Chapter 28 (The Twenty-Eighth Chapter) - Bankbook
The fact that Luo Yan had savings was known to the whole family.
She doesn't receive a fixed allowance each month, but her parents will give her some whenever they remember. In addition to what she gets from her brother, it adds up to a considerable sum over time.
As for the exact number, Luo Hong didn't know either.
He picked the person up from the train station and took them home. After putting down their things, he asked, "How much money do you have?"
Luo Yan, still feeling lightheaded with her feet firmly on the ground, didn't quite catch her breath and started rummaging in her pocket: "Thirty-six cents."
There are many petty pickpockets on the train, and this is all she had with her. She placed it in her brother's palm: "It's all for you."
Luo Hong poked her forehead: "Never mind, let's talk about it after you wake up."
Luo Yan: "I need to take a shower first."
She takes a long time to wash her hair and shower. In Beijing, it would take her quite a while to get into a public bathhouse. But her mother-in-law's house can only heat water, and as a guest, she felt embarrassed to go through too much trouble. Plus, after two long nights of travel, she felt like she was about to stink.
Liu Yinfeng knew her daughter was always very clean, so she tidied up the things she had brought from her hometown and said, "Go quickly."
Then she ordered her son, "Take this to Aunt Xiujuan."
Luo Hong responded, only to realize after delivering the package that this was just the beginning.
Liu Yinfeng had a mental record of things, and while busy with these matters, she started nitpicking about the house's cleanliness: "Didn't you and Dad sweep the floor?"
Luo Hong protested his innocence, saying, "Even if I didn't sweep, how could my dad not sweep?"
That's true. My husband is more particular than my son, but he can't take as much care of me as I can.
Liu Yinfeng couldn't stand it anymore, so she put on an apron and sleeves and started working.
Luo Hong: "You just got back, you have plenty of time tomorrow."
Liu Yinfeng simply said, "Don't block the way, move aside."
Well, even when I want to lend a hand, people think I'm in the way.
Luo Hong simply retreated to the yard, sat on a low stool, and beckoned the dog to play with the child.
A group of children who were playing war games with wooden guns were now drawn to him and started yelling and shooting at him.
Luo Hong was quite cooperative, clutching his chest and howling.
Li Hongyu was having so much fun that her grandmother called her over to get a drink of water.
Her face flushed: "I wish everyone could stay on holiday forever."
Aunt Li sighed, wiped the sweat from her granddaughter's forehead, and said nothing.
Luo Hong noticed this and knew it must be because the child couldn't attend the preschool class due to not having a household registration, but he couldn't help. He could only hear a few complaints when he brought it up, so he had to pretend he didn't know.
But children don't understand the worries of adults. Li Hongyu was still having a great time playing, and when she ran a little too fast, she tripped and fell.
Luo Yan had just returned from her shower and picked her up, brushing the dust off her clothes.
The child felt ticklish and giggled as he tried to get away.
"She looks so cute," Luo Yan turned her head and asked, "When are you going to give me a little niece too?"
Luo Hong: "If I were to have another child like you, my old age would be miserable."
Luo Yan had just figured something out in the bathhouse, and with her arms crossed and carrying her things in both hands, she asked, "Do you need something from me?"
Luo Hong almost forgot, so he stood up and said, "Please sit down, you can hang your hair out to dry here."
Luo Yan shook her head like a drowning puppy, splashing all over her brother, and said, "That's it?"
She was so proud of her that Luo Hong bowed deeply and said, "Whatever your command."
Luo Yan pushed him aside: "Move aside, I need to do laundry."
Not only clothes, she also took down the bed that had been empty for half a month. The mother and daughter spun around like tops.
Luo Hong twisted the bed sheet for his sister, saying, "It's the same if you do it tomorrow."
How can they be the same? Luo Yan: "It's so irritating when I sleep at night."
Luo Hong thought to herself how lucky she was that she didn't have to go to the countryside back then, otherwise her sister wouldn't have been able to cope with the conditions in the countryside.
He said, "Too delicate."
Luo Yan retorted: "Sloppy."
The brother and sister each talked their own way, like two spirited geese.
It was only when Liu Yinfeng called them to lunch that they took a brief break.
Luo Hong took only one bite and said, "My dad's cooking isn't as good as yours."
Liu Yinfeng could tell from the pots and pans that the father and son had probably been eating at the canteen these days: "Have you used up all your food coupons?"
Luo Hong did manual labor in the workshop, and the quota was never enough, let alone left over.
He said, "I even ate all the geese."
