Chapter 1101 The Returnee's Notes 175
Xie Ning took off her coat. Although it was raining, she was still hot in the coat, so wearing only a wool sweater and short sleeves was just right.
Some pedestrians walked across the bluestone slabs with umbrellas, while others braved the drizzle to shuttle back and forth between the stalls, comparing prices and quality, determined to buy the apples with the best value for money.
Before the Lunar New Year, every household here buys a net bag or two of apples, whether for their own consumption or to entertain guests during the New Year; they are indispensable.
Of course, in addition to selecting some apples of excellent quality, the fruit selection also includes choosing the best oranges and tangerines.
It is used to worship ancestors and heaven and earth during the Chinese New Year.
After the sacrificial ceremony, the blessed fruit is given to the children to eat.
The shouts of vendors, the sounds of bargaining, and the cries of children filled the air as Xie Ning squeezed through the bustling crowd toward his home.
During that time, he was stepped on several times.
But there was nothing she could do. The day she returned home happened to be market day, when there were the most people. If adults didn't hold their children tightly, they would disappear in the blink of an eye.
A stranger with a small bag tied around his waist had set up a stall by the roadside to sell clothes. Xie Ning also spotted a familiar face – Xiao Liu's mother.
She looked better than when we last met, and her eyes were brighter.
He was looking back and forth at a pink coat, which he thought was for Xiao Liu, but he didn't see Xiao Liu there.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Liu was squatting at Xie Ning's door, with a cardboard box next to her.
"Ah Ning! You're back!"
Xiao Liu quickly ran over, her twin ponytails swaying back and forth, full of youthful energy.
"Why are you squatting here?" Xie Ning, holding an umbrella, quickly pulled the person under it.
Xiao Liu was a little embarrassed, "Since you said you were coming back today, I thought I'd bring you a box of oranges. They're all homegrown and super sweet!"
"Yes, I happen to like oranges. Thank you, Xiao Liu."
Xie Ning led Xiao Liu into the house. Seeing that she had sneezed, he boiled water and made her a cup of brown sugar ginger tea to warm her up.
"No need for that trouble, you just got back..."
Xiao Liu looked around Xie Ning's house with some curiosity. Although she already knew that Xie Ning lived here, this was the first time she had come in. In the past, they had always chatted outside.
"No trouble at all." Everything is pre-mixed; just pour it in.
After saying that, he took out three books from his backpack. "These are the reference books and picture albums you wanted. Please check if I bought the wrong ones."
"No, everything I bought was the right thing." Her family didn't have much money to buy her extra books, and the money for the reference books she was buying was something she had secretly saved up.
My dad didn't find out, otherwise it would definitely be gone.
She likes to draw, but she can't show it because adults don't consider it a proper thing to do; only reading books and textbooks are considered proper.
Even with textbooks, she needs some supplementary materials to learn more easily, but that's still not enough.
Because adults always think that the books the school provides are enough, so why would they need to buy more books?
Xiao Liu didn't dare to mention or even think about it before, but now her mother gives her extra pocket money, so she wants to read more books instead of staying in her room reading the few books her older siblings have left.
"Xiao Liu".
"Um?"
"These are the books I've finished reading. You can return them to me when you've finished reading them."
Xiao Liu finally relaxed when Xie Ning didn't say he would give it to her directly.
She was afraid of owing too much and didn't know how to pay it back.
After seeing Xiao Liu off, Xie Ning put the box of paint and the bag of pens she had bought into the drawer, intending to ask Qiu Tong'an to give them to her later.
Xiao Liu doesn't have a cell phone, but he calls her every week, sometimes to ask about her studies, and sometimes just to chat.
Xie Ning could tell that Xiao Liu cherished her as a friend and carefully maintained their relationship.
Qiu Tongan also messaged her and said that Xiao Liu was very introverted and didn't have many friends in class.
The only two I could really get along with were those two.
Although Xie Ning hopes that Xiao Liu can open up a bit and socialize more, she will not force her.
It's just about maintaining a friendship with a young girl; it doesn't take much effort, and the green hills and water that Xiao Liu mentioned are indeed very beautiful.
She's a good person.
"Meow--"
A meow pulled Xie Ning back to reality. Xie Ning walked into the backyard and saw Black Egg nestled in a tree with a small bird in its beak.
The leaves in winter don't even turn yellow, but they're not as lush as in spring and summer, so they can't hide the cat's figure.
"Black Egg? Didn't Grandma take you into the mountains with her?"
So this kitten has been foraging for wild food all this time?
Thinking this, Xie Ning suddenly felt a surge of affection for the kitten. "Come here, I bought you some snacks!"
She still missed Black Egg and bought a lot of cat food, freeze-dried cat food, and cat treats at the mall.
"Meow—"
Upon seeing the delicious food, Black Egg's voice instantly became sweet and coquettish.
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