Rebirth: He Decides to Lie Flat
Chapter 200 - 200 197 Mao Mao (Second Update)

Chapter 200: Chapter 197: Mao Mao (Second Update) Chapter 200: Chapter 197: Mao Mao (Second Update) On the last day of November, Beijing saw its first snowfall of the winter.

In the minus ten degrees weather, the dripping water outside turned into ice.

Xinyu Residential Area.

“Hey, Grandpa Cheng, why would you come out in such cold weather? Walk this way, take it slow.”

Lao Er got up early in the morning and was excited to see the snowflakes fluttering outside, but his excitement soon faded.

First, Grandma Li from Building 10 almost slipped while out to buy vegetables, followed by Uncle Wang from Building 12 who took a nasty spill. Fortunately, he was young enough not to hurt his bones; he got up after a moment and hurried to work, limping all the way.

Then, Lao Er saw Grandpa Cheng, who must have sneaked out while his caregiver wasn’t paying attention. He was wearing a military coat and a train conductor’s hat. Although he was well-dressed for the cold, the sight of him shakily and slipperily making his way over was still alarming to Lao Er!

Would the old man be able to get up if he really took a fall?

He quickly ran over and pulled him into the computer shop.

Lao Er couldn’t help but reflect that the snow was nice, but too thrilling!

Grandma Li sat in the computer shop, fretful as she looked outside, “With such heavy snow and slippery roads, how can I buy groceries?”

Grandpa Liu also came down from his apartment and, with hands behind his back, asked Lao Er, “Will you go buy groceries, or shall I?”

“Is there even a question? You stay in the shop, I’ll go.”

“Your down jacket isn’t warm enough, wear the military coat I gave you.”

Lao Er put on the somewhat worn military coat and a hat, and just as he was about to step out, he suddenly stopped and turned to ask Grandma Li, “What do you need to buy? I can bring it all back for you.”

Grandma Li’s eyes lit up, “Oh, that’s so kind of you, thank you, Xiaotie.”

To avoid forgetting, Lao Er took a pen and noted down what Grandma Li needed to buy.

He had just finished writing when Grandma Zhu from Building 4 came in, leaning on a cane and being very cautious. Seeing Grandma Li, she asked loudly, “Old Li, have you gone to buy groceries? With the road this slippery, how can you go out? It rained yesterday and snowed today; everything’s frozen over, and it hasn’t been this cold so early in the year before.”

“I know, right? If the snow were a bit heavier, at least we could still walk on it. It’s this halfway measure that’s the most annoying. Anyway, Xiaotie is just heading out to buy food, I’m having him bring something back for me.”

Grandma Zhu immediately turned to look at Lao Er.

There, another one joined in.

“What do you need to buy?” Lao Er continued, pen and paper in hand.

The nearest market was not far from the residential area; make a right turn upon exiting the gate, and with Lao Er’s pace, it was at most a ten-minute walk.

The snow continued to drift and blanket the road and rooftops in white.

Lao Er found some pleasure in stepping on the snow on his way; as he was approaching the market, he saw the familiar tricycle parked in the corner for bicycles.

Lao Er turned and walked over, lifting the plastic tarp covering the tricycle. It was the same old three varieties: cabbages, spinach, and coriander.

The young girl huddled by the tricycle looked up at him with hopeful eyes. Her thin beanie was already covered in snow, and her little face was red with cold, her lips slightly purple, yet her eyes were exceptionally bright.

Lao Er said, “I’ll take all the vegetables. Wait here for a while; after I buy the rest, you can follow me to the residential area on your tricycle.”

All of it?

The girl was stunned for a moment, then quickly stood up and said, “Big brother, you can’t eat that much, and this… this…”

She had brought twenty heads of cabbage, a big bag of spinach, and a bag of coriander today. That was a lot and even if he had a family of four or five, they couldn’t finish it all in a short period.

She feared that the big brother who often bought vegetables from her was just pitying her and didn’t want him to waste money.

