Buying a Car

The late summer evening breeze finally shed its scorching heat.

Streetlights lit up one by one, dyeing the streets a warm yellow. The air still held the lingering warmth of summer, yet it now carried a hint of autumn's refreshing crispness.

September would bring early autumn, and the late August nights already had a bit of a chill. That was how it was in the south; the first few days of a changing season would be cool, but it would heat right back up a few days later.

Aside from last year, winters in Cinan usually only required a base layer and a jacket to get through.

"It is so bright over here."

Coming out after a nice meal, Xia Yanchun looked back at the increasingly bustling square. Finding the colorful neon lights a bit dazzling, she could not help but raise a hand to shield her eyes.

"That is how shopping malls are."

"Wow, they even have bumper cars. So dangerous, what if the tires go flying..."

"It is just an enhanced version of bumper cars. How could this speed send tires flying? Do you want to play?"

"Hmm, no thanks." Xia Yanchun slipped her hand into Shen Nian's and tilted her head. "Let's stroll around the night market?"

Shen Nian held the girl's hand tightly, his fingers intertwining with hers. "If Chunbao wants to stroll, we will stroll. I can keep you company all day."

"Come on, you would get impatient after just an hour."

"So what?"

This was the Cinan Style Street. There were many stalls offering manicures, snacks, perler beads, graffiti, and ring toss—a dazzling array of things.

Xia Yanchun did not plan on staying too long. Swinging her hand with Shen Nian's, they browsed around half the market, looking here and there, bought a cup of milk tea, and were ready to head back.

The sky turned completely dark.

Shen Yue, who had gotten off work long ago, was lying on the sofa as usual. Both her phone and the TV were playing out loud, and it was a wonder if she could even pay attention to both.

The front door opened. Seeing her stinky little brother walking in holding the hand of Little Chun from next door, Shen Yue immediately let out a few exaggerated sounds and teased, "Coming back holding hands, have you no shame?"

"Not only am I holding it, but I am also rubbing and squeezing it." Shen Nian grinned, playing with Xia Yanchun's hand.

Xia Yanchun snatched her hand back and rolled her eyes.

You two siblings are pulling a combo move on me, huh? Careful, or I won't give you this milk tea.

"Here, we bought you milk tea."

"Little Chun is the best. Unlike some people who haven't seen me in so long yet bought absolutely nothing. Sigh, the world these days..."

"Damn it, give me back the money I gave you before."

"Ahaha, I am just joking. You really cannot take a joke. I deposited the money in the bank; go get it if you want it."

"..."

Shen Nian sweatdropped.

With an older sister like this, what time would you want to come home?

Shen Nian felt like he needed to buy a ticket overnight to go ward off evil spirits.

"Hey, have you two told your families? Do they know you are dating?"

"They know. Since both of us have found partners, I hope you can withstand the pressure when you go home this year." Shen Nian gloated.

"Damn it... I will definitely bring a boyfriend home this year!"

"Sis, you have to find a rich second-generation heir! If he is not a rich heir, I would feel too embarrassed to make you a brother-supporting demon."

"You have 300,000 in savings and you still want me to be a brother-supporting demon? Get lost!"

"Alrighty, getting lost right now."

Shen Nian shifted his position on the sofa, awkwardly rolling over next to Xia Yanchun, hugging her close to watch TV together.

Chunbao is still the best. Baby, you are a fragrant and soft strawberry cream cupcake.

...

On August 29th, at 1:00 PM, Shen Shi and Chen Minyue specifically drove from the town to the city.

Buying a car was usually something the whole family did together.

"Are you sure about what to buy?" Shen Shi drove the pickup truck, glancing at Shen Nian in the passenger seat.

"I am sure, I am sure." Shen Nian grinned. "I confirmed it on the official app and called the dealership. They have the exact model I want to buy. They said I can test drive it later and we can discuss whatever configuration I want."

"That is quite considerate."

"How could it not be? It is the first car of my life. Dad, weren't you excited when you bought your car?"

"It was actually just okay. I bought this pickup solely for hauling goods, what was there to be excited about?"

Chen Minyue covered her mouth and chuckled, exposing him: "Do not listen to his nonsense. When he first bought the car, he sat in it for half the day, saying even the smell inside the car was fragrant."

"Do not talk nonsense."

The small pickup truck seated five people; Shen Yue and Xia Yanchun had tagged along as well.

Even though they were completely clueless about cars, they could still come join in the fun. They did not expect to offer any constructive advice, but at the very least, they could grab a few bites of the dealership's free lunch and provide some feedback on the passenger experience during the test drive.

They soon arrived at the dealership. The BMW logo stood clean and prominent, and in the spacious showroom, several large screens played introductions to various car models.

It was Shen Nian's first time at a car dealership, and he inexplicably felt it was quite high-end.

The BMW brand gave him the immediate impression of a luxury car. Before he knew anything about car models, even a 200,000-yuan BMW would have seemed like a luxury vehicle to him.

Now that he had some understanding of models and specs, he still harbored an inexplicable fondness for BMW.

It was like a first love to him.

There was no cliché plot like in the novels where the salesperson looks down on people. When Shen Nian entered the store, a male salesperson immediately came up to greet them, acting exceptionally polite.

The official app was directly connected to the physical stores. Because they had contacted them in advance, communicating with the salesperson went smoothly. After clarifying a few things and explaining some of the car's parameters, he finally took Shen Nian and the others out for a test drive.

However, the car could not hold that many people, so they had to split the experience into two rounds. Shen Nian first drove Shen Shi and Chen Minyue around the test track for a while, and then it was Shen Yue and Xia Yanchun's turn.

Having just recently gotten his driver's license, Shen Nian was surprisingly skilled at driving. Shen Shi felt that Shen Nian really had a knack for it; he did not seem like a novice driver who had barely touched a steering wheel.

But Shen Nian had indeed only just passed his driving test.

Does my son really have a talent for driving?

"How was it? Were there any issues during the test drive?" the salesperson asked promptly.

"It was pretty good." Shen Nian turned to look at Xia Yanchun and Shen Yue. "How did it feel sitting in the back?"

"Not bad, the space is very roomy."

"Yeah, it is also really comfortable to sit in, hehe, it is just that the car is a little ugly," Xia Yanchun said excitedly.

"As punishment, you will have to buy a 'fish head' mini car in the future."

"Hmph, what is wrong with a 'fish head' mini car? It is lightweight and compact, completely sufficient for getting around, okay!"

"Alright, alright, alright."

Shen Nian was still very satisfied with the test drive. Next came the process where the salesperson drove the car on the road. Sitting in the passenger seat, Shen Nian felt it was great and could not pick out any faults.

If he had to be picky... the car's appearance was not all that handsome. The large grille nostrils of the BMW 3 Series were quite distinctive.

It was ugly-handsome.