Chapter 79 (Combined)
When Luo Yan arrived, she didn't find any classmates at the meeting point and thought she had arrived too early. But after waiting for a while, she realized something was wrong and looked around for the class monitor.
After wandering around for a while, I found him under the shade of a tree.
The class monitor said smugly, "Come on, come on, I've secured a prime spot for our class."
It truly is a treasure trove; in the shady spot where several large trees form a continuous stretch, a faint breeze seems to be blowing.
Luo Yan: "How long have you been standing here?"
The squad leader waved his hand to dispel the heat: "Before long, you wouldn't believe it, there will be people rehearsing everywhere."
The school building was locked on Sunday, and there weren't many shady spots in the school. He finally found this one with great difficulty.
Luo Yan looked at the sun and felt sorry for him. She took out a folding fan from her bag and opened it with a "chua": "Use this."
The class monitor didn't stand on ceremony, turning the fan over and reading aloud the words on it: "A calm mind brings coolness; your handwriting is quite beautiful."
Luo Yan is calm and has seriously practiced calligraphy, but this fan wasn't written by her: "It was written by my dad."
Class monitor: "Uncle, you have such a good writing style."
He slapped the fan twice, then suddenly lowered his voice: "Look at those railway workers over there, they've been practicing all morning."
There are three classes in the railway transportation major. Luo Yan looked around and found Zhou Xiuhe in the formation. He was singing listlessly, staring blankly ahead.
Luo Yan felt like laughing, and lowered her head while her shoulders shrugged.
The class monitor, not understanding the situation, analyzed to himself: "This is definitely a formidable opponent, but our class's goal is not to be at the bottom, but to strive for the middle."
This goal seems rather unambitious, but Luo Yan, who is used to being a good student, suddenly felt a surge of fighting spirit: "I think our class still has a lot of hope."
That hope vanished after just ten minutes of formal rehearsal.
The chorus of all 32 students in the class somehow sounded like 33 different tunes. The class monitor tried to find out who was causing trouble, scurrying around like a groundhog, but found nothing. In despair, he sat down on the ground and scrambled around, scalded by the heat.
Everyone couldn't help but laugh, but Luo Yan found it hard to hold back and tried to distract herself by looking at the sky and the ground.
As her gaze lingered, it met Zhou Xiuhe's gaze. The two smiled at each other from a distance before quickly looking away.
The class monitor was also pulled up by the other students.
He believed that a true hero was one who suffered repeated defeats, and rolled up his non-existent sleeves: "I refuse to believe it."
No one believed that the students in the class could be so uncoordinated. They went through the process again and again, and finally managed to come up with seven different tunes.
As dusk approached, the squad leader said in a hoarse voice, "We'll continue practicing tomorrow."
As soon as the party ended, Luo Yan rushed to her brother's shop and started drinking water without even saying hello.
Zhou Weifang was very perceptive; he noticed her face was flushed from the sun, and she was gently waving a large palm-leaf fan.
"They're quite proactive," Luo Hong said, glancing sideways at his childhood friend while patching a tire. "They clapped their hands, stood up, and told the customer, 'It's done.'"
The customer pressed down on the tires twice, paid, and rode away.
Luo Hong put the three-cent coin into the tin can and shook it so his sister could hear: "Did you hear that?"
Luo Yan was very accommodating: "I heard you."
Actually, I only made five cents' worth of business today; it was so easy to make a move.
Luo Hong was in a good mood, but when he caught sight of his childhood friend still fanning himself, he said, "Is Luo Yan some kind of Empress Dowager Cixi?"
Luo Yan hadn't noticed someone fanning her, and turned around in surprise, saying, "Thank you!"
Zhou Weifang reiterated, "Respecting teachers and valuing their teachings is the proper thing to do."
"Bullshit," Luo Hong muttered to himself, patting the dust off his knees. "Yanyan, it's time to get dinner."
One customer, one shopkeeper.
Luo Yan didn't think there was anything wrong with ordering herself around, so she picked up her lunchbox and headed outside.
Zhou Weifang watched her cross the road, then suddenly laughed: "She can't get it back by herself, can she?"
He left right after saying that, not even bothering to pretend anymore.
But there are difficulties in not saying it out loud. Luo Hong couldn't just grab him, so he could only groan a couple of times and punch the air twice.
When Luo Yan returned with the food, she saw her brother sitting with his legs crossed and said, "You seem quite relaxed."
