Chapter 139 The 139 Date
After dinner, it was time for Luo Yan to start her class.
She packed her schoolbag, and seeing Zhou Weifang stand up as well, she asked, "Are you going back?"
Zhou Weifang: "I have things to do at the shop, so I probably won't be able to come for the next couple of days. See you on Sunday."
His estimate was correct. Luo Yan didn't see him for the next few days, but she did receive some fruit once—newly harvested pomegranates in the golden autumn, each one big and plump.
She would peel the newspaper while reading it after lunch, and then go to school right after finishing her meal.
Until Saturday.
The Li family, whose house faces the opposite side, is getting married on Sunday, and they started decorating with lanterns and colorful streamers several days in advance.
Luo Yan only had one class on Saturday afternoon, and went home after school at 3:30 pm. She was startled by the bustling crowd in the yard.
She walked around the people coming and going into the house, put down her schoolbag first, and then took out the wedding gift she wanted to give to Li Jianhong and put it in her pocket.
Li Jianhong stayed at home for the few days leading up to her wedding.
She chatted with the relatives who came to greet her in the living room for a few minutes, and when she saw someone coming, she smiled and said, "Yanzi's out of school?"
Luo Yan had no idea that the Li family had so many people. She felt awkward for a moment and didn't know where to look: "Sister Jianhong, congratulations."
Li Jianhong could see her unease and said, "Come on, let's sit inside."
Is this appropriate? Even though Luo Yan wasn't very good at social etiquette, she knew it wasn't right to leave everyone behind, but she still obediently followed them to the room.
The room was small, with nothing but a bed. Li Jianhong moved a small stool over: "Please make do with this."
Luo Yan knew the Li family's social standing, and looking around with some confusion, she was a beat slow to react: "It's nothing, it's nothing."
Li Jianhong: "This was just partitioned off, prepared for Hongyu to live in, just in time for me to get married from here."
She said this with a mix of happiness for her niece and a touch of melancholy.
Luo Yan wasn't good at comforting people, so she first offered a gift: "Sister, I wish you a happy marriage and a long and happy life together with Brother Hong."
Li Jianhong scolded, "You're still a student, and you've already spent so much money."
Given the occasion, I accepted the gift without much hesitation.
Luo Yan exchanged a few words with her, then hesitated before saying, "Maybe I should come back later; I see there are quite a few guests."
Li Jianhong pressed her down: "No need, I didn't want to talk to them much in the first place."
A hint of sarcasm appeared on her lips: "As soon as they heard that Tianhong had some money, they all came to curry favor."
Zhu Tianhong's business is indeed very large; he is the number one figure in the city's clothing wholesale industry.
It is said that he is no longer just a millionaire; the courtyard he bought in Ertiao Hutong alone is worth fifty or sixty thousand yuan.
The fickleness of human relationships is just like this, Luo Yan roughly understood: "This kind of thing is indeed annoying."
Li Jianhong complained a few times, but as the main character, she couldn't avoid entertaining anyone, and soon other friends arrived.
Luo Yan then took her leave. After returning home, she closed the door but couldn't concentrate on reading. She went to her mother, who was helping out at her new husband's house, and said, "Mom, I'm going to the library. I won't be back for dinner tonight."
They all lived in the same courtyard, and in many things, a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. Liu Yinfeng was too busy to handle everything, so she hurriedly said, "Okay, don't come back too late."
Luo Yan agreed and walked around the people to go outside.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she left the courtyard, glimpsed Li Jianjun and Sparrow smoking together, smiled and greeted them, then rode her bicycle parked at the gate.
Behind him, Li Jianjun said to his friend, "By the way, I'm treating Sanfang and Luobucuo to a meal in a couple of days. You should come too."
He finished speaking but didn't hear a reply, so he turned his head away and asked, "Didn't you lose your soul?"
The sparrow snapped out of its daze: "A meal? What's the excuse?"
After explaining, Li Jianjun exclaimed, "The prescription is really generous. But there are risks involved in providing a guarantee, and not everyone would be willing to do that. I can't just eat it; let's have a big meal."
