Reborn in 2006, I met Mr. Zhou from the past.

The vendor was thinking to himself, "I haven't even opened for business yet. Should I offer a discount to make my first sale?"

"How about this, if you can buy three or more, I'll give you a discount."

"Ah..." Su Fengnan's face showed a conflicted expression, as if she was in a bit of a predicament.

Seeing her reaction, the boss was worried, wondering if the business was going to fall through.

So he quickly relented: "How about this, if you can buy three, I'll give you a discount of eight yuan per pound."

"If I buy four or five, how much cheaper will it be?"

Seeing an opportunity, and wanting to bring good luck for his opening, the vendor immediately agreed: "If you can buy five, it'll be six yuan a pound! Consider it a good start for your business."

"Alright, I'll take five then. Can you kill them for me?"

The vendor pointed to the large plastic basin next to him and readily replied, "Of course."

Su Fengnan selected five fish, each weighing about one and a half pounds. The shopkeeper weighed, killed, cleaned, and bagged the fish with practiced ease, clearly a seasoned veteran.

As she was leaving, Su Fengnan casually asked, "Boss, do you often sell fish here?"

The owner answered honestly: "I come once or twice a month. Wild fish are hard to catch. If I want to buy some next time, I'll have to try my luck."

Having gotten the answer she wanted, Su Fengnan said happily, "Okay, I'll try my luck again next time. I wish you great success in your business."

"Haha, okay, I'll see you next time."

After buying the fish, Su Fengnan also picked up some side dishes and half a chicken, then headed straight to the spice and general store. Chili peppers, pickled peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, fermented chili paste, broad bean paste, small red chilies... she couldn't leave any out; she was going to make Su Fengnan's version of pickled pepper stir-fried fish and spicy shredded chicken.

Su Fengxia, carrying large bags of groceries, asked, "Sister, are you buying so much groceries to treat us? Who wants to eat here?"

"It's Brother Zhou and Mr. Chen, whom I mentioned to you a few days ago. I owe them a favor."

"Will people come from here?"

"What are you thinking! I'll cook it and deliver it to them as a thank you for their help."

The two chatted all the way and soon returned to their lodgings.

Su Fengnan put down the dishes and immediately began preparing the ingredients. After washing and chopping all the seasonings, she took out the fish, made a few cuts on it, rubbed it with salt, poured in ginger, scallion, and peppercorn water, and gently massaged the fish to marinate it.

Su Fengnan's hands never stopped as she prepared the ingredients and fried the fish, while Su Fengxia watched eagerly from the side. More than an hour later, with a sizzle, hot oil was poured over the Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers, and the sour, spicy, and fragrant pickled pepper fish was ready.

Meanwhile, the chicken in the rice cooker was ready. Since she only had a rice cooker due to limited cooking equipment, she took the chicken pieces out and placed them in the prepared well water to chill. Ten minutes later, she shredded the chicken to prepare a cold salad.

All the seasonings were already prepared, and the cold shredded chicken was a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate. However, thinking that both dishes would be eaten by elderly people, Su Fengnan deliberately controlled the amount of chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns, making it less spicy.

Su Fengxia's mouth was watering; the aroma wafted throughout the entire building.

A resident on the second floor peered out of the window, looking around: "Who's cooking? It smells so good!"

Hearing the commotion upstairs, Su Fengxia felt secretly pleased: having an older sister who can cook is simply the best thing ever!

"Sis, it smells so good! When did you learn to make this? I didn't know that."

"You forgot? Dad used to be a chef; he taught me this."

Su Fengxia scratched her head. She didn't remember her father teaching her this dish, nor had she ever eaten it made by him. But since her sister said so, then it must be.

Once the dishes had cooled down a bit, Su Fengnan began packing them into boxes, making sure to save a fish for her younger sister to enjoy.

It was also served with a refreshing pickled pepper and wood ear mushroom dish, which is perfect for whetting the appetite in this kind of weather.

Su Fengnan also cooked two bowls of noodles and mixed them with two spoonfuls of the broth from the stir-fried fish. The two sisters ate with great relish!

"Ah! Sis...it's so delicious! The fish is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the broth is sour, fragrant, and spicy. In a word, it's amazing!"

"Oh, I can't take it anymore, I'm a little full." Su Fengxia said, letting out a burp, looking satisfied.

"I made some tea, you can have some to help with your digestion later." Su Fengnan looked at her younger sister, who was leaning against the wall after eating too much, and shook her head with a smile.

She glanced at the alarm clock on the table; it was still early. "I'm going to wash my hair. Wait for me, we'll go out together in a bit."

"Okay, then hurry up!"

Having cooked such flavorful dishes, Su Fengnan must have smelled strongly of cooking oil on her. She washed up again; at this time, her hair was incredibly thick, black, smooth, and long.

While changing clothes, Su Fengxia took out the long dress that she had long forgotten about.

"Sis, wear this today. You've only worn this dress once."

Su Fengnan took it and saw that it was a mid-length, light-colored floral dress with puffy short sleeves and a Peter Pan collar, exuding a retro, artistic, and fresh vibe. This style would not go out of fashion even decades later, and it was especially suitable for ladylike girls. Of course, Su Fengnan liked it in both her past and present lives.

"This was a gift from my aunt. I didn't really have many opportunities to wear it while I was studying."

"Sis, why don't you wear it today? It's a holiday, and we don't have to go to school, so no classmates will see you."

Su Fengnan thought for a moment, then took the dress and went into the house.

My aunt gave me this dress last summer. It was a little big when I wore it then, because she said she was still growing. Now I think I've really grown a bit taller, and it fits me perfectly.

Her hair wasn't tied up; it was soft and flowing over her shoulders, with a few wisps of hair falling lightly across her forehead, adding a touch of artistic flair to her serene face.

After getting ready, Su Fengxia stared at her sister, her eyes wide, unable to look away: "Sister, you look so beautiful in this outfit! So artistic!"

"Do you have to be so dramatic? Are you trying to make your sister happy? She's not a fairy, it's just a dress, don't make a fuss."

Although Su Fengnan said that, she was actually happy. She picked up the cloth bag containing the food and hung it on her shoulder.

"Let's go out together. Didn't you want to go to the bookstore to read books?"

"Hehe, I'm going to find some comic books to read."

"No problem, let's go then."

The two sisters parted ways on the main street. Su Fengxia ran to a secondhand bookstore to look for comic books, while Su Fengnan went straight to the photo studio.

Upon arriving at the photo studio, Su Fengnan immediately spotted Zhou Chenyu sitting in front of the computer at the front desk.

She quickly stepped forward to greet him, her voice clear and cheerful: "Good morning, Brother Zhou."

Hearing the voice, Zhou Chenyu looked up. Seeing Su Fengnan standing on the stage, dressed differently than usual, the corners of his mouth slightly turned up, and a barely perceptible light flashed in his eyes.

He put down the mouse, stood up, and said, "Come on in! Let's talk inside."

"it is good."

Su Fengnan followed Zhou Chenyu to the office on the second floor. As soon as they entered, they saw Old Mr. Chen there. Old Mr. Chen was sitting at the tea table, holding a packet of what looked like freshly picked medicinal herbs in his hand. He would smell them, taste them, and nod or shake his head from time to time.

Upon seeing the two enter, Old Chen put down the medicinal herbs he was holding.

"The little girl is here. Hmm, her complexion is back to normal."

"Good morning, Mr. Chen!" Su Fengnan replied obediently.

"Come, sit here," Old Chen said, pointing to the chair to his left.

"it is good."

Su Fengnan obediently walked over and sat down, casually placing the cloth bag from her shoulder on the table.