After becoming rich overnight, I handed over the system.

Chapter 198 Buying a Western-Style Dress

Hu Die breathed a sigh of relief when she returned to her room after the banquet; she actually had no patience for doing this kind of thing.

Then she remembered the message she had received. What had that magical book sent her?

"Join the group?" Butterfly clicked "accept" without hesitation.

"Hi, reader!" Lin Liuyi was immediately relieved when he saw that it was a girl and the background wasn't snowy and icy.

Seeing the questioning look in the other person's eyes, she went through the process again and explained everything.

"Sister, what's your name? What's the situation where you are right now?" Lin Liuyi wanted to confirm again, since the readers attracted by this book were related to the content of the article.

Seeing this, Hu Die quickly introduced her own basic situation.

"The Marshal's Mansion?" Upon hearing these words, Lin Liuyi immediately recalled the novels on the website Shizi, such as "The Cold Warlord and His Beloved Wife" and "Transmigrated as a Concubine, the Marshal Spoils Me."

She shook her head, dismissing these inappropriate thoughts. Hu Die nodded at her, and Lin Liuyi asked again, "Concubine?"

Hu Die hesitated for a moment, then nodded. When she introduced herself earlier, she hadn't mentioned that she was a concubine, and she didn't know how the woman opposite her had guessed.

"You're not the Marshal's white moonlight or cinnabar mole, are you?" Lin Liuyi wanted to rub her temples. She couldn't possibly run into her little wife, Wenxue.

"White moonlight? Cinnabar mole?" Hu Die didn't quite understand what these words meant. Lin Liuyi explained them carefully, and Hu Die immediately felt that these two words were too apt.

“Then I’m not!” Hu Die shook her head with a smile. “Although I am a concubine, I mainly help the Marshal with some external social affairs.”

"A diplomat!" Lin Liuyi was completely relieved.

Hu Die thought Lin Liuyi was a wonderful person, as he always described things perfectly.

"Then why did you tip me for that dress?" Lin Liuyi wanted to ask why, since that dress wouldn't be cheap in their time.

"That outfit!" Hu Die said with a mix of nostalgia and regret as she mentioned it. "I only gave you the tip because I can't wear it anymore. I hope you won't mind!"

"I don't mind, I don't mind, but why can't I wear it?" Lin Liuyi was even more puzzled. Didn't she just say that she was in charge of the Marshal's Mansion's external social affairs? Wearing Western clothes shouldn't be a problem, right?

Hu Die earnestly explained to Lin Liuyi, "That was what I wore when I was in school. Now that my status is different, I don't have many opportunities to wear it anymore."

"I don't think it's a big deal! Since you've been to school and experienced the baptism of new ideas, why would you change just because you got married? Has everything you learned before disappeared? The Commander-in-Chief didn't restrict you, did she?"

Based on what Lin Liu heard, the fact that the Marshal allowed Hu Die to participate in foreign affairs shows that he didn't care whether Hu Die wore a cheongsam or a Western dress; as long as she was useful to him, that was enough.

So it was entirely Hu Die's own doing that restricted her. Lin Liuyi now wanted to rush in and shake her awake.

Sister, you went to school and were exposed to ideas of freedom and liberation, so why did you regress in the end?

Hu Die, upon hearing Lin Liuyi's words, widened her eyes in disbelief.

What is she saying? The commander-in-chief didn't limit himself; he limited himself?

Hu Die felt that Lin Liuyi's words shattered her protective shell and enlightened her.

Yes, it turns out she was the one who closed herself off. She had seen those wonderful and free lives, but she retreated. She could have chosen to move forward with the women of the Marshal's Mansion, but she chose to retreat and be on the same side as them.

Hu Die had always been proud of her overseas education and schooling, but now she realized that she was no different from those women who had never been to school; her mind had not truly been liberated or freed.

"Liu Yi, you're right! I was too narrow-minded and stuck in my ways!" Hu Die readily admitted her mistake; she had indeed been wrong.

"That's it! Sisters, awaken!"

Lin Liuyi felt that this was the right thing to do. This era should progress, and people should live their own lives. No one can restrict them.

Why don't we send some books to this woman? Reading is good; it makes one wise.

Hu Die was delighted by Lin Liuyi's words, as she used to love reading the most.

After becoming a concubine, fearing that the warlord would be unhappy, she started reading the newspaper every day.

She tried asking, "Can you really send me a book? I can pay for it. Do you want silver dollars? Or gold? Or I have jewelry, or even a dress if you like!"

Lin Liuyi quickly waved his hand, "No need, no need, let me see which ones I can send you, these are not worth much."

Hu Die nodded repeatedly, her eyes full of anticipation.

Lin Liuyi was already secretly thinking about how to smuggle in his own ideas: he would add more books on liberating thought and more science books as well.

In the days that followed, Lin Liuyi would send Hu Die progressive books every few days.

Hu Die was overjoyed and not only read it herself, but also gathered the women of the Marshal's Mansion to read it together.

Now she understands that women should work together and help each other, and there's no point in competing with each other. The commander-in-chief isn't that important anyway.

Hu Die changed her usual style and started wearing Western-style dresses again. Of course, she didn't give up her cheongsam either. Now she just wore whatever she wanted and didn't confine herself to any particular set of rules.

She even dressed in Western-style clothes with the other ladies from the Marshal's Mansion.

"Isn't it inappropriate for us to dress like this?" The First Madam hesitated, feeling that it wasn't dignified.

"Oh my, elder sister! This dress is so beautiful! You look so much younger in it!" The second wife was quite accepting of it.

"What? Eldest sister is already young! Eldest sister, let's go get our hair permed later! This Western dress needs a new hairstyle!" Fourth Madam had long coveted the Western dress, but since the Marshal's Mansion didn't wear it, she didn't dare to stand out on her own.

As Hu Die watched the group of women chattering away, discussing which clothes looked good and which color suited her best, she suddenly understood what Lin Liuyi meant by freedom.

It's about choice! They have the freedom to choose the clothes they want, and even the lifestyle they desire!

The group returned to the Marshal's Mansion laden with spoils, only to unexpectedly run into the Marshal himself.

"Master!" The First Madam immediately became timid.

"Chunniang!" The general's eyes widened in surprise. Was this still his big-footed wife?

Then he looked at his other wives, and none of them dared to speak.

The commander's eyes lit up. To be honest, he had never seen them dressed in Western-style clothes before, and he was quite intrigued!

"General, don't the ladies look beautiful in their clothes?" Hu Die said as she spoke.