I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 232

Chapter 232: Happiness is… Holding Hands and Walking Together

 

Under the coercion of Yin Xiamo and Fei Luo, I sat in that small cart.

 

This supermarket truly lived up to its reputation as a new one, with even the carts inside being brand new. Moreover, it seemed that they had really considered the needs of “parents with children” there.

 

The carts were designed very sturdy, and the one left for children to sit in was much larger than ordinary carts. There was a small seat that could be pulled out in front, which was big enough for children under junior high school age to sit comfortably. And there was also plenty of space behind for other items.

 

Forget about us, at that moment, because the supermarket had just opened not long ago and it was peak hours for after-work grocery shopping, many parents were bringing their children there to shop. Even shorter children were being pushed around in carts by their mothers.

 

But the problem was… I wasn’t a child!

 

“Wouldn’t this be laughed at by others?”

 

Feeling somewhat uneasy on the cart, I looked around, “Shouldn’t I just get off?”

 

Well, if I must say… Actually, the people around wouldn’t laugh at me.

 

Because besides me, there were indeed many elementary school children who would sit in it. This cart was different from the ordinary “baby carts” in supermarkets, which only had a little space for children and were suitable for toddlers who could barely walk. This type of cart was truly… completely designed to accommodate passengers.

 

And just now, when I entered, the notice at the entrance also stated that the cart is suitable for “children under 140 centimeters in height,” which fits my height perfectly.

 

Forget about 140 centimeters, from the moment I entered until now, I’ve already seen several girls who are around 150 centimeters being carried by boys onto the cart. This “small cart” feels more like a “couple’s cart” to me, with the added function of carrying items.

 

“It’s okay, in my eyes, Nuo’er is still a child.”

 

Facing my “doubt,” Yin Xiamo revealed her signature sly smile, “Are you ready to go then?”

 

After she finished speaking, I felt the small cart beneath me being pushed amid a chorus of “vroom vroom” sounds.

 

Ah… what kind of strange play is this?

For a moment, I felt a bit embarrassed.

 

Although… um… my current attire… does indeed resemble that of a child.

Because it’s that time of the month and I couldn’t wear a skirt, I was wearing the shorts and T-shirt I initially bought from the supermarket, with my long hair simply tied into twin tails.

 

Coupled with my youthful face, I reckon nobody would believe I’m an adult if it were mentioned. They would certainly think I’m around the first or second grade of elementary school.

As for Xiao Mo and Fei Luo… people might think they’re my older sisters, right?

 

Two older sisters in college and high school taking their little sister who just started elementary school out to the supermarket. The younger sister, being a primary school student, showing great interest in the new carts in the supermarket, requests to sit and experience it. The two older sisters then lift her onto the cart… a plot similar to this.

 

Moreover, I’ve never seen this kind of cart specifically designed with seats for people before, so I reckon it’s a marketing strategy from the supermarket owner here.

 

In the current global economic climate, opening a supermarket here is already quite a risky venture. If the supermarket itself doesn’t have any “gimmicks,” its reputation really wouldn’t take off.

 

What can an ordinary supermarket do to quickly gain fame? They certainly can’t follow the usual path, conventional advertising and distributing flyers won’t work as everyone’s tired of these tactics.

 

So, the owner of this shop probably came up with the idea of working on the shopping carts. Almost all the shopping carts there were customized. In addition to being able to sit people, there were small shopping carts shaped like Shiba Inu dogs and large shopping carts with Pikachu camouflage patterns.

 

This way, customers who came to the store and found these peculiar shopping carts fresh would take photos. Passersby who saw them would also take pictures, and these photos would be shared in various online forums and chat groups, essentially providing free advertising.

 

When people see such cute and strange shopping carts, they would probably ask, “Where is this?” If they ask frequently enough, the reputation of this supermarket will spread. Even the owner himself could act as a promoter, coming over to take pictures and adding a watermark saying “XX Supermarket in Nanqi District, Shenzhen City,” and then share them in various chat groups.

 

I’m not very familiar with marketing, but the general situation should be similar to this.

 

“Did Nuo’er never come out shopping like this when she was little?”

 

Near the handle of the cart is a seat similar to a cradle, with a large basket in front for putting things. There’s also an area for the person sitting to rest their feet, showing a lot of thoughtfulness. Sitting inside, with Yin Xiamo behind me, I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.

 

“No.”

 

Observing the crowds coming and going around us, I spontaneously added, “Back then, I rarely took rides. When I was very young, during the start of the school season, the orphanage would have a driver bring a van over. All of us of the same age would pile into it, carrying little backpacks and chatting at the back of the van.”

