09 Being needed, being flattered, being defined as valuable

After breakfast, Song Jiuchen said goodbye to Fang Shuning and went back to his grand plan of "building his hometown." With nothing to do, Fang Shuning said goodbye to Aunt Tian and leisurely strolled over to chat with the internet celebrity's grandmother.

Pushing open the door, Fang Shuning started calling, "Grandma~ Grandma~" No one answered; she clearly hadn't heard her again. Unfazed, Fang Shuning entered the house with practiced ease. Seeing Grandma Li busy in the kitchen, Fang Shuning tiptoed up behind her, patted her shoulder, and shouted "Grandma!" Well, this time she not only heard, but almost scared the 79-year-old woman out of her wits!

Grandma Li turned around and slapped Fang Shuning on the shoulder. The slap wasn't hard, but it showed a bit of affection for her granddaughter. "You scared me to death! If you scare me to death at my age, I'll haunt you as a ghost!"

Hehe~ Fang Shuning smiled apologetically. This old lady was as humorous as ever.

With no one else at home, Fang Shuning casually leaned back on the sofa, the hem of her floral sundress pulled up to her thighs, her slender, fair legs swaying freely. "Grandma, how about we make some tea?"

“Okay, I’ve already boiled the water since you said you were coming.” Grandma Li was quick and efficient. She first handed Fang Shuning a bag of melon seeds to keep her busy before starting to brew tea. “This tea was bought and sent back by Xiao Tong when he went to work in Yunnan. I haven’t had it many times and I don’t like the taste. You try it, and I’ll change it if you don’t like it.”

Fang Shuning took out her phone, found the chat box with the internet celebrity, and started recording a video. "Sunflower seeds, tea, come on, Grandma, say hello." Grandma Li waved very cooperatively, said "Hello~" in her old-fashioned voice, and then sent it to the internet celebrity.

By the way, the internet celebrity's name is Cui Sitong.

After a short quarantine, the internet celebrity replied, "[Filming, so envious!]"

Fang Shuning ignored her and started chatting with Grandma Li. In just a short while, the small coffee table was filled with things: brewed tea, melon seeds, peanuts, fruit, biscuits, and even a few packets of spicy strips... "Grandma, why are you secretly eating spicy strips at home? I'll tell on you."

"I'm this old now, I can eat whatever I want."

“That’s true.” Fang Shuning reclined comfortably on the sofa, while Grandma Li sat on a small stool opposite the coffee table. Fang Shuning munched on some sunflower seeds, took a sip of tea, and when the tea was gone, Grandma Li quickly refilled it. The two chatted about village gossip, but Grandma Li did most of the talking, while Fang Shuning gave her reactions—sometimes surprise, sometimes regret, sometimes anger…

"Grandma, why don't you ask me why I went home when it's not a holiday?"

"Do you need a reason to go home? If you want to go home, then go home; if you want to leave, then leave. You young people just like to ask why. In a lifetime, there aren't that many whys."

Grandma Li's dismissive words, however, struck Fang Shuning as thoughtful. After chatting all morning, Fang Shuning had lunch at Grandma Li's house before returning home. Grandma Li wanted to take a nap, and so did she.

Fang Shuning has always felt that she is someone who can't be idle; she needs to work and keep running constantly to gain a sense of satisfaction. For example, what might be a midnight phone ring is a death sentence for others, but for Fang Shuning, it seems to be her reason for being.

Fang Shuning needs to be needed, flattered, and defined as valuable.

Now, lying in bed preparing for her afternoon nap, Fang Shuning felt an indescribable sense of ease; she even felt happy. On her second day back in Xitang, Fang Shuning experienced a long-lost, heartfelt joy—a joy that didn't require glitz and glamour, pretense, or an obsession with self-worth.

A thought suddenly popped into Fang Shuning's mind: "The greatest use is the uselessness of the seemingly useless!" Then she fell into a deep sleep.

DeepSeek states that the length of a nap can affect one's mental state upon waking, and scientific recommendations suggest choosing an appropriate length based on different needs. 10-20 minutes is ideal for a short, invigorating nap, 30 minutes for moderate recovery, 60 minutes for improved memory and cognition, and 90 minutes for a complete sleep cycle. Naps exceeding 90 minutes are not recommended, as prolonged naps may cause dizziness and difficulty falling asleep at night, especially for those with insomnia. Additional advice: Try to finish your nap before 3 PM to avoid disrupting your biological clock.

