Because they were driving an RV, Fatty woke up early in the morning. He drove the RV out of the dreadful valley and back to the small town. When Ye Tiancheng woke up, they were just passing through the toll station.
"We're back in town so soon."
Ye Tiancheng woke up, still in a daze. He didn't know many things and needed to ask Fatty to understand what had happened.
"Yes, let's not wander around that valley anymore. It's useless. There's no more black energy there, so I came to this town closer to Liu Lanying's old home. We need more supplies. Many of the previous things have been used up. There's no need for us to consume them there."
Fatty made sense. Under that kind of climate, even if nothing happened, it wasn't conducive to survival. If one stayed in such an environment for a long time, it felt like it would mess with one's nerves.
After they arrived in town, I found a relatively expensive hotel to stay in. In this small town, a single room for 200 yuan a day could be considered extremely luxurious, especially since the cost of living here was not high, and a bowl of mixed offal noodles only cost 6 yuan.
After the few people settled in, they quickly took a good bath, and then Fatty dragged the hotel owner's wife to buy new clothes for the little fox.
Fatty and Ye Tiancheng were both grown men and didn't know much about children. Moreover, buying clothes was not something they were good at. Anyway, Ye Tiancheng and Fatty always wore whatever was comfortable and didn't pay much attention to their appearance.
Even when Ye Tiancheng was a big boss, people called him unfashionable. This was not because Ye Tiancheng dressed too casually, but because it made people feel that he was extremely unfashionable.
"Then I'll trouble you, Madam. I've brought the child to you. I'll leave the rest to you."
The little fox had finished bathing and looked much cleaner. However, wearing his old tattered clothes still looked strange. As they say, clothes make the man, and he needed to be properly tidied up to look like a normal child. Only then would Fatty feel that he hadn't mistreated the child.
"Don't be so polite with me. You've already given me a 200 yuan tip, which is separate from the room fee. It's just a small favor. I told you I wouldn't charge, but you insisted on giving it to me. You're too kind."
The proprietress was slightly plump and had a prosperous appearance. She smiled broadly when she spoke, her wrinkles showing, but she looked very approachable and didn't create any distance. This made Fatty feel very comfortable.
"Originally, I should have personally taken care of the child's matters, but I really don't understand. Children's matters are too complicated. Women are better at it. Madam, I'll trouble you this time."
Since the proprietress had received a 200 yuan tip, she naturally put more effort into it. Without Fatty having to say much, she took the little fox directly to the town's shopping mall.
Fatty had paid enough money and specifically instructed her to buy branded goods. The proprietress didn't care much about it. Anyway, there weren't too many expensive brands in the mall, so she tried to buy the best. As they say, clothes make the man, and Buddha needs gold plating. One must improve their temperament. Sometimes saving money isn't the most important thing. Since she had the bank card and was told to swipe it freely, the hotel proprietress didn't need to save money anymore.
She found a brand that children often wore. After going there, she chose a few outfits based on her own taste. After a simple try-on, the proprietress couldn't help but praise her.
"It's easy to dress up someone who is good-looking. They look high-class in anything. It's really nice, very beautiful."
The proprietress's eyes lit up. After a while, her gaze finally moved away from the little fox. People always admire beautiful things more. In reality, it's true. Who doesn't like handsome guys, even little handsome guys are handsome.
"Thank you for the compliment, sister."
The little fox was not only good-looking, but his fair skin was as transparent as glass, and his features were extremely delicate. After bathing, he was so beautiful that one couldn't take their eyes off him.
It was enough that he was good-looking, but he was also very sweet-mouthed. No woman likes to be called "auntie," and even if they reach that age, they still want to pretend to be younger. The little fox's "sister" directly made the hotel proprietress feel elated, as if she had suddenly become much younger. This feeling was indescribable.
"What a good child. After we finish buying clothes, we'll buy a few sets of underwear, socks, and shoes. There are many things to buy for you. I'm a bit tired today. After buying things, I'll take you to eat something delicious." The proprietress patted her chest. "Just eat as much as you want. Sister is treating this time."
The proprietress had already immersed herself in the role, feeling like she was truly the sister of this angelic child. Being with such a child made her incredibly happy.
When the hotel proprietress brought the little fox back, Ye Tiancheng and Fatty were shocked. Was this the dirty child they found in the empty valley?
They had noticed back then that the child was quite good-looking and had fair skin, but after being dressed up like this, he was completely like a young master from a noble family. That nobility and temperament were innate and couldn't be solely attributed to the clothes.
"Little Fox, you're too beautiful. It feels like you're a different child. I almost don't recognize you."
