Chapter 165 (Updated 1651)

Although the defense was scheduled to start at 2 p.m., and Luo Yan was certain she would be quite late, she knew that for something this important, it was better to arrive as early as possible.

She set off after eating, wandering aimlessly in the corridor, when she unexpectedly spotted Zhou Xiuhe.

Zhou Xiuhe also saw her, hesitated for a moment, and walked closer, seemingly wanting to say something.

Actually, they were all in the same school, and they would often run into each other during class. In fact, there was even a big class in their junior year where the teacher randomly grouped them together—it wasn't just the two of them, but it was enough for Zhou Weifang to secretly rejoice and act cute and unreasonable every day.

Luo Yan couldn't help but smile whenever she thought about it, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up.

Perhaps because she had also liked him, Zhou Xiuhe sensed something, but in the end he said nothing, as if he was just going to pass her by anyway.

That's good, Luo Yan felt inexplicably relieved.

She was really bad at dealing with this kind of thing, and afraid of saying something that would embarrass everyone, she quickly found a classmate she wasn't very familiar with to talk to.

As graduation approaches, even strangers seem to become close friends. They chat intimately, huddled together, and chatter away.

Luo Yan rarely had such moments, and she unexpectedly learned a lot of gossip about her classmates that she had never heard in the past four years, her eyes sparkling.

Admittedly, she couldn't openly inquire about these things, but strange tales are always the most captivating.

They talked until almost five o'clock before it was Luo Yan's turn to go in and defend her thesis.

She took a deep breath, brushed the stray hairs from her forehead, stood on the podium, and first said her name and the general content of her paper. Looking at the dozens of teachers below, she thought: What a big scene.

Almost all the professors in the department were here, but only a few senior professors asked questions.

Their knowledge is so profound that even their casual remarks are considered insightful.

Luo Yan couldn't tell from their expressions whether she had answered well or not. When she heard the words "Okay, next one," she walked out in a daze.

Several classmates were waiting outside. Seeing her come out looking like that, they quickly asked, "How did it go? How did it go?"

Luo Yan scratched her face: "It should be alright."

Even the most difficult questions come from the book and don't exceed the scope of her studies.

They have good grades, so of course they're confident.

Some students were worried, some sighed to the heavens, and some were criticized by the teachers who were maintaining order for being too noisy.

Luo Yan was afraid of being implicated, so she quickly tucked her tail between her legs and ran away, only to meet the class monitor at the stairwell.

The class monitor stopped her: "Wait, wait, remember to be at school at nine o'clock the day after tomorrow for a meeting to discuss graduation activities."

There are still more than half a month between the thesis defense and the graduation ceremony. Apart from regular activities such as farewell dinners, each class will have some other events.

Luo Yan is always present for group activities, saying, "I will definitely be there on time."

They don't live on campus, and they don't have classes this semester, so we were able to notify them of these dates one by one.

The class monitor was in a hurry to tell others and didn't bother to exchange pleasantries with her.

Luo Yan then jumped down the stairs two steps at a time, got on her bicycle, and went to Quanjude to find her family.

Her parents arrived a little earlier than her, and holding up her number, they asked, "How are you feeling today?"

Luo Yan nodded: "It's fine."

I'm really worried about my daughter's affairs, but I don't understand them either.

Liu Yinfeng could only care about the parts she could understand, and asked, "When will the results be released?"

Luo Yan: "The first batch of people who pass should receive a notification in three days. Those who don't pass will have to have a second round of debate."

Liu Yinfeng clasped her hands together in prayer, muttering, "Where did your brother go? Why isn't he here yet?"

Luo Yan: "I thought he and Zhou Weifang seemed to have something going on, but I didn't ask."

"If you're busy, then be busy," Liu Yinfeng said, showing her daughter the number plate. "Anyway, we'll have to wait."

Standing for so long must be tiring. Luo Yan looked around for a place where her father could sit and wait, and her eyes met those of an older woman by the roadside.

The older woman leaned over and asked, "Girl, want to rent a stool?"

Renting stools? These days, even restaurants have this kind of business outside their doors?

Luo Yan asked, "How do I rent it?"

The older woman said, "Five cents a piece."

"What? Only five cents?" Liu Yinfeng pulled her daughter behind her and bargained, finally settling on three small stools for one dime.

Fearing they might take the stools and run away, they were only allowed to sit in front of this older woman.

When Luo Hong arrived, he saw the family of three sitting obediently in a row. For some reason, he thought of the children in the preschool class waiting for their parents to pick them up after school, and said with a smile, "What are you doing?"

Luo Yan looked up: "Waiting for you, waiting number."

