Tang Wulin Appears

"Na'er, time to eat." Meng Li lifted the packed steamed soup dumplings and two bowls of congee in his hands, waving them beneath Na'er's nose as she slept.

Na'er's cute little nose twitched, and her eyes flew open, revealing those beautiful, captivating eyes. She stared at the dumplings with the expression of a predator eyeing its prey.

"Wash up first." Meng Li pressed down on Na'er's little head with one hand.

After washing up, Na'er ate one dumpling, then looked up at Meng Li, who had been watching her. "Have you eaten?"

"I already ate outside. Go ahead and eat." This little thing isn't stupid either. Meng Li smiled.

"Mm." Reassured, Na'er devoured the breakfast he had bought like a whirlwind.

Watching Na'er eat, Meng Li mourned for his wallet for five seconds.

"After you're done, stay home and watch TV. I'm going out to work. You know how to change the channel, right?"

Na'er shook her head.

Meng Li let out a soft sigh.

An hour later...

"If you like this channel, just watch this one." Meng Li set the television to a channel playing cartoons and gave up on teaching Na'er how to use the remote. Over the past hour, he had deeply realized just how difficult it was to teach an illiterate person.

"Mm." Na'er nodded obediently.

"I'll head out first. Be good while you're home alone. If you get hungry, boil some water and make instant noodles. Wait for me to come back—I'll bring you something tasty tonight." Meng Li rubbed Na'er's head.

"Okay." At the mention of something tasty, Na'er's eyes curved into crescents.

At the wholesale market in Aolai City's southern district, Meng Li pulled a cart loaded with around fifty cute plush toys out through the main entrance.

"What a strong, independent child. Such a good kid. What a pity—he has to support his mother, his little sister, and even his grandmother all by himself."

As he watched Meng Li leave, the owner wiped away tears and waved goodbye.

Whew, I won't do something this immoral again. Once I make money, I'll compensate that owner. He's a good man. Meng Li sighed and touched the hundred Federal Coins in his pocket.

Meng Li pulled the toys to the park, found an open spot, and began setting up his stall.

First, he filled the prize area with carefully selected cute toys. Then he drew a line and wrote: Throw from this line. Whatever you ring is yours.

Since this was a park, this kind of game was rarely seen, and the prizes were quite cute.

Before long, a large group of five- and six-year-old children had gathered around his stall, mostly girls.

"Look, those bunnies are so cute!" A little girl pointed at the rabbits in a cage behind Meng Li's stall.

There were five rabbits in total, bought with his hundred Federal Coins.

"Kid, how much are these?" the little girl's parent asked Meng Li.

I hate being called kid. Though displeased, Meng Li still smiled. "These aren't sold separately. I have rings here—three for one Federal Coin. Whatever you ring is yours."

"What if I want to buy one directly?" the little girl's parent asked.

"Thirty-five. No bargaining," Meng Li said.

"That expensive?" Though the parent said so, the rabbit really was worth that price, so he couldn't exactly call Meng Li a profiteer.

"Dad, I want one! I want one!" The little girl tugged at her parent.

After thinking for a moment, the father said, "Give me thirty rings."

"Coming right up. Good luck, sir." A customer at last. Meng Li handed all thirty rings to the father.

Under his daughter's expectant gaze, the father began throwing.

But as the girl watched her father throw again and again, he didn't ring a single one.

"What a shame." Meng Li sighed for the father, then picked up a cute rabbit plushie and handed it to the little girl. "This is for you. You're my first customer today."

"Quick, thank the boss." The father patted his daughter.

"Dad, I want that rabbit." The girl shook her head, refusing the plush rabbit Meng Li had given her, her gaze firm.

"Give me another thirty rings."

The father sighed.

What a persistent child. Meng Li shook his head inwardly and handed the rings to the father.

After the father spent fifty Federal Coins, he finally ringed that rabbit.

Meng Li handed the rabbit to the little girl.

"Here, your little bunny." The rabbit was so cute. I wonder whether her father has any thoughts of grilling it. Meng Li smiled.

"Wow, it's so cute! Dad, look!"

The father looked utterly depressed, but seeing how happy his daughter was, that little bit of money no longer mattered.

"Dad, why doesn't the rabbit have any friends? I want to find it a friend."

The father's mouth twitched.

"Be good, Xiao Xi. Listen to me. It's getting late, and you still haven't done your homework."

"But it's only three o'clock." The little girl looked utterly innocent.

You little brat...

"No, I want it! I want it!" The little girl began throwing a tantrum.

Meng Li was delighted. A customer had come right to his door to let him make money—what an expert at fleecing her dad.

Left with no choice, the adult could only spend thirty-five Federal Coins to buy one from Meng Li.

"Thank you for your patronage, sir. May you get rich and have wealth pouring in from all directions."

After deducting costs, he had made forty-five Federal Coins from the first sale. This business makes money fast. Watching the pedestrians come and go, Meng Li used every trick he had learned from doing this in his previous life.

After setting up here for three hours, Meng Li had earned more than twelve hundred Federal Coins after costs.

There was still an hour before Red Mountain Academy let out. Seeing that most of the toys at his stall had been ringed, he packed up and left. He had another business to attend to.

Carrying a backpack stuffed full of stall supplies, he returned to the rented apartment.

As soon as he entered, he saw Na'er hugging her knees, staring fixedly at the television.

"Brother, you're back."

Hearing movement at the door, Na'er looked up at Meng Li as he returned, a smile appearing on her face.

At that moment, Na'er was like a kitten kept at home, lonely as she waited for her owner to return. There was no one to talk to and no little friends to play with.

Meng Li thought for a moment. "I'm going out again later. Want to come with me?"

Na'er nodded. "Okay."

This girl barely spoke. If this keeps up, she'll develop autism. I should bring her along whenever I can from now on. Meng Li took Na'er with him as though she were his little sister.

"Candied hawthorn skewers! Candied hawthorn skewers! Fresh hawthorn!"

"Little ones, want a skewer?"

Outside Red Mountain Academy, Meng Li and Na'er, who was biting into a candied hawthorn skewer, called out to sell their wares.

Meng Li had children's minds completely figured out, especially when it came to strawberry candied hawthorn skewers, which were the most popular among them.

Just half an hour after setting up, they had already sold half their stock, making a clean profit of two hundred.

On Tang Wulin's first day after school, he was in a poor mood after his classmates mocked his martial soul as a useless one. He had kept his head lowered, but suddenly, the cries of candied hawthorn sellers at the school gate caught his attention. Having awakened his martial soul, he especially loved to eat.

But his gaze was quickly drawn elsewhere—to a little girl. Like him, she had a pair of beautiful big eyes.

He stepped forward in a few quick strides, stopping before Na'er, who was holding Meng Li's left hand and eating a candied hawthorn skewer. He extended his hand and said, "Hello, my name is Tang Wulin. What's your name?"

"My name is... Na'er."

"Tang Wulin, the protagonist of Douluo: The Dragon King's Legend..."