Chapter 163, first update of 163.
Luo Yan and Wu Huifang arranged to meet at the entrance of the Grand Theater. Both of them had just graduated and hadn't hung out together for a while, so they had a lot to talk about.
But the theater wasn't a good place to talk, so after the show, they found a small restaurant nearby, sat down, and chatted while eating lunch.
Wu Huifang asked, "When will your school issue a notice?"
Luo Yan: "Around the 15th of next month, I haven't said exactly. Anyway, there are all sorts of rumors going around lately."
These days, almost everyone stays in the same job until retirement; which unit you're assigned to is practically a lifelong commitment.
Wu Huifang also wanted to talk about this matter today. She lowered her voice and said, "I've made a decision. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange."
Seeing the bewildered look on the person opposite, I said, "Foreign exchange management."
Luo Yan was happy for her: "It sounds good."
Although she wasn't quite sure what exactly she did.
Wu Huifang didn't really understand either: "My parents inquired and said the benefits and treatment were quite good."
"That would be even better," Luo Yan said, holding up her soda bottle. "Let's clink our glasses."
After touching it, Wu Huifang said, "Now I'm going to start complaining."
When she mentioned that her parents' focus had shifted from her future career to her marriage, they couldn't help but ask, "Are you planning to get married right after graduation?"
Luo Yan also said it was hard to say: "He still hasn't been able to buy a suitable house."
Zhou Weifang started preparing to buy a house last year after saving enough money. He wanted a large three-bedroom apartment with a private bathroom and good ventilation. In the past, these apartments in various family compounds were allocated to leaders. Even if they had the property rights, would they easily sell the apartments they bought during the "three-three system" a few years ago?
For this reason, he tried to pull strings and use connections, but to this day he still hasn't found a solution.
Housing prices in Beijing are outrageous right now. Wu Huifang: "Can you get a house for less than 20,000 or 30,000 yuan per square meter?"
She had never seen so much money before. She only heard about so-and-so making a lot of money from doing business, but there were plenty of people who couldn't even afford a hundred yuan, let alone ten thousand.
Luo Yan shook her head: "It's expensive but there's no market for it."
Admittedly, she didn't have that much money, but now even if she had money, she couldn't find a decent house in Beijing.
Wu Huifang said, "Actually, you don't need to rush to buy a house when you get married. Your company will definitely provide you with a dormitory in the future."
It's all about gaining seniority; everyone goes through that process.
Luo Yan shook her head: "No matter how you divide it, it's at most a small private room with a shared bathroom and kitchen. I might as well stay at home."
Wu Huifang had visited her home and knew that her room was larger than the average living space per capita in the city this year. She said, "That's true, housing is too tight now."
The two chatted about everything from housing shortages to an old classmate they barely remembered, talking until their throats were dry before finally heading home as the sun was setting.
Luo Hong was the only one at home. He watched TV and asked, "Shall we cook dinner or eat out tonight?"
Luo Yan retorted, "Did you drink too much at noon?"
Luo Hong also went to the wedding banquet today, but it was just for fun. He said, "I didn't drink anything."
Then, to himself, he said, "Let's go out to eat. I wonder if Sanfang is back yet; he hasn't given me the money he gave as a gift today."
Luo Yan: "He went to Tongzhou, and it took him several hours to get there and back."
As if she only knew about this small area, Luo Hong said, "The new suburban line that opened this year has one train in the morning and one in the afternoon. He must take the 2 o'clock train back, otherwise he would have to stay overnight."
There's no such thing as certainty, Luo Yan said. "He said he wanted to check on how the cherries were growing this year, and maybe he'd just leave them overnight."
Alright, Luo Hong patted his butt and stood up: "Then I'll have to treat you today."
So he originally wanted to freeload a meal. Luo Yan pushed her brother out, saying, "The bigger the boss, the stingier they are."
Luo Hong turned around and patted his sister: "Don't think that just because I'm the big boss I won't beat you up."