"Alright," Luo Hong said, pressing his sister's head down. "Sit still, I have some good news to announce."

The three of them looked at him and heard him say, "I bought a motorcycle."

Luo Yan looked around for the car, but couldn't find it.

Luo Hong's hand moved with hers, tapping lightly: "I only paid a deposit, it will arrive at the end of the month."

Motorcycles are in high demand right now, but production is low, so you have to scramble to find connections to pay a deposit.

No wonder he and Zhou Weifang were whispering to each other at noon. Luo Yan said, "They're both two-wheeled. I didn't see you being this excited when you rode a bicycle."

He was so exhausted from stomping that he couldn't muster any energy, and he was far from happy. Luo Hong said, "Can something that burns oil be the same?"

Luo Yan: "All I know is that it's a money pit."

How much does gasoline cost per liter?

Money or not, it's all his own money, so he can spend it however he wants.

Liu Yinfeng only gave one piece of advice: "Don't you dare ride your bike fast, or I'll break your legs."

Upon hearing the news of his leg being broken, Luo Xinmin inexplicably touched his limping foot.

Liu Yinfeng joked, "What are you touching? Anyone who didn't know better would think I was the one who interrupted you."

Luo Xinmin, nearing sixty, has let go of everything he could and couldn't let go of. He shook his empty left sleeve and said, "I'm just feeling sentimental because of the scenery."

Luo Yan couldn't help but laugh, even though she shouldn't. She covered her mouth and her eyes darted around, seizing the perfect opportunity to change the subject: "It's our turn."

The family of four sat down in the store, and after ordering, they all noticed: "Are there any events in the city recently? Why are there so many people from out of town?"

Nowadays, you need a letter of introduction to go anywhere, and there are many road bullies and robbers. Many people never leave their birthplace in their entire lives, so even in Beijing, people from other places find it all very novel.

Luo Hong knew a little about this: "There were a lot of inspection teams."

Since we're here, we have to try Quanjude roast duck.

Liu Yinfeng: "Just like those overseas Chinese last time?"

Luo Xinmin, who usually reads books and newspapers, said, "Last time it was all foreign investors coming to invest, but this time it's different. Isn't there also a cultural exchange delegation? They're going to hold some kind of concert?"

None of the four family members can play the harmonica, so they don't understand concerts at all, let alone spend time paying attention to them. They just look at each other, shrug, and are more concerned about the new changes in the store.

Liu Yinfeng, who is not highly educated, looked at the newly painted slogan on the wall and said, "The pinyin is not even right."

Luo Yan looked at it and said, "It's not pinyin, it's the English meaning 'Welcome to Beijing'."

No wonder, Liu Yinfeng thought. How could someone less educated than herself be so brazen as to say, "There are so many foreigners this year."

Compared to before the reform and opening up, it was already packed with people.

The family of four ate their meal while chatting idly. After finishing, the parents took the bus home, while the brother and sister slowly rode their bicycles.

They were supposed to be slower, but they actually arrived before their parents. They spread their hands and told Huang Laishun, "You'll have to wait a while before you can eat the duck butt."

When it comes to food, Huang Laishun is particularly clever; he lies down and waits quietly.

The dog knew before the couple even reached the gate and suddenly darted out.

In the pitch black, Liu Yinfeng mistook it for a weasel or something and was nearly startled, clutching her chest: "How did you get out? Didn't I lock the door?"

Why wasn't the door locked? Luo Xinmin: "The child must have arrived home."

Look how fast those two wheels are! Liu Yinfeng went inside and put the late-night snack she brought for Huang Laishun into his bowl, saying, "Dongsi Street is so congested! There are so many people on the street now. How come it's still so lively at almost nine o'clock?"

May is a great season for people to go out at night. Luo Yan said, "Sometimes, walking is faster than taking a car."

Indeed, Liu Yinfeng said, "Everywhere they keep clamoring to build roads, but there are hardly any places that are easy to travel through."

With so many cars and people now, the original road design can't keep up with the new urban changes, and resources in all aspects are in short supply, especially in bustling cities like Beijing, which is really congested.

Luo Yan: "It will probably take eight to ten years to get better."

It's a long time for them, young people, and older people don't care about it at all. Liu Yinfeng thought to herself that she might not even see it, so she went into the kitchen to boil water.

Luo Yan also took her clothes and went out with her brother to the bathhouse.

The public bathhouse was so stuffy in the summer that she didn't feel very refreshed after showering, and she walked back, shaking her wet hair.

Luo Hong took two steps back: "You've blamed everything on me."

