Chapter 7 Illness
However, even the strongest will cannot overcome the cold weather.
On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, Luo Yan felt something was wrong as soon as she woke up.
Her nose felt like it was covered in mud; she opened her mouth to breathe, which made her throat dry and itchy, causing her to cough.
But when she touched her forehead and face, she didn't feel particularly hot. After thinking about it, she put on her clothes and went to the living room to drink some water, adding some sugar to it.
The undissolved sugar sank to the bottom of the cup. She picked it up with a spoon and ate it. After chewing for a while, she felt that it didn't seem to cause any problems. She went back to her room and took out her chemistry book to read.
As I looked at it, the words on the periodic table actually started moving.
Luo Yan thought it was a hallucination, blinked hard, and realized that it was her own head spinning. She slammed the book shut: "Luckily, it's a holiday."
The second-year high school students had the latest holiday break, and they didn't finish their last exam until yesterday.
Luo Yan thought to herself that this illness really knew when to come, so she pulled the blanket over her head and drifted off to sleep again.
When her daughter was on vacation, she would sometimes stay in bed. When Liu Yinfeng got up and saw that the light in her daughter's room was not on, she was delighted and moved even more quietly.
It wasn't until breakfast was ready that she realized something was wrong and pushed open her daughter's bedroom door.
Luo Yan's room had no lock; there was only a thick piece of paper hanging by the door, which could be clipped shut when closing the door.
She didn't hear any footsteps, but vaguely sensed someone approaching, so she barely opened her eyes.
Liu Yinfeng: "Where do you feel unwell?"
Luo Yan only had one word to say: "Dizzy."
See? See? I told you that staying up like this wouldn't work.
But now is not the time to talk about the child. Liu Yinfeng went to get a thermometer: "Let me take your temperature. Lie down properly."
Luo Yan didn't even have the strength to lie down properly, and slowly nodded while holding the thermometer between her fingers.
A child raised to this age shouldn't cause parents so much anxiety over a minor illness.
Liu Yinfeng could still laugh: "Now you're all wilted, aren't you?"
Luo Yan looked dejected and weakly whined, "Mom, I'm so hungry."
If you still want to eat, it means there's no major problem. Liu Yinfeng said, "Wait, I'll make you some steamed egg custard."
She went all out and knocked on three doors in one go.
Luo Hong happened to see this as he went into the kitchen to pour hot water, and joked, "Mom, are you trying to kill your life?"
Liu Yinfeng glanced at him sideways: "Don't joke with me, my sister has a fever."
She has a fever? Luo Hong put the washbasin aside and went into his sister's room. He saw her struggling to read the thermometer by herself.
He asked, "How many degrees?"
Luo Yan: "I can't see it."
Her gaze couldn't stay fixed; she always felt like the markings were playing hide-and-seek with her.
Luo Hong checked for her: "38.5".
Even at a time like this, he wouldn't stop talking, holding up two fingers: "Do you recognize which one this is?"
Luo Yan used all her strength to glare at him; if she could reach him, she would have punched him. She said irritably, "2!"
Not bad, looks like he hasn't gone crazy from the fever.
Luo Hong shook the thermometer and placed it on the table: "You should stay home and rest today."
Luo Yan didn't have the strength to get up, and ate both breakfast and lunch in bed.
Perhaps because she was young and had a good foundation, she gradually recovered in the afternoon and picked up her chemistry book again.
Liu Yinfeng didn't leave the house all day, but kept coming in to check on her daughter. Just when she was feeling a little better, she started acting up again and said, "Behave yourself and hand over all your books."
Luo Yan's attempts to be charming and coquettish didn't work; she could only stare out the window to pass the time.
When Luo Hong came home from get off work, he saw his younger sister sitting on the bed like she was in a daze: "What are you doing?"
Luo Yan said pitifully, "My mom won't let me review, so I have nothing to do."
Luo Hong: "It's because he reviewed too much that he got sick."
Nonsense, Luo Yan: "Knowledge will not make you sick."
Luo Hong: "What else could it be but me?"
Luo Yan actually nodded: "It's all because of you."
Luo Hong: "I knew I shouldn't have brought you anything."
Taking advantage of her illness, Luo Yan held her chin high and confidently stretched out her hand: "Give it to me."
Wow, that's pretty arrogant.
Luo Hong leaned against the doorframe: "Couldn't you at least say something polite?"
Luo Yan raised her hand even higher: "Give it to me."
Who exactly is saying that she has the best temper? Luo Hong: "Guess what it is first."
Judging from the way his hands are in his pockets, they can't be that big.
The only thing Luo Yan could think of was, "Should I get my New Year's money early?"
Luo Hong: "Dream on."
He didn't keep her in suspense any longer, and patted his sister's hand: "We haven't bought the tickets yet, but I'll take you to see a movie in a couple of days."
Luo Yan had already anticipated being strictly "watched" by her mother for the next few days, and asked, "Can we go tomorrow?"
Luo Hong: "Don't try to run around as soon as you feel a little better."
He then tried to scare her, saying, "This is a horror movie, or you'll get sick from it."
Luo Yan's attention was entirely focused on the final exams the past few days, so she had no idea what was trending in the city.
She said, "How terrifying is that?"
Luo Hong: "How would I know? But everyone who's seen it says it's great, and the cinemas have been packed these past two days."
After all, it was the first Hong Kong film introduced after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and it was based on the classic Chinese novel "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio." Even though it was almost Chinese New Year, people didn't mind the bad luck and were eager to see this film with its demon and monster theme.
Even Luo Yan was intrigued after hearing this, though she also had some concerns: "Won't it be particularly scary?"
