Chapter 105: Last day at City Nan and Zhou family story

The third day, they only have simple itinerary, which is to go for a morning walk at Purple Lake Park and head to the shopping mall for a light shopping.

They woke up at 8.00 am today, after getting ready they went to eat breakfast at the hotel buffet and returned upstairs to pack up their belongings. They will check out early and go to Purple Lake.

"Ah, I like this room a lot." Bai Yi Fang said.

'Me too..' TongTong said.

"We will come again. This is not our last vacation trip." Bai Yi Yang said laughing. The kids immediately cheers and they don't feel regretful to leave anymore. After the check out process and paying all the additional fee, it was already 9.40 am.

After that they all briefly went to Purple Lake nearby. They didn't take a long time, only about a 15 minutes stay, they took pictures and look around for a bit before heading to the shopping mall. Purple Lake is too big, it will take some times to tour all of it, so today is just a preview.

After that, they all head to the shopping mall, pets are not allowed so TongTong decided to tour on its own outside instead of staying inside Bai Yi Yang's bag, it will join them later when they are done shopping.

They all just randomly enter the shops there, look around or buy some interesting things that they found. They play at the arcade area for a few minutes or try the claw machines. Bai Yi Mo was obsessed with it, he even swore in front of the machine that he will surely succeed in his next time here again. Zhou Zhu Yao tease him about this for a long time because she succeed in one trial while Bai Yi Mo tried 5 times and didn't get a dust.

They stay the longest at clothing stores and accessories store. Zhou Zhu Yao was amazed with the three girls shopping abilities. Even the two small girls were transformed by Bai Yi Yang into shopping mania.

"We are not even shocked anymore." Bai Yi Chen said to Zhou Zhu Yao as they wait at the couch. If Bai Yi Yang and the girls can do that much shopping online, then surely they won't lose when they came to a physical store.

After shopping clothes, they shop for shoes and beautiful hair accessories. After that, they also take their time at a mobile phone accessories store, they bought matching phone cover, earphones and some other interesting things they found. Of course they didn't make big purchases as they bought their clothes, only a small bit of everything.

By the time they finished shopping, it was already 12.23 pm. They are all drained.

"It's so hard shopping for people and consider their taste." Bai Yi Yang comment.

Other than shopping for themselves, she also bought stuff for the Old Zhou couple, Zhang Ming Ming and her girls classmates. As for the boys, he had asked Bai Yi Chen to just buy them anything, which Bai Yi Chen ended up buying some random pens. They look quite unique and surely they weren't sold in the town's store.

Bai Yi Yang face palm, she choose the girls gift with difficulty, and Bai Yi Chen settled his by asking the salesgirl to just choose any and buy in a bulk. Genius.

Bai Yi Ling and Bai Yi Fang also wanted to buy souvenirs for their friends, Bai Yi Yang let them be. She even transferred a certain amount of money to Bai Yi Ling and let her shop and buy on her own. It's a good opportunity to give her the chance to choose and pay herself. The cashier was kind, she saw that Bai Yi Yang is a bit nervous so she kindly helped her.

"I also want to shop on my own like er jiejie." Bai Yi Fang said.

"Still too small, wait until 2 more years. You see your er jiejie is very clever, she checked again if it is the right amount after scanning and only confirmed the payment. Some bad people like to cheat small children, they will said the price but purposely key in wrong number and some people who is not careful ended up being cheated." Bai Yi Yang said to Bai Yi Fang.

Bai Yi Fang was dumbfounded, there is such kind of people? When she shop at Aunt Mu's store at the village, she don't know big numbers, what more counting, but Aunt Mu will always do that for them, she only give the money and Aunt Mu will return the change. Big city is fun but also a bit scary, she thought in her heart.

After the shopping, Bai Yi Yang then bought them to sit at a bubble tea shop and also bought one takeout for TongTong. The younger siblings found it amusing, especially when they tried the bubble inside. Actually there is one or two bubble tea shop in their small town, but they never tried it and this brand is not available there yet, so Bai Yi Yang bring them to try it.

"Yao Yao Jie, should we have lunch here?" Bai Yi Yang ask. She now called Zhou Zhu Yao as Zhu Zhu jie, Yao Yao jie as a nickname. Zhou Zhu Yao hates it at the beginning but now she is used to it.

"En, it's easier this way." Zhou Zhu Yao agree.

Bai Yi Yang haven't eaten at a certain famous pizza brand so they all head there, ordered two large pizza of beef pepperoni and tuna island, mushrooms soup for each of them, a few sides including chicken wings, onion rings and fried squids. Of course not to forget the soft drinks.

"They don't have one in town, I wish they have one there like KFC." Bai Yi Yang said. Her other siblings also agree, pizza is really delicious.

"Jie, can you make this at home?" Bai Yi Mo ask while munching on one.

"Of course, but store bought is different. Of course mine will be more delicious." Bai Yi Yang answer. She can make more delicious one, but it is different as compared to store bought.

"Then its fine, as long as we can eat pizza." Bai Yi Ling said smiling.

After tasting all these food that taste quite different from the usual taste she had growing up, she discovered that actually she can eat a lot too. She never know that she will like fast food this much, this is really compatible with her. Maybe because it is not rice, so she feels like its fine to eat more than usual.

Well, it's a bit weird logic. Or maybe Bai Yi Yang influence her a lot this passed 1 month, she let them eat snacks, taste different kind of food, even very bitter food, very spicy, very sour. Her taste bud is stimulated. If before eating is a routine, now it's an enjoyment. And this concludes that all Bai siblings is a glutton.

