Chapter 221 : The Advancing College Students
"Fat, oil-dripping swimming crabs, crab roe and crab meat, cheap prices, only 78 yuan per catty."
"Bread crabs, only 90 yuan per catty. You two college students, want to buy some? Seeing how pretty you are, auntie will give you a discount."
"Mantis shrimp here, only 45 yuan per catty, turbot fish 40 yuan per catty, want some?"
Suyun Wholesale Market was located on the west side of 'Carrefour' plaza, only about 300 meters away.
Unlike the mall, which mostly sold clothing and accessories, the market sold daily necessities for people's livelihoods—essential items.
Although Carrefour mall's foot traffic had become very sparse, there weren't many closed shops in Suyun Wholesale Market, and everything could still be called thriving.
But this thriving scene was mostly in the meat and vegetable shops.
As they entered the seafood area, the foot traffic visibly decreased.
Su Mo, walking alongside Chu Tianlan in Suyun Market's seafood section, perhaps because both looked young and cute, obviously college students, caused the vendors on both sides of the road to enthusiastically call out to them.
Looking at the fish, shrimp, crabs and other seafood creatures swimming in tanks, Su Mo couldn't help but share an amusing anecdote with the thoughtful Chu Tianlan beside her.
When she was little on her birthday, her dad had originally planned to go to the zoo, but because ticket prices had increased, he stubbornly tricked her into believing the seafood market was a zoo. He ended up exchanging the ticket money for a few crabs and had a feast that night. She had been completely fooled.
Chu Tianlan looked at the little cat girl Su Mo who was gripping her small hand, bouncing around cutely all the way, seemingly sensing her earlier loneliness and clumsily sharing childhood stories with her—not good at expressing herself. A warm current flowed through her heart.
Seeing Su Mo's cute appearance as she looked at the seafood stalls, occasionally licking her lips.
Chu Tianlan's earlier lonely mood was somewhat relieved. She then followed Su Mo's gaze toward the seafood stalls, looking while saying:
"Little Mo, what seafood do you want to buy? I... I can't cook. I heard there's a lot of knowledge in buying seafood. Can you select them?"
Holding her gentle small hand, feeling Chu Tianlan's emotions return to her usual gentle neighborhood big sister state, Su Mo couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Hearing Chu Tianlan admit she couldn't cook, Su Mo felt her eyes brighten.
Because President Chu, who had a wife-like charm and loved wearing purple dresses, appearing omnipotent, couldn't cook—this point felt more and more like her favorite character type!
However, regarding President Chu's question about seafood selection, Su Mo was momentarily at a loss.
After all, since childhood, her mother had always been the one cooking at home, and her father did the grocery shopping.
As a student, she'd never had a chance to cook in the dorms before, and now she had the 'Chef Girl's Bellyband.'
Although Su Mo had ideas about processing and preparing seafood.
Honestly speaking, selecting seafood was also Su Mo's first time.
Just as Su Mo was somewhat clueless facing the dazzling array of seafood.
[Ding, detecting host's inner thoughts. Challenge System kindly reminds: under the Little Cat Girl buff, today the host possesses super keen smell for seafood and can assess seafood quality by sniffing and feeling the cat ears' trembling.]
Hearing her sister system's very thoughtful reminder, Su Mo's lips couldn't help but curve into a faint arc, revealing two shallow dimples.
Recently, Su Mo could clearly feel that her sister seemed much more active than before.
Mmm... although they hadn't met face to face, she just felt very cute and really looked forward to the little girl being reborn and revived!
Thinking about 'revival,' Su Mo suddenly discovered a problem.
Emmmmmmm, she was already 18 this year, and her mother was nearly 50, already considered advanced maternal age.
If she completed the 'rescue mission,' how exactly would her sister be reborn?
Through her brother and sister?
But neither of them had partners!
Thinking of this, recalling that SSS-level mission she'd seen the Challenge System release: One Birth, Eight Treasures.
Su Mo silently shivered—it couldn't be...
Just as Su Mo was thinking of an inappropriate situation, Chu Tianlan had already pulled Su Mo to a seafood stall.
The vendor's words brought Su Mo back to reality.
"Two beautiful ladies, what would you like? Today's swimming crabs are especially fat. Each one is fresh and alive."
While speaking, the vendor pulled out a swimming crab bound like it had committed some heavenly crime from the water.
As the crab was lifted out, its unbound hind legs trembled constantly, looking very lively.
Seeing this lively crab, Su Mo gently leaned her little head forward to sniff, but frowned.
Because carefully smelling this crab, there was always a kind of spoiled, sour bitter taste inside.
Pulling Chu Tianlan's small hand, she walked to another seafood stall. After walking through several stalls consecutively, Su Mo finally found a fresh stall using her cat ears.
Since five people would be eating lunch today, and Su Mo had always been taken care of by the four beautiful girls since starting school.
