Chapter 64 I Don't Want to Hear

Perhaps because he had cursed the book for no reason, Zhou Weifang tripped and fell down two steps as soon as he left the city library.

He was wearing many clothes and was fine, but he didn't want to get up. He stretched his leg forward and bent over, letting out a long sigh.

He looked quite unwell, and a kind passerby asked, "Comrade, are you alright?"

Zhou Weifang forced a smile: "It's okay, thank you."

The passerby was skeptical: "You don't look too good."

Is it not good? Zhou Weifang touched his face: "I'm really fine, thank you."

The passerby's kindness ended there. Just then, a gust of wind blew by, and Zhou Weifang felt a chill, which actually made him a little more awake. He used the force to stand up and went back to the shop with a blank mind.

The two apprentices exchanged glances when they saw their master return so quickly, and dared not say a word.

Zhou Weifang asked, "Did you have any business just now?"

Eldest apprentice: "One came, but we didn't reach an agreement."

There's no such thing as a guaranteed business deal. Zhou Weifang nodded in understanding and started touching things all over the shelves.

The eldest apprentice whispered, "What do you think Master is touching?"

His apprentice teased him, "Can't you tell he's in a bad mood? Be careful you don't get scolded."

Actually, it doesn't matter if the two of them don't have to keep a low profile, because Zhou Weifang simply doesn't have time to care.

He was feeling down, and his limbs instinctively wanted to do something, but after a while he realized it wasn't a big deal, so he simply squatted down and started working.

This was the scene Luo Hong encountered when he arrived. He swaggered out of the curtain and expertly searched for a cup: "I'm so thirsty."

After finishing his water, he looked for something to eat and found it strange that no one was talking to him. He lowered his head and said, "Why are you squatting like a beggar?"

"Yes, I'm not much different from a beggar," Zhou Weifang said with a wry smile. "Where did you go just now?"

Luo Hong had a lot to say about this. He swallowed the biscuit in his mouth and pounded his chest twice: "I didn't mean to buy a refrigerator for the house. A colleague or relative had an old one, and we agreed to go take a look today. But when I got there, they told me they weren't selling it. Damn it, I rode all the way to Dongzhimen. It was exhausting."

Seeing him frantically rummaging through the meager supplies in the cabinet, Zhou Weifang asked, "Didn't you eat lunch?"

Luo Hong: "I'm so angry I'm full. I'm thinking of going tonight... Oh, right, Yan Yan is coming to dinner with me tonight. I'll go to the city library to find her later."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Weifang retorted irritably, "Too late, I just went there."

Huh? Luo Hong took a couple of sips of water and shoveled the biscuit down his throat: "Where have you been?"

Zhou Weifang pushed himself up and pulled a chair over to sit opposite him: "City Library."

Huh? Luo Hong fell into self-doubt: "Did I not ask you to make a trip just now, or did I say something wrong?"

Zhou Weifang wasn't sure if he knew Luo Yan was at the city library with a boy, and sighed inexplicably, "I just happened to be passing by."

Luo Hongxian asked, "What is it?"

Then he asked, "So you found Yanyan?"

Zhou Weifang only answered the latter part: "Found it."

Luo Hong: "That saves me the trouble of making a trip."

After saying that, his eyes darted around, and he asked, "Is she the only one?"

It seemed he already knew. Zhou Weifang said, "There's also a boy."

After saying this, he caught a glimpse of his two apprentices moving into a corner and chuckled to himself.

Trusting his judgment of character, Luo Hongxin asked, "How does it feel?"

Zhou Weifang replied curtly, "I don't know."

Luo Hong finally noticed that something was wrong with him and asked, "

You're acting strange.

Zhou Weifang made up an excuse: "My stomach hurts."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Luo Hong pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "Go on, go on, there's no need to entertain me here."

Zhou Weifang gritted his teeth and said, "Thanks, but I'm not going."

He felt unwell all afternoon, and now even his chest felt like it was on fire: "Is that boy her classmate?"

