Chapter 4.004. God, you've given us so much after all. ...
At noon, Chenzhoudu took a nap in his room. After the midday heat subsided, he decided to go out to get something to eat and buy some daily necessities.
He came in a hurry this time, only bringing some basic necessities and summer clothes. Tongcheng is cooler at night than Shanghai, so he will need to bring more clothes and daily necessities.
When I went out, Xia Chan had already disappeared again. The only person in the courtyard was the receptionist, who was dozing off with the fan blowing on her desk.
She seemed to hear someone coming downstairs and was startled awake. She quickly looked up and was gently gestured to go back to sleep. She smiled shyly at him and lay back down to continue sleeping.
Chenzhoudu found a restaurant that was said to be a local specialty of Qingshui, Tongcheng. The dishes were just some ordinary home-style dishes, but the aroma was extremely strong.
Shanghai cuisine tends to be light and sweet, but the dishes here are mainly savory and fragrant, and the portions are quite large.
He initially ordered four dishes, but the restaurant waiter hesitated several times to confirm if there was anyone else. After learning that he was alone, the waiter gently advised him that it was too much and eventually reduced it to two dishes.
But when the dishes arrived, the enormous plates almost made his jaw drop, and he ultimately couldn't finish them and had to take them home.
After finishing our meal, Chenzhou took a ferry to Tianhe Street shopping mall to buy things.
There aren't many brands in Tianhe Street Shopping Mall, but the selection is fairly complete, and some well-known old brands' classic models aren't outdated or old-fashioned.
The basement level of the mall also has a large wholesale market with a wide variety of products, but the quality varies and you have to search for the best.
Chen Zhoudu first bought some shirts and sportswear at the brand stores upstairs. Since there weren't any reliable home furnishing brands in the mall, he searched for items like bed sheets, clothes hangers, and storage boxes at the wholesale market.
I asked around and found the prices were very cheap, so I ended up buying a whole bunch of stuff without even realizing it.
An older woman had been following him. When Chen Zhoudu noticed her, she had been following him for who knows how long. She stood a short distance away, seemingly wanting to speak but then stopping. Chen Zhoudu, puzzled, could only nod politely at her.
Seeing his friendly attitude, the woman finally mustered up the courage to come forward and asked hesitantly, "Young man, why don't you know how to bargain?"
Chenzhou Ferry has never negotiated prices, nor does he know how to do so.
Seeing his bewildered look, the older woman sighed and rolled up her sleeves as if to show off her skills, "Which one have you taken a fancy to?"
He pointed to a bed sheet, and the woman immediately stepped forward and started bargaining.
The bed sheet was priced at 120, but the older woman immediately asked for 60.
Chen Zhoudu, standing nearby, was terrified and thought that if they couldn't reach an agreement, they should just give up. But the two argued back and forth, finally settling on a price of sixty-five yuan. He was still somewhat dazed as he paid and carried his shopping bag.
The middle-aged woman, however, was beaming with joy. Her bright eyes stared at Chenzhou Ferry and she asked, "Young man, you're not a local, are you?"
Chen Zhoudu, not wanting to cause any trouble, simply said he was visiting relatives. Upon hearing this, the old woman's face lit up with delight as she looked him up and down several times, then she murmured to herself, "Visiting relatives is good, visiting relatives is good..."
She whispered to him, "Our place is small, so things might not be as expensive as outside, but you can't just not ask for anything. Otherwise, if they see you like that, they'll definitely try to rip you off!"
Chen Zhoudu was both grateful and somewhat bewildered, wanting to ask her why she had helped him. The old lady had already looked him up and down several times with admiration, muttering, "This young man is really good... really handsome!" and walked away with a smile.
It was nearly evening when we returned to the "ferry," and the summer breeze was just right.
In front of the house next to "Crossing", there was an aunt in a pink dress rocking in the sun. She glanced at him and stood up as if she had seen something in surprise.
Hey! It's you!
Shen Zhoudu immediately recognized her as the elderly woman he had accidentally bumped into at the train station yesterday.
He still felt somewhat embarrassed and apologetic about what happened yesterday, so he stopped, nodded politely to her, and said, "Hello."
