Chapter 168 (1682nd update)
The next day was the Dragon Boat Festival, which was also the day Zhou Weifang came to visit.
Liu Yinfeng put a lot of thought into the dishes; she even plucked chicken feathers in the yard early in the morning.
The couple, along with Huang Laishun, who loves to join in the fun, did make the chickens fly, but the dogs certainly jumped around a lot.
When Luo Yan got up, she squatted down next to her parents and said, "The market doesn't have dead chickens, it's just slaughtered chickens."
Liu Yinfeng: "I specially asked someone to save it for me, it tastes even better."
Luo Yan gets excited when she talks about how delicious food is, but she also says, "He's not picky about food; he'll eat anything."
Liu Yinfeng: "For the first visit, it's only right to offer a higher standard of service, regardless of anything else."
No matter how much of a past relationship you have, or how much you've watched someone grow up, you can put those aside. Even if you know the other person won't hold it against you, your own attitude is still very important.
Luo Yan thought this was quite high-class, and asked while brushing her teeth, "Is there anything I need to do?"
By the time the children woke up, the daylily buds were already cold. Liu Yinfeng said, "Just wake your brother up."
What is the relationship between Luo Hong and Zhou Weifang? While washing his face, he kept yawning: "Should I go to the alley entrance to greet him?"
"Don't talk nonsense," Liu Yinfeng said, "Go and buy some cooked food."
Luo Hong: "I haven't even had a bite of breakfast yet."
No one's stopping him from eating, Liu Yinfeng said, "Eat first, then go. Anyway, you ride your motorcycle very fast."
Well, Zhou Weifang is quite an important figure now.
What could Luo Hong say? He'd been running around like a headless chicken all morning.
After working until 10 o'clock, Zhou Weifang arrived at the door on time.
There's a specific time to do this. If you arrive too early, the host hasn't finished preparing yet; if you arrive too late, it's mealtime, and it seems like you're just there to eat, which is impolite.
Zhou Weifang was certainly polite and brought plenty of gifts.
Luo Yan felt that even though he was a big man, his shoulders were slumped down by the weight of the things he was carrying, and asked, "What did you buy?"
Luo Hong also reached out to help him carry some, but didn't say anything about buying too much.
In his view, buying the entire department store was the right thing to do.
However, parents shouldn't be like that. Liu Yinfeng said, "Come on in, don't be so polite."
They exchanged pleasantries in a repetitive, roundabout way, making it seem like they were meeting for the first time. But in reality, even Huang Laishun was circling around Zhou Weifang's legs, and when he sat down, he even tried to lean on Zhou Weifang's knees.
Liu Yinfeng told the dog, "Go play outside, the adults are talking."
Luo Yan, for the first time, included herself among these adults, her eyes darting left and right as she waited to hear.
Actually, they were just talking about everyday things, since everyone is so familiar with each other.
Luo Yan thought that something important was going to be discussed today, hence the solemn scene this morning, but it turned out to be no different from what she expected, which made her a little disappointed.
Zhou Weifang noticed and turned to look at her: "What's wrong?"
Luo Yan finally remembered a word: "All of this is just red tape."
This girl, Liu Yinfeng, is also an old-fashioned person in some matters, saying, "The necessary procedures still need to be followed."
But since she had watched Zhou Weifang grow up, she wasn't too formal and said, "You three sit down, we'll go cook."
Zhou Weifang stood up abruptly: "I'll assist you."
Liu Yinfeng laughed: "I won't be polite with you in the future, but today is different, so sit down and relax."
That's right, that's right. Luo Hong had already done a lot of work early in the morning, and said, "Don't bring any more for me."
Luo Yan thought it was fine, and tugged at his hand to signal him to sit down, but then hesitated and said, "Are you hot? I'll get you a fan."
There's one running in the living room right now, but there are others in the rooms.
Zhou Weifang wasn't feeling hot at all. He let out a soft sigh and said, "I'm nervous."
What is this? Luo Hong and he grew up together since they were little, and the two of them were both brave enough to go through fire and water, but he had never seen these two words related to him before.
But precisely because they were so familiar with each other, a quick glance revealed their nervousness.
Luo Hong patted his childhood friend on the shoulder: "Alright, it wasn't for nothing that I killed a chicken and plucked feathers for you early this morning."
Who killed him and who pulled the rope? Luo Yan: "You're best at stealing credit."
Luo Hong: "You did the least, so you have no right to speak."
Luo Yan wanted to refute but lacked the confidence, so she could only mutter under her breath.
Zhou Weifang said, "I brought some peaches, they were just delivered this morning. Shall I wash a couple for you?"
Luo Yan sometimes feels like a monkey that hasn't evolved well, saying, "Just take a bath, there's plenty of good food for lunch."
Luo Hong didn't care about other days, but today was different.
He asked, "You'll wash it yourself?"
Is this also part of the red tape? Luo Yan obediently went to wash, not hearing what the two men were saying.
Luo Hong asked, "Yan Yan said you're taking her home the day after tomorrow?"
Regardless of how much they interact, they all live in the same alley, so they should visit each other when necessary.
Zhou Weifang: "I invited both my sisters to come, so Yan Yan won't feel uncomfortable."