Lao Er brushed the snow off her head and smiled, “Don’t worry, it’s not just for me. The roads are bad today and some of the elderly residents in our area can’t get out. I’m helping them buy the vegetables. You’re actually selling to them too. Just wait a few minutes.”

With that, he turned and hurried into the market.

Normally bustling and noisy, the marketplace was unusually quiet today because of the snow.

Lao Er quickly purchased all the vegetables and meat Granny Zhu and Granny Li wanted, along with a good amount of what he and Uncle Liu wanted to eat. Then, he walked out carrying several large bags.

“Brother, over here.”

The young girl had already led the tricycle out from the corner and was waiting at the intersection not far from the entrance of the market. Seeing Lao Er coming, she hurriedly waved and shouted.

In just that short amount of time, a fresh layer of snow had already accumulated on the tarpaulin.

“Brother, put what you bought in here.”

The girl lifted the tarp and took the bag of spinach, placing it on top of the cabbage.

Lao Er didn’t decline; he chucked everything he was carrying into it and hurriedly covered it back up with the plastic sheet.

“I’ll ride, you get on.”

After Lao Er spoke, he took a big step and sat down on the tricycle seat, grasping the handlebars firmly. The girl, without any hesitation, quickly hopped up and sat on the edge of the tricycle.

Braving the ever-increasing snowstorm, Lao Er pedaled the tricycle and brought the young girl back to Xinyu quickly.

When they entered the gate, he informed the security guard, who opened the window, stuck out his head, and shouted, “Cabbage, right? Save a head for me.”

Lao Er agreed and quickly pedaled the tricycle under the shelter by the computer shop’s entrance.

“You go inside to warm up first, then we’ll weigh the vegetables. Oh, what’s your name?”

“Brother, my name is Maomao.”

“Maomao?” Lao Er assessed the girl’s sub-one-sixty height, the beige wool hat on her head, and her round, cat-like eyes. The name was pretty… fitting!

Maomao stomped her feet on the cement in front of the computer shop and patted the snow off her clothing. Only when Lao Er came over with the bags did she follow him inside.

As they opened the sliding door, the heat from inside rushed out to greet them.

“It’s the young folks who are quick on their feet, back so soon,” Granny Li said, holding a cup of tea and smiling warmly at Lao Er and Maomao behind him, “Oh, young lady, why did you come here? Out selling vegetables in such heavy snow today?”

Since they frequented the vegetable market and occasionally bought cabbage and spinach from Maomao’s stall, Granny Li recognized her.

“I rode her tricycle over, so you can ask her to weigh whatever you need,” Lao Er explained.

Eagerly, Granny Zhu asked, “What vegetables do you have?”

Maomao listed the vegetables she brought and, as requested by the two grannies, weighed out the amounts they wanted.

It didn’t take long for people in the residential area to come out and see that vegetables were for sale here, one after another. Although there was a limited variety—aside from the herbs, only cabbage and spinach—the convenience of not having to leave home to buy them was a boon.

So, in less than an hour, all the vegetables Maomao had brought were sold out.

“Come over, have a bowl of soup before you go.”

Lao Er had made some spicy hot soup in the morning. When Uncle Liu saw Mr. Cheng around, knowing he liked the soup, he brought the pot down from upstairs. Consequently, several of the chatting old men and women each had a bowl.

Luckily, there was plenty made, or there wouldn’t have been enough to go around.

He had saved a bowl for Maomao. The girl’s hands and face were red with cold. He really feared that if she didn’t drink something warm soon, she wouldn’t make it home on her way back.

“Thank you, brother, I won’t stand on ceremony then,” Maomao said.

Maomao took the bowl that Lao Er handed to her, lifted it, and gulped it down in one go, bottom up. Then, she gasped from the spice after putting down the bowl, but her whole body warmed up from the inside out.

Her cat-like eyes shimmered, tears streaming from the spiciness.

“If you have more vegetables to sell tomorrow, just bring them straight over.”

“Mhm, okay.” Perhaps it was the spiciness, but Maomao’s agreement came out with a distinctly congested nasal tone.