Chapter 44 The Plan
We'll talk about tomorrow's plans tomorrow; Luo Yan still has a few unresolved matters to attend to today.
It was almost lunchtime, so she packed her things to leave.
Zhou Xiuhe's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Are you going to the cafeteria?"
Luo Yan is someone who doesn't like to be late. If she agrees with Zhou Weifang on 3:30, she will always be there, even if it's earlier.
She had just spent a lot of time doing her homework, and it would take her an hour or so to get from school to Hepingli. After buying the alcohol, it would be another long journey to the car dealership.
So, at this rate, I might only be able to make do with a steamed bun bought from a roadside stall for lunch.
She said, "I have something to do later, so I won't be going to the cafeteria."
Hearing this, Zhou Xiuhe knew she wouldn't be coming in the afternoon, so he said, "See you tomorrow."
Luo Yan waved goodbye and looked back for a strange reason as she walked out of the library. She felt as if this temple of knowledge had taken on a different meaning.
She couldn't describe it, only that she was in a good mood. She hopped down the steps in a few steps and got on the bicycle parked at the door.
Everything went according to her plan, except that she didn't eat steamed buns.
I don't know what's gotten into me today, but every shop had either chives or fennel filling left over. With a "let's see what happens" attitude, Luo Yan went to the car dealership on an empty stomach.
Before stepping into the car dealership, she smelled a delicious aroma wafting from somewhere and unconsciously swallowed.
Although Zhou Weifang was unaware of the situation, after putting the wine in the cabinet, he gave her some soda and biscuits as usual, saying, "Wait for me a moment."
He still has two cars that urgently need repair.
Luo Yan sat down and struggled with herself for less than three seconds before her fingers slipped inside the cookie box.
I took a bite, but couldn't taste anything.
I took another bite, but it still didn't quite taste right.
Luo Yan ate most of the cookie box without realizing it. By the time she realized what she was doing, it was too late. She blinked blankly and heard footsteps approaching. She tried to cover the cookie box with her hand.
Zhou Weifang didn't understand this action and asked, "What's wrong?"
Luo Yan bit her lip: "I... I ate too much."
When visiting someone else's home, you should follow the rules.
Zhou Weifang laughed: "It was originally meant for you to eat."
But thinking of her personality, he frowned and asked, "Didn't you eat lunch?"
Luo Yan's eyes flickered: "I ate it."
Look, she can't even tell a small lie.
Zhou Weifang: "That means you didn't eat it."
Luo Yan was already embarrassed, and being exposed made her even more ashamed and angry. Her eyes drooped slightly as she stammered, "I'll buy a box and return it to you."
She was very enthusiastic about explaining the problems, which led Zhou Weifang to believe that they were at least friends. However, this clear-cut distinction was really a headache. Zhou Weifang pulled up a chair and sat down in front of her: "Don't be so polite with me. But why didn't you drink any soda? Aren't you going to choke?"
Luo Yan looked him in the eye and said, "I have a water cup."
I still kept this debt in my mind.
See, they don't bother touching your things because they have them; they're very principled. If this principle weren't directed at him personally, Zhou Weifang would definitely think it's a good character trait.
He asked, "Would you like some water?"
Upon hearing the mention of water, Luo Yan felt a sudden urge to use the restroom, and her fingers unconsciously clenched. "Let's get to the questions first."
Zhou Weifang opened the book: "There are quite a few questions today."
It wasn't just a lot, it was like a raging river. As Luo Yan spoke, she gripped her thighs tighter and tighter, even her toes were exerting force.
Zhou Weifang thought she was thirsty, so he pried open the soda bottle and pushed it over to her.
Luo Yan couldn't take it anymore. She clenched her teeth and whispered, "I need to go to the toilet."
She dashed away and disappeared, bumping into the door curtain and making it sway. When she returned, she pretended nothing had happened.
Zhou Weifang wouldn't want to embarrass her, so he scribbled a couple of lines on the book with his pen: "What does this sentence mean?"
