Wang Hunv thought about it and had to agree. After all, it wasn’t just their family at the market. People came from all the surrounding villages. If Tan You’s weight was revealed in front of such a large crowd, the gossip would not be pleasant.

A young woman’s reputation was very important; she couldn’t afford to get a reputation like that.

The three of them chatted on their way there. Upon reaching the market entrance, Tan Deming stayed behind to guard the tricycle and bicycle. This time, Tan You and Wang Hunv entered the market empty-handed, since it was packed with people and pushing a vehicle through the crowd would have been a hassle.

Wang Hunv was someone who loved a lively scene. Even if she only had to buy a single wicker basket today, she intended to browse the entire market. Tan You didn’t mind; she just treated it as a day for exercise.

Feeling the "fortune" of five yuan in her pocket, Tan You couldn’t muster any real interest in the market wares. What she wanted were a house and a car, which were currently out of her reach. As for the items right in front of her, she didn’t need them. So, as she looked around, Tan You was completely unbothered.

Even when they passed stalls selling all sorts of snacks, Tan You would only give them a passing glance.

Perhaps because she let her gaze linger on the candied haws for a second too long, Wang Hunv frowned. "Want some?"

Before Tan You could say anything, Wang Hunv was already holding out a yuan. "Go on and buy one if you want."

Tan You chuckled and shook her head. "I was just looking. I was curious how they still have hawthorns at this time of year. Besides, I’m on a diet. I can’t eat sweets."

Wang Hunv’s hand immediately shot back, giving Tan You no chance to change her mind. It wasn’t like Tan You was actually trying to get money out of her notoriously frugal grandmother. She smiled. ’Yep, that’s my grandma, all right.’

After accompanying Wang Hunv on a full tour of the market, it was nearly ten o’clock by the time they returned to the entrance. The braised meat stall from their last visit was still there, but this time, Wang Hunv didn’t stare at it. Privately, she believed Tan You’s cooking was just as good, if not better.

Therefore, after placing the wicker basket onto Tan Deming’s electric tricycle, Wang Hunv urged Tan You to get going.

At the butcher’s stall, the owner was just about to close up. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Tan Deming. "Sir, you’re finally here! I was starting to think you weren’t coming today."

Tan Deming smiled. "Sorry, we got held up in the market."

Seeing that there were no other customers, Tan Deming got straight to the point. "Do you have a scale in here? My granddaughter wants to weigh herself; she’s on a diet."

The owner was easygoing. He glanced at Tan You and said, "Of course I’ve got a scale. Your granddaughter is gorgeous—so fair she’s practically glowing."

Tan Deming said proudly, "She gets it from her mother. Her mom is fair-skinned too."

The owner wheeled a platform scale out from the back room. After he finished adjusting it, Tan You stepped on without any hesitation.

When she saw the number on the display, Tan You pursed her lips slightly. ’What a long road ahead.’

The owner saw the number too and smiled. "Kids this age are supposed to eat a lot. You can’t just stop eating entirely for the sake of losing weight. You’ll end up with all sorts of health problems when you get older."

"Besides, you don’t look bad at all. You’re tall, so you can carry the weight well."

Tan You smiled. "I understand, sir. How about this? Could I come here to weigh myself whenever I’m at the market? It would help me keep track."

"Of course, that’s no problem at all. You can come by anytime. It’s just a matter of hopping on the scale," the owner said generously. "Imagine how beautiful you’ll be when you’ve slimmed down! Not that you aren’t beautiful now, of course."

’My Beauty score is already at 87, of course I’m beautiful,’ Tan You thought. Outwardly, however, she showed no trace of arrogance. "My looks are from my parents, but my weight is something I can control. Sir, we’ll be heading off now."

The owner waved and watched the Tan family leave. On the way, Wang Hunv was still calculating. "So, how many pounds do you think you need to lose?"

Tan You pedaled her bicycle with a deadpan expression. "I need to lose about fifty pounds."

"Fifty pounds? How much would be left of you?" Tan Deming sounded worried. "A girl should have a bit of meat on her bones for good fortune. Would you really look good being a beanpole like Tan Ying?"

Tan You burst out laughing. "Of course not. I don’t want to look like her, either."

She had her own sense of aesthetics, and she believed a woman should have curves in all the right places.

As the three continued to chat, Wang Hunv tugged on the hem of Tan You’s shirt. "You can lose weight while you’re at home, but what about when you go back to school? How will you manage it then?"

Tan You smiled. "Losing weight at school will be easy. Studying from six in the morning to ten at night without a break... using your brain is exhausting, too. My parents probably won’t buy me many snacks. If I have nothing to eat and just focus on my studies, I’ll slim down in no time."

"That’s true. I’ve noticed you always eat something after working on a difficult problem." Wang Hunv recalled the sight of Tan You wracking her brain over her schoolwork, and she couldn’t help but smile.

Tan Deming grew worried. "In that case, I’ll buy you some extra snacks to keep in your dorm. That brain of yours is precious. We have to take good care of it."

Wang Hunv pursed her lips but didn’t say anything in the end. ’It’s for my granddaughter, not for some stranger,’ she thought. Still, her frugal nature wasn’t going to change overnight. A penny-pincher is a penny-pincher.

Tan You had a good idea of what Wang Hunv was thinking, and she wasn’t disappointed. ’Looks like I’ll have to keep submitting my writing,’ she thought. As for the payment, she’d spend a portion on herself and have Tan Deming help her save the rest.

Raising a person is like tending to a flower. No matter how well Tan Deming treated Tan You, there were many things he would inevitably overlook. Her parents, Tan Lin and Cheng Wenhui, wouldn’t think of them either. That’s why Tan You had to take good care of herself.

Lately, it seemed she was making more and more grand promises.

First, she’d promised to build a grand villa for Tan Deming, and then she’d promised to buy an Elf skin for her Beauty System. Clearly, her skill at making grand promises was growing. It was a good thing both of them believed her.

But no matter how you looked at it, the future was bright.

Back home, Tan You immediately got busy preparing the pig’s head. Soon, the aroma of the braising liquid wafted out of the Tan family’s small courtyard. The neighbors who caught the scent couldn’t help but curse under their breath. ’They look so poor, yet they’re making braised meat every other day!’

’Why does it have to smell so good?’

Wang Hunv headed to the fields as soon as she got home, leaving only Tan You and Tan Deming behind. Watching her grandmother’s hurried figure retreat, Tan You couldn’t help but shake her head. When it came to hard work, her grandmother was the most hardworking person in the family—at least in terms of physical labor.

But then again, her own parents had it tough, too. They were migrant workers, running themselves ragged all day long just for a pittance. Who didn’t have it hard?

The braised meat obviously wouldn’t be ready by lunchtime. When Wang Hunv returned, she didn’t even ask this time; she had learned her lesson. Besides, Tan You had fished out a few pieces of braised dried tofu for her, which Wang Hunv found to be quite good as well.

"I didn’t realize you also made stuffed peppers." Taking a bite of a green pepper filled with meat, Wang Hunv felt a sense of blissful satisfaction. "I feel like this isn’t all meat in here, is it?"

"Mhm, I added a little tofu so it wouldn’t be so heavy," Tan You explained. "If you like it, I’ll make it again next time. It’s not hard to do."

"It looks like a lot of trouble to me. I’d rather work in the fields than cook," Wang Hunv said before taking another bite, clearly in an excellent mood.