Chapter 5: The Stingy Man

As the saying goes, "like repels like."

Whether it's women or girls, this saying holds true.

Especially when it comes to two exceptionally outstanding women, like Qin Yuhan and Yuan Xue.

Though they exchanged warm greetings, Li Dong, who had mingled in society for years, could clearly see the discomfort between Yuan Xue and Qin Yuhan.

Chen Yue, who was playing the supporting role, seemed much more natural. Although she wasn't very familiar with Qin Yuhan, she greeted her warmly and quickly acted as a bridge for communication between the two.

Li Dong glanced at Qin Yuhan, who seemed to have forgotten his presence and was chatting happily with Chen Yue. He felt a bit helpless.

One might think they were best friends, but in reality, it was their first meeting.

Li Dong didn't rush things. He wandered around, and the slight disappointment in his heart quickly dissipated.

Though it wasn't his first time at Oriental Plaza, stepping onto this familiar ground after many years stirred up some feelings. 

The scenes from his memories had become somewhat blurred. After graduating high school, he rarely came to Oriental Plaza, and he hadn't been here at all since his parents passed away.

He wandered east and west, his mind filled with various thoughts. He didn't even notice when Wang Jie, Qin Yuhan, and the others stopped.

It wasn't until Wang Jie called out that Li Dong snapped back to reality.

Looking back, he saw that Qin Yuhan and the others were choosing items at a small accessory stall.

Seeing Li Dong approach, Qin Yuhan, whose face was slightly flushed from the crowd, excitedly said, "Li Dong, do you think this bracelet is pretty?"

She held the bracelet up to her fair wrist, unaware that Li Dong was only paying attention to her arm and had no mood to reply.

Fortunately, Li Dong wasn't the type to be mesmerized by a woman and unable to move. He composed himself and smiled, "It's pretty good. If you like it, just buy it."

It was just a ten-dollar item, and Li Dong didn't care much.

Qin Yuhan beamed with joy and quickly started haggling with the stall owner. Generally, women of all ages are experts at haggling. Whether successful or not, it's a form of enjoyment.

Li Dong didn't rush to help with the payment. Although he was somewhat familiar with Qin Yuhan, being overly attentive might be counterproductive.

Chen Yue and Yuan Xue also picked out a few small accessories. Chen Yue was busy haggling, while Yuan Xue hesitated for a moment and then put down the item she was holding.

Li Dong observed coldly, knowing it wasn't about money.

Although he didn't know Yuan Xue's family situation, from her usual attire, it seemed her family was well-off.

Since it wasn't about money, and Yuan Xue seemed to like the items, it must be a matter of pride.

Li Dong glanced at Yuan Xue. Her accessories were minimal: a bracelet, a necklace partially hidden under her clothes, and no earrings. Based on Li Dong's years of experience, they were likely platinum.

Currently, platinum prices are slightly higher than gold. Though Yuan Xue liked the small accessories at the stall, her privileged background made it hard for her to lower her pride to buy such inexpensive items.

With a smirk, Li Dong said nothing. It was too tiring to live by worrying about others' opinions. But everyone has their own way of living, and he had no right to criticize Yuan Xue. It was just a different lifestyle.

Qin Yuhan quickly settled the price with the owner, put on the bracelet, and had a happy expression from the successful haggling.

Seeing this, Li Dong smiled. This was the type he liked: straightforward and unpretentious. He just didn't know if he'd be able to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

At that moment, Chen Yue also agreed on a price. Unexpectedly, Wang Jie, who had been silent, suddenly stepped forward and paid. Chen Yue's face turned slightly red but she didn't refuse.

Li Dong was stunned. What was going on? He hadn't heard of any relationship between them in his previous life.

Before he could think further, Qin Yuhan, who had been excited, suddenly puffed up her cheeks, stepped on Li Dong's foot, and said angrily, "You stingy guy! Why didn't you pay for me?"

Li Dong bared his teeth, "I would if you were willing."

"Well, that's true. But still, you're stingy and petty. No wonder you hold grudges," Qin Yuhan chuckled and stopped mocking Li Dong.

Li Dong looked innocent. How did everything turn into his fault? Being called stingy and petty, was this how Qin Yuhan saw him?

He sighed, noticing that Chen Yue and Wang Jie were blushing and silent, while Yuan Xue seemed disinterested. He thought it was pointless to have such a cold atmosphere when everyone had come out together.

So, Li Dong said, "Alright, I'll be the non-stingy man today. Let's go eat barbecue. It's on me."

He had rushed out earlier without eating, and now his stomach was empty.

Though he didn't have much money, it was enough for a few people to enjoy a barbecue.

"Great, great! I haven't eaten dinner yet! Let this guy spend a little and eat him out of house and home. Let's make him pay for being so stingy!" Qin Yuhan was excited, feeling a bit hungry after shopping for a while.

Wang Jie's face was no longer as red as before. He smiled and said, "I'm fine with it. Yuan Xue, what do you think?"

He didn't dare ask Chen Yue, as he was unsure how to address the situation after what had happened.

Yuan Xue opened her mouth to refuse but, seeing Li Dong frown, a burst of irritation rose in her heart. She said grumpily, "Fine, let's go. I haven't seen Li Dong treat anyone in three years of high school!"

