After a simple rebirth

Fu Ying took a deep breath and asked the store clerk,

"Hello, how much is this cheongsam I'm wearing?"

The young lady came over.

"We usually do custom-made cheongsams, and the price is about one thousand. Although yours is not custom-made, you can feel and see that the material is very good, and it is also handmade. Now there is a discount at the end of the year, so I can give you a 9% discount, which is 220. I can round it up to 200, which is equivalent to % off."

Fu Ying's heart went up and down with her words, and when she heard the price, her heart finally settled.

Although I thought it might cost more, I didn't expect it to cost that much.

One set of Chen Lu’s is only 230, and this one of hers is almost as good as Chen Lu’s!

However, Fu Ying also knew in her heart that products produced in batches by machines were of course different from those produced by hand. Nowadays, the labor cost of handmade products, let alone the material cost, is more than this price.

Although it was beyond her psychological price range, it was really cheap, which made Fu Ying feel something was wrong. Fu Ying carefully checked the clothes in the mirror. There was nothing wrong with them, and the material was comfortable, so why was it so cheap?

"Your private customization starts at one thousand yuan, but this one is also handmade but is so cheap. Is there something wrong with the fabric, or is it because it was made by an apprentice?" Fu Ying asked directly.

The young lady smiled and said, "Yes, you are very smart. Our tailor master has two apprentices. This is the work of one of them. She hasn't finished her apprenticeship yet, so she sells it at a lower price."

Fu Ying nodded. Apprentice = a useful and cheap intern.

Chen Lu was also discussing this with her.

"Fu Ying, I think it's great. Our clothes match well."

Fu Ying nodded.

"I think so too. The colors of the two dresses are similar and they will definitely look good on stage. So let's go with this one."

Fu Ying thought it through and went to the front desk to pay the bill.

Chen Lu's mother took out the money, but Fu Ying quickly stopped her with one hand and took the money with the other.

"Auntie, I'll do this. I'll pay for the clothes I wear for the performance. My family has given me the money, so don't worry."

"Xiaoying, I heard from Lulu that she asked you to perform with her. Not only will this delay your studies, but it will also cost you so much money. I'll pay for it."

"No, no, no, Auntie. Chen Lu made the suggestion, but I volunteered. I can wear this dress again after the performance, so I have to give it to her myself. Please don't be polite. And if my mother knew that you gave it to her, she would definitely call me and scold me to death. I'll probably ask me to send the money to your house. If you don't accept it, she won't let me go home."

Seeing that Fu Ying was serious and persistent, Chen Lu's mother didn't pay. Fu Ying also breathed a sigh of relief and quickly paid the bill.

"I want to ask if you have any stockings for sale here? We are going to perform on stage, and the pure cheongsam is too cold, so we want to wear more clothes inside."

While Fu Ying and the other young ladies were packing, they asked about it and found out that some stores sell related products, such as stockings, scarves, and silk scarves.

The young lady nodded and took them to the archway. They were only paying attention to the cheongsams and didn't notice that there was a smaller room over there. They followed her in and saw what they wanted.

Fu Ying and Chen Lu each bought a pair of flesh-colored stockings with fleece, which would not look fake white and should be enough to last them a few minutes on stage, and they would be fine after they get off stage.

Fu Ying also bought a beige scarf, a simple solid color, for Fu Yu. When she paid the bill, she spent nearly four hundred yuan, and Fu Ying felt heartbroken.

After Fu Ying changed back into her own clothes, several people carried large and small bags out of the store.

After buying the important things, they just went shopping and waited for Chen Lu's father to come and pick them up.

Fu Ying saw some cultural and creative products in a small shop. These beautiful and cute things are most popular among little girls.

There are other girls in the store. The rumor on the Internet that there are many beauties in Rongcheng is not exaggerated. The people in the store are very beautiful! All natural beauties with good skin!

Fu Ying turned her attention back and selected a few small dolls for key chains, including a panda and a Sichuan opera face-changing doll.

Chen Lu came over curiously to take a look.

"Fu Ying, why are you buying so much?"

"Yes, this can be given to my sister's child. It's a rare trip to Rongcheng, and there are two people in our group, so we must bring some small gifts back."

Chen Lu suddenly realized,

"Yeah, I want to buy some too. If my best friend knows that I didn't bring her anything, she'll beat me to death. And the same goes for my classmates!"

"Team members, see if there is anything else suitable. If not, just consider it as ours to send together. You can save some money."

Chen Lu nodded and went to look again.

Her mother was also shopping, but I don’t know what she was buying.

In the end, it was Fu Ying who paid the most.

After carrying a bunch of stuff into the car, they went to the hotel first. Fu Ying and Chen Lu shared a room. After they put down their stuff, Chen Lu changed back into her own clothes, and then they went downstairs to have dinner near the hotel.

Good news, dinner is the hotpot that Fu Ying wanted to eat.

Bad news, also having dinner with them was Chen Lu’s father’s friend, the one he drove there to play with.

Fu Ying didn't care. She didn't know anyone except Chen Lu anyway. She had a clear idea of ​​her role as a freeloader. She just played the role of a clear-headed, stupid, simple and introverted high school student.

They went to the Sihuo Hotpot Restaurant. Fu Ying had eaten this brand of hotpot before in her previous life in Guangdong Province.

This brand was very popular at the time. When it first opened in the business district near the company, it was said that you had to wait for a table, so my colleagues all followed suit and went there.

Fu Ying didn't go with her colleagues. She checked and found that the average cost per person was over 100 yuan, and she couldn't afford it. It was only when she was dating later that she decided to go on a date. Then she found that the hot pot brand that everyone praised was actually not bad.

