"Brother-in-law, thank you so much for earlier. That enforcement officer was so unreasonable, he even tried to flip over our stall."
As soon as they got home, Song Xinran invited Ding Jianjun to sit down.
Song Yu dashed into the kitchen, washed a cup clean, poured water for Ding Jianjun, and presented it to him with both hands: "Uncle, have some water."
Ding Jianjun took the cup, looking at the little one's round eyes, he couldn't help but pat his head: "Xiao Yu is so well-behaved."
Song Yu squirmed a bit uncomfortably. He thought his mother's head pats were comfortable, soft and gentle, but Uncle's pats weren't pleasant – his hand was as big as a palm-leaf fan and too strong.
But being a good child, Song Yu didn't avoid it, instead trying his best to give Ding Jianjun a shy smile.
Delighted, Ding Jianjun couldn't resist giving one more pat, thinking to himself that his face couldn't be as scary as his comrades said – children seemed to like him well enough.
When he finally withdrew his hand, Song Yu immediately ran off.
Ding Jianjun turned to Song Xinran and comforted her: "Little sister, that kind of person is just a local ruffian, don't be afraid."
But right after saying this, Ding Jianjun realized he was wrong. When he arrived, Song Xinran hadn't shown any fear at all. Her series of sharp, clear questions had directly deflated Lai Zhimin's aggressive stance.
If Song Xinran had been a stronger man, Lai Zhimin might have been scared off on the spot.
"You're so quick-witted in both speech and action. Even if I hadn't come, you definitely would have found a way to drive him off," Ding Jianjun said.
Song Xinran smiled: "Brother-in-law, you're being too modest and polite. We're really lucky you came today. By the way, is Sister Yun at home? Why don't you invite her to have dinner at our place? Thanks to Sister Yun, we've installed a liquefied gas tank at home too, perfect for trying it out."
Ding Jianjun instinctively wanted to refuse. Song Xinran had just cooked for them yesterday, it wouldn't be right to trouble her again today. Perhaps Song Xinran wanted to thank him, but Ding Jianjun knew he hadn't been much help – it was just a small favor.
But then the Water Boiled Pork Slices from last night's dinner surfaced in his mind, and his tongue even recalled the taste. It was truly unforgettable, making today's meals seem somewhat bland in comparison.
Though still much better than the canteen food!
If he felt this way, Huang Yun and Ding Sisi were even more obvious. Ding Sisi had said this afternoon: "Dad, Aunt Song sells Bobo Chicken outside No. 3 Middle School after five. Can you buy some for our dinner?"
Ding Jianjun said he'd go for a walk, which was how he happened to encounter Lai Zhimin causing trouble.
He thought that his wife and child were probably preparing dinner at home right now, so he declined: "No need, no need, we can't trouble you like this."
Song Xinran smiled and said: "I bought too many ingredients for Bobo Chicken today, perfect for making Mala Tang. It's no trouble at all."
Mala Tang, similar to hot pot. Ding Jianjun hadn't had hot pot since returning, and just hearing the words made his mouth water uncontrollably. Especially since the weather was overcast today with lower temperatures – perfect for eating Mala Tang.
He said: "Then I'll go back and check, ask Yun and Sisi."
In the end, they naturally ended up eating together. Huang Yun brought plenty of dishes, Ding Jianjun carried two bottles of drinks, and Ding Sisi held a bag of fruits.
Making Mala Tang is simple, with the most crucial part being the flavor of the base. After Song Xinran stir-fried the base ingredients, she added hot water and brought it to a boil. She then added the vegetables in order of how easily they cooked, finishing everything in one pot.
Everyone enjoyed the meal immensely. In the end, Ding Sisi had to support herself against the wall as she left, swearing she wouldn’t eat so much next time.
The pots, bowls, and utensils were already washed, and the kitchen was tidied up.
Song Xinran opened the window, and the night wind rushed in, carrying moisture and unexpectedly hitting her face. She quickly closed it, leaving only a crack for ventilation.
It seemed the temperature had really dropped. Tonight, they could switch to the new cotton quilt.
The new cotton quilt was brought from their hometown. When Song Xinran first returned to the village, she and Song Yu had gone to their old home to gather some usable items. Although their departure from Song Xinwen’s house had been fraught with arguments, they hadn’t forgotten to take the things from their old home.
The pots and bowls came in handy on the very first day, but the new cotton quilt hadn’t been needed until now, as the temperature had been stable in previous days.
