was also curious about what was inside.
She cried "Yiya ya" to indicate she wanted to see.
Jiang Yu didn't know what her little sister was up to. Seeing her shout, she just picked her up.
Inside the package was a set of clothes and a pair of embroidered shoes.
They weren't new. Jiang Mianmian could see the colors on the clothes had faded, they had been washed at least several times. The shoe tips showed some wear.
But Jiang Yu's eyes shone brightly, extremely excited.
Jiang Mianmian could feel elder sister's grip on her tighten.
If Jiang Yu wasn't holding her little sister, she wouldn't have been able to stop herself from touching the clothes.
Although they were old, the clothes still retained some color and patterns. The fabric was smooth and sleek, different from her own coarse cloth.
The embroidered shoes were even more beautiful.
The colors were bright.
The butterflies on them looked lifelike, with small pearl beads decorating the wings.
The little pearls shone in the sunlight.
Seeing Jiang Yu's expression, Jiang Wan knew she would like them.
Her fair and delicate hands were also reluctant to stop touching the shoes. These were custom made for her by mother, along with the silver hairpin she wore. Unfortunately the shoes were too small, she couldn't fit them.
She liked this cheongsam very much too, but the hem was a bit short.
She couldn't wear it either.
"I heard from Aunt Yao that you were going to the Provincial Capital. You mustn't go, it's dangerous there, trust me. Elder sister Jiang Yu, I'm doing this for your own good. Do you still remember, when I was little and naughty and climbed a tree, I fell down by accident, and you were below to cushion me, otherwise I would have died from the fall. I won't harm you." Jiang Wan spoke earnestly and sincerely.
Even Jiang Mianmian was inclined to like this young lady upon hearing this.
She seemed different from the old woman and maid from yesterday, at least clearly distinguishing right from wrong.
But then she heard her own elder sister say: "I didn't intentionally cushion you, I was just unlucky."
Jiang Mianmian thought...elder sister, sometimes you really don't need to speak.
Jiang Wan had an earnest and persistent expression: "In any case, elder sister Jiang Yu, you're my lifesaver. Remember, you mustn't go to the Provincial Capital."
Jiang Yu was a little impatient: "I know, mother certainly won't let me go. In the past you called me second elder sister, now you call me elder sister Jiang Yu, you're usually smart, stop pretending to be kind-hearted, a cat crying over a mouse. Hurry back, if you get hurt at our home, we really can't afford to pay."
Jiang Wan wasn't angry at being rebuffed, only said: "I can't stay long, if mother knows I came to find you, she'll be angry. Anyway I'm doing this for your sake. I'll leave first then."
"Who cares if you came, hurry and go."
Jiang Yu waved her hand to chase her away.
Watching Jiang Wan leave, she closed the door with a "bang", somewhat fierce.
After closing the door, Jiang Yu was still a little worried, peeking out through the crack in the door.
Jiang Mianmian also stuck out her head to peek along the crack.
Seeing Jiang Wan hadn't gone far before someone came to fetch her, Jiang Yu gave a loud snort: "Sure enough, a young miss going out."
Jiang Yu put her little sister down.
Then went to look through the package again.
She carefully searched it once more, there was no money hidden.
What the family needed most right now was money to buy food.
She had thought Jiang Wan's insincere kindness would have left her some money.
Jiang Yu sat dumbly in front of the fancy clothes and shoes for a while, not daring to touch the clothes. The fabric was so sleek, she was worried her coarse hands would rub and tear it.
She picked up the shoes.
So beautiful.
Especially in the sunlight.
She was still a young girl after all, loving beauty and finery was in her nature.
Holding the shoes, her mouth still grumbled: "You give me your unused ragged clothes and shoes out of charity, and expect me to be grateful with tearing eyes. If my father could have taken the exams, I could have worn these too. I've heard the scholar in the village say my father had exceptional literary talent. Insincere kindness, fake kindness!"
Yet she also couldn't help herself, undoing the shoes.
She took off her own straw sandals, wanting to try them on.
Before even putting them on, she could feel she would look extremely beautiful wearing them.
Jiang Mianmian watched elder sister force her big feet into the tiny embroidered shoes, the shoes swelled up. Elder sister carefully stood up and walked unsteadily.
The butterflies on the little shoes also swayed as if about to take flight.
It was very painful to wear, but Jiang Yu was still a bit excited. She walked over to Jiang Mianmian and asked: "Do they look good?"
Jiang Mianmian: "Yiya ya, yiya ya, yiya ya, yiya ya." (Don't wear them, elder sister. I'll buy you bigger shoes in the future. These don't fit.)
"Hahaha, you want to wear them too? You're so little, can't even walk. Wait, when you grow up, elder sister will earn money to buy nice shoes for you."
Jiang Yu was reluctant to take off the embroidered shoes.
She carefully walked a few more circles in the yard wearing them.
By the time her forehead was sweating, worried that her sweaty feet would dirty the shoes, she finally sat down and gingerly removed the shoes.
As a result, just after this short time, the back of her heels had chafed and bled. The blood stained the embroidered shoes, making the colors even more vivid.
