Chapter 19: The Drifting Fragrance

Fortunately, there had been preparation beforehand; what he vomited up was truly repulsive and gave off a sour, foul odor.

After passing the night in this manner, by the next morning, Uncle Wang’s son had indeed recovered and was full of energy. Uncle Wang and his wife could not have been happier. Three days later, the couple drove their tricycle back to Qingfeng Temple. This time, they came specifically to thank Zhang Xiaorui and to pay her. Originally, the agreed-upon amount was two thousand, but Uncle Wang waved his hand grandly and gave her five thousand instead. Zhang Xiaorui took the five thousand yuan with a grin from ear to ear. From then on, whenever Zhang Xiaorui came down from the mountain, Uncle Wang and his wife would greet her with immense enthusiasm whenever they saw her. It was understandable, after all; she had saved their child’s life. She was, in every sense, their savior.

Uncle Wang drove the tricycle, taking Zhang Xiaorui all the way to the city. "Xiaorui, get off here. Just around the bend ahead is the pedestrian street; there are plenty of places selling mobile phones there. The most popular phones on the market right now are Huawei—the pride of our nation. Everyone is encouraged to support domestic products."

Zhang Xiaorui, showing little interest, waved at Uncle Wang, "Got it, Uncle Wang. You go ahead and handle your business."

Seeing the girl acting a bit off, Uncle Wang asked, "Xiaorui, you seem a bit down! Did something happen? If you need help, just tell your uncle. Is it because your master left that you're feeling low?"

"No, you're overthinking it." As Zhang Xiaorui turned to leave, Uncle Wang grabbed her. "Xiaorui, are you short on money for the phone? Uncle has money. I just sold some grain and a few cows a couple of days ago, totaling over a hundred thousand. Let me give you some money so you can buy a better phone. Your master is gone, and being left all alone makes you quite pitiful."

As he spoke, Uncle Wang reached into his pocket and pulled out several bundles of cash—each bundle worth ten thousand. There were eight bundles and then some, totaling nearly ninety thousand yuan. He handed a bundle directly to Zhang Xiaorui. "Take it, go buy one, get something decent."

Zhang Xiaorui smiled. "Really, Uncle Wang, I don't need it. I have money."

The reason she was in low spirits was because the platform had taken half of the ten thousand yuan she had earned, and her heart was still bleeding. It would be strange if anyone could be happy after such a thing.

"Oh, Xiaorui, why are you being so polite? We aren't outsiders; we're family."

Zhang Xiaorui waved him off. "Uncle Wang, go do your work. I really don't need it. I appreciate your kindness, but I have enough for a phone." Having said that, she turned and disappeared into the crowd. Uncle Wang gave a helpless smile and shook his head. "This girl, really."

***

At the Huawei specialty store, a professional sales atmosphere and high-tech products complemented each other, providing every customer with precise and attentive service.

"Welcome! What price range are you looking for in a phone, miss?" The clerk, Xiao Yang, greeted every customer with a standard professional smile and a warm attitude. She wore a neat uniform and a ponytail, looking capable yet approachable.

Zhang Xiaorui looked around, evidently attracted by the spacious interior and the exquisite decor. Her gaze wandered among the various phones, as if searching for her ideal choice.

"Hello, miss. I need a phone that can be used for live streaming. Could you help me pick one?" Zhang Xiaorui’s request was clear; she wanted a device that met her streaming needs.

Xiao Yang immediately replied, "Of course, we have several Huawei models that are excellent for live streaming. Given the high demands live streaming places on cameras, processors, and battery life, I recommend our P-series and Mate-series. Both series are equipped with high-performance cameras that can capture clear, vivid images, making your streams more engaging. At the same time, their powerful processors and optimized battery management systems ensure your phone runs smoothly for long periods without running out of power."

After this long, professional explanation, Zhang Xiaorui only felt a headache coming on. She just wanted a phone for streaming; her requirements weren't that high! After a series of comparisons, she chose a phone priced at just over three thousand yuan, inserted her SIM card, and downloaded WeChat. She transferred the money and left in one smooth motion. It looked like she didn't want to spend another minute in the store.

Once outside, Zhang Xiaorui rushed into a shopping mall not far away. She needed to buy some food and drinks. To make big money, the prerequisite was to treat herself well; otherwise, where would she find the energy to stream and tell fortunes? Besides, with that massive invisible burden weighing on her, Zhang Xiaorui felt she could barely breathe.

"Helpless person, helpless soul, how hard it is for a helpless Taoist to rise above the rest. Why is it so difficult? So sad."

Zhang Xiaorui looked sorrowful, but this sadness didn't last long—roughly, maybe, perhaps, supposedly.

Upon seeing the dazzling array of snacks in the mall, she cast all her sorrows to the winds. At this moment, her eyes were filled only with snacks: snail noodles, French fries, potato chips, Anmuxi yogurt—there were simply too many to count. Zhang Xiaorui smacked her lips, and a drop of something crystalline slowly escaped the corner of her mouth.

Damn it, she was drooling.

When Zhang Xiaorui walked out of the supermarket, she was carrying a huge pile of snacks. After turning a corner and emerging again, her hands were completely empty. The large bag of snacks had vanished—or rather, not exactly vanished; she had stowed them all into the canvas bag slung across her waist.

Some might ask: how could such a small canvas bag hold so many things? If you say that, aren't you lacking a bit of imagination? Could Master Zhang’s canvas bag be any ordinary bag? It certainly couldn't be compared to ordinary ones.

"Should I head back to the temple? I seem to have spent quite a bit today. A phone for thirty-five hundred, plus some food and daily necessities... that was over seven hundred. What is thirty-five hundred plus seven hundred again?"

Zhang Xiaorui stood there counting on her fingers. "..." It was perfectly normal for this kind of thing to happen to her; there was nothing to be surprised about. "That's forty-two hundred spent! Doesn't seem like I have much left."

She automatically filtered out the fact that she still had to buy bones for Xiao Hua. One couldn't blame her for not remembering, as she was currently nursing a heartache over her spending.

"Forget it, I won't think about it. I'll call Uncle Wang and see if he's finished. If he is, we can go back together, and I'll save a yuan on the bus fare."

Just as Zhang Xiaorui pulled out her phone to call Uncle Wang, she caught a whiff of an irresistible aroma. She raised her head and looked around, only to see a fried chicken shop not far away, from which the scent was drifting.