Chapter 29 Report

With the money borrowed from his sister in his pocket, Luo Hong showed up at the auto repair shop the day after get off work.

Zhou Weifang was working when he heard footsteps and thought it was a customer. He turned around and said, "Wait a minute, the customer needs the car urgently."

Luo Hong acted as if he were at home, rummaging through the cabinet for a box of high-quality instant noodles, then leaned back in his recliner, looking quite relaxed.

Zhou Weifang ignored him, finished his work, took off his gloves, washed his hands, and patted the dust off his clothes: "Want to eat something here tonight?"

Luo Hong: "You talk like there's some kind of Manchu Han Imperial Feast."

Zhou Weifang: "You won't starve. I'll go buy it."

He usually buys food, but he can manage on his own. When guests come, he always buys half a pound of pig ears as an extra treat.

Luo Hong commented on the dinner: "Extravagant. No wonder you can't save money."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Weifang sneered, "You've saved it up?"

Luo Hong slapped his bankbook down confidently: "Let me show you my power."

Zhou Weifang is not illiterate: "It says Luo Yan, not Luo Hong."

Regardless of whose name it originally belonged to, Luo Hong said, "It's mine now."

He didn't keep me in suspense: "You've been saying you'd give me a share of the profits, but I've been too embarrassed to take it. From now on, I definitely have to."

The repair shop's business relied heavily on his childhood friend, Zhou Weifang knew this all too well: "It should have been yours anyway."

Luo Hong waved his hand: "Let's not talk about that, let's get serious. I've inquired, and your license meets the requirements for distribution. With me as your guarantor and a deposit, I can give you thirty cars for the first batch."

Zhou Weifang: "How much is 'part'?"

Luo Hong: "I'll take 700 of the 1,500; you figure out the rest."

He had a few dozen yuan left, which he rounded up.

Zhou Weifang could barely afford eight hundred yuan, saying, "I'm really worse off than a child."

Luo Hong also joked, "It's pretty bad."

The two grown men clinked tea leaves instead of wine, and while eating, they discussed how to transport and sell the goods, getting more and more excited as they talked.

Luo Hong: "I'll handle the purchasing, you handle the sales. We'll make a big profit this year."

Now there's no worry about selling bicycles. Zhou Weifang said, "Once the first batch of goods is sold, the business will be able to recover."

With so much money tied up, he said, "Even close brothers should keep clear accounts and write a written agreement."

Normally, Luo Hong wouldn't have cared, but when he thought about his sister's money, he nodded and said, "Okay, you write it."

Zhou Weifang rummaged through the store and found that there was only a pencil stub about the length of a finger: "Come tomorrow and bring a fountain pen."

Luo Hong: "Tomorrow won't work, Yan Yan is starting school."

Zhou Weifang: "Do I have to stay with them all day?"

He thought to himself that they were all college students, and it was only a few kilometers from home; there was no need to make such a fuss.

Luo Hong: "I go to work as usual, and my whole family has dinner together in the evening."

Zhou Weifang: "It's time to celebrate."

He added, "I'll write it another day when I have time."

This wasn't urgent, Luo Hong said, "You need to get your place sorted out first."

Thirty cars is no small number, and how to arrange them is a problem. Zhou Weifang said, "The car next door also belongs to Dr. Wu. I've already arranged with him to rent it."

When he thinks of people, he thinks of things. He takes out a red envelope from his bag hanging on the wall: "This is for your sister, wishing her success in getting into university."

Luo Yan later mentioned the part about climbing over the wall to deliver things to her brother.

Therefore, Luo Hong was not surprised. He pinched the thickness of the container and said, "I need to take a look before I can accept it."

Zhou Weifang: "I checked it for you, it's ten yuan, otherwise I wouldn't dare to take it."

To put it simply, this represents a significant portion of many people's monthly expenses.

It's considered a small amount because it's not much compared to Dr. Wu's net worth.

Luo Hong weighed the pros and cons, and finally put it in his pocket: "I'll return the favor during the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Zhou Weifang glanced at the calendar on the wall: "It's only about half a month away. It would be best if the car could arrive before the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Holidays and festivals are always peak consumption periods.

Luo Hong thought so too, and used the momentum to stand up: "Then let's do as we just said, I'm going back."

He was probably excited, because he pedaled his bicycle with extra force, like a gust of wind rushing into courtyard number 13.

Wangcai and Laifu barked twice when they heard the noise, recognizing who was wagging their tails and circling the car.

Luo Hong: "There's no food for you today."

The puppy probably only heard the word "eat," so it pounced forward with its front paws off the ground.

Luo Hong's clothes were covered in dog hair. After getting rid of it, he walked home while taking pictures.

When Luo Yan saw her brother return, she said, "There's pork rib soup in the kitchen."

Luo Hong: "Mom bought pork ribs today, how come we didn't finish them?"

Luo Yan: "You didn't understand. I meant literally, only soup."

Well, it's good to have a bowl of leftover soup; it'll help fill the gap.

Luo Hong, holding a bowl, leaned against the kitchen doorframe: "Where are Mom and Dad?"

Luo Yan: "The factory is showing a movie today."

Free movies, everyone brings their own chairs to watch the fun.

Luo Hong: "Why didn't you go?"

Luo Yan: "The mosquitoes only bite me, it's so annoying."

She doesn't like going out, so her skin is naturally fair. The mosquitoes probably noticed her delicate skin and always take a big bite.

Luo Hong: "I think you just want more people."

The workers of the No. 8 State-owned Cotton Mill almost all lived in this area. They were neighbors who saw each other all the time, and they would always greet each other when they met.

This is indeed one of the reasons, Luo Yan did not deny, and turned another page of the book.

Luo Hong proactively reported to her: "I just went to discuss it with the three parties, the car..."

