Chapter 121, Part 1212 Update
The parents had always known that their daughter had many suitors.
They generally don't interfere with their children's choices and thoughts, unless it's something illegal or disorderly. So, even if they sensed something was amiss, they didn't say anything. Instead, they turned their attention to their son and said, "Your Aunt Xu wants to introduce you to someone. Do you want to go?"
Luo Hong sat down to eat breakfast and said casually, "I'm not going."
Liu Yinfeng was unwilling to give up until she went through this formality, and even more heartbroken when she did, she muttered, "I've never seen you get close to any girl since you were little. I must have given birth to a son."
And getting close to girls? Thanks to his sister, that crybaby, Luo Hong always thought that girls were the most troublesome creatures in the world. He couldn't bear to part with his own sister, so why would he go looking for trouble?
When he reached the age where he began to fall in love, he took a train to northern Shaanxi.
During the years he was sent to the countryside, his parents repeatedly told him in their letters not to find a partner there, saying that they would bring him home when the time was right.
Given this premise, how could Luo Hong dare to show affection to anyone, since he couldn't even control his own future for the time being?
After returning to the city, Luo Hong worked at a bicycle factory. Although he was single and had no family to support, he felt he was not yet capable of supporting a family. He was not very interested in blind dates and said, "Mom, actually, this is your and Dad's fault."
What kind of talk is this? Liu Yinfeng: "We'll be contributing money and effort to your wedding."
Even Luo Xinmin looked at his son, thinking to himself, "I'd like to see what you can come up with."
Luo Hong: "Look at our family of four, aren't we so harmonious and happy? I've come to the conclusion that the most crucial point is that you and my dad have such a good relationship, you never argue. But now I'm so busy at the shop, I prefer to go out and relax when I have time. After I get married, I'll definitely have to stay home with my wife and kids, but I don't want to do that. If I don't spend time with them, my wife will have complaints, and you tell me, we'll end up arguing. If the couple argues, can the children grow up healthy and happy?"
He finished speaking without giving his parents a chance to respond, and continued, "You and Dad have set such a good example. If I weren't a member of the Luo family, I would be like other men, going out to drink and gamble after get off work, having everything done for me at home, leaving the kids to my wife and mother. I could have gotten married easily. But I can't do that, so is it your fault?"
When her son said that, Liu Yinfeng actually thought it made sense. She hesitated several times, unable to think of a rebuttal, let alone Luo Xinmin.
The couple looked at each other and laughed, saying helplessly, "You've flattered us so much, we'll be too embarrassed to urge you anymore."
There was no need to rush him in the first place. Luo Hong said, "I'll get married when I feel it's the right time for me."
Parents always treat their children as children, no matter how old they are.
Liu Yinfeng usually complains that her son is not mature and steady enough, but now she says, "He does sound quite manly when he says those few words."
Luo Xinmin patted his son's shoulder hard, his gaze falling on his watch, and said, "I'll be late if I don't leave now."
He was in a hurry to leave, but the remaining family of three were not in a hurry.
Taking the opportunity, Liu Yinfeng educated her daughter: "What your brother said is all correct. Some men are suitable for dating and can get along well with their wives, but they may not be good fathers when they have children in the future."
Luo Yan nodded thoughtfully and gave her brother a thumbs up.
Luo Hong raised his hands to the air: "Shouldn't there be applause and cheers at a time like this?"
Liu Yinfeng clapped her hands twice, picked up the empty bowls and chopsticks, and said, "I'll stew pork ribs for dinner tonight and have my sister bring them to you."
Luo Hong ordered: "I haven't had anything green for several days."
As soon as his sister started her vacation, he ate very casually for breakfast and dinner. He also felt it was not worth spending money on stir-fried vegetables outside, so for several days in a row, the only vegetable he ate was the carrot filling in dumplings, but even that wasn't green.
Liu Yinfeng was naturally pleased with such a small thing: "Okay, I'll smash a cucumber for you, otherwise it'll all wilt by the time you get there."
She has to do much more than just prepare three meals a day; she starts a whole day of housework in the kitchen.
Luo Hong finished the last mouthful of porridge and went to the shop. Before leaving, he saw his younger sister still sitting at the table and asked, "Don't you have to do your homework today?"
Luo Yan: "I've almost finished collecting the information, and I wrote the first draft today."
The first draft means that there will be several more versions of this thing.
Luo Hong thought to himself that not everyone can get into university, and shook his head as he left.
Luo Yan made a face at her brother's back, then swung her braids back to her room.
