After being reborn, I gained a childhood sweetheart who appeared out of nowhere.

In mid-September in the south, the sun is still dazzling, casting clear shadows through the trees, and the asphalt roads seem to be radiating heat.

"Why is it so sunny in the afternoon?" Chen Xiyu pursed her lips.

"It's only September, of course it's sunny," Lin Chuan said. "Don't you have an umbrella?"

"No," Chen Xiyu said.

"Then you can buy one later," Lin Chuan said. Southern summers aren't very friendly to girls, so it would be better to have an umbrella.

The two walked under the shade of the trees. Chen Xiyu's walk was not as steady as expected. Sometimes she swayed, and their shoulders would occasionally bump into each other. She had a pleasant, warm fragrance about her that seemed somewhat familiar.

"Which shopping mall are you going to buy something at?" Lin Chuan stopped in front of the bus stop.

"I don't know, just find a bigger one," Chen Xiyu said.

"Let's go to Wanda Plaza then," Lin Chuan suggested.

"Why?" Chen Xiyu asked.

"I also have a place I'd like to go this afternoon, and Wanda Plaza is closer to it," Lin Chuan said.

"Oh." Chen Xiyu nodded.

After waiting for a while, the bus arrived, and the two of them got on together and headed straight for Wanda Plaza.

An hour later, the two finally arrived at Wanda Plaza. The moment Lin Chuan pushed open the glass door and entered, he felt a rush of cold air. In that instant, he felt as if all the pores on his body had opened up, and he felt inexplicably refreshed.

Chen Xiyu didn't waste any time; upon arriving at the mall, she went straight to the largest supermarket.

Following the guidance of the sales assistant, I went directly to the household goods shelf to find what I wanted to buy.

Lin Chuan glanced at them and saw that they were all everyday items like hair dryers. These were things he wouldn't need if he lived in a high school dormitory, but if he lived alone, they would be much more convenient.

But when Lin Chuan saw Chen Xiyu pick up the small electric cooker, he asked curiously, "Can you cook?"

Chen Xiyu shook her head. "No way."

"Then why are you looking at this?"

"Whatever, let's buy it first," Chen Xiyu said. "What if I want to cook it later?"

"I don't think this is good. We should be thrifty and not buy things we don't need, okay?" Lin Chuan coaxed patiently, though he actually didn't want to take so many things.

"Hmm..." Chen Xiyu thought for a moment, "You're right."

Lin Chuan was overjoyed.

"But I'll still buy it," Chen Xiyu said.

Lin Chuan was speechless. Never mind, his words were unnecessary.

After buying the items, they went to the cashier. Chen Xiyu paid quickly and efficiently, and the cashier packed the items and handed them to Lin Chuan.

Lin Chuan, carrying his things, followed Chen Xiyu to two or three other shops and bought some odds and ends. When he came out again, he was carrying large and small bags in both hands.

Chen Xiyu stopped and turned to look at Lin Chuan. "I'm done buying."

"Is that all?" Lin Chuan asked.

To be honest, they had only been in Wanda Plaza for about half an hour. Chen Xiyu paid for everything as soon as she entered the store, which was very efficient and decisive.

Isn't it said that girls can spend a long time shopping?

Although he didn't actually have much experience shopping with girls, he only remembered having crushes during junior high school.

After being tricked in high school, I became somewhat self-destructive and spent all my time partying, either in internet cafes or billiard halls. I remained single throughout college and into my working life.

If I had to name a time, it was when I went shopping with Chen Xiyu in junior high school. Although it wasn't really shopping, we would just stroll through a few busy alleys on our way to and from school.

"I'm still a bit tired from military training yesterday, and I don't really want to go sightseeing," Chen Xiyu said. "Aren't you going somewhere else?"

"Do you want to come along?"

"Otherwise what? You're going to leave me here all alone?" Chen Xiyu frowned.

"The place I'm going to is a street away from Wanda Plaza," Lin Chuan suggested. "If you're tired, you can find a coffee shop here and wait for me."

Although he could let Chen Xiyu go back by herself, his mother reminded him before leaving that he had to bring her back, just like when she went to school.

"It's just one street, not far," Chen Xiyu said, despite just complaining about being tired.

Lin Chuan smiled but didn't say anything.

After leaving the mall, the two continued walking along the sidewalk.

As Chen Xiyu walked, she suddenly stepped on the curb. She turned to Lin Chuan and smiled, "Hehe, I'm taller than you now."

"Are you a child?" Lin Chuan asked.

"yes."

After they passed the street corner, a series of three-story buildings appeared in front of them, with the words "computer" and "mobile phone" pasted on the rows of floor-to-ceiling windows.

Chen Xiyu looked up at the building in front of her. "So you're coming to the computer mall?"

"Mm," Lin Chuan said.

"You want to buy a cell phone?"

"I want to buy a used laptop," Lin Chuan said.

Whether he wanted to work in new media or write novels, it was best for him to have his own computer. Since he didn't have much "savings," he thought he would try his luck at the computer mall to see if he could buy a cheap second-hand laptop.

This is exactly what he needs right now.

"You want to buy a computer?" Chen Xiyu seemed a little surprised.

