Chapter 58: Leather Shoes

Chapter 58: Leather Shoes

Gu Xiang and Gu Nian were overjoyed, putting on the new clothes their mother had brought them, amidst the envious gazes of their classmates.

Though Gu Xiang was beaming inside, he still said, "The road is difficult, but the rain might stop by the time school ends. It’s not cold sitting in the classroom."

"The sky is so gloomy; it won’t clear up anytime soon. It might rain all day. With an umbrella, we won’t get wet going to the cafeteria or the restroom."

When Su Zhaozhao had brought them to register, she had already seen the layout of the school. The classroom, cafeteria, and restroom were separate buildings with no covered walkways between them, so they would have to brave the rain.

Just then, their homeroom teacher, Mr. Zheng, came out of his office. Seeing her, he thought a parent had come for something and approached.

As he got closer, he recognized that it was Gu Xiang and Gu Nian’s mother, who had changed her hairstyle, making her almost unrecognizable.

Naturally, one should be warm to the children's teacher. Su Zhaozhao smiled and greeted him, "It’s cool in this rainy weather. I came to bring the kids some clothes and an umbrella so they don’t catch a cold and affect their studies."

Mr. Zheng replied, "That’s very thoughtful. The weather changes every day, cold one day and hot the next, which makes it easy to catch a cold. During the change of seasons, the most students catch colds. If possible, it’s best to bring an extra jacket to keep in their bags."

"Understood." She then asked about Gu Xiang and Gu Nian’s studies.

Mr. Zheng said they were doing well, "They listen very attentively in class and always complete their homework excellently."

The bell rang, and Gu Xiang and Gu Nian entered the classroom. After a few more words with Mr. Zheng, Su Zhaozhao left the school under her umbrella.

On the way back, the rain had lessened a bit. By the time she reached home, it had started pouring again.

The shoes on her feet were beyond repair, covered in mud. Regardless of the rain, she took them directly to the pond to clean, then placed them on the windowsill to dry.

For lunch, she made some noodles, ate, and took a nap for an hour. In the afternoon, she spent the whole time reading at her desk, taking breaks now and then to listen to the rain and watch the sky.

The day passed like this.

Sure enough, the rain lasted all day. When Gu Xiang and the others finished school, it was still raining. The siblings returned home with umbrellas, barefoot, carrying their shoes in their hands.

The shoes in their hands were clean, but their feet were covered in mud.

"Coming home with your shoes on is fine; you can wash them when you get here. Walking barefoot can lead to injuries."

Gu Xiang and Gu Nian didn’t mind, washing the mud off their feet by the pond. "Everyone does this. We used to walk barefoot all the time."

Su Zhaozhao recalled the hardest times when these two children always walked barefoot, only wearing shoes in winter.

"…We’re not short of shoes now. You don’t need to go barefoot anymore."

The family still needed a few pairs of rain boots, so Su Zhaozhao made a mental note to buy them.

Gu Heng returned wearing a raincoat and rain boots, fully equipped. Only the area around his knees was wet from the journey.

He took off his raincoat after entering the house and pulled out a rectangular cardboard box from inside.

He handed it directly to Su Zhaozhao, "Try them on."

"What is it?" Su Zhaozhao took it and opened it, "Leather shoes!"

Inside the shoebox was a pair of black low-heeled leather shoes, simple and elegant, a versatile style that would still be popular in modern times.

Seeing her surprise, Gu Heng smiled, "I had someone bring them for you. Try them on and see if they fit."

Su Zhaozhao looked at him with the shoebox in hand.

This was the second gift she had received from Gu Heng. The first was a watch, which he had given her from his own collection. These shoes, however, he had bought specifically for her.

He had mentioned several times that she should buy leather shoes, but she hadn’t, so he must have decided to buy a pair for her.

It was hard to describe how she felt—she was touched and happy.

"What are you looking at? Try them on quickly." Gu Heng smiled again.

Only then did Su Zhaozhao take out the shoes and sit down to try them on.

After putting them on, she stood up and took a few steps, "They fit perfectly."

Gu Xiang and Gu Nian also said they looked good.

"Thank you."

Gu Heng: "What are you thanking me for? We’re a couple; there’s no need for such formalities."

Right, couples don’t need such formalities.

As the night grew darker and bedtime approached, Su Zhaozhao couldn’t help but think about what she had seen earlier in the day, feeling restless.

If he wanted it, should she just go for it?

Or should she wait a bit longer?

He had gone through the trouble of buying the shoes, so he must have had a reason.

A normal, vigorous man would definitely want it. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be a man.

She had known it all along; he had been teasing her.

Su Zhaozhao scolded herself. She clearly wanted him, yet she was hesitating and thinking about backing out.

How pathetic!

"Sigh, it’s so hard~!"

"What’s so hard?" Gu Heng heard this as soon as he entered the room. He saw the book in front of her and asked, "Is there something you don’t understand? If there’s anything unclear, tell me, and we can discuss it together, exchange ideas."

It really does seem difficult, your face is all scrunched up.

Su Zhaozhao covered her face and mumbled in a muffled voice, "Discussing, exchanging... beauty can be misleading."

"Who said something about no one?" Gu Heng didn't hear clearly.

Su Zhaozhao lowered her hand, "Nothing."

She avoided his gaze, focusing only on the book.

Gu Heng truly thought she was facing some problem, so he walked over, placed one hand on the desk, and the other on the back of the chair, bending down.

Su Zhaozhao's back straightened up immediately!

Gu Heng was very close to her, the distance between them so narrow it made hearts race. With just a slight turn of her eyes, she could see the faint stubble on his chin, and her nose caught the scent of his breath, which smelled of mint toothpaste.

This was the toothpaste she had bought from the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, choosing this flavor over the watermelon one.

It reminded her of mint candies, refreshing and invigorating.

Gu Heng lowered his head to take a closer look but couldn't find anything wrong, his gaze then shifted to Su Zhaozhao.

Su Zhaozhao reacted quickly, lowering her eyes just before he looked at her.

Gu Heng: ... She was clearly looking at him just now.

Suddenly understanding, perhaps it wasn't a problem with the book.

Gu Heng straightened up, "Your job has been arranged."

Su Zhaozhao instantly relaxed, full of energy, "What job?"

"A salesperson at the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives."

"But doesn't the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives already have two salespeople? Are they still short-handed?"

The store wasn't big, and the two people were often idle; Su Zhaozhao never saw them busy, one reading books, the other knitting sweaters.

"One is going to university, leaving the position open, and we're responsible for filling it."

Su Zhaozhao hadn't expected the military to arrange a salesperson position at the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives for her, one of the coveted "Eight Positions" of the era, a highly envied good job. If others held iron rice bowls, then a salesperson held a golden rice bowl.

"Such a good position, the requirements must be quite high, right?"