217. Cross-Dressing
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On the way up the mountain, they took the back door of the house, but when coming down, they chose a different path that led straight to the commercial street on the other side of the mountain.
After hanging out with Grandfather in the market for nearly an hour, he refused to let them ride a rickshaw, and by the time they ambled back home, it was almost noon.
Grandfather rushed off to make lunch, and Lin Nan headed back to her bedroom, planning to sneak in a quick nap before the meal.
However, as soon as she stepped inside, she saw her Mother sorting through a heap of bags.
“Back already?” Mother had been waiting for her.
“Are you leaving now?” Lin Nan asked with a hint of worry, “The factory isn’t too tiring, right?”
“Nope, I’m not a factory worker on a production line! Your Grandfather has connections; he got me promoted to a minor management position.” Mother waved her over with a grin, “Come here and check out these clothes!”
“What clothes?” Lin Nan asked, surprised, “Aren’t those for the factory dorm?”
She thought Mother was organizing clothes to take with her.
“Take them? No way! I specially went out to buy these for you—four outfits! Cost me over a few hundred!”
Lin Nan was stunned. She thought she could dodge the whole clothes shopping trip, but instead, Mother went and picked out things herself!
Watching Mother pull out a long dress from one of the bags, her expression instantly darkened.
“Look! This is my favorite dress! What do you think?” Mother excitedly lifted a frilly princess dress, “Why don’t you try it on? I’ve got white stockings to match!”
Lin Nan took two steps back, shaking her head with determination.
The dress was reminiscent of those so-called Lolita styles—not overly scandalous or anything, but just too flashy and unacceptable, and it’s a dress!
Her Mom actually likes this kind of clothing?
“How about this one?” Mother picked up a sailor outfit.
“Mom, are you trying to freeze me to d*ath?”
Mother seemed to agree, folding the clothes back up and pulling out a lady’s outfit that was more acceptable to Lin Nan.
It was a gray blazer paired with wide-leg black pants, the kind of outfit usually seen on career women around thirty. Mother had always liked this style, and now she had arranged it for Lin Nan too.
Perhaps after the previous two outfits, Lin Nan surprisingly didn’t feel too much aversion to this one.
“Want to try it on?” Mother noticed Lin Nan’s face had brightened a bit.
“I’m tired; I want to take a nap…” Lin Nan turned her head, still resisting.
“What if you try it on before your nap?” Mother coaxed, “If you wear this, your lucky money could double!”
Lin Nan’s eyes widened: “I can still get lucky money?”
She’d never heard that term in her life; apparently, her lucky money had all been taken by her parents. Not a single cent had ever come her way.
Mother explained, somewhat awkwardly, “You were too young back then; we were just afraid you’d waste it!”
Lin Nan had seen that kind of statement a lot online, but this was the first time she heard it from her Mother.
With a wry smile, she stepped forward and took the blazer from Mother’s hands.
It wasn’t about the money; it was more about Grandfather having a hard time accepting Lin Nan’s androgynous style. A day or two was fine, but over time, he might just get fed up.
It really had nothing to do with money.
Holding the outfit, Lin Nan headed to the bathroom to change.
Mother had initially been stressed about finances, but now that Lin Nan’s operation was complete, the borrowed money could be repaid, and there was no need to scrimp on earnings. They could spend freely on Lin Nan.
The issue was, Chen Yao had given a down payment of two hundred thousand for the bride price, and according to local customs, they also needed to provide a car worth over a hundred thousand as part of the dowry…
Bride prices and dowries typically go directly to the couple as a startup fund for their new life, and the dowry should not be less than the bride price. Otherwise, the locals would talk.
She was frowning and calculating how to manage that dowry of more than a hundred thousand. If Lin Nan’s father was willing to hand over some of the house money to her, it would be fine; otherwise, she couldn’t exactly borrow money for Lin Nan’s dowry, right?
When the bedroom door swung open, she instantly hid her troubled expression and looked up at Lin Nan, who walked in.
At that moment, Lin Nan’s cheeks were slightly flushed. Maybe it was because she had worn female clothing a couple of times before; now, this conservative outfit didn’t spark too much of her embarrassment.
The blazer suited her build well. She buttoned one button at the waist, highlighting her curves, and the top part of her body was nicely shaped. Her previously thin figure no longer looked so gaunt with the blazer on.
The blazer on Lin Nan, who still had a tad of masculine charm, made her look sharp and dapper.
Lin Nan thought she could use this outfit to attract some cute girls!
The wide-leg black pants were comfortable enough not to warrant discussion—loose and quite nice.
“Looking great!” Mother exclaimed, stepping forward to help Lin Nan adjust the outfit, marveling, “Look at you! Just throwing on a lady’s outfit, and you look stunning! Why stick to men’s clothing?”
Mother leaned in closer, kindly helping with the collar, but Lin Nan felt extraordinarily uncomfortable.
Maybe it was because she had been treated coldly before, but Lin Nan always sensed a deep gap between her and her Mother, making it hard for her to accept such close contact.
Children from normal families wouldn’t care about having their sleeves adjusted, right?
After making adjustments, Mother surveyed her, nodding with satisfaction: “Not bad! Your figure could be a clothes hanger—everything looks good on you!”
“Yeah…” Lin Nan couldn’t muster any happiness.
“You’ll wear this set for now. Pair the pants with black, and a dark sweater under the blazer should work. The blazer doesn’t need much washing…” Mother continued, moving to cut the label from the collar, chatting away, “When New Year comes, I’ll take you shopping for a couple more outfits. You really don’t want to try those dresses?”
“Not happening! Besides, it’s winter; who wears dresses…?”
“I bought you some warm leggings.”
Mother tossed the cut label into the trash and picked up a shopping bag: “Look, I got you several pairs—fleece-lined! They feel just like pants, so you won’t be cold. Why don’t you try them on?”
Lin Nan, feeling utterly defeated, threw the blazer off and flopped onto the bed, refusing to get up.
“Just give it a try?”
“No.” Lin Nan lay on the bed, throwing a fit, “I want to take a nap; I can’t get up.”
If she tried them on, the next thing she knew, she’d be stuck in that sailor outfit, right?
While Lin Nan had worn short skirts before, wearing them in front of her Mother or relatives was a completely different story. The embarrassment would sh**t through the roof.
But that princess dress really was pretty…
Her eyes couldn’t help but glance at the bag with the princess dress, hesitating for a moment before pushing aside her inner thoughts.
Thanks a lot, Lilith, for distorting my sense of aesthetics!