Eating out means money is spent quickly, unlike the careful budgeting at home. Liu Yinfeng wasn't surprised, mentally reviewing the accounts: "It'll be September in two days."
Then I remembered something else: "Little sister, what do you need to prepare for the start of school?"
Luo Yan: "I need to go to the street office to get a certificate and have my ID photo taken."
Students must submit a family circumstances assessment form upon enrollment, which will serve as the basis for scholarship evaluation.
According to Beijing's standards, the Luo family's conditions were considered acceptable, but Luo Yan could only be rated as third-class, receiving ten yuan per month.
This amount of money is enough for food expenses, but it will definitely be insufficient for other expenses.
Fortunately, my daughter is a day student, so she usually eats both breakfast and dinner at home.
Liu Yinfeng: "I'll buy another new outfit so I can go to the reporting meeting looking smart and energetic."
Luo Yan: "I have a shirt that I bought from Sister Jianhong before, but I haven't worn it yet."
Liu Yinfeng: "I'll buy another dress to support her business."
Luo Yan noticed that Li Jianhong left early and returned late every day, and asked, "How's her business?"
Liu Yinfeng: "From what your Aunt Li said, it's alright, she can support herself."
There are rumors that many self-employed people have become millionaires, but there are ordinary people in every industry and profession; most people are just trying to make a living.
That's good. Luo Yan: "If it's manageable, I won't go. It's so awkward when I have to pay."
Giving too much or too little is not appropriate.
Other people are willing to ask acquaintances for help with everything, but she is afraid to deal with acquaintances in everything.
Liu Yinfeng: "Okay, you decide for yourself."
Luo Yan had no idea what to do, but after thinking for a moment, she said, "I'll ask Hui Fang to come along; she knows how to dress up."
Liu Yinfeng: "What school did you say she attended last time?"
Luo Yan: "Language Institute, learning English."
Liu Yinfeng: "It sounds so sophisticated."
Luo Yan laughed: "Huifang has a headache; she can't pronounce ABCD."
Liu Yinfeng: "Then why did she choose this major?"
Luo Yan: "She wanted to stay in the city with her score and also wanted to pursue an undergraduate degree, so she didn't have many options at all. She even applied to the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering."
Liu Yinfeng: "What kind of school is this?"
Luo Yan: "It used to be called Shougang Technical School."
Liu Yinfeng shook her head repeatedly: "That would require going all the way to Shijingshan, which is so far."
He then thought, "But if I can be assigned to Shougang in the future, the benefits will definitely be good."
Her mother doesn't care about the school or major; she only cares about how the student will be assigned to a job in the future.
Luo Yan: "There are still four years left, who can say for sure?"
Liu Yinfeng: "That's true. Things change fast enough in just one year, let alone four years."
Speaking of changes, Luo Hong chimed in: "Yanzi, don't go to West Street this afternoon. They said they're going to widen it, so it's been blocked off."
Luo Yan nodded in agreement, afraid that the matter would not be completed. After finishing her meal, she left with the local specialties she had brought back from southern Anhui.
Feeling utterly bored, Wu Huifang joined a group of children in playing jump rope in the alley. When she saw someone, she asked, "When did you get back?"
Luo Yan: "You can leave this at home first, and we can talk as we walk."
Wu Huifang: "Wait for me a moment."
She delegated the task of holding up the rubber bands to someone else, ran back and forth quickly, and only asked after pushing her bicycle out, "Where are we going?"
Luo Yan: "Let's go to the photo studio first, then we'll buy clothes."
Just by listening to her voice, you can tell she'll be busy for a long time. Wu Huifang said, "I have no homework this summer, so I'm going to walk every street and alley in Beijing."
I wandered around but couldn't find anything that appealed to me.
Luo Yan: "You'll have a lot to worry about when school starts."
“School’s starting soon,” Wu Huifang complained. “My mom said my foundation wasn’t good to begin with, so she made me memorize vocabulary in advance and she keeps an eye on me every day when I come home.”
Luo Yan: "Wasn't your aunt quite happy when the admission notice arrived?"
Wu Huifang: "I was happy for only a few days, and then they started complaining that I didn't do well on the test."
He added, "By the way, Bai Ru asked me to tell you that she was accepted into medical school."
Luo Yan: Really? That's wonderful!
Bai Ru's grades were improved by her and Wang Qianyun in the last few months. Although they didn't expect anything in return, it was always good to see a result.
Wu Huifang: "Really, it made her mother so happy. She told everyone in the alley how hard she had worked to support her through high school."