Since he had already met him, Luo Hong simply said, "We are in different majors, but we are both freshmen."

Zhou Weifang: "I haven't heard you mention this before."

Luo Hong: "It's not settled yet. We're just making friends. We haven't known each other for very long. I'll send you an invitation when we're getting married."

That last sentence struck Zhou Weifang like a dagger to the heart. He said, "You haven't known each other for very long? Have you found out anything?"

Luo Hong: "She's not from around here, so I only know the general outline. But Yan Yan is a grown woman, and she can make her own decisions."

My sister is very naive when it comes to relationships, but she's definitely not stupid; it's not easy to fool her.

But Zhou Weifang was worried: "From out of town? How far? I'll make the trip for you."

He seemed even more anxious than I was. Luo Hong said, "No need for now. Maybe we'll stop seeing each other after a while."

There's no need to make a big fuss about it before you get married.

Zhou Weifang grasped at the last few words, a glimmer of hope: "Yes, she's still so young, it's not like her life is set."

Indeed, Luo Hong finally found an opportunity to vent: "You know, Beijing is such a big city, how come there aren't any good guys who can catch her eye?"

Zhou Weifang opened his palm to look at the lines on his palm: "Which one do you think is better?"

Luo Hongzhen had imagined: "Someone who is educated, can talk to her, has a legitimate business, and has a small family."

Coincidentally, Zhou Weifang didn't meet any of the criteria.

He wanted to sigh again, and shook his head irritably: "I wish you all the best."

Why such a sarcastic blessing? Luo Hong stared at him and suddenly asked, "Did something happen at the shop?"

To say that Zhou Weifang's emotions were so restrained that no one noticed them was impossible, even he himself knew it was impossible.

Rather than saying he hid it well, it's more accurate to say that his childhood friend never even entertained the slightest thought that he and Luo Yan might be connected.

Indeed, that is the case.

Zhou Weifang: "Say something auspicious."

Luo Hong patted his mouth and bowed to everyone, saying, "No taboos, and the magnanimous don't hold grudges against petty people."

After saying that, he leisurely took another bite of the cookie.

Zhou Weifang didn't find him very "pleasing to the eye" now and asked, "Don't you have anything to do?"

Luo Hong originally had a lot to do after buying the refrigerator, but plans don't always go as expected. He shrugged and said, "I'm quite free."

Zhou Weifang was furious, but he also felt a kind of self-deception that he didn't want to know the truth. He thought to himself, "If you hadn't come and told me something today, would I have gone to the city library in the first place?"

He said, "Then let's get to work."

Luo Hong has an inescapable responsibility to receive his share of the profits.

He was adept at small jobs like patching tires and changing chains, but he quickly got all dirty. He thought to himself, "Luckily I'm not wearing anything fancy today." He chatted with his childhood friend, "My mom said your second brother has been going on blind dates lately?"

Zhou Weifang was so preoccupied with his own affairs that he had no time to care about others. He casually replied, "I've been busy with other matters since returning to the city."

His second brother is already thirty, which is considered quite old even in Beijing. His parents are particularly worried about him, but they haven't found a suitable match yet.

Luo Hong asked curiously, "Didn't I remind you while I was at it?"

Zhou Weifang: "No, I rarely go back twice."

With many children in the family and a constant financial strain, his parents were busy earning money, so he was practically raised in a free-range manner. The only time he was disciplined was when he got into trouble and was beaten. As a result, he was carefree and easygoing when he went to Xinjiang during his rural assignment.

Every family's situation is different, but what we can't have is always the best. Luo Hong couldn't help but say, "That's fine, it saves us a lot of trouble."

Zhou Weifang: "Is your aunt urging you again?"

Saying "urge" sounds like it implies coercion, so Luo Hong used a different word: "She just wants to have a grandson while she's still young."

Zhou Weifang: "That makes sense."

He even chimed in, Luo Hong: "Which side are you on?"