Song Xinran entered the room and found Song Yu with his back to the door, bending over and counting something.
"Xiao Yu," she called softly.
Song Yu jumped, his body trembling slightly, and turned to look at her. "Mom!"
"What are you doing?"
He showed her the loose change in front of him—the largest bill was ten yuan, the smallest a ten-cent coin, scattered in a pile. Yet, each bill was neatly smoothed out, likely carefully arranged by the child.
"I’m counting money," he said in his childish voice.
Song Xinran was surprised. "Xiao Yu has so much money!"
Song Yu grinned happily, revealing a row of tiny white baby teeth. "Mom and Auntie gave it all to me!"
With the stall generating plenty of small change and Song Yu following them around every day, he was exceptionally well-behaved. Unlike most children his age who tended to cry and fuss, he always tried to help with whatever the adults were doing. Even when he was very upset, he cried silently.
Whenever Song Xinran saw him sitting quietly somewhere, she couldn’t resist giving him a few coins or a yuan here and there without keeping track. Combined with what Song Xinwen had given him, it had added up to quite a sum.
"Has Xiao Yu figured out how much money he has?" she asked.
Song Yu furrowed his little brows, looking somewhat troubled. "Almost, but not quite."
He could recognize the denominations and count, but he hadn’t yet learned complex addition. He only knew simple sums like ten cents plus ten cents equals twenty cents, or one yuan plus one yuan equals two yuan. With this much money, it was overwhelming for him.
Song Xinran sat down in front of him. "Let Mom teach you how to count, then."
Song Yu nodded happily.
As she taught him, Song Xinran began to wonder if Song Yu was the legendary gifted child!
He could count each coin one by one and quickly figure out the total, even though the process was slow. He was remarkably patient and could count all the way to twenty.
When it came to stacking the bills in piles of ten, the number of stacks eventually made him a bit dizzy, but he listened attentively nonetheless.
Seeing him like this melted Song Xinran’s heart. "Xiao Yu, how about Mom buys you a piggy bank?"
Song Yu lifted his little face. "Is a piggy bank a jar for keeping money?"
Song Xinran nodded. "Yes, Xiao Yu can put all his money inside."
His eyes lit up instantly, and he nodded vigorously. "Piggy bank jar."
For the time being, Song Xinran found him a bag to store his money.
The child was overjoyed. Hugging the bag, he looked around and finally tucked it deep inside the wardrobe, covering it with a piece of clothing.
Turning around, she saw Song Xinran taking off the bedsheet. He trotted over, his small hands grabbing the sheet as well, imitating Song Xinran's movements to pull at the cotton quilt.
Seeing how eager he was to help, Song Xinran let him hold the corner of the quilt.
Entrusted with this important task, the little one wore an extremely serious expression, gripping it tightly. In the end, they changed the quilt together, and he earned a word of praise: "Xiao Yu is so amazing! You're so little but already helping Mommy change the bedsheet."
Song Yu smiled shyly, pursing his lips: "Mommy, are we going to use the new quilt?"
Song Xinran nodded: "The temperature dropped today."
Lying in bed under the new cotton quilt, Song Yu's dark, round eyes sparkled: "Mommy, the new quilt is so soft and warm."
He lay perfectly still, feeling the cozy warmth inside the quilt—so different from last winter.
Song Yu's memories of winter were hazy; he was still too young. He only vaguely remembered feeling terribly cold, huddling under the quilt with clothes piled on top, curling his body into a ball and hugging himself tightly just to fall asleep.
Mommy said winter hadn't arrived yet this year, but Song Yu felt this winter probably wouldn't be cold at all.
Under the new quilt, Song Xinran noted down the day's costs and profits in her notebook. When she looked back, Song Yu had already fallen asleep, his little face flushed from slumber.
Outside the window, the wind howled fiercely, its whistling sound seeping through tiny gaps in the glass—a sure sign the temperature had dropped even further.
Song Xinran set aside her notebook, lay down, and pulled up the quilt, enveloped in warmth.
The next day, Song Xinran took Song Yu around town to look for a suitable piggy bank. Unfortunately, only one shop in town sold them—after all, even if people had some spare money these days, they wouldn't spend it on such things.
But Song Yu was fascinated. It was his first time seeing such an object, even if it was just a small pig-shaped piggy bank.
Song Xinran said: "Mommy thinks this is a bit too small. Xiao Yu has too much money. We'll go to the county town this weekend, and Mommy will take you to look for a better one."
