Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1611 - 880: Ding Ding Candy (Part 2)

Tongtong sulked slightly and kept her eyes on the kittens and puppies.

A short time later, she positioned herself before several parrots and remarked, "Chuchu, check it out, they get to munch on sunflower seeds too—doesn't that remind you of Mr. Qian cracking seeds all day?"

With those words, she stretched her hand toward the parrots.

The parrots, clearly not fond of her approach, quickly shuffled aside.

Xue Yuantong got angry and told the parrots, "I'm impressed by your defiant attitude right now!"

She then turned her head confidently and demanded from the shop owner, "What's the price for this fellow?"

The owner replied without delay, "This one's a Yellow Xuanfeng Parakeet, priced at one hundred fifty yuan apiece!"

Xue Yuantong went quiet.

One hundred fifty—that matched exactly the daily expense for Dongdong.

A fashionable urban lady, also eyeing the parrots, spotted the young girl's dilemma and intentionally conversed with her friend, "Parrots rank as highly smart birds, with smarts on par with kids aged three to five years old. How come the ones I keep act so obedient? It's all about reading their moods and reacting properly."

As she spoke, she held out her fingers, tipped with deep red nail polish.

The parrot nibbling on sunflower seeds actually hopped onto her palm, showing clear fondness.

The owner couldn't resist complimenting, "Miss, this bird typically shies away from folks; you two clearly share some unique bond!"

The urban lady grinned elegantly, letting her allure shine through fully.

Meanwhile, Tongtong felt envious from the sidelines.

The city woman snuck a peek at the child from the side, inwardly smug: 'You're way too inexperienced!'

She softly caressed the Yellow Xuanfeng Parakeet with her fingertips, yet in the instant that followed, the parrot abruptly jumped free from her grasp.

Her eyes tracked the bird, settling at last on a striking face.

The parrot perched atop Jiang Ning's shoulder, repeatedly bobbing its head against his shoulder.

Tongtong wondered, "What's that motion about?"

Xue Chuchu watched for a couple of moments before guessing hesitantly, "Perhaps it's performing a bow?"

The city woman burst out, "You must be joking—a bow?"

Xue Chuchu stayed silent.

On the other hand, Tongtong, noticing the woman's flustered state, insisted, "It sure seems like a bow to me!"

Jiang Ning spoke steadily, "Okay, enough with the bowing."

The parrot, seeming relieved of duty, dashed back to its cozy spot and grabbed a couple of tasty sunflower seeds to offer Jiang Ning.

The city woman stood there puzzled; despite years of caring for birds and witnessing all sorts of avian antics, nothing matched the odd bowing and pleading she'd just seen.

Jiang Ning, with his two companions in tow, drifted off easily.

...

Having wandered the flower and bird section, they moved on to the more captivating antiques district.

Today's folks, shaped by countless tales, all know those yarns of stumbling onto an old relic by chance, having it checked, discovering its authenticity, and striking wealth in a flash.

With such legends spreading everywhere, folks increasingly dream of instant riches.

The moment Tongtong stepped into the antiques zone, her gaze lit up brightly, yearning to spot a priceless item, hawk it for big money, and claim family leadership ever after.

She crouched by a vendor's setup, indicating a green, see-through Jade Pendant, and inquired, "This jade appears quite old—what's its backstory?"

The vendor, a middle-aged fellow carrying a hint of wanderer vibe, launched into hype right away, "Ah, this piece carries deep origins; legend says during Nuwa's sky-mending days, she drew from hues like red, green, yellow, white, black..."

The vendor rambled on for some time.

Jiang Ning interjected, "Ignore his talk—this comes from recycled beer bottles."

The vendor: ...

Xue Yuantong then gestured at a clear, gleaming rock.

The vendor hyped it up, "This here's amber, formed from ancient conifer resin millions of years back..."

Jiang Ning stated, "Just buffed plastic."

"And this?" Tongtong indicated a pale golden ingot.

Jiang Ning replied, "Tin core coated in brass."

The vendor shot Jiang Ning a fierce look—how was he supposed to sell anything this way?

Xue Chuchu felt amazed, eyeing Jiang Ning closely; she knew zilch about these relics, so how did he possess such knowledge?

Tongtong wilted a touch and questioned, "Everything's phony? No item with even a smidge of real age?"