 

That was the only memory in my mind that was somewhat similar to this moment.

Honestly, that was a very unforgettable memory for me.

 

The orphanage was very poor, and it was impossible for them to specially contract public buses to take us to school. At that time, freight transport was cheaper than passenger transport, so the director of the orphanage would call in freight drivers at the beginning of the school year. Sometimes it was an open truck, sometimes it was a fully enclosed van.

 

A group of us children would sit at the back of the vehicle, chatting while swaying left and right on the mountain roads behind the big trucks.

 

The fully enclosed vans were okay, as they could fit many small stools at the back. It was comfortable for us to chat together for three or four hours on the journey. But if we were allocated to those open trucks, it was uncomfortable. Many people would squeeze into the cargo compartment and sit directly on the metal floor. If it rained lightly, we would get soaked along the way.

 

What left the deepest impression on me was when the truck driver happened to need to transport some sugarcane to the city to sell, and picking us up was just on his way. So, we sat directly on the half-loaded sugarcane, and the road in the mountains wasn’t good. It was swaying and shaking, and the children who were prone to motion sickness vomited all the way.

 

Similar incidents nowadays would definitely be considered violations, and the driver would be fined and penalized. However, for people at that time, it was a very common occurrence because of poverty.

 

Looking back now, we were like kidnapped children being sold. However, at that time, just thinking about going to school, seeing friends from all over the place, and being able to share various interesting stories from the holidays with them, we didn’t feel anything wrong sitting in the car. This memory also became a treasure deep in our hearts.

 

“So now Nuo’er can experience a similar feeling.”

 

After hearing me out, Yin Xiamo whispered softly from behind, “Just consider it a memory of childhood.”

 

But whose childhood… would involve sitting in a shopping cart at a supermarket!

 

No, something’s not right.

 

I suddenly realized something. It seems that besides children like me who grew up without parents, most children in the city seem to have experienced the “going shopping with mom and dad, then being placed in the shopping cart” experience. Now, almost all shopping carts come with a “child seat” function.

 

Generally, parents, annoyed by their children’s crying, will put children under six or seven years old in the provided seat of the shopping cart. But because I came from an orphanage, I hardly ever went to supermarkets when I was young. If there was a need for shopping in the orphanage, the director and staff would directly go to the city once to buy enough groceries for several months.

 

In other words… what Xiao Mo said is actually correct. I can indeed be seen as “compensating for a childhood regret” now.

 

I turned my head to look at Xiao Mo’s lively face illuminated by the lights. Beside her was Fei Luo, who looked around with curiosity written all over his face.

 

“What’s wrong? Do I have something on my face?”

 

Under my gaze, Yin Xiamo tilted her head slightly. “Nuo’er, why are you suddenly acting cute?”

 

“I’m not acting cute.”

 

I turned around and pointed to the “vegetable and meat section” hanging in front. “Since we’re here to buy groceries, shall we go there first?”

 

As I spoke, the familiar music prelude sounded from the several loudspeakers hanging over the supermarket:

 

?I can’t wait for you to clean up the cupboard, but now you’re ready to leave, leaving behind only a string of secret codes?

 

It was the insert song from the recent hit anime “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.”

 

……

“Wow, why play this song? Even when I’m buying vegetables, I feel like I’m in a knife fight…”

At the same time, many people nearby also recognized this song and immediately began discussing it with their friends. “Ah, my Rebecca…”

Then his friend asked curiously, “What’s Cyberpunk?”

“Haven’t you seen it? I told you before, it’s a miniseries anime based on Cyberpunk 2077.”

“What’s so good about anime based on games? Isn’t it just another way to make money off the game?”

“No, no, no, you’re being superficial. This anime has exploded in popularity. Do you remember what the top animation of 2021 was?”

“The League of Legends: Battle of the Twin Cities.”

“Yes, ‘Battle of the Twin Cities.’ Can you say that was just a money-making scheme for League of Legends? That animation was a paradigm shift in global entertainment. It not only had no rivals but also surpassed all movies and anime by a dimension. It truly deserved to be the top animation of 2021. And let me tell you, the anime that’s almost catching up to ‘Battle of the Twin Cities’ in 2022 is ‘Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.’ It’s absolutely dominant.”

“Wow, the way you put it, I’ll definitely check it out when I get back. Where can I watch it?”

“It’s a bit tricky to find. It’s restricted to ages 21 and up, so… be mentally prepared when you watch it.”