Luo Yan followed his gaze and first noticed a wound on his index finger joint, as if a piece of flesh had been cut off. She felt a sharp pain just looking at it and gasped.
Zhou Weifang usually gets into a lot of bumps and bruises, and in this kind of weather, her hands and feet are so stiff that she has little feeling. She doesn't take a small injury seriously at all. It was only when she saw her grimacing that she realized what was happening and turned her hand over.
If they don't want you to see, it's probably better not to ask. Luo Yan considered herself a polite person and continued explaining the rest of the story.
Zhou Weifang breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a pang of regret, realizing that this gradual approach might not be effective. However, he had no better option and decided to focus on his studies for the time being.
Luo Yan didn't notice his distraction; instead, she thought he was quite serious and felt that his efforts were worthwhile, so she praised him with satisfaction: "You've made great progress."
I must say, she has the air of a teacher. Zhou Weifang: "It's a pity you weren't admitted to the teachers' college."
Luo Yan: "Luckily I didn't record it, I don't want to be a teacher."
My childhood friend rarely mentioned my sister's college application process, as it was a matter far beyond their knowledge.
Therefore, Zhou Weifang was not entirely clear about her preferences and asked, "Why?"
Luo Yan gave him a meaningful look: "Forced learning is never sweet. I only teach those who are willing to learn."
Everyone has their own personality, and no one can change her. No matter how much she says "it's for her own good," it may not be adopted. Every night, she gets so angry that she punches and kicks herself in bed.
Zhou Weifang understood something from her eyes and coughed awkwardly: "I admit that I was ignorant before and did not know that studying was useful."
His older siblings had gone to the countryside early on, so when it was his turn, he could have been less anxious and waited until he graduated from junior high school before considering it. However, he felt that the school was not suitable for him, so he took the initiative to register at the educated youth office.
Luo Yan had tried to persuade him, but he didn't take it seriously.
But it's pointless to criticize others, and it doesn't benefit the current situation. She said, "It's not too late to learn now."
Zhou Weifang: "It's just that I learn slowly, which is taking up your time."
Luo Yan was willing to waste this time, and shook her head slightly to indicate that it was okay: "Take your time, just learn it thoroughly."
Fearing he might lose patience with his studies, she said, "You're still quite smart."
Zhou Weifang was well aware of his academic talent, but his grasp of interpersonal relationships was first-rate.
He simply closed the cookie box on the table and stuffed it into the other person's bag, saying, "Thanks to Teacher Luo's excellent teaching, please take this with you; consider it my gift."
Having received such high praise for her hard work and filial piety, Luo Yan couldn't think of a reasonable excuse to refuse.
But she was determined to find one, her eyes darting left and right.
Before I could decide, Luo Hong suddenly appeared: "Is Yanyan here?"
Luo Yan quickly ran to her brother's side and whispered a few words in his ear.
Luo Hong flicked his sister's forehead with his finger: "It's okay, take it home and eat it."
As long as her older brother is around, Luo Yan can feel at ease being a child and throw all her worries and problems away.
She asked, "Shall we go home together?"
Luo Hong: "Wait a minute, I have something to tell him."
He turned his head and said, "Old He said it's okay, but I still think Old Chen is better. I'll try to persuade him a little more and see if he can agree."
Who is Lao He? Who is Lao Chen?
Luo Yan perked up her ears, noticing that she seemed to be the only one who didn't recognize anyone. She pouted and said, "What did she say? That the two of them have the most secrets in the whole world."
Zhou Weifang, unaware that this displeased her, blurted out two more names: "I've got Zhang San and Li Si sorted out."
Who is Zhang San? Who is Li Si?
What's wrong with the parents? They came up with such a perfunctory name.
Luo Yan felt indignant on behalf of the stranger, and unconsciously put her hands on her hips.
Zhou Weifang kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, but he had no clue what was going on, so he could only give his childhood friend a look.