Luo Hong sneered: "Otherwise what?"
Why are you in a bad mood again? Luo Yan: "Men are so inexplicable."
Luo Hong: "How many men do you know?"
Luo Yan pouted: "There's plenty more."
She opened the lids of her lunchbox, took the chopsticks Zhou Weifang gave her, and sat down. The three of them ate and talked at the same time.
After finishing his meal, Zhou Weifang took out the book he had prepared for a long time: "I've been saving it up for several days."
When his brother opened the shop, he helped out, and Luo Yan reciprocated with even more patience.
She was halfway through her story when she suddenly heard someone call her name. She turned around, a big smile spreading across her face, and stood up: "Jin Hong."
Chen Jinghong's throat felt stuffed with cotton as she opened her mouth, and she said, "I thought I was seeing things."
Luo Yan introduced the shop to her: "It's a shop my brother just opened."
Chen Jinhong was in the same class as Luo Yan when they were young, and they were also children of employees of the No. 8 State-owned Cotton Mill. She clapped her hands and said, "Ah, I remember now, they used to escort you to the classroom."
On Luo Yan's first day of elementary school, a boy in her class pulled her braids until she burst into tears. When she got home, her eyes were swollen like walnuts, so her older brother would pick her up and drop her off before she went to the countryside.
Thinking about all this, she didn't notice for a moment that they used "they," and nodded.
Chen Jinghong understood and greeted them politely: "Brother Luo, Second Brother Luo."
Wait, where did this second brother come from? Luo Yan tugged at her hand: "I only have one brother."
Huh? Chen Jinhong turned her gaze to the other person standing behind Luo Yan, somewhat embarrassed, and lowered her voice: "I seem to remember that he also gave you a ride."
She knew Luo Yan had an older brother, but she didn't know the specifics. She assumed that the two people in the shop were brothers, piecing together a rough outline of the brother based on her vague memories.
Luo Yan explained, "He's my brother's childhood friend."
Chen Jinhong suddenly realized and said, "I'm sorry."
Luo Yan: "It's okay, he's like my brother."
The use of the word "also" is truly...
Zhou Weifang felt a tightness in his chest. Luo Hong wiped away a tear for his childhood friend and asked, "Is the car broken?"
Chen Jinghong then remembered that she had come to get her car repaired and said, "I don't know what's wrong, I can't step on it."
Luo Hong: "Let me see."
See? They're professionals, after all.
Chen Jinhong stood there and asked Luo Yan, "Is your class rehearsing today too?"
Luo Yan: "Yes, it's right next to your classroom."
Chen Jinhong had actually seen her that afternoon and bluntly said, "Your class's practice is really..."
The unfinished meaning was obvious, and Luo Yan said awkwardly, "I don't know why, it just wouldn't close."
As the two women chatted, Zhou Weifang washed all the teacups and said, "Luo Yan, let your classmate sit down."
Luo Yan exclaimed and pulled out a chair: "Jinghong, please sit down, I had forgotten."
Chen Jinghong figured the car would probably take a while to repair. After sitting down, she saw the junior high school textbooks on the table that hadn't been put away yet and said, "Are you busy? Don't worry about me."
Zhou Weifang poured her some water and casually put her textbook aside, saying, "No rush, you two chat, I have to go back to the shop."
Luo Yan looked up at him with a smile and waved gently.
This gesture made Zhou Weifang want to reach out and touch her head.
He put his hands in his pockets and kicked his childhood friend as he passed by as a goodbye.
Luo Hong cursed at him, then turned his head to the other side and said, "This needs to be taken apart and repaired. Sit down for a while longer."
really.
Fortunately, Chen Jinhong wasn't in a hurry and chattered away with Luo Yan.
The two girls had quite a bit to talk about, and when Luo Hong said "it's fixed," they both felt it was a disturbance.
He casually wiped his hands on his pants: "No need for money. I'm giving you a discount this time. Next time, it'll be the same amount."
Chen Jinhong felt it wasn't appropriate, and her hands were still fiddling with things in her pockets.
Luo Hong: "Really, no need. You don't need to replace any parts. It's just a labor cost. Just help me promote it more. It's a new store opening."
Luo Yan received a signal from her brother and pressed Chen Jinghong's hand down: "It's okay, you can go back now, it's already dark."
Refusing again would seem too distant.
Chen Jinhong pushed her bicycle: "Then I'm off."