He complained to himself, "I think life is pretty good now. I can go wherever I want after work. If I get married, I'll definitely have to spend time with my wife and take care of the kids. Just thinking about it gives me a headache."

Looking at it from another angle, Zhou Weifang said, "I couldn't tell you were someone who takes care of children."

What does that mean? Luo Hong: "Did I not take good care of Luo Yan?"

Zhou Weifang's lips twitched: "How many decent things did you do with her when she was a child?"

Luo Hong couldn't think of anything for a moment, and said, "Don't try to clear yourself of it, you're involved too."

He added, "I'm really feeling sentimental now. It feels like just yesterday she was a little girl following us around, and now she's about to get married."

Zhou Weifang was very perceptive: "It didn't work out."

It was only a matter of time. Luo Hong said, "I'm not afraid to tell you, I always thought Yan Yan only cared about studying, but she really treats this boy differently. I think we can get together in the future."

This was not what Zhou Weifang wanted to hear. He was momentarily distracted, and the hammer slammed into his hand, causing him to gasp.

The two apprentices quickly surrounded him to "show their filial piety," while giving the second boss a reproachful look.

Luo Hong was puzzled by the look, but he didn't have time to think about it and asked, "Are you alright?"

Zhou Weifang no longer needed to hide his expression; he couldn't conceal his dejection: "It hurts."

Even he cried out in pain; it must have been hit really hard.

When Luo Hong was sent to the countryside, he would treat any sprains or bruises himself, rolling up his sleeves and saying, "Let me check if I have any fractures."

Zhou Weifang hit him squarely on the middle finger, which was pointed straight at him, giving the impression of "settling a personal score."

Luo Hong didn't see it, and after studying it for a while, he said, "There's no way to fix it, but I reckon it'll definitely swell up. Don't you have safflower oil or something like that?"

At his command, the apprentices were eager to cover their master's entire body with medicine.

Zhou Weifang's face scrunched up from the smell, and he said, "My head hurts too."

Luo Hong even joked, "It almost hit my head."

Zhou Weifang thought to himself, "Your mouth is more deadly than that hammer," and glanced at his watch: "Shouldn't you be leaving?"

Luo Hong raised his wrist: "It really is."

He waved his sleeves, leaving without a trace, leaving Zhou Weifang feeling troubled. He said, "I'm going out for a walk."

The apprentices assured them, "We will definitely take good care of the shop."

Zhou Weifang took out two yuan and put it on the table: "Let's have something good to eat tonight."

These days, being an apprentice is actually a tough job, but the pay at the car dealership is quite good.

The apprentices looked at each other and said, "Our master is such a kind person."

Zhou Weifang didn't hear this, and just wandered around the alleys.

Luo Hong couldn't hear him anymore; he had already ridden his bicycle to the entrance of the Sichuan restaurant.

Luo Yan arrived earlier than everyone else, with Zhou Xiuhe standing beside her. When she saw her brother, she turned her head and said, "My brother is here."

Zhou Xiuhe: "I'll say goodbye before I leave."

Luo Hong also saw him and addressed him warmly and politely as "Little Zhou".

The two exchanged polite greetings, but Luo Yan inexplicably felt an undercurrent of tension, her gaze shifting back and forth between her brother and the male classmate.

Luo Hong pressed her head down and said, "Someone else is treating tonight, I'll treat you to dinner next time."

Zhou Xiuhe understood the implication: "I should be the one to invite you, so I'll be going now."

Luo Yan waved goodbye to him before she had a chance to ask, "Who's treating?"

Luo Hong offered a brief explanation, his gaze fixed on Zhou Xiuhe's retreating figure, nitpicking, "He didn't even bother to turn around and look back."

Huh? Luo Yan blinked, her innate keenness making her realize that it was best not to speak up for anyone, and she silently pursed her lips.

-----------------------

The author says: I have accepted the terms "Big Zhou" and "Little Zhou".