Meng Yao did not know what the shoes looked like, but when she saw Zhao Xiaohua's eyes light up, she thought to satisfy the little girl if she could afford them.
Although Zhao Xiaohua did not explicitly say she wanted the shoes, Meng Yao could tell she wanted them.
"We'll look for shoes when we get there," Meng Yao said.
Zhao Xiaohua nodded as Meng Yao instinctively gazed at Taozhi.
Meng Yao was surprised when she came back to her senses. She didn't know what, but she had a good impression of Taozhi. However, the original Meng Yao barely had contact with Taozhi besides, having her as Zhao Xiaohua's playmate. That was the first time she met Taozhi since taking over this body.
Meng Yao wondered why she had a good impression of Taozhi and did not know how to describe it. She felt the need to treat Taozhi well.
Mang Yao looked at Taozhi again, and their eyes met. The little girl revealed a sweet smile as dimples appeared near her cheeks, making her look even more adorable. Meng Yao smiled back.
Soon after, the oxcart arrived at the town. Then Mr. Niu told everyone when he would return to the village before sitting down.
"Madam Zhao, Xiaohua, let's go to the clothing store," Taozhi invited Meng Yao and Zhao Xiaohua.
Meng Yao accepted since she planned to bring Zhao Xiaohua to buy new clothes. However, Meng Yao was shocked because Taozhi took them to a luxurious clothing store.
The original Meng Yao was excellent at needlework and embroidery, so she never needed to go to a clothing store. She knew buying something was more expensive than making it herself.
The Glittering Pavilion was the only clothing store in town.
Taozhi's cute and sparkling dress was from the Glittering Pavilion, and she attracted everyone's attention when she entered the store.
The shopkeeper behind the counter even came to welcome Madam Jin and Taozhi. The little girl spoke sweetly, expressing her intention.
The shopkeeper brought out a pair of shoes with pearls sewn on them. The shoes had a satin finish, and the patterns were exquisite.
The shoes attracted everyone's attention. It was pretty but only suitable for a lady from a wealthy family who barely left the house. It would be risky to wear such shoes to walk on muddy roads.
It wasn't wise for a girl from the countryside to wear such expensive shoes. However, Zhao Xiaohua couldn't take her eyes off the beautiful shoes. She wanted them.
Madam Jin asked the shopkeeper for the price, and Meng Yao got shocked.
'My goodness! The shoes cost three taels of silver?!'
Meng Yao couldn't bear to pay such a price for a pair of shoes even if she could afford them. She was even more surprised when Madam Jin paid without batting her eyes.
Taozhi happily held the shoes in her arms and said sweetly, "Thank you, mother. I love them!"
Zhao Xiaohua looked at Meng Yao, her eyes filled with expectation.
"You can't play on the fields with your friends if you wear these shoes, Xiaohua. You also can't go to the river because your shoes will get muddy," Meng Yao said calmly.
Zhao Xiaohua wasn't a stubborn child. When Meng Yao said that, she realized the shoes didn't suit her even though they looked pretty.
Meng Yao had already agreed to buy Zhao Xiaohua a dress that resembled Taozhi's, so Zhao Xiaohua knew she should be grateful.
"You're right, Mother. I don't want to be stuck at home because of those shoes," Zhao Xiaohua said. She thought it would be pointless if she couldn't show off the shoes to others.
"You can wear the shoes as long as you are careful not to dirty them, Xiaohua," Taozhi said softly. "Since you like them so much, and Madam Zhao dotes on you, she would be willing to buy them for you."
"I'm not like you, Taozhi. I like to go out and play. I can't keep the shoes clean if I do that. My heart would break if I got those shoes dirty," Zhao Xiaohua said happily.
Zhao Xiaohua spoke open-mindedly instead of getting emotional. Meng Yao clenched her fists, her heart in turmoil.
When Taozhi said, "she should be willing to buy them for you," Meng Yao almost bought the shoes.
However, it wasn't to satisfy Zhao Xiaohua. Instead, it was because Taozhi said that.
"Okay, I won't force you, Xiaohua. My mother and I have to go look for my uncle, so we'll be taking our leave." Taozhi held Jin Shi's hand and waved at Meng Yao and Zhao Xiaohua.
Meng Yao finally relaxed when Taozhi left with her mother. She took a deep breath and asked the shopkeeper to show her the peach blossom embroidered dress.
The shopkeeper looked at Meng Yao, then at Zhao Xiaohua. "Do you want to buy it for your daughter, Madam?"
Meng Yao nodded.
"The dress is not suitable for her because we made it for girls with slimmer bodies. Your daughter is too big, so she can't fit in the dress," the shopkeeper laughed. "I can't stop laughing at the thought of your daughter in that dress."
Meng Yao knew Zhao Xiaohua's friends would laugh at her when she wore that dress. However, she never expected the shopkeeper to laugh at Zhao Xiaohua in public.
"Your daughter looks like a pig that lost its fur. She would ruin our store's reputation if she wore that dress."
"You should know your daughter's limits. That other girl looked like a fairy when she wore our clothes. Only that kind of person is worthy of wearing clothes from the Glittering Pavilion."
Two female shop assistants agreed with the shopkeeper.
Zhao Xiaohua's face was red, and tears welled up in her eyes. She only wanted to wear a beautiful dress. Why did everyone laugh at her? There was nothing wrong with being fat.
Meng Yao held Zhao Xiaohua's hand tightly. "What a foul mouth you have. You shouldn't talk to others like that! What a bunch of animals!"
"Who are you calling an animal?"
Meng Yao was calm and collected. "Oh, would you look at that? An animal can reply."
"What a fool!"
Meng Yao could not be bothered to argue with the shopkeeper. "That dress is beautiful because of the peach blossoms on it. The embroidery is terrible. I don't know where they got the confidence to make such an ugly dress."
"I will make you a dress that is a hundred times more beautiful than this one, Xiaohua. My dress will put theirs to shame! I guarantee I can make a better dress," Meng Yao sighed and wiped Zhao Xiaohua's tears. "Let's go, Xiaohua. I'll get you some desserts, okay?"
Zhao Xiaohua's eyes would have lit up when she heard about desserts. However, she was quiet now. Although it wasn't much different than what Meng Yao imagined, she felt sad when she saw the joy in her daughter's eyes disappear.