I asked you to write a light novel, but you wrote about living?

He pushed the goods forward a little.

"The usual."

"Intermediate blocking agent: 250 vials; protein solution: 81 vials."

"That adds up to six hundred and sixty."

"Since you've been patronizing my business lately, I'll give you a discount."

"Six hundred yuan."

Yu Yin took the black card out of her pocket and handed it over.

The old blind man swiped his card and pushed the card and the goods back together.

"Keep it safe."

"Those thugs who got their bodies modified are up and running again."

"Be careful."

"Thank you, Uncle Xia!"

Yu Yin deftly stuffed the goods into the inside pocket of her coat.

She was about to leave when she suddenly stopped.

"Uncle Blind."

"Um?"

Do you sell... those candied snacks here?

The old blind man was stunned for a moment.

"This is a pharmacy, we don't sell snacks."

"oh……"

Yu Yin felt a little disappointed.

"Then... do you know where I can buy it?"

"Anything cheap is fine."

The old blind man glanced at her.

"The third shop on the left after you go out."

"Old Zhang has cheap candy."

"Two yuan each."

"...How much does a candy cost?"

Yu Yin was startled.

She thought that candy was so cheap that it was practically free.

The old blind man chuckled.

"You think it's one of those snacks from the Upper East Side?"

"Old Zhang's candy contains a little bit of real sugar."

"In the lower city, real sugar is rarer than medicine."

"Two yuan a piece is already a very reasonable price."

Yu Yin gritted her teeth.

"Then I'll go buy one."

Why would you buy one?

"...give it away."

The old blind man's prosthetic eye gear turned once more.

"Who should I give it to?"

"...Uncle Scar."

The old blind man was taken aback at first, then burst out laughing.

"Ha ha ha ha."

"Girl, you're really something."

"You actually went and gave that grumpy foreman, Scarface, a piece of candy."

Yu Yin blushed slightly.

"He gave me half a pancake last time."

I didn't return the gift.

"My brother said that if you accept a favor, you have to repay it."

The old blind man laughed so hard his shoulders were shaking.

"Your brother taught you this?"

"Okay."

"Then go ahead."

"Two dollars' worth of candy, and that sullen-faced Scarface would probably actually crack a smile for the first time ever."

Yu Yinchong bowed to him, then turned and ran out of the pharmacy.

We arrived at Old Zhang's small shop.

Yu Yin swiped the black card for two yuan, and the shopkeeper picked out a dark red candy for her from a glass jar.

The candy was wrapped in an old waxed paper. It didn't look very big, but it felt a bit heavy in my hand.

Yu Yin carefully put the candy into her pocket and turned to walk back towards the scrap yard.

……

The third waste disposal station.

Workers gradually emerged from the gate as they finished their shift.

Yu Yin crouched in a corner next to the gate, her eyes fixed on the crowd coming out.

About ten minutes later, that familiar, tall figure, accompanied by the grinding sound of metal gears, walked out of the door.

"Uncle Scar!"

Yu Yin stood up and waved to him.

Scarface turned and glanced at her.

His face, covered in burn scars, was expressionless.

"I thought you took the day off again today."

Uncle Scar walked over.

His rough, hoarse voice carried the smell of cheap tobacco.

"My brother made money writing a book today."

Yu Yin repeated the sentence she had already said three times.

She spoke naturally, but the pride on her face was impossible to hide.

"My brother asked me to buy some good food, and I stopped by to see you since I was on the way."

She took the candy out of her pocket and handed it to her with both hands.

"Uncle Scar, this is for you."

"Last time you gave me half a pancake, my brother said he had to pay it back."

Uncle Scar looked down at the candy.

The dark red sugar cubes looked particularly small in front of his rough, greasy, and scarred industrial mechanical hands.

He remained silent for a long time.

Then he reached out his good right hand and took the candy.

He weighed the candy in his palm.

"...a broken piece of candy."

"Did your brother send you to return it?"

"It's something I wanted to bring for you myself."

Yu Yin whispered.

"My brother said that if you accept a favor, you have to repay it."

"Last time you gave me such a large piece of bread, I don't have much to give in return."

"My brother gave me money to buy things today, and I..."

As she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer.

"I just wanted to bring you a piece of candy."

Scarface stuffed the candy into the pocket of his overalls.

He raised his good hand and roughly rubbed Yu Yin's head.

The hand was very strong, and it ruffled the little girl's hair.

"Silly girl."

"I'm going to feed the mice with that half of my bread, and you're trading it for a piece of candy? You're losing out."

Yu Yin smiled sheepishly.

"Then... you didn't lose money."

My brother said that people shouldn't keep score with each other.

Uncle Scar scoffed.

"Your brother talks a lot of nonsense. Even though he's paralyzed, he can still write books and make money. I think he's actually quite capable."

He waved to Yu Yin.

"Alright."

"It's getting dark, hurry home."

"Walk close to the walls on the street; there are a few unfamiliar faces appearing on these streets recently."

"I know."

Yu Yin nodded obediently.

"I'm home."

"Goodbye, Uncle Scar."

She turned around, slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, and ran home along the familiar path she walked every day.

Uncle Scar stood there, watching the little girl's thin back.

He took the candy out of his pocket and stared at it for a long time.

Then he peeled off the wax paper and put the candy in his mouth.

The taste of inferior synthetic sugar mixed with a hint of real sugar slowly melted in his tobacco-smelling mouth.

He hadn't tasted real sugar in his entire life for many years.

He crumpled the wax paper into a ball and stuffed it into his pocket.

Then he turned around and walked into the crowd of people leaving get off work.

The heavy industrial robotic arm made a grating "click-clack" sound as he moved.

……

The metal door to the basement creaked open.

Yu Yin ran in with her schoolbag on her back.

"elder brother!"

I'm back!

"I bought medicine again today, and I also bought food!"

She took the items out of her coat pocket one by one and placed them on the table.

Two intermediate-level nerve blockers.

Two vials of high-purity synthetic protein solution.

There were also two real meat-flavored synthetic meat patties wrapped in oil paper, bought from that little shop next to the black market.

Yu Wen turned his wheelchair around and watched his sister proudly display the items.

He smiled.

"Thanks for your hard work."

"Hurry up and wash your hands before eating."

Yu Yin nodded, then suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Yu Wen.

"elder brother."

"Um?"

"I have something to ask you today."

She was a little serious.

Yu Wen raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

Yu Yin rubbed her hands together.

She remembered the question that Teacher Chen had asked her that afternoon.

She paused for a moment, then asked softly, but with a hint of anticipation.

"elder brother……"

"The book you wrote."

"What's your name?"