So today's Su Mo decided to splurge a little, somewhat painfully refusing Chu Tianlan's offer to pay, purchasing ten swimming crabs, one turbot fish, and two catties of mantis shrimp all at once.
After that, Su Mo bought some side dishes for cooking seafood—cilantro, peppers, etc.
What surprised Su Mo was that the cilantro she originally bought was 8 yuan per catty, but just after buying, another vegetable stall was calling out 5 yuan per catty, which inevitably gave an unpleasant premonition.
At this time, Yun Xia conveniently called, saying the clothes were finished. Having already bought ingredients and wanting to feast, Su Mo didn't dwell on the cilantro issue and followed Chu Tianlan back toward 'Mo Mo's Ready-Made Clothing Store.'
Since it was already noon and Su Mo would need to process seafood and cook later, inevitably getting stained with oil and cooking smells.
Although the four beautiful girls were all looking forward to the 'cat girl little maid' and wanted to dress Su Mo in cute, obedient white stockings and apron maid outfit, even enjoying being fed by the little maid.
Since this maid outfit was carefully tailored by Yun Xia and An Xiaoqian all morning, the 'dress-up play' plan could only be postponed.
Since Su Mo's little nest room 1603 didn't have much cooking equipment, and Chu Tianlan couldn't cook.
The group of five ultimately came to Lin Muyao and An Xiaoqian's home in room 1103.
Meow~ Meow meow~
As the door to room 1103 opened.
Perhaps because Su Mo was carrying seafood, or because today Su Mo was in little cat girl attire.
Xiaobai, the pet of room 1103 who was usually afraid of people, today actively overcame her fear and came directly to Su Mo's feet, friendly meowing while making a big jump to hug Su Mo's fluffy big tail that matched her own with her entire body.
Feeling the weight on her cat tail and Xiaobai's affection.
Although Su Mo didn't feel much difference.
After all, having her entire tail hugged by fluffy Xiaobai, because the force was evenly distributed and Xiaobai wasn't even a year old and not big, it didn't hurt but just felt a bit ticklish.
But to prevent the 'accessory' from being suspected and exposed by the four beautiful girls, Su Mo ultimately crouched down, gave the little guy a mantis shrimp, and sent the curious Xiaobai away.
Since everyone had been busy all morning.
Everyone was also somewhat hungry, so to speed up the eating process and verify whether the little clothes she made fit properly.
Master chefs Yun Xia and An Xiaoqian, after entering the room, followed Su Mo into the kitchen together.
But as the experienced Yun Xia opened the seafood shopping bag, Su Mo heard an indignant girlish voice.
"Senior Mo Mo, these seafood market vendors are somewhat excessive."
Regarding Yun Xia's angry complaint, Su Mo didn't think there was anything wrong.
After all, when buying seafood, just looking at those ropes, she knew there must be some tricks. Being cheated a little was normal, within reasonable acceptance range.
What surprised Su Mo was that as An Xiaoqian brought scissors and gently picked up a corner of the swimming crab plastic bag.
The next moment, thick light green plastic bag water poured out like a stream.
After that, An Xiaoqian went to the living room and brought back a very high-end looking scale.
After placing a small steel basin weighing 0.05kg on it, after removing the swimming crabs' binding rubber bands, what shocked Su Mo even more was that the originally 9.5 catties of swimming crabs directly became just over 5 catties, nearly half the amount lost.
Looking at this scene, Su Mo could feel her chest visibly rising and falling.
Because this water injection + leather binding nearly doubled the weight, didn't this mean the seafood price effectively doubled?
Seafood was already expensive, and with this extra money, she could eat so many takeout meals!!!
This was simply profiteering, too much of a scam!
As if sensing Su Mo's angry emotions, a calm system voice rang in her mind.
[Ding, detecting that the host purchased 'fake scales + water injection + overweight rubber bands' seafood and 1.6 times overpriced vegetables at 'Suyun Market.' Many college students like the host have been cheated, with merchants defaulting to the equation 'college students = easy targets.' To correct this distorted shopping environment, now issuing A+ level challenge mission: The Advancing College Students.]
[The Advancing College Students: As a contemporary college student with strong sense of honor and tolerance, arguing with shop owners after being cheated doesn't fit your status. Calling complaint hotlines can temporarily curb shops' arrogant behavior, but such actions cannot be called advancing. Please have the host reform the current chaotic market environment and create a store where college students can shop with complete confidence.]
[Mission Description: During college, create a shop together with college students, reform the bad practices of unscrupulous merchants near Su City's university town, and build a platform where college students can shop with complete confidence.]
[Mission Reward: 5000 Challenge Coins. Failure Penalty: None]
Hearing this mission announcement, Su Mo was slightly stunned.
Originally, when buying seafood just now, she was still thinking about how to create some connection with Chu Tianlan.
Now hearing this mission, Su Mo felt opening a store was quite good.
But what kind of store should she open to reform the market environment?
This sounded somewhat difficult!?