"Brother Zhijun!"
Hearing someone call his name, Zhou Zhijun hastily stuffed the women's underwear into the bag. Quickly calming his racing heart, he turned his head to look.
The person calling him was none other than Wang Haichao. Beside him was a young man, his youngest brother, Wang Haishi.
Wang Haishi had married into his wife's family. His father-in-law lived on the outskirts of the city, and word had it that they were quite well-off.
Wang Haichao was full of wicked tricks, and Zhou Zhijun could not be bothered with him. He simply turned back and handed the money for the clothes to the shop assistant.
To his surprise, the Wang brothers walked right in. "Brother Zhijun, buying clothes for Wang Jieshi's wife?"
He stared at the bag in Zhou Zhijun's hand with a half-smile, the implication in his eyes painfully clear.
Zhou Zhijun shot him a cold glare and said nothing. Puffing out his chest, he took large strides and bypassed the two men.
"Hey, Zhou Zhijun, which ward is Chuntao in? I'll go visit her in a bit—" Wang Haichao shouted, chasing him to the store entrance.
Zhou Zhijun had not expected to run into Wang Haichao here. The man would undoubtedly go spouting nonsense in front of Liu Cuilan and Wang Jieshi. Zhou Zhijun was not afraid for himself, but he worried that Chuntao would be wronged by their malicious gossip.
It was indeed a bit inappropriate for him, as an adopted older brother, to buy clothes for his younger sister, but in these special circumstances, it could barely be justified.
As Zhou Zhijun walked, he pushed the underwear further down to the bottom of the bag.
Upon returning to the ward, Wang Xiaohong saw him carrying a large bag and quickly asked, "Uncle Zhijun, where did you go?"
Zhou Zhijun kept his face tight, as if this would make everything seem perfectly reasonable and prove he was just a good older brother caring for his sister.
"Oh, I left home in a hurry and forgot to bring a change of clothes for you two, so I went to the store and bought a few pieces!"
Wang Xiaohong's eyes sparkled. As a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl right at the age of loving to dress up, naturally, she was thrilled to get new clothes.
But on second thought, her family owed Zhou Zhijun too much, making her feel quite guilty.
Besides, Zhou Zhijun was a rough-around-the-edges kind of guy. Who knew if the clothes he bought would even fit?
The weather was getting hotter and they were sweating every day. She had been wearing the same clothes for several days and they were starting to smell. Whether they fit perfectly or not, having something fresh to change into was good enough.
"Uncle Zhijun, you've spent money on us again!" She then looked at Chuntao. "Sister-in-law, let's go to the restroom and change!"
Chuntao had been stabbed that day, and her clothes were stained with a lot of blood. After sweating for the past few days, the smell of blood mixed with sweat and the scent of disinfectant made her stomach churn.
Zhou Zhijun seemed like an unsmiling, clumsy man, but he was actually quite thoughtful.
Chuntao recalled the red camisole he had bought for her, as well as that shameful underwear, and her small face could not help but burn with heat.
"Sister-in-law!" Seeing her space out, Wang Xiaohong called out again, "What are you thinking about?"
Chuntao finally snapped back to reality. Her lips twitched, but she couldn't manage a smile. "Nothing!"
Carrying the bag in one hand and a chair in the other, Wang Xiaohong went to the restroom with Chuntao.
Once there, Wang Xiaohong opened the large bag and took out the clothes, draping them over the back of the chair. Then she noticed a few pairs of pink underwear at the bottom of the bag.
The style was more fashionable than anything sold at the supply and marketing cooperative; just looking at it made one blush.
She quickly brought the bag over to Chuntao, her voice trembling. "Sister-in-law, look!"
Chuntao glanced into the bag, and her little face instantly flushed red. This man... he had actually bought this too.
Wang Xiaohong took out a camisole and held it up against herself, immediately realizing it wasn't bought for her.
Although she had grown taller, her body hadn't fully developed yet. This underwear was so large that it was clearly more suited for Chuntao.
When they bathed together at the river dam in the summer, she had always envied Chuntao's figure.
