Chapter 8 Shake it off

After watching the movie and having dinner, Zhou Weifang said he had to leave first.

Luo Hong clearly knew what it was about and was somewhat eager to try, exchanging a glance with his childhood friend.

Looking at the two of them, Luo Yan felt like she had seen the scene somewhere before. After thinking for a moment, she curled her lips into a cold smile: "Trying to get rid of me again."

The word "again" evokes shared childhood memories for everyone.

When Luo Hong and Zhou Weifang were children, if they wanted to go to places that adults wouldn't allow them to go, the first thing they would do was try to hide from their younger sister to prevent her from telling on them.

He seemed a little guilty: "No, it's just that I was worried you'd get bored."

Zhou Weifang also looked uncomfortable. After all, this wasn't his blood-related younger sister. He had shown her a lot of disdain in his words and had given her several bad suggestions. Now, she was looking up and down, seemingly busy with something.

However, this statement also applies to Luo Yan.

She just glared at her brother, but she was no longer a child and wouldn't throw a tantrum to follow him. She simply held out her hand confidently and said, "Give me a dollar. I want to go to the bookstore."

Luo Hong worked as an apprentice at a bicycle factory, earning seventeen yuan a month.

He doesn't need to contribute to household expenses; he only needs to cover his own lunch expenses at the factory. Even his socks are bought by his mother, so he always has a surplus every month.

He had plenty of money, so there was no reason for him not to be generous to his sister, but he still grumbled, "You're always thinking about saving up your own money. Dad gave you five yuan this morning, I saw it."

Luo Yan: "Once it's in my pocket, it's my money."

He stretched his hand forward and poked his brother's stomach, urging him to hurry up and give him the money to avoid disaster.

Luo Hong couldn't find any fault with her reasoning. He thought he must have owed her something in his past life. Resigned, he took out his pocket, then took her to the entrance of a bookstore that wasn't far away, and told her, "I'll pick you up at five o'clock."

Luo Yan still holds a grudge: "Now you know how to worry, but you once left me stranded at Dengshikou."

That time at Dengshikou was during the Lantern Festival, and the crowds were so large that people kept coming one after another.

Luo Yan was too young and was jostled around, so she couldn't be happy at all. After a while, she said she wanted to go home.

Luo Hong was originally planning to go out and have fun with Zhou Weifang, but he was already unhappy about having a burden like this, so he ignored her and walked forward on his own.

After a while, when they didn't hear the little girl's voice, they realized she was lost.

The two older ones panicked and frantically searched everywhere. Luckily, they found them not far away.

Zhou Weifang still remembers that when she found her, she was squatting by the roadside, her hands tightly gripping her trouser legs. When she saw her brother, she immediately burst into tears, and the gap from her missing back molar was clearly visible.

Luo Hong had already decided which well he would jump into if he couldn't find his sister. Seeing her was like escaping a disaster, and the two siblings hugged each other and cried bitterly.

This left Zhou Weifang at a loss, and she even shed a couple of tears while standing to the side.

Perhaps recalling the embarrassing incident when it was mentioned, and with witnesses all around, Luo Yan immediately skipped over the old grievances and waved awkwardly, "Goodbye, I'm going to read."

After saying that, he turned and left, his back view revealing his thirst for knowledge.

She was shy, but the two men didn't seem to care at all. They could chat and laugh, reminiscing about the past, their tone full of nostalgia.

Once they were out of sight, Luo Hong asked, "Haven't you found a house yet?"

Zhou Weifang wanted to get a business license, but after being turned away by the Industry and Commerce Bureau, he still wouldn't give up and would squat at the door every day.

This shameless approach finally managed to persuade the clerk at the window to relent, saying that he just needed to find a place to open a shop.

It sounds simple, but there are actually quite a few requirements crammed into it.

After all, there are hardly any shops available for rent these days; almost all are business-to-business, and someone like him can't even get through the gates of those offices. As for the few private properties that are available, landlords, upon hearing about the unclear policies, are afraid of being implicated in the future and are unwilling to rent to him.

Zhou Weifang sighed: "Yes, I've searched all the nearby alleys these past two days, but I still haven't found anything. Today I'll have to go somewhere further away."

Then she said, puzzled, "No, I feel like you're even more eager than I am to open a car repair shop."

Luo Hong: "This is so interesting, it's more fun than going to work."

The factory has its own rules and regulations, and everything runs smoothly. He is just an apprentice, so he has to do everything according to his master's instructions and can't have any of his own ideas.

Unfortunately, he was a free spirit with strong opinions, and he was already feeling incredibly frustrated.

Zhou Weifang also has an adventurous spirit in his personality, otherwise he wouldn't have started making arrangements for this before returning to Beijing: "We two really are childhood friends."

Who can argue with that? Unfortunately, Luo Hong can only offer some encouragement now, since his parents went to great lengths to find him the job at the bicycle factory.

He said, "Anyway, if you become rich in the future, I'll have to take the credit."

Zhou Weifang: "If you can find me a shop, I'll even accept you as my son."

The first half of his sentence was delivered in a passionate tone, and Luo Hong thought he was about to say something eloquent, so he kicked him and said, "Who are you trying to take advantage of? Stop talking nonsense and let's go."

The two of them went from house to house along the alley, asking around, but they got nowhere all afternoon.

With the time running out, Luo Hong said, "I have to go pick up Yanzi."

