Chapter 135, Update 1352
The moment the two of them spent alone was quickly broken by the car repairman.
Zhou Weifang couldn't help but regret it, thinking that he should have let his childhood friend watch the shop while he took Luo Yan out to eat.
He had actually considered it, but Luo Yan had classes all day, and the restaurants near the school were packed during mealtimes, making it even less of a place to talk than the car dealership.
Thinking of this, he sighed for no reason.
The customer, thinking his car was beyond repair, asked uncertainly, "Sir, I think this is just a tire repair?"
Zhou Weifang came to his senses: "Yes, to repair the tire."
He handled the job with ease, finishing it in no time. After the customer paid and left, he washed his hands and quickly sat down opposite Luo Yan, leaning on the table and calling her name.
Luo Yan had been pretending to read a book since the beginning, but she couldn't keep up the act anymore: "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, how many more times do I have to call you?"
Zhou Weifang: "I feel like I'm dreaming."
He spoke the last two words very softly, and Luo Yan reached out and awkwardly patted his head: "How about this?"
Zhou Weifang: "It feels more like a dream."
Luo Yan poked at the swollen spot on his forehead: "How about this?"
Zhou Weifang gasped, feeling much more awake.
Luo Yan hadn't expected it to hurt so much. She gently rubbed it with her fingers and said, "My brother doesn't seem to have any medicinal wine. You can rub it on yourself when you get back."
He added, "Is it really that low up there? How could it have been damaged like this?"
Zhou Weifang had no idea how to write the word "pain," and just kept whining, "Just rub it and it'll be fine."
Luo Yan almost poked him again, then remembered: "Sit down properly, I'm going to announce the three rules."
Zhou Weifang sat up straight: "There's no problem with the eight rules."
Luo Yan: "There will be more in the future, but I'll just mention one today."
Hmm? Wasn't it supposed to be three chapters?
Zhou Weifang did not raise any questions and was particularly polite and courteous: "Please go ahead."
Luo Yan: "My successful graduation is extremely important."
Zhou Weifang, having witnessed how hard she worked to get into university, said, "I will absolutely not let dating affect your studies."
Luo Yan nodded in satisfaction, unaware of Zhou Weifang's secret delight.
The meaning of the phrase "making friends" was far too broad in 1980. While she could write it down, Zhou Weifang still needed to double-check that she hadn't misunderstood it.
He finally felt relieved and asked, "What do you want to eat tonight?"
Aren't you going back to the shop this afternoon?
"I'm not going back," Zhou Weifang told her second sister before leaving, a little melancholy in her voice. "I won't be able to come tomorrow."
Perhaps it was the final step in breaking the ice, but Luo Yan was also a little reluctant to part with him, saying, "I can come visit you this weekend."
Even at the fruit shop, it couldn't be called "playing around." Zhou Weifang said, "I'm sorry, I should have taken you to a movie and a park, but I really haven't been able to..."
The new store opening will definitely be busy, but Luo Yan didn't think it was a problem: "It's okay, I'll go to the movies and walk in the park with other people."
After saying that, seeing that the person opposite him had frozen, he explained, "I will go to see Huifang and Yingying this Sunday."
She only has these two good friends, and even Zhou Weifang had heard about them long ago. He said, "You guys have fun for a month at most. Once I've sorted things out at the shop, I'll spend more time with you."
Luo Yan nodded, then turned around to look at him, noticing the change in his gaze.
Luo Hong stood at the shop entrance with his arms crossed, reminding her, "Yanyan, you're going to be late."
Luo Yan jumped up and, as she passed her brother, made conversation: "Brother, where did you go at noon?"
Where did you go? Luo Hong sneered: "None of your business, go to class."
It seems that Zhou Weifang really did get rid of her. Luo Yan isn't stupid, so of course she could guess what was going on. She grabbed her books and ran away without a trace.
There were only two people left in the shop, and Zhou Weifang unconsciously stood at attention.
Luo Hong had just returned and hadn't even heard them talking, but these two were the people he knew best in the world, and even the slightest changes couldn't escape his keen eyes.
He said, "If I had known that noon today was this important, I should have at least given you a good beating, Lao Mo."