The more Luo Yan talked, the more her head swayed, until she felt dizzy. When she got home, she felt the world spinning. She took out a hair dryer from the cabinet and plugged it in—this thing was bought last year. It was heavy in her hand, very loud, and not cheap, but it was really suitable for someone like her who washes her hair frequently.

However, Huang Laishun was a coward; upon hearing the commotion, he immediately ran into the yard.

Luo Yan was both amused and exasperated. She dried it halfway and then put it away, sitting down to watch TV with her parents.

The most popular TV series recently is "Dream of the Red Chamber," but Luo Hong doesn't like watching it. Instead, he lies in his room reading a newly bought martial arts novel.

He had only read two pages when someone outside called him to go play cards.

They were just playing around, and the winnings or losses in a night were at most two cents. They were just finding a place to get together and kill time.

Luo Hong was happy to join in the fun, so he shuffled out in his slippers, telling Huang Laishun to take good care of the house before he left.

His family didn't care what time he came back. They just left the door open and he went to sleep on time, since Huang Laishun would keep watch in the yard at night.

However, Luo Yan still heard her brother enter the room in the middle of the night. She didn't even open her eyes, turned over and went back to sleep.

Perhaps because she was too tired recently, she slept until ten o'clock and was surprised when she woke up.

Liu Yinfeng was preparing vegetables in the living room when she saw her daughter and said, "Sanfang called and asked if you want to have lunch. If you do, call him back first."

Luo Yan scratched her face: "Then I'll go to the phone booth."

After making the phone call, she went home to wash up and change her clothes, saying, "Mom, I'm leaving now."

Go ahead, Liu Yinfeng: "Take advantage of not having to work and have some fun."

What is going to work really like? Luo Yan is still quite looking forward to it, so she hops on her bike and rides off.

She met Zhou Weifang at a restaurant, and as soon as they met, he said, "I've found a place to live."

Where is it?

"The post and telecommunications staff quarters on West Street."

The post and telecommunications staff quarters are very close to where the Luo family lives now; it's less than a kilometer straight ahead.

Luo Yan was delighted: "That's great!"

Zhou Weifang knew she would like it, and said, "I'll take you to see it after we finish eating. If you like it, we'll buy it."

He added, "Your brother has already seen it, and he said it's alright."

They both thought it was okay, and Luo Yan thought that meant it was okay.

She didn't know anything about houses, so after finishing her meal and going over to take a look, she could only manage to say, "The tree outside the window is huge."

Zhou Weifang chuckled and explained to her from the beginning: "Look, it's well-ventilated from north to south, and there are windows in the toilet and kitchen. The property certificate shows an area of ​​60 square meters. Although the rooms aren't big, there are three. This is the second floor, so it won't be too tiring to come up. There's also a woodshed downstairs where you can store some odds and ends. The carport is right at the top of the stairs."

It seemed pretty good, but Luo Yan was so shocked when she went into the bathroom that she backed out and whispered in her boyfriend's ear, "Does this family not clean regularly?"

Zhou Weifang: "It's alright, we're going to renovate anyway."

That's true, but it's fortunate that she had already eaten, otherwise Luo Yan wouldn't have been able to eat.

She frowned slightly as she looked around the room, measuring its width with her footsteps.

Perhaps because she looked unwell, the seller could tell who would make the final decision and said, "If you are really interested, we can discuss the price."

Luo Yan, who was terrible at bargaining, instead turned her gaze to Zhou Weifang.

This left the seller completely baffled: What does this mean? The person who makes the decision doesn't care about the money? No one makes that kind of sense.

Luo Yan didn't know what others were thinking, but she probably said, "This room is the biggest; I can't even see four meters wide."

Zhou Weifang pulled out a measuring tape with a flick of his wrist: "Measure it."

She even carries this thing with her; she's really well-prepared. Luo Yan held one end and looked down, saying, "I told you, it's 3.8 meters."

Zhou Weifang: "It's not very big, but houses are so hard to buy these days."

He originally wanted a house with two toilets, but there aren't many houses like that in Beijing, so he had to settle for something less.

Luo Yan didn't mean to complain about the size; she said, "You should praise my sharp eyes."

Zhou Weifang immediately praised her, then asked, "So what do you think?"

He waited cautiously for a reply.

Luo Yan: "It's great."

Saying such things when buying something is a big no-no, and the seller immediately changed to an "unyielding" attitude, arguing with Zhou Weifang endlessly.

As Luo Yan listened to their back-and-forth, she felt she couldn't just watch the show, so she suddenly pulled Zhou Weifang behind her and said, "It can't exceed 20,000 yuan."

She spoke loudly, but gripped Zhou Weifang's hand tightly.

