Chapter 22 Discharge from the Hospital

But for Luo Yan, everything else had to be put aside for the time being, since her father was still in the hospital.

Luo Xinmin recovered well after the surgery and was discharged after five days.

He had been itching to leave for a long time, and while going through the formalities, he said, "Finally, I can go."

All he wants to do is get discharged from the hospital, as if he's still young?

Liu Yinfeng retorted irritably, "You think disemboweling is a trivial matter!"

Luo Yan found the words "Mom" even more frightening and said, "Mom, it's not that exaggerated."

That's right, that's right, Luo Xinmin quietly voiced his support for his daughter.

Luo Yan also criticized him: "Dad, you also need to take care of your own health."

Luo Xinmin chuckled awkwardly, then made up a story out of thin air: "I brought back quite a lot of things from my stay here."

The Luo family had no distant relatives in Beijing, but had many close neighbors.

Even when Luo Hong took leave to care for his family, his workplace still had to make a special trip to visit him in the hospital.

No one comes empty-handed; at the very least, they have to bring a bag of milk powder.

Luo Yan has been eating fruit all day and doesn't need to eat meals anymore. She said, "It's a pity that it can't be stored in the summer."

There's no such thing as spoiled food; once you peel off the moldy outer layer, it's still perfectly fine.

However, it's definitely better to eat fresh food. Liu Yinfeng said, "Let's save up some more money and buy a refrigerator for our family next year."

This thing is only used for a few months a year, and Luo Xinmin rarely expressed his opinion: "I think it's not as good as television."

The television was good too. Liu Yinfeng spent most of her day at home, mentally calculating her finances: her daughter was about to go to university, where tuition was free and the school even provided living expenses. Her son's job was stable, and he would soon be officially employed. She could save half of her husband's salary now, but her children's weddings would be two major expenses.

She said, "Forget it, don't waste that money."

Luo Xinmin was able to work in the factory's logistics department, so he was naturally very good at accounting.

He changed his mind quickly and chimed in, "That's true." Luckily, Luo Hong was on duty today, otherwise he would have definitely said something about his father's lack of opinion.

Unlike her brother, Luo Yan just smiled and checked the payment receipts again, saying, "Dad, you have to keep these safe. It's a total of twelve yuan and six cents. You can take them to get reimbursed when you go to work."

Luo Xinmin took it and put it in his pocket: "Okay, I'll definitely keep it safe."

He already walked slowly, and now, fearing that his still-healing wound would be aggravated, he moved his feet unsteadily.

Liu Yinfeng helped her husband, so most of the messy luggage ended up on her daughter's shoulders.

Fortunately, Luo Yan had participated in many large-scale training exercises during junior high school, so she was physically able to handle it.

But she only has two hands, unlike a crab which has eight claws, and her little finger almost cramps from straining so much.

Zhou Weifang saw her carrying a washbasin from afar and jogged a few steps, saying, "Give it to me."

Luo Yan instinctively looked at her parents first.

Liu Yinfeng: "Did Luo Hong send you? This kid is really outrageous. Isn't this delaying your business?"

Zhou Weifang: "No, Uncle Qiao just passed by my shop and said that Uncle Luo was being discharged from the hospital today. I happened to be free, so I came over to see if I could help."

Therefore, living in a hutong means having no secrets.

Liu Yinfeng remembered that she hadn't specifically mentioned it to anyone, but she didn't expect the matter to spread like dandelion seeds everywhere.

She said, "Look at you, you're too kind."

Zhou Weifang: "You're too kind. I'm not related to Luo Bo at all."

Who could be colluding with whom? They're just in cahoots.

Luo Yan muttered to herself, but said aloud, "This basin is very light, I can carry it myself."

Zhou Weifang: "Okay, be careful."

Luo Yan was very polite: "Okay, thank you!"

It's strange, Zhou Weifang always felt something was off whenever she smiled like that, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it, and continued talking to his elders.

When we started chatting, of course we had to ask him how business was at his shop.

Zhou Weifang: "I'm just scraping by, barely making ends meet."

Liu Yinfeng was well-informed and knew perfectly well that the other person was just being modest.

She said, "That's good. Save up while you're young, find a wife in a couple of years, and life will definitely be better then."

Zhou Weifang was quite enthusiastic: "Sure, I'll post it later, Auntie, please say something for me."

When it comes to matchmaking, middle-aged people get very excited.

Luo Yan rarely saw her father talk so much, and thought to herself that he was usually quite polite to her brother—but even so, Luo Hong occasionally couldn't control his temper.

Fortunately, Zhou Weifang has a good temper and can respond to questions and answers, unlike when he was a troublemaker and always had a hard time with everyone.

Luo Yan sometimes wondered what had happened to him after he went to the countryside, that he could train a monkey to resemble a human. She pondered too much, and didn't even see a car when she reached the alley entrance.

Zhou Weifang reacted quickly, pulling her along: "Watch where you're going."

Luo Yan used too much force, and when she stepped back, her foot twisted and she sat down on the ground.

She couldn't even process which emotion to use to respond; she relied entirely on primal instinct, her large eyes filled with accusation.

Zhou Weifang was also stunned, and for some reason wanted to laugh, so he quickly suppressed it and went to help her up: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just saw a car coming."

Luo Yan saw the corners of his mouth turn up, and his hands were still burning with pain. Her emotions surged: "Zhou Weifang!"

Why did they use their full names? The couple lagged behind and saw that the other person had meant well but ended up doing something wrong.

Liu Yinfeng: "Yanyan, talk to your brother properly."

He quickly helped her up, asking, "Where did you fall?"