“……”

……

 

Amidst the soothing music, sitting in the small cart, I was reminded of the scene not long ago when I was shopping alone at the supermarket in the commercial street center near the wujia apartment.

 

“Splash…”

 

In a daze, a girl in her twenties, dressed in a casual sailor suit with short socks, pushed a cart past us. She seemed to have mastered the weight and inertia of the cart, enjoying herself. First, she pushed the cart forward a few steps, then she put one foot on the crossbar at the back of the cart. With a “splash,” she glided several meters in the air, her face filled with a serene smile.

 

It seemed like one of the few ways she could relax and feel happy amidst her mundane life.

 

Of course, she performed these actions in an open space far from the shelves and crowds. As the cart slowed down about five or six meters from the candy shelf ahead, the girl stepped off the cart and took hold of the handle, her relaxed expression returning to calm.

 

“……”

 

Looking at the table with “XX Jelly” displayed in front of her, the girl stared at the price in the middle of the table for quite some time, picking up a few jellies. Her expression clearly showed some hesitation.

 

A few seconds later, she put the jellies back and pushed the cart away.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

Possibly noticing my long silence, Yin Xiamo, who was pushing the cart behind me, leaned close to my ear and whispered, “Did you see yourself in that girl?”

 

“No way.”

 

I blurted out, “I wasn’t like that girl before. I… I’m a grown man…”

 

Well, talking about being a grown man like this now, using this kind of loli voice, even I feel a bit embarrassed.

 

But to be honest, I used to dress quite similarly to that college girl.

 

She probably had just graduated from school not long ago, just started working on her own. She should still be at that age where she’s innocent and optimistic about the world.

 

Jelly is also one of the snacks I like, but compared to crispy shark, it’s even more “useless.” After all, crispy shark is like a “calorie bomb” and “emergency energy food.” You can have it for breakfast when you’re in a rush, or eat it to replenish energy when you’re too hungry or have low blood sugar.

 

And what does jelly offer? Just a bunch of sugar and gelatin. It can’t fill your stomach, nor provide much energy. Plus, it’s more expensive than crispy shark, with extremely low cost performance.

 

So even though I used to love eating these kinds of snacks, I would only buy seven or eight of them at most each year and put them in the fridge. When I was feeling down, I would have some, then cheer up and continue working.

 

The girl obviously knew about this, after all, in a broad sense, for the working-class salary earners who had just graduated, these things were considered “luxury items.”

 

In Shenzhen City, ordinary university graduates who are lucky enough to find a job can earn around three thousand yuan a month. With rent costing around a thousand yuan, they have about two thousand left for meals and socializing. A small bag of jelly costs tens of yuan, and it’s gone after a few bites. Some larger jellies cost the same as a bowl of rice noodles in the urban villages, and they simply can’t afford it.

 

“I know, you know?”

Yin Xiamo’s lazy voice came from beside me.

 

“At least for the past few years, I’ve been occasionally observing you in places where you can’t see me. I know what you like, what you dislike, where you’ve been… Cute, aren’t you?”

 

Yin Xiamo’s somewhat ambiguous words gave me instant goosebumps.

“Ugh!”

 

Are you a yandere?!

 

Why did I just see the shadow of “Yuno Gasai” from you? Don’t make “stalking” sound so fresh and refined!

 

“It’s really lively here, just like the market in the city center.”

 

At this point, Fei Luo also walked over. “Wasn’t it said that Nanqi District has the fewest people in the city?”

 

“In the city where Fei Luo used to work as a bartender… was it crowded?”

Seeing the situation, I quickly changed the subject. “Well… do people ever drink and cause trouble?”

 

“Yes, there are people without manners in the other world, much more than here. They often resort to violence at the slightest provocation.”

 

Fei Luo replied, “But basically no one dares to cause trouble at the bar where I work.”

 

“When you’re mixing drinks with such thick dragon horns and tail, and those dragon wings.”

 

Yin Xiamo straightened up and pushed the cart again. “How could anyone dare to cause trouble? It’s as if they’re asking for trouble from the dragon race.”

 

“Hehe, I don’t always show off my dragon horns. Sometimes I like to pretend to be a regular bartender, teasing those foolhardy adventurers. Then when they get impudent, I suddenly spread my dragon wings and see the look of terror on their faces.”

 

Fei Luo had a mischievous look on her face. “Teasing humans always makes me feel happy. It’s my source of joy every day.”

 

“You’re still the same.”

 

Yin Xiamo sighed. “Just be a little careful here. Don’t go overboard.”

 

“Don’t worry.”

Fei Luo blinked. “I’ll not commit a murder here.”

