Before I knew it, I had arrived at the market and could smell the bustling crowds and noisy sounds from afar.
When you get closer, you can see four rows of stalls extending along the wide street, with almost no end in sight.
"Wow, there are so many people!" Mao Huizhu said, "It's much bigger than the market near my hometown."
Xiao Feng also opened his eyes wide and looked at her. He had never seen these things in his life, but he kept Xia Wenyue's instructions in mind and would consciously run back and hold Xia Mian's hand when there were many people around.
Chenchen has been attracted by the marshmallows on the outside, "Mom, uncle, marshmallows!"
Ning Shaoyun took him to the cotton candy stall.
Xia Wenyue and her family had important business here today, and as they had agreed, Xia Mian, Ning Shaoyun, and Ning Shaobai took Xiaofeng and Chenchen for a leisurely stroll, buying some small items; the big items were left to Xia Wenyue's family to buy.
Ning Shaobai looked at the cotton candy stall with an almost bitter and resentful look on his face, scaring the owner so much that he trembled with fear, not knowing whether he had done anything wrong.
Xia Mian touched him, "Hey, come out and have some fun, what are you doing?"
Ning Shaoyun obviously knew the reason. She covered her mouth and laughed, "She has mysophobia. In the eyes of doctors, there is probably no clean place except the operating room. The things they fear most are roadside stalls with a lot of people."
Xia Mian thought of his doctor aunt, shuddered, and advised, "Doctor Ning, it's not clean. You won't get sick if you eat it. People need some bacteria to increase their immunity so that they can be healthier."
Ning Shaobai raised his eyebrows, "You know all this."
Xia Mian raised her chin and said, "I've already said it, this fairy knows everything."
Ning Shaobai said expressionlessly, "Then do you know how to avoid so many people?"
Ning Shaoyun laughed, "He never liked to join in the fun since he was a child. He only went to the market once, and it seems he never came again after that."
"I don't know how to avoid so many people," Xia Mian grabbed his arm and pulled him forward, "I only know how to blend in with so many people. When you encounter problems, you must face them bravely. It's like bacteria. You can only develop resistance after being in contact with them. Once you adapt, you won't feel anything anymore."
Ning Shaobai: …
I felt even more itchy all over. "Please stop talking about it. Please."
Xia Mian laughed out loud.
But now Xia Mian really didn't have time to argue with him.
There is really a dazzling array of goods on the stalls, and the key is that there is no regular pattern in how they are arranged, so you never know what the next stall will sell.
They played with hoops, darts and balloons. Balloon popping was Xia Mian's thing to do, but it was boring for her to play by herself, so she asked Ning Shaobai to compete with her.
As a result, this guy was full of disdain before playing, but was ruthless when he started. Fortunately, this situation was not too difficult for both of them, and they ended up in a draw.
Xiaofeng and Chenchen each got a stuffed toy, which made the two little guys very happy.
After that they came across someone blowing candy figures. Xiaofeng and Chenchen each blew a candy figure, Xiaofeng's was a dragon, and Chenchen's was a tiger. Both of them were very fond of these works that they personally participated in, and held them in their hands carefully for fear that someone would touch them.
Xia Mian saw Xiao Feng holding up his little arms to protect him carefully, so he simply carried him over. Chenchen also turned around and stretched out his arms to Ning Shaobai.
The group squeezed through the crowded crowd and saw a group of people gathered in the distance. From time to time, they could hear excited cheers.
It turned out to be a monkey trainer. Xia Mian squeezed in with Xiao Feng in his arms, and saw a man leading two little monkeys in the open space in the middle, giving various instructions. The little monkeys somersaulted and bowed to the crowd, imitated how people walked, crossed their legs, and even fought with the monkey trainer, making everyone laugh.
Xiao Feng and Chen Chen were totally unfazed. They stretched their necks to stare intently, and from time to time they clapped and laughed along with the crowd.
Ning Shaobai would occasionally glance at the monkey, and most of the time his eyes were scanning the surroundings. Suddenly, his gaze fixed, and he handed Chenchen to Ning Shaoyun without any expression, and pulled Xia Mian and Xiao Feng, who were in a trance, to his side.
Xia Mian glanced sideways uncomfortably, but Ning Shaobai didn't care and continued to look back at the monkey riding the unicycle.
After a while, Ning Shaobai suddenly stretched out his hand and clamped Xiaofeng's arm. The owner of the arm was stunned for a moment, and looked at Ning Shaobai with a cruel light in his eyes.
Ning Shaobai showed no expression, but he swiftly snatched the handkerchief from the other person's hand and pressed it against the other person's mouth and nose.
The man's eyes suddenly widened, and then quickly softened. No one seemed to notice this scene in the bustling crowd.
