Chapter 3 Copper Bell
Chai Cuiqiao asked, "Is he coming over this afternoon?"
"Who cares if he shows up or not."
Li Ang said indifferently, "Alright, go take two hundred cents from the chest; I need to go out for a bit."
"It’s already prepared. Here."
Chai Cuiqiao gave a slight smile and handed over a plainly colored cloth pouch.
Li Ang nodded approvingly. "Very thoughtful of you. I’ll buy some fruit on the way back for you."
"I want Fenghua Peaches—the white-skinned kind! I saw that the Eight Fruit House at the corner had them in stock a few days ago."
Chai Cuiqiao blinked, her eyes shimmering with premeditated excitement, and she licked her lips. "The ones two and a half inches big are only five cents each; eating one or two is enough for dinner. And there are Haoizhou mulberries, three cents a bunch. Oh, and pomegranates, but those are fifteen cents each—too expensive. Better to get some candy instead."
Candy was a type of caramel made from grains like corn and barley, fermented and saccharified. A small piece could be bought for one cent and chewed for half a day; it was considered the most cost-effective children’s sweet treat.
"Hey, aren’t you pushing your luck?"
Li Ang laughed as he ruffled Chai Cuiqiao’s hair, pocketed the money pouch, and headed out through the backyard.
Just as he stepped outside, he heard an excited voice from nearby, "Risheng?"