Volume 1, Chapter 30: You Cannot Marry Brother Huo Either

"My aunt said we want to buy it. If someone else wants it, you can just take out another one; it's not like we aren't paying." Su Wan, who had been about to take the dress off for fear of staining it, stopped in her tracks.

"Exactly, comrade. I claimed this dress first. As soon as I go home to get the money, I’ll be back to buy it," Secretary Yang added quickly.

"That won't do. There is only one of this style and color. Payment must be made at the time of purchase. Since you don’t have enough money with you, I have no choice but to sell it to someone else. Please take the dress off now." There was only one of these pale yellow dresses left, and since Section Chief Li’s daughter liked it, she was determined to sell it to her.

"You were able to hide clothes that should have been put out for sale the moment they arrived yesterday, only bringing them out when these two customers walked in. Why can't we go home to get the money?" Su Wan lifted her chin, her expression refined and elegant. The pale yellow dress she wore only served to enhance her commanding presence.

In this era, society ran on connections; everything required "pull." But such things were usually kept behind the scenes. Once brought out into the open, especially with so many people watching, the salesclerk felt as though she had been slapped in the face. She opened her mouth but couldn't find the words to argue.

"Young comrade, please be reasonable. There is only one such dress. You saw it, but you don't have the money to buy it. We have the money, so it belongs to us. Please, take the dress off." Section Chief Li was a leader in the Education Bureau, after all; he spoke at a measured pace, emphasizing his own advantages while muddying the waters.

"That's right. Whoever pays first gets it—that’s an age-old rule." Fang Yu had already decided the dress was hers. Every extra second that country bumpkin spent wearing it made her uncomfortable.

"Since you didn't bring enough money, you should naturally let those who did buy it." Fang Yu crossed her arms, holding her head high in arrogance. "Take my dress off for me now."

Some of the bystanders were swayed by Section Chief Li and Fang Yu’s words and began to chime in. "Young lady, since they’ve already paid, the clothes belong to them. Just take it off and give it to them."

"You were the ones who were browsing first, but you didn't pick this one. We chose it, and now that you see how good it looks on Su Wan, you want to snatch it back. I thought you were educated people; how can you be so unreasonable?" Secretary Yang was furious and spoke out in condemnation.

"What do you mean we didn't pick it? I hadn't even tried it on yet when you grabbed it! Now, either pay up or take it off," Fang Yu said haughtily.

Su Wan glanced at Fang Yu’s figure. Having started her own clothing business, she could tell at a glance what body type suited what style. Fang Yu had a classic apple-shaped figure—somewhat rounder—and wearing a form-fitting dress would only highlight her midsection.

"Fine. Since you want it so badly, I'll take it off for you." Su Wan’s lips curled slightly. She whispered to Secretary Yang, "Aunt, just because this dress looks good on me doesn't mean it will look good on her. Let's give it to her. Once she puts it on and realizes it doesn't suit her, she certainly won't buy it."

Secretary Yang looked at Su Wan’s figure, then glanced at Fang Yu. Initially, she hadn't thought much of it, but comparing the two, the difference became glaringly obvious. Su Wan had a swan-like neck and slender legs, with a perfectly balanced frame. Fang Yu, however, was tall with a large, heavy frame; even her calves were noticeably thicker than Su Wan’s. It definitely wouldn't look as good on her.

With that, she let Su Wan go to the fitting room to take off the dress.

As soon as Fang Yu got her hands on the dress, she rushed into the fitting room, eager to put it on. The moment she slipped it on, she felt it was a bit tight, but she ignored it, standing before the mirror full of anticipation. To her dismay, she saw her midsection bulging and her hips looking disproportionately wide; she looked like a pregnant woman in her first trimester, her waistline appearing thick and sturdy. It lacked all the graceful, gentle charm it had when Su Wan wore it; instead, it made her look dowdy and stout.

Section Chief Li frowned as he looked at her.

"This dress isn't all that great, is it? It looked much better on that other young lady," one of the bystanders remarked.

"That young lady has a pretty face and a great figure, so everything looks good on her. Now that I see it properly, it's just an ordinary dress," a woman who had originally wanted to buy the dress said, her interest instantly vanishing.

"Mom, look, the fat on her back is bulging out. Is that sister unable to fit into it?" A little girl pointed at the roll of flesh on Fang Yu’s back and laughed while talking to her mother.

