Consumption

Having suddenly come into such a huge sum of money, Jiang Ning naturally wanted to buy some things he needed.

The first thing he did was go to the Telecom Business Hall and get a 20 Mbps broadband connection.

The mobile SIM card he usually used at home was far too slow. In this era before 4G networks, it could not even load videos.

Broadband was expensive nowadays. A 20 Mbps connection cost 2,500 yuan a year, unlike in later years, when a 200 Mbps connection cost only 360 yuan annually.

A higher price was no big deal. Wi-Fi was a necessity in life, and having grown accustomed to the convenient internet of later years, Jiang Ning was willing to spend a little more.

He also planned to replace his phone. The one in his hand had been a freebie with a 300-yuan top-up. If he left QQ and TianTian Listening running in the background, it started lagging and occasionally crashed.

Even with Jiang Ning's steady temperament, he was left speechless by a phone like that.

Jiang Ning intended to get a Xiaomi 2s, but after asking at several phone shops, he found that none had one. Instead, the clerks enthusiastically recommended Oppo and Vivo. Jiang Ning politely declined. At this point, both brands were still overpriced for their specs.

One small shop owner did say he could buy a Xiaomi phone on Jiang Ning's behalf, but he wanted an extra 300 yuan. Xiaomi phones were difficult to snag, after all, and once someone got one, they could immediately resell it at a markup.

A lot of scalpers did exactly that. They grabbed a Xiaomi phone and could easily sell it for an extra two hundred yuan.

Jiang Ning was speechless. He could not help recalling those days when he had tried to buy Xiaomi phones, only to be repeatedly toyed with by Xiaomi's flash sales. Now that he was not short on money, he was not about to do something so foolish again.

He turned and went to the Apple Store next door. Back when he was a student, he had watched his classmates use Apple Phones and praise how easy they were to use, how user-friendly the system was, and how smooth the transition animations looked. Back then, Jiang Ning had been deeply envious.

There were also countless Apple fans online who treated Apple like a god. If you dared say a single bad word about it, they would curse you and your ancestors for eighteen generations.

These days, in a small city like Yuzhou City, Apple was still a symbol of quality. Young people who used Apple Phones carried a faint sense of superiority.

Jiang Ning was not that fanatical. To him, Apple was just an ordinary phone. He simply had not been able to own one at the age when he wanted one most. Even though he later bought the latest model, the feelings he had once held were gone.

Jiang Ning spent over 4,000 yuan on a white iPhone 5 with 32 GB of storage. As for why he did not buy black? Because the black one chipped.

Come to think of it, the iPhone 5s was released around this time too. It would just be another two months before it arrived in China. He could buy another one then.

Jiang Ning did not apply a screen protector or use a case. With the reaction speed granted by his Spiritual Sense, he would never accidentally drop his phone.

As for scratches on the screen, he had mastered all kinds of spirit arts and kept himself clean at all times. Dust would never be an issue.

To those who treated their phones like family heirlooms, a cultivator's methods would definitely be the stuff of dreams.

Jiang Ning then went to the neighboring shop and bought two outfits. The Adidas clothes Uncle had bought him were getting a little short as he grew taller.

Jiang Ning did not buy Adidas. A series of idiotic moves by the brand in later years had left him with a poor impression of it. Its prices were high, its quality was nothing special, and like other brands, it relied on contract manufacturers.

Its marketing was simply good enough for it to dare charge such high premiums.

Jiang Ning was not someone who cared much about brands. The iPhone carried a premium because, in this era, its screen, performance, system, camera, and build quality all surpassed Android Phones. He thought it was worth it.

As for Adidas, he did not think it was worth it. There were some decent domestic brands too. He picked out two outfits, and they cost less than a single Adidas outfit. They were truly cheap.

Next, he went to the supermarket and bought rice, flour, cooking oil, a large bag of snacks, and all kinds of dried fruits and preserved fruit.

He also went to the market and bought ribs, beef, and fruit. He did not buy much, just enough to last him a day or two.

