America: A Prodigy of Stereotypes

John Wick glanced at Wade speechlessly.

Wade meant that if the boy who mysteriously disappeared was on a Tokyo subway platform, he might appear on the subway tracks.

Helen, John, and Wade went into a bookstore near the movie theater. The Harry Potter series was displayed in the most prominent position, visible to customers as soon as they entered. Helen picked up every single Harry Potter book and hugged it to her chest.

Li Qun stood at the bookstore entrance waiting for Wade and the other two adults to come out, holding his sleeping puppy in his arms.

Wade browsed in the bookstore for a few minutes before coming out again.

"Aren't you going in to take a look?" Wade asked Li Qun.

“I have many books to read, so I can’t buy any more new books,” Li Qun replied.

“I’ll find you some books that don’t require much brainpower. No need to thank me.” Wade laughed, and Li Qun realized something.

Wade quickly bought several magazines, hid them in his coat, and grinned mischievously.

"I'll get it for you when I get back, but you'd better hide it well. My experience is that you shouldn't hide it under the bed."

“Shouldn’t everyone get one? You should buy a few copies for Dad and Dr. Banner too,” Li Qun said.

"My dad is getting old, is he still able to watch this?"

“As for Banner, I could share something better with him,” Wade said with a smile.

John and Helen came out and frowned when they saw Li Qun's speechless expression and Wade's sly grin.

“Wade, what are you hiding? What did you buy here?” John asked.

“Seriously speaking, shouldn’t Li Qun call us uncle and aunt?” Wade looked at John and Helen.

“No, I’m still the older sister,” Helen said.

"Uncle Wade intends to share some adult aesthetics with Li Qun."

“He has to know these things before he goes to college, or people will call him baby,” Wade said.

"Who would call him 'baby'?"

“What do you think? Of course, it’s the upperclassmen at school,” Wade replied.

"So that's what you were talking about."

Helen realized what was happening and looked at Li Qun, who had a righteous expression on his face.

Li Qun always gives people a serious impression, but in reality, he is not a serious person.

"Liqun, you've met the worst friends you've ever had in your life, Wade."

“I can’t even imagine what Wade will ‘do’ with you when you turn 18 next year.”

“I’ll take Li Qun to see dancing,” Wade immediately told John Wick.

"Is it a proper dance?" Li Qun asked.

"How is that possible?" Wade glanced at Li Qun.

"Let's find a place to have dinner first," Li Qun suggested.

“Let’s go to your family’s restaurant. John, Helen, have you been to Uncle Li Qun’s Chinese restaurant?” Wade asked.

“I’ve been there. It’s fine.” John nodded slightly.

“It’s convenient for you to visit my new home while you’re on your way,” Wade said.

“It’s my turn to drive,” Li Qun said.

Are you familiar with the way?

Wade asked, handing the car keys to Liqun, who then gave the puppy to Wade.

"You need to familiarize yourself with the area if you're not familiar with it. Please remind me if I take the wrong turn."

“I’m the only one who knows this way,” Wade said, glancing at John Wick.

……

……

Peter Parker borrowed a VCD from a video store and played it on his computer.

Peter borrowed the DVD in the morning and spent the entire afternoon watching it. He was learning how to be a "masked hero" through superhero movies and TV shows.

Peter was still struggling with how to cover his face.

Peter had many options in the films and television series.

Face masks come in full-coverage, upper-coverage, lower-coverage, and eye-coverage types.

Helmets are available in full-coverage and half-coverage options, offering the best level of privacy but also being the bulkiest and least portable.

After much thought, Peter decided to combine the mask and helmet, using a semi-exoskeleton-like helmet underneath to camouflage his head.

The mask will continue to be made of spider silk, but a suitable material needs to be found for the skeletal helmet.

After Peter finished conceiving the idea, he felt like a genius.

Veteran criminal investigators and forensic doctors at the police station are able to reconstruct a person's appearance using only a skull.

Peter imagined himself wearing a highly elastic spider silk mask. Would the mask perfectly reveal the shape of his head, or would people be able to tell who he was?

Peter picked up his phone, which vibrated. It was a photo sent by Li Qun on a messaging app, sharing his schedule for the day.

Peter saw the Ford wood-grain station wagon that Li Qun had photographed with his mobile phone, as well as movie tickets for "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and posters at the movie theater entrance.

Anyone want to go to the movies together next week?