Bai Yi Yang also pack some pizza to bring home for Old Zhou couple, for the children to snack on the road and also for TongTong.

After that, they all finally leave the shopping mall. Bai Yi Chen become the bag holder. They arranged their purchase in the trunk before returning home.

The return journey was a bit more quiet, Bai Yi Chen sit behind with the three and all of them fall asleep.

"When we return, you text me the cost. I will pay it." Zhaou Zhu Yao said.

"Jie, no need. I know you also paid to borrow the car and also the oil. It's enough." Bai Yi Yang said.

"How can that be? You spend much more than that." Zhou Zhu Yao said.

"It's enough, you help to bring us around, if there is no you, we would have difficulty going place to place. What more, I only paid for a few regular meal and the accommodations. Last night you also payed a lot in the night market. In conclusion, we payed for each other." Bai Yi Yang said. Zhou Zhu Yao then finally nod.

"Okay, I will accept it..but next time you must let me pay some more too. I am someone who have a job." She said. Bai Yi Yang giggled and agree with her.

The two of them chat along they way, during this trip, they mostly talk about things related to their trip, only now can Bai Yi Yang have a different kind of conversation with her.

She told Bai Yi Yang about her job and why she choose that job, it was so that she can take care of her parents in the village. They only agree to stay at Uncle Zhou house during the holidays because they can play with their grandchildren, during usual day, they find it boring staying in the town which is unlike the village where they can walk around.

That's why she decided on this flexible job where she can work from home, only need to hand in her job online. She also need to report to their office twice a month at most.

And Bai Yi Yang also discovered a new fact, Zhou Zhu Yao actually have another older brother, ranked second amongst them siblings. Her second brother married someone that her parents doesn't approve of, a widow with a son. Her second brother married late, he was in his mid 30s before he finally found a match. So when he found a match and their parents didn't approve, he leave home and run to City Xi, her wife hometown. Now they have two babies together, a girl and a boy but they never returned home to see their parents. It has been at least 5 years already.

"There is such thing? No wonder we never heard about this." Bai Yi Yang said, she cannot hide her shock.

"You know how old people is, afraid that the villagers will gossip about their used to be widow daughter-in-law, still have a very traditional thinking I would say. My eldest brother married a good woman, so that is why my parents put my eldest sister-in-law as a benchmark. My second brother handle this matter too rashly, once my parents say no, he immediately feels disheartened and leave to marry far away. Maybe because he is also in a big pressure, people often ask him to get married, but when he found someone, they ended up not agreeing. Us siblings relationship is good though, I called them sometimes, also texted my second sister-in-law sometimes. She is a kind woman, just unlucky to meet an abusive guy for her first marriage." Zhou Zhu Yao tell the story.

"Can't blame the old one entirely, they live their life surrounded by these old cultures. Jie you should ask your brother to stop resenting your parents. They are getting old, let them have a life with no worries now." Bai Yi Yang said.

"En, you are right. I don't understand him either. To say not care, he always ask us about mom and dad first every time he called. Maybe he is ashamed of his past harsh actions." Zhou Zhu Yao said.

"Then that's more reason to ask him to go back. How about Grandpa and Grandma Zhou, what is their opinion now?" Bai Yi Yang ask, the two old couple's opinion is very important if they wanted to be reunited.

"Of course they missed him, the two often talk alone about second brother when he was young, they sometimes even get curious about second brother life now, about second sister-in-law and their children." Zhou Zhu Yao said with a soft laugh.

"Then jie you take action, there is no other way then let them reconcile as soon as possible. Yao Yao jie listen to me on this one.." Bai Yi Yang said, feeling a bit frustrated with these older people complicated relationships.

'Host is correct with this one. TongTong also feels frustrated listening to this story.' TongTong who is munching on a piece of pizza on the pizza box also listen attentively to Zhou Zhu Yao story and will comment once in a while. TongTong is another emotional listener to Zhou Zhu Yao story.

Zhou Zhu Yao laugh at Bai Yi Yang comment. They have the same feeling on this, seems like she need to take action so his second brother can return soon.

Actually they have avoided this topic for a long time, them two siblings, she and the oldest always ask the second to return home in the early years, but he will get angry and they will not contact each other for months, so they end up avoiding this topics. These years, she never being it up again.

Should she find an excuse to call him back? Bai Yi Yang is right, they cannot wait until their old parents get sick or anything before taking action. Isn't it good if they can reunited earlier when her parents still have the energy?

After that intriguing story and some other break up stories of Zhou Zhu Yao, they reach the town. They stopped by the butcher shop to buy some meat and finally head home.

There is not much meat left at home, what more, she promised Grandpa Zhou that she will make more steamed buns when she return from City Nan. Promise is not only sacred towards her siblings, but also towards other people.

They arrived home at 2.45 pm. They passed by the Old Zhou house and pick up Oreo and Cookies on the way. They looks very clean and chubby, Grandma Zhou must have feed them much more than usual and bath them too.

After sending them home, Zhou Zhu Yao also returned. She need to return the car to her friend today so she cannot stay long.

"Jie, later you coming or should I ask gege to send it over?" Bai Yi Yang is talking about the steamed buns. She predicted that she can finish it by 5.00 pm the latest.

"You really making it today?" Zhou Zhu Yao was amazed with Bai Yi Yang energy.

"Yeah, I gave my words to Grandpa Zhou." Bai Yi Yang said.

"Then since it was my dad who request it, I will tell him to come pick it up later. Let him come here instead of hanging out with the other elderly in the village." Zhou Zhu Yao said before leaving. Bai Yi Yang nod, she is fine with anything.