Chapter 45 (First Update)
Luo Yan only learned the details of the petty thief the next day while eating breakfast.
Liu Yinfeng bought soy milk and sugar-coated sesame cakes today. After taking a bite, she said, "Yanyan, do you remember Liu Cheng?"
Liu Cheng? Although Luo Yan wasn't very familiar with most people, she had a pretty good memory. She asked, "Was he in my class in elementary school?"
Liu Yinfeng: "Yes, that's the one we arrested last night."
"Huh?" Luo Yan's eyes widened. "I remember him as very introverted and honest."
He was usually quiet and reserved, and some mischievous boys often bullied him.
The Liu family lived on the back side street, and some members of their family were employees of the No. 8 State-owned Cotton Mill.
We're all neighbors, Liu Yinfeng sighed: "He's been back from the countryside for almost two years now, and he hasn't had a proper job. He can only do odd jobs. He said his girlfriend broke up with him recently, and he acted impulsively."
Everyone has their difficulties. Luo Hong: "Just because your partner broke up with you doesn't mean you can steal things? How many rich people are there in our alley?"
Liu Yinfeng: "I'm in a hurry to make money."
This haste is misguided. Luo Xinmin lamented, "A young man with a criminal record will only ruin his future."
That's what I'm talking about. Liu Yinfeng: "Liu Cheng's mother is arguing with the people in the neighborhood, saying that her son is a first-time offender and shouldn't be sentenced."
This matter hasn't reached the police station yet, so there's still a lot of room for maneuver.
Luo Hong disagreed with the term "first offense": "There have been quite a few thieves lately, so we can't believe her if she says it wasn't a neighborhood watch."
As the year draws to a close, petty theft increases, especially since the major problem of a large number of unemployed young people has not been completely resolved in the past year or two.
A few years ago, Beijing was a city where people could leave their doors unlocked at night, but now the public security situation has visibly deteriorated.
Liu Yinfeng: "Of course I don't believe it. Now the families whose things were stolen are surrounding the street, demanding compensation."
She muttered, "I figured it's just a washbasin we're throwing away, so I'd better not go."
A washbasin had been missing from their house for several days, but Luo Yan thought it was highly unlikely that Liu Cheng had stolen it. She said, "Climbing over the wall just for a washbasin? There are plenty of things in the yard that are more valuable than it."
Liu Yinfeng thought about it and agreed: "It must be someone taking advantage of the situation. I hope I don't catch them."
Losing a few small things is no big deal. Luo Hong only said, "Yanyan, you must lock the window when you sleep at night."
Luo Yan's room was well-lit and well-ventilated, with a large window facing the courtyard. She was easily frightened, and after her brother suggested, "How about we switch rooms?"
Luo Hong: "We're separated by just a wooden board, so I'll know if anything happens."
That's true," Luo Yan said, taking a bite of her sugar-coated sesame seed cake. "You mustn't sleep too soundly."
Luo Hong patted her head, unusually not teasing his sister: "Don't worry about me."
Luo Yan had grown up under her brother's wing, so she wasn't too worried. She wiped her hands and stood up: "I'm going to school."
I remembered something as I lifted my foot, so I rummaged through the snack cabinet.
Those who knew went to study, while those who didn't thought they were going for a spring outing. Luo Hong couldn't hold back any longer: "It's not even the New Year yet, and you've already emptied the house."
Liu Yinfeng started stocking up on New Year's goods for the family on New Year's Day. No matter how much she piled up in the cupboard, her daughter would eat it all. But she bought it specifically for her child, blatantly saying, "Just eat, don't mind your brother."
Luo Yan said confidently, raising her chin slightly, "Did you hear me?"
"I heard that, I heard that," Luo Hong said. "Eating so much but not gaining weight, I don't know where it all goes."
Luo Xinmin also voiced his support for his daughter: "Studying takes a lot of brainpower."
Well, so this is the pair of door gods. Luo Hong clicked his tongue and shook his head: "Luckily, she's a good person at heart, otherwise you two would have spoiled her rotten."
That's the opposite of what you're saying. It's precisely because your daughter is well-behaved and sensible that you, as parents, unconditionally believe that she can do whatever she wants.
Liu Yinfeng said irritably, "You haven't spoiled her, so how could your sister be spoiled?"
With few children in the family and Luo Hong being the first, he was treated with extra care by his parents from a young age.
Especially during the years he was sent to the countryside in northern Shaanxi, his family received two packages every month without fail, making their lives much more comfortable than those of other educated youth. His parents also actively worked to help him return to the city.
My sister is doing well entirely because of her own hard work; in terms of contributions, our parents have actually done more for her.
Luo Hong knew all this, and he said, "This is all thanks to you."