Sparrow nodded slowly: "He's a good buddy."
No, what's wrong with him?
Li Jianjun: "You've been acting strange since you came in today, what's wrong?"
Sparrow changed the subject: "It's perfect for my sister-in-law to work at the fruit shop; it's close to home."
Upon hearing about his wife, Li Jianjun forgot everything else and said, "It's perfect. I initially thought it was a three-way deal trying to help me, so I went to check it out. The shop is doing really well and they're definitely short-staffed. Have you been there?"
Sparrow was silent for a while: "I went on the opening day."
And then, somewhat irrelevantly, he said, "He is indeed better than me."
The last sentence was spoken too softly for Li Jianjun to hear. He continued to mutter to himself, "What day was it again? Why didn't I go?"
Luo Yan had no idea what the two of them were saying.
She had just ridden out of the alley when she stopped by the roadside and slapped her thigh: "I forgot, the city library closes at five o'clock."
By the time this time passes, the daylily will be cold.
Since that's the case, Luo Yan confidently turned the car around.
When she arrived at the fruit shop, the radio was already blaring "One cent and five cents a day," but the person minding the shop was Zhang Hongmin.
He kept his eyes and ears open, and when he had a spare moment, he would say, "The boss is next door."
Luo Yan didn't need to push off; instead, she paddled forward on the ground with both legs as if rowing a boat.
When she reached the entrance of the car dealership, she saw that Zhou Weifang was busy, so she didn't say anything. It wasn't until he stood up to collect the money that the two of them made eye contact.
Zhou Weifang was overjoyed and took several steps forward: "When did you arrive? Why didn't you call me? Aren't you hot?"
He was sweating profusely, yet he was still worrying about others.
Luo Yanteng fanned him with his hand: "I just arrived, and I saw you were busy."
Zhou Weifang was afraid that her next sentence would be "Then you go ahead and I'm leaving," so he immediately replied, "I'm done with my work."
Luo Yan asked, half-believing, half-doubting, "Are you sure?"
Zhou Weifang: "Actually, it's still a little short. Could you wait for me?"
Luo Yan patted her bag: "Okay, I brought my books."
She had only read a few pages when Zhou Weifang finished what he was doing, glanced down at his clothes, and said, "Yanyan, wait for me a little longer, I'm going to wash up."
Luo Yan answered without looking up. After a while, she heard someone call her name, closed the book and stood up: "Sister Wang."
Sister Wang, who also lives in the same alley, muttered to herself, "Isn't your brother's shop located near Jiaotong University?"
Thanks to her childhood habit of covering up for her older brother, Luo Yan is quite good at fooling people sometimes.
She said, "Yes, my brother asked me to run an errand, but the three parties aren't here, so I'm waiting for him. What's up?"
Everyone knows that Luo Hong and Zhou Weifang are inseparable, and since they are now in the same industry, this reason is quite plausible.
Besides, no one would tie Luo Yan and Zhou Weifang together on the same red line. Sister Wang nodded knowingly: "My pregnancy has ruptured again."
Tires are easy to puncture and easy to repair; it only takes a few seconds.
Sister Wang was in a hurry to pick up her child, so she said goodbye and left.
Luo Yan breathed a sigh of relief and sat down, thinking to herself: I'm a perfectly good person, but they've corrupted me.
She relayed these words to Zhou Weifang, who had just returned from his shower, emphasizing, "I'm clearly not a liar."
Zhou Weifang dried his hair: "How can that be called lying? At most, it's... something you can't say."
Upon hearing this, it was indeed much better than the word "lie".
Luo Yan chimed in, "That's right, I didn't want to either."
Zhou Weifang moved a little closer to her: "Yes, our Yanyan is still a good girl."
"What are you saying?" Luo Yan nudged him, giving him a warning look.
Zhou Weifang put down the towel: "What do you want to eat tonight?"
Huh? Luo Yan: "Weren't you going to help out at Brother Hong's house?"
Zhou Weifang: "I'll accompany him to the wedding tomorrow morning."
