"Do you really remember me?" Cheng Xinnan looked at him with a complicated expression.
"That, Jinyang," Wu Quemei reminded him, "Every month, it's the Cheng family who transfers money to you in the name of Xinnan."
"I know," Cheng Jinyang said with a smile, "The name on the transfer is written."
"Do you know that the Cheng family's support money is actually only 600 yuan per month?" Wu Quemei added, "The extra 900 yuan is given by Xinnan herself."
"Sister Wu!" Cheng Xinnan frowned and blamed her for mentioning this.
"Really?" Cheng Jinyang looked at her in surprise.
Ah Zhi gives me money every month, that's because she needs something from me; this sister Xinnan sponsors me 900 yuan every month, what's the reason behind it?
"Okay," Cheng Xinnan sighed and explained to him, "Don't burden yourself. I just... in the past, I was taken care of by your parents for a while and received a lot of kindness from them, so I'm just compensating you in return."
"Is that so?" Cheng Jinyang pondered, his mind immediately shifting gears.
Wait, this sister Xinnan... knows about my parents? That's great, it's like getting help just when it rains! Ah Zhi and I were still worried about how to gather information about the Cheng family and my father, and this sister Xinnan just offered it herself? Wait, could it be too coincidental...
While he was filled with doubts, Cheng Xinnan seemed reluctant to dwell on this topic, smiling as she changed the subject:
"That, Jinyang, I heard that uncle arranged a marriage for you before he passed away, with Xing Yuanzhi from Hejian's Xing family, right?"
"Yes," he replied candidly, "She came to see me a few days ago."
"Then what's the situation?" Cheng Xinnan asked seriously, "Does Xing Yuanzhi want to annul the engagement?"
"No," Cheng Jinyang shook his head, "she wants to continue with the engagement."
"You see," Wu Qiumei shrugged, "I told you already, but you didn't believe me. His fiancée came to see me yesterday afternoon, she's quite beautiful, and her manner of speech and temperament are outstanding, truly living up to the name 'Xing Family's Qingfeng'."
"That's really a pity," Cheng Xinnan sighed with regret, "Jinyang, you'll be graduating from high school in the second half of the year, right? I was actually thinking of arranging another marriage for you."
"The family is willing to arrange a marriage for me?" Cheng Jinyang was extremely surprised.
"Yeah," Cheng Xinnan pondered for a moment, then said slowly, "The family's attitude towards your father and you... it's quite complicated, not something that can be explained in just a few words."
"Do I need to avoid it?" Wu Qiumei asked with a smile.
"No need, Sister Wu, I'll take Jinyang out for a stroll," Cheng Xinnan waved her hand, then wrapped her arm around Cheng Jinyang's shoulder, smiling, "Let's go, sister will take you clothes shopping."
"Huh?" Cheng Jinyang hadn't reacted yet when Cheng Xinnan, without any explanation, forcefully pulled him away.
"Oh my," Wu Qiumei watched as she dragged Cheng Jinyang out of the clinic without any resistance, shaking her head with a smile.
"So, hearing about his fiancée's news, you couldn't sit still either, right? Haha."
....
At the back door of the clinic, there was a fiery red streamlined sports car, attracting the attention of many passersby.
"Sister Xinnan, is this your sports car?" Cheng Jinyang looked at it in astonishment.
He had been in this world for three years and knew a little about the car culture here. Apart from custom-made special models, the most high-end among mass-produced cars was the sports car brand "Fenglin Huoshan" crafted by the royal artisans.
As the name suggests, Fenglin Huoshan represents four different types of cars. Cheng Xinnan's sports car was the "Huoshan" of Fenglin Huoshan, known for its strong acceleration, high horsepower, and high fuel consumption. It was said that the starting price was over 50 million.
So much so that Cheng Jinyang dared only to look and not touch it now; he estimated that rubbing off a piece of paint would cost tens of thousands.
"What sports car? Just a daily commute for me," Cheng Xinnan waved her hand generously, "Get in, sister will take you for a spin, and then buy you some clothes."
She casually put on sunglasses, pulled Cheng Jinyang into the car, and then sped off.
In the old house on the other side, Xing Yuanzhi was watching TV when she suddenly felt something was amiss.
She knew the location of Wu Quemei's Clinic, so logically, Cheng Jinyang should have returned by now.
This guy... what's going on? He's supposed to be back for training at the field this afternoon!
After waiting for a while and not seeing Cheng Jinyang return, Xing Yuanzhi picked up her phone and sent a message: "Where are you?"
The message traveled through the wireless communication network and quickly reached Cheng Jinyang's phone.
