(PS: No one guessed right. Who said it was a flower shop owner? Honestly, don't assume every female character is the female lead—Murphy is the only one. Oh, and Xixi counts too; don't overlook the little girl, haha!)
A thin, dark-skinned girl with a hint of shyness on her face, but she worked quickly and skillfully, even pulling cotton candy with practiced ease.
But Yang Yi recognized this girl!
"Please wait a moment." The girl hadn't recognized him yet. She took Yang Yi's money and politely nodded at him and the little girl poking her head out from the panda plushie.
Yang Yi, however, was curious. As she was about to finish rolling a large cotton candy, he couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you a student at Jiangcheng Media University?"
Of course, the question wasn't out of place—the girl was still wearing the Jiangcheng Media University uniform from before!
"Yeah! You recognized me?" The girl admitted openly. She finished rolling the cotton candy and handed it over with a sincere smile. "This is a jumbo-sized cotton candy! Your daughter can have a bit more. Hope the little sister likes it!"
Xixi shyly hid behind her father, only peeking out her little head. Seeing the big sister's smile, she responded with a timid grin and said softly, "Thank you, big sister."
Her voice was tiny, but the girl heard it and laughed. "You're welcome! This is a gift from me!"
Yang Yi didn't mind. What intrigued him was why she was selling cotton candy.
"Last month, Xixi and I were at Luoxia Village looking at the flower fields. We had a picnic in the woods at noon and ran into you," Yang Yi reminded her when she seemed to struggle to recall.
This time, the girl remembered. With a good memory, she beamed brightly. "I remember now! It was you! Your daughter was resting then. Sorry for bothering you."
"You remember too?"
"Of course! You brought so many tools! That was the first time I met someone so well-prepared as a volunteer out there. No tourist ever brings that much stuff..." The girl laughed, showing her white teeth.
The cotton candy, once pulled, looked like a fluffy white cloud. But Yang Yi, who liked eating it fresh, didn't care about ruining the aesthetic. He tore off a small piece and popped it into his mouth. It was soft, melted instantly, and filled his taste buds with a sweet, lingering flavor.
"Is it good?" Xixi watched curiously, seeing her dad's satisfied expression. She couldn't hold back. "Daddy, I want some too!"
Even though her little belly was already full from earlier, Xixi couldn't resist the temptation.
Yang Yi naturally wouldn't deny his daughter. Holding the stick with his left hand, he extended the cotton candy toward her. Xixi eagerly mimicked her dad, reaching out to grab it.
"No need to use your hands, just eat it directly," Yang Yi quickly said. The little one had been touching all sorts of things and had plenty of germs on her hands.
Of course, Yang Yi's own hands weren't clean either, but his immune system was strong, unlike Xixi's, which was prone to upset stomachs.
The cotton candy, like spun glass sugar, melted into sweet syrup in her mouth even faster than regular candy. Xixi immediately savored the sugary taste, her eyes narrowing with joy. But she was too busy eating to express her delight.
"Aren't you supposed to be at school? Why are you selling cotton candy at the temple fair?" Yang Yi asked the girl, his biggest curiosity.
Initially, when Yang Yi saw the girl appear before him a second time, he felt a flicker of caution. Instinctively, he sensed danger and almost wanted to drop everything, grab Xixi, and flee.
But he quickly realized this wasn't his past life, where he had to stay constantly alert for survival. Here, in the peaceful ordinary world, he had an ordinary identity as a regular dad. Who would bother targeting him for no reason?
Still, out of habit, he wanted to subtly probe and understand the girl's situation.
The girl paused, then openly shared her story without hiding anything.
Ding Xiang was her name, hinting at her origins—a Miao girl from the mountainous region of Hunan Province. A plain, ordinary girl, a rising sophomore in Electronic Media at Jiangcheng Media University, with a clean background and a family that was dirt poor.
"During school breaks, I take on part-time jobs off-campus to earn some living expenses," Ding Xiang said, her sun-darkened skin showing a hint of maidenly shyness. "Like that volunteer work you saw me doing last time—it was paid too."
Two months ago, Ding Xiang had been dragged to the temple fair by her roommates and got the idea to set up her own stall there. Last month, she gritted her teeth and bought some small trinkets to sell. Business turned out well—the temple fair was bustling, and it earned her over half a month's living expenses!
This time, Ding Xiang happened to learn from a fellow vendor that an elderly woman couldn't come out to sell due to poor health. So she rented the old lady's cotton candy machine and started making and selling cotton candy herself.
This business was far more popular than selling trinkets!
Plus, cotton candy was simple and easy to make. Ding Xiang, kind-hearted, always gave customers generous portions, naturally attracting many buyers.
"I earn some money and can share a portion with the old lady! She's pitiful—her kids don't take care of her, so she relies on this little business to get by." Ding Xiang smiled, her white teeth stark against her tanned face.
Yang Yi nodded silently. He couldn't fully grasp Ding Xiang's poverty and struggles. In his view, all difficulties had to be overcome by one's own hands, and wealth and happiness had to be fought for. He appreciated Ding Xiang's hardworking attitude but wasn't moved to sympathy.
After getting the information he wanted, Yang Yi didn't linger. He said goodbye to Ding Xiang and left with Xixi.
As for why he didn't offer Ding Xiang some financial help?
Come on, Yang Yi wasn't some benevolent saint who'd hand out money to every poor person he met. That wasn't his style. In his worldview, the strong survive and the weak perish. To rise above, you had to put in a hundred times the effort, not wait for handouts.
If Yang Yi had relied on others to save him in his past life instead of carving his own path, he'd never have made it out of the training camp alive!
Ding Xiang was a kind girl, humble and hardworking. Yang Yi believed she'd go far in the future. As for anything else, he had no thoughts on it.
Let her be tempered by hardship.