Luo Yan, of course, had to retaliate.
The brother and sister locked the door and shoved each other as they walked down the alley. Before they even turned the corner, they saw Zhou Weifang and both of them froze in surprise.
Zhou Weifang was also stunned, touching his face: "What, is there something?"
She was right. Luo Yan said, "Why do you look so disheveled?"
Zhou Weifang: "Just then, some fellow villagers came to town, so I hitched a ride on their tractor and then transferred to a bus on North Road."
No wonder the tractor gets into the city quickly, but it only travels on country roads. Luo Yan: "Go and borrow some water to wash up."
Before even leaving the alley, everyone I met was a familiar face.
Zhou Weifang washed his face and walked with the siblings, saying, "If I had taken the next bus, we would have missed it today."
Missed out? That word doesn't sound very innocent.
Luo Hong said disdainfully, "Don't mention me in your conversation."
Zhou Weifang patted his childhood friend on the shoulder: "It's good enough that you have something to eat."
He added, "I happen to have something to discuss with you."
The two of them walked behind with their arms around each other's shoulders, while Luo Yan walked a few steps faster, looking around to choose what to eat for dinner.
As they carried their purchases, they had walked almost two miles.
Luo Hong couldn't help but urge, "Are you planning to order eight dishes later?"
What does that mean? Luo Yan didn't quite understand.
Luo Hong had no choice but to explain: "If we keep walking like this, we'll have to eat at least eighteen dishes."
If you're hungry, just say so. Why beat around the bush?
Luo Yan casually pointed: "Then let's go with this one."
Alright, after wandering all over Beijing, let's come here for some plain noodles.
Luo Hong slapped his sister's hand away: "I want to eat something with meat."
Luo Yan almost poked her brother's face with her paw: "I'm going to scratch off a piece of your flesh later."
They were already far from the alley, and Zhou Weifang wasn't worried about being seen. Holding his partner's hand, he said, "Okay, let's chop him up and cook him together."
No, how come you explained it in such detail?
Luo Hong elbowed his childhood friend: "Did you plan this all along?"
Zhou Weifang let go: "The plan started when you pushed me face-first into the shit when I was three years old."
Luo Hong gave him the middle finger: "Why didn't you mention that I shielded you from a brick?"
Zhou Weifang: "You were pushed by Yanyan, not by your own initiative."
Huh? What do I have to do with this?
Luo Yan was sandwiched between the two of them, her little head bobbing back and forth.
Luo Hong flicked his sister on the forehead: "I remember now, it was you."
Luo Yan didn't remember, but she wouldn't admit it, saying, "Maybe you hit your head and it messed up your memory!"
Wow, they're small, but they can jump really high.
Luo Hong clenched his fists and said, "Come on, I'm going to make you remember this today."
Zhou Weifang pulled the brother and sister apart: "Let's find a place to sit down first before we start arguing."
Luo Hong said to him, "Don't think I didn't see that you were taking sides."
Zhou Weifang said, "I haven't settled the score with you for poking my back while I was playing around with Yan Yan last time."
How did it turn into them settling accounts? Luo Yan, since it was none of her business, found a shop that looked pretty good.
Upon entering and asking, I discovered they also had private rooms available.
Although it was called a private room, you could still hear everything happening next door, but at least there was no smell of smoke.
Luo Yan was quite satisfied. She sat down, looked through the menu, and selected two dishes she wanted to eat. She felt she was being very polite: "You two each pick one more, and that'll be enough."
"Thank you so much," Luo Hong insisted on ordering two more, then brought up old grievances: "You're the one who pushed me out."
Luo Yan muttered to herself, "This is ancient history, and they keep bringing it up."
Who is the one who loves to bring up old grievances the most? Luo Hong sneered: "He learned it from you."
Luo Yan wanted to refute, so she turned her head to pull a supporter aside.
Even Zhou Weifang found it hard to stand by her side this time, and said aggrievedly, "Yanyan, we really need to settle this score."