This is exactly what Luo Hong wanted to say: "It's not wrong for you to protect her, but Yanyan needs to be discerning in her judgment of people. She needs to know what kind of people they are to know how to act. You'll be family from now on, dealing with each other for decades. Can you guarantee that she'll never have to face these kinds of situations in her entire life?"
It's a lifelong commitment, and few people can guarantee it. Zhou Weifang didn't want to make blind promises just to win their approval for the marriage, so he said, "I know what to do."
Luo Hong skipped the topic and left it at that, only asking how the house renovation was going.
Zhou Weifang: "If things go smoothly, it can be finished by National Day."
These past few days, he's been practically living and eating with those masters, keeping a close watch on them day and night.
Luo Yan came in while eating a peach and heard this, so she sat down to listen to their conversation.
Luo Hong looked at her and said, "I see you're always so happy. Sanfang, why don't you get her some work?"
Zhou Weifang waved his hand: "Those renovation workers are all big and burly. I argue with them three times a day, and she cries eight times a day if she doesn't go."
Who will comfort him when he comes back? It'll be him.
Luo Yan slapped his hand away: "Why is it that you get three times while I get eight?"
Is this what you should be arguing about? Luo Hong said to her, "Look at how successful you are."
Luo Yan snorted and banged on the coffee table twice: "I did a good job keeping your accounts, didn't I? Everyone has their own expertise!"
That's true, Luo Hong: "I've paid you a fair share of your salary."
"What do you mean by salary? It's like I'll be short of money if I don't work." Luo Yan said.
How self-righteous they were! Zhou Weifang looked on with envy and said, "Yanyan, you can put your money in my pocket next time too."
Since they started dating, Zhou Weifang has given Luo Yan a red envelope every holiday. She thinks this is normal; it doesn't matter if it's five or ten yuan. She also accepts all the things he buys for her.
Zhou Weifang also pays for all the food, drinks, and entertainment when they go out. He's now a millionaire, so he can afford to eat at restaurants in Beijing every day.
But taking the money is another matter entirely.
In the past, Luo Hong would have immediately felt that it was inappropriate, but there have been many specific changes to the procedures.
He said, "Do you know what it means to be self-aware? Do you think this young lady would accept it by herself? She would have to offer it to you with both hands, happily and respectfully."
Zhou Weifang would readily agree, pulling out his wallet and saying, "Please, do me the honor."
Luo Yan opened the box and saw that there was quite a lot of money inside. She gritted her teeth, took out all the banknotes, counted them, and said, "We'll split it in half when we meet."
Getting half is a huge improvement.
It's true what they say, people need a proper title to be respected. This meal today immediately made all the difference.
Zhou Weifang wanted to give her all his possessions, but he knew he couldn't rush it: "Just leave me some pocket money in the future."
Later? It doesn't seem like it's really that far in the future.
Luo Yan suddenly felt a little embarrassed, especially since she felt that her brother's gaze was full of teasing, so she swallowed the peach in her mouth.
Luo Hong didn't tease her anymore, but seeing out of the corner of his eye that the food was starting to be cooked in the kitchen, he said, "Go and serve the dishes."
Lunch was incredibly lavish, and Zhou Weifang ate with great relish, uttering countless compliments.
Taking the opportunity, Liu Yinfeng said, "You young people are all busy and definitely don't have time to cook. Yanyan has been focused on studying since she was little and hasn't been asked to do much housework. My cooking skills can't compare to those of master chefs, but my home cooking is alright. You can come to my house to eat more often in the future. I'm getting tired of eating out all the time."
Zhou Weifang quickly said, "When I was working in the countryside, I cooked for myself and knew how to cook a little. Of course, I'll have to learn more from you in the future."
That kid, always sucking up to people.
Luo Hong glanced at his childhood friend but didn't contradict him. Instead, he played the bad cop: "Yan Yan is capable of doing it."
Zhou Weifang didn't take the bait: "Anyway, I don't have to get off work regular hours, so I have plenty of time. Whoever is free can do it."
Whether or not it can be accomplished, today's statement is just that—a statement. We'll see how it goes.
The couple seemed satisfied, and after dinner, they asked, "It's a holiday, aren't you going to see a movie or something?"
Originally, this arrangement wasn't planned, but since it was brought up, Zhou Weifang's mind started to wander.
Luo Yan was too full from lunch and wanted to go out to digest, so she said, "Let's go for a walk."
No sooner had the man left than Liu Yinfeng began examining the things Zhou Weifang had brought, saying, "This isn't cheap. Luo Hong, buy two more bottles of good wine, and have your sister take them with her when you visit."
It's about reciprocity, after all.
Luo Hong said he was destined to be a busybody, but his sister's matter was of utmost importance to him. He said, "Okay, I'll go buy it now, and I'll also go play cards at Old Zhang's house. I won't be back for dinner tonight."
Go ahead, go ahead, it's a big holiday.
After the couple finished cleaning up the table, they went out for a stroll. When they met a neighbor on the way and asked him about their situation, they told him the truth.
In no time, the news that Luo Yan and Zhou Weifang were getting married soon spread far and wide.
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Author's note: This is a very late second update. Goodnight.
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