Chapter 161, first update of 161

Huang Laishun thrived in this family, mainly thanks to his intelligence.

Now it sleeps in the living room at night, not too far from the steaming stove, lying in a warm old quilt, and doesn't poop or pee anywhere.

But dogs have to go to the bathroom sometimes, and it might scratch at the door in the middle of the night.

Liu Yinfeng and her husband are elderly and light sleepers. Hearing the rustling noises, they thought it was mice and sleepily opened the door.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Huang Laishun.

Liu Yinfeng asked it, "What do you want to do?"

Huang Laishun then scratched at the living room door, glancing back at it as he did so.

Liu Yinfeng, still half-asleep, suddenly realized: "Oh dear, you little dog has become a spirit!"

She talked about it with great enthusiasm, mentioning it at least eight times during breakfast the next day.

Luo Hong glanced down at Huang Laishun, who was trying to bite its own tail, and thought it looked rather clumsy.

He asked, "Did you spoil me this much before?"

Liu Yinfeng said, "Is there anyone in the whole alley who spoils the child more than your father and I?"

Luo Hong couldn't think of anything for a moment, but touched his arm and said, "I don't think he held back when he hit me."

Liu Yinfeng said irritably, "That just shows how much you deserve a beating."

Luo Hong really couldn't deny it.

Even though he couldn't remember the details of many things, he knew deep down that he was definitely in the wrong, and said, "Your education was excellent."

He was the one who could talk the most. Liu Yinfeng shoveled the little bit of porridge at the bottom into her son's bowl and said, "I see you've lost weight lately."

Luo Hong: "That's cutting."

Liu Yinfeng slapped him: "I think you're asking for a beating."

See, you got beaten up.

Luo Yan openly mocked her brother, saying, "He deserved it."

"This girl," Luo Hong picked up his bowl and took a sip of porridge, "I'll beat you up later."

Luo Yancai wasn't afraid and sat on the chair, swaying back and forth defiantly.

As soon as she moved, Huang Laishun shouted.

Luo Yan thought she had pressed down on it, so she quickly looked down to take a look.

Luo Hong, however, had sharper ears and said, "It sounds like someone is knocking on the door."

He got up and went out to see what was going on, and welcomed in Aunt Xiujuan, who was close to his mother.

It was a bit strange that they came to visit so early, since it was no mealtime. Liu Yinfeng thought something had happened, but she still greeted them first: "Oh, have you eaten yet? Sit down and have some more."

"We'll talk about eating later," Wang Xiujuan said. "Old Chen's sheep are back, and they're slaughtering them."

As soon as the topic of slaughtering sheep came up, Liu Yinfeng jumped up and said, "Then I have to go pick out some good meat."

She didn't even bother with the remaining porridge, only instructing, "You all go about your business, I'll clean up the table when I get back."

He left as soon as he finished speaking, running away quickly with his shopping basket in hand.

Luo Yan nudged her brother and said, "Let's play rock-paper-scissors, the loser washes the dishes." She suggested it herself, but ended up getting herself into trouble.

Luo Hong's victorious attitude was utterly despicable. After dinner, he crossed his arms and supervised his sister's work, making sarcastic remarks such as, "Put some effort into it. Didn't you eat?"

This kid is sure to get a beating from his sister later.

Luo Xinmin paid no attention to how the brother and sister were arguing; after wiping the table, he went to work.

The children had almost finished packing and set off, bickering as they rode their bikes. They had originally planned to go their separate ways at the school gate, but Luo Yan, still angry, turned around and, while her brother was unlocking the bike, smacked him from behind.

It was early in the morning, and he was going to ride his bike, so Luo Hong was dressed quite warmly. He wasn't bothered at all; in fact, he laughed and cried at the same time, saying, "A sneak attack from behind, how childish!"

Luo Yan didn't care; she felt that hitting the target was a victory, and she went to school humming a song triumphantly.

Today was the last advanced mathematics class of the semester. The teacher, unable to resist our requests, highlighted some key points, but also said, "Just because something wasn't highlighted doesn't mean it won't be on the test. Learning should be well-rounded..."

This implies that there's no main point.

Fortunately, Luo Yan had a solid grasp of each chapter, but there were many people who were smarter and worked harder than her.

But in her family's eyes, this level of studying was already considered extremely difficult, like someone who had to hang their head from the rafters or prick their thigh with an awl.

During lunch, Luo Hong noticed his younger sister engrossed in a book and said, "You're just a few minutes away from finishing, aren't you?"

Luo Yanhui has many famous quotes: "No pain, no gain."

Alright, let's go harvest.

Luo Hong couldn't get a word in edgewise about her studies, but he had complete control over the store's affairs.

After the job posting was put up at the door, a few people came to inquire about the requirements in the following days, but none of them quite met Luo Hong's criteria.

And so it went, from the last month of 1980 to after New Year's Day in 1981, until finally a suitable person was found.

Luo Yan had an exam that day. After leaving the exam hall at 11 a.m., she went straight to the car dealership. Seeing her brother sitting and talking with strangers, she silently picked up a lunchbox from the shelf and went out again.

She deliberately lingered for a while, and when she returned, the person was indeed gone.

Before she could even ask, Luo Hong said, "This guy seems alright. I think we should go with him."

Luo Yan had seen him talk to quite a few people over the past month, but she couldn't figure out his criteria, so she asked, "Is he good at fixing cars?"

Luo Hong: "If this person were capable, I wouldn't be able to afford to support them. I'd be lucky if they could even patch a tire and apply some oil."

Luo Yan thought it wasn't difficult, so she put down the lunchbox, opened it, and said, "I think the boy who came last time will get more than this."

