Shopping Diary of 21 People

Ding Anping took Li Wei to a snack bar outside the high school gate. Clearly, her aunt and uncle had already eaten lunch. Sigh, it seemed impossible to get a proper meal from her aunt and uncle, so Li Wei ordered a bowl of shredded chicken noodles, a small dish of seaweed, and a small dish of celery with peanuts. Li Wei felt her meal was simple enough, but her aunt obviously didn't think so.

"Isn't a bowl of noodles enough? Why do you need any other dishes?" Cheng Fei found her niece an eyesore now.

“I’m still growing, so of course I need to get proper nutrition. Besides, it’s not like it’s costing you any money, right, Uncle?” Li Wei called Ding Anping her uncle without any hesitation.

"Hehe, yes, order whatever you want to eat, don't be shy, hehe." The more Ding Anping looked at Li Wei, the cuter she seemed. This little one was just too adorable.

Cheng Fei glanced at Li Wei with disdain: "You'd better take it easy. If you get fat, not only will you lose your looks, but you won't even grow taller. You won't be able to get married then."

"Auntie, do you have any common sense? Besides noodles, which of the foods I ordered is fattening? Kelp is rich in polysaccharides, protein, vitamin C, vitamin B2, carotene, and other nutrients, and it's also rich in calcium and iodine, which can promote bone and teeth growth. It's a nutritious health food for children, pregnant women, and the elderly. As for celery, it's rich in iron, calcium, and phosphorus... Do I even need to mention peanuts? Auntie, it's very malicious to curse someone for being ugly and unable to get married. Don't say that to me again, it makes me very sad." Her aunt got married one after another without much effort, but that doesn't mean she was ugly and couldn't get married. Although she did have a hard time getting married back then, she still had her dignity, okay?

So after saying a lot, Li Wei's expression turned cold, and she stopped paying attention to her aunt.

Seeing Li Wei's expression, Cheng Fei roughly knew that she had touched a nerve with the little one, and she felt a little awkward. However, Li Wei was her junior after all, and she couldn't lose face for the moment, so she still put on a brave face: "Yes, yes, you are very knowledgeable, but what you will look like in the future is not something you can control, do I need to tell you?"

Just then, the waiter brought over the noodles. Ding Anping helped Li Wei put the noodles down and got chopsticks and napkins, while smiling and trying to smooth things over: "Alright, alright, stop talking and eat your noodles. The kids must be starving."

Li Wei thanked her, stirred the noodles with her chopsticks to cool them down, looked up at her aunt, and said calmly, "Then you just wait and see, Auntie, I'll definitely grow up to be a beauty." After saying that, she started eating her noodles and ignored Cheng Fei.

Cheng Fei smiled dismissively, thinking to herself, "Little brat, you think you can just grow up like that? Even though your mom is my sister and she's pretty, your dad is my brother-in-law. If you even look a little bit like him, you're a beauty? You're lucky if you even come close." Because Li Wei had previously argued with her about Cheng Fei's father, Cheng Fei didn't say anything this time.

Li Wei finished her meal. She was also wondering how her aunt was going to treat her properly. It seemed her trip of freedom was going to end in failure. She watched coldly as Ding Anping tried to get the bill from the waiter. Her aunt absolutely refused. Li Wei grew impatient with them: "Fine, Auntie. Let Uncle pay. It's such a small thing, why are you passing the buck like this? Uncle, I'll treat you next time."

Ding Anping was completely bewildered by this precocious, arrogant kid. He smiled and said, "Okay, hehehe. You treat next time."

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Cheng Fei, clutching her small purse, looked at her niece, who made her feel both annoyed and embarrassed: "You're full. Time to go home. Wait till your mom gets home and sees what she does." This was something Cheng Fei hadn't done before. Usually, if you scared a child like that, they'd just cry and scream, not wanting to go home.

Having learned many lessons from experience, Ding Anping inwardly cried out in alarm. But Li Wei's reaction was beyond his expectations.

"Well, it's time to go home. Besides seeing my uncle, I haven't gained anything else from here. It's rather boring." Li Wei emphasized the words "uncle." She stood up and casually straightened her clothes, looking like she was about to pack up and leave.

Cheng Fei inwardly cursed upon hearing this. Knowing this brat as she did, she knew these words couldn't be taken literally. Besides, she and Ding Anping really had nothing going on. If the brat went back and spread rumors, her mother would nag endlessly. If things got even worse, and she went to the teacher to find out what happened, she would lose all face.

Cheng Fei patiently tried to be as amiable as possible: "Don't call people 'uncle' so casually. What would people think if they heard that? Anyway, since you're out here, how about I take you somewhere for a stroll?"

