The county town of Puxian was not very large, but due to the numerous scenic spots nearby, it was considered decent overall.
Shen Yao first took me, Wang Xixi, to the local farmers' market.
Don't let the name fool you; you could find everything you needed here, from embroidery needles to home appliances.
The farmers' market had two floors. The first floor was for food and drinks, and the second floor was a large clothing market.
As soon as you came up the stairs, you could see piles of clothes. Each small stall was delineated by its own clothing displays.
They were packed closely together, with a little over a meter-wide aisle left in between for people to move through.
“Yaoyao, there are so many clothes here!” Wang Xixi exclaimed.
She had never seen such a crowded clothing market before, and it was quite a novel experience.
Although the clothes looked unpretentious, their quality and styles were actually quite good.
Most of the stock in the clothing market here was wholesaled from Guangzhou or Shenzhen.
The prices were definitely a steal; she had bought most of her clothes here since she was a child.
There were two such farmers' markets in Puxian County, one in the north and one in the south.
The one they were visiting now was in the south. With many schools, shops, and restaurants nearby, the foot traffic was better than the northern one.
“Oh my gosh, seeing this reminds me of my childhood. When my parents used to go to the market, they would bring me here too. I could only buy clothes during Chinese New Year.”
“Me too, me too! I used to love browsing here. Even if I didn't buy anything, I was happy just looking around!”
“Ahhh, what kind of place is this? The environment looks terrible!”
“Exactly, it's so crowded here, there’s no space at all.”
“Can you even wear clothes like this? They’re just displayed so openly. How can you wear them on your body! Think of all the bacteria!”
“People upstairs, have some decency. Not everyone has a good family like you! To you, this place might be dirty and chaotic, but for us rural kids, this is normal!”
“You might not believe it, but many of the clothes here are of better quality than those you buy at department stores.”
“Yaoyao, do you want to pick out a couple of pieces?” Shen Yao asked Wang Xixi.
No woman could resist the allure of shopping, so Wang Xixi happily began to browse.
Wang Xixi looked at the clothes hanging on the walls, picking them out one by one, occasionally asking for Shen Yao’s opinion.
Their group was too conspicuous. With the girls being beautiful and several men holding cameras trailing behind them, they naturally drew attention.
However, people just took a few extra glances and didn't crowd around them, which was a relief to the cameramen.
“Yaoyao, I want to see that one,” Wang Xixi pointed to a dress hanging on the topmost part of the wall.
It was an apricot-colored long dress in a Bohemian style.
The stall owner heard her and immediately used a clothes hanger to bring the dress down. “Pretty girl, if you like it, tell auntie, and auntie will take it down for you to try.”
Wang Xixi held the dress, incredulous, “Try it on?”
Here?
She looked around but couldn't find any fitting rooms!
“Yes, do you want to try it? Auntie will pull the curtain for you.”
The auntie magically pulled down a piece of curtain fabric from a corner of the stall, enclosing a section of the stall.
Wang Xixi stared wide-eyed, then was enthusiastically pushed inside by the auntie.
“Yaoyao…”
Wang Xixi’s tone was almost tearful. Was she supposed to change clothes in here? What was the difference between this and undressing in public?
She looked at the dark blue curtain that had been pulled up. No, there was a difference. The auntie had kindly provided a piece of cloth, boohoo…
“If you don’t want to try it, come out. If you want to try, then try it. I’m watching you,” Shen Yao said to Wang Xixi inside the curtain.
Wang Xixi wanted to go out immediately, but in the end, she braced herself, took off her clothes, and put on the dress.
While the dress wasn't comparable to high-end department store clothing, its quality was indeed very good. The garment was well-finished with no excess threads and even had a brand factory tag.
The moment Wang Xixi emerged wearing the dress, the livestream exploded!
“Ahhh, sister, kill me! This figure, it’s amazing!”
“As expected, cuteness is worthless in the face of sexiness!”
“The show’s clothes are like a seal, aren't they? How did they manage to turn a queenly woman into a cute girl!”
“All it needs is a pair of high heels. Once she puts on heels, Xixi won’t be a little princess anymore, she’ll be a queen!”
“People upstairs, Xixi’s attribute can’t be determined yet, don’t label her as a queen. I’m afraid she’ll end up being called a 'foolish queen.'”
“...That’s not entirely unreasonable!”
“I didn’t expect Xixi to wear even street clothes with such elegance. She looks beautiful no matter what she wears!”
Wang Xixi looked at herself in the mirror. Clad in the long dress, she looked both beautiful and alluring.
“Auntie, how much is this dress?”
Wang Xixi loved the dress so much. Even though she knew the probability of her wearing it was slim, she still wanted to buy it.
Upon hearing this, the stall owner’s face immediately lit up. “This dress is a new arrival from Guangzhou. I won’t ask for much, just 100 yuan.”
When the stall owner stated the price, Wang Xixi looked at her in disbelief. It was so cheap!
Of course, the netizens in the livestream had the same thought as Wang Xixi.
“A dress this beautiful is only 100 yuan?”
“That’s too cheap, buy it, buy it, buy it!”
“I want one too! For just 100 yuan, I can get Xixi’s matching outfit!”
“Xixi, can you proxy buy? I want one too!”
“Me too!”
“+10086.”
“Although, 100 yuan seems a bit expensive!”
“It is indeed expensive. Xixi, hurry up and bargain!”
“Yes, yes, bargain, bargain! 100 yuan is too much, cut it in half!”
“???”
“100 yuan is expensive? Are you kidding me?”
Clearly, Wang Xixi was unaware of the conversation among the livestream netizens and was preparing to scan her payment code.
100 yuan for a dress! That was an incredible deal!
Shen Yao stopped Wang Xixi’s hand. “Auntie, a little less. I come here often, I’m a regular customer. You should give me a fair price.”
Wang Xixi’s eyes widened at Shen Yao’s blatant lie. If she didn't know Shen Yao’s personality, she would have believed her!