Later, I ate it in Guangzhou. It was a roommate's birthday. She loved this hotpot restaurant the most, so she invited everyone to eat at this branch. Fu Ying didn't think it was that amazing.

It’s not that it doesn’t taste good. To be honest, it is quite delicious. It’s her psychology that’s at work.

I felt that there was not much difference between a buffet that costs 68 and one that costs 168. I thought my life was too ordinary and always thought that other people's lives were of very high quality. Later I discovered that everyone had the same inexplicable mentality.

Fu Ying was in a daze for a while and didn't think about the past anymore.

The adults ordered the food, so Chen Lu and Fu Ying were in charge of waiting for the food to be served. They also asked Fu Ying if she wanted to eat anything, and Fu Ying waved her hand and said that it was all right. In this kind of occasion, if you like it, you can eat a few more bites of it, and if you don't like it, just pretend and don't move.

The uncle also asked about Fu Ying's grades. When he heard that Fu Ying was a top student, he praised her a few words. Fu Ying responded with a smile.

Everyone here can eat spicy food, so we didn't order the double-flavored hotpot, but the spicy hotpot directly. The soup base came up quickly, and Fu Ying's mouth almost watered at the smell of the spicy oil.

The dishes were served quickly, and Fu Ying and Chen Lu went to mix the seasonings. As usual, Fu Ying added a little bit of everything she knew, including more coriander and chili peppers.

Every place has its own characteristics for eating hotpot, from the soup base to the sauces. The sauces in Guangdong Province are basically soy sauce and sesame sauce, while those in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Chongqing are all spicy, fresh and fragrant, regardless of the soup base.

When Fu Ying was in Guangdong, she and her friends would prepare the sauce and just dip it in to enhance the flavor, and then eat the ingredients. But after Fu Ying returned to her hometown for a long time, she got used to the strong-flavored sauce, and her soul became the sauce.

When the locals eat hotpot and dip, besides adding everything else, another finishing touch is to scoop a spoonful of boiling soup base into the dipping sauce.

This kind of dipping sauce is more durable, and its flavor will linger for a long time after eating it.

For a double-flavored hotpot, Fu Ying could consider adding clear soup, but for a spicy hotpot, just skim off some of the oil foam and pour it into a dipping sauce bowl.

They also ordered some other snacks, including crispy meat and grilled skewers. Fu Ying ate a little of each and waited for the hotpot to be served.

Fu Ying loves eating beef, but she can’t just eat beef. She should eat whatever is available.

Chen Lu's mother always took care of them and cooked food for them. Fu Ying was always polite and said she could do it herself.

Fu Ying slowly ate until she was 70% full. Chen Lu almost put down her chopsticks, and Fu Ying also put down her chopsticks. That was enough.

While still waiting for those two boastful adults, Chen Lu's mother was also still eating. After Chen Lu's mother finished eating, she left the two boastful men to pay the bill, and the three of them left first.

Originally planning to take a walk after dinner to digest the food, Chen Lu insisted on letting her mother go for a walk by herself and didn't want her mother to follow her all the time.

Her mother had no choice but to look around the shopping district and see that Chen Lu also had a cell phone, so she agreed for the two of them to go shopping.

It’s easy to feel thirsty after eating hot pot. There aren’t many milk tea chain stores at the moment, so there aren’t many choices. Fu Ying bought a cup of classic milk tea, which is less likely to disappoint.

The two of them each drank a cup of milk tea, walked around, bought some small items, and then returned to the room.

Fu Ying asked Chen Lu to take a shower first while she packed her things. Fu Ying looked at the pile of things and sighed inwardly. This trip was indeed a waste of money!

Then Fu Ying took a shower. After the shower, Chen Lu wanted to watch TV, while Fu Ying prepared to study.

Seeing Fu Ying like this, Chen Lu had to drag her to rehearse. Fortunately, the hotel room was big enough, and after moving the stool away, the two of them could sing and move without bumping into each other.

Chen Lu was still thinking about changing her clothes and going through the whole process. After her reminder, Fu Ying also thought about the clothes issue.

"Chen Lu, when we rehearse next week, bring the umbrella and fan as props, and follow our arrangement, but don't wear your clothes after you wash them.

The first is to leave a surprise. It will look amazing when we wear it on the day of our school anniversary, so the effect is maximized.

The second thing is to be wary of others. Although the school anniversary is not a particularly important occasion, it will still make some people jealous. What if someone sees that our clothes are too good and deliberately dirty or damages them? We won’t be able to change them at the last minute, and our mood will be affected.”

"Ah, no way? No one would be so cruel, right?"

"Anyway, you have to be on guard. Your clothes cost more than 200 yuan, you can't just get them dirty."

Chen Lu also listened.

"Okay, I'll wash it and leave it at home, and bring it over on the day of the performance."

There was nothing much to do the next morning. We got up and went out for breakfast, then checked out and went home.

Chen Lu's father was very considerate and went to Fu Ying's house to drop Fu Ying off. Fu Ying took out the prepared bag and threw it to Chen Lu.

"Chen Lu, this is a gift for your parents. They have been busy accompanying us shopping these past two days. Please pass it on to them for me."

Fu Ying gave it to her and asked her to get out of the car quickly. Chen Lu's mother shouted to Fu Ying from the passenger seat to take it back. Fu Ying gave it to Chen Lu because she was afraid that her mother would not accept it, so how could she take it back?

"Auntie, this is a token of my appreciation. Thank you! If you don't accept it, I can only give you the gas and food expenses."

Chen Lu's mother accepted it reluctantly.

"Thank you for the gift. Remember to come to my house and play with Lulu when you have time."

"I will. Goodbye, uncle and aunt. See you tomorrow, Chen Lu."

After waving goodbye, Chen Lu's father drove forward and headed back home, and Fu Ying also turned around and went back into the house.