It was Xia Mian who noticed some movement and turned around, only to see Ning Shaobai supporting an ordinary-looking middle-aged man who looked like he was about to faint.
Xia Mian was stunned for a moment, then Ning Shaobai winked at her and handed her the handkerchief in his hand.
Xia Mian reacted. Before coming out, Xia Wenyue had just explained to them that the reason why they were called "Pai Hua Zi" was because those people could make children or women lose consciousness by waving a handkerchief in front of them.
There was drugs on the handkerchief.
Xia Mian's eyes widened. Ning Shaobai knew that she understood what he meant. He glanced at Ning Shaoyun again and stopped Xia Mian from shouting.
Xia Mian blinked and immediately understood his thoughts. Ning Shaoyun had finally overcome her psychological trauma and brought Chenchen out. If she had known that they had run into child traffickers again, she would probably not dare to go out in the future.
She nodded, then turned back to Ning Shaoyun and said, "Sister Ning, I'm a little tired. Let's go."
When Xiao Feng heard that Xia Mian was tired, he immediately struggled to get down. Xia Mian hugged him tightly and said, "There are too many people here. Let's talk outside."
Xiao Feng naturally hugged Xia Mian's neck tightly. Although Chen Chen was reluctant to leave, he did not show any sign of it.
Ning Shaoyun turned around and saw Ning Shaobai holding a man, stunned for a moment, "What's going on?"
Ning Shaobai said, "It's hard to breathe in this crowded place. You guys go first. I'll help him get some food."
Ning Shaoyun did not doubt him. Ning Shaobai was a doctor after all. Although he was not easy to get along with, he would still take care of patients when he met them.
There are many exciting things happening at the rally, and there are crowds of people everywhere, so people passing by will not pay attention to such small things.
When Xia Mian followed Ning Shaoyun and left, he stepped on the beggar's foot and crushed it hard.
The man groaned in his coma, which scared Xia Mian.
Ning Shaobai quickly covered his mouth and nose with his handkerchief again and glared at Xia Mian speechlessly.
Xia Mian, Ning Shaoyun and Xiao Feng were about to come over, so she quickly carried Xiao Feng and ran out, "Let's go, let's go, we're so hungry, let's go eat."
Ning Shaoyun turned around and said, "Xiaobai, we'll wait for you at Yixiang Pavilion in Zhuyu Lane."
Because of what happened, Xia Mian didn't think anything strange anymore. She kept a vigilant watch on her surroundings. These people usually had accomplices. Since Ning Shaobai was not around, she didn't dare to take it lightly.
Fortunately, they soon reached Pearl Lane.
Zhuyu Lane is a small alley next to the big market street. No one sets up stalls here, so it is not as bustling as the outside. There are only a few pedestrians taking a shortcut here.
Yixiang Pavilion is at the end of the street, an antique restaurant with folding screens with patterns of plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, spring, summer, autumn and winter between the seats, which is very charming.
There were not many people in the restaurant at this moment, so Ning Shaoyun and Xia Mian found a seat by the window and sat down.
Xia Mian looked out the window at this alley full of ancient style. Various beads and jades were displayed at the door of each shop. "This is an antique street."
Ning Shaoyun said, "Well, don't forget that this alley is not big. It is one of the most reputable antique markets in Yan City. Many people come here to look for antiques."
Xiao Feng, who was playing with sugar figures with Chen Chen, heard the word "antique" and immediately looked over.
Ning Shaoyun was stunned by his gaze, but Xia Mian reacted first. She smiled and pulled the child into her arms and rubbed him, "Be good, buying antiques and finding bargains is just like buying lottery tickets. You have to be lucky. It won't work here. If we don't find bargains, others will take our wallets."
Ning Shaoyun now knew what was going on, and said with a smile, "Xiao Feng still remembers this prison."
Chenchen suddenly said, "Mom, I also know that antiques are bargains, stocks are trading at their daily limit, and old houses are being demolished..."
Xia Mian looked at Xiao Feng in surprise.
Xiao Feng pursed her lips and smiled innocently.
Xia Mian wiped his face in dismay. Well, not only did he remember it well himself, but he also taught others?!
Ning Shaoyun couldn't help but smile.
"Haha, so, the poorer you are, the more you like to dream."
This annoying sound...
Xia Mian turned around and saw Zhou Qianqian as expected.
She followed the two young men and walked towards their seats with a smug look on her face.
"Second Young Master Ning, this is the Xia Mian I told you about." Zhou Qianqian introduced the young man in the lead diligently, "Relying on saving Chenchen's life, he thinks he has climbed onto the Ning family and is very arrogant."
"She said, 'Don't expect a return for a favor, but never forget a favor', but in fact she asked the Huo family for half a million yuan. Aunt Hu hated her for asking for a return, so when she didn't give it, she asked Ning Shaobai to come forward and force Aunt Hu to sell the Huo family's old house to her."