Unlike the other women in the village whose chests were small and saggy, some even drooping down to their bellies.
She pondered in her heart, perhaps it was because Chuntao had never had children that she maintained her shape so well.
It was surprising enough that Zhou Zhijun bought them clothes, but to think he even thought of Chuntao's underwear, and in such a trendy style.
Wang Xiaohong increasingly felt that Zhou Zhijun was simply too perfect of a man.
He was handsome, strong at work, and so meticulous. Whoever ended up with him would definitely be very happy.
Back then, her mother must have been blind to not choose Zhou Zhijun and instead go with that loafer Wang Haichao. Now, they lived a life not knowing where their next meal would come from.
Zhou Zhijun had helped her family for four years, and in the end, he got nothing out of it...
A sudden guess popped into Wang Xiaohong's mind, startling even herself, and she quickly denied it inwardly.
Aunt Zhou often said, "This girl Chuntao has a bitter fate, having to live like a widow at such a young age! I'm going to love her like my own daughter!"
Wang Xiaohong scolded herself internally; she shouldn't think of Zhou Zhijun that way.
He was not like other men. His kindness to Chuntao was purely out of a good heart and their ties as relatives. Thinking of this, her heart felt at ease.
She took out all four pieces of underwear. The two camisoles and two pairs of panties were identical in style and size.
Looking at the underwear in Wang Xiaohong's hands, Chuntao's face grew even redder. The more she tried to control it, the redder it got.
The camisole and panties she was currently wearing had also been bought by Zhou Zhijun. When she washed them, she never dared to hang them in conspicuous places, always secretly drying them in the corner of the woodshed.
What if Wang Xiaohong saw them and asked about it? Chuntao's heart was fluttering wildly, and even her breathing became uneven...
"Sister-in-law, this underwear looks just like what those movie stars wear. You'll definitely look beautiful in it. Look, it even has buttons on the front..."
Wang Xiaohong's words dragged those images back into Chuntao's mind, making even her neck and ears blush scarlet.
"Sister-in-law, hurry up and change into them!" Wang Xiaohong handed over a set of underwear. "Uncle Zhijun really knows how to shop. It looks like the perfect size!"
With people coming and going in the restroom, Chuntao was too embarrassed to change. "I'll just change my outer clothes. I won't change the inside ones. You keep this underwear for yourself, I already have some!"
"Sister-in-law, it's so big, I can't wear it! I'll buy my own later!" Saying this, Wang Xiaohong made Chuntao stand in the corner and used her clothes to shield her, urging Chuntao to change her underwear.
The undergarments really did need changing, so Chuntao gritted her teeth and put on the new underwear.
It fit perfectly, as if it were custom-made, accentuating her proud, petite figure and making her look even more charming.
Wang Xiaohong didn't notice the underwear she had taken off; she just stared at what she was wearing now.
She couldn't help but praise, "Sister-in-law, it's so beautiful. You're more dazzling than a movie star!"
Chuntao then changed into the Dacron blouse with red flowers on a white background and blue polyester trousers. She looked as fresh and tender as a small green vegetable covered in morning dew.
Back in the ward, Zhou Zhijun didn't dare to look at her directly. He only secretly peeked at her from the corner of his eye, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.
Chuntao was naturally a beauty. Even worn-out clothes couldn't hide her charm, let alone such fashionable new garments, which made her look like someone out of a painting.
Wearing her well-fitting new clothes, Wang Xiaohong's face flushed with excitement. "Uncle Zhijun, you have great taste. They fit perfectly and look great!"
Zhou Zhijun coughed lightly. "What do I know about buying clothes? The shop assistant picked everything out!" He deliberately emphasized the word "everything."
Chuntao didn't dare to look at him. The words "thank you" were stuck in her throat, and she just couldn't bring herself to say them.
The fabric of the underwear was fine and soft, wrapping warmly around her body, yet her heart was trembling.
This man went as far as buying lingerie right in front of Wang Xiaohong, and a front-clasping one at that. This was exactly his scheme...
