"Let's go to town!" As soon as Shen Qiqi finished speaking, it was like throwing a stone into a calm lake, causing small ripples.
Lu Qing "Okay, let's go!" He responded readily, as if the place Shen Qiqi was going to was a secret place full of treasures.
The two walked side by side on the path leading to the town. The autumn breeze blew, bringing the mature scent of the fields.
Shen Qiqi's face was filled with anticipation, as if she was about to open a blind box full of surprises in the next second.
She hummed a tune all the way, her steps as light as a happy little bird, while Lu Qing followed silently beside her, her eyes so gentle that tears could drip from them. The two of them walked side by side, becoming the most beautiful scenery on the ridge of the field.
Art shops in the town were considered a rarity in that era. There was a slightly old wooden sign hanging at the door with the words "Li's Art Shop" written in large regular script. People came and went in front of the door, making it very lively.
Walking into the store, there was a dazzling array of various painting tools, paints, and papers, and the air was filled with a faint scent of ink. Shen Qiqi seemed to have come to a whole new world. She looked around curiously, wishing she could take everything home.
"What would you two like to buy?" A middle-aged man in a gray Mao suit and with shiny hair came over with a smile on his face and a shrewd gleam in his eyes. He was the owner of Li Art Store.
Shen Qiqi withdrew her gaze from the store, walked forward with a smile, and got straight to the point, "Boss, I want to buy some brushes, paints, and paper. I want the best!"
When Boss Li heard this, his smile became even brighter. He rubbed his hands together, and his eyes narrowed into slits with laughter. "This comrade has really good eyesight. The things in my store are all top-notch!" As he spoke, he deftly took out some paintbrushes, paints and paper, placed them on the counter, and introduced them seriously, as if what he was selling were not painting supplies, but some rare treasures.
Shen Qiqi picked up a box of paint and looked at it carefully. Suddenly, the smile on her face froze. She picked up the price tag and her eyes widened.
This price is simply outrageous!
"Boss, isn't your price a bit too expensive?" she asked tentatively, with a hint of disbelief in her tone.
Lu Qing stood aside and frowned when he saw the number on the price tag. Although he didn't understand art, he knew that the price was absolutely unreasonable.
Seeing this, Boss Li continued to smile, as if he had anticipated this. He cleared his throat and said, "Comrade, you are a connoisseur. All these things of mine come from big cities, and the quality is absolutely guaranteed. You get what you pay for!" He lowered his voice with a mysterious tone, "Besides, these things are limited editions. If you miss this opportunity, you'll never see this store again!"
Shen Qiqi felt like a bucket of cold water was poured over her heart when she heard what Boss Li said. A depressing atmosphere spread in her heart. She looked at those colorful paints and felt that they were no longer symbols of art, but the naked smell of money.
Lu Qing held Shen Qiqi's hand, wanting to give her some comfort, his eyes full of heartache.
"It seems that today's shopping didn't go well." She curled her lips, pretending to be relaxed. Then her eyes locked onto the items again. She had a feeling that this matter was not that simple. She said to Boss Li, "Boss, let me take another look."
Shen Qiqi walked around the counter, scanning every item with her eyes like a scanner.
She picked up a box of paint and shook it gently. The paint made a slight rustling sound. She unscrewed the lid and a pungent smell hit her face.
"Boss, there seems to be something wrong with your paint. It smells wrong and it's a bit clumpy." Shen Qiqi wrinkled her nose in disgust.
Boss Li's face changed slightly when he heard this. He quickly came over, snatched the paint box, and examined it carefully. "That's impossible! This is imported paint. How could there be a problem?" He smiled awkwardly. "Maybe it's been stored for a long time and it's a little damp."
Shen Qiqi laughed inwardly but remained expressionless on the surface. She continued to pick up a paintbrush and carefully observed the hairs at the tip. She pulled it gently and found that a few hairs fell off. "Boss, your brush is not working well. It's shedding hairs so badly. How can I paint?" She shook her head helplessly.
Boss Li began to sweat on his forehead. This was the most expensive item in his store. If this little girl found out, he would suffer a huge loss.
"This... this might have been accidentally crushed during transportation. I'll replace it for you." He quickly took out a new paintbrush from the counter and handed it to Shen Qiqi.
Shen Qiqi took the paintbrush, picked up a piece of paper, and held it up to the light. "Boss, your paper is not good either. It's uneven in thickness and has wrinkles. How can I draw a detailed picture on it?" She sighed in pretended disappointment.
Boss Li was completely panicked now. This little girl had such a sharp eye that she could find all the flaws in his store.
"Comrade, you are so thoughtful. How about this, I will give you a discount?" He said with a smile.
Shen Qiqi smiled slightly, "Discount? That depends on how much." She raised her eyebrows.
Finally, after some bargaining, Shen Qiqi bought the art supplies she needed at a very favorable price.
She proudly raised the shopping bag in her hand and winked at Lu Qing. "Well, am I awesome?"
Lu Qing looked at Shen Qiqi's lively appearance, his eyes full of doting, "Amazing, my Qiqi is the best." He gently rubbed Shen Qiqi's hair.
Shen Qiqi took Lu Qing's arm and walked out of the art store. The setting sun stretched the figures of the two people out long.
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