"Sell them for money?"
Shen Lang was even more surprised. What era did this country girl travel here from?
He had thought Li Liusi picked it up to make some kind of craft or use for growing flowers, but it was actually just to sell for money?
At most, one bottle was worth a dime. How many bottles would she have to save up to trade for one unopened bottle of Coke?
Perhaps she felt that her instinctive action had given Shen Lang quite a scare.
Li Liusi held the bottle in her hand and stood there at a loss, like a child who had done something wrong.
1: Ask in surprise: Damn, you're a girl and you're picking things out of a trash can. Don't you find that disgusting?
2: Show off smugly: Silly girl, how much can this bottle be worth? Clean yourself up and dress nicely. I'll treat you to steak tonight!
3: Go back to his room, collect all the empty bottles, give them to her, and say gently: All the bottles will be yours from now on.
"Wait for me."
Shen Lang decisively chose option three.
This option could preserve Li Liusi's dignity while also giving him a reason to bring her bottles in the future and draw them closer together.
Shen Lang returned to his room and gathered all the bottles he usually tossed into the corner, stuffing them into a garbage bag.
When he returned to Li Liusi's room, Shen Lang handed her the bulging garbage bag.
"I'm usually pretty lazy. I can't be bothered to collect these bottles and sell them, so you can have them now."
Shen Lang smiled and teased, "But after you sell them, remember to share a bottle of Coke with me."
Li Liusi blankly accepted the garbage bag full of empty bottles and stood there dazed for a long time. Her eyes gradually began to redden.
She bent slightly and bowed to Shen Lang, her voice trembling with tears. "Th-thank you!"
Ding! Li Liusi's Favorability toward the host has increased by 5 points. Current Favorability: 10 points. Keep up the good work!
"N-no need to thank me!"
In a certain sense, Shen Lang was truly shocked.
It was already 2024. How could there still be someone this poor?
She was actually so grateful over a few empty bottles that she thanked him and bowed to him!?
After saying goodbye to Li Liusi, Shen Lang went to Building Three and rang Xia Shuyi's doorbell.
"Mengmeng, go open the door. Mommy can't get away."
"Okay!"
A childish voice gradually drew closer.
After the security door slowly opened, the little girl poked her head out and looked up at Shen Lang with wide, innocent eyes. Then she broke into an adorable, delighted smile.
"Mommy, it's Little Shen! Little Shen is here!"
Xia Shuyi was doing yoga on a mat on the balcony.
When she heard that Shen Lang had come, her face immediately blossomed with delight. She hurriedly paused her yoga lesson, stood up, and went to greet him.
It was obvious that both mother and daughter liked this tall young man very much.
Standing at the door and looking at the mother and daughter coming toward him, Shen Lang inexplicably felt like he was becoming a step-dad.
It felt as though the mother and daughter had been living alone at home, and a husband who had been away on business for a long time had suddenly returned, bringing them an enormous surprise.
"Little Shen, what have you been doing lately? You haven't come to play with Mengmeng in so long!"
The little girl hugged Shen Lang's leg and raised her expectant little face, wanting him to pick her up.
"Aww, Little Shen has things to do."
Shen Lang bent down and picked her up, dotingly rubbing his nose against her tiny one. "Heave-ho, has Mengmeng gotten chubbier again? Hmm?"
"Hehehe, no I haven't!"
The little girl shook her head happily, revealing her tiny white baby teeth.
Xia Shuyi happily watched the two being affectionate and smiled warmly. "Little Shen, stay for lunch today. I just got back from buying groceries."
"Then thank you, Sister Xia."
After Shen Lang nodded in agreement, his gaze suddenly fell on Xia Shuyi, who was wearing only yoga clothes.
Xia Shuyi stood barefoot on the carpet in the middle of the living room, her glossy black hair tied behind her head. She wore a pale yellow cropped tank top and white yoga pants.
The fair skin of her waist beneath her chest was smooth and flat, while her graceful, alluring figure was fully displayed by the tight yoga outfit.
Because of her workout, Xia Shuyi's cheeks were slightly flushed, and a thin sheen of sweat covered her forehead, giving her an inexplicably captivating charm.
The passage of decades seemed to have left no marks on Xia Shuyi. The skin exposed by her yoga clothes was still as smooth and firm as a young girl's.
Xia Shuyi felt a little embarrassed under Shen Lang's unwavering stare, yet an inexplicable sense of pride rose within her.
Despite having a child and being older now, she could still make a young man in the prime of his youth stare at her so intently. That meant she had maintained her figure quite well.
"You little rascal."
Xia Shuyi rolled her eyes at Shen Lang with a proud, coquettish look, then smugly returned to her bedroom and draped a trench coat over herself.
Mengmeng was still at home, and Xia Shuyi was afraid Shen Lang might lose control and be unable to resist doing what he had done last time.
When she returned to the living room in her trench coat, Mengmeng was sitting in Shen Lang's arms, happily watching a cartoon on the LCD television with him.
Xia Shuyi sat beside Shen Lang, pinched her daughter's soft cheek, and asked curiously, "Why did you come over so early today? Don't you need to write your novel?"
"Here's what happened."
Shen Lang recounted what had happened with Li Liusi earlier, then sighed. "Other than when I was little and stayed with my grandmother in the countryside, I haven't seen such a frugal girl in a long time."
Xia Shuyi said helplessly, "Sigh, that girl hasn't had it easy either."
"Her parents died when she was only a few years old. Since childhood, she and her grandmother had lived off government aid."
"She finally managed to get into university, but then her grandmother suffered a stroke and was hospitalized. It costs a lot every day now."
"She works at a restaurant while taking care of her grandmother, and she still has to attend university classes. Her life is far too hard."
"I see."
Shen Lang finally understood why Li Liusi was so frugal.
University itself required a considerable amount of money. Her grandmother's hospitalization and medicine had probably left her with a mountain of debt, and she had lost her parents when she was young.
Other than desperately saving money, what else could she do while attending university?
"Wait, Sister Xia. How do you know all this?"
Shen Lang asked in surprise, "Didn't she just move in today?"
"She told me herself when she came to look at the place yesterday."
Xia Shuyi smiled bitterly. "You probably don't believe it, right? I also haven't seen such a simple, honest girl in a long time. She answered whatever I asked, so innocent it was almost unbelievable."
"Little Shen, you live across from that girl. When you have time, look after her a little."
Xia Shuyi spoke earnestly. "If you can, help her change that kind of personality too. Otherwise, once she enters society, she'll definitely meet the wrong people."
Before you continue