Zhou Weifang chuckled to himself, adding, "We only have this much money in total, and we even borrowed some of it."

He tried every method imaginable, and finally settled on a price of 20,000 yuan. They agreed to go and complete the transfer of ownership the next day.

Luo Yan was still in a daze as she came down the stairs: "Don't you want to think about it again?"

After all, it's such a large sum of money, and the decision was made far too quickly.

Zhou Weifang lowered his voice: "To be honest, I can't find any other rooms either."

If the seller heard this, they probably wouldn't agree to lower the price by the last two hundred yuan.

Luo Yan only knew that he had gone through a lot of trouble to buy a house, but she didn't really know exactly how much trouble he had gone through. However, she could tell from his words that he said, "Actually, it doesn't have to be that big or that nice."

She was willing to be understanding because of herself, but Zhou Weifang couldn't take that as an excuse to get away with it. He said, "If I had money, I would buy the entire Forbidden City for you."

Luo Yan nodded with a smile: "Okay, I'll be waiting for your Forbidden City."

Zhou Weifang pondered, "Should I hang a sign for the Forbidden City at the entrance later?"

Stop messing around all day, Luo Yan said: "Be careful people say you have improper thoughts."

If handled poorly, it could be labeled as a resurgence of feudal autocracy.

Zhou Weifang lacked her keenness and caution in these matters, saying, "I won't say such things anymore."

"Good to know," Luo Yan said, looking up from downstairs. "Is it that window?"

Zhou Weifang hummed in agreement, then suddenly had a question for her: "Shall we have a good meal at our usual spot to celebrate?"

Their usual haunt was a private room at the Beijing Hotel. Even the waiters recognized them and said when taking their order, "We have a new cold drink menu, exactly the same as the one in Hong Kong."

Luo Yan flipped to the very back and saw: "Stocking milk tea, does it contain stockings?"

Waiter: "No, it's just a name."

Luo Yan was really curious and said, "Then we'll have a drink."

She ordered the rest of the food as usual, and after the waiter left, she said, "Why are you hesitating to say something?"

Zhou Weifang had something to say to him: "Yanyan, I've always felt I should ask you this seriously."

"Ask me?" Luo Yan looked at him and asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhou Weifang took a deep breath: "Although it seems like a tacit agreement, I still feel uneasy without a definite answer."

And then? Why did he keep saying this in one sentence, with long, long pauses in between?

However, Luo Yan also vaguely realized that he was about to say something very important, so she did not urge him, but instead quietly looked at the person opposite her.

Zhou Weifang hadn't actually prepared for this, and couldn't even find the right words at the last minute, so he simply went with his own ideas: "Yanyan, will you marry me?"

Luo Yan remained silent for only a second, and it felt as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest, his face gradually turning ashen.

She said, "Yes, I'm willing."

Listen to the last one, how cheerful it is.

Zhou Weifang finally regained some color and let out a soft sigh of relief.

Luo Yan added fuel to the fire: "I just realized that I've never thought about whether I'm willing or not, because I've always felt that I am willing."

Zhou Weifang was stunned for a moment, realizing for the first time that joy could truly drive a person mad. His mind was almost entirely out of control; he acted solely on instinct, hugging her tightly.

Luo Yan leaned on his shoulder and patted his back like she was coaxing a child.

Sometimes silence seems to convey a thousand words more than words.

Zhou Weifang kept calling her name, and even when he heard the knocking, he didn't want to let go of her hand.

As soon as Luo Yan said, "I'm hungry," he reacted very quickly.

For him, any of his thoughts were probably a concession to her.

Luo Yan softened and kissed him, saying, "There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

What about the future? Zhou Weifang's mind became a jumble of thoughts, and all the images he had secretly imagined during countless sleepless nights rushed in. He clenched his fists tighter, and as soon as the milk tea arrived, he picked out two pieces of ice to chew on and cool himself down.

Luo Yan assumed he was hot and helped fan him with both hands.

Little did she know that with this movement, a faint fragrance emanated from her body.

Zhou Weifang's restlessness, which he had finally managed to suppress, resurfaced. He had no choice but to chew a couple more pieces to calm down before clearing his mouth and saying, "It's not hot anymore. You should eat your food; it'll get cold soon."

Luo Yan gave an "oh," but vaguely felt that it wasn't because of the heat.

But her simple-minded little head couldn't possibly think of too much, let alone imagine what Zhou Weifang would do to her in his dream tonight.

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Author's note: At the start of the story, the estimated length was 600,000 words.

Halfway through writing: estimated at 800,000 words.

My current goal: one million words.

I really can't keep writing until the New Year, I need to work harder!!