Chapter 6  : New Clothes

“Is there anything cheaper?” Mu Jingzhe asked the stall owner with a frown.

“There’s nothing cheaper than this, girl. Look at the quality and design. This is already the lowest price.”

The boss gestured to point out the strong points of those clothes to Mu Jingzhe.

Mu Jingzhe didn’t show it, but she deep down wanted to say that the quality and style were really average.

Even so, she couldn’t afford this.

At the moment, Mu Jingzhe was in the town market. This time, she had come with the mission to buy clothes and school supplies for the children.

Although Mu Jingzhe had said those words to Zhao Lan that day, Shao Qiyang had also heard her. Despite being worried, he was too busy, so he could only ask Mu Jingzhe to help him buy the items.

The plan to kick Mu Jingzhe out could only be postponed.

He gave the rest of his money to Mu Jingzhe, but it was still not enough for the children to buy new clothes.

Upon seeing that the boss didn’t plan on budging on the price and looking at the quality and style, Mu Jingzhe decisively gave up.

This was her fifth day in this world.

The past two days had been quite peaceful. Shao Qiyang left early in the morning and returned from work late at night. He would leave the house before dawn, leaving only her and the five children at home.

Because she only took care of them, cooked for them, washed their clothes, and thought of ways to grow some vegetables, everything had been fine in the past few days.

Mu Jingzhe observed as she looked around, then went to buy the necessary textbooks, pencils, rubbers, rulers, and other things written on Shao Dong’s note.

She had asked Shao Dong what he needed to buy when school reopened. Shao Dong still wouldn’t say a word, but he had given her this piece of paper that clearly listed the items and the amount needed.

Although he was only in second grade, Shao Dong’s handwriting was excellent. After the boss read it, he said that it would be even better if he practiced his handwriting further.

Unfortunately… There was no money.

They didn’t even have the money to buy a brush and ink.

“I have to find a way to earn money as soon as possible.”

After walking around the market, Mu Jingzhe finally entered the fabric shop.

Compared to ready-made clothes, fabric was relatively cheaper.

Not everyone knew how to make clothes, but Mu Jingzhe did. Coincidentally, a sewing machine had been included in her dowry.

After returning home that day, Mu Jingzhe closed the door and got busy.

Very soon, the first day of school arrived. Shao Dong woke up early and was about to take out his washed clothes to put them on when there was a knock on the door.

Shao Dong opened the door and saw Mu Jingzhe.

She was holding a stack of clothes in her hands. “Little Dong, these are the clothes I made for you guys. Your names are on the pockets. You can wear them to see if they fit you. I also sewed a simple school bag. You can use that for the time being.”

Mu Jingzhe wasn’t blind. She could tell how old their school bags were.

Shao Dong looked at the new clothes in Mu Jingzhe’s hands and was stunned for the first time.

He was used to people treating them badly. It had been like this since he could remember. Now that he was suddenly being treated nicely, he didn’t know how to react.

He didn’t move. Mu Jingzhe could only explain. “They are all new.”

Shao Dong came back to his senses and quickly took the clothes. “Thank you.”

These clothes were new. It had been a long time since he’d gotten to wear new clothes.

In the early years, when their father would come back to visit the family, Shao Dong and the kids would wear new clothes that didn’t fit for a few days. When his father left, they would no longer be theirs. They would look forward to their father coming back every day so that they could wear new clothes and feel full.

However, their Dad would only come back once a year.

Later, his father would finally return home and buy new clothes for them. However, he would be too busy to care. After he left, the new clothes would be snatched by the kids next door again.

He hadn’t expected to receive new clothes again today.

When school reopened that day, the four children of the Shao Family, who used to be the most pitiful and often wore patched clothes, were in the limelight.

That was because the four of them had changed into new clothes with designs the village didn’t have.

Although Shao Dong and Shao Xi were thin, they were already seven years old, so they were little adults. Thus, Mu Jingzhe had made them long-sleeved shirts and vests.