Hearing this, Song Yu immediately nodded.
He had never been to the county town before, and it seemed Cai Yang hadn't either. The county was too far from their home—it took half a day just by bus.
That afternoon, Song Xinran went out to set up her stall as usual. Before she even arrived, she heard a commotion:
Turning to look, she saw the neighboring fried skewer stall had draped a red cloth over their tricycle, with a loudspeaker placed beside it blaring noise half a street away. The husband-and-wife owners were arranging their items, beaming with excitement, their voices noticeably louder as if preparing for something grand.
Song Xinwen immediately leaned close to Song Xinran's ear and whispered: "What trick is that fried skewer stall pulling now?"
Song Xinwen held no goodwill toward the fried skewer stall owners. They had pointed and gossiped about them multiple times, and yesterday's troublemaker might very well have been instigated by them!
Song Xinran didn't need a closer look to know what they were up to. In her previous life, she'd seen plenty of stores running promotions, but rarely any street vendors—it looked awkward and out of place.
But knowing Song Xinwen tended to anxiety, she redirected: "School's about to let out. Sis, are your pockets ready?"
Song Xinwen's attention instantly shifted: "Let me check!"
The bell of Third Middle School rang precisely on schedule, and soon a flood of students came pouring out.
After a week in business, Bobo Chicken had already built a reputation: novel and delicious.
Every day after school, crowds of people would rush over to buy, and Song Xinwen was already prepared for the "battle."
The first wave of students charged over. The Bobo Chicken stall was at the very edge, and along the way, they had to pass countless other stalls. Usually, they would be single-mindedly focused on eating Bobo Chicken, but today they were clearly tempted.
"The fried skewers are having a promotion! Let's go check it out!" one student said.
People always find it hard to resist big discounts and promotions like this. Even if they weren’t planning to buy anything, they still wanted to join in the excitement.
Sure enough, those who had originally wanted Bobo Chicken gathered around, thinking they’d take a look first.
As soon as Xiong Li saw so many students crowding around, he got incredibly excited. Ever since the Bobo Chicken stall had set up next to them, their customers had been snatched away. Now, business was finally back to how it used to be—no, even better, with even more people!
Xiong Li immediately started shouting, "Fried skewers on special! Buy three, get one free! Buy five, get two free!"
A student quickly asked, "Does that include meat skewers?"
Xiong Li replied, "Yes! Buy meat skewers, get meat skewers free! Buy veggie skewers, get veggie skewers free!"
That was a game-changer. Twelve- or thirteen-year-old students are experts at calculating deals. With limited pocket money, they love a good bargain. Meat skewers usually cost forty cents each, but with the "buy five, get two free" deal, each skewer came out to about twenty-eight cents—almost the same price as veggie skewers!
Right away, a student said, "I’ll take five meat skewers, so that’s seven, right?"
Xiong Li nodded, "That’s right!"
The atmosphere instantly heated up. Those who couldn’t finish five skewers teamed up with classmates to share. After all, with such a good deal, everyone felt like they were getting a steal.
Xiong Li’s heart was racing too. He had just sourced cheap meat skewers the day before, and each one cost him less than five cents. Selling them for twenty-eight cents each meant he was still making a tidy profit!
Yang Changhai was busy frying nearby, barely keeping up, while Xiong Li collected money, grinning from ear to ear. He lifted his eyes and glanced at the neighboring Bobo Chicken stall.
Hah, only a few people were buying there!
The frustration Xiong Li had been holding in for days finally eased, and he felt immensely relieved. He refused to believe they could sell out today!
At the Bobo Chicken stall, a few students finished their purchases and left, but no new customers had arrived yet. Song Xinwen slammed the table in anger and glared fiercely at the fried skewer stall next door. "They’re deliberately stealing our business!"
Song Xinran, who had been lost in thought, couldn’t help but laugh at this. "Sis, weren’t you the one saying just a few days ago that it wasn’t about stealing business? That if our food tasted good, people would naturally buy from us. Today, they’re running a promotion with lower prices, so of course customers are going there."
Song Xinwen widened her eyes. "We’re doing things fairly! They’re deliberately targeting us!"
Song Xinran shook her head. "Sis, don’t say that out loud. It’s not like we’re the only two stalls here."
Song Xinwen glanced at the other stalls and noticed their business seemed pretty slow too. Many students had flocked to the fried skewer stall because of the promotion.
Seeing this, Song Xinwen felt a bit better. "Aren’t the other stalls upset too?"