 

“……”

Yin Xiamo and I fell silent for a moment.

 

What did you mean by that? If “murder” was something you considered “overboard,” what is something that is less “overboard”?

 

Yin Xiamo retorted, “And don’t make people too miserable too.”

 

“For example, missing limbs or legs, this world takes the law seriously.”

 

“Yes, yes, you see how restrained I was when I fought those guys before.”

 

Fei Luo gestured towards me on the cart. “But Xiao Mo, you took away someone’s 20 years of life with just one stroke…”

 

“That’s when he crossed my bottom line.”

 

“Indeed, anyone who has ideas about Nuo’er should expect me to act.”

 

After a pause, Fei Luo turned again. “Speaking of which, is Gabriel really coming?”

 

“Don’t you know about the prohibition curse over there?”

 

Yin Xiamo said helplessly, “You should know the character of Miss Gabriel, the angel. You two have been quarreling for thousands of years. Suddenly losing your aura, coupled with the lingering prohibition magic over there, even if I try to stop her, she will definitely find a way to cross the dimensional barrier and come over here… By the way, what did you two argue about this time?”

 

“Well, you know… the Demon King died, right? Heaven is preparing to hold an… uh, a sort of ceremony-like event. They want Gabriel to act as the representative of the Angel Clan and negotiate with us dragons. They hope we can send a few giant dragons to help them build a temple on the ground.”

 

Walking under the gentle lights of the supermarket, Fei Luo looked bitter.

 

“Then Gabriel came to find me.”

 

“How did you end up arguing?”

 

“Come on, they plan to build a temple in Alpha, the largest human city, and want our dragon clan to help, only promising… some verbal things, like if the dragon clan needs technical guidance for buildings with light magic and levitation devices in the future, they can go to them. And then they give us nothing, just let our dragon clan do the hard work. How can such a good thing exist?”

 

“So, you argued with her?”

 

“I wouldn’t say we argued. I just scolded her a couple of times…”

 

Fei Luo scratched his head. “Then I sensed the situation on your side, Momo, and the temple construction project was put on hold.”

 

“What did you scold her for?”

 

“Oh, nothing really, just… like usual, fooling around…”

 

“What did you call her?”

 

“I called her… stingy, flat-chested old auntie.”

 

“I see.”

Yin Xiamo put on a “I see” expression.

 

“So it seems I can’t stop Gabriel from coming over.”

 

“How could this be?!”

 

Fei Luo was surprised. “Aren’t you the Grim Reaper of this world? Isn’t this your domain?”

 

“I am the Grim Reaper, but I can only control life and death. I can’t just strip her of her life as soon as that angel comes running over, can I?”

 

Yin Xiamo said impatiently, “You made your own bed, now lie in it.”

 

“Don’t…”

 

Fei Luo assumed a “you’re my boss” expression. “Momo, I know you must have a solution…”

 

“Do you know why Nuo’er ended up like this?”

 

Originally watching the show in the car, I suddenly heard Yin Xiamo bring the conversation to me, and the hairs on my head stood up straight in an instant.

 

“Why?”

Fei Luo asked curiously.

 

“Although I think Nuo’er’s current appearance is super cute, super suitable for…… wait a moment.”

 

With that, Fei Luo ran to the front of the small cart, grabbing the sides with both hands, staring into my eyes.

 

“Nuo’er, when you meet with Xiao Mo in person… you didn’t criticize her chest, did you?”

 

“I…”

I felt like my eyes were shrinking into vertical pupils like a cat’s, and then big beads of sweat dripped down from my cheeks.

 

“I… um… that was an accident… yes, an accident…”

 

Understanding the situation, Fei Luo lowered his voice.

 

“Looks like we’re in the same boat.”

 

“Cough.”

Yin Xiamo behind me adopted a somewhat sickly sweet tone.

 

“Do you two have any objections to my decision?”

 

“No, no, none at all!”

Fei Luo said, then ran back to my side, subtly nudging me with his elbow.

 

“I… I don’t either!”

I quickly added, “I think the current situation is fine, haha… hahaha…”

 

“……”

 

A few minutes later, Yin Xiamo pushed me along with Fei Luo to the vegetable section of the supermarket.

 

“I don’t like vegetables, you two can choose.”

 

Fei Luo looked around the items on the shelf, picked up a potato, and examined this unremarkable thing for a moment. Then, she skillfully rotated the potato and tossed it into the air with one hand, catching it and making it spin rapidly on his fingertips.

 

“I like the taste of this thing. It’s somewhat similar to the goblin squash we use back home to brew alcohol.”