She had been sitting at her desk all morning, and her back and waist were starting to ache, so she got up and went for a walk in the yard.
As soon as it appeared, all the children and dogs in the yard gathered around, chattering amongst themselves, with a few barks mixed in.
Luo Yan thought to herself that although she wasn't very popular among her peers when she was young, she had become quite the leader of the kids when she grew up, touching their faces one by one.
Someone responded, and the children chattered even more excitedly.
Luo Yan unconsciously covered her ears, then belatedly realized from the noise: "Huh, where's Hongyu?"
Several voices answered in unison: "They went to the zoo with their parents!"
Judging from her own experience, Luo Yan felt that Xiao Hongyu must be feeling especially happy today, and was genuinely happy for her. But then, her smiling eyes caught sight of a familiar face, and she took two steps forward to greet her, saying, "Huifang!"
Wu Huifang clearly had something to say, and she squeezed her friend's hand: "Come on, let's go to your room."
Judging from her excitement, there must be some good news. Luo Yan was led by the guest to her room, and almost fell when she crossed the threshold.
Although Wu Huifang was in a hurry, she still knew to stop and greet the elders when she passed by.
Liu Yinfeng had just finished picking the vegetables and was about to cook them when she said enthusiastically, "Huifang will eat here for lunch. You guys have fun, I'll go cook."
Logically, she shouldn't be visiting right before lunchtime, but Wu Huifang couldn't wait until the afternoon, so she didn't stand on ceremony and said loudly, "Thank you, Auntie!"
To be frank, Liu Yinfeng was grateful that she had a refrigerator at home, because she usually buys groceries in fixed quantities in the summer, and she would often be flustered when she suddenly needed to entertain guests.
But today, when she opened the package, the meat was already prepared, which put her in a good mood while cooking.
Inside the house, Wu Huifang was also in a good mood, saying, "My aunt is coming from America to visit!"
Aunt? Luo Yan vaguely remembered her friend's relatives and asked, "You actually have an aunt?"
The question was a bit odd, but Wu Huifang knew her doubts and explained, "My aunt, well, she eloped. We didn't hear from her for many years afterward, and even my dad thought she was dead. I never expected that she would go to America."
She had always thought so, believing that the deceased should be respected and that as a junior, there was no need to gossip about the privacy of her elders.
Luo Yan understood and said, "It's really good news that we can still keep in touch after all these years."
But should I rush over to tell her immediately?
Wu Huifang's focus wasn't on that, but rather on reaching into her pocket: "She asked a friend from the overseas Chinese inspection team about it. They just came to my house this morning and brought me a lot of things. Look at this chocolate, oh my, it's already a little melted."
Luo Yan got some on her hands when she opened the packaging, but she smiled as she took a bite: "It tastes better than the one from the Overseas Chinese Store."
Wu Huifang reached into her other pocket: "There are these too."
It was clear she grabbed a little of everything, hurriedly stuffed it into her pocket, and ran out. Luo Yan was touched: "No, I have to treat you to lunch at a restaurant."
Wu Huifang: "Next time, Auntie will be almost done cooking."
Luo Yan said, "If you didn't know better, you'd think I put my mom in a pot and fried her."
That sounds terrifying. Wu Huifang touched her arm and said, "Don't talk nonsense. It's July."
The two were talking when they heard someone call them to eat and both stopped.
Liu Yinfeng prepared three dishes and a soup, and modestly said, "Auntie didn't buy any good dishes today."
Wu Huifang exclaimed, "It looks, smells, and tastes amazing! It's good enough to be a head chef at a high-end restaurant!"
Liu Yinfeng said she had a sweet tongue and kept putting food on her plate.
Luo Yanwan pushed her bowl towards her mother, saying, "I want one too."
How old are you? Still acting like a child.
Liu Yinfeng placed a large chopstick on her daughter's plate and coaxed her, "Eat up."
Luo Yan was very satisfied.
She now sees friendship to her left and family to her right, but the chair opposite her is still empty, and she inexplicably feels that it should be filled.
Should I use Zhou Weifang to fill the gap? Let me think about it again. It seems that among all the relationships I've had, he hasn't reached the point where I feel he's indispensable.
But Luo Yan was the one in Zhou Weifang's heart.
--
Zhou Weifang went straight to bed after returning to the shop last night and almost couldn't get up to open the door today. It was only after Zhang Hongmin banged on the door that he was woken up. He looked shocked and said, "Brother, you're still alive."
What kind of talk is this? Zhou Weifang: "It's like you're looking forward to my departure."