At least compared to the stalls that hadn’t made any sales, their Bobo Chicken had sold quite a bit.
Song Xinran said, "What can they do even if they’re upset? They just have to bear with it. It’s not like we can forbid others from running promotions."
Seeing how calm her sister seemed, Song Xinwen couldn’t help but ask, "Do you have some plan in mind again?"
Song Xinran spread her hands. "Nope."
"Auntie, I’d like three veggie skewers." Just then, a student approached the stall and handed over one yuan.
Song Xinran took the money. "Feel free to pick whatever you’d like, classmate."
The student picked through the vegetable skewers, first selecting a piece of potato for her plate, when suddenly she heard someone shout:
"Ge Yue, come over here! Buy five, get two free! Let's split it—we'll save money!" A student by the fried skewer stall was calling out loudly in her direction.
Ge Yue hesitated immediately. For the past three days, she had been eating Bobo Chicken, which tasted exceptionally good—so addictive that she craved it again today. She had rushed over right after school, but her friend had gone to check out the fried skewer promotion.
Ge Yue had initially thought, How big of a promotion could a street stall offer? She hadn't bothered to look, but it turned out to be buy five, get two free—almost a third off! And the fried skewers weren't bad either. More importantly, she didn't have much money in her pocket to begin with…
But she had already said she wanted Bobo Chicken. After wavering back and forth, Ge Yue finally couldn't bring herself to look up. "Auntie, I… I don't want it anymore."
Song Xinran handed back the one-yuan coin and said gently, "It's alright. You're welcome to come back another time."
Clutching the money, Ge Yue felt her face grow warm. She hurriedly muttered, "Auntie, I'll come buy some tomorrow," and dashed off to the fried skewer stall.
Song Xinwen was furious!
Clenching her fists, eyes wide with anger, she glared at the fried skewer stall, wishing she could flip their entire setup over!
Seeing her like this, Song Xinran quickly said, "Sis, don't get worked up. This is just normal business competition."
Song Xinwen retorted, "They're poaching customers right at our doorstep! How can you stay so calm?"
Truthfully, Song Xinran wasn't as composed as she appeared. Losing a customer who had already paid for Bobo Chicken just because of a promotion next door made her question herself a little.
She picked up the potato skewer from the plate, took a bite, and then offered it to Song Xinwen. "Sis, try this."
Song Xinwen angrily ate one piece.
Then she ate another.
"Does it taste any different from before?" Song Xinran asked.
"Of course not!"
Song Xinran felt much calmer. "Then it's fine."
"This is just how business is. Everyone wants their own business to do well. We can't control what promotions others run—we just need to focus on ourselves. Ensure food safety and maintain the flavor."
Song Xinwen sighed softly. She knew this logic well enough, but it was hard to accept emotionally!
"Can they even make money with promotions like that?" Song Xinwen couldn't wrap her head around it. Their meat skewers cost two mao each to make, and with the promotion, the neighboring stall was selling them for less than three mao. Factoring in labor and oil costs, they were barely breaking even.
Song Xinran was also puzzled. They were all in the same small town, and everyone sold meat skewers, so the costs shouldn't differ much. Did the other stall have some alternative supply channel?
"Auntie, I'll take five meat skewers and five vegetable skewers!"
A five-yuan note was handed over, accompanied by a familiar voice.
Song Xinran looked up—it was Yao Xu. He came every day and always bought a lot. She had long since remembered him and teased, "Looks like classes really wear you out. You're always so hungry after school that you eat this much."
Yao Xu said, "It's because the Bobo Chicken is so delicious that I eat so much! I'm also taking some home for my grandma—she's gotten used to me bringing it back."
"Auntie Song, you have a lot of Bobo Chicken left today. Usually, by the time I come, only half is left." Kids are straightforward—they say what they think without any ill intent. But Song Xinwen, standing nearby, felt as if an arrow had struck her chest, and she shot another glare at the fried skewer stall.
Having sorted through her thoughts, Song Xinran didn't feel hurt. She replied, "Having more left means we can still sell some when the third high school students finish their evening self-study."
Yao Xu seemed to finally notice something amiss, looking somewhat embarrassed as he scratched his head and handed over another yuan. "I'll take five more vegetable skewers."
After Song Xinran handed them to him, Yao Xu grabbed them, tossed out a sentence, and dashed off: "Aunt Song, I'll always support you!"
He seemed too shy to let Song Xinran get a good look at him as he said this, running faster than the wind.