The double-layered vests could keep them warm but were suitable to be worn in spring. When the weather got warmer, they could just take off the vests and wear their shirts.

The shirts and vests were both casual, but they were indescribably beautiful and exquisite, fully accentuating the boys’ true appearance and vigor.

The duo’s features were similar, but their temperament was completely different.

If Shao Dong was the cool guy, then Shao Xi, who had been born so fair that he didn’t look like a child from the countryside, was like a little prince in a fairy tale.

Shao Nan and Shao Bei wore checkered clothes. Shao Nan had a jacket that appeared extraordinary despite its simple design.

Using the same fabric, she had made Shao Bei a Korean-style shirt with a doll collar.

In combination with her beautiful braids and hair, she could be considered the most eye-catching girl in school.

The four children attracted everyone’s attention the moment they appeared on the shabby campus.

They involuntarily straightened their backs, their eyes filled with confidence.

This was the happiest day of Shao Bei’s life. Everyone surrounded her, looking at her clothes, school bag, braids, and hair ornament. All her classmates envied her as if she was a little princess.

She used to be the one who envied others.

Although she was only five years old, she loved to look pretty. Of course, she liked to be praised by everyone. Right now, she couldn’t stop smiling.

On the way back from school in the afternoon, Shao Bei couldn’t help jumping up and down as she walked. She kept talking about how everyone had praised her and even occasionally complimented Mu Jingzhe.

At first, Shao Xi was still smiling as he listened, but he gradually stopped smiling.

“It’s just a set of clothes, and all she did was comb your hair. You like her that much just because of that?”

Shao Bei didn’t notice anything unusual about her second brother. “It… It’s not that I like her very much, but she is really great at braiding hair.”

Shao Bei’s hair had previously been combed by Shao Xi, who only knew how to bunch it up into a ponytail that wasn’t even all that smooth. Although he tried his best to be careful, he still hurt Shao Bei every time.

This morning, Mu Jingzhe had helped her comb her hair. It hadn’t hurt at all, and she’d even braided her hair, a hairstyle Shao Bei had never seen before. On top of that, she’d also adorned her hair with a gorgeous hair ornament.

“Second Brother, you don’t have to comb my hair for me anymore. Let her do it for me.”

Seeing that their home was just up ahead, Shao Bei sped up and ran over.

“We’re back.”

“You are indeed. Wash your hands and eat.”

Mu Jingzhe had slowly corrected the four children’s hygiene habits and taught them to wash their hands before eating.

Shao Zhong was a step slower as he ran to wash his hands with his siblings.

He was also wearing new clothes.

Like his two older brothers, he was wearing a small vest, except he also had a hat that made him look rather adorable.

Usually, when his siblings went to school, he would follow them there. Every day, he would play at the school gate and wait for his siblings to finish their classes.

This time, he hadn’t gone because he was wearing new clothes and was afraid of dirtying them.

Happy Shao Bei couldn’t help but ask Mu Jingzhe, “Auntie, do you know how to braid hair in other ways?”

“Yes.” Mu Jingzhe knew how to create many different hairstyles. “I’ll tie your hair in a different way tomorrow.”

There was finally some noise at the dining table, and the family at last started looking like a family with five children. The atmosphere was just right, so Shao Xi used this opportunity to continue the conversation.

“Did you make the clothes? Why did you decide to make clothes for us?”

Shao Xi’s voice was filled with curiosity, but his eyes had a calmness about them that didn’t match his age.

Shao Xi would one day become a future famous author, literary giant, and media big boss who would control public opinion.

He had seen the worst of human nature, so he didn’t believe that Mu Jingzhe would treat them well for no reason.

Mu Jingzhe was silent for a moment before giving the most genuine answer. “I made them. I wanted to buy them, but it was expensive.”

Most importantly, I couldn’t afford them, dear.