Chapter Two: Setting Out to Shop

Perhaps it was because she’d been shaken, but Zhao Nannan actually managed to tidy up her messy room until it was spotless. Lying on the bare quilt without any sheets, she found it surprisingly comfortable. Maybe she’d exhausted herself cleaning, or perhaps it was just the late night before, but as she lay there, she drifted off to sleep.

Passing by Zhao Nannan’s door, Tian Lei noticed she’d left it open and was now fast asleep on her bed. He paused in mild surprise, thinking to himself, “This little girl is really too careless, or is it that I just don’t seem manly enough? How can she be so defenseless?” Musing over this, he subconsciously stroked his chin—he did have a beard, after all…

After a moment’s thought, he quietly closed her door, straightened the sofa cushions that had been knocked askew in the living room, and then put on his hat and mask before heading out. He’d already planned tomorrow’s short video: making a fake cake out of balloons, then pretending to be pranked. He’d also buy some more ingredients to film another “cook a dish in twenty seconds” episode. With the New Year approaching and all the takeout restaurants about to close for the holidays, this type of video should get plenty of clicks.

As he walked down the street, Tian Lei frowned slightly. He hadn’t been out the last couple of days, and now that he was, he sensed something off about the atmosphere. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but when he finally arrived at the market, the reason became clear.

The market was packed—a frenzy of people snatching up fruits and vegetables. There were still several days until the New Year, and though the crowds should be growing, this was far more than usual. In contrast to the booming business at the produce and meat stalls, the flower and sundries shops were almost deserted. Tian Lei made his way to a familiar sundries booth.

“Aunt Liu, is it always this crowded before the New Year?” he asked curiously.

“Oh!” The shopkeeper, recognizing Tian Lei, chatted warmly, “People are coming early this year—stocking up, you see! Did you hear the news too?”

“What news?”

“Then why are you wearing a mask?” Aunt Liu gave him a questioning look. “There’s talk of some infectious disease in the city now. I’ve been selling so many masks and disinfectant—prices are starting to go up as new stock comes in. I’ve told my family to buy more just in case, whether it’s true or not. If nothing happens, we can always sell them later.”

“Nonsense!” interjected a passing man who’d overheard. “It’s just a rumor to drive up prices before the holidays!”

“Don’t say that,” Aunt Liu replied firmly. “As New Year’s Eve approaches, prices always rise. That’s normal! Just come see the market on New Year’s Eve morning. I’ve been here over ten years! But the prices for masks and disinfectant have never gone up before, not at this time of year. I just hope nothing bad happens with the holiday so close.”

“It’s nothing—just hype! Remember how pork prices went up? Rumors in some cities started it, so everyone rushed to buy. When people buy in a panic, sellers raise prices, which only makes people buy more, and then other cities hear prices are up and follow suit. That’s how it spreads nationwide! Then the pork suppliers and feed producers jack up their prices too. It’s all connected,” the man finished smugly, as if he were making a grand point.

“Doesn’t the government intervene?” Aunt Liu asked, her instincts as a vendor telling her something was off.

“The government only oversees the broader economy—this is just market forces at work.”

“You really know your stuff—where do you work?” Aunt Liu asked, intrigued.

“I’m at the new bathhouse next door, just opened—doing body scrubs,” the man replied, gesturing toward the recently renovated three-story building named “The People’s Bathhouse.” “We open tomorrow, no break for the festival, and our membership cards are valid through the holidays.”

“Oh, my! Listening to you talk, I thought you worked for the government,” Aunt Liu retorted with mock annoyance, then quickly added, “But since we’re neighbors, I’ll give you discounts on anything you buy here.”

“Alright, alright. I’m just browsing today before we officially open tomorrow,” the man said, taking a quick look around before wandering off, having found nothing he needed.

Tian Lei watched the self-assured man leave and shook his head in amusement. If only he’d realized sooner—he could have filmed the whole conversation for a short video. Still too inexperienced!

“Young man, is there anything you want to buy?” Aunt Liu turned her attention back to Tian Lei.

“Well, I’ll take two large packs of disposable masks,” he said, thinking he ought to buy something after chatting for so long, even though he didn’t really need anything.

“Alright. The latest stock is more expensive, but these are from before, so I’ll give you the old price.” Aunt Liu took two large packs of masks from behind the counter. “Three yuan for a small pack, ten small packs per large bag, so I’ll charge you twenty-five per large pack. That’s two hundred masks per bag. Why do you need so many?”

“I wear them all the time,” Tian Lei replied, pointing to the disposable mask on his face. “I still have some anti-smog masks at home. On bad days, I switch to those.”

“You’re quite the health-conscious young man. Just scan the code to pay!” Seeing another customer inquire about lantern prices, Aunt Liu hurried off.

Carrying two big bags of masks, Tian Lei really didn’t feel like squeezing through the crowds to buy groceries. He filmed a quick video of people scrambling for vegetables as future material, then hopped on a shared bike and rode two stops to a large supermarket he rarely visited.

It wasn’t a weekend, so the supermarket wasn’t too crowded. Tian Lei took out his shopping list and began picking up items. When he got to the instant noodles aisle, he suddenly remembered someone had invited him over for instant noodles, so he grabbed a few extra packs. That little girl didn’t have much money, after all—he might as well bring some over next time he cooked noodles.

At checkout, Tian Lei found he’d somehow filled two large plastic bags. Retrieving his masks from the storage locker, he split the two big packs between his shopping bags, using the original mask bag as a makeshift rope to tie them together and slinging them over his shoulder.

One hand steadying the bags in front, the other holding his phone, he filmed himself as he walked: “Stocking up for the New Year—today’s a great day for shopping, not too crowded in the supermarket!” Only after finishing did he realize he’d left his mask on the whole time. He was about to take it off and reshoot when his phone rang. Answering the call, he walked on.

“Hello, Brother Zhao… Yes, yes… I want to sign with a company too, but guys aren’t really popular, and I don’t have any unique skills or enough followers… I know the benefits of having a team, but the revenue split is just too harsh… Yes, yes…” By the time Tian Lei hung up, he’d been standing in front of the shared e-bike for five minutes—the one he’d carefully selected earlier for its full battery.

But the bags were too big to fit in the basket, and hanging them on the handlebars made them too long and unwieldy. So Tian Lei swung the rear bag around to the front, so both bags hung in front of him—it made riding easier, though it did dig into the back of his neck a bit. Gripping the throttle, he wobbled off like a runaway dog, weaving his way down the street.

He certainly drew a lot of attention on the way back. Tian Lei was glad he’d kept his mask on—otherwise, it would’ve been downright embarrassing. The only pity was that, riding home like this, he couldn’t film himself for a video.