Liz quickly left a comment under Liz's post.

Why are you only now looking at it?

Chapter 258 Heirloom Tomato

Every winter, the price of tomatoes in supermarkets increases seasonally by 20%. Summer tomatoes cost $1.1 per pound, while winter tomatoes cost $1.4 per pound.

At farmers' markets in Queens, New York, fresh tomatoes brought in from nearby farms saw prices rise by 50%, a significant premium.

"Look at these tomatoes, they're completely different from the varieties sold in supermarkets, but they taste like tomatoes."

Li Qun stood in front of the stall, enthusiastically selecting tomatoes one by one. The stall owner put the tomatoes that Li Qun had selected into a brown paper bag.

When it came time to pay, Li Qun handed the banknotes to the stall owner without batting an eye, earning the stall owner's approving look.

The vegetables sold at the stall were all grown by the stall owner himself, and the tomatoes were the owner's favorite old variety, which is known as the "family heirloom tomato" in local New York restaurants.

A week has passed, and it's another weekend.

They've submitted all the required documents for their college applications and mailed them out. These twelfth-grade high school students have entered a phase where they're left to fate. At this stage, all they can do is wait for a phone call or email notification.

On a relaxing Saturday, Li Qun, Gwen, Peter, and Harry made plans to go to the cinema to see "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." They planned to go to the cinema in the afternoon and visit the farmers' market in the morning.

Since the peanut incident, Harry has become more aware of the ingredients in every food he eats, and today is his first time visiting the weekly farmers' market.

"Question: Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?" Peter asked Li Qun and Harry.

“Vegetables, of course,” Harry replied.

“It’s fruit,” Li Qun said.

"Hmm?" Harry looked at Li Qun.

Li Qun never missed a question, and Harry instantly began to doubt the world.

“Tomatoes are fruits, isn’t that surprising?” Peter was also holding a brown paper bag of tomatoes.

"Give me one to try."

"Harry, take it yourself."

"Why aren't you picking out potatoes?" Gwen squatted in front of the mountain of potatoes, selecting the round, purple ones.

“I love tomatoes the most. The tomatoes in the supermarket are all hard, only here can you buy old-fashioned tomatoes with a sandy texture, lots of juice, and full of acidity,” Li Qun said to Gwen.

“I like potatoes,” Gwen said.

No matter where the farmers' market is located, arriving early is a common characteristic. The earlier you arrive, the more variety and fresher the goods you can buy.

In December, the highest temperature in New York City is only 11 degrees Celsius, and the lowest temperature before dawn is 3 degrees Celsius. There is fog in the morning, occasional rain, and no snowfall.

Harry took a bite of the brandy tomato, which was known as the family heirloom tomato. The burst of juice caught Harry off guard, and his chest became soaked.

“Tomatoes are ‘fruits,’ right?” Li Qun asked Harry with a smile.

"It's fruit, and it tastes really good."

"The tomatoes in the supermarket are like fake ones, rock hard. It feels like I'm eating fake tomatoes from the supermarket every day," Harry shook his head.

“The tomatoes in sandwiches will look like this. But if you’re cooking with tomatoes, you can choose canned tomatoes, which are not much different in flavor from the ones we buy,” Li Qun said.

“Yes, I have a whole cabinet of canned tomatoes at home, so I’m not buying tomatoes.” Gwen picked out her potatoes.

"Shall we go buy some mushrooms?" Peter asked Li Qun.

"They're all artificially bred; there's nothing to see."

“There are still wild morel mushrooms,” Peter said.

“They are dried morel mushrooms, Peter.”

"Is it possible to buy ones that aren't artificially bred?" Harry asked doubtfully.

“Wild mushrooms can only be found in the wild during the rainy season. People without professional knowledge and experience can easily eat themselves to death,” Li Qun said meaningfully to Harry.

“This pile of peppers is really nice. Peter, could you help me carry some? I want to pick some out.”

The four of them stopped in front of another stall, where the unique aroma of chili peppers filled the air.

"Is this chili spicy?" Harry asked the stall owner.

"These are non-spicy, these are spicy, especially these few, they're really spicy," the stall owner explained.

Li Qun and his three companions were far too young for the market, standing out from the crowd. The stall owners were very friendly to them, answering all their questions.

"Would you like to try some?" the stall owner asked Harry.

"Thanks, but I think I'll pass." Harry smiled at the stall owner.