Chapter 101 One Hundred and One Difficulties

What to eat is still undecided, because Zhou Weifang won't know her grades until she receives her course completion certificate next Monday.

But he didn't have the excuse of reviewing, and the next day he still went to Hongtu Auto Shop—he didn't go empty-handed, he brought his lunch with him.

Luo Hong was working when he looked up and saw him. He was tapping the hammer idly and said, "Yan Yan isn't coming at noon; she has to sweep the floor."

What to sweep? Zhou Weifang: "Doesn't their school not assign cleaning duties?"

Luo Hong: "They said that leaders were coming to inspect, so the whole school had to do a big clean-up."

Well, Zhou Weifang said, "You got off easy."

Luo Hong laughed three times: "I don't want to take advantage of this."

He found the food tasteless and bland.

Zhou Weifang sat down and opened his lunchbox: "It's a fool not to take advantage of a good deal."

There was no rush with the car in hand. Luo Hong used the momentum to stand up, quickly washed his hands, wiped them on an old towel, and glanced at the dishes: "I can heat this up for dinner tonight."

Zhou Weifang: "Does she have to sweep the floor until night?"

Luo Hong: "He said he was going to go shopping with his classmates and eat out."

With classmates? Zhou Weifang could only think of one person: "Their class monitor?"

As Luo Hong spoke of the "female classmate," he picked up his chopsticks and said, "Bring me two tire covers tomorrow."

Zhou Weifang: "Is it urgent? I need to move some goods for my sister tomorrow."

His mother fell and her leg hasn't fully recovered yet, so his second sister has been taking care of her. As a result, the stall is a bit busy. He just received a call from her this morning.

Luo Hong: "No rush, I can go get it myself."

Zhou Weifang: "Then I'll come the day after tomorrow."

Come on, it's only for a few days anyway.

But Luo Hong felt bad about it, and even the braised pork in front of him didn't taste good anymore.

Zhou Weifang, being a clever person, could probably guess what Chu Xiao was thinking. He said seriously, "Even if I wanted to get a hundred points, I would have to do more questions. There are plenty of people who do questions and still get sixty points. I can only blame myself for not being lucky enough. Is there any reason to ask the teacher for a refund?"

Luo Hong picked up a large piece of meat with his chopsticks: "Anyway, consider this meal your treat, brother."

Zhou Weifang: "I really have to treat you to a meal another day. Brother Hong came yesterday and said he'll be leaving on the 10th of next month."

It's already the end of June, and there are only a few days left until next month.

Luo Hong: "Is there anything you need to specifically tell me about your shop?"

Zhou Weifang: "Just keep an eye on the accounts for me every day, everything else is the same as what you do."

Luo Hong nodded to indicate that there was no problem, and the two of them ate while discussing what kind of place Fujian was.

After finishing his meal, Zhou Weifang returned to the shop.

No sooner had he left than Luo Yan rushed in, shouting, "I'm so thirsty! I'm so thirsty!"

Luo Hong thought to himself that this was probably how people who weren't meant to be were, and asked, "Have you finished sweeping the floor?"

Luo Yan poured herself a sip of water before saying, "No, but several people fainted from heatstroke, so they told us to sweep later."

In this weather, how can one not get heatstroke?

Luo Hong clapped his hands: "I'll go buy popsicles."

When her brother returned from across the street, the popsicle had already started to melt. Luo Yan bit into it "fiercely," but she couldn't stop the syrup from dripping down her elbow; she could only eat faster and faster.

Before she could even swallow the first bite, the next one would follow. She was more tired after finishing the popsicle than after a run. She let out a long sigh and went to wash her hands. Seeing two sets of bowls and chopsticks soaking in the basin, she asked, "Who came for lunch?"

Luo Hong: "Who else could it be?"

Luo Yan turned on the tap and said, "Maybe I should talk to him tomorrow."

Luo Hong: "He has something to do tomorrow."

Luo Yan: "The day after tomorrow won't work either, we need to rehearse."

The choir competition is in a few days.

Luo Hong was in a dilemma. He felt that his childhood friend might have been able to let go of the matter sooner if he had known earlier, but he also hoped that his friend would find out about the bad news later. He was caught in a dilemma and did not want to show it in front of his sister, so he simply said, "You decide."

Luo Yan hadn't really figured out how to bring it up with Zhou Weifang yet, so she hesitated for a moment and said, "Then let's wait for the results."

Luo Hong is now "burying his head in the sand," only wanting to pretend that he really doesn't know about this matter, and nodding.

Luo Yan washed the dishes and chopsticks and put them on the rack to dry. Suddenly feeling sleepy, she leaned back in the recliner and vaguely heard someone calling her name. She opened her eyes, and exclaimed with delight, "Huifang?"

Wu Huifang was also delighted: "I was just passing by and trying my luck, I didn't expect you to actually be here."

Luo Yan yawned, stood up, stretched, and took her friend's hand: "Where did you pass by?"

Wu Huifang lowered her voice: "My second aunt's cousin is getting married today."

The shop wasn't very big, and Luo Hong had actually heard everything. He thought that this "cousin" must be someone with a lot of stories, so he said, "Please sit down, I'll go out for a bit."

He would go out briefly and then stay under the shade of a tree by the door, allowing Wu Huifang to share the latest news with him with smug abandon.

The two hadn't seen each other for a while and had so much to say, but unfortunately Wu Huifang had class in the afternoon. After chatting away for a while, she said, still not quite finished, "Let's talk on Sunday."

There's nothing fun to do outside, and it's very hot.

Luo Yan: "Then come find me."

Wu Huifang agreed and hurriedly returned to school, politely saying goodbye to Luo Hong as she passed by.

Luo Hong waved his hand and roughly wiped the sweat from his face with the hem of his shirt.