Zhang Hongmin: "I've been knocking for ages. If you don't come down, I'm going to break the door open."
"Really?" Zhou Weifang scratched the back of his head. "I just heard it."
He added, "I think I'll sleep a little longer."
Hurry up and go! Zhang Hongmin: "I'll take care of things at the shop, don't worry."
Zhou Weifang patted him hard on the shoulder: "Well done, I'll give you a bonus this month."
All that fancy talk is useless; everyone goes to work for money.
Zhang Hongmin was indeed delighted, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.
Zhou Weifang climbed up to the attic and continued sleeping. The banging and knocking downstairs in the morning didn't disturb him. However, when it was almost lunchtime and he still hadn't moved, the three employees discussed it and decided to send Zhang Hongmin up to check on him.
The stairs in the attic were too straight, and Zhang Hongmin lost his footing, crying out in pain.
It was impossible for Zhou Weifang not to hear the sound. He peeked out from the small hole and asked, "Are you alright?"
Zhang Hongmin rubbed his buttocks and said, "It's nothing, bro. I just came to ask if you'd like lunch."
Zhou Weifang was indeed hungry. He turned off the fan and said, "Eat. I'll treat you to a good meal at noon."
He bought eight dishes and a soup from the restaurant next door. At first glance, it seemed like a lot, but it was nothing compared to the fact that there were four strong, able-bodied men in their prime. They devoured it all in no time.
Zhou Weifang himself ate quite a bit, and while eating, he asked about the store's situation over the past month.
There are many possible scenarios; anything can happen.
The three of them took turns speaking, and they all mentioned, to varying degrees, how Luo Hong handled the situation.
He's a true friend, but Zhou Weifang also realized that he had been too naive at first. He thought he was just asking someone to keep watch at night, but unexpected problems arose during the day as well.
In that case, their business will be delayed.
Even good friends need to keep clear accounts. Zhou Weifang had his own accounts in mind. After handing over the accounts for this period at his childhood friend's shop in the afternoon and counting the money, he didn't say anything at first, just chatted casually.
The conversation drifted off-topic, so Luo Hong asked bluntly, "Is it just something you want to ask about Luo Yan?"
Zhou Weifang answered honestly, "Yes."
This left Luo Hong speechless, unable to catch his breath.
Zhou Weifang laughed: "Would you think it's right if I didn't inquire about her?"
Of course, something's not right. You can't just say you like something without taking any real action.
But Luo Hong didn't answer the question directly. He glanced at his watch and said, "Go across the street and get two dishes."
Zhou Weifang actually came mainly to thank him today, as he had bought four dishes at great expense. When he returned carrying them, he saw Luo Yan in the store and said, "I'll go buy some more."
Luo Yan quickly called out to him, "I'm here to deliver food too."
The word "also" gave Zhou Weifang the illusion that we were on the same side for the first time. He put down the vegetables he was holding and said, "I'm going to buy some soda."
So attentive they couldn't be stopped even by calling out to them, Luo Yan glanced at the pale complexion and asked, "Didn't you tell him I was coming?"
Luo Hong washed his hands, sat down, and raised an eyebrow: "Do you want me to talk, or not?"
This is a question that Luo Yan finds difficult to answer.
However, as she sat down to eat, she realized something—she and Zhou Weifang seemed to always meet at mealtimes, to the point that they now knew each other's tastes very well and could arrange a meal that everyone could accept. Considering the four most essential things in life—clothing, food, shelter, and transportation—they were now at least a quarter in agreement.
Based on the proportion of food in Luo Yan's life, it can even be considered that it is consistent in terms of half.
What should be used as the basis for judging the other half? Luo Yan hadn't figured it out yet, but her gaze involuntarily swept up and down Zhou Weifang.
Zhou Weifang pushed the soda towards her, wondering if he had done something wrong. He looked down and patted the dust off his clothes that he didn't know had gotten on them.
In such a small place, he wouldn't have noticed Luo Yan unless he took a picture, and he inexplicably burst out laughing.
Could there be another place? Zhou Weifang pulled the back of his clothes over to look, twisting his head back as hard as he could.
Luo Yan thought that if she twisted it any further, it would be at a flat angle by now, and said helplessly, "It's not dirty, eat properly."
Zhou Weifang then picked up his chopsticks, pausing as he realized that although he hadn't said a word, Luo Yan knew what he was thinking.
This tacit understanding secretly pleased him, and the corners of his mouth almost reached the sky in a smile.
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Author's note: Goodnight, I'll work hard tomorrow too!
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