Chapter 26: Marketplace Procurement

The sunlight fell upon the young girl, casting a golden glow over her. Her smile was innocent, filled with fearless courage, like a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart. In that moment, everything around them faded into nothingness; Fang Yinnian had eyes only for Mu Wanguan, who was encouraging him and promising to protect him.

*Thump, thump, thump—*

His heartbeat quickened, beat by beat. Each one grew louder, shaking Fang Yinnian’s world. He thought to himself that he would never forget this moment for as long as he lived.

"Let's go!" A sudden tug on his hand shattered the invisible chains binding him, and Fang Yinnian stepped out from the boundless darkness. "Let's call Grandma quickly, and once we're done, we'll go buy a washbasin. I want to wash my face with warm water tonight; it’s too cold."

It had been too late the previous night; by the time they finished cleaning up, they realized they had no washbasin, no thermos, and no hot water. They had ended up washing their faces and wiping their bodies with cold water. While Mu Wanguan wasn't delicate, who would choose cold water when they could have the comfort of warm water? That would be completely backward.

Watching the figure bouncing and pulling him along, Fang Yinnian let out a heavy, affirmative grunt. In a voice only he could hear, he made a solemn vow: "I will protect you, too."

...

Leaving the post office and heading toward the market, they saw people already finishing their shopping and heading home. Mu Wanguan pulled Fang Yinnian back into the bustling, crowded market to buy handmade wooden basins, water buckets, and various woven baskets.

The Zhaoyang Town market was large. It featured not only products made by local farmers but also seconds and rejects from nearby factories, brought in for trade. Fang Yinnian and Mu Wanguan had arrived a bit late, and many of the items from the factories had already been swapped. Only the more expensive items, those requiring ration coupons, or things people didn't particularly need were left.

As it happened, the two had just arrived at the farm and needed to set up their household from scratch. They headed to the factory trade zone and bought a coal stove, a small iron pot, an aluminum kettle for boiling water, as well as bowls, chopsticks, knives, and a cutting board.

Another hour passed, and finally, when they could barely carry anything more, Fang Yinnian suggested they leave. "Let's go for now. I'll find another time to come back and buy the rest."

"Ah? We're leaving?" Mu Wanguan asked, reluctant to go. She stood on her tiptoes, looking around. "Can't we buy more? I feel like there are still so many things I want."

She truly wanted to buy more. She had discovered that although this era on Ancient Blue Star was full of inconveniences, many things were remarkably novel. For instance, the small, bamboo-woven basket she carried on her right shoulder was delicate and exquisite, perfect for holding snacks. And the basket on her back was equally magical; the farmer had told her it could be used for gathering mushrooms, herbs, or even catching wild chickens in the mountains, and could be cleaned and reused afterward.

Mu Wanguan knew that mushrooms and herbs were edible, and that herbs could even save lives. She was filled with anticipation and curiosity about all the plants she hadn't seen before. She planned to take that basket to the mountains to play in the future.

"Whatever else you want, just make a note of it when we get back, and I'll bring you again next time, okay?"

Mu Wanguan was about to refuse and turned to glare at Fang Yinnian, only to realize he was covered in gear, his hands completely full. In contrast, she was completely unburdened. Even though she was wearing two bamboo baskets, they contained nothing but the snacks she had bought and were not heavy at all.

Mu Wanguan blinked, feeling a flicker of guilt for the first time in her life. She reached out and immediately took the labor gloves Fang Yinnian had hanging around his neck. Then, she moved behind him to take the backpack off his back, but he refused.

Fang Yinnian stepped aside to dodge her. "You don't need to; these are heavy."

"That’s exactly why I should take them! Are you stupid?" Mu Wanguan reached out and poked his forehead. She hadn't realized it until she did it, but it was actually quite fun. No wonder he had poked her forehead and pushed her down the night before. Thinking of this, she smiled and poked him again. "Silly."

She even added sound effects. "You know it's heavy, yet you hang all this on yourself without asking me for help. Aren't you just a fool?"

Fang Yinnian’s eyes were filled with tenderness as he looked at her. "Yes, I am a fool."

"Exactly," Mu Wanguan said, oblivious to the doting look in his eyes. She lifted her chin, feeling triumphant. "You should have asked for my help. Quickly, give me the backpack. I'll carry it."

"No need." Fang Yinnian dodged her again. "It’s not heavy. I can carry it."

"No!" Mu Wanguan put her hands on her hips. "Give it to me."

She was not an ungrateful person. When she had first awakened her powers and her marshal father had thrown her into the military for training, she had been taught that teammates must help one another. If everyone in a squad was selfish and disregarded the collective interest, they would never win a battle. Right now, Fang Yinnian was her teammate, and this shopping trip was their field training before the real "battle." Since it was pre-battle training, they had to help each other.

"If you don't give it to me, I'm going to get angry!"

Fang Yinnian wouldn't dare let her carry it. The backpack he was wearing held not just bowls and chopsticks, but also heavy tools. Combined, the weight was nearly half of Mu Wanguan’s own. If that landed on her small shoulders, even if she could endure it, she would surely be in pain the next day.

Fang Yinnian was a man, and although he had spent these years conducting research at the institute, he hadn't let himself go. He exercised regularly, and this weight was nothing to him. But he was afraid of making Mu Wanguan angry. After a moment of thought, he set down the coal stove from his left hand and, from the bags of heavy items in his right hand, separated a small bag and handed it to her. "Then you carry this."

Mu Wanguan: "...Who are you looking down on?!"

She was incensed. She picked up the coal stove he had set down and gave a huff at him. "I can carry this!"

"This is heavy."

"This isn't heavy at all. I could carry ten of these."

Fang Yinnian: "..." He struggled to control the upward curve of his lips. He lowered his gaze, his thick eyelashes casting a shadow that hid the amusement in his eyes. "Then, then you can carry this." He paused, looking genuinely worried. "If it feels too heavy, give it to me, okay?"

"You really are looking down on me!"

Fang Yinnian: "..." Forget it. He couldn't tease her anymore, or he'd give the game away.

As Mu Wanguan walked past him carrying the coal stove, she huffed heavily again. Fang Yinnian shifted some items from his right hand to his left and hurried to catch up.

Just as they were about to step out of the market, Mu Wanguan was suddenly drawn to a small stall. She hurried over, squatted down, and asked, "Mister, what are these?"

"These are spinach, bok choy, carrots, chives, and scallion seedlings. Young comrade, would you like some?" The man selling the seedlings was an elderly gentleman with graying hair and patched clothes. He had arrived late, and all the good spots in the market were taken, so he had only just found a place to sell his seeds as the market was closing.

Fearful that he wouldn't make a single penny that day, he cautiously tested the waters. "I—if you want them, I can give them to you for a few cents cheaper."

"No need to lower the price, I'll take them all—" Mu Wanguan remembered something, turned to look at Fang Yinnian behind her, and gave him an ingratiating smile. "Fang Yinnian..."

"Buy them."

"Yay!" Mu Wanguan cheered excitedly. She turned back to the old man and said, "I'll take everything... a little bit of it."