"What's the use of knowing so much?" Luo Hong's gaze fell on his sister: "That guy can't take his eyes off you when he sees you, do you think I'd dare to confess?"

Most people would feel that they were interfering with their brother's important business, but Luo Yan wouldn't think that way: "That's definitely not acceptable, I still need to come to the store in the future."

Luo Hong also thought it was only natural, and said while eating, "That child's name is Zhang Jun, he just turned 16, and he will start working tomorrow."

Luo Yan herself was only five years older than the other person, but she spoke with an air of maturity: "That really is just a child."

Luo Hong wanted to laugh when he heard his sister say that, but after being glared at, he became even more unrestrained. However, he remembered something serious: "Sanfang called to say that he will arrive later this afternoon and asked you to go in and wait."

Luo Yan had arranged to meet Zhou Weifang at the Beijing Hotel that afternoon. She knew the way very well and nodded to indicate that she understood.

Luo Hong did add a few words of advice: "You must have him take you home tonight, understand?"

Even if he didn't say anything, Zhou Weifang was very careful.

But Luo Yan knew that her brother wasn't usually a fussy person; he was only worrying about her. She assured him, "I definitely won't be alone tonight."

As the year draws to a close, the city's security deteriorates, and there are many rumors circulating.

Luo Hong didn't care whether those things were true or false; he only cared about his own people, nagging and giving them a few more instructions.

He said something and Luo Yan nodded emphatically. Finally, she felt a little dizzy and held her head with both hands, saying, "My brain is about to come out."

He muttered to himself, "I'm craving tofu pudding."

Hearing this, Luo Hong said, "No, can you stop thinking about food all the time?"

Luo Yan declared firmly, "No way!"

When she speaks, her eyes are wide open, making her face appear round.

Luo Hong joked, "I see you've been eating well lately."

The first two weeks were review weeks, so Luo Yan didn't have to attend classes and ate all three meals at home.

She said, "I love my mom's cooking."

Well, it's really not good to say anything more about her, so Luo Hong shut his mouth and started talking about random things.

Luo Yan chatted idly with her brother, then pushed away her bowl of rice, grabbed her schoolbag, and ran off.

As if someone were forcibly dragging her to wash the dishes, Luo Hong said, "Slow down, there are a lot of cars on the road!"

Luo Yan was much more safety-conscious than him, and besides, the weather was so cold that her hands were red when she arrived at the restaurant, shivering. After parking her bicycle, she hurried inside.

The heating in the Beijing restaurant was on full blast. Luo Yan started to feel hot as soon as she entered the private room, so she took off two layers of clothing and ordered a cream cake.

When Zhou Weifang arrived late, he saw that she had already finished eating and asked, "Would you like another piece? I've struck it rich today, let's celebrate."

So he was late because he went to make money. Luo Yan's eyes suddenly lit up: "Where did he make his fortune?"

Zhou Weifang teased, "Guess?"

He hadn't mentioned it when they met a couple of days ago, so Luo Yan couldn't guess. She kissed him and said, "I'm not going to guess."

Then let's not guess. Zhou Weifang: "I told you I wanted to buy a motorcycle. The delivery arrived in the middle of the night, and Lao Zhao called me. I was quick and managed to grab the last one. Then a guy asked me to give it to him for a little extra money, and I just blurted out that I'd add 800, and he actually agreed and took out cash on the spot."

He originally intended to discourage people from taking the challenge, but they actually brought it out, putting him in a difficult position. However, a person must keep their word, so he had no choice but to do what he said he would do.

Luo Yan praised him: "Although it was just a casual remark, you kept your promise, and that's great."

The best is yet to come. Zhou Weifang: "Guess who he is?"

Luo Yan didn't know many wealthy people, and as she was racking her brains, she saw his sly smile and realized, "You didn't want me to guess at all, so I'm not going to kiss you."

Zhou Weifang praised her, "How come our Yanyan is so smart?"

Without further ado, he said, "Do you remember that vegetable vendor who made ten thousand yuan in the newspaper a few days ago?"

The story is about a farmer in the suburbs who, after the land was distributed to individual households, took out a loan from the credit union to build a vegetable greenhouse and earned over a hundred yuan from a single crop of leeks.

Luo Yan's mother had been talking about this for several days. She remembered it and said, "A pound of chives costs 2.7 yuan, while seasonal ones are only 15 cents. No wonder he's so generous, taking 800 yuan without a second thought."

In the past, it was hard to find any green leafy vegetables in Beijing when winter came. Every year, we would eat Chinese cabbage and white radishes for several months. This year, as soon as these greenhouse vegetables hit the market, they were sold out quickly.

Zhou Weifang knew this too, and said, "I go to the village a lot even if I don't go. Having more friends means having more options. I had lunch with him, which is why I'm late."

Whether it's late or not doesn't matter, Luo Yan just sniffed: "You didn't even drink."

Zhou Weifang: "It's a new motorcycle. If he's going to drink, will he still be able to ride it back? It'll be too late to show it off."

Everyone's the same, Luo Yan nudged him: "So where were you originally planning to show off first?"

Zhou Weifang: "Of course, I'll take you for a drive."

Luo Yan wasn't really interested in motorcycles because she thought they must be much colder than riding bicycles, but knowing he'd been thinking about them for a long time, she asked, "When is the next batch of goods coming?"

That's hard to say. Zhou Weifang said, "We can only wait for notification, but there's definitely no hope before the New Year."

He was definitely a little disappointed, but the thought of earning eight hundred yuan made him laugh out loud: "I was going to sigh, but this has made me feel so melancholy."

Luo Yan laughed along, and the two of them felt like they were being tickled by an invisible hand, unable to stop for a long time.

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Author's note: I'll take a little time to write about Yan Yan's career path next.

good evening!