Chapter 17: My New Desk Mate

Luo Yan probably really couldn't drink alcohol; her face turned red after just one bite with her chopsticks, and she felt like there were things floating in front of her eyes when she read at night, so she went to bed early.

She slept quite well and was completely unaware of the minor incident that occurred in the yard during the night.

But everyone else in the family heard it, and naturally they started talking about it during breakfast.

Liu Yinfeng picked up a piece of pickled vegetable with her chopsticks and said, "Everything else is fine, but the child is really pitiful."

Luo Hong blew on the scalding hot porridge: "There's nothing we can do. People from the neighborhood committee came to urge us, and Jianjun has also inquired, but someone like his wife definitely can't stay in the city forever."

If it were that simple, not many educated youth would have returned to the city only after getting divorced.

At this point, Luo Yan looked up and asked, "Is Hongyu's mother going back to her hometown?"

Luo Hong retorted, "Didn't you hear the commotion last night?"

Luo Yan thought her brother was teasing her and pouted, "There was no noise at all."

Liu Yinfeng couldn't sit still any longer and touched her daughter's forehead: "No fever."

Luo Yan thought to herself, "Oh, there really is one." She blinked and said, "But I didn't hear a single sound."

Luo Hong couldn't believe it. The only reasonable guess was: "You're not drunk, are you?"

While others are knocked out after just one cup, Luo Yan is knocked out after just one chopstick, which seems a bit embarrassing to admit.

She forced a smile and said, "That's not true."

Luo Hong wasn't joking with her; his face was serious: "From now on, you're not allowed to touch a single drop outside."

What if something goes wrong?

Luo Yan, who doesn't drink anyway, nodded and continued, "What happened last night?"

Liu Yinfeng explained to her daughter, "Third Sister wanted to leave while the children were sleeping, but she didn't expect Hongyu to wake up and cry so loudly. Wangcai and Laifu were barking non-stop, didn't you hear them?"

Wangcai and Laifu were stray dogs that came to courtyard number 13 on New Year's Eve. The Chen family, the main family of the house, kept them in the courtyard after obtaining the consent of the entire courtyard.

Despite its small size, this dog is already quite adept at guarding the house, and it will "sound the alarm" at the slightest disturbance.

Luo Yan thought to herself that she shouldn't be sleeping so soundly, then belatedly realized with fear: "I drank Erguotou, not a sleeping pill, right?"

Don't flatter yourself, Luo Hong said: "At most, you've just caught a whiff of it."

Luo Yan also felt that she was being rather spineless, so she scratched her face and changed the subject: "So, Hongyu will live in the city from now on?"

Liu Yinfeng: "It's hard to say, the street is just not doing anything about it right now."

Children without local household registration won't stay in the city for long anyway. It's okay if they don't attend preschool, as their grandmothers can take care of them. But they can't keep putting off starting primary school indefinitely. Besides, when they're younger, the family can manage to squeeze out some food from their own resources, but when they get older, they probably can't afford to raise them.

Fortunately, Hongyu is only four years old, so there are still a few years to turn things around.

Luo Yan: "Then this is the only way for now."

We're all ordinary people; otherwise, we wouldn't be living in the same courtyard.

Liu Yinfeng: "It's always better for the children to live in Beijing than in the countryside. I don't think Jianjun is a heartless person."

Luo Hong testified on behalf of his childhood friend: "He's been looking everywhere for people these past two days, trying to get Hongyu into the daycare."

In the alley, no child of that age skips school; at least they can recognize a few words and play with their peers.

As he said this, his eyes intentionally or unintentionally glanced at his father. Luo Xinmin understood what he meant and shook his head: "Do you know how many educated youths are about to return to the city this month?"

The newspaper article wasn't harsh, but everyone has eyes.

In the past, the factory might have made an exception for Li Hongyu because of her status as a child, but the current population situation in Beijing is not optimistic. Once an exception is made, it will be difficult to stop the spread, so they simply don't open the door to anyone.

Luo Xinmin, a mere section chief, could have dozens of plaques fall and hit him in Beijing. How could he possibly have such power?

Luo Hong had some idea of ​​this, but he still had to ask his childhood friend.

He said, "There are more and more people, but fewer and fewer jobs. The three parties are right; we should open our own shops."

He was the only one in the family who thought he was right; the other three kept quiet and went about their own business after dinner.

Luo Yan pushed her bicycle and saw Li Hongyu squatting against the wall as soon as she stepped out of the courtyard gate.

Aunt Li looked at her granddaughter helplessly and greeted her, "Yanzi, are you going to school?"

Luo Yan nodded.

She wasn't even good at comforting children. She checked her pockets, found no food, sighed inwardly, and rode away on her bicycle.

Halfway through the ride, light snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

She pulled her scarf up high, and the harder she stomped, the more out of breath she became. When she got to the classroom, her face was flushed red. Before she could catch her breath, Wu Huifang poked her shoulder.

Luo Yan leaned back and turned her head slightly: "What's wrong?"

Wu Huifang: "Bai Ru's mother just came and took her back."

The phrase "bring back" is used as if it were referring to escorting a prisoner.

Luo Yan frowned: "You really won't let her read it?"

Wu Huifang: "I think the homeroom teacher doesn't want to give up, and I guess they will come to the home to do some ideological work."

Luo Yan: "I definitely won't give up. It's such a pity that we're only missing this one semester."