"How about we go for a stroll in the park? I heard the zoo recently got elephants?" Ding Anping suggested, genuinely wanting to curry favor with this only child who acknowledged his legitimate status.

“What’s there to do in the park? I’m too tired. How about we go to the mall?” The woman’s idea was clearly different; Cheng Fei’s suggestion sounded more like a decision.

Li Wei had already decided where to go. She waved her hand and said, "Alright, I've already planned it out. Let's go to the free market on Changjiang Road. That's really dazzling. Why go to a park or shopping mall? I'm not a child or a woman who hasn't seen the world."

Ding Anping and Cheng Fei were speechless: Then what do you think you are!

So, the two adults and the child arrived at the street market on Changjiang Road.

Ding Anping was a city dweller and had been here a few times with his grandfather, so he wasn't surprised. Cheng Fei, on the other hand, had studied in the city for two years but had never been here before, and looked around with great curiosity.

The situation then turned into a young man leading two beautiful women, one older and one younger, shopping.

Li Wei had visited once before with her grandfather, but she hadn't explored the area thoroughly or enjoyed it as much, partly because she'd had a few drinks and was a bit of a hothead. This time, she was much more objective; after all, where there's demand, there's supply, and existence itself is justified.

Li Wei browsed through the stalls one by one, wondering if there were any cheap items she could buy and maybe resell at the town market for a profit.

Antiques, jade, coins—forget it. She has neither the eye for them nor the spare cash to hold onto them. Clothes, shoes…forget it too. Who knows if they'll suit her or sell well? Besides, she can't take many pieces. Candies and pastries…forget it too. In this heat, they'll spoil and she'll lose money…

Li Wei had walked more than halfway through the walk and hadn't seen anything appealing, so she was getting a little discouraged. She squatted down next to a used book stall and started flipping through the books... She found a pretty new copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales, priced at three yuan. She asked the stall owner the price, and he said it was only one yuan. Without hesitation, Li Wei bought it. However, before she could pay, Cheng Fei, worried that Ding Anping would have to pay again, quickly paid for it herself – her speed suggesting a pickpocket.

Li Wei smiled and didn't say anything, but her aunt, who had just spent the money, had some complaints: "Grimm's Fairy Tales, do you even know who Grimm is? Do you even know what fairy tales are? Don't just buy it because the cover looks pretty."

"Tch! You've only been to school for a few days and you already dare to look down on our elders and fellow villagers!" Li Wei said seriously, "The Brothers Grimm were German fairy tale collectors and language and culture researchers. Their major works include 'Cinderella,' 'Snow White,' 'Sleeping Beauty,' 'Little Red Riding Hood,' 'The Little Mermaid,' and so on, right?"

Uh...right, this little guy actually has some knowledge, they both thought at the same time.

"It's alright," Cheng Fei said, pouting.

Li Wei revealed a mischievous smile: "Oh, right, 'The Little Mermaid' is a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. I remembered it wrong, hehe..."

...

Li Wei followed Ding Anping while bickering with her aunt. Suddenly, Ding Anping noticed that the two beauties had stopped moving. He turned around and couldn't help but chuckle. Cheng Fei and Li Wei were squatting in front of a stall selling various floral fabrics, unable to move.

This stall sells scraps of fabric rather than cloth. Various colorful scraps of fabric of different sizes are piled on a drab canvas. The stall owner is a thin, middle-aged man in his forties.

Li Wei and her aunt, like-minded women, began to examine the fabrics, whose colors, patterns, and textures were almost identical.

There were quite a few options. Li Wei and Cheng Fei almost simultaneously took a liking to a piece of light, ivory-white silk fabric sprinkled with silver and water-red begonia flowers. Cheng Fei, being quick and long-armed, grabbed it but found it wasn't even big enough to make a short skirt. It was large enough to make a square scarf, but considering she wouldn't need it for a while, she put it down. Before the fabric even hit the ground, Li Wei scooped it up, examined it closely, and thought, "Not bad, not bad, enough for a little vest dress. I'll keep it and look around some more; maybe I'll find something even prettier."

Cheng Fei glanced at Li Wei but didn't say anything, and continued to rummage through the items.

Li Wei wasn't idle either; she ruled out the dull-colored fabrics—they weren't pleasing to the eye. This pink corduroy was nice, but it was too small; not even big enough to make a chair cushion…

This piece of black velvet is quite fuzzy, and it's not even as big as a towel...

The color and plaid of this georgette are quite pretty, but it's not much bigger than a pillowcase...

This piece of raw material is quite nice; it's rare to find one with such an elegant and understated color...