Luo Yan fanned her brother with a fan, then quickly handed it to him, saying, "I have to go to class now."

She jogged into the classroom and heard a commotion. Her sharp ears caught keywords like "clothes" and "shoes." She found an empty seat, sat down, and asked the girl next to her, "What are you all talking about?"

Female student: "The competition outfits of the Shipping Class 2 are so beautiful. They said they borrowed them from outside."

People are naturally competitive, and when they heard this, everyone got restless and wanted to try something different with their outfits. The class monitor was just asking for opinions from the students.

But with over thirty students in the class, it's not easy to reach a consensus so quickly. After all, buying new clothes would be an extra expense for many of them.

As for borrowing clothes, that's not something an ordinary person can do.

The whole afternoon was filled with discussion, but in the end everyone decided to wear green military uniforms as previously agreed, which would match the song title "I Love the Great Grassland of My Motherland".

Luo Yan had no objections, but when she was doing the big clean-up, she saw the class monitor pacing around her for a long time and asked, "Is something wrong?"

The squad leader rubbed his hands together and said, "I have something I'm a little embarrassed to say."

Luo Yan: "Tell me what you think is wrong and I'll see if I can help."

Class monitor: "I heard that the lead singers from other classes sometimes put on some makeup on their faces."

Luo Yan understood: "But it's a bit strange that I'm all alone, isn't it?"

Class monitor: "Since you're the lead singer, you'll have to borrow it yourself."

These days, nobody wears makeup; everyone goes bare-faced. He figured Luo Yan would definitely have to borrow it from someone, and it was really too embarrassing to ask.

But Luo Yan smiled and said, "I have lipsticks. I'll bring them over then, so all the girls can wear them."

Huh? Class monitor: "This thing must be expensive."

Luo Yan: "It's okay, I don't need it, it's a waste to leave it there."

She dared not lend such a mouth-sized item to others. She bought it specifically when she went for an interview at the performing arts troupe, thinking that she would need it someday. However, it ended up sitting in her drawer for several years.

The class monitor looked delighted, like he'd just found some money, but also a little embarrassed: "You've been the only one contributing to the class."

Luo Yan: "I'm a member of the class too."

Listen to this, listen to this, what a high level of awareness!

The class monitor excitedly reached into his pocket, but found nothing. He said, "I'll treat you to dinner tomorrow."

Luo Yan: "Really, there's no need."

The two of them kept refusing to speak to each other while sweeping the floor, and it wasn't until a while that they finished this string of polite exchanges.

The class monitor went to check on how the other students were cleaning, and Ji Ning immediately came over: "Luo Yan, it seems we won't have time to go to the department store tonight."

Luo Yan glanced at the time: "How about we go tomorrow?"

Ji Ning agreed and then inquired about what the squad leader had just told her.

Actually, she is usually very sensible, so Luo Yan felt a little strange when asked this, but she told the truth anyway.

Girls seem to have a lot of curiosity about cosmetics. Ji Ning asked, "Don't you need a letter of introduction to buy lipsticks in Beijing?"

Luo Yan: "I should have been required when I was in junior high school, but it was later canceled."

Only employees of performing arts troupes and theaters, which regularly require performances, can purchase these items.

Ji Ning: "Our city hasn't canceled it yet."

Luo Yan: "However, I was required to pay industrial vouchers when I bought it, but I don't know about that now."

Ji Ning's face fell again at the mention of industrial vouchers, because students' supplies did not include them.

Seeing her expression, Luo Yan said, "Maybe we don't need to now. Anyway, we're going to the department store tomorrow, so we can ask."

"Never mind, I'll just buy shoes instead of tickets," Ji Ning said.

She had her eye on Luo Yan's new shoes and wanted to buy a pair herself.

But with so many counters in the department store, Luo Yan had forgotten where she bought it, so she decided to go with her to look for it.

The two girls were talking about shoes again when their mouths were blocked by dust kicked up while they were sweeping.

Luo Yan's face was all wrinkled, and she didn't even have time to tidy herself up after finishing her work. So after school that evening, she rode her bike to the store at breakneck speed and told her brother, "I'm not waiting for you today, I'm going home to take a shower."

Summer evenings are bustling with activity.

Luo Hong wasn't too worried and said, "Okay, then take it easy."

Before Luo Yan could finish speaking, only a blurry silhouette remained.

She rode her bike so fast it felt like she was flying. When she got home, she greeted her parents, grabbed her washbasin, and ran outside. Only after taking a shower did she feel completely relaxed. She hummed a song as she slowly walked home.

Zhou Weifang heard the singing first and then saw the person, calling out to her, "Yanzi."

The alley was dark at night. Luo Yan, who was walking with her eyes on the ground, looked up and asked, "Are you going home?"

Zhou Weifang: "I just came out of my house and am about to go back to the shop."

Luo Yan naturally said goodbye to him. Zhou Weifang had other things to do and was in a hurry to leave, so he couldn't chat with him for longer and could only say, "See you later."

The two brushed past each other, but as Luo Yan approached the courtyard gate, she inexplicably turned back and saw that Zhou Weifang was still standing there.

The moon cast a long shadow over him, his figure obscured by the darkness. It was a scene that the timid Luo Yan feared most at night, yet she felt at ease knowing that the man was Zhou Weifang.

That's probably why it's so hard to say no to him.

Luo Yan sighed at the thought, then ran into the courtyard in a few quick steps, peeking furtively into the alley like a thief.

Zhou Weifang probably saw that she had arrived safely and turned to leave. He didn't know how urgent it was, but he disappeared in the blink of an eye.

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The author says: My tenosynovitis flared up, and I spent the whole day trying to use voice input, but for some reason, I felt ashamed when I read it aloud.

See you tomorrow!