Luo Yan: "Actually, I didn't do much credit; it was all Qianyun's doing."
Wu Huifang: "She's quite something. She kept an eye on Bai Ru every day, but it didn't stop her from getting into Tsinghua University."
Luo Yan: "She is smart and has a good foundation."
Although it's not a comparison, Wu Huifang said, "If you had parents who are teachers keeping an eye on you, you would definitely be better than her."
Luo Yan: "I still want my parents more, even if they don't have to be so strong."
After saying that, he slammed on the brakes: "I almost went too far."
Wu Huifang also stopped and said, "I thought we were going to the photo studio at the Telegraph Building."
The same equipment, but the photos taken at the Telegraph Building are much better, although it takes several days just to get the photos.
Luo Yan: "School starts the day after tomorrow, there's no time."
Wu Huifang: "Luckily, I went to film it a few days ago."
They parked their car and walked into the store, and the whole shoot took less than a minute.
Luo Yan barely sat down on the chair. After paying and receiving the receipt, she came out and said, "Next time, let's go to the Telegraph Building."
Wu Huifang: "This master looks so scary, I don't even dare to give you any advice."
He had a sullen face, as if everyone owed him money.
Luo Yan: "Forget it, we'll have to pay again for a reshoot."
Regardless of who is in the right, this is the kind of business that state-owned stores do.
Wu Huifang: "The money saved can be used to buy popsicles."
The two looked at each other and smiled. They went to the department store to buy some food first, and then strolled along leisurely.
After wandering around for a while, Luo Yan found everything too expensive and went home empty-handed.
Liu Yinfeng thought her daughter wouldn't have gained anything after being out for most of the day, and said helplessly, "You keep saving your money, when are you going to use it?"
Luo Yan: "Mom, you should get me a piece of fabric to make it. It'll be both practical and beautiful."
Liu Yinfeng said irritably, "Don't give me that."
There was nothing I could do with her: "I'll buy it tomorrow."
Luo Yan sat down to eat with a smile, her eyes inadvertently glancing at her brother.
Luo Hong placed a piece of food on her plate: "Please eat, it's delicious."
Tch, I wonder what kind of bad ideas he's up to all day.
Luo Yan thought to herself that she definitely couldn't keep her money, so she just snorted and didn't say anything.
The brother and sister were exchanging veiled insults, but their parents didn't care. They only talked about the big and small things that had happened in the alley over the past two weeks.
Everyday life is filled with these trivial matters: who is getting married, who is marrying off their daughter.
Luo Yan found nothing of interest to her, so she finished her meal and went back to her room to make her bed.
Luo Hong followed behind her: "I want to discuss something with you."
Luo Yan cut to the chase: "How much do you want?"
Luo Hong countered, "How many do you have?"
Luo Yan lowered her voice: "What do you need so much money for?"
Luo Hong thought to himself that his sister had really saved up quite a bit. He explained the whole story to her from beginning to end, and finally said, "This three-way deal is definitely going to be profitable, you get your share..."
Before Hong Zi could finish speaking, Luo Yan interrupted, "I'm not investing; you invest yourself."
Luo Hong: "I don't have any money."
He spends a lot of money, and he's always broke every month.
Luo Yan pulled a bankbook from the bookshelf and handed it to him: "Now you have it."
Luo Hong patted his sister's hand: "Don't joke around, you've been saving this for over ten years."
Luo Yan wasn't the kind of clueless person who didn't keep accounts: "There's a total of 623.62 yuan inside, 100 of which is yours."
Luo Hong asked in surprise, "When did I put this here?"
He himself didn't know.
Luo Yan showed him the account book: "This is what you gave me over the past three years."
Luo Hong would give his sister at least a dollar or two whenever she asked, but he never expected it to add up to so much: "So it turns out the wool comes from the sheep's back."
He added, "Then I can't use it as a share."
Luo Yan: "I borrowed it from you, so you have to pay me back with bank interest. As for how you do your business, that's your business; I won't interfere."
She had just said it so seriously, then pouted and added, "I don't have any financial dealings with other people."
Who else could it be but Zhou Weifang?
Luo Hong thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll take it as a loan from you."
He patted his sister's head again: "I won't call you a Pixiu anymore."
Luo Yan stretched out her claws to scratch him: "I'm not Wangcai or Laifu."
Luo Hong dodged to the right, casually slipping the passbook into his pocket; it felt light yet heavy, making his heart sink.
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Author's note: All place names mentioned are for convenience. If there are any places where the research is inadequate, please consider them as fictional.
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