Song Xinran couldn't help but smile. It seemed she had loyal customers now.
As if her thoughts had summoned the reality, over an hour after school ended in the afternoon, the food still hadn't sold out.
When Third High students finished evening self-study and came to the gate without much hope, their eyes lit up—Auntie with the Bobo Chicken was still there! They rushed over to buy several skewers, exclaiming, "Oh my gosh, Auntie, you're still here! I was starving during evening self-study."
One student ate while exclaiming, "So delicious! It tastes several times better than this afternoon's!"
"Auntie, will you still be here after evening self-study tomorrow?" several students asked. They had tried buying extra in the afternoon to save for after evening self-study, but usually ended up eating it all before then, while also having to guard against classmates snatching it away.
If they could still buy some at night, that would be perfect!
Song Xinran: "If we don't sell out in the afternoon, we'll wait until evening."
"Ah, we're so lucky today! First time we've encountered leftovers!"
"I hope Auntie doesn't sell out tomorrow either," one student immediately wished aloud.
The remaining half-basin of Bobo Chicken sold out within minutes after evening self-study ended.
Looking over at the neighboring stall, they didn't have much ingredients left either and were preparing to pack up. The bright lights of their tricycle illuminated the fried skewer couple, making their expressions appear particularly unpleasant.
Especially since the two were deliberately speaking loudly in their direction.
Yang Changhai said, "Wife, business was great today! We prepared a thousand skewers and sold them all, hahaha!"
Xiong Li played along: "Well, we're cheap and delicious, so all the students come to us!"
After speaking, she deliberately glanced at Song Xinran and asked with a smile, "Girl, why are you still here so late today? Don't you usually pack up and go home in the afternoon? You're not angry that our promotion stole your business, are you?"
Song Xinwen clenched her fists upon hearing this sarcastic remark, ready to go fight them right then and there!
Song Xinran stopped her, saying calmly, "Business belongs to everyone. Customers choose where to buy based on their own preferences—it's not stealing."
Turning to her sister, she said, "Let's go home."
Watching them leave, Xiong Li felt displeased again. Yang Changhai quickly said, "Putting on a generous act—I don't believe she's not angry inside!"
Xiong Li snorted, "All talk."
"Let's go home and calculate today's profits. We'll continue the promotion tomorrow."
Yang Changhai immediately nodded: "Alright! You're amazing, wife—coming up with such a great idea that instantly brought our business back!"
Xiong Li finally felt somewhat relieved. She refused to believe the neighboring Bobo Chicken stall could keep going like this!
"Auntie." Just then, two students approached the fried skewer stall. One girl asked, "Are you running any promotions today?"
Xiong Li's face immediately brightened with a smile. She hadn't expected students to come after they'd closed. Quickly welcoming them, she said, "Yes, we're running a promotion today—buy three get one free, buy five get two free! But we're sold out for today. Come earlier tomorrow, classmates!"
A female student frowned upon hearing this and said, "Auntie, why are you suddenly having a promotion today? I've always paid the regular price whenever I came to buy before."
The girl was a regular customer at the fried skewer stall, visiting once or twice every week and having spent at least several dozen yuan there. There had never been any promotions before.
Earlier that day, the girl had heard classmates talking about how cost-effective the fried skewer stall's promotion was, which made her heart sink. After evening self-study ended, she dragged her friend along to come check it out.
But when she saw it, her heart sank. What about all the money she had spent before? Did that make her a sucker?
"The promotion is to reward our regular customers. If you like our food, feel free to buy more these days—it's a great deal," Xiong Li said with a cheerful laugh.
The girl felt as disgusted as if she had swallowed a fly. Reward regular customers? She certainly hadn't been rewarded. She turned and left with her classmate, thinking she would never eat these fried skewers again!
As soon as the girl and her companion were gone, the smile vanished from Xiong Li's face. He curled his lip and complained to Yang Changhai, "She bought our skewers before and now she wants a refund just because we're running a promotion today? And she's a student too—so immature!"
Yang Changhai said, "Forget about her. We don't need her business anyway."
As soon as they got home, Song Xinwen set the ceramic pot down on the table and started venting:
"What are they so cocky about? They're only attracting students with their promotion. If they have what it takes, they should compete with us fairly!"
"And they had the nerve to ask if we had sold out? We've never had leftovers!"
"Looking at their smug faces, I just wanted to tear them apart!"
Seeing how angry her aunt was, Song Yu quickly ran to the kitchen to pour her a glass of water and handed it to her. "Auntie, don't be angry."