Hearing that, Jiang Ning directed attention to the vendor's water thermos and noted, "That item likely boasts around ten years behind it and stands as the most aged thing here."

The vendor fumed—were they out to ruin his livelihood!

Jiang Ning strolled onward casually; moments later, a crafty elder perched on a short stool called out, "Swing by, all genuine relics on offer—we've got expert certification to prove it!"

Xue Yuantong approached the stall, and the elder promptly displayed the document: "See? This relic matches the certified one perfectly—undeniably the real deal!"

Jiang Ning declared, "The relic's bogus, and the paper's faked too."

The elder's expression soured.

A somewhat authoritative middle-aged guy approached and admired it, "Wow, it truly resembles that—could this be Yuan Blue and White? Seller, what's the tag? I'll snag it!"

The elder: "Eight hundred."

The middle-aged man acted like he was pulling out cash to purchase.

Jiang Ning eyed him and commented, "He's a plant."

After checking several booths, Xue Yuantong spotted a blue and white porcelain vase, with the seller demanding fifty thousand.

Tongtong pondered briefly and proposed, "Would five yuan work?"

The seller paused a few beats: "Tack on five more."

Ultimately, Tongtong snagged the blue and white porcelain vase for eight yuan.

...

Having covered the full market street, the trio headed back, grabbed the succulents from before, and sought out Jiang Ning's prized electric scooter.

Jiang Ning fitted the two girls aboard and geared up to ride.

All at once, a nearby "ding ding" rang out—Xue Yuantong's sight was sharp.

An elderly man, basket slung over his back and wielding a tiny hammer, kept banging a shovel.

"Ding Ding Candy—ages since I've tasted it!" Xue Yuantong tapped Jiang Ning, urging him to summon the elder.

Jiang Ning steered nearer and queried, "What's the cost?"

No sooner had he spoken than, some five or six meters off to his right, a young woman in a pink puffer coat parted her lips to yell: "Don't..."

The elder whipped around, fixing the girl with a icy stare, clenching the hammer firm.

The pink-jacketed girl, terrified, clamped her mouth shut fast.

Tongtong: "Grandpa, what's the price for the Ding Ding Candy?"

The elder ignored her. He leaned to unshoulder his basket, set it down, and indicated a hefty, pure white candy chunk: "Malt candy—tastes amazing."

Tongtong: "How much?"

The elder muttered, "Sold by weight."

Xue Chuchu, accustomed to thrift, insisted on knowing costs upfront like they always did: "Price per pound?"

The elder acted deaf; he laid the shovel atop the candy mass, then struck it with the hammer, breaking off a sizable fragment.

As he struck, he touted: "Malt candy's a treat—cools the body, helps digest, and benefits your complexion!"

The elder moved swiftly. Post-break, he grabbed a powder vial and dusted it over the malt candy.

At last, he snatched the scale and weighed it nimbly, "Comes to eighty-two!"

Tongtong almost believed she'd misheard: "Wait, eight yuan and twenty?"

The elder raised his digits, stressing: "Eighty-two yuan flat!"

The distant little lass brimmed with worry; she recognized the hustle, akin to those sticky rice cake tricks.

She'd fallen for this elder's ploy once; when pressing for price beforehand, he'd feign incomprehension.

At the quoted sum, Tongtong stared in shock. Eighty-two yuan? Street bags used to cost mere coins!

Xue Chuchu: "What's it per pound?"

The elder brandished the malt candy: "Twelve yuan a tael."

Jiang Ning chuckled: "Why not just hold up a bank?"

His words barely landed when the elder erupted in rage, shifting demeanor instantly; he brandished the hammer, voice turning harsh: "You wanted it this way—if you skip payment, I'll summon cops to haul you off!"

It counted as a proper deal; even authorities couldn't intervene!

At this threat, Tongtong and Chuchu scrambled for escape plans.

The elder kept pressuring: "Fork it over, or I report..."

Ordinary folks would grit teeth and settle up.

Jiang Ning skipped debate: "Report this!"

He swung his leg, slamming a powerful kick into the elder's torso, toppling him along with basket and hammer, sending Ding Ding Candy fragments flying everywhere.

The despairing girl froze in astonishment.

Did someone actually fight back with force?

Jiang Ning revved the accelerator, and the electric scooter zoomed off rapidly.