Only the brother and sister were left in the shop. Luo Yan said, "I have to go home and do my homework."
Luo Hong glanced at the time: "Okay, take your time."
Around 7 a.m., Beijing was bustling with activity. Two-, three-, and four-wheeled vehicles were crammed together, and pedestrians ignored traffic rules and crossed the road without batting an eye. Caught off guard, Luo Yan slammed on the brakes and veered to the right.
She was slow to react, but fortunately her body still had instincts. However, she was bumped again as soon as she stood up behind the car.
With a thud, Luo Yan leaned forward, thinking that misfortunes never come singly. She apologized and turned around.
Seeing her thoughtful expression, the other person quickly laughed heartily: "I bumped into you, are you alright?"
Luo Yan: "It's nothing, it's nothing."
With just that one sentence, they went their separate ways. But perhaps because she remembered him, Luo Yan felt that the man was following her after riding a few steps. Her heart was pounding, and she gradually slowed down.
The other person passed her unhurriedly, and after a while, she could no longer even see their back.
Luo Yan breathed a sigh of relief and continued walking home.
But as soon as she entered the alley, she bumped into him again.
To be precise, I caught him with Li Jianjun.
Luo Yan stopped to greet him: "Brother Jianjun."
Li Jianjun: "Yanzi is out of school."
Luo Yan hummed in agreement, and then saw the strange man slap his thigh: "I knew you looked familiar, Radish Sister."
It was as if Luo Yan was some kind of radish. She touched the back of her head and asked, "Who are you?"
The other party: "He Lei".
Luo Yan asked in surprise, "Brother Lei? When did you get back?"
He Lei's house is right across from Luo's house, but when he went to the countryside more than ten years ago, he was less than 1.5 meters tall. Now he has grown to be a tall and strong 1.8 meters, making him unrecognizable.
He knew he had changed a lot, saying, "I've only been back for a few days."
Luo Yan drew out an "oh," indicating that he and Li Jianjun had something to talk about. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, she left.
When she got home, she told her parents, "Mom, I just saw He Lei from the other side of the courtyard."
The children have been very busy lately, and Liu Yinfeng didn't have time to chat about family matters during meals. She asked curiously, "You saw him? I heard from your Aunt Xiujuan that he looks quite grown up now."
Luo Yan thought for a moment: "He's tall and looks strong. The army is a good place to train people."
Liu Yinfeng: "He's a company commander now, and he came back specifically on leave to find a partner."
Luo Yan: "The matchmaker will wear down his doorstep."
Liu Yinfeng gave a subtle look: "Your Aunt Xiangyun has very high standards."
She had conflicts with Chen Xiangyun, dating back more than a decade. The accumulated trivial matters could be described as a mountain.
Luo Yan, being an insider, finally understood why she had been hesitant to speak these past two days. She asked, "Did she brag to you again?"
Since her son wasn't home, Liu Yinfeng whispered to her daughter, "She's just showing off how capable her son Lei is, how he's appreciated by his superiors, and how he's going to study at a military academy."
Everyone has a son, so she naturally knew what it meant. But she was already worried about Luo Hong opening a shop, which only added to her distress.
Luo Yan guessed immediately: "I think my brother is better than anyone else."
"I know, I know," Liu Yinfeng poked her daughter's forehead. "You even say your brother's farts smell good."
Luo Yan pinched her nose and frowned, as if she could already smell it: "Then it must still stink."
This made Liu Yinfeng laugh heartily, and she didn't find it so annoying anymore: "I'm not comparing my brother to anyone, I'm just worried about his business..."
They can still support their son now, but that's not a long-term solution. In the end, a stable job with a guaranteed income is always better.
Luo Yan knew what her parents meant: to follow her own ideas and avoid taking unnecessary risks. But since it was ultimately her brother's idea, she said, "Someone has already come to fix the car today."
This was good news, and even Luo Xinmin, who had been listening intently, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
It's normal for parents to be worried, and Luo Yan couldn't offer much advice. After saying a few more words, she went to take a shower and met Zhou Yuyao at the entrance of the alley.
As soon as Zhou Yuyao saw her, she smiled and said, "Yanzi, I was just looking for you."
Me? Luo Yan's face clearly showed the question.
Zhou Yuyao: "I'd like to ask you to come and help me with my wedding procession on my wedding day, is that alright?"
The girls who accompany the bride are there to join in the fun; they are usually the bride's good friends, but they must be unmarried.