However, Wu Huifang said, "But I see that her mother is determined."

This determination was eventually swayed by the homeroom teacher. The next day, Bai Ru came to school as usual, but her seat was moved from the back row to between Wang Qianyun and Luo Yan, two model students.

Perhaps fearing they might have objections, the teacher specifically called the two of them to her office after class for a talk, and said earnestly, "Bai Ru's return to class is a huge pressure for both of us. I hope you can help her as much as possible, but of course, you should prioritize your own studies."

Luo Yan always did exactly what the teacher said without question.

Only Wang Qianyun hesitated for a moment before asking, "What was her total score on the final exam?"

The homeroom teacher looked troubled: "One hundred and thirty."

Wang Qianyun: "If I work hard, I might be able to get into a vocational school."

She was being very polite; in reality, Bai Ru would have to go all out to get into university just to meet the admission requirements.

The homeroom teacher said, "If she still doesn't know how to work hard, no one else can help her much."

Ultimately, a person's destiny is in their own hands.

Bai Ru probably realized this as well, her eyes practically blazing with fire.

Luo Yan rarely saw the phrase "eager to learn" come to life. After returning to the classroom and sitting down, she smiled at her.

Bai Ru pursed her lips shyly, like a mimosa unfolding its leaves, and asked cautiously, "Can I ask you about the questions I don't know?"

Luo Yan: "Anytime is fine."

Wang Qianyun explained in more detail: "Ask me about English and chemistry, ask Yanyan about math and physics, and you can ask her about Chinese."

To be honest, her enthusiasm exceeded Luo Yan's expectations, but she didn't press for details and simply nodded in agreement.

This attitude made Bai Ru feel relaxed, but it didn't last long.

After all, it's easy for people to make a decision, but it's very difficult to grit their teeth and keep moving forward.

Just one month later, Luo Yan noticed that her new deskmate was always distracted in class.

She hesitated whether to offer a word of advice, but she was always unsure of what to say at the beginning, dragging her feet without a clear idea.

Wang Qianyun didn't hold back; both her parents were teachers, and she had learned the art of lecturing others perfectly: "Just these last few months, give it your all..."

School had already let out when she said this, and only the three of them were left in the classroom, so Luo Yan naturally heard everything.

She thought to herself that since everyone was the same age, saying such a thing might make people lose face, and that she might do more harm than good.

Before she could figure it out, Bai Ru said, "I know I should study hard, but I just can't muster the motivation."

Who would eagerly and ambitiously embark on anything that is difficult?

Wang Qianyun: "Who isn't just putting on a brave face? Ask Yanyan."

When asked about herself, Luo Yan said, "After the exam, I'll probably feel about the same as when I'm liberated."

Bai Ru looked left and right: "I'm not as good as you guys, I really can't hold on."

She also tried studying until midnight, but the next day she was drowsy in class. She was already struggling to keep up with what the teacher was saying, and now it was even worse.

I can't understand what they say or read; every stroke I write on the test paper feels like a mockery. Not to mention, I have to deal with my family's criticism at home.

Wang Qianyun grew up under immense pressure from her parents, so many of their words aren't considered harsh by her.

She rarely says it out loud, but when she does, she says, "It's precisely because you're not good enough that you need to persevere even more."

This is no different from blatantly calling someone stupid; Luo Yan felt embarrassed just listening to it.

She regretted not leaving immediately after school and wished she had stayed to explain the problems to Bai Ru. Her hands were twisted together under the table.

Fortunately, Bai Ru didn't feel offended. She just slumped dejectedly onto the table and said, "It's really hard."

The last word was drawn out.

Wang Qianyun: "There are still four months left. I believe you can do it!"

She clenched her fist in encouragement: "Keep it up!"

Bai Ru shouted "Go for it!" and seemed to receive some encouragement.

She forced herself to finish the remaining questions, and before night completely fell, she said, "I have to go home."

The three of them walked out of the classroom and locked the door, only to find that it was raining outside.

None of them had brought umbrellas, but Bai Ru was in a hurry to get home, and Wang Qianyun's home was in the teachers' dormitory on campus. The two said goodbye and ran with their heads down until they were out of sight.

Once everyone left, Luo Yan began to feel scared, since there wasn't even a light in the corridor and there were hardly any people left in the school.

But when she looked up, she saw that the rain was getting heavier, and she couldn't bring herself to do it right away.

Just as I was caught in this dilemma, a figure came running from afar.

Luo Yan's eyesight isn't very good, but she's quick to recognize her brother, and she excitedly waves to him.

Luo Hong walked closer and saw: "Why is he jumping like a monkey?"

Luo Yan: "I'll let it slide since you came all the way here to bring me a raincoat."

Luo Hong: "It's delivered specifically to you, but we're also delivering chains to the other three parties along the way."

He originally planned to bring it over when he had the day off tomorrow, but when he was about to leave, he thought that since it wasn't far away, he might as well take it with him.

At this point, Luo Yan couldn't help but inquire, "How's his business?"

Luo Hong: "It's great, I earn more than when I work."

Luo Yan somehow sensed something else in those words and looked her brother up and down.

Luo Hong felt uneasy and said, "Hurry up, Mom is already cooking."

Luo Yan put on her raincoat first, leaving only half her face exposed, and then trotted after her brother.

A note from the author:

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It will be available for purchase tomorrow, and there will be an extra chapter.