Volume 1, Chapter 22: Buying Lingerie

Ten minutes later, the middle-aged man known as Lao Liu hurried over, accompanied by his son, who was so thin he looked like a mere bag of bones.

"Cough, cough..."

Shortly after entering the shop, the child began to cough violently. He clutched his stomach tightly with both hands, his body hunched forward, eyes brimming with tears, and his face flushed a deep, alarming red. His trembling, frail frame looked like a weed struggling to survive in a gale. The sight made everyone around him shudder, fearing that the boy might cough his lungs out at any second.

"Have some warm water," He Lianhua said, promptly offering a glass.

"Thank you!" Lao Liu replied, taking it.

After feeding the child some water, Lao Liu pointed to the round guavas on the shelf and asked, "Are those the 'miracle guavas' that can treat coughs and soothe the lungs?"

"Yes! Would you like to try a small piece?"

"No need! Just weigh one for me; my son will eat it right here!"

Moments later, He Lianhua brought the washed guava to Lao Liu. Before he could even speak, the boy began licking his chapped lips, his nostrils flaring as he took several deep breaths. His eyes glowed with a frantic hunger, much like a starving wolf catching the scent of meat. He snatched the guava from He Lianhua’s hand and took a large bite.

"Son, you!" Lao Liu stood frozen like a stone, his eyes wide as he stared at his son eating.

"Daddy, this guava is so delicious," the boy said, enjoying it immensely despite being drenched in sweat. He didn't stop until he had let out several satisfied burps.

"My son, you’re finally willing to eat something!" Lao Liu pulled the boy into his arms, laughing and crying in a way that seemed almost manic. Only he knew the truth: after his son contracted a severe chronic cough, years of medication and injections had dulled his taste buds and ruined his appetite, leaving him in this skeletal, listless state.

"Daddy, my stomach feels so comfortable, and my throat doesn't hurt or itch anymore, hee hee..." The boy hugged the remainder of the guava, his eyes curving into happy crescents.

Lao Liu listened as his son’s voice shifted from a raspy, duck-like croak back to the clear, delicate tones of a healthy child. Even his spirit seemed vibrant and full of energy! If the boy had looked like a weed struggling in a storm upon entering, he now resembled a young sapling stretching its leaves in the spring breeze.

Lao Liu’s tears flowed freely. His own family ran a pharmacy filled with precious medicinal herbs, yet nothing they had given his son had worked. And yet, this miracle guava had done the trick!

"Store manager, weigh out twenty of these miracle guavas for me!"

"Coming right up!" He Lianhua responded eagerly.

In an instant, the dozens of surrounding customers exchanged glances and turned their attention to the remaining guavas. They might have suspected Lao Liu was a plant, but the child certainly was not; his illness was genuine. Could these guavas truly possess medicinal properties to soothe the heart and lungs?

"No matter how much we praise our guavas, it’s nothing compared to tasting a piece yourself! You are all welcome to come over and sample them!"

Having spent years in the fruit business, He Lianhua had a unique set of skills for reading customer psychology and guiding them toward a purchase. She instructed a clerk to slice a guava and distribute samples. The customers had already been tempted, but they had been held back by the price of one hundred yuan per jin. Now that the "miracle fruit" was being offered to them, they decided they had to try it.

As soon as the guava hit their tongues, they were all stunned by the texture and flavor. Whether they were sick or healthy, once they swallowed the fruit, they could feel a warm current flowing through their bodies, eventually gathering in their stomachs and leaving them with a cozy, glowing sensation. It made them feel refreshed and invigorated.

Incredible!

Now, no one dared to question the value of the Taoyuan guavas. They scrambled to grab plastic bags, pick out two or three guavas each, weigh them, and pay before heading out. Someone even took a photo of a guava so large it required two hands to hold and posted it to their social media with the caption: "Obsessed with the miracle guavas from Qingxin Fruit Shop! I guarantee that once you taste them, you’ll never forget them for the rest of your life!"

In the blink of an eye, the five hundred pounds of guavas were completely sold out. He Lianhua and her staff exchanged joyful looks. Up on the second floor, Song Qingxin watched the scene on the ground floor through the blinds.

***

Lin Xiaoxu emerged from the Huawei flagship store in the mall, carrying two exquisite small bags. He took a deep breath and flicked his shirt hem a few times, letting the breeze cool his back, which was damp with cold sweat.

When he had stepped into the phone store earlier, he realized that modern smartphones had developed to such a terrifying degree. They didn't even have home buttons anymore! It was all full-screen! The changes were just too immense compared to how things were before he had lost his wits.

The two smartphones in Lin Xiaoxu’s hands were identical models, costing 4,999 yuan each. He had even bought two new SIM cards and had the clerk set everything up for him. Once he returned to Taoyuan Village, he would make Shen Yulian throw away that old button-phone of hers immediately.

"Right! I also need to buy underwear for my sister-in-law."

Lin Xiaoxu stepped back into the mall, searched for a long time, and finally found a lingerie shop. A memory surfaced in his mind—a bittersweet time from his college days when he worked part-time and lived frugally. Back then, he had gathered his courage and used his hard-earned money to walk into a lingerie shop for the first time, spending 899 yuan on a pink silk camisole set for the girl he had been pining for.

"Heh," Lin Xiaoxu let out a self-deprecating chuckle. After all these years, he was still thinking about that woman!

The shop was elegantly decorated, with racks filled with a dazzling array of women's lingerie.

"Hello, just feel free to look around."

A young woman with an exceptionally full bust sat in a chair, head down as she scrolled through her phone. When she caught a glimpse of a man dressed like a social outcast entering the store, she glanced up casually. Seeing his disheveled appearance, her tone became noticeably cold and dismissive.

"I..." Lin Xiaoxu stammered, his hands gripping his trousers as his eyes darted around, his face turning a deep shade of red.

"Just provide the size, and I'll pick something for you," the woman said, her expression impatient as she stood up and walked over to him.