Luo Yan wasn't quite sure about the wedding process, but whatever he said went. Her eyes lit up: "I want to eat mutton offal soup in Xidan."
"I'll eat dragon meat if you want," Zhou Weifang said, checking his pockets to make sure he had money. "Let's go."
The two people rode their bikes side by side, talking as they went.
Luo Yan asked curiously for the first time, "Is Brother Hong very rich?"
Zhou Weifang couldn't give specifics, but guessed: "It must be a lot; his family's assets are at least one or two hundred thousand."
He asked, puzzled, "Why are you suddenly asking that?"
Luo Yan: "I just went to Sister Jianhong's place, and she said that her relatives are really getting excited now."
What's the use of being enthusiastic? Zhou Weifang said, "Jianhong is a sensible person. Why would she help the relatives who are now trying to get her to help?"
He shook his head: "Besides, Brother Hong never does business with his relatives, and even his own brothers haven't benefited from it."
It's no secret that they all live in the same alley.
Luo Yan whispered, "Aunt Li grumbled about this, saying that the two of them were equally indifferent to family ties. But my mom said they did the right thing."
The differences between mothers are, of course, significant. Zhou Weifang: "Not everyone is as clear-headed as Aunt Luo."
Of course, all the praise for her mother was positive, and Luo Yan accepted it all without question, even adding her own compliments.
She actually has a very sweet tongue and can come up with a string of compliments.
Zhou Weifang felt envious and made a request: "Yanyan, can you praise me too?"
He? Luo Yan stopped the car in front of the Xidan Building, locked it, and looked him up and down with her arms crossed.
Seeing this, Zhou Weifang's heart tightened. He smoothed out the hem of his clothes, which were free of wrinkles, and said uncertainly, "I should still have some advantages."
Luo Yan counted on her fingers without saying a word, then waved her hands in front of him and said, "Now I see only good qualities in you."
Otherwise, why would I choose him as my partner?
Zhou Weifang was overjoyed, like someone who had crossed the finish line first in a running race. He clenched his fist, raised his hand in celebration, and looked around.
Was he hoping someone would congratulate him? How silly. Luo Yan pouted at him, "I'm so hungry."
Zhou Weifang quickly locked the car and walked with her to the mutton offal soup shop, then remembered something: "What are your plans for the National Day holiday?"
Luo Yan said, "On the first day of the National Day holiday, my whole family will take the subway. We're free on the second day."
Zhou Weifang tugged at her sleeve and shook it: "Can I have number two then?"
Given his condition, Luo Yan couldn't bear to put on airs and tease him, so she drawled, "Fine—but where are we going?"
The two were discussing where to go, but when they sat down at the restaurant after ordering, their conversation had already veered off course, with all sorts of random things coming out of their mouths, as if they hadn't seen each other for months, chattering away.
Luo Yan finished a bottle of soda and still felt her mouth was dry. Looking at the empty bowl of mutton offal soup, she said, "I'll treat you to creamed fruit stew."
Zhou Weifang had never eaten it before, but upon hearing the word "stew," he thought, "Should we put them together in one pot?"
Luo Yan held up her finger and shook it along with her head: "No, that's not it."
So cute, so incredibly cute.
Zhou Weifang spoke as if coaxing a child, leaning slightly forward: "What is that?"
Luo Yan raised an eyebrow: "You'll know once you eat it."
Zhou Weifang hadn't even eaten yet, but just looking at the posted prices was enough to broaden his horizons. He thought to himself, "What costs 1.2 yuan?" and quickly pulled out his wallet when it was time to pay.
Luo Yan pressed down on his hand: "You're not allowed to move, it's on me."
"That won't do," Zhou Weifang said, about to open his mouth, but looking into her big eyes, he couldn't say anything.
He only had a chance to say when he sat down to start eating: "I thought it was just the price of an ice pop, too expensive, how could I let you pay for it?"
"Why not?" Luo Yan said. "I've eaten so many meals from you already."
She urged him again, "Try a bite first."
Zhou Weifang scooped out a small spoonful.
For the first twenty-odd years of his life, he hadn't eaten much good food. Even dishes with just oil and salt were delicious to him, let alone fancy things like creamed fruit stew.