The older woman stood up with great surprise, looked him up and down, and asked in astonishment, "What are you doing here?"
He pointed to the "Du" next to him, and the old lady suddenly remembered something, slapped her thigh and laughed, "That's right! You and Chan left yesterday, and you booked a room at 'Du' in advance. Look at my terrible memory!"
Chen Zhoudu paused for a moment before realizing what was going on. It seemed that Xia Chan hadn't told them about the misunderstanding.
The woman was still concerned about his suitcase and asked him how it was doing. She said that if it wasn't fixed, he could send it to her family to fix it if he didn't mind.
When Chen Zhoudu picked up his suitcase, he felt even more apologetic and embarrassed, saying that everything had been resolved.
He had placed his suitcase next to the public trash can in the alley when he left home today, but it was gone when he glanced at it now. It must have been cleaned up by the sanitation workers.
The woman was relieved upon hearing this, and was about to say something when she suddenly heard a voice calling for help from inside the house.
"Mom! Please help me check if I've set the temperature wrong! Oh dear, it's all tangled up and so hot..."
Then, a pretty and charming girl, wearing a barber's cape and with many curlers wrapped around her head, came running out of the house with a frown.
She paused for a moment when she saw the sunken boat, then her beautiful eyebrows furrowed again as she faced the old lady.
The older woman was taken aback when she saw her like this, and quickly frowned and slapped her twice to scold her, "Oh, I told you not to perm your hair! School is about to start, what are you doing!" Then she smiled apologetically at Chen Zhoudu and shoved her into the house to fix her hair.
Chen Zhoudu glanced subconsciously at her doorstep and saw a simple sign that clearly read: "Fengchao Hotel, Hairdressing, Old Appliance Repair".
After fixing the girl's hair, the older woman came out somewhat embarrassed and said, "My daughter, all she cares about is looking pretty and not studying! She's almost a senior in high school, really..."
Chen Zhoudu smiled and shook his head. Suddenly, another figure squeezed in from the side path. It was a tall and big boy.
Slightly chubby, like Gian, with a憨厚 and cute appearance, he carried a bag of mung bean ice in his hand, his face covered in sweat, and while wiping the sweat, he called out, "Mom, I'm home!"
The woman immediately pulled him to her side, as if afraid he might bump into her, and introduced him with a smile, "My son, Fat Tiger!"
"He really is called Fat Tiger!" Shen Zhoudu couldn't help but laugh. He put down the bag of things he was carrying and extended his hand to him, "Hello, Shen Zhoudu."
Fat Tiger rubbed his hand awkwardly and shook hands with him. "Hello, Chao Tianhu... Um, would you like some mung bean ice?"
Shen Zhoudu shook his head and refused, then gave him another simple smile and went inside.
The woman's surname was Chao, and she was Xia Chan's neighbor. After learning that Chen Zhoudu would be staying at the "ferry" for quite some time, she became even more enthusiastic, claiming that they would all be family from then on and that they could tell her if they needed anything.
This unreserved enthusiasm made Chenzhoudu feel even more ashamed, and he solemnly apologized for what happened yesterday.
Aunt Chao waved her hand magnanimously upon hearing this, saying that she didn't remember at all, and told him not to take it to heart, and then took her leave before she finished cooking.
Back at "Du", the courtyard was bustling with the atmosphere of dinner.
Grandma and the receptionist were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen on the first floor. When she saw him return, the old lady poked her head out of the window with a smile and asked, "You're back! Want to share dinner?"
There were still many leftover dishes at Chenzhou Ferry at noon, so I thought I wouldn't make any more today and politely declined with a smile.
He went back to his room and organized all the things he had bought that day. Just as he was finishing, he heard the sound of a motorcycle turning off outside the courtyard.
He subconsciously looked out the window and saw two figures stepping off an old motorcycle one after the other outside the courtyard.
The girl in the back seat wore red cargo pants and a loose black T-shirt tied in a knot at the waist, revealing a slender waist.
She took off her helmet and shook it, her sweat-dampened long and short hair falling messily over her shoulders, revealing a face that was still beautiful despite being covered in sweat.
