Chen Cang and Liu ngting exchanged a helpless glance and reluctantly followed to pick out products together.
"Feel free to look at whatever catches your eye. Our store is the most legally compliant on the whole street, and the fireworks we sell are absolutely safe."
A chubby middle-aged man in a bright red Tang suit enthusiastically greeted Li Xiaoli, constantly introducing the products.
Li Xiaoli was also on point, filling up an entire cart with goods.
Looking at the shopping cart behind Li Xiaoli, the shopkeeper’s smile was almost ear-to-ear; this haul was worth several thousand yuan, certainly a big custor.
"Xiaoli, can you really use up all these fireworks?"
Chen Cang pushed the shopping cart, looking at Li Xiaoli with concern.
"Of course! After the Little New Year, we can set off firecrackers every day. On New Year’s Eve, we’ll light a big bunch, then again on the first day, the fifth... not to ntion we need a lot for the Lantern Festival too!"
Li Xiaoli counted on her fingers, calculating seriously.
"Absolutely, these fireworks will be used up by New Year’s Eve and the Lantern Festival, possibly not even enough," the shopkeeper nodded continuously in agreent nearby.
"Alright then, let’s pay."
Liu ngting thought it over and decided not to say more, pulling out her credit card to pay.
"Wait a second!"
Li Xiaoli pulled Liu ngting, frowned, and looked at the shopkeeper: "We’re buying so much stuff, but we don’t even know if the quality of your fireworks is any good."
"Rest assured, the products in our store are absolutely honest and high-quality..."
The shopkeeper assured without hesitation.
"Just saying is not enough, no one would bad-mouth their own goods. I want to test them."
Li Xiaoli lifted her chin, her tone firm.
"Huh? How do you test these?"
The shopkeeper was taken aback. For sothing consud instantly, how do you test it?
"I’ll pick a random firework to set off. If it bursts, it’s good stuff; if it’s a dud, I won’t buy from you."
Li Xiaoli thought for a mont and proposed a solution.
"That’s not possible."
The shopkeeper shook his head repeatedly, saying with apprehension: "This is a busy urban area, it’s not suitable to set off fireworks here. If soone complains, I’ll be fined."
Although Songlan City doesn’t have an explicit ban on fireworks, setting them off in a busy area is asking for trouble. Even if the business authorities don’t intervene, causing accidental injury to pedestrians or vehicles with fireworks debris would lead to disputes.
"Forget it then. If we can’t test it, I won’t trust the quality of your fireworks!"
Li Xiaoli shrugged helplessly, planning to leave the store.
"Wait, if you must test, you can only light a firecracker, not a firework."
The shopkeeper gritted his teeth; missing out on a big sale of several thousand yuan was too much of a loss.
"Okay, okay! Can I light this one?"
Li Xiaoli excitedly found a double-bang firecracker.
"Okay, but don’t aim it at anyone, just let it go straight up and down."
The shopkeeper nodded. When this firecracker goes off, the first bang shoots into the sky, and the second bang explodes midair, so it shouldn’t cause any accidents.
"Alright, I’m going to set it off."
Li Xiaoli grabbed the double-bang firecracker and rushed out of the store impatiently. After pulling out the fuse, she stood it on the empty ground in front of the store. "Chen Cang, let use your lighter."
"You still smoke?"
Liu ngting looked at Chen Cang in surprise.
"No."
Chen Cang shook his head decisively and looked at Li Xiaoli irritably: "I don’t smoke, how would I have a lighter?"
"Pfft! Keep pretending."
Li Xiaoli rolled her eyes at Chen Cang and went straight to him, rummaging through his pockets.
"Stop it, stop it, I really don’t have..."
Chen Cang struggled in refusal, but before finishing his words, Li Xiaoli pulled out a lighter from his pocket.
"Hey, how did you know he smokes?"
Liu ngting looked at the lighter in Li Xiaoli’s hand in surprise. Ever since Chen Cang beca one of her sisters, she hadn’t seen him smoke.
"Haha, I saw him get caught with a lighter during airport security check before!"
Li Xiaoli said smugly as she tested the lighter’s functionality.
"Ahem, Xiaoli is indeed clever."
Chen Cang gave an awkward smile. Although his cultivation had greatly increased and his gender had changed, quitting smoking was hard to do overnight after years of smoking.
"Nobody’s blaming you for smoking, why so nervous?"
Li Xiaoli rolled her eyes at Chen Cang, then took the lighter and hurriedly ran towards the double-bang firecracker.
"Be careful, don’t hurt yourself."
Liu ngting said worriedly.
"If it really injures , it’ll prove the store’s fireworks are poor quality, and I’ll definitely lodge a complaint."
Li Xiaoli smirked and then struck the lighter to light the fuse.
"Don’t worry, don’t worry, our products are absolutely safe."
The shopkeeper was full of confidence in his goods, but then...
"Ah!"
Li Xiaoli, who was setting off the firecracker, suddenly scread.
"What’s wrong?"
Liu ngting and Chen Cang asked anxiously.
"I’m a bit scared."
Li Xiaoli awkwardly glanced back at everyone.
"Haven’t you set off firecrackers before?" Liu ngting looked at Li Xiaoli in disbelief, sweeping her gaze between the cart full of goods and Li Xiaoli. Who buys so many fireworks without even daring to light one?
"Really?"
The shopkeeper was also dumbfounded, sensing the sale slipping away.
"It was always my brother who set off the firecrackers before; I just watched and enjoyed it, never actually did it myself,"
Li Xiaoli smiled awkwardly and suddenly lifted her head: "But this year I’m definitely doing it myself. You all step back, don’t get hurt."
"ng ng, step back, I have a bad feeling."
Chen Cang swiftly shielded Liu ngting behind him and moved back.
"Xiaoli, if you can’t do it, just let it go."
Having never set off firecrackers herself, Liu ngting advised with concern.
"No way, I must light it."
Li Xiaoli held the lighter, trembling as she brought the fla towards the double-bang firecracker’s fuse.
With everyone’s anxious gazes on her, Li Xiaoli successfully lit the fuse. But due to her shaking hands and excessive force, she accidentally knocked over the double-bang firecracker.
"Crap!"
Chen Cang’s face changed drastically. While pulling Liu ngting towards the store, he shouted, "Xiaoli, run, it’s going to explode!"
"Help!"
Li Xiaoli dropped the lighter and sprinted into the store.
"Oh no! This is bad!"
The shopkeeper’s face also changed dramatically, nervously staring at the double-bang firecracker. If it shot into the store and exploded, his shop and goods would be ruined.
With so many flammable and explosive fireworks, a single spark could burn everything down in an instant.
Luckily, the firecracker wasn’t aid at the store; otherwise, it would have been disastrous. But with all the fireworks on this street, any direction it flew was dangerous.
"Bang!"
With a loud bang, the double-bang firecracker exploded the first ti, then shot off again.
"Ah!"
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