Chapter 15 Convenience Store

The Wei family next door.

Huang Maomao was sitting in the kitchen peeling garlic for Wei Yin when he said, "Brother Yin, that beautiful woman was just next door. It's a pity you didn't see her."

Wei Yin was stir-frying vegetables when he glanced at Huang Maomao and said, "You've been nagging all afternoon, and you can't walk past a woman, huh? I'm sick of hearing you nagging me."

The blond-haired man laughed and said, "She's naturally beautiful. I don't think any of the women on TV are as pretty as her."

Seeing that Wei Yin didn't speak, Huang Maomao put the garlic under the tap to rinse it and said, "Hey, but Brother Yin, you've been in Beishi longer than me, so you must have seen more beautiful women than I have."

He then sneakily approached Wei Yin and asked, "Brother, can you give me a ride next time you go back?"

Wei Yin scoffed and said, "I don't bring brainless people with me."

Huang Maomao wasn't angry at all, and quickly started cutting meat for Wei Yin again.

………

Yan Kui searched the kitchen but couldn't find a single grain of rice, let alone any vegetables, meat, or eggs. The only seasoning she had was a small, damp bottle of salt in a box.

Yan Kui closed her eyes, feeling dizzy.

She was so careless; she never even considered cooking for herself in the village. Her thinking was still stuck in the era of ordering takeout.

Thinking about how it took her two hours to get there, Yan Kui had no choice. Smelling the delicious aroma wafting from next door, she took out two hundred yuan from her bag and went out.

I drove around the village for a long time but didn't see a single shop.

Seeing several children playing ahead, Yan Kui stepped forward and asked, "Children, do you know where there's a convenience store? Or a place that sells food?"

Several children looked at Yan Kui, who seemed like a fairy, and eagerly answered.

“I know, I know. There are places to eat in town. My dad took me there in his tricycle last time, but it takes a long time to get there.”

Yan Kuixin nearly died, and then she heard a child say:

"There's a place in the village that sells things, behind that big banyan tree."

Yan Kui was very grateful; as long as the village had it, that was fine. She thanked the children and walked behind the big banyan tree.

Yan Kui approached and saw a small shop with a yellowish glow, so she quickened her pace.

He asked, "Is the boss in?"

An elderly woman approached and asked in a loud voice, "What do you want to buy?"

Yan Kui glanced at the items on the shelf; they were all condiments, either soy sauce or vinegar, and there weren't even any snacks.

Do you...do you have instant noodles?

The old woman moved closer: "What's instant noodles? I don't have any, all I have is soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and MSG. Do you want some?"

Yan Kui was truly heartbroken. She shook her head, turned around, and left.

Standing outside the Yan family's gate, Yan Kui looked around and saw that the ancient brick and tile houses were crookedly crammed together, and a single lamp could not even illuminate their colors.

The brick and tile roof, constantly soaked by rainwater, has developed grayish-green mold spots and trembles in the wind.

The courtyard walls of several houses were made of corn stalks, and through the gaps, one could see piles of blackened firewood inside. Beside the only well, a rusty iron bucket lay askew on the ground, and the well rope was worn and frayed.

As dusk fell, wisps of smoke rose from the crooked chimneys, dissipating before reaching the treetops. The slogans painted with whitewash on the earthen walls were long since faded, leaving only half of the words "Get Rich," which looked particularly ironic in the setting sun.

Yan Kui entered the house, feeling somewhat dejected.

She thought she was mentally prepared, but this backward place, which she could not even imagine, became her hometown.