Let alone one meal of Lao Mo, Zhou Weifang said, "I'd be willing to owe you ten or eight meals."
Actually, Luo Hong didn't have much of a feeling when his sister and Zhou Xiuhe became close.
But when it came to his childhood friend, he didn't know how to describe it, and finally just sighed, "Life."
Zhou Weifang was waiting for him to say something decent so he could flatter him, but after his initial exclamation, he didn't continue, only managing to squeeze out, "What excellent writing."
Luo Hong gave him the middle finger without any mercy: "Bullshit."
Zhou Weifang: "Yeah, yeah, you're bullshit."
That's more like it. Luo Hong really couldn't imagine him treating him like his future brother-in-law. He said, "The door is over there, get lost."
Zhou Weifang instead lay back on the recliner: "I'm going to take a nap."
Is this some kind of guesthouse? He just sleeps there whenever he wants. Luo Hong: "Next time, you'll not only have to pay for the meals, but also for the accommodation."
Zhou Weifang retorted with his eyes closed, "Is this a place where a human being can live?"
How dare you criticize others? Luo Hong: "You're no better than me."
Zhou Weifang didn't say anything more, but in his heart he thought: As long as Yanyan can live in a good place in the future, that's fine.
He was so tired that he fell asleep before he could even think about the future.
Luo Hong didn't care that there was another person in the store; he just kept to himself, selling and repairing cars.
Zhou Weifang vaguely saw him spinning around like a top, raised his wrist to check the time, and suddenly said, "I'll give you a beating tonight."
Luo Hong was startled, almost smashing the hammer in his hand. He said irritably, "You should have said something first."
“I’m not a mouse,” Zhou Weifang stood up, stretched his arms and legs, glanced at the timetable on the wall to check the time, and said, “I’m going to get lunch.”
Luo Hong shouted, "Pick the expensive ones!"
No matter how expensive, you can't make abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, or fish maw.
Zhou Weifang ordered dishes based on Luo Yan's tastes, and very conscientiously added a braised tofu dish for his childhood friend.
He timed it perfectly; Luo Yan finished class just as he returned from shopping. As soon as she entered the store, she exclaimed, "It smells so good!"
She would shyly look away from Zhou Weifang's gaze, only to find herself staring at her brother instead, and then guiltily glance at the floor.
Luo Hong flicked his sister's forehead: "So I've been starving you?"
Luo Yan shook her head repeatedly: "Absolutely not. The food you served is the best."
After saying that, he realized it wasn't right and secretly gave Zhou Weifang a look to reassure him.
Zhou Weifang had only recently gained a title and status, and before he could even settle in, he knew he couldn't compare to the older brother. So he simply said, "There's squid today."
Luo Yan smiled sweetly at him: "I especially love eating squid."
She was willing to coax him, and Zhou Weifang felt completely at ease. He set out the bowls and chopsticks and said, "Eat."
Luo Yan washed her hands and sat down. Before her brother arrived, she picked up a piece of meat for Zhou Weifang with her chopsticks and winked playfully.
Zhou Weifang nodded almost imperceptibly, his lips curling into a wide smile.
Luo Hong arrived a step late, his thoughtful gaze shifting between the two of them, and he said, "I ran into Brother Hong at noon."
Zhou Weifang was a beat slow to respond: "He went to eat fried liver too?"
Luo Hong didn't ride that far at noon. He said, "It's right at the zoo entrance. There are a lot of vendors there lately, so he said he'd just wander around."
The zoo is only about a kilometer away from Jiaotong University. Zhou Weifang said, "So you didn't get to eat fried liver? I'll bring you some next time."
"No," Luo Hong said speechlessly, "you've caught Luo Yan's influence; all you can think about is food."
Luo Yan retorted softly, "I also have a lot of knowledge."
He muttered to himself, "I didn't get to eat either."
Luo Hong was genuinely at a loss for words. Seeing his childhood friend about to fawn over him again, he interrupted, "From now on, no one is allowed to mention fried liver."
He was the one in charge among the three, and Zhou Weifang immediately changed the subject: "Didn't you wander around with him?"
Luo Hong: "I've looked around, and I see quite a few people setting up stalls, all with tents. It looks more impressive than the Third Prince's residence."
