"Okay, then. I’ll be back soon. You have to wait for , Daddy..."
"Mhm! I’ll wait for you."
Jiang Liu gently patted Tongtong’s head.
The little girl happily closed her eyes.
She loved it when her daddy patted her head.
Lin Qiu noticed Jun Qingng standing off to the side, being ignored. She quickly smiled and said, "Qingng, you should co with us. A girl as beautiful as you needs to buy lots of clothes to dress up in."
When going to the mall, of course you had to bring your future daughter-in-law.
Whatever she wanted, they’d buy it!
Lin Qiu thought she had to help her son keep Qingng happy.
Hearing this, Jun Qingng glanced at Jiang Liu, then said shyly, "No, thank you, Aunt Lin. I have clothes. I’ll just stay in the shop and keep Jiang Liu company. There’s no need to buy any."
"Co on, let’s go together, just the two of us. I have no taste when it cos to picking out clothes."
As she spoke, Lin Qiu enthusiastically took Jun Qingng’s hand.
Tongtong also hugged Jun Qingng’s long legs. "Teacher Qingng, co with us! Tongtong wants you to co. Let’s buy matching family shoes and wear them with Daddy, okay?"
The last ti she was with Yang Yixue, she’d spotted a set of matching family shoes.
She’d really liked them.
But her daddy never had the ti, so Tongtong could only let this little wish take root and sprout in her heart.
Matching family shoes? Jun Qingng was tempted. She looked at Jiang Liu. "Is that okay?"
She was asking for his opinion.
She was afraid of making Jiang Liu unhappy.
"Whatever. You should go with them." Jiang Liu didn’t give a direct answer.
Jun Qingng smiled. "Okay! Then I’ll go take a look with Aunt Lin and Uncle Jiang. If you need any help, I’ll co back right away."
"Whatever works."
Jiang Liu smiled and nodded, then took out his keys and handed them to the silent Jiang Dahai. "Dad, it’s hot out. You drive the car."
Jiang Dahai didn’t refuse and took the keys without another word.
The four of them left. Jiang Dahai drove, heading for Wanda Plaza.
It was hot outside the car window.
Tongtong was sprawled out on the back seat, her little legs dangling.
"Teacher Qingng, do you like Crab Boss?"
"Crab Boss? Who’s that?"
"He’s SpongeBob’s boss! The matching shoes Tongtong saw last ti had SpongeBob, Patrick, Brother Octopus, and Crab Boss on them."
Tongtong bent her little fingers as she looked down and counted.
She rembered it very clearly.
Jun Qingng was delighted and asked, "Can I pick SpongeBob then?"
Tongtong pouted and shook her head. "No way! SpongeBob is for Tongtong, and Patrick is for Daddy. Teacher Qingng, you can only choose between Brother Octopus and Crab Boss. But Brother Octopus is so ugly."
"If that’s the case, would you still want to, Teacher Qingng?"
"Pfft!" Jiang Dahai, who was driving, almost burst out laughing.
His own granddaughter was just hilarious.
Jun Qingng chuckled.
"Of course. As long as the three of us are wearing the sa thing, I don’t mind what I wear."
"Hehe, then I’ll call you Teacher Crab from now on."
"And I’ll call you Sponge-Tongtong?"
"No, it’s Baby Jiang! Silly."
"In your dreams," Jun Qingng said, rolling her eyes.
As she said this, Tongtong hesitated and fidgeted with her hands. "But the price was three digits. It must be really expensive. It’s not easy for Daddy to make money. Maybe we should just buy T-shirts instead? T-shirts are cheaper."
"Tongtong was just saying."
She couldn’t bear to spend her daddy’s hard-earned money. Making money was very difficult for him.
If they were just buying them for her daddy, she wouldn’t feel so bad.
Before Jun Qingng could say anything, Lin Qiu was the first to speak, her tone firm. "Tongtong, don’t you worry. Your grandma has a secret stash of money, with lots saved up. Whatever you like, we’ll buy it!"
"Really?" Tongtong’s little eyes lit up.
’Am I going to be Patrick’s Baby Jiang?’
Jiang Dahai also nodded cheerfully. "Your grandma has plenty of money. Spend as much as you want, Tongtong. Don’t worry."
The old couple had saved over four hundred thousand for Jiang Liu and Tongtong; they really weren’t afraid of buying a few articles of clothing.
Since Tongtong liked it, and their daughter-in-law liked it too, there was nothing more to say.
Buy them!
Lin Qiu nodded along with Jiang Dahai’s words. "Your grandpa and grandma are rich. Whatever Tongtong wants, we’ll buy it directly. We won’t hesitate!"
"Yay! Grandma is the best!"