Fang Yu’s face turned ghastly. She covered the bulging flesh on her back with her hands, wondering how the dress could be designed so poorly. She wasn't even fat, yet it made her waist look thick and her hips look huge.

It was all the fault of the dress's design.

"Clothes pick the person just as much as the person picks the clothes. Why not let that young lady from the countryside have it? You're spending so much money, and you can't even wear it," another bystander kindly advised.

Section Chief Li was thinking the same thing. If she went on a blind date in this, it would surely be a disaster.

"Young lady, are you still going to take the dress?" Su Wan asked, her lips curving into a light smile. The full-length mirror reflected Su Wan’s silhouette; even in her patched floral shirt and gray-blue trousers, she looked far more comfortable and pure than Fang Yu. It was plain to see just how awkward the dress looked on the latter.

"I'll take it! Salesclerk, wrap it up for me." Fang Yu had been spoiled since childhood and possessed an intense desire to win and a strong vanity. She raised an eyebrow and said, exasperated, "Even if it doesn't look good, I'd rather take it home and use it as a rag than let you have it."

Section Chief Li was hesitant. While their family wasn't short on money, spending 75 yuan on a dress that couldn't be worn was a waste.

The moment Secretary Yang saw Fang Yu walk out in the dress, she understood. It wasn't that the yellow dress was beautiful; it was that Su Wan had such a good figure that even a piece of sackcloth would look decent on her. She took Su Wan and left immediately, not forgetting to say, "Some people think that just because something looks good on others, it will look good on them. It's a good thing we let her try it on; otherwise, I would have really thought the dress was well-designed. Even if she didn't buy it, I wouldn't want it now—she's stretched the fabric out."

In the fitting room, Fang Yu heard this and grew so angry that she yanked the zipper with too much force, breaking it. Now, she had no choice but to buy it.

Su Wan and Secretary Yang visited other women's clothing counters. Based on the height, weight, and skin tone Secretary Yang described, Su Wan recommended several dresses suitable for Xu Min. Secretary Yang liked them all and ended up choosing the most expensive one.

After leaving the shopping center, they took the bus home. When they arrived at the residential building, they found a familiar figure waiting downstairs. Seeing Su Wan, the girl walked up happily: "Sister, you're finally back! I've been here since early this morning, waiting for ages."

Secretary Yang looked at Su Xiaohui and then at Su Wan, saying kindly, "Su Wan, is this your sister? It’s hot outside, hurry inside."

"No need, Aunt, you go on up first." Su Wan pulled Su Xiaohui toward a small grove of trees, surprised she had found her here. "Xiaohui, what are you doing here?" There was no need to ask; she must have gotten the address from Huo Xiaohan.

"Sister, I came here specifically to tell you this news while Grandma Huo wasn't around. Please don't be angry, and don't blame Uncle Huo." Su Xiaohui grabbed Su Wan’s hand, looking concerned and thoughtful. "You probably won't be able to go to school in Beiping, and you won't be able to marry Brother Huo either."

"What do you mean?" Su Wan was more concerned about why she couldn't go to school in Beiping. Huo Xiaohan had promised her, with absolute certainty, that he could help her get into school.

"Sister, your grades are too poor, and your junior high exit exam scores don't match your second-year high school final grades. They suspect you cheated or had someone take the exam for you. So, no school in Beiping will accept you; you have to go back to your hometown to study." Su Xiaohui watched Su Wan’s expression as she spoke. "Also, what you said in the kitchen last week—about marrying Brother Huo if you couldn't get into high school—was overheard by Brother Huo. That’s why Uncle Huo has arranged for a high school teacher to come over tomorrow for a blind date with Brother Huo. Since you’re so good at cooking, they want you to come back and make lunch. It looks like the Huo family takes this potential match very seriously."

When she heard that Uncle Huo had arranged a blind date for Brother Huo with a teacher from a scholarly family, she was filled with hatred. The entire Huo family knew she liked Brother Huo and had brought her to Beiping as his potential partner. To win the favor of Grandma Huo and Uncle Huo, she had practiced cooking all week, getting up early with Aunt Wu to sweep and mop, stewing nourishing soups for Grandma Huo at noon without resting, and walking with her and reading the newspaper to her in the evening. She had spent almost the entire day revolving around the Huo household, to the point where she hadn't even visited the sports field, swimming pool, or cinema at the military compound.

