Chapter 274: Poor and useless
Jinhai had taken a day off from the office to take Nana for baby shopping today. In the mall, Nana was going through some cute little pajamas.
Jinhai glanced at it. “Leave the clothes to Jing. He said that he would make all the baby’s clothes.”
“Huh? All of them? The baby is going to need many of them, so will it be alright?”
“No, seriously, just leave it to Jing. He will cry and whine if he comes to know that we ‘bought’ clothes for our baby.”
Nana laughed. “But we don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl.”
Jinhai shrugged. “He is making clothes for both. He wants his nephew or niece to only wear the clothes designed by him. Now that your due date is nearing, Jing is even more hyped up. He hasn’t left his room for two days.”
“Ah, now that you mention it…” Nana smiled and touched her tummy. “Everybody is so excited about our child, right?”
Jinhai kissed her forehead. “Well, he or she is the first heir or heiress of the Liu family. It’s a given.”
Nana asked, “Alright, so no clothes. So, what should we buy next? Oh yes! How about we look for a crib?”
“Okay. Whatever my little wife says.”
They went to the crib section. There were many beautiful and pretty cribs lined up.
“Wow…they are all so pretty. I cannot choose.” Nana exclaimed.
Jinhai was walking behind her, carefully looking at all cribs to choose the best one.
A woman wearing the store uniform greeted them. “Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Liu. How can I help you?” She politely smiled.
She looked at the tall man standing before her. He was one handsome man. Then she looked at Nana. She was one beautiful woman too.
‘Haish, they really match together. Such a nice couple.’
“Can you please show us your best cribs?”
“Sure, mam. Please come with me.”
Just then, Jinhai’s phone rang. “It’s Xin. I will come back in a minute.”
“Okay.”
The assistant asked, “Mrs. Liu, what kind of a crib are you looking for?”
“Emmm…Well, all cribs are lovely, but show me the one that is the sturdiest. Like it could hold good weight.”
Since Nana knew that her baby was quite chubby, it was important to buy a crib that will always be safe for him or her.
“Yes, mam.”
She showed her two cribs. “Mrs. Liu. This crib on the left is made from one of the hardest woods, Lignum vitae found in South America. It is tough and durable, and hardly any maintenance is needed. And this one on the right is made from Schinopsis brasiliensis, originated from Brazil. This wood is immensely strong and hard too. All our cribs are perfectly safe, but these two have that extra edge.”
Nana really liked them. They were just the perfect size too, not too big and not too small. She alternatively looked between the two of them.
“Umm, how about the one on the left? I will ask Jinhai once he comes back.” She was excited to show it to Jinhai.
Just then, a woman held the side of the crib that Nana had selected and said to the assistant, “I want this one.”
Nana looked at the woman who suddenly barged in their conversation. She was also pregnant and had a bulging belly, although not as big enough for eight months. It may be between six to seven months.
The assistant bowed. “I apologize, mam, but she already booked this crib.”
The woman looked up and down at Nana and sneered. “I don’t care. I like this one so I will take this one. I heard what you said about these cribs, and I fancy this one. This one is strong and just perfect.”
The assistant was still calm. “Mam, I really apologize, but Mrs. Li-“
The woman glared at the assistant. “Do you know who I am that you dare to go against me? I’m Long Yanmei, the wife of the CEO of Long Industries, Long Guozhi. I can fire you any moment I want for your impudence!”
‘Long Yanmei…Long Industries…’ Nana thought. ‘Ah! It’s the same family for whom I had catered onetime a few months back. It was after Jinhai and Miss Huian’s wedding anniversary when Natsukashi was gaining a name in the upper society. So she is that Long Yanmei.’
Long Yanmei never met the owner and chef in charge of that banquet, so she didn’t recognize Nana.
The assistant was still calm. She knew Nana was Mrs. Liu. What were Long Industries in front of Liu Corps?
It had a little name of its own in the market, but it definitely couldn’t even dream of rivaling the Liu Corps.
“Mam, the crib on the right is also of the same high quality. You can choose that one.”
“Did I ask your opinion? I’m the customer, and you must listen to me.”
Nana smiled and said, “I think you forget that I’m also the customer who came here ten minutes before you and have already selected my crib.”
Long Yanmei carefully looked at her, and the more she looked, the more she got angry. The same reason; jealousy. People always called her beautiful, but somehow in front of Nana, she felt as if all the compliments were nothing but jokes.
She sneered. “And who are you? Naturally, you cannot be any rich man’s wife since you didn’t recognize Long’s name. Can you even afford this crib?”
Since the crib was of the highest quality, so it was equally expensive as well.
“What if I’m not a rich man’s wife?” Nana shrugged. “Can I still not buy this crib with my own money? Do I have to always depend on my husband?”
Long Yanmei laughed. “So, is your husband that poor and useless that his wife has to pay for the crib?”
Nana and the assistant both wanted to puke three liters of blood. How did she reach that conclusion?
‘She called Jinhai poor and useless. I wonder what his expression would be?’
Nana let out a soft chuckle.
Long Yanmei gritted her teeth as her insult didn’t affect Nana as she wanted. “What is so funny?”
“Nothing.”
That irked her. Long Yanmei smirked. “And what did you say? Can you pay it with your own money? What job do you do?”
“I’m a chef.”
“Hah! A chef? What tiny restaurant do you have? You know who a real chef is?”
“Who?”
“Of course, the one who served Long Industries. You could never compare to the chef who had catered our banquet a few months back. It was Natsukashi. The owner had done a magnificent job with the food. Do you even get such high-profile jobs? Or you only serve the middle class and poor people like yourselves?”
Nana coughed hard.
She was insulted and praised at the same time. Should I burst her bubble?
Nana laughed. “Are all of the thousands of employees working in Long Industries rich? No, right? Almost all of them would be middle-class. If they decide to stop working for you, do you think your so-called Long Industries could survive solely on your husband? On a single man?”
Long Yanmei was tongue-tied. “T-that…”
Nana went on. “It doesn’t seem like you are used to doing household chores. So, if all the poor maids and butlers left your villa, then can you survive on your own from cooking to cleaning to washing clothes and everything else?”
Long Yanmei gritted her teeth. She could feel the assistant’s mocking gaze.
‘She dare talk back to me!’
“You insult the middle class, but ironically you cannot even stand without their support. You cannot have that riches you speak of without them shedding their sweat to work for you.”
Long, Yanmei shouted. “Enough!” She couldn’t find a counter-argument. Her face had turned red in anger.
“I want this crib for my baby, and I will take it. After all, he is the heir of Long Industries. He should get the best of everything. Your baby would be what? Either a useless gofer like your husband or a nameless chef like you. He cannot be compared to my child.”
“Every child deserves to get the best of everything,” Nana narrowed her eyes. “no matter where he or she is born. It’s because of people like you that those who have a little less money suffer so much. And no child can be compared. Everyone is unique in their own way.”
“You! Stay in your limits!”
“I won’t.” Nana shrugged.
“Let Guozhi come here. I will show you your place! And you! What are you waiting for? Pack this crib for me! Now I will only take this one!”
The assistant said, “But Mam-“
Nana interrupted her. “It’s alright. I will take the other one.”
Long Yanmei sneered. “Glad you understood your place.”
“It isn’t like that. It’s useless talking to stupid people like you. I don’t want anything for my baby based on such a pointless argument. I want to buy everything for him or her with happy and positive feelings. So, congratulations on getting the crib.”