This was the second time Luo Ming had grabbed his hand today. She held on tight, as if afraid he might slip away if she wasn’t careful, completely ignoring the scattered, curious glances from those around them.
the girl’s hand was as exquisite and delicate as white porcelain, carrying a slight chill. She led him a good distance before finally stopping. Her fingers slowly let go, showing none of the bashfulness one might expect; her demeanor remained poised and natural.
“There’s no need to be in such a rush. It’s fine to walk slowly,” Gu Yu said, coming to a halt.
Luo Ming turned her head and looked back into the distance. On the straight stretch of the Old Street, the woman’s figure was no longer visible. They had finally left each other’s line of sight.
“We’re almost there. Let’s walk the last bit slowly.”
Luo Ming looked at the dazed Gu Yu and stepped to his side. She keenly noticed a bead of sweat on his temple. His body temperature seemed to have risen, and a deep, suppressed crimson was hidden along his neck and cheeks.
She grabbed the hand hanging by Gu Yu’s side, lifted it, and asked, “Do you want to keep holding hands?”
“No, there’s no need.”
Gu Yu hurriedly pulled his hand back. The warm yet slightly cold sensation lingered. By comparison, he felt like the one who couldn’t let go. Their relationship hadn’t reached that point yet, but Luo Ming didn’t seem to care about physical contact between a man and a woman at all. She treated it like a joke, which made him feel extremely out of place.
When they reached the shop entrance, the Boss was busy working alone. There didn’t seem to be many customers, so he could handle it by himself.
Seeing Gu Yu and Luo Ming arrive, the Boss quickly finished serving the customers at hand, paused, and handed them a slip of paper. “Put your bags down first. Go help the shop buy some things. Everything is written on here. It’s about 200 yuan. Whatever you manage to save through bargaining is yours.”
As he spoke, he pulled a wallet from his pocket, handed two bills to Luo Ming, and turned back to attend to the customers.
“Thank you, Boss. We’re heading out then.”
“Go on, go on. It’s just the Vegetable Market and the Supermarket at the end of the street. Come back soon.”
At the other end of this street was a Vegetable Market that had been open for decades. It supplied the food needs of hundreds of households in the neighborhood. Fruits, vegetables, chicken, duck, fish, and meat were all fresh and plentiful. Many regulars were well-acquainted with the vendors.
Since it was the peak time for students leaving school and people getting off work, there were quite a few people. Gu Yu looked at the stalls displaying various vegetables and found several items on the list, but he stood there in a daze, unable to make a move.
He usually just made do with his daily meals, either eating at school or buying discounted ingredients online. He rarely faced a transaction like this directly. It wasn’t that it was difficult; it was mostly because he had never really haggled before, let alone dealt with these experienced and calculating elderly vendors.
Every cent saved was income. The thought of overpaying for something made his heart ache, and besides, Luo Ming had a share in this too.
“Are there potatoes on the list? Let me see?” Luo Ming stood in front of a stall and asked Gu Yu.
Gu Yu handed over the note. “Oh, oh, yes, there are.”
Luo Ming glanced at it, picked up a few muddy potatoes from the stall to weigh them, and put on the air of an expert. A sweet smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Sir, how much are the potatoes?”
The man quoted a price. Luo Ming let the smile on her lips fade slightly, appearing somewhat hesitant. “That’s so expensive. Could you make it cheaper, Sir? We’re just students, and we didn’t bring enough money. Look at how small these potatoes are.”
“This is the price, young lady. It’s already the cheapest. You won’t find a lower price than mine anywhere else.”
“Oh, come on, Sir, just a bit cheaper. Look at us coming out to buy groceries in this cold weather before we’ve even had a chance to eat. If you give us a discount, we’ll buy more.”
The old man eventually couldn’t withstand Luo Ming’s persistent coaxing. They saved several yuan on a bag of potatoes. The girl took them and gave a sweet “thank you.”
Gu Yu couldn’t help but marvel at how his life experience paled in comparison to hers. He quickly became Luo Ming’s foil, silently carrying the various ingredients as he followed her through almost every corner of the Vegetable Market.
At the last stall, they encountered a talkative woman who eventually asked about their relationship. Seeing two high school students in uniform buying groceries together after school, the woman naturally guessed that Gu Yu was Luo Ming’s brother and asked her so.
Luo Ming smiled and hugged the boy’s arm. “No, I’m his Older Sister.”
“Oh, an Older Sister. You do look alike. Here, these few green onions that nobody wanted are a gift for you two siblings.”
Luo Ming let go of Gu Yu’s arm, took the onions, said thank you, and led him out of the Vegetable Market.
They had almost everything they needed, except for a few seasonings they had to get from the Supermarket. Gu Yu took the initiative to carry most of the heavy items. Stooping slightly, his pace slowed as he followed behind Luo Ming.
He noticed that the girl had lost that lively and cheerful energy from a moment ago, returning to her usual quiet and gentle appearance. It was as if that persona was merely a temporary mask she wore for others.
After a moment of thought, Gu Yu asked, “Luo Ming, do you often buy groceries alone?”
“Yes. There’s a Vegetable Market near my house too. Most of the stall owners there know me, so I don’t need to bargain like that.”
“But just now… you seemed so skilled at it.”
“I learned it from watching others—the kind of things people say to lower the price.”
Luo Ming pulled out the slip of paper again and checked it against the remaining money. They had saved about ten or twenty yuan.
“You can’t bargain for things in the Supermarket. We saved about twenty. Gu Yu, here’s ten yuan for you.”
Luo Ming pulled out a ten-yuan bill and turned around to give it to Gu Yu. Seeing both his hands full, she stepped over and stuffed it into his school uniform pocket.
“Thanks. I feel like I didn’t really help with much.”
“Didn’t you help carry the things? Besides, without you, I wouldn’t have gotten those free green onions.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
The Supermarket wasn’t far from the Vegetable Market; it was only a few steps away. Seeing the boy’s hands full of heavy bags, Luo Ming told him to rest at the entrance while she went inside.
Gu Yu set down the heavy bags that had made his hands ache and leaned against the wall. He caught a rich, milky fragrance in the air. Turning his head, he saw milk tea being heated at the Supermarket counter.
Luo Ming selected the seasonings according to the list. The Boss was rigorous and serious about his cooking, even specifying the brands clearly. She paid for the bags of salt and MSG and walked out to see Gu Yu waiting for her at the door with two cups of milk tea.
“You spent the saved money just like that?” Luo Ming asked with a smile.
“They’re six yuan a cup. I even had to add another two yuan.” Gu Yu thrust a cup toward Luo Ming. “Consider it a thank you for all the help you’ve given me. Drink it while it’s hot to warm yourself up.”
“I helped you because I wanted to. You didn’t need to worry about it… but thanks anyway.”
Luo Ming used the straw to puncture the plastic film of the cup, inserted it, and took a sip. The warm, sweet liquid flooded her mouth, sending warmth through her blood.
She tucked the seasonings into the bags, taking two or three of the large ones to share the load with Gu Yu, and walked beside him.
She drank half the milk tea, which relieved the dry thirst in her throat, but Luo Ming knew there was a more important craving to satisfy. She glanced sideways at the boy’s handsome profile, and saliva pooled in her mouth.
“I can’t finish it. Gu Yu, do you want some?” Luo Ming shook the cup in her hand and asked him.
“Huh? If you can’t finish it, just throw it away.”
Luo Ming took out the straw, turned it around, and reinserted it. “You drink it. It would be a waste to throw it away.”
Gu Yu remained silent. For some reason, he took it, took a few sips, and finished the rest of the milk tea.