Zhou Weifang finally understood what he meant by bringing this up and said, "Since Brother Hong went, my sister and the others must know too."
The Zhou sisters have been setting up a stall in front of the Third Prince's Mansion, but recently Beijing is going to vigorously develop tourism and clean up and renovate many places. Even the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Forbidden City will be open to the public next month. Therefore, there are some rumors that the Third Prince's Mansion will also be renovated and turned into a tourist attraction.
If that's the case, this stall will definitely have to be temporarily cancelled.
Zhou Weifang: "I've only heard about it so far. Even if they want to move, it won't be quick. I don't think the two of them at the zoo are willing. It's quite a distance away, and my older sister is pregnant again."
That's true. Even though it's only a few miles, many people consider the area outside the Second Ring Road to be outside the city.
Luo Hong: "There are many places where we can set up stalls now, and there are definitely places that are close to home."
Although only a little over a year has passed, public opinion about individual businesses is very different now than it was when Zhou Weifang wanted to open a shop.
He said, "It is said that there are millionaires in the south who sell melon seeds."
Luo Hong knew that he also wanted to put some roasted nuts and seeds in the fruit shop, and said, "Maybe you'll be next."
Zhou Weifang said, "Thank you for your kind words," but he was still very self-aware: "It will take me several years to earn 100,000."
Luo Yan quickly calculated and gasped, "I think I'll be in my seventies or eighties by then."
College graduates now earn around sixty yuan a month, and after deducting food and drink expenses, there's not much left.
After hearing his sister's calculations, Luo Hong thought to himself: It would be perfect for her to find a partner who can earn money, so she won't suffer too much in the future.
Luo Yan hadn't thought that much about it and kept counting on her fingers, clicking her tongue and saying, "How could it take so long?"
Zhou Weifang whispered, "It's okay, I have money."
Luo Hong: "You should say these things louder so I can hear them too."
Even if you don't let him hear it, he still heard it.
Zhou Weifang: "If you want to borrow, I have as much as you need."
In this world, being able to lend money unconditionally is already a life-or-death friendship. Luo Hong gave a thumbs up: "He's a true friend, a true buddy."
They chatted back and forth, and when the conversation was interrupted, Luo Yan forgot that she hadn't responded earlier and kept eating the squid.
Zhou Weifang knew she would like it, and thought he would ask around in Beijing where there were good seafood restaurants. While talking to his childhood friend, his eyes drifted in another direction.
Well, it seems I've been in the way. Luo Hong piled a lot of food into his bowl: "I'll eat outside."
Hmm? Why?
Luo Yan looked up at her brother, only to be flicked on the head again, leaving her pouting in anger.
Zhou Weifang held out his hand to her: "You should get a shot too."
"Then what kind of person would I become?" Luo Yan gently patted him: "This is your own choice."
Zhou Weifang was so willing that he simply didn't pull his hand back.
Luo Yan glanced at him sideways: "Eat your food properly."
Zhou Weifang said almost silently, "I think you're enough."
Even though she knew her brother couldn't hear her at that distance, Luo Yan still felt uneasy and waved her fists a couple of times as a warning.
Zhou Weifang: "We won't be able to see it tomorrow."
He's become increasingly adept at playing the victim, and Luo Yan falls for it, so she has no choice but to let him watch.
Zhou Weifang was delighted and pushed all the dishes in front of her.
The two of them didn't talk much, but they exchanged glances.
Luo Hong sat alone at the shop entrance, feeling a vague sense of loss, after all, this small group used to be connected by him.
Even later, if my sister marries Zhou Weifang, they will be each other's most important other half.
Thinking of this, Luo Hong suddenly began to consider: Should I go on a blind date?
Luo Yan was unaware of the major psychological shift her brother had undergone, but she could sense that he seemed a little unhappy today.
Zhou Weifang noticed this as well, and thought that Luo Yan must be reluctant to part with her sister. He felt that if he asked her again, he would only make things worse, so he pretended not to know and left after Luo Yan went to school.
The shop suddenly became much quieter, and Luo Hong inexplicably felt like sighing.
Fortunately, there were many guests in the evening, which made him forget about being sentimental.