Zhou Weifang had to keep searching, and was so tired that he didn't have much energy to speak, so he just waved his hand.

Luo Hong patted him on the shoulder to encourage him, and they jogged all the way to the bookstore.

Seeing that her brother's expression resembled that of the scholar in the movie she watched this morning whose life force had been drained by a monster, Luo Yan asked, "Where have you been?"

Luo Hong remained silent, then changed the subject: "What books did you buy?"

Luo Yan showed him the four words "Chemical Analysis" on the cover: "I didn't do very well on my chemistry exam this time."

Yesterday, Luo Hong went to the school to pick up her report card and said, "Your classmates will definitely be angry if they hear this."

Luo Yan: "I worked harder than them, so it's only right that I did well on the exam."

She simply couldn't accept her poor performance and was determined to "avenge her previous humiliation."

That's true. If even her grades aren't good, then the saying "diligence pays off" is simply laughable.

Luo Hong: "Try harder and try to get into Peking University."

Luo Yan: "Good schools aren't like vegetable seedlings; I can't just pick whichever one I want."

She was very self-aware: "I haven't even made it into the top ten of my grade a few times, and Peking University is still a long way from me."

Luo Hong boasted, "It's nothing, we don't care."

Luo Yan said regretfully, "I really like it, but unfortunately my abilities are limited."

She was very self-aware, and although she was disappointed, she did not become discouraged.

Luo Hong said this frankly, "I don't even know whether I should comfort you or not."

Taking advantage of the situation, Luo Yan made an outrageous demand: "If I had ten yuan, I would feel much more comforted."

Luo Hong asked curiously, "You've been making a lot of money lately. What are you planning to buy?"

It wasn't that he was worried about the money; he just felt that something was wrong.

Luo Yancai refused to tell him: "Are you allowed to have secrets?"

Luo Hong was speechless for a moment, but still argued his case: "It's not appropriate for me to bring up a matter involving three parties as a topic of conversation."

No matter how right he was, Luo Yan didn't care and strode ahead.

Luo Hong was exhausted from walking all afternoon and couldn't keep up. He and his sister entered the house one after the other.

Liu Yinfeng and her husband were already eating. When they saw their children, they said, "I thought you weren't coming back. I'll go cook some more noodles."

Luo Yan: "No need, no need, we'll do it ourselves."

Liu Yinfeng rarely made her children do chores, but she didn't raise them to be ignorant of farming or physically lazy.

She said, "Okay, son, you go."

Luo Hong knew it was him and rolled up his sleeves: "She, Luo Yan, is a treasure."

Luo Yan: "I have just recovered from a serious illness."

He was full of energy when he went out, but now he knows he's just recovered from a serious illness?

Luo Hong felt that she was more energetic than him, gave a short "ha!" and went into the kitchen to heat up the pan and fry the eggs.

The aroma wafted through the air, and Liu Yinfeng couldn't help but exclaim, "How much oil did you put in?!"

Those in charge know the situation well, since the monthly food ration coupons are limited.

Luo Hong poked his head out, holding a spatula, and said sarcastically, "Who told my sister to recover from a serious illness? She needs to be properly nourished."

Luo Yan was leisurely sitting and eating sunflower seeds when he casually tossed the shells at him in retaliation.

Luo Hong dodged quickly and wasn't hit, and laughed, "Anyway, it's you who's sweeping the floor."

It was indeed Luo Yan who swept it.

She found the broom handy and unexpectedly hit her brother's calf.

Seeing that Huo Teng couldn't get away, Luo Hong could only shout, "I'll beat you up later."

The brother and sister were bickering and making a ruckus, even when they sat down to eat.

Liu Yinfeng found them annoying and interrupted, "Yanzi, Yingying came to your house this afternoon."

Luo Yan's best friend in junior high school was Chen Yingying. They saw each other less after they went to different high schools, but their friendship remained.

She said, "Then I'll go to her house to play with her tomorrow." Her parents always strongly supported their daughter when she went out to play.

Liu Yinfeng: Okay, play a little longer before coming back.

Luo Hong joked, his positive attitude making it seem like he wanted her not to come back.

All he does is talk nonsense all day long. Liu Yinfeng said, "If I'm going to give something away, I'll give it to you first."

She nudged her husband again: "Didn't you have something to say to our son?"

Luo Xinmin then remembered: "I have a colleague's niece who works at a department store. She's a year younger than you. Would you like to meet her?"

Luo Hong is twenty-three years old. Several of his peers are married and have children, but he is currently only single and has no family to worry about. He said, "I'll talk about finding a partner after I get a permanent position."

I've never heard of anyone failing to get a permanent position; you just have to get through the three-year apprenticeship.

Liu Yinfeng: "They don't mind, but you're still bothered by it."

Luo Hong said seriously, "Of course, I have to be responsible for supporting my family."

That's a rather responsible statement, but Luo Xinmin is already prepared to support the third generation, and with a sense of relief, he says, "You still have your dad, don't you?"

Luo Hong actually had other concerns, the first of which was the house.

Even though he has a room now, he can't expect the newlyweds to live with his sister separated by a wooden board after they get married. This very premise made him temporarily give up the idea of ​​getting married, and he shook his head: "Let's talk about it later."

He insisted on doing so, and his parents couldn't persuade him otherwise.

Luo Yan, however, seemed to know, glancing thoughtfully at her brother.

A note from the author:

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