Chapter 1168: Buying New Clothes for The New Years
To be fair, what Aunt Zhao said wasnât wrong. But still, taking so many things from the Zhao family without any real reasonâGu Zi couldnât help but feel uneasy about it. Yet Aunt Zhao insisted with such fervor that they had no choice but to accept it all in the end.
When they returned home, it was only just after one in the afternoon.
Since it was still early, Gu Zi decided that today was as good a day as any to take the whole family shopping for winter clothes. After all, the clothes they had brought from the south were laughably inadequate for a northern winter. The biting cold up here was on an entirely different level, and what passed for a down jacket down south was practically tissue paper up here.
There was just one small issue: Su Shen had gotten pigâs blood all over him earlier, and the moment they stepped through the door, he rushed into the bathroom for a shower. He was worried the lingering scent might bother Gu Zi, who was pregnant and understandably sensitive to smells.
Gu Zi, meanwhile, called Su Li over and told him to shower tooâheâd been running around the pigsty earlier with a pack of rowdy kids and reeked of pig as well.
As for Su Le, sheâd been following Su Bing all day, and the pair of them were spotless and squeaky cleanâno need to change clothes.
Once Su Shen and Su Li had showered and changed into fresh outfits, Su Shen took the wheel and the family headed to the city center.
The moment he heard they were going shopping for clothes, Su Li lit up like a Christmas tree. He bounced around so energetically in the back seat that his head bumped the roof of the car more than onceâbut he didnât seem to mind one bit.
Gu Zi just let him be. After all, what were kids for if not to be lively and full of energy?
Suddenly, Su Li seemed to remember something important. He turned to Gu Zi with great seriousness and said, âMommy, can we slaughter a pig this year too? I really want to eat our own pork feastâroast skewers with Gao Ming! Itâs so fun and delicious.â
Gu Zi looked toward Su Shen. Matters like pig slaughtering had always been his department.
âNo pig slaughter this year,â Su Shen said calmly. âMommyâs carrying a baby, and we canât have blood in the house. Weâll do it next year.â
Now, Su Shen had never been one to care about old superstitions. But now that Gu Zi was actually pregnant, he didnât dare mess around with those timeworn taboos. And anyway, meat was easy to buy these daysâwhy risk it?
The moment Su Li heard the reason, he nodded with great maturity. âOhhh, itâs because of the little baby! Okay, then weâll wait until next year. The baby can watch the little piglets with me!â
For the rest of the car ride, Su Li was completely swept up in the fantasy of becoming a big brother. He chattered away about how heâd help take care of the baby, going on and on until even Su Bing rolled his eyes. Was this kid seriously trying to steal his title as the elder sibling? He wasnât even pretending to be modest about it.
Their laughter filled the car, a chorus of warmth and joy, as they finally pulled up to the department store.
It was the end of the year, and the mall was packed with people bustling to buy new clothes and New Year supplies.
The sheer crowd made the mall feel much warmer than outside, though the downside was obvious: where there were crowds, there was chaos. Pickpockets, child-snatchers, all kinds of shady types lurking around.
Su Shen instantly tightened his guard, wrapping an arm firmly around Gu Zi and keeping the three kids close by, like a general shepherding his precious cargo through enemy lines.
They passed a store selling winter wear, and Gu Zi took the children inside. She selected down jackets for each of them, insisting they try them on one by one. The jackets were all made from imported fabricsâlightweight, breathable, and incredibly warm. Stylish yet functional, without the bulk of your typical puffer.
It didnât take long for the kids to settle on their favorites. Each child got two coats, and the adults picked out two each as well.
But Gu Zi wasnât done yet. She moved efficiently from aisle to aisle, picking up fleece-lined pants, thermal innerwear, snow bootsâanything and everything a family would need to survive the northâs icy wrath.
Meanwhile, Su Shen discreetly arranged for a staff member to help carry the haul. The kids could have helped, of course, but he wasnât about to risk safety just to save a few yuan. As Gu Zi often said: if money can solve it, let money solve it. Thatâs what moneyâs for.
Once the clothing shopping was complete, they moved on to the New Year section. Snacks, drinks, games, decorationsâthey bought it all.
By the time they made it to the mother-and-baby section, Gu Zi was already exhausted, but Su Shen insisted they stock up now while they still had time. Better to be overprepared than scrambling when the baby arrived. So they loaded up on maternity mattresses, postpartum care kits, a baby cradle, strollerâyou name it, they bought it.
In the end, Su Shen even called a separate car just to transport all their shopping home.
The following days were spent transforming their house into a festive wonderland. Red paper cuttings for the windows, giant gold âProsperityâ word pasted on doors, couplets on scrolls, red lanterns strung from ceiling beamsâit wasnât even New Yearâs Eve yet, but the whole place already felt steeped in joy and anticipation.
On the morning of New Yearâs Eve, Chen Xi arrived with freshly made dumplings and sweet glutinous rice balls for the Su family. The moment he stepped into their cozy, cheerful home, he visibly relaxed, clearly reluctant to leave.
âGu Zi,â he groaned, collapsing dramatically onto the sofa, âyou have no idea how tough things are for me right now. My brother and sister-in-law are at it againâcold war, both refusing to come home. And when they do show up, they wonât even speak to each other. Iâm stuck being the human walkie-talkie. And today, my dear sister-in-law orders me to deliver dumplingsâdidnât even let me sleep in!â
Gu Zi actually felt a little sorry for him. Poor guyâcompletely caught in the crossfire of his brotherâs domestic melodrama. Still, this was her familyâs reunion dinner, and she wasnât about to invite any outsiders, even if he was a friend.
Instead, she said with a sweet smile, âWhy donât you take some pastries back to your sister-in-law? If sheâs in a better mood, your life might get a little easier, donât you think?â
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