Then the person riding the motorcycle in front of him also got off and took off his helmet; it turned out to be the same blond guy from yesterday.
Chen Zhoudu involuntarily stepped out the door and stood on the third-floor corridor, looking down. In the courtyard, Grandma and the receptionist were setting out food on the outdoor table, saying, "You're back."
"Grandma~" The blond-haired boy, clutching his helmet and rummaging through his blond hair, came in with a grin. Xia Chan followed slowly behind him.
In a casual glance, Xia Chan and Huang Mao both spotted the sunken ferry upstairs.
Xia Chan remained calm, but the blond-haired man, after a moment of surprise, bristled like a wolfhound whose tail had been stepped on. He pointed at him and shouted, "What are you doing here?!"
His voice was so loud and sudden that the old lady covered her ears and slapped him. Chen Zhoudu calmly walked downstairs, his lips slightly pursed.
Seeing him standing in front of him, the blond-haired man was even more incredulous. He looked him up and down and then roared furiously, "What are you doing here? You dare to come here? You weren't satisfied with picking a fight yesterday, so you came all this way today, huh? Get out of here right now! Let me tell you..."
Shen Zhoudu glanced at Xia Chan, who stood behind him with a calm expression. He was about to speak when Xia Chan suddenly raised her hand and swiftly shoveled the back of Huang Mao's head, saying calmly, "Apologize."
The sunken boatman was stunned. The blond-haired man was also stunned.
The blond-haired man covered the back of his head and looked back at her in disbelief.
Then she said in a completely emotionless tone, "How can you talk to God like that?"
"..." The title "God" made Chen Zhoudu feel inexplicably uncomfortable.
The blond-haired man blinked blankly, as if he had already understood something, and exclaimed in astonishment, "You let him stay at 'Du'?!"
Xia Chan simply stared at Chen Zhoudu expressionlessly, taking it as tacit agreement.
"Sis, are you crazy?!" The blond-haired guy exploded even more, ignoring the pain in the back of his head, shouting, "You saw how he treated us yesterday! Why did you let him stay here? Didn't he say he wasn't going to stay? Aren't there enough hotels in this town for him? Why did you let him stay here?!"
Xia Chan slightly furrowed her brows, seemingly annoyed by the noise. "Because he gave me money."
"..." The blond-haired man choked for a moment, "Even if you offer him money, you can't let him stay! It's a matter of dignity!"
"Last time you took that job, how did they insult you? You still took it in the end, didn't you? What happened to your dignity? Did they eat it?" She glanced at him indifferently, her tone barely containing her last bit of patience.
"..." The blond-haired man's face turned red, and he choked on his words, unable to speak. Chen Zhoudu glanced between the two of them and felt that if he tried to explain anything now, it would probably escalate the conflict, so he simply kept quiet.
Just then, Grandma was already tapping her chopsticks at the table not far away, urging everyone to hurry up.
"Are you all going to eat or not? If you're not going to eat, I won't save any for you! This constant bickering between the neighbors makes them think we're at war three times over..."
Despite his resentment, Huang Mao suppressed his anger, glared at Chen Zhoudu as he walked past him, and bumped into his shoulder.
Xia Chan glanced at him blankly and went to the sink to wash her hands. Chen Zhoudu hesitated for a moment, then followed her, stopping a step behind her at the communal sink.
"No need to thank me." However, before he could speak, Xia Chan spoke first.
Chen Zhoudu fell silent for a moment, staring at her in astonishment.
She turned off the tap, leaned casually against the edge of the sink, and adopted a relaxed and languid posture.
Then she deliberately shook her hand, and the splashing water droplets hit Shen Zhoudu's face and body, feeling icy cold.
Chen Zhoudu subconsciously closed his eyes, wanting to back away, but inexplicably tightened his fingertips and held back.
In that instant, a hint of unexpected amusement suddenly appeared in Xia Chan's eyes. She walked past him, flicking her hand as she passed, and said jokingly as she brushed past him, "After all, you've given too much."
"..."
A note from the author:
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Thank you to the fairies "Hoshino" and "ShallowDream" for the nutrient solution! [Sprinkling flowers] See you tomorrow, goodnight! [Blue heart]
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