Shocking! A three-year-old brings his aloof mother to their door.

The stall owner was delighted.

Wow, so young and already knows how to bargain?

He felt like teasing her, so he bent down and asked with a smile, "How much does the little one want to buy?"

Tongtong stretched out her right hand, raised one finger, and said decisively, "One yuan!"

"puff!!"

Mo Ye, who was eavesdropping behind, almost spat out his saliva.

He Wanqing couldn't hold back either, covering her mouth and laughing so hard her shoulders were shaking.

The stall owner was taken aback by the price, then cried out "Ouch!" and clutched his chest in feigned distress.

"Sweetie, one dollar? One dollar and I'll lose everything! I can't sell it, I can't sell it!"

He paused, then asked curiously, "Who taught you to bargain like that?"

Tongtong didn't answer; she was busy practicing the skills she had just learned.

She mimicked the old woman, put on a stern face, turned around and walked away, saying as she went, "I'm leaving now~"

One step, two steps.

No one called her.

She took two more steps and couldn't help but look back.

The stall owner was smiling at her, making no attempt to call her over.

Tongtong panicked a little, took two more steps, turned around and said, "I really have to go now~"

The stall owner was still smiling, and even waved to her: "Take care, little one, come again next time."

Tongtong stopped and pouted.

Why is this acting different from the one done by the grandma earlier?

That grandma was clearly like that, and that uncle told her to go back.

She stood there, her little face filled with confusion and grievance.

Fifteen yuan is enough for fifteen ice creams!

So expensive!

She was a little annoyed and stood there hesitating for a while, but in the end she couldn't resist the temptation of the bubble machine and ran back.

The stall owner, seeing the little dumplings return, smiled so broadly his eyes narrowed: "Why are you back again?"

Tongtong looked up at her with her little face and said seriously, "Uncle, let's bargain again."

The stall owner, suppressing a laugh, said, "Alright, kill it again. How much?"

Tongtong thought for a moment, then held up seven fingers: "Seven yuan! Will you sell it or not?"

The stall owner shook his head:

"Seven yuan is my purchase price, I can't sell it for that. Ten yuan is the lowest I can go."

Tongtong stopped talking.

She tilted her little face up, staring at the stall owner with her big, watery eyes, without blinking.

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

The stall owner felt extremely uncomfortable under her gaze, as if he were being stared at by some small animal, and the back of his neck felt tingly.

"Fine, fine, fine," he surrendered, "Nine dollars! Nine dollars for you! I can't go any lower!"

Tongtong's eyes lit up, and she immediately nodded, "Okay!"

Behind them, Mo Ye and He Wanqing were completely stunned.

They've lived to this age, and they still don't know how to bargain.

Mo Ye had always thought that only middle-aged women like Jiang Hui were the queens of bargaining.

Today he realized how wrong he was; even a three-year-old could defeat a stall owner so decisively.

The vendor put the bubble machine into a bag and handed it to Tongtong.

Tongtong took out nine yuan from her pocket and counted it out to him one bill at a time.

The stall owner took the money, looked around, and lowered his voice to say:

"Little friend, don't tell anyone you bought your bubble machine from me for nine yuan, okay?"

Tongtong's eyes lit up, and she immediately stretched out her right hand, rubbing her thumb and index and middle fingers together—a rule of the underworld, hush money.

The stall owner's lips twitched, and he decisively shook his head: "No. Don't even think about it."

Tongtong pouted, huffed, and ran off with the bubble machine in her arms.

The stall owner watched her retreating figure and muttered to himself, "Whose child is this? She's only three and already knows this trick; what will she be like when she grows up..."

"Our daughter," He Wanqing said softly, "that hand-rubbing gesture just now..."

"Exactly the same as the one this morning who wanted hush money," Mo Ye continued.

"Has she... developed a conditioned reflex?"

"...It seems so."

The two remained silent for two seconds, unsure whether to feel proud or worried.

Tongtong had already run back with the bubble machine in her arms, her little face beaming with joy.

"Mom and Dad! Tongtong bought it! Nine yuan!"

Mo Ye squatted down and looked at her seriously: "Tongtong is really amazing, she's better at bargaining than her dad."

He Wanqing also squatted down and pinched her little cheek:

"Mom doesn't know how to bargain, Tongtong, can you teach Mom?"

Tongtong nodded smugly, waved her little hand, and looked quite like the little boss:

"Okay! Next time Mom wants to buy something, Tongtong will help you!" After saying that, Tongtong couldn't wait to turn on the bubble machine and press the switch.

Countless colorful bubbles surged out of the machine, refracting beautiful halos in the sunlight, fluttering and dancing everywhere.

"Wow!!!" Tongtong tilted her little face up, her eyes sparkling, and reached out her chubby little hands to poke at the bubbles, "Pop! Pop! Pop!"

One bubble bursts, and she chases after the next one.

Mo Ye and He Wanqing followed behind her, watching her cheerful little figure, and the corners of their mouths unconsciously turned up.

When Tongtong got home, the first thing she did was go to find Zhang Xiuying.

"Great-Grandma, Great-Grandma~"

Zhang Xiuying was picking vegetables in the yard when she heard the call. She quickly put down what she was doing, wiped her hands, and went to greet the caller with a smile.

"Oh, my sweetie's back! Did you have fun at the market?"

Tongtong ran up to her, reached into her pocket, rummaged around, and pulled out a handful of loose bills and coins, which she then presented to her.

"Great-Grandma, here's some money! Money from selling zongzi leaves!"

Zhang Xiuying paused for a moment, then looked down at the handful of money. There were ten-yuan notes, five-yuan notes, one-yuan notes, and a few coins, all jumbled up in her chubby little hands, but each note had been carefully smoothed out.

"This is... for me?" Zhang Xiuying's voice trembled slightly.

Tongtong nodded vigorously and stuffed the money into her hand:

"That's right! Tongtong and her great-grandmother picked the bamboo leaves together, and they sold them to give some money to her great-grandmother!"

Holding the money, Zhang Xiuying suddenly felt her eyes welling up with tears. She opened her mouth as if to say something but found herself speechless. After a moment, she spoke:

"Great-Grandma, no," she said, squatting down and stuffing the money into Tongtong's pocket. "Tongtong, save it for yourself, so you can buy delicious food later."

Tongtong stubbornly stuffed the money back into her hand, pressing it down with her chubby little hand: "Great-Grandma, take it! Tongtong still has money!"

Zhang Xiuying tried to decline, but Tongtong had already turned and run away, clutching her bubble machine, leaving behind the words:

"Tongtong is going to find Brother Yunqi!" and disappeared at the courtyard gate.

Zhang Xiuying looked down at the handful of change in her hand and remained silent for a long time.

After a long pause, she raised her head, facing Mo Ye and He Wanqing, her voice a little hoarse: "This child... how can this child be so sensible..."

He Wanqing walked over and gently hugged her:

"Grandma, please accept it. Tongtong's gift is a token of her appreciation; she'll be unhappy if you don't accept it."

Zhang Xiuying nodded, carefully folded the money, stuffed it into her inner pocket, and patted it.

The neighbor's yard.

Mo Yunqi was sitting alone on the doorstep, holding a transparent jar in his hands.

The jar was filled with colorful paper stars, sparkling in the sunlight—the result of his entire night of folding.

He went to look for Tongtong this morning, but Tongtong had gone to the market.

He was depressed all morning and didn't even enjoy his food.

He thought he heard something just now.

Is that Tongtong?

He pricked up his ears and listened carefully.

"Brother Yunqi—!"

......