Besides the fact that it tastes good, he was thinking about something else: "I wonder if I can sell this in my shop?"
Luo Yan blinked at him and said, "I don't know."
Look at those big, bright eyes.
Zhou Weifang stirred the yogurt and said, "Eat up, and then we'll go to the park to digest."
Was it just to help him digest, or was there another purpose? Luo Yan gently kicked him under the table.
Zhou Weifang neither dodged nor avoided her; instead, his gaze remained fixed on her.
How to describe it? Luo Yan felt that in his eyes she was probably like a particularly delicious peach, with one hand on her thigh, secretly squeezing it tightly, and eating even more slowly.
Although this thing is expensive, it's only the size of a wine glass, and you can only take a few sips at most.
Luo Yan couldn't dawdle any longer, and for some reason became a little nervous. After a while, she suddenly sat up straight: "Let's go."
--
At this point, it was already getting dark.
As the wind blew outside, Zhou Weifang asked, "Aren't you cold?"
Thanks to him, Luo Yan's palms are now burning hot, but blowing in the wind makes them feel much better: "I'm not cold at all."
Why was every word being pronounced so forcefully? Zhou Weifang had to check it again.
Luo Yan muttered that he was being long-winded, and hopped down the steps two steps at a time.
Zhou Weifang now understands why some parents have to shout "Slow down, be careful!" whenever their child runs or jumps, and then follow them closely.
He was just as worried, afraid she might fall.
Luo Yan turned her head to look at him like this, and pointed at him: "Didn't you used to be able to jump off this cliff?"
How could I be the same as her? Zhou Weifang: "I could break something and it wouldn't matter..."
He swallowed the word "wei" back, thinking: Oh no, I'm going to get scolded.
Luo Yan was indeed unhappy: "What do you mean by 'it doesn't matter'?"
It's as if his health is completely unimportant, which makes people uncomfortable.
Zhou Weifang: "I was wrong. No one can be allowed to fall. Look at me now, I'm taking it one step at a time."
Seeing that she still had a stern face, she said, "I only cry out in pain for others to hear. Nobody cared about me before."
Luo Yan's heart softened, and she said, "Who said that? When you broke your bone before, your brother even gave you my malted milk powder to drink."
Zhou Weifang could count on his fingers how many times he'd drunk malted milk powder in his life. He said, "Your brother is feeling guilty."
Luo Yan: "Why?"
Years later, Zhou Weifang still finds it absurd to talk about it: "I was hit by him on his bicycle."
"Huh?" Luo Yan's mouth dropped open. "He never said that."
Zhou Weifang: "How could he dare to say that? My aunt had just agreed to let him ride the bike, and he hit me on the first day he was on the road."
No wonder, Luo Yan said: "I knew I would immediately report him. What kind of dangerous element is he?"
Zhou Weifang seized the opportunity: "That's right, that's right. Actually, he did a lot of things and then pushed the blame onto me. I've taken the blame for a lot of things."
"Forget it," Luo Yan sneered. "You two are two of a kind, scoundrels, cronies, a den of snakes and rats."
No, there isn't a single animal that sounds even remotely kind. But Zhou Weifang had shot himself in the foot, and now he could only awkwardly change the subject: "Wow, there are so many bicycles! Where are ours?"
Luo Yan stomped on his foot: "Watch out or I'll beat you up."
She bent down to unlock the bicycle in front of her, asking, "Want to go for a stroll around Beihai Park?"
Zhou Weifang still remembered her last words, "Hold hands enough," and as a result, the entire Beihai Park was packed with people. Those places he thought were relatively secluded had already been taken by others, and some daring people even hugged each other.
Luo Yan felt embarrassed and pulled him away quickly.
Zhou Weifang reluctantly considered this as holding hands, but seeing that it was almost time, he could only slump his shoulders and say, "Yanyan, tonight doesn't count."
Luo Yan found it quite amusing, after all, she had always been a law-abiding child: "I know, I know, it's not like I'm going back on my word."