Luo Yan guessed that most of her friends were married and had children, which was why she was invited, and readily replied, "Of course."
Zhou Yuyao hadn't considered the possibility that she might refuse, and fearing that she wouldn't know which day it was, she said, "The 8th of next month."
Although most people choose to get married on a day off, Luo Yan, just in case, asked, "Is it Sunday?"
Zhou Yuyao: "Yes, yes."
Luo Yan mentally marked the day's sky, and when she got home, she even wrote it down on the calendar so she wouldn't forget.
Liu Yinfeng noticed her daughter was writing something down and leaned closer to look: "What is it?"
Luo Yan: "Sister Yuyao asked me to go and escort her to her wedding."
Zhou Yuyao is twenty-eight years old this year. Most of the people who grew up with her in the alley are married. Liu Yinfeng is not surprised that she would ask her daughter for help. She said, "Jianhong should go too. You two can go together."
A few months ago, Li Jianhong moved out because her parents objected to her marriage prospect. Just as her family relented, the man's maternal grandmother passed away.
According to the rules of the capital, marriage is not discussed within three months, so she must be among the people who escort her to the wedding.
Luo Yan knew her mother was worried about her being alone, so she said, "I'll be fine in the alley."
Liu Yinfeng agreed, saying, "I know, it's just worrying unnecessarily."
In reality, I'm incredibly worried.
Luo Yan also knew that there were many things about her that her family couldn't let go of besides her studies, so she had no choice but to do something she was better at.
She knew she would have a lot to do today, so she finished most of her homework yesterday. She only needed to add a few more strokes before going to sleep, but she still read a book while waiting for her brother.
Luo Hong returned late. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw that the light in his sister's room was on. After entering the room, he said, "Yanyan, go to sleep early."
Luo Yan responded, turned on the light, crawled into bed, and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
Luo Hong repeatedly counted the few small bills.
He'd seen money before in his life, but the money he earned today felt exceptionally different; it felt heavier in his hand, and he even hid it under his pillow while sleeping.
Perhaps that's why he had a wonderful dream that night, about making a fortune, and he mumbled in his sleep.
She didn't know what he was shouting, and Luo Yan, who had been woken up, couldn't hear it clearly.
Her heart skipped a beat. She looked around in a daze at the darkness, yawned, turned over, and went back to sleep, but she remembered to ask her brother the next day.
Luo Hong had no recollection of his dream and even refused to admit it: "When did I ever talk in my sleep? You must have misheard me."
Luo Yan: "I heard it clearly!"
"Nonsense."
"Really."
"Nonsense."
"Really."
...
The siblings' bickering wasn't enough; they continued arguing on their way to school/work.
But despite the argument, Luo Yan still asked before entering the school gate, "What do you want to eat for lunch?"
Luo Hong: "Let's have cold noodles, it's hot."
Luo Yan agreed, rode her bike to the teaching building, and when she entered the bike shed, she saw Zhou Xiuhe standing there. After making sure no one was around, she asked, "What's wrong?"
Zhou Xiuhe: "Someone in our dorm is having a birthday party tonight, so I can't take you home."
Luo Yan: "It's okay, I can wait for my brother to come together."
Actually, she could go home by herself even without her brother, since that's how she got through the last semester.
Zhou Xiuhe laughed: "I knew you would say that."
Luo Yan smiled along, but quickly waved and walked away when she heard footsteps.
When can we openly date in school? Sometimes she was so secretive that Zhou Xiuhe felt ashamed of himself. He sighed helplessly, but still kept his distance and walked far behind her.
No matter how far away, Luo Yan could see him again with just a turn of her head.
She subconsciously tried to walk more gracefully, straightening her back and keeping her posture upright, but the more she tried, the less natural her movements became. When going up the stairs, she almost tripped over her own feet and ended up leaning against the wall.
Zhou Xiuhe quickened his pace to check if she was injured, but she immediately steadied herself, turned around, and shook her head at him.
Luo Yan was fine, but her left shoulder was covered in dust that she couldn't clean herself, so she asked Ji Ning for help after entering the classroom.
Ji Ning gently patted it twice and, finding it didn't work, said, "I'll try harder."
Luo Yan said that despite her efforts, she inexplicably became a little worried, with her left eye closed and her right eye wide open.
Zhou Xiuhe could see everything clearly from the corridor. He tried it himself and found that he couldn't close only one eye. Instead, he experienced a noticeable cramp. He rubbed his eyelid with his palm.