"Don't wrong me! Ask Watermelon Head if I didn't treat anyone. It's just that Miss Yuan is so far from us that even if I wanted to treat you, I wouldn't have the chance," Li Dong retorted with a smile.

Fearing the situation might worsen and after the morning's argument, Wang Jie quickly intervened, "Dongzi, if you're treating, lead the way. I haven't had dinner yet."

Li Dong shrugged and remained silent. Somehow, his temper had grown since his rebirth. He used to be able to handle people smoothly when he was in sales.

...

There were many snack stalls along the street. Although there weren't as many barbecue stalls as in the future, there were still several.

They chose a stall that looked relatively clean and sat down.

Seeing Yuan Xue's hesitant expression, Li Dong was speechless. Did she still have a cleanliness obsession?

After all, she was his classmate and a beauty. Li Dong wiped the seat and table with a tissue and said impatiently, "Just make do with it. What bad habits. It's not a star-rated restaurant."

Yuan Xue was indignant. Was he doing this on purpose?

Definitely on purpose!

She didn't have a cleanliness obsession. It was just that there was a puddle of water on the chair earlier, which Li Dong saw but still gave her the seat. It was clearly an attempt to make a fool of her. No wonder he was a stingy man!

Cursing inwardly, Yuan Xue sat down angrily, wishing she could bite Li Dong.

Ignoring Yuan Xue's anger, Li Dong turned to Qin Yuhan with a playful grin, "Yuhan, what would you like to eat? Do you want juice or beer?"

Qin Yuhan covered her mouth and laughed lightly. She pinched him playfully but was quite happy inside.

It wasn't that she had any particular issue with Yuan Xue. It was just that their vibes didn't match.

Women are like that. They might say one thing but mean another. Qin Yuhan stood up and smiled at Yuan Xue, "Yuan Xue, what do you want to drink? Don't let Li Dong save money. This guy spends all his money on internet cafes and doesn't give us a break."

"Oh, you know about that?"

Li Dong laughed exaggeratedly, stood up, and instructed the owner. He then asked, "Yuhan, you're not following me every day, are you?"

His curiosity wasn't feigned. He hadn't interacted much with Qin Yuhan during high school, and he hadn't started going to internet cafes until his senior year. He didn't expect Qin Yuhan to know about it.

"Why would I follow you?"

Qin Yuhan looked disgusted and didn't mind Li Dong's nickname. She said irritably, "It's not me. It's the class president who told me that you go to internet cafes every day and are bound to fail your exams."

"Damn!"

Li Dong was indignant. He hadn't expected Wei Yuan to contact Qin Yuhan privately.

He hadn't realized this guy was so underhanded, even going to Qin Yuhan to slander him, though it was somewhat true.

Thinking of this, Li Dong looked wronged and said, "That bastard was talking about himself! Yuhan, don't you know who your Dong Ge is? Wei Yuan is trying to sow discord between our pure friendship!"

"Pfft!"

As soon as these shameless words were spoken, everyone, who had been silent, burst into laughter.

"Yuhan, you

 really wronged Li Dong. He doesn't go online every day. I see him so tired from school that his face is swollen. Where does he have time for internet cafes?" Yuan Xue, who had been irritated by Li Dong earlier, seized the opportunity to retort, half-jokingly and half-sarcastically.

"Oh, the Ice Queen can also make cold jokes. How fortunate I am!"

Li Dong wasn't angry and responded with a grin. The group chatted and ate the barbecue that was served, making the atmosphere lively.

...

While eating and chatting, Li Dong didn't forget his main purpose. He wasn't here to flirt.

After clinking glasses with Wang Jie, Li Dong turned to the still-cooking stall owner and struck up a conversation, "Boss, do you also sell crayfish?"

"We do, but not many. People here don't really like them. We had some a few days ago, and there's still quite a lot left. If you want some, I can give you a discount," the boss wiped the sweat off his forehead and replied.

Li Dong pondered for a moment. It seemed his memory was correct. At this time, Dongping County hadn't developed a craze for crayfish.

Unlike a few years later, when crayfish that used to cost the price of tofu now cost as much as beef, and even then, there was still high demand. There were dozens of crayfish stalls on the street alone.

However, he knew that Pingchuan City had already started a trend for crayfish. He remembered that when he first started university and went out with his roommates, a plate of shrimp balls cost fifty to sixty yuan, and there were still countless people eating them.

His visit to Oriental Plaza this time was to investigate the market.

He recalled his father once mentioning that if he had been more foresighted, he could have made a fortune by selling Dongping's crayfish in the provincial capital, as the price difference between the two places was substantial.

But Li Dong was worried he might remember incorrectly. If Dongping had already developed a taste for crayfish, his plans would be in vain.

What he wanted was the current situation. Pingchuan and Dongping were several hundred kilometers apart, and information wasn't as accessible as it would be later. The provincial capital had just recently started the crayfish craze, so the information hadn't reached Dongping yet.

Once summer officially began and Pingchuan's love for crayfish spread to Dongping, the opportunity to profit from the price difference would be lost.

As he pondered, a smile appeared on Li Dong's face. It seemed his first pot of gold was dependent on this.

He knew this wasn't a long-term business but was only planning to make a quick profit. It all depended on how well he seized the opportunity.