Hearing her voice and seeing the child's round eyes and dark hair, Song Xinwen's anger subsided a little. She smiled and said, "Xiao Yu is so thoughtful."
Song Yu turned to look at Song Xinran, thought for a moment, then ran back to the kitchen. She took out a new cup, poured water from the kettle, added some rock sugar, stirred it, and carefully carried it over to Song Xinran with both hands. "Mom, have some water. Don't be angry."
Though she didn't understand what had happened that day, she could read the adults' moods. Usually, her aunt and mother came home smiling, but today they weren't.
Song Xinran patted her little one's head. "Mom's not angry."
Song Xinwen said, "Xinran, you're so composed—not even angry about this. Do you think we should run a promotion too?"
Song Xinran shook her head. "No need. Promotions are mostly to attract new customers. We've been open for a week now, and we've already drawn in the people we needed to."
"Then why is the shop next door making such a big deal out of it?"
Song Xinran thought to herself that she didn't understand it either. Running such promotions when business has already stabilized can easily upset regular customers. Moreover, new customers attracted by discounted prices won't stay once the promotion ends.
That's why restaurants usually run promotions during their opening period. Random promotions can hurt customer loyalty.
After hearing Song Xinran's explanation, Song Xinwen thought it made sense but still felt troubled.
"Achoo!" Song Yu suddenly sneezed and rubbed her face.
"What's wrong?" Song Xinran asked. "Does Xiao Yu have a cold?"
It had rained yesterday, and the temperature had dropped today. It was easy to catch a cold if one wasn't careful.
Song Xinwen slapped her forehead. "Was it because of the bath yesterday? Xiao Yu said the water was a bit cold, and we had run out of hot water, so I hurried her out."
Now, they had to heat water for baths. Originally, with only one honeycomb briquette stove, it took half an hour to boil a pot of bath water. Just bathing the three of them took a lot of time.
Now, with the gas stove, they could use both at the same time, making things much faster.
However, there was a drawback – hot water was limited. During hot weather, it wasn't noticeable, and slightly cooler water didn't matter much. But as temperatures dropped these days, the difference became physically apparent.
Song Yu rubbed his nose, his voice slightly nasal: "It's only a little cold. It won't be cold when sleeping."
"Have you been feeling dizzy or sleepy today?" Song Xinran asked.
Song Yu nodded: "Just a little."
Song Xinran thought he might be catching a cold and quickly boiled a bowl of ginger water for the little one to drive away the chill.
Song Yu didn't particularly like the taste of ginger, immediately wrinkling his nose at the smell. Still, he obediently drank the entire small bowl, though his face scrunched up like a bitter melon. He only felt better after taking a sip of sugar water.
Song Xinwen watched with some guilt: "Let's heat the water hotter today."
Song Xinran nodded, but thought to herself that they really needed to install a water heater, especially now that the weather was getting colder. Heating water for baths was too troublesome.
But there were no water heaters available in town – only in the county seat. When the time came, they could connect it directly to the liquefied gas tank.
Over the next few days, the Bobo Chicken business was average, but they basically managed to sell out their daily preparations. Song Xinran knew this was normal.
They had been open for over a week now. Most people who wanted to try Bobo Chicken had already done so, passing the initial boom period. Business should stabilize from now on.
In small town stall operations, reputation was most important. As long as they maintained quality and flavor, their business would likely remain at this level.
Meanwhile, the neighboring fried skewer stall was running lively promotions that attracted many customers. While Song Xinran's stall didn't react, other vendors at the Third Middle School gate began expressing dissatisfaction.
But Song Xinran couldn't focus on that – she had important matters to attend to. Ding Jianjun's mother was turning sixty, and they were going into the city.
Most of Ding Jianjun and Huang Yun's relatives lived in town, with some in the county seat. Since the birthday celebration was being held at a city hotel, Ding Jianjun had specially hired a bus for private transport to bring all the relatives into the city.
This was Song Yu's first time going to the city, and he was very excited. The night before, he laid out his new clothes and was almost too excited to sleep, as if it were Chinese New Year.
Song Xinran brought all her savings – 1,665 yuan total – planning to look at household appliances in the city.
Song Xinwen also showed traces of excitement in her expression. Traveling from the village to the city was troublesome – her last trip to the city had been during Spring Festival for New Year shopping.
Each of the three had their own thoughts, but their visible emotions were uniformly joyful – they were going to the city.