Let Them Suffer Slowly

Calliope ended up choosing the yarn balls in colors red, hot pink, green and white. Calix included some other items including a big bag of cotton stuffing in their purchases.

"You don't want anything, Leslie?" asked Calix once more before paying for all of the items.

Smiling, Leslie lightly shook her head, "Yes... Just buy them for Poppy..."

Not wanting to pressure Leslie in this mundane matter, Calix nodded. While paying for the purchases, he conversed with the shopkeeper. It seemed like he was on good terms with the middle-aged lady.

"Mr. Xu has always come alone before. I didn't expect this handsome young man to already have a beautiful wife and a cute daughter. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Xu."

The shopkeeper friendly greeted Leslie as she put everything in a huge paper bag. She also handed a stalk of crochet tulip to Calliope as a gift, earning a sweet thank-you from the child.