Zhu Juntang merely wanted Liu Chang'an to agree to go play; it did not mean they could play today. So after class, once she had made sure Yan Qingcheng had not seized the chance to approach Daddy, Zhu Juntang happily went home with Liu Chang'an and Shangguan Dandan.
They still rode in Zhu Juntang's car, though they made a detour to the market on the way.
Liu Chang'an and Shangguan Dandan were both regulars at the market. The moment they arrived, they got out of the car. Shangguan Dandan left her thermos in the car, then bounced behind Liu Chang'an, failing to jump onto his back and cling there. So she grabbed one of his fingers instead.
After the afternoon, the vendors who had originally kept their stalls neatly against the walls had all moved them toward the middle of the road, making the passing vehicles and pedestrians feel terribly cramped.
It was not really their fault. Once someone moved inward and got closer to the pedestrians, everyone else had to follow suit. Otherwise, everyone else's vegetables would sell out while yours, stuck in the corner, would draw no customers.
As for everyone staying against the walls and keeping the middle of the road clear... that was basically impossible. It went against human nature.
There would always be people who broke the rules, and then everyone would break the rules. That was the natural state without order or violent enforcement.
"I want meat buns tonight, I want grilled fish, I want camel, I want dragon stew-stew-stew-stew, I want goose, I want..." Shangguan Dandan sang out the things she wanted to eat while looking around.
She merely wanted to eat them; she did not actually have to eat them. There was a difference. The Empress Dowager was a very, very old