434: Chapter 134 I Really Just Want to Buy a Cassette Tape_1 434: Chapter 134 I Really Just Want to Buy a Cassette Tape_1 Yan Fei glanced at the dimming sky and found a secluded spot to park his cart on Vegetable Garden Island, aimlessly wandering the streets.
It was a bit early, he couldn’t go ho yet.
Otherwise, people would think that he was a superhuman, hauling a cart full of vegetables into the city in such weather, then returning ho without the cart, yet still getting there faster than those taking the bus.
That would be too extraordinary.
Reflecting on his wife who would be finishing work soon, he decided to buy her a gift.
He had already decided – he was going to buy her a high-tech item, a portable tape player.
Essentially, it’s just a small tape recorder.
He had seen soone using one whilst in Provincial City.
It was considered a luxury item presently, and the price wasn’t cheap, with the cheapest being at least several dozens of dollars.
He heard that there were even imported ones that cost hundreds of dollars.
There was no need for imported ones, a normal one would suffice.
Not that he would mind spending the money, what was there to be stingy about when buying sothing for his wife?
The main concern was that his wife might feel reluctant to use it, fearing she might damage it – given her personality.
Considering this, he might as well buy her a cheaper one from the start!
There was only one high-end departnt store in town, and Yan Fei found himself returning once again.
The tape recorder was relatively easy to purchase, but choosing the cassettes proved troubleso.
He knew hardly anything about pop music.
However, he had a solution – if he did not know, he would ask.
Speaking to the sales clerk who sold the tapes, he started asking: “What song has the lyrics, ‘the heart will accompany love, resolving not to turn back’?”
The sales clerk, a pretty young girl with big eyes, did not seem surprised by his question.
She casually picked up a cassette and handed it to him, “This tape contains the song you’re asking for, look at the song title, isn’t it the one?”
Yan Fei nodded, then continued asking about the next song.
After asking for the second song, the sales clerk couldn’t help laughing incessantly.
It was normal for people to ask for one or two song nas, but she had never t soone who had no idea about any of the song nas when buying a tape.
While she was laughing uncontrollably, she explained to him about the singers and song nas he was asking for.
Yan Fei morized them silently, surprised that this girl could laugh at such small things.
What was so funny?
Luckily, he was not easily embarrassed, as others would have probably felt too embarrassed to continue asking.
Undeterred, he continued asking with a thick skin: “What’s the song with the lyrics, ‘I’ll grow old with you and follow you forever, I’m willing to give you my life happily’?”
The sales clerk, now laughing so hard that her eyes had narrowed to slits, pointed to a few cassettes on the counter and said with a grin, “It’s the sa singer from before, this cassette contains that song.”
“Mm-hmm.
Thank you.” Yan Fei nodded, and began asking again.
“What’s the song that goes ‘I’ve given my heart to you—you are my heaviest baggage’?”
This lyric was from their song that his wife had sung to him as he carried her ho that night.
Previously, he was oblivious to her feelings.
Now, he was determined to buy this song.
The cassette sales clerk certainly knew a lot about pop music, recounting the song na and singer’s na without hesitation.
With that, he had another cassette to buy.
Yan Fei continued, “What’s the song with the lyrics, ‘whenever I think of you, there’s a cloud in the wind made of rain’?”
The saleswoman couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re really strange.
How co you don’t know the na of a single song?
The song na is actually in the lyrics you recalled, didn’t you know?”
Yan Fei admitted sheepishly, “I never paid much attention before.
I’ve just heard them on the road or people singing them.
I only rembered a few lyrics.”
The saleswoman admired him, “You’ve got a really good mory to rember so many song lyrics just from hearing them.
I usually have to write them down in a notebook and morize them daily to rember that many.”
Feigning modesty with a grin, Yan Fei continued to ask about the next song.
The weather outside was bad, leading to a sowhat less busy marketplace.
The pair were having this bizarre interaction, one asking silly questions and the other giggling in response.
Occasionally, people passing by would think that they knew each other and would hesitate to disturb them.
A local woman nearby couldn’t resist leaning in and whispering sothing to the young lady, who impulsively replied in a soft, coquettish tone.
When she looked back at Yan Fei, her eyes lingered on his face, blushing slightly.
Yan Fei didn’t want to eavesdrop.