Liu Yinfeng: "You're afraid of getting beaten? Every time I beat you, I'd beat you up and then..."
"Stop bringing up the past," Luo Hong interrupted, "Luo Yan, let's go together."
Luo Yan had originally wanted to watch her brother's antics for a while, but she put the cookies in her bag and shrugged, "We're not going the same way."
Even if things aren't going smoothly, you can only turn left or right at the alley entrance.
Luo Yan was on her way to school when she passed by the neighborhood office and saw a crowd gathered there, but she didn't dare look over.
Sometimes she felt that watching this spectacle was cruel, and she sighed silently. But in the end, there are too many things like this in the world, and everyone has their own difficulties.
Luo Yan couldn't help anyone, but her mood was inevitably heavy, especially since Liu Cheng's vague image kept appearing in her mind, as if even her own happiness had become a burden.
When she got to the library, she finally shook off these chaotic thoughts, sat down and opened a book, thinking that Zhou Xiuhe was late again today.
Zhou Xiuhe was indeed late today, only sitting down next to her at ten o'clock, with three seats between them being politely separated.
Luo Yan noticed, turned her head to look at him, smiled, and whispered, "Good morning."
It was almost noon, so Zhou Xiuhe explained, "I just ran into Teacher Gao, and he asked me to help him enter the grades."
Several courses in the entire college are taught by the same professor, and Professor Gao teaches advanced mathematics. No student is indifferent to their grades, so Luo Yan's eyes lit up.
Zhou Xiuhe: "I checked for you, it's 90."
Numbers alone aren't enough to tell the whole story; rankings are needed. Luo Yan, upon entering school, cared little about anything else but secretly studying other students' scores on every quiz. She also wanted to know Zhou Xiuhe's score, so she asked, "And you?"
After asking, I realized that the person had a fever on the day of the exam, and I felt I had spoken out of turn.
Zhou Xiuhe: "79."
He could tell what Luo Yan was thinking just by looking at her expression, and said optimistically, "It's better than a make-up exam, because a make-up exam only gives you a passing grade."
That's true. Luo Yan: "It's not bad that you didn't perform well; your usual grades are definitely better."
Zhou Xiuhe, without any modesty, even appearing confident, said, "Yes, it's a pity I have a fever."
Since he admitted it so openly, Luo Yan couldn't help but think more highly of him.
Because rather than saying "Oh, I'm not that great," she prefers to say "I work hard, I'm smart, and my grades are excellent." She has always believed that she deserves all high scores, saying, "It's too cold for a southerner to come to the north."
It's not just cold, Zhou Xiuhe couldn't help but sigh: "In Guangzhou, we only need to wear two layers during the New Year."
Guangzhou is so far away from Beijing; even if the train goes smoothly, it takes three days.
With the Lunar New Year fast approaching, it seems he has no intention of going back. On this day of family reunion, Luo Yan feels a pang of reluctance towards him and deliberately avoids discussing matters related to his family when speaking to him.
Zhou Xiuhe was unaware that he had unwittingly created a pitiful image, and went on to talk about the local customs and culture of Guangzhou.
There were hardly any people in the library today; everyone seemed to want to sit as far away as possible.
But fearing he might disturb others, he moved closer, lowered his voice, leaned forward, and rested his elbows on the table.
Luo Yan was worried that he would twist his back if he stayed in that position for too long.
She was thinking of sharing cookies with someone, and after a moment's thought, she said, "How about we go to the conference room?"
The meeting room is what the students call it; it's actually used for studying, just a bit further away from the bookshelves. You can talk and eat there, and during finals, many people bring food from the cafeteria to eat while reviewing.
Zhou Xiuhe accepted the gifts and agreed. The two moved to a different spot, still with a few seats between them.
Luo Yan took a cookie box out of her bag and pushed it over: "Try this, it's super delicious."
Zhou Xiuhe didn't refuse, but stopped after eating only one piece.
Luo Yan awaited his feedback and asked, "Is it delicious?"
Perhaps feeling that asking such a question was like not giving people a choice, they replied: "You can say it's not tasty."
Zhou Xiuhe: "Delicious."
Then they discovered: "Was this bought from southern Anhui?"
How did he know? Luo Yan: "Well, my mother is from southern Anhui. It was sent by my maternal grandmother. There aren't any in Beijing, but are there any in Guangzhou?"
Zhou Xiuhe: "My parents both work on the railway, traveling all over the country with trains, and often bringing back local specialties."
"I see," Luo Yan blurted out, "They also drive their vehicles during the first month of the lunar year, right?"
Zhou Xiuhe: "Yes, but they arranged a special schedule so that the three of us can spend New Year's Eve in Beijing."