Luo Yan only heard the gist of it, but since she happened to have a pen on hand, she handed it to her brother: "Keep one with you, it'll definitely come in handy."

She cherishes everything she uses; even after several years, her things still look almost new, with only two fine scratches.

Luo Hong: "Keep it for yourself."

Luo Yan shrugged: "Dad said he'd buy me a new one."

A college gift for my daughter.

Luo Hong thought it would be good to have some new things when he went to university, so he took the red envelope and put it in his pocket. He then touched the red envelope and said, "By the way, this is from Dr. Wu."

Luo Yan accepted the gift her brother brought back without questioning its suitability.

Luo Hong tilted his head back and finished the soup. Seeing the remaining oil, he added water, shook it, and then went to the yard to pour it into the puppy's bowl.

Wealth and fortune are not to be underestimated; after all, these days, something is better than nothing.

They were head to head, bumping into each other without mercy.

Luo Hong watched the commotion for a while before going home, only to find his sister already in her room.

Luo Yan turned off the lights and went to bed early, but perhaps due to the uncertainty of her new life, she tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.

She knew exactly when her parents would return, and listened to the rustling sounds outside with her eyes half-open, not knowing when she finally fell asleep.

As a result, Luo Yan woke up very early the next day, before the outdoor light had even peeked through the gaps in the curtains.

She threw back the covers and got up, sitting on the edge of the bed in a daze. For some reason, her mind felt empty. She stared at the window for a long time, then inexplicably laughed out loud, greeting the air with, "Good morning."

Naturally, no one could answer; even the last syllable quickly faded away.

However, Luo Yan's mood immediately improved, and she changed her clothes and went to wash up with great energy. She even had time to prepare breakfast, and ate while swinging her legs.

As soon as Liu Yinfeng stepped out of the room, she saw her calm and collected demeanor and raised her wrist: "What time is it?"

Luo Yan giggled: "Good morning, Mom!"

Liu Yinfeng recalled her child's first day of elementary school.

At that time, classes had just resumed, and many families in the alley did not actually send their children to school. Children of the same age were running around outside all day, but my daughter had never been one to stick with others. Seeing her sitting alone all day made me, as her mother, feel sad. So I decided to send her there anyway.

Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, and my child is now going to university.

Time flies, Liu Yinfeng said with deep emotion: "Good, good, good morning."

She was also accompanying her daughter to school today, so she specially wore a beautiful outfit.

The mother and daughter went out hand in hand and took a bus at the entrance of the alley.

When she met her neighbor on the bus, Liu Yinfeng stood tall and chatted with her.

Luo Yan figured everyone on the bus probably knew the good news that she had been admitted to Jiaotong University, so she shrank into a corner.

This child, it's not something shameful.

Liu Yinfeng stopped talking, and just as they arrived at their stop, she pulled her daughter out of the morning rush hour crowd: "Get off."

The bus stop was located right at the school gate. When Liu Yinfeng looked up, she realized for the first time: "Why is it called Northern Jiaotong University?"

She recognized those words.

Luo Yan only found out that the prefix wasn't "Beijing" when she was filling out her college application. After receiving her admission notice, she looked up some of the school's history and said, "It used to be called China Jiaotong University, but it was changed later."

Liu Yinfeng: "The original name was better; it sounded more impressive."

Luo Yan: "The other universities at Jiaotong University don't agree."

Liu Yinfeng had no idea about all this: "What, there's more?"

Luo Yan explained to her mother, and the two of them slowly walked in. When they saw someone holding a sign that read "New student registration: walk straight for 50 meters and turn right," they stopped and looked around.

The man holding the sign looked quite old. To be polite, Liu Yinfeng pointed and asked, "Teacher, is this the building we're reporting to?"

The man turned around, nodded in agreement, and then explained, "I'm a student too."

A student? He looks way too old.

Liu Yinfeng: "I'm so sorry."

She's seen it all, so of course she wouldn't be embarrassed by something so trivial.

Luo Yan, on the other hand, was quick to sympathize with others and stammered, "Hello, senior."

The person didn't take it to heart: "It's okay, I'm already in my thirties."

In the first two years after the resumption of the college entrance examination, the age limit for admission was relaxed, and it is said that there were even cases of mothers and daughters, fathers and sons being admitted at the same time.

However, with the tightening of policies this year, those who came to report were all around twenty years old.

Luo Yan could easily tell which people were freshmen, especially those carrying large bags and small packages.

The mother and daughter, with nothing in their hands, showed a strong spirit of helping others. Seeing a small girl about to be crushed by the weight, they quickly went over to lend a hand.

The girl, speaking in Mandarin with a regional accent, said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Luo Yan could only reply, "It's nothing, it's nothing."

They exchanged a question and an answer, and both of them laughed.

But it was impossible to get her daughter to say more than a few words, so Liu Yinfeng took the initiative to ask, "Where is your daughter from?"

After a few brief exchanges about the basics, everyone lined up according to their respective colleges at the registration area.

Luo Yan stood in the line from the School of Transportation, waving her fan, and said, "Mom, I don't think it'll be that fast. You should go back first."

Liu Yinfeng: "It's alright, I have nothing to do today anyway."

She's only been exposed to the sun; she's endured all kinds of hardship.

Luo Yan stopped trying to persuade her and said, "Then let's not cook lunch. There's a shop near the school gate that makes excellent fennel dumplings."

Liu Yinfeng scolded, "Did you come here to study or to think about food?"

Luo Yan: "I need to eat well before I can study well."

Her daughter never shortchanged herself, which was good. Liu Yinfeng said, "Okay, eat up."

Luo Yan rubbed her hands together in anticipation, and suddenly even the noisy chirping of cicadas didn't bother her anymore.

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Author's note: Happy weekend!