Fang Shuning slept for a full three hours, until evening. When she suddenly opened her eyes, the sky was already tinged with a hazy, dusky light. The slanting rays of the setting sun peeked through the gaps in the curtains, like half a bowl of cold, thick porridge stuck to her eyelids, impossible to shake off.

My limbs felt like they were filled with lead; the slightest movement of my fingers sent shivers of numbness through my entire body, as if damp cotton had seeped into the cracks of my bones. My head was empty, echoing all around me; yesterday's memories and tomorrow's plans were all churned into a paste. The clock on the wall ticked unusually loudly, each tick like a scraping against the inside of my skull.

Fang Shuning didn't want to get up, letting time slip by. The joy she felt before her afternoon nap seemed to have vanished, leaving only a deep sense of loneliness and desolation!

After an unknown amount of time, the sounds of children chasing and playing in the street had faded away, and silence descended both inside and out. The pause button on Xitang Village had been pressed again. Fang Shuning forced herself to get up, drew back the curtains, and stared blankly out the window for a while. She felt inexplicably irritable.

He was brought back to his senses by the ringing of his cell phone. It was Zhang Jianhua.

Zhang Jianhua said that his uncle's birthday is the day after tomorrow, and Fang Shuning will be there.

Fang Shuning declined, citing her busy work schedule.

Fang Shuning has many relatives, and they have good relationships with each other. Although Fang Shuning is adept at handling interpersonal relationships outside the home, she struggles with her relatives. Maintaining the right balance in these close relationships outside of her parents and sister is crucial. Fang Shuning is bad at it, and doesn't want to.

Then Zhang Jianhua started roaring on the phone.

"Fang Shuning!" Ms. Jianhua raised her voice, "Don't think I don't know you're back in Xitang. Usually you can say you're out of town and won't come back, but not this time. You have to go, whether you like it or not!" She hung up before Fang Shuning could reply. Zhang Jianhua's temper was always like this; only Fang Linhai could tolerate it.

Fang Shuning's already inexplicably irritable mood worsened.

The sound of slippers sliding through the room filled the air. Fang Shuning was in much better spirits by now. She left the bedroom and went to the large window on the second floor to continue staring blankly.

After getting drunk one time, she lost it or had it stolen; it was nowhere to be found. From then on, Fang Shuning considered any lighter over 3 yuan at the convenience store too expensive.

Fang Shuning smoked her cigarette expressionlessly, completely ignoring the doctor's orders.

It's so quiet~

When Liu Yi came out of the village committee, Song Jiuchen insisted on walking her back to school. Liu Yi didn't understand; it was just a few steps, she could walk back with her eyes closed, what was Song Jiuchen trying to do! Could it be that he had some strange thoughts about her after their blind date failed?

Only Song Jiuchen knew that on her way from the village committee to school, she would pass by Fang Shuning's house. She wondered what Fang Shuning had been doing all day, given how boring the village was. Thinking of the "arrogant and domineering female boss," an unconscious smile always crept onto Song Jiuchen's face. Liu Yi, looking at Song Jiuchen's strange expression, felt a helpless, almost disgusted feeling. Was this person possessed by a ghost? This place wasn't clean! Hurry up and leave!

Then he hurriedly left the village committee. Song Jiuchen jogged a few steps behind Liu Yi before catching up.

Walking through the alley, Song Jiuchen immediately spotted Fang Shuning smoking at the second-floor window. Her hair was gently ruffled by the night breeze, and her face was faintly visible in the moonlight. He couldn't tell what she was thinking, but there seemed to be a sense of loneliness about her.

Liu Yi followed Song Jiuchen's gaze and naturally saw Fang Shuning on the second floor. He couldn't make out who she was, but she looked vaguely familiar. He naturally understood that Song Jiuchen's real intentions were not what they seemed.

As she flicked her cigarette ash, Fang Shuning glanced down and saw two people downstairs. "Hey, Secretary Song, where are you going?" After asking this, Fang Shuning noticed someone standing next to Song Jiuchen. The person looked very familiar. Then, with her astigmatic eyes, she looked closer. "Oh, the class monitor!"

The title "class monitor" confused Liu Yi, who asked Song Jiuchen who it was.

When the name Fang Shuning reached Liu Yi's ears, he suddenly realized that he had forgotten he was at Fang Shuning's house!

Fang Shuning was pleasantly surprised to see Liu Yi and greeted them warmly from the second floor, "Where are you two going? Is something important? If not, come to my house and chat for a while."

Song Jiuchen wanted to go, so he looked at Liu Yi. Liu Yi immediately understood and called out to Fang Shuning, "Okay, then come down and open the door."