He added, "Most of my relatives have already swum across the river. I'm the only one left, so I'm thinking of going back to Guangzhou after New Year's Eve."
Swim across? Luo Yan had never heard of this expression before and asked curiously, "What does 'swim across' mean?"
This is not uncommon in his hometown, Zhou Xiuhe said without hesitation: "You can swim from Guangzhou to Hong Kong, and there are a lot of people who go."
Luo Yan couldn't imagine how close it was; she thought it would be difficult even to splash around in the moat.
She said, "That sounds dangerous."
Zhou Xiuhe: "Yes, my parents didn't dare to go because I was with them, but most of the family members went."
A river separated them forever.
Although having overseas connections is no longer a big problem, Luo Yan, out of caution, did not delve into the details and only said, "Then you can go to the temple fair on the first day of the lunar new year, it's very lively."
Zhou Xiuhe was both amused and exasperated: "My dad said he wanted to climb the Great Wall."
Luo Yan hadn't climbed the Great Wall in almost ten years. She gasped, "Are they really pushing themselves this hard on the first day of the Lunar New Year?"
Zhou Xiuhe: "This was just the plan for the morning; he said he would visit the Summer Palace in the afternoon."
He laughed after he finished speaking: "Even if the three of us were Wang Jinxi, we wouldn't be able to do this kind of thing."
Luo Yan also laughed: "Uncle will probably give up this idea after he comes down from the Great Wall."
Zhou Xiuhe felt a pang of sympathy: "That would be best, but my mom definitely wouldn't agree."
Luo Yan: "If it were me, I would need three days to recover after coming down from the Great Wall."
People from other places who have just arrived in Beijing will definitely make a trip there when they have time.
Zhou Xiuhe: "I went there when school started. Our class, who are locals, led the way. We didn't come down until dark. We walked at night with flashlights. The next day, I almost collapsed."
Luo Yan: "When I was a child..."
The two chatted back and forth, and even went to eat together when it was time—but due to school regulations, they sat separately in the cafeteria.
Although the teachers in the academic affairs office may not have time to patrol around during the holidays, it's always good to be cautious.
However, this seems to add a touch of ambiguity, as if it's a case of trying to hide something obvious.
Luo Yan and Zhou Xiuhe were still sitting face to face across the table, and as they ate, they both felt embarrassed and avoided each other's gaze.
Zhou Xiuhe lowered his eyes and sighed softly. He poked at a piece of potato for no reason, mashing it into a paste, and muttered to himself, "I did well today."
It's not just about his performance, because many things can't be forced, especially given Luo Yan's personality. After all, she rarely talks so much to anyone, let alone in front of a man.
This subtle detail made her keenly aware of the difference, and her understanding of herself made her feel that this shouldn't be called liking for the time being.
What should I call it? Luo Yan considered several words in her mind before finally choosing "appreciation".
Two simple words are already a very high compliment.
However, this emotion can only occupy her for a few hours at most.
In the afternoon, Luo Yan still chose to do her homework.
Zhou Xiuhe was also rushing to finish the report before the end of the year, and pulled out several large volumes from the bookshelf.
Luo Yan quite liked the feeling of everyone being busy with their own things, as if everything was thriving.
Despite it being a cold winter, it felt like springtime.
Zhou Xiuhe only felt cold, and he sneezed as soon as he left the library.
The administrator closed the door precisely, the iron gate creaking under its own weight.
Luo Yan glanced back and said, "You should go back to your dorm now. I'm going home too. Goodbye."
Zhou Xiuhe: "See you tomorrow?"
His tone was more like a question, and Luo Yan thought for a moment and said, "Okay, see you tomorrow."
As she spoke, she reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, feeling bewildered. She hadn't figured it out by the time she got home, so much so that she didn't even notice the door was locked. She only realized it was locked when she tried to push it open but couldn't.
Luo Yan took out her key and unlocked the door, wondering where her mother might be, while sitting in the living room listening to the radio.
As soon as Liu Yinfeng entered the yard, she heard the commotion and called out, "Yanyan, come and give your mother a hand."
Luo Yan jogged a few steps and opened the door. Seeing that her mother had snatched back a lot of pastries, she said, "Mom, Daoxiangcun isn't going to close down."
Liu Yinfeng: "It's for my mother-in-law and uncle."
In previous years she wouldn't have dared to spend so much, but this year there were no tickets required, and the things her family had sent her these past few times were quite nice, so she decided to steel herself and spend the money.
When it comes to matters of personal relationships, the parents have their own set of rules, and it's not Luo Yan's place to interfere.
All she had to do was bring it in and put it on the table, then she could go into her room to read.
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Author's Note: One more chapter, but it'll be a little later. [Sunglasses]
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