The next morning, Fan Jian bought breakfast for everyone.
Each meal cost less than five yuan, a price that people in the city could only envy.
Fan Jian owned a house in the city, but he had returned to the village for his sister's matter. Su Baizhou's aunt, his wife, was still in the city working.
As they sat at the table, the atmosphere felt a bit awkward.
Luo Ye and Su Baizhou couldn't help but recall what had happened the night before. Neither dared to look at the other.
Their relationship seemed to have frozen in an instant, but there wasn't any tension between them.
Fan Jian couldn't quite describe it, but Fan Xinya understood right away.
This wasn't a matter of a bad relationship; it was more like they had reached a critical point of a breakthrough.
Once the two young people could get through this stage, their relationship would naturally progress.
Fan Xinya smiled and handed Luo Ye a boiled egg. "Xiao Ye, you look a little unwell. You should eat more protein."
"Thank you, Auntie," Luo Ye replied politely.
He had been staying up late every night, so he did indeed feel a bit drained.
Fan Xinya added, "Xiao Ye, you and our Fanfan go to the same school. Make sure to look out for her. She doesn't have a regular schedule, and even though you two are young, you should think about the future."
"Yes, Auntie. I'll remind her regularly."
Fan Xinya had been a workaholic when she was younger, a strong woman who was highly admired at her company, which had caused some dissatisfaction with her husband.
Not everyone liked a strong woman, and not everyone liked a woman who was better than themselves.
After breakfast, Fan Jian called for Luo Ye and Su Baizhou and hopped on his electric tricycle.
As they sat in the back, Luo Ye curiously asked, "Uncle, where are we going?"
Upon hearing "uncle," Su Baizhou glanced at Luo Ye but didn't say anything.
Fan Jian replied, "Yesterday Fanfan said you didn't bring any spare clothes, so today, I'm taking you to the town to buy a couple of sets."
When Su Baizhou heard Fan Jian call himself "uncle," she looked at the front again, wondering when these two had come to an agreement.
Fan Jian had been so harsh on Luo Ye the day before—how had their relationship changed so suddenly?
Soon, the tricycle stopped at the town.
Today was a special day: the market day!
The market was crowded, and there weren't many people dressed extravagantly; most people were dressed simply.
Everywhere, the sounds of bargaining could be heard, with some people even arguing with the vendors to lower the prices.
Su Baizhou appeared unfazed by the scene.
Today, she was dressed simply as well—an ordinary white long-sleeve shirt and loose black pants.
She wore no makeup, and her hair was tied in a bun at the back of her head, giving her a refined, elegant appearance.
At that moment, Fan Jian received a phone call from Fan Xinya.
After listening for a moment, his expression changed, and he looked at Luo Ye and Su Baizhou.
Then, he muttered to himself aloud, "Ah! Something's happened at home? They want me to go back? Alright, alright, I'll leave immediately."
Without giving Luo Ye or Su Baizhou a chance to react, Fan Jian jumped on the tricycle and shouted, "Fanfan, buy two sets of clothes for Xiao Ye. Take him around the market, and call me when you're done. I'll come pick you up."
With that, the tricycle roared to life, and Fan Jian sped off with a screech, leaving Luo Ye and Su Baizhou standing there, stunned as they watched it disappear.
"Uh... Senior?"
Luo Ye glanced at Su Baizhou's profile, and his mind replayed the events from the night before.
He lowered his head, feeling too embarrassed to look at her.
Su Baizhou turned around and said softly, "Let's go."
She walked ahead, and Luo Ye followed, nervously looking around at the bustling market.
An aunt nearby stopped him and cheerfully asked, "Young man, fresh white carp, want one?"
"No... thank you." Luo Ye politely refused.
The noise around him made him feel a bit anxious.
"Clearance sale! Everything for 9.9 yuan!"
"Snails! Fried snails! Young man, want a portion?"
"Discounts, discounts, watermelons cheap, not sweet, no money!"
The enthusiastic vendors were overwhelming, and Luo Ye instinctively moved closer to Su Baizhou, as if being near her was his only protection from being swarmed by the stall owners.
Su Baizhou looked at him with a subtle smile, as if she might laugh at any moment.
She leaned in and whispered, "What color do you like?"
By now, they had reached the street with the clothes shops.
There were so many clothes to choose from that Luo Ye could hardly keep up.
The prices were incredibly low—right next to him, there were three pairs of pants for 99 yuan. Was that for real?
"Anything... whatever you like, Senior."
Hearing that, Su Baizhou stepped forward and approached one of the vendors.
Luo Ye then realized that her sleeves had been rolled up. It looked like she was preparing for a showdown.
She pointed to a pink top priced at 300 yuan and said, "How about 50 yuan?"
Luo Ye's eyes went wide.
50? She's cutting the price by six times? Won't she get kicked out?
The vendor's face changed instantly, realizing he was up against a tough opponent.
Su Baizhou, though young, wasn't afraid to bargain hard.
"50, young lady? This is way below cost! How about 260?"
"80 at most, or I'll leave."
Su Baizhou turned and took a step away, clearly intending to walk away.
"Hey, what about 150? 120? 100?"
Luo Ye thought Su Baizhou would give in now, but she kept walking.
The vendor gritted his teeth and shouted, "Fine, 80, just take it!"
Luo Ye's mouth dropped open, utterly stunned.
Fairy Senior... she's amazing!
In his heart, Luo Ye gave Su Baizhou a thumbs-up.
They spent the rest of the day going from shop to shop, bargaining for various items.
Eventually, Su Baizhou bought two sets of clothes for Luo Ye, all for less than 300 yuan.
Though the clothes weren't exactly fashionable, they suited Luo Ye perfectly. And, they had the added charm of being bought by Su Baizhou, which gave them an extra special meaning.
Afterward, they continued to explore the market, picking up various snacks along the way.
Today, Su Baizhou would be cooking.
Seeing how happy Luo Ye had been with the food Fan Xinya made yesterday, Su Baizhou felt a bit competitive.
So, she bought a fish and a chicken, both still alive.
Luo Ye carried the fish in one hand and the chicken in the other as they waited outside the market for Fan Jian to pick them up.
"Should we kill them now?" Luo Ye asked.
"Mm... I'll personally send them off to the afterlife."
Luo Ye froze for a second before bursting into laughter.
It seemed that the awkwardness between him and Su Baizhou was finally gone.
And walking around the market with her felt oddly like a married couple going shopping together.