Tongtong wrapped her arms around Lin Qiu’s neck and snuggled her soft cheek against her.
"Grandma, Tongtong likes you even more now. Super-duper likes you."
’It hurts to spend Daddy’s money, but it doesn’t hurt to spend Grandma’s secret stash.’
The family atmosphere was very harmonious.
Still, Jun Qingng felt a little restless.
She hadn’t naturally integrated into this family yet; after all, Jiang Liu still hadn’t agreed...
Lin Qiu noticed Jun Qingng’s unease.
She lovingly stroked Jun Qingng’s smooth hair. "You poor child. It mustn’t be easy for you, being out here all by yourself, right?"
Jun Qingng bit her lip. "It’s alright. I’m fine."
Lin Qiu sighed.
"Seeing you look so pitiful every day, it breaks my heart.
"From now on, when we’re together as a family, don’t be so formal. Just relax. I truly see you as my future daughter. That boy, Jiang Liu, has a mind of his own, so don’t you mind him. Our family is very happy with you, and we’ll be sure to have a good talk with him. So don’t you worry, okay?"
"Mhm!"
Soothed by Lin Qiu’s words, Jun Qingng’s tense nerves slowly began to relax.
She had always been afraid of not doing well enough, whether in front of Jiang Liu, or in front of Aunt Lin and Uncle Jiang.
She was even afraid of falling short in front of Tongtong.
"I understand, Auntie. Thank you!"
Jiang Dahai took over. "It’s not you who should be thanking us; it’s us who should be thanking you. Your care and companionship for Tongtong, and how good you are to Liu’er—we’ve seen it all, and it warms our hearts. You’re a good girl. If Liu’er ever breaks your heart, you just tell . Your Uncle Jiang doesn’t have many skills, but he’s pretty good at tanning Jiang Liu’s hide, hehe."
Jun Qingng had been listening with a moved heart, but when she heard the last sentence, she suddenly couldn’t hold it in anymore.
"Pfft! Hahaha."
"Uncle Jiang, you’re so funny!"
Clear, pleasant laughter escaped from Jun Qingng’s lips.
If the Jun Qingng from a mont ago was a flower bud, shrunken into a ball to escape the scorching sun, then now, she was a gorgeous rose blooming in the sunlight.
After laughing a few tis, she said seriously, "Uncle Jiang, I might have to disappoint you. I believe that day will never co."
Lin Qiu and Jiang Dahai were stunned for a mont, not understanding what she ant.
Jiang Tongtong understood. "Teacher Qingng would never tattle! She’ll just share with Tongtong, you know."
The two elders exchanged a glance, incredibly pleased.
The family chattered and laughed in the car.
「Half an hour later.」
Tongtong, holding Jun Qingng’s hand, walked into the first basent level of Wanda Plaza with the other two.
The entire floor was filled with all kinds of clothes.
"If we walk a little further, we’ll see a little green sign."
Tongtong pulled the others along to the shop that sold the matching family shoes she’d seen last ti.
(Kiosk.)
"Hello, valued custors. What can I help you with today?"
The young man behind the counter greeted them kindly.
The mont he saw Jun Qingng, he grew secretly excited.
’A perfect ten, absolutely the best of the best.’
Unfortunately, Jun Qingng only swept a single glance over him.
Because she was so small, Tongtong wasn’t noticed below the counter.
Tongtong jumped up with all her might. "I want the SpongeBob shoes!"
Only then did the young man at the counter notice Tongtong.
"The SpongeBob shoes... is that the matching family shoe set?"
"Yes, yes."
Tongtong nodded impatiently, her little eyes shining with excitent.
’Daddy is Patrick, Tongtong is Baby Jiang, and there’s also a Crab Boss to be in charge!’
"Alright, co this way. I’ll get them for you."
Along the way, the young salesman tried to chat with Jun Qingng.
But he was vigilantly blocked by Tongtong.
’Teacher Qingng belongs to Daddy. I have to guard her for him!’
The young man brought out four styles.
"Little one, who are you going to wear them with?"
Tongtong said, "With my mommy."
Jun Qingng just smiled. "Could I get a pair to try on here?"
The young man felt as if he’d been struck by lightning.
’She... she’s already a mother!?’
’DAMN, DAMN, DAMN, DAMN, DAMN!’
’My spirit is shattered.’
’Such a beautiful, gentle, and lovely girl had already been taken.’
’It’s simply...’
’That guy must have saved the world in his past life...’
The young man’s heart was filled with bitter despair.
In the short two seconds he was stunned, the movie playing out in his mind was already enough to be a blockbuster.
"Right, no problem. What size do you wear?"
"Um... a 38."
"Tongtong wants a 38, too."
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