The phone vibrated, but it didn't catch the owner's attention because the whole sports car was speeding on the Jiangkang Ring Expressway, racing away with the wind.
"Sister Xinnan!" Cheng Jinyang finally couldn't help but shout, "It's too fast! Really too fast!"
"What did you say?" Cheng Xinnan stepped on the brake, slowing down the car.
"You're driving too fast," Cheng Jinyang said cautiously.
"What's wrong? Haven't you ridden in a sports car before?" Cheng Xinnan continued to hold the steering wheel with her left hand, while her right hand rested on his shoulder, smiling gracefully. "A sports car is meant to be driven at over 120 kilometers per hour to feel the thrill."
Although she said it carelessly, she still slowed the speed to below 60 kilometers per hour, so Cheng Jinyang could get used to it.
"How about it, shall we go climb Tianque Mountain next?" She asked with a smile.
"Uh." Cheng Jinyang politely declined, "I have to practice my abilities in the afternoon."
"Is that so? Did you manage to get the algorithm for universal gravitation?" Cheng Xinnan was somewhat surprised. "Hmm, I was planning to give this to you."
She reached under the car seat and pulled out a USB drive, tossing it to Cheng Jinyang.
"What's this?"
"All the algorithms for universal gravitation, from the ninth grade to the sixth grade, are in it." Cheng Xinnan looked at the road ahead, her fingers with bright nail polish tapping on the steering wheel.
"Originally meant as your graduation gift... but if I didn't give it to you now, you might not need it anymore, haha."
She laughed as she drove the sports car, exiting the highway at the Nanzhuang interchange and then heading north towards the city center.
Jiankang City's commercial center is located on both sides of the Qinhuai River. The shopping malls are mainly concentrated around Xinjiekou, which is the busiest and most lively area.
Once the car was parked in the parking lot, she pulled Cheng Jinyang out of the car and smiled, saying, "Since you have something to do this afternoon, let's aim to finish this battle within an hour! First... it's the graduation hat!"
"Huh?" Cheng Jinyang was somewhat puzzled.
"You'll be graduating from high school in the second half of the year. Graduation requires a hat. Don't you know that?" Cheng Xinnan pulled him along briskly and rushed to the nearest cap shop, carefully selecting one.
"How about trying this one?" She picked up a silver-threaded hat from the shelf, thin as cicada wings, with fluttering tassels on both sides.
"The Radiant Moon Seven Stars cap, exuding an elegant and refined scholarly style, suitable for those with a slender figure. It's perfect for attending literary gatherings."
Putting the silver-threaded cap on his head, Cheng Jinyang looked at himself in the mirror, feeling as if he had suddenly become a scholar from the stories of "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," being teased and played with by a charming fox spirit, unable to resist.
"Tsk, handsome young gentleman," Cheng Xinnan remarked as she looked at him in the mirror.
She took off the silver-threaded cap, tossed it to the shop assistant for packaging, and then picked up a black one.
"How about trying this Ink Bamboo Brilliance cap? It has a stable and dignified style, which can make you appear more mature. You can wear this when meeting elders in the family in the future."
"Not bad, quite handsome." She placed the black cap on Cheng Jinyang's head, inspected it in the mirror for a moment, and then tossed it to the shop assistant. "Shorten the tassels by 3 centimeters and then pack it up for us."
"Do I really need so many caps?" Cheng Jinyang exclaimed in astonishment.
"Of course," Cheng Xinnan said as a matter of fact. "Caps are the mark of a gentleman. How can one afford to be without them? When Confucius traveled to various states, he ran out of food near the state of Chen. His disciples sold everything they could, leaving only the clothes on their backs and the caps on their heads, just those two items."
"Confucius's disciple Zilu was once criticized by Confucius for wearing tattered clothes, and Confucius didn't approve of him wearing clothes made from fox or badger fur. As a result, Zilu, deeply remorseful, 'had only one sword left at home, but dozens of caps,' according to the Zhou ritual, preparing more than ten caps to be suitable for different occasions."
"Afterward, there was the chaos of Kuai Kui's rebellion. Zilu entered the city, and his hatband was cut off by Shi Qi. He still said, 'A true gentleman will die rather than lose his hat.' He then bravely faced death after fixing his hat..."
"Okay, okay." Cheng Jinyang couldn't resist her endless lectures and allusions. With insufficient cultural literacy, he had no way to argue back. "I was wrong."
"Exactly." Cheng Xinnan smiled like a crescent moon. "Let's start by buying the hat, then we can choose the robe, shirt, sash, trousers, ceremonial attire, daily wear, travel wear... We can take our time selecting them."
Cheng Jinyang: ???
Weren't we supposed to finish this in an hour?