Although it wasn't the first time Luo Hong had seen his childhood friend put on such a pitiful act in front of his sister, he still couldn't bear to watch and muttered a curse under his breath.
Regardless of who he was cursing, Luo Yan preemptively retorted, "You're cursing me!"
He had never seen anyone so eager to take the blame, but Luo Hong recalled how he had "helped" his childhood friend block the bricks, and fell silent.
He doesn't say it, but others do.
Zhou Weifang said, "That fat kid in the back alley is a jerk. He got all worked up and grabbed a brick. I was standing close to Luobo, and when you were watching the commotion, you were only thinking about saving your brother. You tried to push him away but you pushed him in the wrong direction, and his forehead was heading straight for the brick. What's worse, after he smashed it, you cried and said, 'Why didn't you hit Zhou Weifang?'"
Luo Hongde then explained on behalf of his sister: "If you hadn't been arguing with someone that day, the fight wouldn't have even started. If it's not your fault, who else is it?"
If you really want to nitpick, those childhood brawls are just a tangled mess. Zhou Weifang punished himself with three drinks, but after finishing them, he felt something was off: "Strange, it seems like it's my fault."
Luo Yan smiled at him, and he pinched his nose and admitted, "Yes, it was my fault."
Luo Hong criticized them both at the same time: "Stop going back and forth in front of me."
Just as the food was served, the three of them stopped eating and, after eating half of it, the conversation turned to Luo Yan's work.
She said, "I'm ordering everyone to stop asking questions starting today and just wait for the announcement to be posted."
I got annoyed by her questions, and she kept chewing like she was about to bite someone.
No one in the room dared to mess with her, and the two men started talking about other things.
Luo Hong: "Does Brother Hong have any news?"
Zhu Tianhong is now a well-known big boss in the city, and he knows everyone. Zhou Weifang asked him for help the most when he wanted to buy a house, saying, "Jianhong is about to give birth, and I'm too embarrassed to keep asking her."
He added, "I went to see my sister the other day, and she said that someone wanted to sell the apartment building belonging to my brother-in-law's workplace."
"That's good," Luo Hong said. "The police station's territory is much safer."
Zhou Weifang: "It's a two-bedroom apartment, a bit small. I'll inquire more carefully and see how Yan Yan is doing..."
The words "final allocation" were swallowed back.
Luo Yan swallowed what was in her mouth: "Actually, a two-bedroom apartment isn't so bad."
"That won't do," Zhou Weifang pointed, "Putting everything else aside, these bachelors need a place to sleep."
When asked who was single, Luo Hong replied, "Wait and I'll find you seven or eight wives."
Seven or eight, giving him a beautiful gift, Zhou Weifang reminded him: "The new China has been established, do you think this is the old society?"
Regardless of whether it's old or new, Luo Hong put down his chopsticks and said, "I'm going to the restroom."
As soon as he left, Zhou Weifang immediately clung to him, placing a red envelope in his partner's hand: "This is from the host today."
He wasn't going to pick up a bride, and although Luo Yan could tell from the feel that it was very thin, she was still puzzled: "Why are they still giving out red envelopes?"
Zhou Weifang: "They made a fortune growing fruits and off-season vegetables. They don't accept gifts from any guests, and everyone who goes gets a red envelope. They serve eight cold dishes alone."
Luo Yan likes receiving red envelopes, regardless of the amount of money.
She held a small letter in her hand and pressed her finger against his face: "I'll kiss you next time."
Paying in advance is fine too.
Zhou Weifang's gaze fell on her lips, and he said, "This dish is good."
Luo Yan knew him well enough, but seeing her brother return, she was too embarrassed to say anything, so she could only stomp on him under the table.
Zhou Weifang remained expressionless, and Luo Hong was completely unaware of the situation.
He didn't care how his sister and childhood friend flirted, and instead became the one eating the most attentively.
-----------------------
Author's note: Good night!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com