Lin Chuan understood why this guy was surprised, after all, he was still a freshman in high school.

Buying a computer at this age sounds a bit "rebellious," after all, in this day and age, some parents would chase you with a stick if you went to an internet cafe to play games, and some parents would consider it a waste of time if you went to a billiards hall.

Not to mention secretly buying a computer himself, and even if he bought a laptop, there would be many problems, such as getting his parents' approval. However, Lin Chuan had already thought of a solution to these problems.

"What do you need a computer for?" Chen Xiyu squinted. "You don't want to play games, do you?"

"We're all in high school now, so we definitely need to connect with society. Buying a computer means we can go online to read books and look up study materials," Lin Chuan said seriously. "It's all for studying."

This reason sounds a bit far-fetched, especially coming from someone with a "bad record" in junior high school; it's hardly convincing.

Without giving Chen Xiyu a chance to press further, Lin Chuan skipped the topic, saying, "Let's take a look first, we might not necessarily buy anything." With that, he walked directly into the computer mall.

Back in the early 2000s, many people still bought their mobile phones in computer malls, which still looked just like they did in their memories: spacious halls filled with glass display cases showcasing all kinds of mobile phones.

Young men and women were leaning over the glass counter, while the shop owner enthusiastically introduced the keypad phones.

As Lin Chuan passed each counter, someone would call out to him. Since they were all selling mobile phones, he ignored them until he stopped in front of a middle-aged man's counter, where a Lenovo laptop was displayed in a glass case.

"Handsome, what would you like to order?" The middle-aged man greeted him with a smile, not ignoring him just because he was a child.

"Do you have any used laptops?" Lin Chuan asked.

"Yes, yes, we have Dell, Lenovo, Acer..." the shopkeeper enthusiastically introduced.

"How much is this?" Lin Chuan casually pointed to a Lenovo laptop.

"This Lenovo brand is a high-end brand, it costs two thousand yuan," the shopkeeper said.

Lin Chuan was taken aback.

Regardless of whether these used laptops still have original parts, two thousand yuan is really too expensive, isn't it? He asked about the other computers in the display case, and the cheapest one cost fifteen hundred yuan.

For him in the past, 1,500 might have been just the cost of treating someone to a meal, but for Lin Chuan now, it's a considerable sum.

Lin Chuan visited several more stores, the cheapest of which was around 1,500 yuan. It was a no-name brand that he wasn't even familiar with. When the laptop was turned on, the fan made a whistling sound like an old-fashioned electric fan at home.

The price is quite different from what it was back then. He remembers that when he was in college, a decent second-hand laptop could be bought for five or six hundred yuan.

But after thinking about it, I can understand it. On the one hand, there is the issue of brand premium, and on the other hand, the penetration rate of laptops is still relatively low these days, so it is normal for second-hand laptops to be more expensive. In addition, these bosses have obviously added a markup to the price.

Perhaps he should try to raise some money first before considering buying a computer.

"Let's go back," Lin Chuan said to Chen Xiyu.

"Not buying it?" Chen Xiyu asked.

"Those secondhand prices were inflated," Lin Chuan said. He believes that in addition to the impact of online stores, the excessively high prices in physical stores were also a major reason why computer malls eventually went out of business.

Chen Xiyu asked, "Then should we buy a new one from a brand store?"

Lin Chuan didn't know how to explain to this young lady that he couldn't even afford secondhand items right now.

"You don't have the money to buy it?" Chen Xiyu continued.

"Yes." Lin Chuan had nothing to hide from admitting it.

Just as Chen Xiyu was about to say something, someone suddenly greeted them.

"Hey, Chen Xiyu, it's Lao Lin." A familiar voice came from behind.

The two turned around and saw Wang Xu standing behind them. He was wearing Adidas shorts and a T-shirt, and was holding a black laptop bag.

"What are you doing here?" Wang Xu asked.

"Just browsing around," Lin Chuan said.

Wang Xu looked at the two of them, then at Lin Chuan's large and small bags, and gave him an ambiguous smile, his expression saying "I know what's going on."

Lin Chuan knew what this guy was thinking, but he was too lazy to say anything. He simply asked, "What are you doing here?"

Wang Xu explained, "This is what my dad promised me before, that he would buy me a new computer if I got into the top high school in the city."

"No wonder you worked so hard in your last semester, it was all for the new computer."

Wang Xu smiled. That was part of the reason he studied so hard back then. "I don't use my old computer anymore, so I wanted to bring it here to exchange for some pocket money." He sighed as he said this.

"Selling computers for money isn't a good thing, why are you sighing?"

"Sigh, those people offered too low a price. I asked a few, and they were only willing to give me two or three hundred yuan to buy it back," Wang Xu said, somewhat frustrated. "My laptop can still play StarCraft. I told the shopkeeper that I haven't had it for many years, but they insisted that I had replaced some parts in my computer, but I've never repaired it."

Lin Chuan realized that the shop owners were deliberately offering him a low price because he was just a kid.

The fact that they replaced the parts is obviously a lie. Some even more unscrupulous vendors might even replace the parts while they're checking his computer.

Lin Chuan thought for a moment, then said, "How about you sell me your laptop?"