Chapter 12: Little Shoes
The morning breeze was quite gentle.
Jiang Mianmian’s mouth opened wide, then closed again.
Seeing the young girl being so polite, she actually felt a bit embarrassed.
She felt that the prank she and her sister had played was a bit too much.
However, she wouldn’t say anything.
She was on her sister’s side.
Jiang Yu also lowered her head.
But Jiang Wan only took a sip, offered a compliment, and then set the bowl down.
She opened her bundle and showed Jiang Yu the items she had brought.
Jiang Mianmian was also curious about what was inside.
She chirped “yi ya ya,” signaling that she wanted to see.
Jiang Yu didn’t know what her younger sister wanted, but seeing her call out, she picked her up.
The bundle was opened, revealing a set of clothes and a pair of embroidered shoes.
They weren’t new. Jiang Mianmian could see that the color of the clothes had faded; they had been washed at least several times, and the tips of the shoes were worn down a little bit.
Yet, Jiang Yu’s eyes lit up as she looked at them, and she was incredibly excited.
Jiang Mianmian could feel that her sister’s grip on her tightened a bit.
If Jiang Yu hadn’t still been holding her younger sister, she wouldn’t have been able to resist reaching out to touch them.
Although they were old, the clothes still had faint colors, patterns, and a sash that was very delicate. The fabric of the clothes was also smooth, unlike the coarse cloth she was wearing.
That pair of embroidered shoes was even more beautiful.
The colors were vibrant.
The butterflies on them were lifelike, with tiny beads adorning the two wing covers.
The tiny beads sparkled in the sunlight.
Seeing Jiang Yu’s expression, Jiang Wan knew she would like them.
Her fair, tender hand touched the shoes with reluctance. These were custom-made for her by Mother, and like the silver hairpin on her head, they were all made by Baolai Pavilion. It was a pity that the shoes were too small, and she couldn’t fit into them anymore.
She also liked this ru-skirt, but the hem was a bit too short.
She couldn’t wear it either.
“I heard Aunt Yao say that you are to go to Prefecture City. You must not go; it is dangerous there. You must believe me. Sister Yu, I am doing this for your own good. Do you remember? When I was little and naughty, I climbed a tree and accidentally fell. You were the one underneath who cushioned my fall, otherwise I would have died. I would never harm you.” Jiang Wan spoke with absolute certainty and was very sincere.
Jiang Mianmian couldn’t help but feel a favorable impression after hearing this.
This young girl seemed different from the old woman and the maidservant from yesterday; at the very least, she could distinguish between good and evil.
As a result, she heard her own sister speak up: “I didn’t intentionally cushion your fall; I was just unlucky.”
Jiang Mianmian:… Sister, you could actually say less sometimes.
Jiang Wan said with a serious and persistent expression: “In any case, Sister Yu, you are my lifesaver. Remember, you must not go to Prefecture City.”
Jiang Yu was a bit impatient: “I know. Mother definitely won’t let me go. You used to call me Second Sister, but now you call me Sister Yu. You’ve always been clever. Don’t pretend to be kind; it’s like a cat crying for a mouse. Hurry back. If you get bumped or bruised, our family truly can’t afford to compensate for it.”
Jiang Wan was choked by the words, but she didn’t get angry. She just said: “I can’t stay long. If Mother finds out I came to see you, she will be angry. In any case, I am doing this for your own good. I’ll be going now.”
“Who cares if you come? Go away, go away.”
Jiang Yu waved her hand to shoo her away.
Watching Jiang Wan leave, she slammed the door shut with a “bang,” looking a bit fierce.
After closing the door, Jiang Yu was still a bit uneasy and looked out through the crack in the door.
Jiang Mianmian also poked her head out to look through the crack.
Seeing that someone came to pick up Jiang Wan not long after she left, Jiang Yu gave a heavy scoff: “As expected of a young lady going out.”
Jiang Yu put her younger sister down.
And went to rummage through the bundle.
She searched through it carefully; there was no hidden money.
Actually, what the family needed most right now was money to buy grain.
She had thought that Jiang Wan’s hypocritical kindness would lead her to leave some money.
Jiang Yu sat blankly in front of the gorgeous clothes and shoes for a while. She didn’t dare to touch the clothes, as the fabric was smooth, and she worried about snagging it with her rough hands.
She picked up the pair of shoes.
They were truly beautiful.
Especially in the sunlight.
After all, she was also a young girl; loving beauty and prettiness was human nature.
Holding the shoes, she still muttered: “You’re bestowing your worn-out clothes and shoes that you don’t wear onto me, and you want me to be overwhelmingly grateful. If my father could take the imperial examinations, I could wear these too. I’ve heard the scholar in the village say that my father has great talent for studying. Rotten kindness, fake kindness!”
Yet, at the same time, she couldn’t help but undo the shoes.
She took off the straw sandals on her feet, wanting to try them on.
Even before putting them on, she felt that she would look extremely beautiful wearing them.
Jiang Mianmian watched as her sister’s face turned red while she forcibly squeezed her large feet into the small embroidered shoes. The shoes bulged, and her sister stood up cautiously, walking with a wobble.
The butterflies on the little shoes wobbled as well, as if they were spreading their wings to fly.
It was very painful to wear them, but Jiang Yu was still somewhat excited. She walked over to Jiang Mianmian and asked: “Do they look good?”
Jiang Mianmian: “Yi ya ya, yi ya ya, yi ya ya, yi ya ya.” (Don’t wear them, Sister. I will buy you big shoes to wear in the future; these don’t fit.)
“Hahaha, do you want to wear them too? You are so small, you can’t even walk yet. Wait, when you grow up, Sister will earn money to buy you good shoes.”
Jiang Yu couldn’t bear to take off the embroidered shoes.
She wore them and carefully walked a few laps around the courtyard.
She walked until her forehead was sweaty. Worried that sweat from the soles of her feet might soil the shoes, she finally sat down and carefully took them off.
As a result, in just that short while, her heels had been rubbed until they bled. The blood stained the embroidered shoes, making their colors even more vibrant.
