Fang Yuan spotted Fountain Square from a short distance away.
Unlike how it looked during the day, Fountain Square at night glittered everywhere with dazzling, colorful lights. Stalls were packed shoulder-to-shoulder across the square in a dazzling array.
At a glance, Fang Yuan caught sight of a familiar little figure, who also noticed Fang Yuan standing by the side of the street.
Clasping her pom-pom, Tuantuo floated over with a whoosh, excitedly spinning three circles around Fang Yuan.
“Little Sister Hammer Star, Little Sister Hammer Star, Little Sister Hammer Star! After you told the chief about my condition, the chief took me to find Shengzhi Shuishui. Once my negative status was cured, I pestered Shengzhi Shuishui to chat for a bit longer, just in time to wait for the food stalls in Fountain Square!”
“Shengzhi Shuishui doesn't like browsing food stalls, and the chief doesn't like crowded environments, so I'm the only one here browsing!”
“I didn't expect to run into you! This is wonderful!!”
Fang Yuan extended an index finger and rubbed her head, her lips curling slightly. “Then lead the way, Big Sister Tuantuo, and don't let me get lost.”
Tuantuo straightened her back and patted her small chest with a tiny hand. “Leave it to me! I'll definitely protect Big Sister Hammer Star! Let's go!”
Floating along Fang Yuan's right side, she led the way into the bustling cluster of food stalls.
Fang Yuan's gaze was quickly drawn to a stall run by a Nose-Pouch Merchant Spirit.
That Nose-Pouch Merchant Spirit looked a bit taller than Huo Duoduo, and the pointed hat she wore was broader, hiding nearly half her face under its brim.
The reason Fang Yuan was drawn to it wasn't because she was a Nose-Pouch Merchant Spirit taller than Huo Duoduo, but because the stall was selling savory crepes!
There were actually multigrain savory crepes!
Tuantuo landed on Fang Yuan's right shoulder, following her gaze to the stall bearing the sign “Savory Crepe Stall Stall Stall.”
“Little Sister Hammer Star, that one is really expensive. A savory crepe costs twenty-five gold coins.”
To Fang Yuan, whose assets exceeded nine thousand, this wasn't expensive at all anymore.
She brought Tuantuo over to the stall, looking down to meet the gaze of the Nose-Pouch Merchant Spirit who was tilting her head up on tiptoes.
“Two eggs plus sausage and pork tenderloin—how many gold coins?”
Hearing this, she sounded like a complete sucker—a real fat sheep!
The Nose-Pouch Merchant Spirit's eyes instantly lit up. Hopping onto a stool, she rubbed her hands together and smiled obsequiously at Fang Yuan. “Twenty-five gold coins.”
“You won't try to charge me extra halfway through making it, will you?”
The Nose-Pouch Merchant Spirit looked displeased upon hearing this. “How could I? Honored guest, my crepe stall values integrity above all. When doing business, how can one survive without integrity?”
Fang Yuan gave a couple of “ohs.” “Then give me two savory crepes. Make the second savory crepe smaller, about half the size of the first. Since I'm buying two at once, give me a discount and call it thirty gold coins!”
The Nose-Pouch Merchant Spirit: “?”
She was so exasperated she almost laughed.
She had never seen such a shameless customer!
“Troublemaking customer, if you don't want to eat, you can leave right now! My stall doesn't need your business!”
To think she, Huo Buduo, had assumed this was a big fat sheep! Turns out it was someone looking for trouble!
Fang Yuan said with a smiling face, “Look, the little elf sister on my shoulder definitely can't eat such a big savory crepe. So if I buy a smaller portion, shouldn't you make it a bit cheaper?”
Huo Buduo found this logical and acceptable, so she nodded.
“So with the original price at twenty-five, I only want half a crepe, which means half of two eggs, one sausage, and one piece of pork tenderloin. The crepe is expensive because of the meat inside, so with less meat, my offer of ten gold coins isn't unreasonable, right?”
Huo Buduo felt this was completely unreasonable and refused to accept the low price of ten gold coins, so she shook her head. “No way, fifteen gold coins!”
Fang Yuan also wagged her finger. “No, no matter how you calculate half of twenty-five, it's not fifteen, is it?”
Huo Buduo decided to step back. “Thirteen gold coins!”
Fang Yuan: “How about this: twelve gold coins for the small one, full price for mine. I'm buying two at once, after all—anyone who knows how to do business would offer a bundle discount! No wonder your stall has no business; you're really not as good as Huo Duoduo...”
Her final sentence was spoken very softly, but it was keenly caught by Huo Buduo's long, pointed ears!
Huo Buduo instantly flew into a rage!
How dare she say she wasn't as good as Huo Duoduo! In what way was she inferior to Huo Duoduo?! That sly bird Huo Duoduo just acted high-and-mighty toward her own kin because she owned a general store!!
“I'll sell both to you for thirty-two! But you have to frequent my stall often from now on!!” Huo Buduo made up her mind to take a loss this once just to steal Huo Duoduo's customer!
Fang Yuan let out an extraordinarily exaggerated “Wow,” her left hand snapping down to seize a pair of wrists in a firm grip.
“Then let me get the money!”
Her motion was tiny, appearing as though she was merely reaching into her pocket.
Lying on Fang Yuan's right shoulder, Tuantuo's whole heart and eyes were fixed on the fragrant savory crepes.
Fang Yuan lowered her gaze with a smile, meeting the eyes of a Nose-Pouch Merchant Spirit wearing a pointed hat and a cloak.
He hadn't expected to be caught either, his flat face covered in shock and disbelief.
“Shh.”
With a single hand, Fang Yuan effortlessly restrained both of his wrists, gradually increasing her pressure.
Fang Yuan knew petty theft all too well; back when she was wandering, she could have been considered half a master thief herself.
“When stealing things, remember to check whether the other party's peripheral vision is already on you, okay?”
Her voice was very soft, reaching his ears in almost a whisper.
Fang Yuan then released her grip, watching as this Nose-Pouch Merchant Spirit wrapped his cloak tightly around himself and slipped rapidly into the crowd, disappearing from her view in no time.
She pulled thirty-two gold coins out from the pom-pom, handing them to Huo Buduo just as she finished making the savory crepes, casually painting a rosy picture as she did:
“You really know how to do business. I'll definitely be a frequent customer of your stall from now on!”
Huo Buduo felt great. “Alright! Seeing how straightforward you are, I'll just take thirty gold coins. I, Huo Buduo, acknowledge you as a friend!”
Huo Buduo—not much goods?
Believing an empty pie so easily... no wonder you can't make any money.
Fang Yuan couldn't help curling her lips into a smile. “Great, you're awesome, Boss. May you make a fortune.”
She retrieved the two gold coins from Huo Buduo's palm, stowed them back into the pom-pom, and continued strolling with Tuantuo while munching on her savory crepe.
“Little Sister Hammer Star... munch munch munch... delicious... munch munch munch... I won't eat for free... munch munch munch... I'll pay you back later... munch munch munch...”
Fang Yuan hardly registered her words. Being tall, her line of sight easily passed over the heads of the surrounding diners, landing on a familiar figure.
“No need. As long as Big Sister Tuantuo guides me well in my work at Sunset Post Office, that's more than enough.”
Fang Yuan bit off a large chunk of her savory crepe, her eyes sweeping over the side profile of that figure.
Night-Bound Butterfly was about to get a companion.
Rate on N.U.