Luo Hong could tell what his sister was thinking as soon as he saw her stern face. He said helplessly, "You're always impatient when I talk to you, and now you're getting angry?"
Luo Yan declared confidently, "That's right, I'm just that difficult to please."
Luo Hong had nothing to say, so he casually tugged at his sister's hair and said, "Let's go home."
Luo Yan slapped her brother hard on the shoulder, but couldn't be as swift as him, so she turned her face away and said, "See you later."
Zhou Weifang waved his hand, and only after the siblings finished their work from the afternoon did he remember to eat dinner.
At this hour, Luo Yan was already in bed.
She hid her hands under the pillow, only extending them when she needed to turn the page.
Liu Yinfeng saw this scene when she entered her daughter's room. She touched the paper window and said, "I'll ask your brother to put another layer on for you tomorrow. It feels drafty."
Luo Yan sat up straight: "I'm not cold, I just feel comfortable like this."
Even when sitting, she had to hold the blanket between her chin and her arm, afraid that even a wisp of wind might get in.
Liu Yinfeng chuckled and said, "You're the one who's most afraid of the cold. Even my quilt isn't this thick."
No, at least try to hide your favoritism a little.
Luo Hong tapped on the wooden board separating the two rooms: "Mom, please speak more quietly."
Liu Yinfeng: "It's not like I'm deliberately withholding money from you. Aren't you cold?"
He added, "When you get married, you'll have plenty of new quilts to use."
Luo Hong shouted, "The new TV will be delivered the day after tomorrow, so don't worry about that unrealistic thing."
Liu Yinfeng: "If you talk back to me again, you'll be in for a beating."
Then she brought up the reason for coming into the room: "Your sister Qianqian is going on a blind date the day after tomorrow, and she wants to borrow your wool coat."
When going on blind dates, it's not just about borrowing clothes; some families even borrow pots and pans to make an appearance.
Luo Yan didn't seem to care about the clothes she'd only worn a few times; she just rubbed her hands together and said, "They're so thin, they're so cold."
"You think everyone is like you?" Liu Yinfeng knew her daughter would agree, and opened her wardrobe: "Oh my, I don't even know where to put things."
Luo Yan lay on the edge of the bed, trying to pull the box out from underneath, but she was moving in the opposite direction of the force, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't budge it.
Liu Yinfeng: "I'll do it, I'll do it."
She found the one she wanted and said, "You look so good in it, it's a pity you haven't worn it many times."
Luo Yan: "I'll wear it when spring comes."
She figured she'd forget about it by spring, but Liu Yinfeng had only mentioned it casually. She pushed the box back and put it away, then noticed a box on her daughter's desk and said, "What kind of milk biscuits are these? Where did you buy them? If you want some, Mom will buy two more boxes to keep at home."
Luo Yan wasn't just hungry today. She said, "The high-calcium milk biscuits are quite delicious, but I don't know where I bought them."
Liu Yinfeng: "It's alright, the department store will definitely have it, just look for it and you'll know."
He added, "Go to bed early, you're ruining your eyes by staring at the screen."
Luo Yan obediently lay down: "Then please turn off the light for me."
You can't help but say that daughters are good; they'll grow up to be affectionate too.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Liu Yinfeng closed the door and went back to her room.
As Luo Yan drifted off to sleep in the darkness, she was suddenly startled to hear Wangcai and Laifu shouting. She turned over and covered her ears with the blanket.
The next second, someone outside shouted, "Thief! Thief!"
The sound was no less than a clap of thunder in spring, and the whole courtyard shook. Luo Yan hurriedly put on her clothes and peeked out to meet her brother's eyes.
Luo Hong gestured for her to stay in her parents' room, picked up a wooden stick that was always kept at home, and slipped out through a crack in the door.
After a while, he came back and announced: "He was just a petty thief, we caught him."
The remaining family of three breathed a sigh of relief, but little did they know that this was the beginning of an eventful period.
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Author's note: I'll add another chapter tomorrow.
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