Luo Yan was dismissed from school at eight o'clock.
She skipped and hopped into the store, and saw someone checking the brakes.
Luo Hong didn't say anything in front of outsiders, but as soon as they left, he asked, "Are you that happy today?"
Luo Yan loudly announced the latest good news: "My summer report has the highest score."
She then took small steps to her brother's side: "What's wrong with you today?"
Luo Hong was always open and honest with his sister, saying, "Imagine me getting married in the future."
Luo Yan understood: "But you didn't seem to do this last time."
Luo Hong: "Maybe it's just my gut feeling that you and the three parties will eventually get together."
The future? Luo Yan was even more surprised than her brother: "You mean marriage?"
It was obvious she still hadn't thought about it, so Luo Hong said helplessly, "Never mind, as long as you're happy now."
Luo Yan was overjoyed today, exclaiming, "I never thought I'd get the highest score! So many people in my class wrote really well, but this time only mine was published in the school magazine!"
She drew out the words with a triumphant air, her eyes beaming with joy.
Luo Hong: "Okay, let's celebrate for you. We'll have a nice lunch tomorrow too."
Luo Yan eagerly raised her hand: "I'll go buy it, I'll go buy it."
Then he opened his palm and said, "It's your treat."
Coincidentally, Luo Hong placed five yuan in his sister's palm: "This is for the lunch Zhou Weifang treated me to."
"Is this phoenix marrow or dragon liver?" Luo Yan urged, "So, your budget for treating everyone is also five yuan per person?"
Luo Hong: "No, this is our food allowance for the next three days."
Luo Yan immediately put the money in her pocket: "Who said we're 'us'?"
That girl is asking for a beating.
Luo Hong tidied up the tools on the ground: "I sold you the moment you came in."
Luo Yan wasn't afraid of her parents finding out, so she made a face and said, "I'll tell them myself."
She looks brave now, but becomes a little hesitant when she gets to her doorstep.
Liu Yinfeng saw her daughter clinging to the door frame: "Did you come back after causing trouble?"
Luo Yan moved closer to her parents: "Well, I have two things to say."
The couple listened attentively, and after hearing the first thing, they exclaimed in unison, "It wasn't a wasted summer vacation!"
Luo Yan worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk during the summer vacation, writing reports until she developed several calluses on her hands.
She rubbed her hands together and said the second thing, while observing her parents' expressions.
After all, she was their own daughter, and the couple had somewhat expected it, but they didn't expect it to happen so quickly.
They had already reached a consensus in private, exchanging a glance and saying, "If you like it, then your parents like it too."
Luo Yan was not surprised by this answer and went into her room to get her clothes.
She would stay in the bathhouse for a long time, and Luo Hong would go home to have a private meeting with his parents while his sister was away.
He said, "You two seem to have some concerns?"
Liu Yinfeng patted her son: "Speak properly."
She said, "We don't have any issues with the three parties, we just feel they're too close."
If their daughter is looking for a marriage partner, they naturally hope that the partner is as close as possible, ideally someone from their neighborhood, so that they can easily take care of each other in the future.
But this is just dating, everything else is another matter.
Liu Yinfeng: "We all live in the same alley. There are no secrets in the world. Yanyan is still so young. Whether she will get married in the future is still uncertain. She is still a young girl."
The world is always a bit harsh, and people don't just live with their parents and relatives. Even if you want to protect her from the wind and rain, you can't stop all the gossip and rumors.
Luo Hong hadn't considered this point at all.
He said, "From what you're saying, you don't think they'll get married?"
Liu Yinfeng: "Of course I hope it can be done."
If they encounter something bad again, and cry twice more like last time, it's hard for their parents to bear seeing them.
Luo Hong calmed the man down and said, "I think it's possible."
What the son said was, of course, based on evidence.
Luo Xinmin: "Are you sure?"
Luo Hong: "About 70%."
Nothing in life is 100% certain; 70% is already considered a very high probability.
Luo Xinmin nodded and glanced at the clock: "Go pick up your sister."
No sooner had her son left than Liu Yinfeng said, "I thought Yanyan only cared about studying, but she suddenly became bright once she got to university. Your son, on the other hand, is still a blockhead."