Fatty's eyes lit up. If this child grew a few more years, who knew how many girls would fall for him? Even if he debuted as a star on the spot, it wouldn't be an exaggeration. The name was indeed chosen correctly. Wasn't this a vixen that could bring disaster to the country and its people?
"Because sister has good taste, I chose very beautiful clothes, which is why I look good."
The little fox, at such a young age, understood the art of conversation very well, making the proprietress very happy. Even if Fatty hadn't given the proprietress money, she would have been willing to spend on this extremely good-looking little brother. Since the little brother knew how to please his sister, the sister naturally wouldn't be stingy at all. Without the little brother even asking, she would proactively spend on him.
"No, no, this child is really sensible. It's a pity that my own son is not even half as good as this child. There is a gap between people."
The proprietress suddenly sighed. Ye Tiancheng promptly interrupted the slightly somber atmosphere.
"Alright, we said we had eaten before coming back, but that was several hours ago. I heard there's a new barbecue restaurant in this town, and it's quite good. The barbecue restaurant also sells crayfish. Let's go eat a little."
Ye Tiancheng was worried about Liu Lanying's body. Because he couldn't find the Fuxi Qin, he was a bit anxious, but at the same time, he felt that coming to this small town had slightly relaxed his mood. He hadn't eaten much for dinner. Fatty, considering Ye Tiancheng's bad mood, had packed back some not-so-authentic rice noodles, which tasted bland and were very ordinary.
Ye Tiancheng hadn't eaten much, so by now, he was starving.
"Okay, although Little Fox and I have already eaten, we've been shopping for a long time afterward, and we've digested it all. Also, I heard there's a good dessert shop, and I want to buy some dessert."
Once it was decided, the four of them set off. This small town wasn't very big, so it only took a few steps to get to a dessert shop. The barbecue restaurant was just across the street. It was convenient to go anywhere, which was normal for people in small places.
"This strawberry cake is delicious, fresh, and the cream is delicate."
Ye Tiancheng was forced to eat the cake and didn't have high expectations. He didn't expect it to be as good as the proprietress said. Eating dessert really made him feel better.
After Ye Tiancheng finished the strawberry cake, his eyes became a little moist. He remembered the last time Liu Lanying visited him, she also brought him cake. Unfortunately, he was in a terrible mood at the time, being very bothered by Lin Xue's matter. In the end, the cake expired and no one ate it. Ye Tiancheng didn't think much of it then, but now Liu Lanying was dead, and the Fuxi Qin had disappeared. Ye Tiancheng had no way to save her, and everything was irreversible.
You don't know what you've got until it's gone. Only now did he realize that he had failed Liu Lanying's kindness. This was really not right. He regretted it deeply now, but things had changed, and Liu Lanying was gone.
"Brother Ye, it's not that serious. You look like you're about to cry just looking at the food. Is it really that delicious?"
"It's okay."
Ye Tiancheng didn't want to say more. He didn't want to mention anything about Liu Lanying because it was tearing his heart apart, making him realize how incompetent he was. He couldn't even protect his best friend and felt incredibly foolish.
"Alright, let's order more crayfish. We wanted to eat it last time we came to this town but couldn't. The development is really fast now. Barbecue is getting stronger and stronger. We should also enjoy the benefits of this town being close to a new era."
Fatty was in a very good mood and ordered a lot of things. The proprietress and Little Fox were chatting separately, asking many strange questions, while Ye Tiancheng fell into thought.
When the dishes arrived, everyone started eating heartily, feeling that the food was exceptionally delicious. They didn't expect the barbecue in this small town to have a unique flavor. The crayfish and hairy crabs were also quite fresh. In short, it was a good experience.
Moreover, when it was time to pay, based on Fatty's years of experience as a foodie, he thought it would cost at least a thousand yuan, as Fatty had no restraint and ordered a lot of food. However, when they paid, it turned out to be only over 500 yuan.
Fatty loved this price. There was no intention of defrauding consumers at all; instead, it was very genuine.
"Boss, here's 600 yuan. You don't need to give me the change. Consider it a tip."
When Fatty came to the small town, he naturally spent lavishly. It was okay to act like a big shot here, as the most important thing in life was happiness.
The ingredients used were good, and the boss probably wasn't making much profit. Fatty naturally had to support him and show his sincerity.
The boss was also very understanding. Upon receiving the tip, he quickly brought hot towels and began wiping them down, being extremely attentive.
When the few of them left the barbecue restaurant, it was as if they were sending off old friends they hadn't seen in years. They waved enthusiastically, which made everyone's mood much better. It seemed that having money could indeed make people happy, and money could solve many problems.