Luo Yan could see his movements, of course, and she suppressed a laugh, her shoulders shrugging.
Ji Ning, who was standing behind her, was startled, thinking that she had been "hit" and had cried. "Did I hit her too hard?"
Luo Yan made an excuse: "No, it's just that I'm ticklish."
Can a pat on the shoulder make you itchy? Ji Ning touched her own shoulder and thought to herself that she had never heard of such a thing.
But she didn't doubt it, only saying, "It's been photographed cleanly."
Luo Yan twisted her neck backward to look, almost straining herself, and pressed the back of her neck, saying, "Thank you!"
"Don't mention it," Ji Ning waved her hand and sat down when the class bell rang.
Luo Yan sat next to her, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zhou Xiu running away. She realized that his morning class was not on this floor, and thought to herself: I hope he won't be late.
Zhou Xiuhe ran fast and entered the classroom before the teacher arrived. He found an empty seat, sat down, and caught his breath before starting the lesson.
The classmate sitting next to him reminded him: "You turned to the wrong page, it's page 53."
Zhou Xiuhe quickly flipped through the pages, not daring to lose focus for the rest of the class.
On the other side, Luo Yan was also listening attentively to the lesson.
She marked the parts she didn't understand with a question mark, and after class, she took the book and went to ask the teacher.
After the teacher finished explaining, she had to sort it out herself. She didn't move much all morning until lunch break, when she finally packed her bag and went to the cafeteria.
The cafeteria was packed with people at every window, and any decent dishes had been completely sold out.
Luo Yan originally wanted to eat something else, but after looking around, she had no choice but to choose cold noodles like her brother.
When it was delivered to the store, Luo Hong was busy.
Luo Yan didn't call him and started eating on her own. Halfway through her meal, she saw that there were new guests and didn't know whether she should be happy or not.
Anyway, Luo Hong was quite happy. After finishing his work, he washed his hands and ate.
His hands were covered in engine oil, and after rubbing them, he realized he was too hungry to do anything else, so he just went through the motions.
My brother used to work as a welder in a factory. Although it was physical labor, at least he had regular working hours.
Luo Yan couldn't help but worry: "It must be because there are too many people during school hours, and I'm bringing you food when it's busy."
She had been insisting on bringing him food, and Luo Hong hadn't said anything because he thought his sister was being so enthusiastic. Now he said, "I can just buy my own food."
There was a small restaurant across the street. Luo Yan thought for a moment and said, "Then I won't call you tonight."
Luo Hong was very hungry and ate quickly, nodding hastily in agreement.
Luo Yan: "Eat slowly, you're not digesting well."
Luo Hong had endured all kinds of hardships when he went to the countryside, and his digestion was already bad. He pounded his chest twice and said, "I know, you're just trying to take care of yourself."
Luo Yan used the same old line, "You'll understand when you're old," and casually added, "I'll go home with you tonight."
Luo Hong: "Oh, what brings you here?"
"His roommate is having a birthday party tonight."
No wonder. Luo Hong took a sip of water and said, "Then take a couple more books with you. I'm not going back that early."
Luo Yan glanced at her brother for no apparent reason: "Zhou Weifang also started to want to study after he went into business. Should I find a couple of books to help you get a feel for it?"
Luo Hong turned his back to his sister, and it was obvious he was rolling his eyes without her even looking.
Luo Yan didn't continue talking about it, but she was determined not to give up on it.
Luo Hong knew this too, and after a while he said, "Besides displaying Confucius, the Imperial Academy should also add you to its collection."
Luo Yan retorted with a smile: "The day I convince you to start learning, you should definitely put me on display."
Wow, you're quite sharp-tongued.
Luo Hong put down his chopsticks: "Guess the shell, whoever loses has to wash the dishes."
His hands still smelled of engine oil. Luo Yan wrinkled her nose and said, "No need, I'll wash them."
It was obvious that he had fallen into his old habits again, but Luo Hong was happy to relax and take a nap in the recliner.
Luo Yan wasn't sleepy, so she kept an eye on the door for him, so that if anyone came, they could stomp on his foot.
Luo Hong jumped three feet high and patted her on the back of the head while greeting her.
Luo Yan cursed at her brother behind his back. Seeing that it was almost time, she filled her water bottle and went to class.
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Author's Note: The newly added content in the previous chapter can be refreshed to read it again.
Happy weekend!
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