In another alley,

"They all took the main roads, so there was no chance to strike..."

A man wearing floor-length flared trousers was leaning against a corner of the wall.

The stinking ditch next to them emitted a foul stench, and the group frowned, but they had no intention of leaving.

"Brother Quan from the county said they're going to arrest the owner of that ice-making workshop, the one who's pretty and thin."

"As long as we catch the person and get the test kit, we'll get this amount..." The tall, thin man gestured with his hand, his eyes gleaming.

"Fifty?" asked the man, his head drooping and his eyes narrowed into slits.

The tall, thin man slapped him on the head. "Get lost! Who are you trying to insult? Do you think I'm someone who'd be interested in fifty bucks?"

"Brother Quan said he'd give 500 after it's done, and he's already giving 100 as a deposit!"

The man in bell-bottoms smiled obsequiously and said ingratiatingly, "Don't mind Er Mazi, he's never seen anything like this before, please forgive him, Brother Teng."

The tall, thin man was fawned over by several people. "No problem, Brother Teng, I'll take the brothers out to live a life of luxury from now on."

A gust of wind blew in from the alley entrance, bringing a stench that nearly made the group vomit on the spot.

…

Upon arriving at Fangjie's shop, Lin Ziyan released Jiaojiao's hand, allowing them to go inside and choose what they wanted.

"Ayan, are they both your sisters? They're really pretty..." Fangjie said in the last sentence in Guangzhou dialect, a smile playing on her lips.

She flicked a cigarette from the pack and lightly smoothed her curly hair.

The black cheongsam with dark red patterns made her skin look even whiter.

Lin Ziyan rested her chin on her hand, watching her light a cigarette, as if she were seeing a heroine who had stepped out of a period film.

Red lips, curly hair, and a high-slit cheongsam that reveals a pair of beautiful legs.

"Sister Fang, it's a pity you're not a movie star." Lin Ziyan didn't answer her, but suddenly blurted out.

Fangjie paused for a few seconds, then laughed and said, "Maybe I was like that when I was young?"

She said it jokingly, her lips curving into a wider smile.

Lin Ziyan, "..."

She's never even been to a movie theater in this era; I'm not sure if she has.

However, one thing is certain: Fangjie is from Guangzhou, which is easily noticeable from her accent.

"We've got some ready-made clothes from Hong Kong. Would you like to take a look?" Sister Fang said softly after laughing.

There are very few ready-made clothes available nowadays; most people buy fabric and make their own clothes at home.

Lin Ziyan nodded, "Of course I want to see it."

She felt a chill run down her spine when she saw Fang Jie's meaningful smile.

I always felt her gaze lingering on her chest before shifting away.

"Go inside and take a look. I usually don't display those ready-made clothes," Fang Jie said, before walking into the inner room.

The chubby girl was picking things out with Jiaojiao and the others.

Lin Ziyan said, "I'll go in for a bit. You guys watch the shop."

"Okay!" the chubby girl replied without even looking up.

Lin Ziyan raised an eyebrow and followed Sister Fang into the inner room.

It's actually just a small warehouse where they store things that aren't sold to the public.

The oxygen supply unit that Lin Ziyan ordered is placed here.

"Would you like to try it?" Sister Fang pulled out a transparent bag and handed it to her.

Lin Ziyan's ears turned red instantly when she saw the underwear in the bag.

No wonder she said to go inside and look; how could this be displayed outside?

She checked the size of the white lace lingerie; it should fit.

Lin Ziyan coughed a few times, "No need, the size is right."

"I bet this is the code, Ah Yan, you're keeping it a secret..." Fang Jie teased.

She then pulled out several more sets, all the same size and style.

"It's 20 yuan a set, which is a bit expensive, but it really makes a difference when you wear it," Fang Jie muttered.

She took out a few T-shirts and handed them to Lin Ziyan.

Actually, these items have regular customers, otherwise Sister Fang wouldn't have dared to bring them back.

Lin Ziyan picked out three sets of underwear, then chose a few T-shirts, and also picked out two T-shirts for the chubby girl.

She wanted to pick out a few sets of underwear for the chubby girl, but none of them were her size.

Most clothes nowadays are open-fronted, similar to shirts, and are mostly dark blue.

"I also have some women's products, 2 yuan a pack, 20 pieces..." Sister Fang pulled out a bag and handed it to her.

As soon as Lin Ziyan saw them, she hugged them tightly and wouldn't let go, saying, "I want them all."

Fangjie paused for a few seconds, then smiled and said, "I knew you'd want this. It's convenient."

"Women should love themselves more."

Lin Ziyan came out of the inner room carrying a large black plastic bag.

The chubby girl asked in surprise, "Ayan, what did you buy? It's such a big bag!"

Her two younger sisters also came over, but they didn't open it to look; they just stared at Lin Ziyan.

“Essential items,” Lin Ziyan said vaguely.

The group browsed the shops outside and bought some food on the street before preparing to head back.

The chubby girl saw that the street where the stalls were set up was getting more and more crowded, making it difficult to move.

"How about we go around through the alley?" she said, pointing to an alley.

The eaves are low, and the alley is shady, but it's quite narrow; only two people can walk side by side.

Lin Ziyan was unbearably hot and immediately nodded, "Let's go, we'll get to the bicycle storage area by going around there. We can't squeeze through the crowd over there with all this stuff."

Jiaojiao gripped her hand tightly, her face flushed with sweat.

"It's a bit cooler over there." The chubby girl wiped the sweat from her forehead and pulled Xiaoxiao into the alley.

Under the blazing sun, people can become unusually irritable.

Inside the alley, several men who were squatting in the corner of the wall could no longer wait.

“They’re coming in…” Er Mazi hobbled over and ran anxiously from the alley entrance.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!