Using plastic bags from the supermarket, they filled up two bags completely.
The two boys were very considerate. Duan Ye carried one bag, while Zhou Ji carried the other.
Zhou Ji stubbornly refused to carry the bag containing durians. However, when they got into the taxi, the whole car was filled with the smell of durians. Zhou Ji couldn’t bear it any longer and opened the window.
The driver was a kind middle-aged man and said cheerfully, “Bought some durians, eh?”
Jiang Yumo replied sweetly, “Yes, uncle. Can you also not stand the smell of durians? I’m sorry, would you like to open all the windows?”
The driver took a deep breath and said, “It’s not that I can’t stand it, but I’m afraid I’ll get tempted by the smell. My wife loves eating durians too. Is there a promotion at the supermarket today?”
“Yes, the lady there said it’s a bit cheaper than before. It’s two yuan less per kilogram,” Jiang Yumo replied.
“Then I’ll come by later to buy one,” the driver said.
Jiang Yumo suddenly realized that people who love durians really love them, while people who dislike durians are like Zhou Ji.
They were still in a taxi. Would it affect the next passenger and the driver’s business?
She immediately felt some regret.
However, it was too late to get off now. She tugged at Duan Ye’s sleeve and leaned over, whispering softly in his ear, “Look in the shopping bag, I bought candy.”
Duan Ye was startled.
He felt her warm breath lingering around him.
Unconsciously, his Adam’s apple rolled. He quickly lowered his head to rummage through the shopping bag at his feet and found the candy she mentioned. He took it out and handed it to her.
Jiang Yumo took the candy, tore open the packaging.
Inside were several different flavors of candy, including mint, peach, and sweet orange.
She turned to Ning Zhiyu and asked, “Zhiyu, which flavor do you want?”
Ning Zhiyu replied, “Any flavor is fine.”
Jiang Yumo smiled and handed her a lychee-flavored candy, saying, “This flavor is delicious, just like eating lychee.”
She also knew Duan Ye’s preference.
Without hesitation, she gave him the mint candy.
Duan Ye cupped it in his palm.
When she mentioned wanting candy, he knew exactly what she was thinking. Perhaps feeling sorry and concerned about leaving a scent in the taxi that could affect the driver’s business, he wanted to express his apology in this way. Sure enough, the next second, Jiang Yumo grabbed a few candies and placed them in the compartment behind the car seat. She smiled at the driver and said, “Uncle, I put a few candies in the car for you. This brand of candy is really delicious.”
The driver was very happy and said, “Thank you.”
Jiang Yumo replied, “You’re welcome. Today is his birthday!”
So she wanted everyone who had seen them to have a candy.
“If someone complains about the smell of durian in the car,” Jiang Yumo smiled, her eyes curved, “you can ask them to have a candy. Sorry about that.”
Since Jiang Yumo could remember, her father had been working as a passenger driver.
Every evening, when the three of them sat down for dinner, her father would always tell them some interesting stories from his experiences as a driver.
Her father also loved this profession. Sometimes he helped people bring things back from the provincial capital, and that family would even send them fresh crucian carp.
The dish Jiang Yumo had eaten the most was crucian carp soup noodles.
Ning Zhiyu, with lychee-flavored candy in her mouth, listened to the conversation between Jiang Yumo and the driver. She felt a deep sense of satisfaction in her heart.
Zhou Ji waited for a long time but didn’t get any candy, feeling somewhat displeased, he said, “I said.”
“Hmm?”
He suddenly spoke, appearing particularly strange.
“It was me who paid the bill,” Zhou Ji said.
Jiang Yumo : “…”
Ning Zhiyu : “.”
Duan Ye didn’t even lift his eyelids. It was obvious that he didn’t want to pay attention to Zhou Ji.
Jiang Yumo understood in her heart: Oh, right! I forgot to give candy to Zhou Ji.
It was him who paid the bill, and he used his card.
She asked him kindly, “Then what flavor do you want?”
This was actually the first sentence Jiang Yumo spoke to Zhou Ji.
Zhou Ji’s tone was quite arrogant, “Whatever.”
He didn’t really want to eat candy. Who liked to eat such overly sweet things anyway? It’s just that… she distributed candies to everyone in the car, except him. What does that mean? Is he invisible? Is he air?
“…”
Jiang Yumo searched through and asked, “Peppermint flavor?”
Zhou Ji didn’t respond, so she assumed he agreed. She took out a candy and threw it at him accurately, landing on his leg. Zhou Ji opened the packaging and put the candy in his mouth, but immediately furrowed his brow at the strange taste.
Duan Ye coughed, “Uncle, there’s a small path on the right up ahead that can take us directly there. It’ll be much closer.”
Sure enough, they took the shortcut, and in less than ten minutes, they arrived at their destination. This place used to be the liveliest area in the old town, with public baths, schools, and hospitals. However, everyone had moved to the new city district, leaving this area a bit rundown. Duan Ye’s family lived on the third floor, and it was Jiang Yumo’s first time visiting, so she couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous. Even before reaching the third floor, they could already hear voices coming from the stairs—it was Yan Qing and the others. Duan Ye carried a heavy shopping bag with one hand, turned sideways, and led Jiang Yumo upstairs. Even though it wasn’t completely dark outside, and the hallway had lights, he still worried that she might trip and fall, so he was very cautious.
Finally, they entered the room.
Jiang Yumo curiously looked around.
This was Duan Ye’s home.
In fact, it wasn’t much different from her own home. It seemed that the layout and decoration of the old residential areas were all like this.
The room was filled with seventeen or eighteen-year-old students who were making a lot of noise, almost lifting the roof. Fortunately, it wasn’t bedtime yet, or else people from the upstairs and downstairs would definitely come down to complain.
Guo Shichao and the others were playing with balloons.
For them, birthdays were important, especially the eighteenth birthday.
Every person who came here sincerely wanted to give Duan Ye an unforgettable birthday. Ning Zhiyu was a bit reserved at first because she wasn’t very familiar with these people, but soon she began to relax. Even Zhou Ji, who was usually aloof, seemed much more relaxed.