Luo Hong: "What are you afraid of? If you don't dare to look, just close your eyes."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Liu Yinfeng appeared with a bowl of water: "What are you afraid to look at?"
The siblings quickly changed the subject, knowing their mother couldn't know about this.
As children grow up, they are no longer under their mother's control. Liu Yinfeng could see that something was amiss, but she could only turn a blind eye.
She said, "Anyway, I don't care about anything else except books."
Luo Yan had nothing else to do and pouted, "Okay."
She was under "close surveillance" for three days before she was fully recovered, but she still couldn't get the book from her mother.
Liu Yinfeng was determined this time: "Come see me again in the first month of the lunar calendar."
Luo Yan wasn't angry, but she was genuinely bored, so she went to bother her brother: "Didn't you say you'd take me to the movies?"
Luo Hong had some things to do the other day, but he managed to free up some time: "I'll go first thing tomorrow morning."
Luo Yan missed an opportunity to condemn him for not keeping his word, and she felt quite sorry about it.
She said, "Okay, but you have to come early."
Luo Hong responded too quickly, forgetting that his sister was already up earlier than most people. Before he could even wake up the next day, he was already being dragged out of bed.
Luo Yan was ready to go and kept urging him, "Hurry up and eat!"
Luo Hong, biting into a steamed bun, said, "The movie theater doesn't open until eight o'clock!"
Luo Yan didn't care: "Taking a stroll on the street is fine too."
Since his daughter was so eager to go out and play, Luo Xinmin took out some money and said, "Take your time and buy anything you like."
Luo Yan quickly put it in her pocket: "Thank you, Dad."
Luo Hong: "You should be thanking me the most. I'm the one who paid for today. You miser, you're just saving it up as your secret stash."
Luo Yan had already received the money, so she didn't care what he said and just made a face.
Luo Hong had his own way of doing things. He deliberately ate his breakfast slowly, which made his sister anxious and irritable. Only then did he put down his bowl and say, "Let's go."
Luo Yan followed closely behind her brother like a little duck, waving her fists.
Every day, they come up with all sorts of new tricks.
Liu Yinfeng said in surprise, "We only have two children in our family, and they are so noisy. I don't know how other families with seven or eight children manage to raise them."
Having few children was always a regret in Luo Xinmin's life.
However, after his two children grew up, especially after more people returned to the city in the last two years, he realized the benefits: "It's a good thing we only have two, otherwise our son would be an unemployed youth now."
Speaking of unemployment, Liu Yinfeng said, "There are quite a few young people setting up stalls to sell things these days."
Setting up a street stall is against the rules, and the police are chasing you around every day.
If it weren't for the approaching Lunar New Year, the police station would probably be overflowing with people.
Given the current unclear policy, Luo Xinmin said, "Let's try to buy things in stores as much as possible to avoid trouble."
Liu Yinfeng: "I think so too."
The couple reached an agreement, but unfortunately, they didn't tell their children as well.
The brother and sister bought candied hawthorns from a roadside vendor as soon as they stepped out of the alley.
Luo Yan had been eating bland food for several days, and her mouth felt tasteless. After finishing one piece, she was still not satisfied and turned her head: "I want to eat something more."
Luo Hong: "Eat less, your throat is just feeling better."
Everyone had a reason to care about Luo Yan's illness, and yet no one could refute it, leaving them only dejected and speechless.
Luo Hong: "I'll take you to eat Peking duck for lunch."
Luo Yan's eyes lit up again, and she could only swallow her saliva when she saw any delicious food.
Luo Hong couldn't bear it, so he bought her a bag of sunflower seeds at the movie theater entrance: "Eat them sparingly."
No sooner had he finished speaking than someone interrupted, "Hey Luo Bu, you're pretty stingy."
Luo Hong turned around and saw Zhou Weifang. He asked in surprise, "What are you doing here so early in the morning?"
After Zhou Weifang returned home, he slept in the living room, which was very inconvenient.
He said, "With people coming and going, I can't sleep, so I came out for a stroll."
Housing is tight for every family, and there's nothing we can do about it.
Luo Hong couldn't offer any words of comfort, so he patted him on the shoulder and said, "Since you're free, how about we watch a movie together?"
That's a good suggestion, but...
Zhou Weifang glanced at the silent Luo Yan as if by accident: "Never mind, you guys see."
Luo Hong: "Don't mention it, I'm leaving."
Zhou Weifang: "I don't think it's good yet. Don't make me fall over again."
He was so unsteady on his feet that he could barely stand.
Luo Hong released his hand: "There's more good news. You can have a meal at Quanjude for lunch."
So he was in a hurry to repay a favor. Zhou Weifang said, "Okay, I'll mooch a meal off you."
He then exchanged pleasantries with Luo Yan: "Are you feeling better?"
Luo Yan had followed her brother around since she was a child, and the men she had seen most were his childhood friends. She didn't care who was there or who was not, and only reacted when her own name was mentioned: "I'm all better now."
She habitually looks into the other person's eyes when she speaks, tilting her head back to reveal a more defined chin.
Zhou Weifang thought to himself, "No wonder you're sick," and said, "You look a little thinner."
The family's meals were already being prepared with extra care for Luo Yanlai, but these days, even the most lavish meals couldn't compare to this.
Luo Yan wasn't fat to begin with, and upon hearing this, she rubbed her wrist, looking quite regretful about the weight she had lost: "Yes, I've lost some weight."
When you talk to her, it seems like there's a back-and-forth exchange, but it always feels like she's running out of steam.
Zhou Weifang didn't know what else to say, but fortunately Luo Hong was there in the middle, so the three of them weren't too awkward.
A note from the author:
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I only realized I forgot to set the posting time when I got to this point, sorry!!
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