The rented house had no refrigerator, but Jiang Ning did not go out of his way to buy one. He knew a little about arrays, and casually setting up an Ice Array would work far better than a refrigerator.

Jiang Ning tied the items to the rear rack and front crossbar of his Mountain Bike, thoroughly arming it with supplies.

All of today's spending added up to less than 10,000 yuan.

On the way home, Jiang Ning saw someone selling sugar-coated haws by the roadside. He bought two mixed-fruit skewers, threaded with hawthorn berries, mandarins, kiwis, and more.

He also saw someone selling iced sweet soup, including taro sago. It looked refreshing and tempting, so Jiang Ning bought two servings and carried them away. With a casual flick, he cast two Ice Magic Arts to ensure they would still be cold when he got home.

After that, Jiang Ning stopped hesitating and rode away.

After crossing the Dam, he spotted Xue Yuantong sitting in front of her house, enjoying the cool air.

When Xue Yuantong saw the conspicuous rice, flour, and oil on Jiang Ning's bike, she wanted to go over and help. But then she noticed the snacks on top and could not help hesitating. What if he thinks I'm helping him because I'm after his snacks?

Am I that kind of person?

Seeing Xue Yuantong dawdling there, Jiang Ning called out, "Xue Yuantong, come lend me a hand. I bought sweet soup."

"Mm, all right." Xue Yuantong tied up her ponytail with a hair tie and rolled up her sleeves, ready to get to work, only to realize she was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. She had rolled up nothing.

She picked up the jug of cooking oil and made two trips, putting everything away.

Of course, Xue Yuantong was not thinking about the sweet soup or the sugar-coated haws. Was she that kind of person?

Xue Yuantong slowly walked forward, hoping Jiang Ning would call her back. Yet even when she was almost at the door, Jiang Ning still said nothing. Xue Yuantong grew anxious.

Xue Yuantong gave a huff inwardly and suddenly quickened her pace. Just then, Jiang Ning called out.

"I bought a little too much sweet soup. I'll give you a serving."

It was as though she had been walking through a vast desert and suddenly come across an oasis. Jiang Ning's words made Xue Yuantong swallow helplessly.

Holding the cup of sweet soup Jiang Ning had given her, she felt the chill traveling from the cup to her skin, and her mood immediately lifted.

"Fine, then I'll taste it for you and see whether this shop's sweet soup is authentic, so you don't get scammed." Xue Yuantong spoke calmly, her expression indifferent.

"Sure, sure." Jiang Ning said, "I'll give you a sugar-coated haw skewer too."

He handed one over. He had bought two because he had thought of Xue Yuantong. He had sold the gold buried beneath her house for tens of thousands of yuan; spending a dozen or so yuan on her was not excessive, was it? Xue Yuantong still looked calm and unruffled, but a faint ripple stirred in her heart. Jiang Ning had been taking good care of her lately. Before this, apart from her parents, she had never felt such care. That made her think back on the past, and some unpleasant memories surfaced.

The sweet soup cup continued to give off a chilly temperature, cutting off those memories for Xue Yuantong. The sweet soup and sugar-coated haws were ice-cold, as if the scorching summer had not warmed them at all. That showed just how fast Jiang Ning had ridden. Although she was happy to have something cold in the middle of summer, she found herself worried about Jiang Ning.

"Next time, ride a little slower. I know you're a great rider, but going too fast is dangerous. Kids often run out from both sides of the Dam."

Xue Yuantong put on a stern face and reminded him seriously.

"Okay, I'll remember that." Jiang Ning nodded solemnly, as though he had truly taken Xue Yuantong's words to heart.

Xue Yuantong was very satisfied. She brought Jiang Ning a small stool, and the two sat together by the door, drinking sweet soup and eating sugar-coated haws.

Aunt Gu, who was busy inside, saw the scene and smiled as well. She suddenly felt that her Tongtong and Jiang Ning made quite a good match.

"Mom, have some sugar-coated haws. Jiang Ning gave them to me." Xue Yuantong trotted over.