117. Betrothal Gifts and Private Savings?

“Congratulations to you both on your marriage! You make a perfect couple!” After taking the photo, the photography studio owner offered his heartfelt blessings with a smile.

“Thank you, sir! When can we collect the photos?” Gao Shen asked gently. They were leaving for home the next day and wouldn’t be able to pick up the photos in person.

“It’ll take three days!” the owner replied. In his mind, however, he was already considering printing an extra copy for himself, so he could display it as a specimen.

“We don’t live in Ning City, so would it be possible for you to mail them to us? I’ll pay you a bit extra if you could send the photos once they’re ready,” Gao Shen proposed after some thought.

“Absolutely! No problem!” the owner agreed cheerfully.

Gao Shen filled out the mailing address, paid for the service, and then took Jing Qingxin with him to the city’s department store.

The department store, nowadays, was merely a four-story building, yet its modern façade made it stand out. It was likely the most eye-catching place in the city; those who could shop there were considered people of status and means.

Gao Shen led Jing Qingxin straight to the watch counter, inspecting the display carefully.

“Hello, comrades! Are you looking for men’s watches or ladies’ watches? I can recommend something for you,” the counter attendant greeted them with a warm smile, her enthusiasm evident.

Of course she was enthusiastic—the pair before her clearly had purchasing power. Not everyone could afford a watch, and selling one would boost her sales performance, which meant more money.

For customers with obvious spending power, the attitude was always more cordial. Everyone knew that military personnel enjoyed good benefits. Judging by Gao Shen’s bearing, his rank was probably not low. As a department store staff member, she had a keen eye. And the woman beside him wore styles she’d never seen before, making it clear both came from well-off families.

“Ladies’ watches,” Gao Shen replied succinctly.

Instantly, the attendant understood and beamed at Jing Qingxin as she began her introduction. “Our most popular ladies’ watch is the Plum Blossom brand. Its style is perfect for you.”

“Let’s see it, then,” Gao Shen nodded.

Hearing that Gao Shen intended to buy her a watch, Jing Qingxin was a bit puzzled. She already owned a watch, kept in her “Flowing Brocade.” Whenever she needed to check the time, she simply took it out.

However, upon hearing about the Plum Blossom ladies’ watch, she couldn’t help but scrutinize the selection. The pricier ones were around one hundred seventy yuan. She recalled her grandmother mentioning how, when they were young, owning a Plum Blossom ladies’ watch was a dream. If, upon marriage, a woman received the “Four Spins and One Chime,” it meant a grand, celebrated wedding—a lifelong honor and proof of her husband’s family’s respect!

Back then, receiving the “Four Spins and One Chime” as a betrothal gift was rare, mostly seen in large cities. In the countryside, having even one was already impressive. The most coveted items were the Plum Blossom ladies’ watch and a sewing machine; the other two were a radio and a bicycle.

Thinking of her grandmother’s stories, Jing Qingxin couldn't help but smile. Was Gao Shen giving her a betrothal gift?

“Comrade, please try it on,” the attendant said, taking out a watch for Jing Qingxin to wear.

Thinking of Gao Shen’s thoughtful gesture, Jing Qingxin swallowed the words she’d been about to say, smiling as she extended her left hand. Once the watch was fastened, she raised her wrist and turned to Gao Shen, asking with a bright smile, “How does it look?”

“It looks beautiful,” Gao Shen replied, a smile tugging at his lips.

Jing Qingxin’s smile was radiant as she shook her wrist, examining the watch closely. Though it wasn’t as exquisite as modern watches, its meaning was different—and she was very satisfied.

“Please write up the receipt,” Gao Shen requested, seeing Jing Qingxin’s satisfaction.

“Certainly, please wait a moment,” the attendant replied happily.

After paying, Gao Shen took Jing Qingxin to the third floor, reserved for clothing. This was Jing Qingxin’s suggestion from the previous evening, not Gao Shen’s arrangement.

Once they returned to Dajing Village, the wedding banquet would be held, and Gao Shen’s family would surely be present. They hadn’t informed his parents about the marriage registration, so the situation was uncertain.