She sighed and said, "Because of this incident, the relationship between the Ning family and the Huo family has become strained, and now Brother Xuewen is in a dilemma."
Xia Mian couldn't help but applaud her, "When it comes to the ability to confuse right and wrong and frame others, Miss Zhou dares to claim to be the best. I'm afraid no one dares to say they are second!"
She didn't dare to tell Huo Xuewen and Ning Shaoyun that they were going to divorce. Xia Mian glanced at Chenchen, who had his eyes wide open, and didn't say much.
The man called the Second Young Master Ning looked to be about twenty years old, with handsome features, a cold and arrogant temperament, and a starched shirt and trousers, which made him look quite stylish. He always looked superior when he talked to people.
I think it’s Ning Shaobai’s half-brother Ning Shaoyang.
Ning Shaoyang frowned slightly and looked at Ning Shaoyun, "Sister Yun, is what he said true? What happened between you and Brother Xuewen? Why are you here? Why didn't you go back to the old house to visit Grandpa after you came back from the city?"
"Ning Shaoyang." Ning Shaoyun said with a cold face, "Don't be so hypocritical here. Not to mention that you haven't become the head of the Ning family yet. Even if you become the head, it's not your turn to take care of our affairs."
"As for why I didn't go back, don't you know? Do you want me to repeat for you the good things Fan Xiuzhi did?" Ning Shaoyun's eyes were sharp when talking about this.
Ning Shaoyang's face froze slightly, "Sister Yun, don't talk nonsense here. Chenchen's matter has nothing to do with my mother. Grandpa has already found out everything."
When Chenchen heard his name, he looked up in confusion, "Uncle Xiaoyang?"
Ning Shaoyang met the child's pure gaze, lowered his eyelids and said vaguely, "Anyway, that matter has nothing to do with my mother, you must have misunderstood."
Ning Shaoyun didn't want to argue with Ning Shaoyang in front of Chenchen. Whether Ning Shaoyang knew about this matter or not, she would never let the culprit go.
The girl standing next to Ning Shaoyang asked in confusion, "What happened to my aunt Chenchen? This must be a misunderstanding."
Speaking of this, she seemed to have thought of something, and sighed helplessly, "Sister Yun, you have married into the Huo family, and my aunt has been unable to get along with Chenchen for several times, so why do you always blame her for all the troubles?"
This little girl looks pure and cute, and her tone is soft and innocent, but her words are so sharp.
"Grandpa Ning is very strict in running the family. If my aunt really makes a mistake, Grandpa Ning will not forgive her. She should just stay at home now. He will not do anything wrong to save my aunt."
In other words, after Fan Xiuzhi framed Ning Shaobai once and colluded with human traffickers to kidnap Chenchen, she was able to stay in the Ning family without any problem
Xia Mian didn't know much about this matter, but she also knew that Ning Shaobai followed very closely at the time, and she didn't believe that the Ning family would not know about it.
The little girl in front of him continued, "Sister Yun, you are not resentful of my aunt and Grandpa Ning because Grandpa Ning said he would train Shaoyang to be the heir, right?"
"Sister Yun, everyone knows that Brother Bai is devoted to studying medicine and doesn't like to inherit the family business. That's why Grandpa Ning trained Shaoyang. You're taking your anger out on your elders because of this and deliberately making them angry. Isn't that a bit..."
Xia Mian suddenly felt that she had been wrong in scolding him. When it came to the ability to confuse right and wrong and frame someone, Zhou Qianqian wasn't even number one. The guy in front of her was far better than her.
"Xiao Wan!" Ning Shaoyang didn't know whether he felt guilty or was concerned about the Ning family's reputation. He stopped the girl and said, "Don't talk nonsense. Sister Yun didn't do that."
Zhou Qianqian said, "That's not necessarily true, Second Young Master Ning, you still don't know that Ning Shaobai beat up Brother Xuewen in public, right?"
"He also forced the Huo family to sell the ancestral home for Xia Mian. I don't know, they just don't accept Mr. Ning's arrangement of you as the heir. Knowing that the Ning family and the Huo family are at a critical juncture of cooperation, they deliberately make trouble to make things difficult for you."
Ning Shaoyang frowned, "Sister Yun, is what she said true? Did my eldest brother really beat my brother-in-law and force Uncle Huo to sell the old house?"
Zhou Qianqian snorted coldly and said, "Not only the old house, but also the whole row, including the three-story ancestral house. Now that Xia Mian has already moved in."
Xia Mian felt that Zhou Qianqian might really be like Uncle Huo. Her mind was not clear. She couldn't help but remind her, "You sold my house secretly, didn't you? Your Uncle Huo doesn't know yet, why don't you spread the news everywhere?"
