June 1st, in the morning.

The chirping of birds outside was exceptionally clear.

Zhou Li opened his eyes and fumbled for his phone to check the time—it was only seven o'clock.

A voice came from beside him, "You're awake? When are we having breakfast?"

Zhou Li turned his head to look.

Chang Xiaoxiang's bed was empty. He had tidied up his quilt and bedding, leaving only a wooden board and a coir mattress. Huai Xu was lying on the smooth coir mattress, watching him.

Zhou Li: ...

Pushing Tuanzi aside, he got out of bed and walked to the balcony, whispering in a minuscule voice, "Didn't you sleep at home last night?"

"I came over in the middle of the night."

"What did you come here for?"

"I came because I wanted to!" Huai Xu followed him to the balcony. "No one tied me up with a rope."

"Doesn't the coir mattress feel prickly to sleep on?"

"I don't mind the prickliness."

"...Suit yourself."

Zhou Li started to brush his teeth.

Inside the room, Tuanzi opened her eyes groggily. Not seeing him, she got out of bed to look for him but wasn't good at climbing down the ladder. She lost her footing and rolled down, bumping from one rung to the next.

She hit the ground with a soft thud.

But she didn't seem to mind the pain, flipping over and getting back up, staggering like a drunk to Zhou Li's feet.

"Where's Lord Dumpling's toothbrush?"

"I'll brush for you…"

Zhou Li felt a headache coming on. After all, Liu Zhengming was still in the dorm, and the balcony wasn't completely enclosed. Tuanzi turning into Little Cat Girl to brush her teeth could easily scare someone.

「At seven-thirty, at the cafeteria.」

Brother Nan was waiting for him at the entrance. Her tall stature and conspicuous presence made her stand out as a striking scene.

"Morning, Brother Nan!"

"Brother Nan, good morning!"

"Morning." Brother Nan nodded and turned to enter the crowded cafeteria. "The cafeteria is so packed."

"No choice but to eat here."

"When was the last time we ate at the cafeteria? Early January?"

"Right."

"It's been that long."

"Yeah." Zhou Li hesitated. "Baozi said you beat her so badly she couldn't get out of bed?"

"What? It wasn't that severe!" Brother Nan frowned. "Don't listen to her. She brought it upon herself, and I just pinned her down on the bed and gave her a good spanking. She even made plans to take graduation photos with a senior class this morning and has two more dormitory sessions in the afternoon."

"Then why is she asking me to bring her food…"

"She's just lazy."

"...So why did you really hit her?"

"She deserved it! Just like you!"

"What does that have to do with me…" Zhou Li muttered as he walked into the cafeteria. "Tuanzi is making a fuss about having rice soaked in fish soup. I wonder if the cafeteria will have fish soup for lunch today."

"There are a few restaurants on campus, and the second floor of the cafeteria. Why don't you order one for her at noon?"

"I guess it'll be crowded." Zhou Li hated jostling and disliked standing in line.

"True."

"You guys could ask me!" Huai Xu chipped in. "Huai Xu Delivery, only one yuan for one kilometer… But I think Caiyun's boiled fish isn't as delicious as Yi Province's."

"We'll see."

Zhou Li ended up bringing rice noodles for Little Cousin, with lots of extra chili.

All morning there were classes. Little Cousin probably skipped them.

Although she had returned to school, she still had to attend online classes in her dorm. This was because many students hadn't returned, and the school needed to accommodate them, which made returning to school seem particularly pointless.

Fortunately, there was Brother Nan.

「That afternoon.」

Zhou Li heard that Brother Nan had already applied for a flea market booth, but she wouldn't tell him what she was planning to sell.

Zhou Li decided to check it out for himself.

Around six o'clock, he went out with Tuanzi in his arms.

Probably because classes had just started yesterday and many people hadn't heard the news yet, the turnout at the flea market was even bigger than the day before. A sea of heads swarmed everywhere, bustling with activity.

Tuanzi looked around with curious eyes, whispering in a light, thin voice, "So many people…"

Zhou Li just hummed in response.

He hadn't walked far when he saw an unusually large crowd of people gathered around one spot, packed so tight that water couldn't trickle through, and occasional shouts could be heard.

Zhou Li walked over, puzzled.

He keenly caught Brother Nan's voice—

"This one didn't win!"

"Congratulations, you won a gaming mouse, what a steal!"

"Face mask! Very practical!"

"Want another go?"

"Who's next?"

Zhou Li was completely baffled for a moment.

He reached the edge of the crowd and stood on his tiptoes to look inside, but there were just too many people, and the taller guys blocked his view. After a moment's hesitation, he tightened his hold on Tuanzi and bravely squeezed into the throng.

"???"

Zhou Li was stunned.

He saw an open space in the middle of the crowd with lots of items laid out, mostly common stuff you'd find at a flea market. Brother Nan was standing to the side with a dozen or so plastic hoops over her arm, and in front of her, a male student was throwing hoops forward.

He was aiming for the mechanical keyboard at the front, the same model that Zhou Li and Brother Nan had seen the day before.

But Brother Nan was clever—

The more expensive the item, the farther away it was placed. Its size and placement were also carefully designed; in short, the pricier the item, the harder it was to hoop. As for the computer box at the farthest end, the box itself was larger than the hoops, making it almost certainly just for show.

Oh, snap! He missed!

Brother Nan looked at him with a grin. "Buddy, want to try again? How about ten more?"

The male student, through gritted teeth, agreed. Brother Nan was ecstatic, quickly counting out ten more for him, even generously throwing in one extra.

Zhou Li watched in disbelief from the side.

Is this... still a flea market?

In the blink of an eye, the student had used up all ten hoops, managing to win only a small doll and a trinket. He was extremely frustrated, gritting his teeth as he fumbled in his pockets, only to find them empty.

"Ummm…" The male student looked quite upset.

"No worries, come back next time. It's all about luck with this game," Brother Nan said, barely holding back her laughter, trying to console the male student.

Purely luck… Zhou Li tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Can I add you on WeChat, miss?" the male student asked, not ready to give up.

"I'm taken."

"Oh…"

"Who's next? This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance! You might just take home a computer for a few bucks!" Brother Nan continued to shout, scanning the crowd.

"Hey, Zhou Li, you came!" Suddenly, Brother Nan spotted Zhou Li, her smile brilliant. "Wanna give it a shot?"

"No thanks."

Zhou Li silently stepped back.

He recognized the computer; it was clearly the one Brother Nan was currently using. Even the grand prize was just an actor... Besides, even if he cheated and managed to hoop it, could he really take the computer home? He'd more likely receive a loving fist instead.

Brother Nan didn't mind and kept calling out.

In just a short while, she made several hundred yuan, while her losses were mostly worthless trinkets from the flea market.

Things like small dolls or little decorations were often sold in bulk by senior girls from their dorm rooms. Mice and fans were a bit more valuable, but the cheapest ones sold for just a few yuan.

Zhou Li was amazed beyond words.

Before long, Little Cousin appeared in the crowd along with Mianmian and Qian Qian.

Cotton Swab looked on in adoration.

Little Cousin, on the other hand, was stunned—

She had dragged her battered body around all day, rushing from morning till night to take graduation photos for one class and two dorms. Those people had no photography experience yet made tons of demands. She was utterly exasperated. And taking the photos was just the beginning; afterward, there was a huge pile of pictures to edit. She estimated that if she worked through the nights, she might be able to deliver them all within half a month.

After all that exhausting work, she had only made a few hundred yuan.

Little Cousin clenched her fists secretly. My own gold-mine postcard stall needs to be set up soon!