Chapter 109: Who Can Resist Shopping?

Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Who Can Resist Shopping?

Chen Xiu didn’t mind at all. She wasn’t coming to the market for the market itself today; she just wanted to relax, give herself a day off, and not have to look after those two little troublemakers.

So that her man could really experience the ’bliss’ of staying at home and see if it’s bliss he can handle.

"It’s about time you let your man enjoy what he thinks is bliss at home," Fu Xiaoxiao saw through Chen Xiu’s thoughts and chimed in.

"Exactly! When I married him, he told me that after having kids, he’d never let me do any work, and that his mom would come help me. And what happened? When I was pregnant with Shitou, his mom said his sister-in-law was also pregnant, so she didn’t come. My family lives far away, so my mom came with loads of stuff to help me, but his mom never showed up." Talking about this, Chen Xiu was full of grievances.

"He always said he’d help me, but when I was doing my postpartum confinement, he’d leave early and come back late every day, never thought about lending a hand, and even complained when our son cried at night and disturbed his sleep, leaving our son for me to handle alone."

Fu Xiaoxiao listened to Chen Xiu’s unspoken complaints and sighed lightly. "Why do their husbands always think raising kids is an easy task?"

"You shouldn’t generalize; I don’t agree with that misconception. Raising kids has never been an easy task," Lu Feng quickly stated his position.

When Fu Xiaoxiao wasn’t around, and he was taking care of Lu Lin and Lu Chen by himself, he deeply realized that taking care of kids is definitely not easy.

Both kids had guarded expressions, and he didn’t know what to say to them, only to try slowly approaching them.

Even that took Lu Feng a month.

Whoever said kids are easy to raise clearly underestimated the effort involved. Sometimes you might not even get any acknowledgment despite all the effort you give.

"Look at Commander Lu’s awareness. My husband has no such awareness," Chen Xiu looked at Lu Feng with satisfaction. He’s the kind of man who could become a commander after all. Look at that mindset, that awareness.

He was much better than her blockhead of a husband.

"Then let’s go back a little later today. Sister Chen Xiu, is there a place you want to go?" Fu Xiaoxiao smiled in support. If Chen Xiu went back early, there would just be a pile of worries waiting for her, so she might as well enjoy herself before going back.

"Wouldn’t that be too much hassle?" Chen Xiu glanced at Lu Feng, and Fu Xiaoxiao smiled at him, "Commander Lu, is that alright?"

"I’m here to be the driver today, you two ladies just say the word," Lu Feng raised an eyebrow. At this moment, did he dare to say no?

"What about Xiao Lin and Xiao Chen? Do you want anything?" Fu Xiaoxiao looked at the two kids, who weren’t in high spirits, to lift their mood.

"I...I want candied haws," Lu Chen raised his little hand, looking at Fu Xiaoxiao.

"Granted! Let’s see if the market has any later. If so, I’ll buy it for you!" Fu Xiaoxiao waved her hand generously; she had brought enough money, and she was treating today.

"Thank you, Mom!" Hearing Fu Xiaoxiao’s approval, a smile appeared on Lu Chen’s face.

"What about you, Xiao Lin? Is there something you want?" Fu Xiaoxiao asked softly, looking at Lu Lin, who was still a bit down, "Anything at all."

Under Fu Xiaoxiao’s repeated questioning, Lu Lin finally spoke slowly, "I...want...a toy gun."

"Mom, brother wants that kind of toy gun that makes a bang-bang-bang sound," Lu Chen explained to Fu Xiaoxiao. "Our dad promised him one before, but Dad got injured and couldn’t get it."

Fu Xiaoxiao frowned and looked at Lu Feng. He felt her gaze and explained, "Not me! If I promised, I’d definitely buy it."

"Mom, it’s not Mr. Lu, it’s our dad," Lu Chen quickly explained, seeing Fu Xiaoxiao’s misunderstanding.

Only then did Fu Xiaoxiao understand that Lu Chen was referring to their biological father, who couldn’t fulfill Lu Lin’s wish because of an injury.

"Dad said at the time that he’d teach me how to shoot!" Lu Lin said sadly, his eyes dimming.

"What’s to worry about? Isn’t Mr. Lu here too? I’m sure his shooting skills are also great," Fu Xiaoxiao looked at Lu Feng, and he nodded, "We’ll check later; if there is, we’ll get it for you."

After hearing Lu Feng’s words, a glimmer of light flashed in Lu Lin’s eyes, and some of the gloominess faded.

With moods uplifted, the unhappy emotions dissolved, and with good spirits, they headed to the market.

The car slowly drove up to the market entrance, and Fu Xiaoxiao and the others eagerly got out of the car. A bright red five-star flag fluttered in the breeze, while the loudspeakers nearby played stirring revolutionary songs.

Lu Feng led them into the market.

In front of their eyes was a bustling scene, with stalls lined up along both sides of the street. The stall owners had already laid out their goods, shouting hoarsely to attract customers.

"Fresh cabbage here, tender and sweet! If it’s not sweet, it’s free!"

"Home-raised hens that lay eggs diligently, selling cheap!"

The various cries intertwined in a lively symphony.

In the grain section, bags of plump wheat, corn, and sorghum were neatly arranged, exuding a faint grainy aroma. Farmers squatted nearby, skillfully manipulating the scales while haggling with customers, their dark faces beaming with simple smiles.

After passing through the grain section, they arrived at the vegetable section, filled with green cucumbers, red tomatoes, purple eggplants, and chubby radishes — it had everything one could want.

The vegetable farmers used their rough hands to organize their produce, placing the freshest and most beautiful items in the most conspicuous spots.

There were also livestock and sundry sections, whose signs could only be seen from a distance.

"It’s so lively!" It was Fu Xiaoxiao’s first time seeing a historical market. Unlike modern ones, it was bustling with crowds of people everywhere buying supplies.

"Hold tight, don’t let go," Lu Feng looked around cautiously, keeping Fu Xiaoxiao and the others behind him while holding her hand.

Fu Xiaoxiao held Lu Lin’s hand and earnestly said to him, "Xiao Lin, make sure to hold on to Xiao Chen, okay? Don’t run off."

"Okay." Lu Lin nodded.

"Don’t worry! I’m watching them from behind," Chen Xiu laughed, assuring Fu Xiaoxiao that she was keeping an eye on the kids.

With countless items to choose from, Fu Xiaoxiao was at a loss as to where to start shopping.

"Most of the market works on bartering, but some don’t require tickets. If you buy a lot, you can leave them with the stall owner, and I can go pick them up one by one later," Lu Feng reminded her, having noticed her dilemma.

"Really? That’s great." Fu Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up, pulling Lu Feng towards the meat section.

"Is there no meat left?" She had hoped to buy some meat, but when she arrived, only lean meat and large bones were left at the meat stall.

"Miss, if you want good meat, you have to come early in the morning. These are all that’s left without any fat; do you want them?" The stall owner smiled at Fu Xiaoxiao.

Fu Xiaoxiao pointed at the pile of picked-clean large bones and looked at the stall owner, "Then I’ll buy these lean pieces; can you throw in the bones for free?"