"What's the matter? You've reached the school gate and now you're afraid to go in?"
Chen Yang looked at Shen Xue, who was lingering at the school gate, a little hesitant to enter, with a hint of amusement.
His wife was incredibly hardworking, but lacked confidence. This was something he needed to change about Shen Xue.
If she had been more confident back then, she wouldn't have thought he and the baby were a burden, nor would she have considered divorcing him and letting him return to the city alone.
Although her recent financial success had temporarily put that thought aside, the future wouldn't always be smooth sailing.
He needed a confident Shen Xue.
A Shen Xue who would stay by his side through thick and thin, no matter what happened, and wouldn't compromise herself for his sake!
"I smell of fish. I'm afraid Er Ni's classmates will think we're country folk and look down on her."
Shen Xue's heart was a little uneasy as she held the pens and notebooks she had just bought for Shen Rong at the department store.
Her concerns were not unfounded.
Students at this age were very concerned with appearances. It wasn't just now, but for many years to come, how many parents worked themselves to the bone, earning money to send their children to school, only for the children to be ashamed of their worn-out clothes, thinking they were embarrassing and refusing to even call them Mom and Dad.
"You worry too much."
"You bought so many stationery items. If you really run into Er Ni's classmates, you can share some with them. And these snacks you bought, the apples, oranges, and milk candies, give a few to anyone you meet."
"As the saying goes, a smiling face is always welcomed. It's not about showing off how generous we are, but a few small things like these aren't too much to give. It will also let Er Ni's classmates know that our family can afford stationery and that no one should look down on Er Ni."
Chen Yang's perspective was naturally different from Shen Xue's. He had been reborn once and had made a bit of money. If he still couldn't manage to impress a few children, then he would have lived in vain.
"Sister? Brother-in-law!"
Before Chen Yang could finish speaking, a voice tinged with surprise called out from inside the school.
"Rong Rong, over here!"
Hearing her sister's voice, Shen Xue forgot about her worries and quickly called out. Although she always called her sister by her nickname Er Ni, she was very formal outside.
"Sister, why are you here?"
"Wow, my dear, you ungrateful little thing, not even greeting your aunt."
Shen Rong ran over, her movements full of the boundless energy of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl.
"Auntie, have some candy."
The little one, seeing Shen Rong approach, wriggled out of Chen Yang's arms and into hers. Despite not seeing each other often, she was very fond of this aunt.
"White Rabbit, it's good that you remember your aunt. I'm an adult now, I don't eat candy. Save it for Yan Yan."
Shen Rong's eyes lit up when she saw the White Rabbit candy the little one offered. White Rabbit candies were incredibly popular back then; there was no one who didn't like them.
But clearly, the girl was thoughtful and knew the candy wasn't cheap. She didn't want to eat her niece's candy.
"Try some. We have more at home. Your sister bought you two pounds. Here, you must be Shen Rong's classmates, right? Have a candy, have some fruit."
Chen Yang could tell what the girl was thinking and knew she was being considerate of her niece. He took out the cloth bag of milk candies and handed a few to the two girls following Shen Rong, along with some apples and oranges.
"Thank you, you're too kind."
The girls were clearly surprised by Chen Yang's generosity. White Rabbit milk candies were not cheap and were rarely eaten unless it was a special occasion. Fruit was even rarer.
"You're Shen Rong's classmates, so sharing some candy and fruit is no big deal. Your sister and I heard that your classmates lent her stationery. We haven't had a chance to thank you."
Chen Yang glanced at the girls. Although they were all seventeen or eighteen, he could see that they were all dressed very nicely. In contrast, Shen Rong, while neat, clearly looked less presentable.
"Brother-in-law, Qi Lin and Zhao Man Man are my roommates. They've lent me stationery before, and we're good friends."
Shen Rong was also a bit surprised to see Chen Yang giving out so many milk candies and fruits. She knew her sister's family's financial situation and didn't resent her parents for helping her sister.
She just hoped her sister's family would get back on their feet soon. Her little niece was so adorable and shouldn't have to suffer. She hadn't expected Chen Yang to spend so much money on food for her.
"Thank you, classmates Qi and Zhao, thank you for helping Rong Rong. We were busy at home recently and didn't have a chance to visit Rong Rong. Here's the new stationery we bought. Rong Rong, you can give some to your classmates later."
Seeing this, Shen Xue also quickly took out the stationery Chen Yang had bought. She had bought a lot of paper, pens, and notebooks, and at the time she thought she had bought too much. But now, she was beginning to admire her husband's foresight.
"Thank you, sister. No, no, we have stationery. Besides, brother-in-law has already given us so many candies and fruits."
The two girls quickly declined. They hadn't expected anything in return when they helped Shen Rong, mostly because they instinctively felt Shen Rong's family was less well-off than theirs.
But seeing Shen Rong's family's generosity today, they were a little confused about Shen Rong's family's true circumstances. Even their own families wouldn't spend so much money on snacks unless it was a holiday.
"We bought a lot, and Shen Rong can't use it all herself. You helped her then, and now that she has new things, it's only right to share them with you. We also hope that Rong Rong can maintain good relationships with good friends like you who help her."
"In the future, look out for each other."
Chen Yang said with a smile, then took out two large "Renminbi" bills from his pocket and handed them to Shen Rong.
"When school is out, go out with your classmates. Buy whatever you want. We're here at home, and if you ever need more money, just say so. We'll bring some when we come to the city. Don't be stingy with yourself."
The two girls, who were already somewhat perplexed by Shen Rong's family background, widened their mouths into "o" shapes when they saw Chen Yang directly give Shen Rong two "Renminbi" bills.
Twenty yuan was not a small sum!
Their entire year's tuition and living expenses might not even add up to that much. They had previously felt superior to Shen Rong as city dwellers.
But today, after meeting Shen Rong's brother-in-law, that sense of superiority completely vanished.
Frankly speaking, their families wouldn't be able to afford to buy them so many milk candies and fruits, let alone hand them twenty yuan directly.
"Sister, brother-in-law, I..."
Shen Rong was clearly taken aback by the money Chen Yang had given her. She had felt a sense of inadequacy at school compared to many classmates, but with this money, she could live quite comfortably and wouldn't be worse off than others.
"Your brother-in-law gave it to you, so take it. Study hard at school and don't deprive yourself. Our family is earning money now, we can afford to support you."
Shen Xue patted her sister's shoulder. Shen Rong had suffered a lot over the years because of her. Since her husband was willing, she, as the elder sister, also wanted to compensate her sister more.
"Let's go. Your brother-in-law and I are leaving. Study hard at school."
Shen Xue was not very good at expressing herself. Seeing Shen Rong's eyes welling up, she quickly wanted to leave, fearing she might break down and hug her sister, crying.
Having endured so much hardship, happiness arriving so suddenly could easily bring tears.
But just then, a figure rushed out of the school towards them in a flurry.
"Shen Rong, Shen Pandi is from your village, isn't she? Are your relatives returning to Shenjiaba Village? Could you give me a ride? I need to persuade her to come back and study."
The newcomer was wearing a pure white long dress. Even as she hurried, there was no hint of disarray; instead, there was an inherent elegance.
Her two slender legs perfectly embodied the concept of the golden ratio. Although it was a long dress, it still evoked imagination.