"Fine, be content," Zhou Weifang said, looking at her intently. "At least we've spent most of the day together."
He looked up at the sky and sighed, "If I don't send you back soon, my elders will have a problem with me. I really can't bear to part with you."
"We can meet tomorrow, can't we?"
"With so many people around, it's not convenient to even say a word."
Why does it feel like the legendary lovers, the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl? Luo Yan coaxed him, "Tuesday will come soon."
Zhou Weifang said a few more sweet nothings before taking her to the alley entrance, then turned a corner and went back to the car dealership.
As soon as he entered the shop, his two apprentices said, "Brother, you'll have to stay up all night tonight."
Zhou Weifang knew this when he left, so he changed into work clothes and said, "It's okay, you can all go home now."
Repairing bicycles is a skilled job, and there are some things that apprentices can't handle and can't help with.
He stayed up until midnight, and after only a short time, he got up, changed his clothes, and went to meet up with Brother Hong at his house.
Zhu Tianhong spared no expense in getting married.
He rented eight cars from a taxi company, and the wedding procession made its way to the entrance of the alley.
Zhou Weifang was drowsy in one of the cars, but he immediately perked up as soon as he got out of the car and straightened his back when he entered the yard.
Luo Yan was in the room with the bride. When she saw him smile, she turned her face away and whispered to Zhou Yuying.
Zhou Yuying hasn't received her brother's "notification" yet, and said as usual, "It's not a three-way marriage, why is he so happy?"
Luo Yan felt inexplicably hot, and suddenly felt an itch in her throat, so she coughed twice.
Zhou Yuying also showed concern for her: "It's the change of seasons recently, be careful not to catch a cold."
Luo Yan became increasingly uncomfortable and took advantage of the chaos to step on Zhou Weifang's foot.
There were just too many people, and the crowd blocking the door was a chaotic mess.
If Zhou Weifang hadn't seen her, he would have assumed he'd been accidentally injured and asked her seriously, "You're here too? Where's your brother?"
Perhaps because the surroundings were too noisy, and only two people were aware of this, Luo Yan always felt like she was doing something wrong. Taking advantage of a moment when no one was looking, she pinched his hand and said with a smile, "Going to work."
Zhou Weifang took a breath and dared not cry out in pain.
Luo Yan didn't use much effort at all. She glanced at him and moved to the living room, finding a decent spot to stand and watch the commotion. Because of her height, she stood on tiptoe and noticed someone next to her turn their head to greet her: "Brother Ma."
Sparrow smiled and nodded.
He had been there for a while and hadn't missed their interaction. He thought back to the day the fruit shop opened—he had originally gone to support his childhood friend, but as soon as he got to the door, he saw Zhou Weifang and Luo Yan talking. Just by looking at them, anyone could guess what was going on, so he subconsciously turned around and left.
For a full two weeks, he tried to convince himself to accept reality, but he couldn't get over it anytime soon and sighed for no reason.
The wedding procession was so loud that Luo Yan didn't hear clearly, but she did see Zhou Weifang looking at her with a smile that everyone could see.
At that moment, Zhou Weifang wasn't looking at her, but rather making eye contact with his childhood friend.
Perhaps it was an unspoken understanding, but in that instant, everyone knew what was going on. He didn't know whether to be relieved that he didn't have to say it or what other emotion he felt; his expression was somewhat serious, but he switched back to normal the next second.
Luo Yan was so surprised that she couldn't believe her eyes. She thought to herself: Why is he so solemn on someone else's joyous day?
She didn't pay much attention to it, only clapping and creating a lively atmosphere as she watched the bride leave.
Zhou Weifang was there to help with the wedding procession, so he could only think about it later and left with the rest of the group.
The room fell silent for a moment. With a while to go before the banquet, Luo Yan asked Zhou Yuying, "Sister Yuying, would you like to come to my house for a visit?"
Zhou Yuying didn't want to go back to her parents' place and upset herself, so she followed her to the east wing.
Luo Yan poured water for the guests and turned on the TV. The two sat down and chatted for a few minutes before going out together to attend the wedding banquet.
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Author's note: Good night!
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