At times like this, it's always "your son, your son." Luo Xinmin found it amusing: "Anyway, whether we talk about it or not, we're both worried. It's all the same."
That's true. Liu Yinfeng stood up with the help of the weight: "Never mind, children and grandchildren have their own blessings."
Luo Xinmin: "It's alright, I'll take care of it for you."
Mentioning Liu Yinfeng reminds me of him, and I ramble on as I enter the room.
When the brother and sister arrived home, the living room was already empty. Luo Yan shook her wet hair and yawned, "I'm going to sleep too."
Luo Hong tugged at his sister's hair: "Her hair isn't dry yet."
Luo Yan accidentally got a little wet while taking a shower, rubbed herself with a towel and said, "I'll read for a while before I go to sleep."
Luo Hong let go of her hand and waited for her to enter the room before turning off the living room light.
As soon as Luo Yan entered the room, she lay down on the bed, took out Zhou Weifang's "self-criticism" and read it again, thinking to herself: It must have been difficult for him to write such neat characters.
Zhou Weifang's handwriting is just like his personality—it's so unrestrained and free-spirited, as if he wanted to finish each character in one stroke.
This one is good; there are obvious pauses between each stroke.
Luo Yan tried to imagine how Zhou Weifang wrote it, so she turned over, held the paper high, and looked at it again.
After reading it, she carefully put it away and decided to study it properly.
Perhaps influenced by the renewed emphasis on government-funded overseas study this year, the school has given more weight to English in its curriculum.
Luo Yan is the most obedient person, so naturally she has to pay attention to English.
She also found these gibberish things very troublesome. She would feel sleepy after memorizing ten words, and rarely had the thought of escaping studying. She would put the book aside, turn off the light, and go to sleep.
She fell asleep and dreamt of English letters chasing after her.
When Luo Yan woke up, she saw her English book and couldn't quite distinguish between dream and reality. It was like a hot potato, so she put it under her pillow to avoid seeing it and getting annoyed. She tidied her messy hair, which she had been sleeping on, and got up to change her clothes.
Liu Yinfeng got up earlier than her daughter today. When she saw her daughter come out, she said, "Come on, there's only one red bean bun left."
After washing up and eating breakfast, Luo Yan said, "Mom, could you please subscribe to a newspaper for me today?"
Liu Yinfeng: "Okay, what's your name?"
Luo Yan: "China Daily, if you don't remember the name, just say it's the one that's all in English, that's the one."
Why is it called "China Daily" but uses entirely foreign languages? Liu Yinfeng: "Is this a newspaper published by foreigners or by us?"
Luo Yan: "We published it, but we only reported it in English."
"That would require writing so many foreign languages," Liu Yinfeng said. "Wouldn't that make it more expensive?"
It's true that anything related to foreign countries is more expensive these days. Luo Yan scratched her face: "Even newspapers?"
Even she didn't know, so Liu Yinfeng was even less aware. She said, "Then I'll go to the post office later and ask them properly."
Luo Yan: "Thank you, Mom!"
Luo Xinmin heard this as he stepped out of his room and said, "Such a sweet talk so early in the morning, looks like something's up."
Luo Yan objected: "I've always been good with words."
Yes, yes, Luo Xinmin: "You've always been the best at coaxing people since we were little."
He shook his head and went to wash up. While eating breakfast, he flipped through a few pages of the newspaper, commenting on anything of importance.
There's something important to tell you today. He said, "From now on, if you earn more than 800 yuan a month, you'll have to pay personal income tax."
How much more? Liu Yinfeng: "How many people can afford that?"
Luo Xinmin: "I can't, but I have a son."
Luo Yan knew her brother's income best and thought it was unlikely to happen anytime soon. Zhou Weifang, on the other hand, probably met the tax threshold, but she wondered if he had seen the news.
It's okay if you didn't see it; you can tell me next time we meet.
Luo Yan kept this in mind for a moment, took a sip of porridge, and shouted, "Brother!!!"
It was so shocking that it startled both parents.
Liu Yinfeng clutched her chest: "Your mother is getting on in years."
Luo Yan smiled ingratiatingly and made up an excuse: "It's all my brother's fault. Who told him not to get up?"