Li Wei picked and chose for a long time, but all the fabrics that caught her eye in terms of quality and pattern were too small to be of any use. However, when she saw a strip of light purple fabric that was only a little over an inch wide, a sudden inspiration struck her. She gathered all the fabrics that she thought were quite pretty together, along with a large piece of thin red and yellow checkered woolen cloth: "Boss, if I want all of these, can you give me a discount? How much?"

Before the stall owner could speak, Cheng Fei said, "What do you need all these scraps of cloth for? You won't need this much to make sandbags. Just shut up for a bit, I don't have that much money with me."

The shopkeeper, displeased to hear someone belittling his goods, retorted, "What scraps of cloth? These are good stuff! Young lady, you have good taste! That large piece of wool is genuine quality; enough to make an adult's coat and a skirt. If you want to buy it, I'll sell it to you for twenty-five yuan, and you can have the rest of the scraps for free." The skinny shopkeeper thought it unlikely that a young girl like Li Wei would sell his goods, while the older woman was more likely. However, she didn't seem to think much of his wares, so he didn't dare ask for a high price and offered what he considered a fair one.

Li Wei had bought the clothes when inflation had reached a certain level, so the price difference hadn't quite reversed yet. At the time, she didn't think they were expensive, but out of habit, she still tried to bargain.

She was fiercely haggling with the shopkeeper when her aunt, Cheng Fei, couldn't stand it anymore. She thought to herself, "Why is this kid making such a fuss? She can't resist anything she sees!" Without another word, she grabbed Li Wei's arm and pulled her away forcefully. Li Wei struggled desperately while still haggling, "Eighteen yuan! Eighteen yuan! Any more and I won't buy it! Can't you see my aunt won't let me buy it? I'm under so much pressure!" Seriously, she was acting like it was the real deal.

Ding Anping was already grinning from ear to ear.

The stall owner had never encountered anything like this before. The business was being conducted like a kidnapping of a young woman, leaving him somewhat dumbfounded: "Young lady, you should leave. The lowest price is twenty. I really can't sell to you for that price."

Although the final price was twenty yuan, at Li Wei's insistence, a piece of cloth with small peach blossoms printed on it and several small pieces of dark-colored, high-quality fabric were included as a bonus.

Twenty yuan is no small sum. Before her aunt could say anything, Li Wei deftly pulled out two ten-yuan bills from her bag and handed them to the somewhat dazed shopkeeper. Then she began to neatly pack the fabric into the included cloth bag. When she finished, she saw that it looked exactly like the bundle carried by ancient heroes when they went out. Haha.

Before Li Wei could finish feeling smug, her aunt came over and grabbed Li Wei's small backpack. Li Wei was so startled that she quickly covered it and glared at her aunt: "What are you doing? You can't be tempted by money!"

"You're so petty! I don't trust you with this. Bring it here, hurry up." The sharp-eyed Cheng Fei spotted several more bills the moment Li Wei opened her bag. Her sister didn't even care, giving the child so much money. But she'd heard from her father that the girl made quite a bit of money selling steamed buns.

"I'll give it to you once it's out of the market. I can't do it now. It's inconvenient for me to use it if it's with you." What if you charge me a handling fee? If it gets serious, I'll just confiscate it, and then no one will be able to help me.

There's an old saying, "It's better to have your own than your parents' wealth, let alone your aunt who doesn't like you!"

Cheng Fei saw that they were almost out of the free market, so she didn't bother arguing with Li Wei. After all, this little brat wasn't easy to fool.

But in that short stretch of road, less than twenty meters long, Li Wei miraculously managed to spend over thirty yuan with the lightning-fast speed of her aunt. Look at all the junk she bought: a big bag of hair ties and various elastic cords, a big bag of colorful beads, a big bag of lace, a big bag of colorful cotton thread...

Cheng Fei tried several times to snatch Li Wei's small bag, but failed each time. In public, as a girl with a high school education, she simply couldn't bring herself to make Li Wei wail and throw a tantrum. In the end, the little rascal spent all the money, leaving only a few dollars, which Cheng Fei had no interest in keeping.

Right now, Ding Anping and Li Wei are the only ones who seem to be in a good mood.

From Ding Anping's perspective, he should have helped Cheng Fei stop Li Wei. However, seeing Cheng Fei repeatedly thwarted, Ding Anping, who had also suffered setbacks at the hands of a college beauty queen, suddenly found himself inexplicably pleased. So, while verbally supporting Cheng Fei, he was actually helping Li Wei carry her things. However, he was also quite curious; was this girl really that wealthy? She was much more generous than him, so it seemed her offer to treat him to dinner wasn't just empty talk.

Li Wei goes without saying; it wasn't easy for her to come out, and after taking such a big risk, she finally spent all the money she earned. These days, making money is hard, but spending it is even harder, haha. Most importantly, she discovered a simple, quick, and highly feasible way to make money—hair accessories, hahaha.