"Who do you think will be the first to suffer when your Uncle Huo finds out about this? Old Madam Huo has already suffered because of you. If she is implicated again by you, do you think she will still care about you in the future?"
Zhou Qianqian's face stiffened slightly. It was obvious that she was so busy wanting to take revenge on Ning Shaobai and Xia Mian, and to take back the yard, that she forgot about Mr. Huo's request to keep it secret.
Perhaps it was something of a life-threatening matter, so Zhou Qianqian finally had an idea and said to Ning Shaoyang, "Second Young Master Ning, the reason I told you about this is because I'm afraid that Ning Shaobai's insistence on having a falling out with Uncle Huo will affect the cooperation between the two families."
"So I would like to ask you or Grandpa Ning to privately resolve this matter while Uncle Huo still doesn't know about it. It's not too late to mend the situation."
"Stop using the heir of the Ning family as a knife," Xia Mian said, "Why would I have to buy that yard? Why did Doctor Ning want that row of yards? It's because you provoked us and bullied Sister Ning and Chenchen."
"I was angry at first, but you insisted on causing trouble. Now that we have reached an agreement, I am almost done with my anger after buying the yard."
Xia Mian said, "But you have to keep trying. Based on my understanding of Dr. Ning, even if he didn't want to buy it, he will probably buy it now."
Zhou Qianqian glanced at Ning Shaoyang and sneered at Xia Mian, "What a big tone, do you think Ning Shaobai is so powerful that he can buy it whenever he wants? The real heir of the Ning family is here!"
At this point, he said proudly, "At this critical moment of cooperation between the Ning and Huo families, you must let Grandpa Ning know that Ning Shaobai has fallen out with the Huo family because of you. Ning Shaobai can't even protect himself. You just wait to be beaten back to your original form!"
"You're doing all this just to get that yard back, aren't you? How about we make a bet?" Xia Mian crossed his arms and smiled, "Doctor Xiao Ning, can you get that row of yards?"
"I'll use the yard I live in now," Xia Mian said, "If he can't get that row of yards, I'll return the yard as it is. How about that?"
"You really trust me." A careless voice came.
Chenchen turned around and said happily, "Uncle!"
Ning Shaobai walked upstairs leisurely and knocked on the brim of Xia Mian's hat.
Zhou Qianqian immediately seized the opportunity and said, "Since Xia Mian wants to gamble, then I will accompany you to the end. What do you say? Ning Shaobai, do you dare to gamble? If you can get that row of courtyards within two months, I, I... I will give you my apartment!"
"It even has a time limit." Xia Mian's eyes widened, "This is too despicable."
Zhou Qianqian thought she was scared, and was feeling proud when she heard Xia Mian say to Ning Shaobai in an encouraging tone, "It's better to save face than to make a profit. Doctor Ning, let's make a bet!"
Ning Shao rolled his eyes at her, then said to Zhou Qianqian, "In this case, Miss Zhou, your bet must be big enough. Don't fool me with your little building."
Zhou Qianqian frowned. She was reluctant to give up the building. Ning Shaobai seemed to know that she didn't have anything to give away, so he took out his cell phone and dialed the number.
"Mrs. Huo, you... uh, Ms. Zhou Qianqian is making a bet with me now, saying that if I get the row of yards in your Huo family, I will reveal your secret to the public."
"… "
"Well, don't get excited. Didn't Xia Mian tell you a long time ago that she would teach her some rules? Since you didn't teach her and let her out to cause trouble everywhere, then you should bear the consequences, right?"
"… "
"It's limited to two months, so please make sure to keep those property certificates tightly and don't let Uncle Huo hear about this. If he knew, he might be happy to make it happen."
"After all, the Chengbei project has already started, and Assistant Huo seems to be taking it easy. All he needs is a title."
Zhou Qianqian looked at Ning Shaobai with her heart pounding. Could it be that Aunt Hu's secret, what she heard yesterday, was true
Ning Shaoyang frowned, "Brother, what are you going to do now? We are at a critical juncture of cooperation with the Huo family, do you really have to make things awkward with Uncle Huo?"
"So," Ning Shaobai smiled at him, "keep it confidential until I get the yard. Your Uncle Huo doesn't know about it, and your cooperation can still move forward. After two months, when the cooperation is settled, even if I have a falling out with him, it won't affect you. After all, the Huo family won't go against money."
"But if I let your Uncle Huo know now..." Ning Shaobai said, "Then the first big project you took over would be ruined!"
Xia Mian felt that it should be according to Ning Shaobai's plan, and it would be best if Mr. Huo didn't know this news now, so when he learned that the idiot Zhou Qianqian had leaked the news, he instantly seized the weaknesses of both parties and turned the enemy into his ally.
I can only say that he is worthy of being the big boss behind the scenes who protected the male protagonist in his previous life.