Luo Yan steadied herself and picked up the basin that had fallen to the ground, her cheeks bulging with anger.

Zhou Weifang, realizing he was in the wrong, apologized cautiously: "Are you alright? Where does it hurt? I'll take you to the hospital to get it checked out."

Luo Yan hid her scraped hand: "It's okay, I was just stunned from the fall, it wasn't because of you."

She was wearing short sleeves, and the arm that had just been grabbed was still red, showing that she hadn't seen much hardship before.

Zhou Weifang felt even more guilty: "I'm really sorry."

These two kids are more polite than adults.

Seeing that her daughter had only suffered minor scrapes, Liu Yinfeng said, "It's alright, it's nothing, let's go."

With the adults smoothing things over, Zhou Weifang couldn't really ignore it, so he continued walking and observing as he went.

Luo Yan isn't blind; of course she could see it.

She considered herself a person who could distinguish right from wrong, and said, "It really doesn't hurt, you didn't do it on purpose."

Now that we've gotten to this point, it's time to change the subject.

Zhou Weifang: "I'll treat you to dinner in a couple of days. You and Luo Bu can come together. Order whatever you want to eat. It's my way of apologizing to you."

Luo Yan: "A treat?"

Zhou Weifang: "When we opened, all the guys helped out. Now that it's summer vacation, there are fewer customers, so it's a good time to have a meal together."

His shop is next to three schools, and it's usually frequented by students.

Judging from this, it sounds like a gathering of childhood friends.

Luo Yan thought she might be able to get a free meal, and she was secretly looking forward to it.

But she was only a condition in this situation and couldn't make the decision on her own, saying, "It depends on whether my brother agrees or not."

Zhou Weifang: "What could I possibly disagree with? Wherever Luo Bu goes, he'll take you with him."

Luo Yan rarely quipped, "That depends on what you two are planning."

Well, if we bring up old grievances, Zhou Weifang will have even more reasons to be in the wrong.

He adopted a humble attitude: "Grandma, let's talk about what's happening now."

Luo Yan looked smug with victory, trying her best to control her smile, while her eyes darted around with incredible agility.

Okay, as long as you smiled.

Zhou Weifang breathed a sigh of relief. He arrived at the Luo family's door, put his things down, and took his leave.

Liu Yinfeng couldn't let him leave like that, so she insisted on stuffing a bag of fruit into his hands.

Zhou Weifang was both amused and exasperated: "Auntie, I was the one who brought this up."

Wow, there are so many people, I'm a little confused.

Liu Yinfeng said shyly, "Um, um, give these cookies to..."

Zhou Weifang: "Auntie, please don't bother, I have to go back to the shop."

See? See? I told you I was interfering with their work.

Liu Yinfeng couldn't force her to stay, but when she was making dumplings in the afternoon, she said, "Yanyan, send some over to Sanfang later."

Luo Yan nodded obediently, saying, "Perfect, I'll send some to my brother too."

My son switched shifts with a colleague a few days ago, and he'll be busy until midnight today.

Liu Yinfeng: "Then there isn't enough meat. Go and see if you have any more."

In the days when food was rationed, you had to grab anything with even a little bit of oil or fat early in the morning.

Luo Yan rode her bike all the way to the third alley before she finally managed to buy a tiny piece of meat, only two inches wide. She was so happy she started humming a song.

Seeing that she was in a good mood, Wang Tongguang dared to greet her: "Luo Yan."

Luo Yan turned around: "What a coincidence, are you here to buy something too?"

Wang Tongguang had only come to run errands because he lost a game of rock-paper-scissors with his cousin, and now his resentment had vanished: "Yes, just some soy sauce."

Luo Yan was halfway through making dumplings at home and didn't have time for a long chat. She simply said, "My mom is waiting for me. Goodbye."

Just as she was about to leave, she remembered and said, "My dad was discharged from the hospital today. Thanks to your dad for taking care of him, thank you!"

Wang Tongguang was even more concerned about the illness than the family members, saying, "You're welcome, I'm just glad you've recovered, Uncle."

Seeing that she was about to receive a few more polite words, Luo Yan didn't just keep going in circles.

In a flash, she thought of Zhou Weifang and said, "Then I won't be polite. I'll treat you to a movie next time."

A movie? Wang Tongguang was so excited he stammered, "I'll treat you, I'll treat you!"

The last two words were spoken in a high-pitched tone, which startled Luo Yan. She blinked and said, "We'll set a time later. I'll be going now."

Wang Tongguang was so excited that he forgot to ask any further questions. Only after everyone left did he realize that there were many possibilities for "deciding again," and he slapped his thigh in frustration.

Luo Yan hadn't actually decided on the next date yet; when she got home, she first looked at the calendar.

Liu Yinfeng said knowingly, "The results won't be out for a few more days, so there's no rush."

Strangely enough, Luo Yan didn't think about it much after finishing the exam. It was only after her mother reminded her that she remembered: "It'll probably only be three to five days."

Liu Yinfeng felt uneasy about her husband's illness, constantly feeling that it was an ominous sign.

Luo Xinmin, however, offered a different explanation: "Even if the child has some faults, I've shielded him from them."

The couple only dared to whisper these words in private.

Liu Yinfeng didn't mention it to her daughter's face, only saying, "Let's talk about it in three to five days."

"Yes, that's right," Luo Yan said with a smile. "The most important thing today is to eat dumplings."

Seeing how much she was craving it, Liu Yinfeng cooked a pot for her first, and then scooped out the second pot and packed it up, saying, "Go run the errand."

Having eaten and drunk her fill, Luo Yan was full of energy and rode her bicycle out in a hurry.