Chapter 138: First time shopping on his own

Auntie Zhang’s expression cracked. She turned around and smacked the shop owner on the arm.

"You’re still laughing!"

Then she turned back to the boy.

His ears had turned noticeably red, but he was still inching towards the exit.

Auntie Zhang could only sigh in exasperation. "I told you this is a special benefit. Why are you still so suspicious?"

The shop owner waved his hand dismissively.

"Don’t be too hard on the boy. This is a big purchase, after all. When something seems too good to be true, it’s only natural to suspect a scam. The world is not particularly safe these days. Being cautious is a good thing."

The boy finally stopped moving, though he remained silent. It was clear that he still was not entirely convinced.

The shop owner looked at him with amusement.

"You can take your time and think it over. Just look up the prices at secondhand furniture and appliance markets. Once you compare them, you will understand. These are the prices we paid the original owners when we bought the items, not the prices we normally sell them for."

Auntie Zhang couldn’t help complaining, "You are far too cautious!"

The boy could only smile wryly.

After everything he had been through, if he still had not learned to be careful, then all those experiences would have been for nothing.

Auntie Zhang was a straightforward person. Seeing that the boy had no intention of buying any furniture or appliances today, she didn’t push him further.

"All right. Once you have made up your mind, just come back to this shop. You remember the way here from the apartment building, right?"

The boy nodded.

Auntie Zhang then turned to the owner.

"Brother Chen, when this kid comes back, remember to give him the special price we discussed."

The owner smiled meaningfully. "Naturally."

After all, these items had practically been donated to him, and he had even received a bonus for taking them and handing them to the boy. What was there for him to complain about?

Auntie Zhang and the boy parted ways outside the secondhand shop.

Auntie Zhang had to return to the apartment building to take care of some matters, while the boy still needed to visit the hypermarket to buy a few things.

Standing at the entrance of the huge, bustling hypermarket, Lin Feng suddenly felt just how small and inexperienced he was.

The shelves stretched far into the distance, and people were constantly coming and going.

There were so many things to buy that he didn’t even know where to start.

After taking a moment to gather himself, Lin Feng pulled out his phone and opened the shopping guide that he and his cousins had put together through their discussions.

In his suitcase were a few sets of clothes, socks, underwear, a toothbrush, towels, and other miscellaneous items.

His aunt, Wei Ranmiao, had mostly taken care of the packing, just as she had when her two sons went off to university.

Although they were locals, Wei Ranmiao wanted her sons to experience university life like other young people. She had sent them to live in the university dormitories during the weekdays, allowing them to return home only on weekends and holidays.

Thanks to that experience, she and her two sons at least knew what Lin Feng would need when living away from home. As for Bai Jianning, she simply tagged along, contributing mostly her "very, very important" skincare products.

Lin Feng was reluctant to leave behind the clothes Hou Yizhen had bought for him.

However, there were simply too many.

They could easily fill an entire room, so Wei Ranmiao and Bai Jianning eventually decided to sort out the more flamboyant outfits and send them over later, once Lin Feng had settled into his apartment.

For now, Lin Feng needed to think about what he would need most urgently to get through his first night there.

A mattress, pillows, and blankets. He also needed pillowcases and bed sheets.

He would have to take a bath before going to bed, so toothpaste, shampoo, and soap were also necessities. As for everything else, he could buy them gradually.

Since he was already closest to the daily necessities section, Lin Feng picked up a large shopping cart and headed over.

However, the moment he reached the aisle, he stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening.

There were so many brands and varieties!

Paraben-free, sulfate-free, two-in-one shampoo and conditioner, keratin shampoo.... What was he supposed to choose?

Lin Feng carefully examined the products on the shelves before finally spotting a familiar brand.

He had seen it before at Hou Yizhen’s residence.

Since he had no idea which brands were good, Lin Feng decided to stick with the ones he had seen in both the Bai and Hou families. At least that way, he wouldn’t have to worry too much about choosing the wrong products.

"Should I get tissues, toilet paper, and paper towels? Hmm, shower slippers and house slippers. I need these, too. Maybe some alcohol, cotton, and band-aids."

His eyes moved along the shelves as he checked the items against his shopping list, pulling the items out of the shelves and into the cart.

"Ah, this aisle. I need laundry detergent, sponges, scrub brushes, and dishwashing liquid, too. What else...?"

Once he reached the household cleaning section, Lin Feng found himself getting carried away.

He picked up laundry detergent, fabric softener, a laundry basket, clothes hangers and clothespins, a drying rack, and several small basins. He even added a few other things he thought he might need.

Then came the mop, cleaning rags, a broom and dustpan set, a small plastic stool, several bottles of cleaning spray, gloves, garbage bags, a toilet brush, and bathroom cleaner.

"...."

By the time Lin Feng finally stopped, the shopping cart was already overflowing. It had also become so heavy that pushing it around was getting increasingly difficult.

Only then did Lin Feng come to his senses.

He still had to go upstairs and buy the larger items!