Jing Qingxin wasn’t worried, nor did she care; she only minded Gao Shen’s feelings. Afterwards, she would do her best to fulfill her duties as a daughter-in-law, ensuring proper respect and not causing embarrassment.

They were about to host the wedding banquet—a joyous occasion—so it was only proper to buy new clothes for their parents. They agreed to purchase clothing for both sets of elders after registering the marriage, including her godparents.

They walked to the section for middle-aged clothing to pick out outfits for the four elders. Jing Qingxin knew her godparents’ sizes, but she had only met Gao Shen’s mother and could estimate her size. For Gao Shen’s father, she asked Gao Shen.

“My father’s build is similar to my brother’s,” Gao Shen replied. He wasn’t adept at choosing clothes, so he left it entirely up to Jing Qingxin.

Mentioning Gao Shen’s elder brother, Jing Qingxin said, “Shouldn’t we also buy clothes for your brother and sister-in-law?”

It wasn’t just kindness—she wanted to avoid any unpleasantness during their wedding. From what she knew of Su Lijuan, if she didn’t get any benefit, she would definitely make trouble. If a little money could pacify them, she was happy to spend it.

As Gao Shen’s brother and sister-in-law, dressing them well would give Gao Shen face. After all, they were family in the public eye, and appearances mattered.

She only wanted the wedding to go smoothly, unimpeded by irrelevant people.

Gao Shen frowned slightly, clearly thinking of his brother and sister-in-law’s personalities. He sighed. Since they were buying for his parents, they might as well buy for the whole family. He wanted no unpleasantness on his and Jing Qingxin’s special day.

“Let’s buy for the whole family,” Gao Shen said in a low voice.

They moved quickly through the ready-made clothing area, picking out new outfits for six adults and two children. Afterwards, they went to the fabric section, where Jing Qingxin selected three bolts of different-colored cloth.

“Qingxin, aren’t you going to choose a wedding dress? Or pick a bolt of red fabric and have someone in the village make one for you?” After browsing, Gao Shen noticed Jing Qingxin hadn’t picked anything for herself and couldn’t help but ask.

Jing Qingxin smiled, “The wedding dress is already prepared.”

“Oh?” Gao Shen looked puzzled; he had no idea when she’d prepared it.

“You’ll find out soon enough!” Jing Qingxin replied mysteriously. Thinking of the dress her mother had given her, warmth filled her heart. She wasn’t about to tell Gao Shen yet—she wanted to surprise him.

“As long as you’re prepared.” Seeing her secretive expression, Gao Shen couldn’t help anticipating the wedding. He was certain Jing Qingxin would be the most beautiful bride.

After shopping, the two left the department store carrying their purchases. Suddenly, Jing Qingxin turned and asked, “Where did you get the money?”

Only then did Jing Qingxin realize she hadn’t considered this before. Hadn’t Gao Shen given her all his belongings? Where did his recent payments come from? Did he have a stash of private money?

She quickly calculated—their shopping had cost more than two hundred twenty yuan, a considerable sum.

She wasn’t asking to seize control of the finances or to complain about Gao Shen hiding money; she was simply curious. In her view, even after marrying, they could each keep some personal space and manage their own finances, but it was respectful to let the other know about such things.

Moreover, men often needed cash for social interactions and obligations. Controlling a husband’s finances too tightly served no purpose.

Beyond the issue of male dignity, not having pocket money made socializing awkward. If a man lost face outside, his wife would lose face as well.

Finally, the more pressure and control exerted, the more likely a man was to rebel and hide money anyway. Why not openly give him face and improve the relationship? It would only benefit their marriage.

—Extra notes—

Dear readers, three chapters are done, more than 6,700 words.

Qingqing has seen some comments about the updates being too few. In fact, most authors update around four thousand words daily, but split them into four chapters, which makes it feel like more, right?

Qingqing has always said her daily word count is definitely not the least—it’s just psychological; more chapters feel like more updates, but it’s not necessarily so. You should look at the word count. Right now, Qingqing is updating six thousand words daily. If everyone prefers, she could split the six thousand words into six chapters—would you feel like six chapters a day is a lot?

This book is first published by XiaoXiang Book House. Please do not repost!