Seeing the girl blushing and just looking at him without saying anything, he continued his inquiry, “Which song contains the lyrics ‘Your beautiful twist braids, twining around my heart, having miss you day and night’?”
With her cheeks already rosied up, the young lady turned even redder upon hearing his question, becoming shy and slightly awkward all of a sudden.
She subconsciously fiddled with her glossy hair braided down to her chest.
“This is a song by the Bay singer,” she said softly, “it is called Twist Braid.”
As she turned to grab a tape, she put it on the counter and looked up at him with her sparkly wide eyes, “Did we know each other before?”
Yan Fei thought to himself that he had been to this marketplace a few tis, but he hadn’t been here before.
Puzzled, he responded, “I don’t think so?”
The young lady seed a bit disappointed with his answer and followed up with more questions, “Where are you from?
What do you do for a living?
How old are you?”
“I’m from Sancha River.
I have a cattle farming business at ho and a vegetable greenhouse too.
I ca here today to sell so vegetables.” Yan Fei found it strange that a store clerk was asking him these questions when all he was doing was buying so tapes.
To his surprise, upon hearing his response, the young lady’s eyes lit up with interest, “You grow greenhouse vegetables?
Do you grow off-season vegetables?
What do you grow?
Off-season vegetables can be quite expensive nowadays, right?”
Talking about his small enterprise, Yan Fei felt a sense of pride, albeit restrained, “This is my first year growing these.
Fortunately, it’s been well managed and the vegetables are growing well.
I brought cucumbers and green peppers today.
There are tomatoes in the field but they’re not yet ripe.
We also have so lons, just a few, grown for a local old man.
They’re almost ripe.”
In truth, he didn’t need to go into such detail, but since he had taken up so much of the young lady’s ti, he provided a bit more information.
Her eyes sparkled and she exclaid, “Wow!
You’re amazing!
You can grow lons in the winter.
Apple lons, right?
I love those!”
“Yeah, precisely those.” Yan Fei nodded.
“I don’t exactly know why the old man wanted them.
I had promised him I’d grow a few.
It’s a tough job dealing with them, given the off-season, and even more difficult than growing regular vegetables.
We went through a great deal of trouble!”
The girl’s eyes lit up even more, “So you went through all this trouble just because you promised soone you would grow lons in your greenhouse?”
Seeing Yan Fei nod in affirmation, the girl started thoroughly scanning him from head to toe.
Then, the conversation shifted towards greenhouse cultivation techniques, quickly turning into a deep and passionate discussion.
Eventually, she even began asking about how many cattle he had, what his parents did for a living and more…
The old woman who had been eavesdropping from the beginning slapped her thigh with her hand and sighed deeply: When you’re old, you really shouldn’t butt in!
The girl was fine until I pointed it out, and now she cos to the realisation.
It seems like all it would take from the young man is a simple beckoning, and she would follow him…
Goodness!
Young n these days are so bold!
He even dared to flirt with the girl in public.
And the surprising part was how effective his ‘play dumb’ act was.
Much thicker skinned than that man of mine was…
anwhile, the two continued their enthusiastic conversation.
Yan Fei didn’t forget to ask about more songs.
The lively girl treated it like a ga, her laughing eyes squinting into crescents, spreading her silver-bell-like laughter all around.
It wasn’t until Yan Fei had asked about all the songs he knew, bought a pile of tapes, and taken out a substantial amount of money to pay the bill, that the girl finally stopped laughing.
She courageously stared at Yan Fei with her huge eyes, “When will you be back again to sell vegetables?
Will you still co to buy tapes?”
Yan Fei answered, “Quite soon, I’ll be back as soon as the next batch of vegetables is ready.”
Whether he’ll be buying tapes, well that will depend on whether or not his wife wants to buy new ones once she returns!
There’s no way for to tell you that right now!
The girl, blushing, handed Yan Fei the change.
She looked at him, biting her lower lip and said in a soft voice, “It must be really hard for you to bring all your vegetables here on a cart.
You can take a break in our store next ti you co by.
We’ll have a new batch of tapes arriving in a few days…”
It seems the chat was pretty intense if she even got to know how he was transporting his vegetables!
As Yan Fei left the marketplace with tapes in his pocket, he wondered, ‘Why was this young lady so curious about just because I was buying a few tapes?
Do city folks have so many rules for buying tapes?’
It was truly strange!
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