Yet, last night, Grandma Huo told her that Aunt Hong had introduced a new match for Brother Huo, who would be coming to the military compound for lunch tomorrow.

"Sister, we are sisters. Whoever Brother Huo marries, he marries. I can continue my junior high studies in Beiping, so it doesn't matter to me. But sister, what will you do? If you really go back to the countryside, people will surely talk behind your back. You've been in Beiping for nearly two weeks now; who knows what those gossips in the village will say? They might think you’ve already... lost your virtue." Su Xiaohui gripped Su Wan’s arm, tears streaming down her face. "And Xu Qiang’s mother—the one who came to propose and wanted you to pay a dowry to marry into their family—she was chased out by Mom and Dad. If you go back, she’ll definitely go around spreading ugly rumors about you."

"Tell me, how could Uncle Huo and the others treat you like this?"

Huo Xiaohan only saw Su Xiaohui as a little sister, something the whole Huo family had seen from the first day. Yet, Su Xiaohui only realized it when the Huo family began arranging a new match for him. She wanted to incite Su Wan to go back to the Huo house and make a scene, ruining the blind date and, incidentally, getting the Huo family to send her back to the countryside. It was a plan that served two purposes at once, allowing her to sit back and reap the rewards. She certainly had a vivid imagination.

No wonder Huo Xiaohan reacted so fiercely when she and Meng Xinhao were locked in the restroom that day; he was terrifyingly angry. If it were her, and someone she disliked was secretly talking about marrying her, she would be even angrier than Huo Xiaohan.

"So, Uncle Huo wants me to go back to the Huo house tomorrow to cook lunch for Colonel Huo’s blind date?" Su Wan’s lips curled into a faint, shallow arc. Only a fool would believe such a thing.

Seeing that Su Wan’s expression was calm and indifferent, without a trace of anger or rage, Su Xiaohui gritted her teeth and continued, "That’s not all. I suspect that asking you to cook is just an excuse; the main goal is to lure you back and then send you back to your hometown."

"Right, I understand. I need to talk to Principal Song and Secretary Yang first. I can only go back if Principal Song agrees." Su Wan didn't want to say anything more to Su Xiaohui. Su Xiaohui’s specialty was sowing discord. After speaking in a flat tone, Su Wan turned to head upstairs to make lunch.

"Sister, Uncle Huo originally asked Aunt Wu to come, but I came specifically to find you because I wanted to think of a way with you. If you can't go to school in Beiping, can't marry Brother Huo, and can't go back to your hometown, what will you do?" The more indifferent Su Wan’s reaction, the more anxious Su Xiaohui became. The girl's parents were leaders in the Education Bureau, and like her, she was a normal school graduate who had been assigned to teach at one of the city's top five key high schools immediately upon graduation. Uncle Huo and Grandma Huo were very satisfied with her. Compared to her, what did she have besides a vocational degree?

"Didn't Brother Huo say he would help you transfer to a high school in Beiping? Why don't I go with you to see Brother Huo?" Su Xiaohui’s eyes flickered with a hint of malice. "If you really can't get in, then you must marry Brother Huo. Write a letter to Mom and Dad now; they will surely have a way."

It seemed Su Xiaohui was truly desperate. She knew the other girl’s background was excellent and a perfect match for Huo Xiaohan, so she was egging her on to cause a scene—even wanting to drag their parents to the military compound to make a fuss. She just wanted to blow things out of proportion so that no one would set Huo Xiaohan up on blind dates anymore, allowing her to safely become the wife of Colonel Huo. The scheme was so obvious it was practically written on her face.

"Whether or not I can go to school in Beiping depends on what Uncle Huo says tomorrow. That day when I said I wanted to marry Colonel Huo, I was just teasing you; otherwise, I would have married him back in Qiantang Village." Su Wan curled her lips, watching Su Xiaohui’s expression stiffen, then turned to head upstairs.

How many times had it been? And yet, she still thought she could manipulate her like a pawn. Uncle Huo specifically asked her to return tomorrow; there must be another solution. He wouldn't just send her back to the countryside. It was possible Su Xiaohui knew this too and was just trying to provoke her into making a scene to achieve her own goal of marrying Huo Xiaohan.

"Sister, didn't you like Brother Huo? You said you would marry no one but him. You even jumped into the river for him!"