Pushing open the door of the barbershop, Chen Yuanchu felt a cool breeze against his face. His head tingled with a refreshing sensation.
As the old saying goes, a hairstyle can change a person's aura, and there was certainly some truth to it. He had always possessed handsome features and clear, bright eyes, but now with his long hair cut off and replaced by a neat student-style short cut, he appeared even more spirited. The youthful vigor radiated from him.
The only thing was that he still wasn't quite used to his suddenly shortened hair. The short stubble at the back of his head felt prickly and rough to the touch—curious and amusing, though.
Chen Yuanchu pulled out his phone and checked the time. It was nearly nine o'clock.
If he were still at the mountain Taoist temple, it would already be the depths of night, silent and still. But here in the city, the nightlife was just beginning. The neon lights along the streets flickered on one after another, pedestrians bustled about, and the atmosphere was lively and bustling.
Next, he needed to get some daily necessities.
Chen Yuanchu had never been particular about material things. When shopping, he only cared about practicality and durability.
He walked along the street to a household goods store near the residential community entrance, pushed open the door, and began selecting items.
One bamboo mat, one pillow, one set of navy blue bedding, one pair of plastic flip-flops, one red plastic bucket, one washbasin, one drinking cup, one gargle cup, one toothbrush, one towel, one bag of laundry powder... and a bundle of clothes hangers.
This store was quite well-stocked. He could basically find everything he needed for daily life here. Chen Yuanchu had no intention of running around to other places. He was a monk and a man—shopping called for straightforward efficiency.
He didn't pick up shampoo or body wash, but selected two bars of soap instead.
Up on the mountain, they had always bathed with soap. It was cheap, practical, and left the body feeling clean and refreshed. Unlike body washes, which felt slippery and greasy—no matter how much he rinsed, it never felt truly clean.
He had never used facial cleansers either. It was only when he saw them on the shelves that he learned people now had specialized cleansers just for washing their faces, with various functions like oil control, moisturizing, and skin softening. He usually washed his face with plain water, occasionally with soap, and had never suffered from acne.
Even for washing his hair, he was accustomed to using soap.
Modern people, however, seemed to have generally thinning hair. Just think of those old photographs from his parents' generation—every man and woman had thick, lush hair. Now with advanced technology and countless types of shampoo on the market, more and more people were experiencing hair loss.
Of course, Chen Yuanchu didn't have to worry about this problem. When he was getting his hair cut earlier, the barber had even praised his thick, healthy hair.
He was young, so that didn't mean much yet. But that old Taoist priest had maintained relatively abundant hair until his final moments—it had simply all turned white.
After buying the daily necessities, Chen Yuanchu went to select some kitchen supplies as well. Pots, pans, cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar—a whole collection of odds and ends.
He had seen the kitchen before. Su Wanin had kept it very tidy. The gas stove and wok were there, and the cooking ingredients were all stocked. They were fine for one person, but with two people living there, the dishes and plates would definitely not be enough.
Although Sister Wanin had said they could share, Chen Yuanchu didn't want to take advantage. He could tell that this sister was financially stretched. Even if they cooked together later, contributing his share would make him feel more at ease.
This was his first time sharing a rental with someone, but the principles of getting along with others were universal—he couldn't take other people's kindness for granted. He had to be considerate too.
"Little Taoist, is there anything else you'd like to buy?" The shop owner cheerfully helped carry the items toward the counter.
"For now, that's everything. Could you calculate the total, please?" Chen Yuanchu thought for a moment. "I'm a monk. Could you give me a discount?"
A monk, eh... that was acceptable. The owner calculated in her mind. Her small business mainly relied on students as customers anyway, so offering a discount to a Taoist wouldn't hurt.
"Let me figure this up..." The owner punched the calculator for quite a while. "Four hundred seventy-five total. How about four hundred sixty for you, little Taoist? I'll throw in the flip-flops for free."
"Sure, thank you, auntie."
"Okay, I'll pack everything up for you. Do you have a car, little Taoist? Can you carry all this?"
"It's fine. I can manage."
The smaller items were stuffed into the bucket. The bedding already had its original packaging, so it was easy to carry. With the shop owner's help, everything was quickly organized.
"By the way, auntie, do you sell fabric? I'd like to buy a piece."
"Yes, we do. How long do you need?"
Before leaving, Chen Yuanchu also bought a roll of fabric and a packet of needles and thread.
To many young people, these things probably had little use. But for him, there were quite a few situations where they'd come in handy. For instance, if the pillow turned out to be uncomfortable, he could buy some buckwheat hulls later and sew himself a buckwheat husk pillow.
Carrying his bags and packages, Chen Yuanchu made his way back.
Passing a pet store, he paused briefly, then went in and bought a bag of chicken-flavored cat food.
He didn't know if Xuanmo would like it, but since they were now in the city, he'd buy some for the cat to try.
At the residential community entrance, there was a watermelon stand. You could buy a whole one or just a cut piece. Chen Yuanchu examined the quality, picked one out, and asked the vendor to cut half of it.
He hadn't eaten watermelon yet this year. It would be a nice treat. He wondered if Sister Wanin liked watermelon—surely nobody would refuse watermelon, right? He'd bring it back and invite her to share.
He did a quick calculation in his head. Today, the two long bus rides had cost twenty yuan, the haircut was forty, and this shopping trip came to just over five hundred.
There were over twenty-four thousand six hundred yuan in the card the master had left him before passing away. Today he had spent most of the small change, leaving about twenty-four thousand.
Once he officially started school, there probably wouldn't be too many expenses. The main cost would be monthly rent—splitting with Sister Wanin, it should come to around seven hundred yuan.
Twenty-four thousand yuan was enough to sustain him for quite some time. Given his minimalist lifestyle, it should last until after the college entrance exam two years from now. But that would be cutting it close, and only until the exam.
As for tuition and living expenses after getting into university, and the money he owed those "creditors"—all of that would need to be figured out separately.
A peculiar expression crossed Chen Yuanchu's face... Master, did you calculate all of this too?
It seemed that learning how to make money would also be a required course in this journey of worldly cultivation.
Fortunately, he still had a two-year buffer period to plan slowly. What mattered most at the moment was catching up on the studies he had fallen behind on.
Carrying all those bags up to the ninth floor, Chen Yuanchu's breathing remained steady. He wasn't even winded.
Setting the things down on the floor first, he reached into his pocket for the keys and opened the door.
There were two keys in total—one for the security door and one for the apartment door. They had been left behind by the previous tenant, and Su Wanin had passed them on to him. As for the temple keys, they were an older, larger set, kept safely in his bag.
Pushing the door open, he saw Su Wanin, dressed in casual shorts and a t-shirt, hanging laundry on the balcony.
She must have showered recently—the tips of her hair still carried moisture. The washing machine in the bathroom hummed away; what she was hanging now were the hand-washed intimate garments.
Upon hearing the door open, Su Wanin—who was accustomed to living alone—turned her head immediately.
When she saw the person's face, the brief alertness instantly dissolved, replaced by a startled surprise:
"Y-Yuanchu?"
"Yeah, Sister Wanin. I was only gone for a bit. Don't tell me you don't recognize me anymore?"
"It's really you!! You've changed so much!! If it weren't for the Taoist robe, I almost didn't recognize you!!"
"..."
I only got a haircut. She didn't have to react like I'd gone in for plastic surgery.