 

“We can buy some to take back,” Yin Xiamo said, casually grabbing a bag and putting some potatoes into it.

 

“I just learned about this. This thing is considered quite versatile food on Earth.”

 

“Versatile?”

 

“Yeah, for humans.”

 

I, sitting in the cart, also followed suit and put some potatoes into Xiao Mo’s bag. “Humans shouldn’t eat only one kind of food for a long time, except potatoes.”

 

In human history, potatoes are considered a legendary crop. At the time, humans were reproducing very slowly due to food issues. The discovery of potatoes, a crop that didn’t require deliberate cultivation, solved the food problem. They had high yields, provided sufficient calories, were filling, and could be simply thrown into the ground to grow, yielding a harvest the following year. They were almost the perfect food.

 

The appearance of potatoes led to rapid population growth in some regions of Europe, sustaining a large rural population, creating surplus labor, and dramatically increasing the number of workers, which in turn drove the Industrial Revolution.

 

Eventually, due to overreliance on potatoes as a single crop, when large areas of potatoes were affected by disease and died out, widespread famine ensued.

 

“We should take some of these too,” Yin Xiamo said, picking up a few potatoes, then grabbing some sweet potatoes and ginger from another section and placing the items in the basket in front of me.

 

“Anything else?”

 

I thought for a moment. “Eggs.”

 

This supermarket felt much larger in scale than the big one near the Wujia Apartment… at least the vegetable section was bigger.

 

Not only did it have a very extensive vegetable and fruit section, but there was also a large “semi-finished products” section. From far away, I could smell the aroma of tofu, rice noodles, and red-cooked duck and pork.

 

Perhaps it was because this place was relatively close to the vegetable garden behind the Starlight Elementary School.

 

I heard that the owner here had signed contracts with those elderly folks, allowing the supermarket to help sell their vegetables. Hopefully, this place wouldn’t end up like the one in the city center, where a large-scale vegetable market thrived while individual small vendors struggled, and the big bosses monopolized the market, selling vegetables at two or three times the original price.

 

Come to think of it, it seemed like my past wish had come true?

 

Amidst the “dudu” sound of the wheels turning, I tilted my head back and glanced at Yin Xiamo, who had been watching me the whole time, then looked at Fei Luo, who was curiously inspecting the supermarket’s market section.

 

Back when I was still just an uncle, from graduating university to meeting “the real” Xiao Mo, I lived alone. I went to work alone, to the market alone, to the supermarket alone, cooked alone, ate alone, and slept alone. The happiest moments for me were when I went to the supermarket alone, pushing the cart around, filling it with things I liked. Because at that time, I had just received my paycheck, had enough money to live comfortably, and felt very little burden, allowing me to freely pick out items I enjoyed and buy my favorite foods.

 

During those moments, I would always think to myself – how nice it would be to have a good friend, whether male or female, to accompany me to the supermarket on payday, chat together, and spend time together. Even though I had grown accustomed to being alone since childhood and often told myself “being alone is fine,” deep down, I longed for a friend. Yes, just a “friend.”

 

Years of living independently had made me adapt to “digesting sorrow alone,” but it hadn’t made me fond of “digesting happiness alone.” Now, suddenly having Xiao Mo as a partner who could accompany me to the supermarket, buy things together, and chat together, I truly felt… very happy.

 

“Xiao Mo,” I said, turning around as we headed towards the egg section.

 

“I want to get off.”

 

“Hmm?”

Yin Xiamo asked curiously, “So soon you don’t want to experience what it’s like to be a kid?”

 

“What kid? You’re not my mom,” I replied cautiously, securing the basket underfoot and jumping down from the cart onto the ground. Then I walked over to Yin Xiamo’s side, reaching out to grab the metal pole beside her, and smiled, “Alright, let’s go.”

 

“You two!”

Fei Luo, who was nearby, looked a bit disgruntled.

 

“Flaunting your affection openly, no way, I want in too!”

 

After saying that, the black dragon girl also reached out her hand and grabbed the metal handle of the cart.

 

“Get out of here,” Yin Xiamo quickly pushed her away.

 

“You’re a dragon, you know the most about eggs. Quickly explain to Nuo’er how to choose good eggs.”

 

Fei Luo pouted, “Why do I, as a dragon, have to do this?”

 

“If Gabriel comes over later, I won’t help you plead your case,” Yin Xiamo said sternly, instantly silencing Fei Luo.

 

“I’m sorry, my mistake, I’ll go find fresh eggs now…”

 

“……”

 

……