Luo Hong rubbed his hair as he walked into the living room: "I'm up now."
Luo Yan: "It wasn't voluntary."
It's good enough if you can get up; you need to be more self-aware and proactive.
Luo Hong tugged at his sister's hair: "You're so diligent."
Luo Yan corrected: "It's the three of us."
Luo Hong stretched and said, "I should have known I was picked up from outside."
Liu Yinfeng couldn't help but laugh when she heard this: "You took it so seriously when you were little, you insisted on carrying your sister on your back to find your biological parents."
From then on, no matter how angry they were, they dared not say such things in front of their children. Even if someone joked about it, they would stop them on the spot, for fear that one day when they opened the door, their children would have been taken to some remote corner of the world.
Luo Hong claimed to have no recollection of anything that was embarrassing or shameful.
Luo Yan, however, remembered: "My brother used to lie to me like that too."
She perked up at the mention of old grievances, and Luo Hong poked his sister on the back of the head: "You're so stingy."
Luo Yan tried to slap him, but he dodged it, so she could only complain to her parents, feeling wronged.
Liu Yinfeng laughed again: "When you were little, you also loved to tattle, and as a result, when we scolded your brother, you would cry and try to stop us."
Why is it that everything related to herself can't escape the word "crying"? Luo Yan touched her eyelids with her hand: "Maybe I've cried it all out before, so I'm very strong now."
Even as Luo Hong was chewing on a tube of toothpaste, he interrupted, "Are you strong in your dreams?"
Because he talked too much, Luo Yan couldn't stand it, so she chased after him and beat him up without even eating.
Where does all this energy come from so early in the morning?
Luo Xinmin remarked, "These young people with good hands and feet are really energetic."
Liu Yinfeng: "Good hands and feet, is that how you praise a child?"
Luo Xinmin himself didn't shy away from saying, "This is the best thing I can think of."
Liu Yinfeng touched her husband's empty sleeve: "Let's go together, I need to go out too."
The couple, one going to work and the other to the post office, walked past their children without batting an eye, casually reminding them, "Yanyan, check the time yourself."
Luo Yan had class at eight o'clock. She glanced at her watch, grabbed her bag, and ran off, but left behind the words, "You have to wash the dishes."
"Who else is left?" Luo Hong shouted. "You're the only one who knows how to boss people around!"
That's what he said, but he still washed the dishes after eating before going out.
When Liu Yinfeng returned from the post office, she was in a great mood because she didn't have to tidy up anything.
She put down the newspaper subscription receipt, picked up her vegetable basket and walked outside, calling out to Wang Xiujuan, the person she frequented most in the alley.
The two exchanged the latest news from within a two-mile radius, inevitably bringing up the most talked-about topic: houses.
Wang Xiujuan: "If you ask me, you are right to want to move to a detached house. It would be so comfortable to live there."
Liu Yinfeng: "I do want to, but there are several households like this now, so I can't change them even if I want to."
Wang Xiujuan gave her some advice: "Try to see if there are any courtyards with few residents. Maybe you can coordinate to get one."
It's definitely more troublesome than trading with just one household, but
That's one possible solution.
Liu Yinfeng slapped her thigh: "Why didn't I think of that sooner?"
Wang Xiujuan: "This is just robbing Peter to pay Paul, isn't it just a waste of time?"
Even if it's a hassle, we have to give it a try. Liu Yinfeng nudged her old friend with her elbow and said, "Then help me find out more."
Wang Xiujuan: "That's for sure."
The two chatted and laughed as they went to the market, where they started talking about their children.
Wang Xiujuan lowered her voice: "I just met a girl, why don't you mention her to Luo Hong?"
Liu Yinfeng was tempted, but said helplessly, "Forget it, that brat is just wasting his time."
Wang Xiujuan: "What's the big deal? It won't hurt to ask. She's such a wonderful girl."
Ultimately, the most important thing is whether her son is willing or not. Liu Yinfeng waved her hand and said, "I can hold back for another two years. Let him play if he wants."
Little did she know that her son's thoughts were also constantly changing.
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Author's note: Even though it was the middle of the night, I did it!
Good evening! Although I can already hear the rooster crowing.
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